Itinerary

Hi Cindy, I start researching most of our trips two years ahead, but you have topped even my forward-planning habits! But then, planning the trip is almost as much fun as going. We have been to the UK seven times and have visited all the places I suggest below. For planning, buy the AA road atlas, the large one which is about 11 by 16 inches. You will probably need to order it from Amazon.co.uk, not Amazon.com. I also like to buy the orange regional Michelin maps. Read tripadvisor UK forums for specific advice from locals; this forum for advice from North Americans who have already travelled a lot in the UK. You might enjoy something like this for an itinerary (although you will probably shift your priorities several times before you go): Fly to Edinburgh, enjoy it for at least one full day, get a rental car, see a bit of the highlands if you are interested, then drive south, stopping at the Border Abbeys, Lindisfarne, York. Turn in the car at York, train to London....enjoy some time in London. Take a train somewhere west, maybe Windsor? Get another rental car, explore the area of Warwick, Stratford, Cotswolds, Wells, Glastonbury, Avebury, Salisbury, Stonehenge (get tickets six months ahead for private access), Winchester. Turn in the car at LHR, fly home, or do some more London if you have time. It would probably be cheaper to keep one rental car and drive from York to Warwick, but crossing the midlands is pretty boring. Depends on your budget. For exploring the countryside, it is very convenient to have a rental car. We have not found driving on the left especially difficult. While the petrol in the UK is pricey, many rental cars get 50+ mpg. We are planning Ireland/London early summer 2012. Since the Olympics are August/September they should not be a problem.

Thank you, Cynthia! These are good ideas to consider. You are right - I'm sure we will change our plans several times before the actual trip. Our 30th wedding anniversary is in 2012, but we didn't think traveling in around London would be a good idea because of the Olympics. That gives us an extra year to save money! I found London fascinating when we were there last year. But we were only there for 4 days - not enough time to do everything we wanted.

we have visited Britain many times. we tried train, but realized to see the country we needed a car. generally we concentrate on one area- for example West Country ( cotswolds, devon cornwall); east (East Anglia, Lincoln up to York) or South - very nice, but ignored. I research the area to see what is different and then plan to see those. once it was windmills (East), Old pubs with interesting names or stories, Black and white houses, Literary (Doone valley )etc. Including a few days in London at the end of each we usually plan at least three weeks, and this way have never had the time to go North of York- just so much to see. (We had to do Scotland on a separate trip). I havent found any area of Britain that wasnt fascinating as long as you have some idea what makes that area different. i think with only 10-14 days you cant realistically do England and Scotland. read and decide on some priorities. Once you have refined the scope these guys have lots of wonderful ideas. Select some areas you havent seen before- you wont be disappointed

We've been to the UK more than 40 times. We don't drive there. We really enjoy using the trains and buses. The Cotswolds are not well served by trains, however. And much of the Highlands have only limited service. That said, you can see a great deal in 10-14 days. We've been both in summer (July usually) and late Nov/early Dec. We enjoy both. Here isthe webaddress for an article I wrote about basing in London and doing day trips (you can see great deal that way). (you will need to copy and paste) http://www.aaacarolinas.com/Magazine/2008/Jan-Feb/britain.htm I think you could fly into London- stay 5 days or so. Do several day trips (or 1/2 day for Windsor). Then train to York- 1 night. Train to Edinburgh- 1 or 2 nights. Train to Aviemore- 1 or 2 nights. Train to Inverness - stay several nights and do some day trips with tour companies (there are lots of good trips). Fly back to London or Edinburgh, then home. Feel free to private message me.

Cindy, I've driven from just west of London to Inverness and back, and taken the train to Edinburgh from London. The primary advantage of the train is that it is fast: 4 hours and 30 minutes from London to Edinburgh. If you sit on the right side, you get to see some rather nice views in the last hour as the train skirts the North Sea shore before turning inland to Edinburgh. When I drove, I spent a night night at Carlisle, just south of the border of Scotland. Using the motorways, you could easily drive from London to Edinburgh in one day. But... I think the big attraction of driving in the UK is not being in a hurry, but taking the time to get off the motorways and amble around on the A and B roads. So, if you can find or make time for one or two nights on the road on the way to Edinburgh, I'll suggest picking up a rental car outside London and following the route of your choice. You might drop the car off at one of the towns east of Edinburgh and take the train the rest of the way. Edinburgh is not nearly the size of London, but it is a large city. Many great hotels are within a ten minute walk or a cheap taxi ride for Edinburgh's Waverly Station. Whether you drive or take the train, I have to put in a plug for spending at least a day and a night in York. It's about equidistant between London and Edinburgh. Taking the train is the most convenient since the station is very close to the city center. But, driving is fine, too, so long as you ensure you have access to parking at your hotel or B&B. Much of central York -- inside the Roman walls -- is pedestrian only, and the rest can be a driving and parking challenge.