We have two weeks +. Our interests: historic sites, small authentic villages, hiking, excitment of larger cities for my 17 year old daughter. We will use public transportation.
1.Fly London go directly to Bath(Rick S.suggestion)4nights
Take day trips from Bath(Mad Max tours Cotwolds/Stonehenge Avebury
2.Return to London 4 nights with a day trip to Cambridge
3.Train to York - 2nights
4.Train to Edinburgh 3 nights with day tour to highlands
5. From here we need to fly out of Edinbourgh or take the ferry from Newcastle to Norway
Questions/Concerns:
1.Is this too much time in very touristy areas not enough balance with country side and cities? We don't want to drive. Any suggestions.
2.How does the routing look?
Posted by
Pittsburgh, PA, USA
2776 posts
Ithink this is an excellent itinerary, Claudia. My interests are the same as yours, and I loved every place on your itinerary. I think you have a nice balance. It might be a little heavier on cities than small towns, but this is probably unavoidable if you want to stick to trains. Edinburgh is a big city, but it's absolutely beautiful, and parts of it (the Royal Mile from the castle to Holyrood Palace) feels more like a medieval small town. You can also hike to Arthurs seat, which is on the edge of the city and an easy walk. You might also consider visiting Glastonbuy and Wells from Bath if you can find a tour or bus (we had a car).
Sounds like a great trip!
Posted by
New York City, NY, USA
5678 posts
You mention that hiking is one of your interests. If you take one of those day trips to the highlands you will spend most of your time on the bus. You could do it as a day trip out Edinburgh to Birnam/Dunkeld. There are nice walks in that immediate area that you could do. You can then return back to Edinburgh, or spend the night in Dunkeld which is a lovely little village it has a cathedral and lots of history. There is a local pub where they play traditional music on many nights. Aviemore is another area that you can get to on the train, but that would be tougher as a day trip. Pam
Posted by
Washington, DC, USA
571 posts
Claudia,
My wife and I just completed a similar route last month for our honeymoon traveling only by train. I think you'll be happy with these cities. We spent 2 nights in Bath (including 1/2day Mad Max tour), 2 nights in York, 3 nights in Edinburgh, and a week in London.
In your plan, I think I'd reduce Bath to 3 nights and add a night either in York or especially Edinburgh. We did almost all of York in a day and a half, but I would have preferred a less-rushed schedule. However, it is easy to get around town on foot. Edinburgh is harder to get from place to place. Everything just took a little bit longer to reach. If you're into hiking, you might want that extra day to hike Calton Hill or Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh, both of which we had to skip due to limited time. Plan your time well, knowing what sites are open each day, and you should have a terrific time.
Posted by
Reston, VA, USA
810 posts
This past August my 17-yo daughter and I spent 2 days in Edinburgh and had a great time - the Fringe Festival was going on and so we were able to mix historical sights [Edinburgh castle, the Royal Mile walk, Gladstone's Land, Mary King's Close, Georgian House] with a couple of plays. One was good, the other one, not so good... but still fun to discuss. Our first full day the weather was beautiful, and after a fairly early dinner we walked out into Holyrood Park and up along the crags for a wonderful view of the city. It rained the next day but the street performers were still going strong. If you plan to be there during the Fringe or the regular Festival, be sure to book lodging early; by April several places that Rick recommends were already full. Have a wonderful time!
Posted by
Portland, OR
1124 posts
Hi Claudia,
You are going to have a blast! I was in Scotland in September and have been to your England destinations in the past. I agree with another poster that Bath should be reduced by a day to allow more time in Scotland. That will be more than enough time to accomplish your goals in Bath.
I did a 2 day Highland tour and even with 2 days, we still spent almost the entire time on the (small) bus. The single day tour will literally have you on a bus all day, taking pictures as you drive by the photo opps. Consider giving it more time.
Feel free to PM me if you have any specific Scotland questions.
Have fun!
Posted by
Charlotte, NC, USA
3428 posts
I agree about cutting time in Bath. In fact, I'd just stay in London and do a day trip to Bath and Stonehenge (easy by train then do a Mad Max tour to Stonehenge). I'd also suggest cutting York to one night. That will give you time to take the train from Edniburgh to Aviemorefor 1 or 2 nights. It is a lovely village in the Caringorm Moutains. There is hiking, canoeing, horseback riding, etc. You can take the funicular up Mt. Caringorm and hike down or visversa (or like we do- round trip). There is a restored steam train that does round trips to Boat-of-Garten along the Spey river so you see some really beautiful countryside. You could even do just one night in Edinburgh and continue to Inverness (you can fly out of there to Norway). If you are interested, I wrote an article about doing day trips out of London by train, let me know and I'll send you a link.
Posted by
Columbus, OH, USA
208 posts
Claudia -
I noticed that you posted for July/Aug. When exactly are you travelling? That may change things up a bit since the Edinburgh Festivals take place during August.