Independent self-drive in and around Manchester/ London

And the emphasis should be on TO London and not IN London.

Yep, from London to Manchester (and maybe back to London) but definitely NOT in London- I've heard too many horror stories!

Are you looking for someone to outline a tour intinerary for you for driving that area? Some guidebooks outline daytrips from a given city or area. You might try looking at a few to see what you might be interested in.

Thanks, everyone- I've never driven in the UK but have plenty of experience on the L-hand side of the road (OZ, NZ, etc.). Can anyone provide the title(s) of any particular books that might have suggested itineraries?

There is a series called Daytrips (Daytrips: Ireland, Daytrips: Germany, etc.) which I have used in Ireland. I'm sure they have a UK one as well. But many general guidebooks, like AAA or Michelin, have suggested road tours. I always consider whatever books I buy as part of the cost of the trip, and use several for research.

Thanks for the info, Nancy- I'd been looking on-line for that type of info and you've helped point me in the right direction.

Since you posted twice, I have to ask again: Manchester??

My apologies for having posted this topic twice- Manchester is an option due to the active gay community there; but, we certainly could be convinced otherwise.
Thanks!

gregdane, For heavens sake go to Brighton. It is on the sea and has a huge gay community. My sister and I went there last year and people (cabbies etc.) just assumed we were a couple. There is much more to do in Brighton than Manchester. And it's just a short train trip from London.

I'd vote for Brighton, too. It's an hour from London by train, not sure how far to drive. But there is lots to see and do there.

We'll look into Brighton! (Thanks for the suggestion!)

Well, I've been waiting. What have you found out?

Sometimes you can get a good deal on flights into Manchester instead of London. Maybe you should look into that and compare prices. Don't drive in London. From London we always go back out to the airport to rent a car after seeing what we want for a few days in London. One trip we flew into Manchester we then visited Wales and rented a narrow boat for a few days and then drove north to the Lake District and Hadrian's Wall area and then over to Robin Hood's bay area before returning our car to Manchester. You should decided on what you really are interested in seeing. There is so much you can do in the UK. Planning a trip can be half the fun. Someday I would like to drive up into Scotland too.

Our plans have changed again, with the announcement of Kylie Minogue's European tour. Now we're planning on a 3- 4 day independent tour of the area around London and spending 3- 4 days in London prior to the concert on 26 July.

Thanks for all your help and suggestions!