Tour of England/Ireland/Scotland--help!

I'm happy to chip in if needed, but so far its philosophical. If I don't answer send me a PM.

I don't think you'll find companies like Trafalgar any less physically demanding than Rick's tours. The only thing they do is carry your luggage to your rooms for you. And they often have VERY VERY VERY LONG days. You often have to have your packed luggage outside your room before 6:00am and be through breakfast and on the bus not that much later! I think you should consider doing your own thing so you can pace yourselves. Have you considered picking 2 or 3 places to use as a base and doing day trips (either by yourselves or with day tour companies)? You could easily 'do' London, either Edinburgh or Inverness. I'm not sure where you should base in Ireland. London is VERY easy to use as a base and there are great places you can reach easily by train for day trips. A week, or a bit longer, there would be excellent. Then you could take the train to Edinburgh- and stay a week or just a day or two and move on to Inverness (also by train). You can catch a cheap flight to Ireland if you decide to include it. If you select hotels (or apartments) that are well located, you can return to them during the day fkor a brief rest when needed. You set your own start time each day and your evenings are your own!

You would probably be happier doing this trip on your own. If hauling your luggage yourselves is a problem, use taxis when moving to/from hotel and train station. I'm in your age group and find that even traveling light is a problem when I have to move my luggage thru subways, up and down stairs, etc. Stay in hotels with elevators if you can find them. London has lots of hotels without elevators and with lots of stairs. I've stayed at a few and am now willing to pay extra for hotels with elevators. I also take taxis when I'm traveling with luggage. I've taken some RS tours. Many tour members are in your age group. I did'nt find the tours too strenuous, but the occasional bouts of standing to wait for something were too much for my legs. It's fun to have a ready-made group of new friends. There was plenty of opportunity to enjoy free time or just decline to participate in activities. Breakfast is always a part of RS tours. No 6am starts. But, you do need to move your own luggage to/from the hotel or bus.

I think you've pretty much answered your own questions. Using the UK rail system would be a great way to travel. Nigel, who contributes to this board often has a wealth of knowledge about the UK's rail system and his posts are always welcomed. You can easily explore London on your own. Public transit is plentiful. Many of the sites are close to another, i.e. Big Ben, Parliament, Westminster Abbey are in a cluster, and the Place only 5-6 blocks from them. Not a difficult walk if your mobility isn't impaired. You are the best judges of your stamina. The venerable Hop On Hop Off bus is available. Make certain your accommodation has an elevator. That will save wear and tear on your feet, knees, legs and back. Pick a couple of things to do daily. If you visit the National Gallery, spend a few hours then have a nosh in their cafe. Then head out the door to explore some more. Maybe Convent Garden or Leicester Square where you can buy same day tickets for theatre at the Half Price Ticket Booth. (www.tkts.co.uk) The London Theatre experience is always fun. Take a day tour to either Stonehenge and Salisbury, the Cotswolds, or Bath with London Walks. Click on Day Trips from London (www.walks.com) From London a train north to Edinburgh. I'll leave the Ireland portion of your trip to others.

Trafalgar offers big bus tours which are highly scheduled and, quite frankly, unimaginative. Have you looked at tours offered by companies that specialize in older travelers such as Road Scholar or Grand Circle or Vantage? Road Scholar specifically offers some free time in their tours. Rail passes are great and I've used them frequently in the U.K,. but it does mean you need to haul your own luggage and not all stations are "accessible" which means stairs getting to and from platforms at times. Some stations have contact info so you can request in advance porter assistance with luggage. The following website will give you train itineraries and station information: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/. If you don't want to use a rail pass but just buy individual tickets, there is a Senior Rail Card that can be purchased that will give you discounts.

I would consider a private tour guide-they are more affordable than you think. In Scotland, check out Craig at Mini-Tours. My husband and I and a friend are using him in Scotland-I am sure you can find someone in Ireland.

I too think that you can do this on your own. I went with my parents when they were in their late 70's to Scotland and they did a trip to Scandinavia on their own in their early 70's. We just slowed the pace. I did drive, but you can do it with trains. My mom had a roller bag and my dad a backpack. But he wished he had gone for the roller bag too. ; ) I would say spend some time in London, take the train to the Cotswolds and do some day trips there. I've not been to this area, so I can't help. I would then go to Edinburgh and spend sometime there and then take the train to Inverness and explore the north a bit. You can spend a day around invernesstaxi or bus to Culloden, a day tour to Loch Ness, or a longer day tour to Skye. Or you can just take the train to Kyle of Lochalsh and back again. ; ) It's a beautiful train ride. Then on to Ireland. It's been so many years since I've been to Ireland that I'll leave that portion to the experts. ; ) I spent more time in Dublin because of relatives there. I agree that it's not much to haul luggage, so picking some places where you can stay for at least 2 and preferably 3 days at a time is a really good plan. Pam

The more I've thought about your question, the more I'm convinced you should 'do it yourself'. If you are interested in an article I wrote about basing in London and doing day trips by train, send me a private message with your email address and I'll send you a copy. (I wrote it for AAA Carolina's "Go!" magazine a few years ago). We've been to the UK more than 40 times and really love it. (though we only went to Ireland once, on a 'big bus' tour with the kiddies- Ireland is harder to get around without a car unless you are on a tour). I'll also be glas to answer questions or suggesst itenerary ideas.

If you opt to travel by train, consider a stay in Helmsley, less than 45 minutes from York. Helmsley is a lovely market village with a castle ruin, walled garden and many little shops and restaurants around a town square. You will get the experience of living in an English village to complement time in the cities. In April we took a train from Kings Cross Station in London through York to Thirsk, the closest rail station. We had arranged for a taxi service in Helmsely to pick us up at the Thirsk station. The drive through the countryside is a bonus. Best B&B is Stillworth House run by Carol Swift. We have stayed there many times for two or three days up to a week. You are on your own time clock here. You can arrange for taxi service to take you to Moors, Whitby on coast or Pickering for steam train trip.
Pack very light to handle luggage on trains. There are steps at Thirsk station.

You don't want to drive but that won't keep you from seeing a lot of GB and ROI. However, 2 - 3 weeks to "see it all" is probably very optimistic without many compromises. Picking a series of local bases will let you see more of an individual area but not have to move every day or two like on a commercial tour. It can be made to work. As always, the devil is in the details. You listed some of the places you want to go. Let me add Bath. You can fly into London and spend many days see all the sigths. Four days is hardcore minimum given the first day will be lost to jet lag. It's an easy train to Bath which you can take a Mad Max tour of Stonehenge, Avebury, Laconte and Castle Combe on one day. You need a full day for Bath. There are other one day tours into the Chipping Campden area of the Cotswolds. So, Bath another 4 days. Here, you can take the train to York via London. You could go straight to Bath (bus is easiest) after landing and stay in London. York is worth 2 days. Edinburgh is a good base. A minimalist can do Edinburgh in 1 day but 2 is better. There are various tours out of Edinburgh that will let you see parts of the countryside. You could even take a train off to where ever. Ireland is very tough to do efficiently without a car. I have heard of people hiring a driver/car. That would certainly run the cost up. I've gone on more than I intended. Yes, you can hit the highpoints but I recommend you make a list of what you really want to see. It will be hard to find commercial tours that miss Liverpool and Waterford.

My husband and I have toured Ireland, N.Ireland and Scotland using the tour company, Authentic Ireland. an experienced driver/guide takes you where you want to go, hauls luggage to and from the B&B's or hotels you prefer, and you can design your own itinerary. Or they will offer suggestions and set up hotels for you. Ask for Miriam, she is the best!