Ash01

Hello again
After comments from members here i have altered my 12 day trip ( posted here : http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...days-in-uk.cfm) to 14 days

day 1: Fly into Edinburgh abt 5pm.
day 2: Edinburgh
day 3: Drive to Newcastle or york. stay at?
day 4: Manchester
day 5 Manchester United game?
day 6: Livpool day trip then on to around Warwick U.(Visit son's friends). Stay at?
day 7: Oxford? or day trip from London later?
day 8: Bath
Day9: London- Need to send 1 person to LHR. Rtn car.
Days: 10-14- London with day trips to? Flyout home in evening.

Appreciate any comments on budget places to stay (Quad share) , stop overs and sightseeing suggestions.

Thanks

Jas

avalon

Have you been to London before? If not 4 days you won't even skim the surface. We are just back from 2 weeks in London, no day trips ,and it was at least our 45th trip there.

jamikins

Here are my thoughts:

1 - I would pick fewer bases so you can actually see the towns. One night in York and you wont get any time to spend in York, which is a great place with lots to see! It will take you 4-6 hours to drive from Edinburgh to York. I would much rather spend a day in York than Manchester!

2 - 1 day in Edinburgh on arrival is not enough. I would add an extra night here.

3- why Newcastle? I would pick York.

4 - do you have tickets to the ManU game? If not, skip it unless you want to pay a fortune for tickets with the scalpers.

5 - Manchester - Liverpool - Warwick will again take you the about 4 hours assuming no problems in traffic. which doesnt leave you much time to see Liverpool or Warwick.

I would do this:

Day 1 - Arrive and settle in Edinburgh
Day 2 - Edinburgh
Day 3 - Edinburgh
Day 4 - drive to York
Day 5 - York
Day 6 - Drive to Warwick
Day 7 - Warwick
Day 8 - drive to Bath or Oxford
Day 9 - Bath or Oxford
Day 10 - train in the morning to London (leave car in Bath or Oxford on arrival - it could take most of the day driving if traffic is bad), spend the rest of the day in London
Day 11- 14 - London

And this is really short changing London, I would personally skip Warwick and add the time to London, but you have a friend there so maybe thats higher on your priorities.

Remember, you cant do everything in such a short amount of time, and you really need to factor in driving times. And you dont want to just drive by all these places and not stop and see them!

texasbookworm

One permutation might be that if you could find a place in London that would give a discount for staying a week, then get there on Day 7 and take day trips to Bath and Oxford. Oxford is pretty easy by bus or by train; and I've read/heard that Bath is also doable. That way you could get to London, have a day or two, intersperse your day trips and maybe save a little. Lodging will most likely be more in London than Bath or Oxford but it might be worth it. You will have the travel costs, but won't have the rental car. Anyway, it might not end up being a great savings but it might be a good alternative as then you are packing up and moving less.

But I think you can "do" the itinerary jamikins suggests, too; we picked up and moved 9 days in a row and survived to tell the tales and while tired at the end loved being able to cover so much ground and see so many things, not in great depth but no place we wanted to get to was just a walk-by. Busy itineraries if realistic are great for some.

Ash01

Thanks for the suggestions.
I know the itenary is tight but have not much choice.
Intend to watchManU game so cant spend extra day at Edinburg. However if cant get tickets at reasonable price, will skip Manchester then follow Jamikins and texasbookworm's suggestions.
I have been to UK twice before, but this is my son' first visit. He will treat this as a introducatory trip so in future he can plan a nice long trip and will know what is involved.
Thanks for the idea.

flanneruk

Most viewers of this forum will be puzzled over "Newcastle vs York". Though both have Roman origins and surprisingly vigorous medieval history, Newcastle is really a Victorian post-industrial city, of limited conventional tourist interest, but - like Liverpool - with an almost cult following as the most student-friendly (which in Britain is judged almost entirely on criteria related to the consumption of alcohol) city on earth. To hard-core partyers or football followers, York's trivial attractions, like the Minster, are almost incomprehensible. You're no doubt got your reasons for considering Newcastle: hardly anyone else would consider both places to visit.

I'd have thought most student-age visitors would be underwhelmed by Warwick Castle's Disneyfied stunts: the more historically interested would probably be charmed by the town's medieval buildings (mainly of a sort you get very little of in Oxford, York or Bath).

Getting from Liverpool or Manchester to Warwick is almost always a lot slower than anyone could possibly imagine (I used to leave Liverpool by 5 am for the best possibility of avoiding traffic). You'll do less badly than you might otherwise if your route is M6, M6 Toll at J11a, M42, M40, A46. The A429/A44 to Oxford is a lot prettier and not significantly slower than the M40 - but pay close attention to the new reactivated speed cameras and near-universal 50 mph speed limit.

bellini

In Warwick I'd suggest staying at the Rose and Crown in the Market Square. Friends of my daughter stayed there for her wedding which was at the historic Lord Leycester Hospital. Or the Warwick Arms Hotel is a more upmarket place to stay. Both in Warwick town centre. BTW don't expect to find Warwick University in Warwick- it's in the southern part of Coventry!

janisj

"<i>Intend to watchManU game so cant spend extra day at Edinburg. However if cant get tickets at reasonable price, will skip Manchester then follow Jamikins and texasbookworm's suggestions.</i>"

Then I'd start focusing on Jamikins and texasbookworm's plan because you won't get ManU tickets at any sort of reasonable price.

Ash01

Thanks for all the suggestions.

1. No preference for Newcastle over York. Just wanted a stop over b4 driving on to Manchester. So York it would be.

2. ManU tickets shd be no problem.

3. @Bellini. thanks for pointing out re Warwick U. Thats why my son wanted to stop at Coventry, but in earlier thread someone suggested against staying there.

Thanks again for all your help.
Need some recommendations as to where to stay. Find lodging rates for 4 rather high.

jamikins

Hi Ash01

For us to be able to recommend places to stay can you please give us your budget in ££??

Also - can you share your secret for getting ManU tickets (especially for an important game) as I am sure many Brits would be interested to know your sources...they are next to impossible to get here without paying a fortune (hundreds of £££ in all liklihood). My hubby has been trying to get regular Arsenal tickets for 4 years without luck.

RM67

Jamikins - easiest tickets to get for Premier League teams if you are not a season ticket holder or member are FA Cup and League Cup replays, which are usually scheduled midweek evenings.

To get access to regular tickets, you need to join the waiting list for the membership scheme.

Ash01

Hello again
@Jamikins:
Hotel budget: Looking for no frill, clean hotel in safe neighbourhood. About 80 GBP for Quad room too little?
ManU tickets:
Anybody can do what we did.- We signed up as official members (reduced rate for end of season,15-20 Gbp each),then applied for the tickets. Total cost not as high as what we would have paid otherwise.

Now the problem is were to stay at Manchester. Hotels are asking for more than double the normal rates on those days.
Dont mind stayng out of Manchester, either on way from York or towards Livrpool,our next destination.
Suggestions will be most appreciated.

Thanks

annhig

@Bellini. thanks for pointing out re Warwick U. Thats why my son wanted to stop at Coventry, but in earlier thread someone suggested against staying there.>>

Fie - there is loads to see in Coventry in the time you've got there!

old [bombed in WW2] and new cathedrals [think radical modern architecture meets medieval]

Herbert Art Gallery and Museums,

Medieval streets [well, bits, anyway],

here's the official website: http://www.visitcoventry.co.uk/

if you get bored, you could always drive out into the lovely Warwickshire countryside or visit Warwick itself.

jamikins

Try the Premier Inns in Manchester - we found it was one of the most expensive cities to stay in but the PI's were decently priced.

Ash01

Thanks
annhig: Stop at Coventry is more for son visiting his friend at Warwick and an overnight stay around the area. Any sight seeing will be bonus.

Ash01

Hello,

Jamikins: Just to cleatify re ManU tickets. We have applied. Tickes will be balloted. so no guaranty we will be alloetd.