Visiting the UK (2 Weeks, need help)
Mar 12th, 2014, 07:50 AM
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Visiting the UK (2 Weeks, need help)
Hello!
My husband and I (from Kentucky, USA) are beginning to plan our 10 year Wedding Anniversary trip and we are wanting to visit the UK (2 weeks). We won't be going until 2016 (month is still debatable based on your all's feedback). I know we have some time to plan, but it's important to me to plan ahead for a trip like this. We will both be 32 years old by the time we travel.
My husband really wants us to hit all 4 countries (England, Wales, Scotland, & Ireland); however, I have been reading some other posts and I'm gathering that 2 weeks is not a realistic amount of time to do so. I have been to London, but that was back in 2002 during the Queen's Jubilee, so of course it was crazy with tourists and there was so much going on, that a lot of it is a blur to me.
With all that said, could anyone give their best idea of an itinerary? I think Wales would be an option to take off if neeed to. In England, my main places to see are London and Newbury to visit Highchlere Castle. We are both Irish and would love to see Ireland as well.
1)Best time of year (for both weather and cost effective)
2) Towns/Cities and Sights to see that you think would be great to visit and keeping our time frame in mind with travel, etc.
We both love history, eating, drinking beer, and just seeing what all these places have to offer.
Thank you so much in advance!
~Jackie
My husband and I (from Kentucky, USA) are beginning to plan our 10 year Wedding Anniversary trip and we are wanting to visit the UK (2 weeks). We won't be going until 2016 (month is still debatable based on your all's feedback). I know we have some time to plan, but it's important to me to plan ahead for a trip like this. We will both be 32 years old by the time we travel.
My husband really wants us to hit all 4 countries (England, Wales, Scotland, & Ireland); however, I have been reading some other posts and I'm gathering that 2 weeks is not a realistic amount of time to do so. I have been to London, but that was back in 2002 during the Queen's Jubilee, so of course it was crazy with tourists and there was so much going on, that a lot of it is a blur to me.
With all that said, could anyone give their best idea of an itinerary? I think Wales would be an option to take off if neeed to. In England, my main places to see are London and Newbury to visit Highchlere Castle. We are both Irish and would love to see Ireland as well.
1)Best time of year (for both weather and cost effective)
2) Towns/Cities and Sights to see that you think would be great to visit and keeping our time frame in mind with travel, etc.
We both love history, eating, drinking beer, and just seeing what all these places have to offer.
Thank you so much in advance!
~Jackie
Mar 12th, 2014, 08:17 AM
#2
hi Jackie - well, I'm going to agree with you on this one - 2 weeks is nothing like enough to see even the best of England, let alone the rest of the UK as well.
As you are Irish, the obvious combination is Ireland and England but what part of Ireland are we talking about? Eire or Northern Ireland. Eire is of course a separate country from the UK - though it doesn't make a huge difference in practice for the average tourist. You could spend your entire time in Ireland - there's loads to do there too.
Assuming you'd like some sun, there are no guarantees but May -June can be very good months to visit due to the long day length.
There are far too many great places for me to be able to single any out - you really need to settle down with a guide book or 6 and find what interests you. London and Newbury are a good start - but how long in London? that could dictate where else you are able to go in the time available. and are you ok to drive or do you want to use public transport?
Good luck with the planning!
As you are Irish, the obvious combination is Ireland and England but what part of Ireland are we talking about? Eire or Northern Ireland. Eire is of course a separate country from the UK - though it doesn't make a huge difference in practice for the average tourist. You could spend your entire time in Ireland - there's loads to do there too.
Assuming you'd like some sun, there are no guarantees but May -June can be very good months to visit due to the long day length.
There are far too many great places for me to be able to single any out - you really need to settle down with a guide book or 6 and find what interests you. London and Newbury are a good start - but how long in London? that could dictate where else you are able to go in the time available. and are you ok to drive or do you want to use public transport?
Good luck with the planning!
Mar 12th, 2014, 08:28 AM
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Your comment about trying to see too much in too short a time is a wise one. Doing so is a particular American trait but too much will not allow you to really take in and enjoy the experience.
May might be a good time of year before the kids get out of school, before the prices rise slightly, the flowers are out and the tourists are not yet. Or late September, October, but it can be cool and slightly more rainy, however, whenever you go you will be subjected to the UK "sharp showers" events
For such a trip you need to rent a car. Time spent and lost arranging public transport, the loss of freedom, plus what you will not be able to experience make a rental car a good idea.
You might consider working your way west from London, to Windsor, Oxford, the lovely Cotswold area, Shopshire and then into Wales. You could then take a ferry to Ireland, with or without your car. From the London area you could take the short flight to Dublin or Kerry or Shannon on the west coast.
Bonne Vacannes
May might be a good time of year before the kids get out of school, before the prices rise slightly, the flowers are out and the tourists are not yet. Or late September, October, but it can be cool and slightly more rainy, however, whenever you go you will be subjected to the UK "sharp showers" events
For such a trip you need to rent a car. Time spent and lost arranging public transport, the loss of freedom, plus what you will not be able to experience make a rental car a good idea.
You might consider working your way west from London, to Windsor, Oxford, the lovely Cotswold area, Shopshire and then into Wales. You could then take a ferry to Ireland, with or without your car. From the London area you could take the short flight to Dublin or Kerry or Shannon on the west coast.
Bonne Vacannes
Mar 12th, 2014, 08:31 AM
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Thank you and I know I was pretty broad with what I want to do.
1) I would say Eire, since we want to visit Dublin.
2) London-- roughly 4 days. I am assuming Newbury could be a day trip?
3) Honestly, I am open to suggestions of where else to visit in England. Possibly some nice countryside areas and I would guess Stonehenge is a must see. I have read so many posts of different places people are wanting to do in 2 weeks and its a little overwhelming to come up with a good 3 places in England to see, aside from London.
I won't deny that I am a little ignorant as to where, as an American tourist, should visit, outside of London.
Is it doable to do 4 days in London, 1 in Newbury, 2 in Bath or another suggested town, 2 days in Edinburgh and the rest (4/5 days) in Ireland?
1) I would say Eire, since we want to visit Dublin.
2) London-- roughly 4 days. I am assuming Newbury could be a day trip?
3) Honestly, I am open to suggestions of where else to visit in England. Possibly some nice countryside areas and I would guess Stonehenge is a must see. I have read so many posts of different places people are wanting to do in 2 weeks and its a little overwhelming to come up with a good 3 places in England to see, aside from London.
I won't deny that I am a little ignorant as to where, as an American tourist, should visit, outside of London.
Is it doable to do 4 days in London, 1 in Newbury, 2 in Bath or another suggested town, 2 days in Edinburgh and the rest (4/5 days) in Ireland?
Mar 12th, 2014, 08:33 AM
#5
If Ireland is a 'Must' - then either do I<i>just</i> reland . . . OR . . . Ireland and a few days in London. You really do not have time for more than that. Travel -- especially around the rural/scenic bits of Ireland is very slow -- like 35 MPH slow.
You could do Highclere as a day trip from London
You could do Highclere as a day trip from London
Mar 12th, 2014, 08:34 AM
#6
we were posting at the same time.
4 days is absolutely <i>NOTHING</i> in London -- especially w/ a day trip outside of town.
But if Ireland is a must you really don't have time for more than 4 days.
4 days is absolutely <i>NOTHING</i> in London -- especially w/ a day trip outside of town.
But if Ireland is a must you really don't have time for more than 4 days.
Mar 12th, 2014, 08:42 AM
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Thank you. We only had 3 or 4 days in London back in 2002 (I was 18), so I guess then that seemed like enough.
My husband has never been and I want this to be a trip to remember (and not overwhelmingly flustered to where we don't remember it).
My husband has never been and I want this to be a trip to remember (and not overwhelmingly flustered to where we don't remember it).
Mar 12th, 2014, 08:48 AM
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What about a week (7 nights) in London, with two day trips? 1 to Highclere and 1 to Stonehenge/Salisbury www.walks.com has a great affordable day trip that would allow you to see some countryside as well.
Then fly to Dublin, spend a few days then rent a car and spend the remainder of your time exploring the countryside of Ireland?
Be sure you fly into London and home from Ireland to save the expense and time of backtracking!
Enjoy!
Then fly to Dublin, spend a few days then rent a car and spend the remainder of your time exploring the countryside of Ireland?
Be sure you fly into London and home from Ireland to save the expense and time of backtracking!
Enjoy!
Mar 12th, 2014, 08:48 AM
#12
You need to decide what your REAL musts are. If Ireland is a given - that severely limits what/were else you can go.
But maybe after looking at some guide books/photos, you fall in Love w/ Scotland w/ the castles, beautiful scenery, whisky, golf (whatever it is you love).
Or London and some of the castles gardens and places like Bath in southern England strike your fancy
- thankfully you have tons of time to research - so get yourselves to a library or book shop and start looking at these areas and then we can help you focus more.
But maybe after looking at some guide books/photos, you fall in Love w/ Scotland w/ the castles, beautiful scenery, whisky, golf (whatever it is you love).
Or London and some of the castles gardens and places like Bath in southern England strike your fancy
- thankfully you have tons of time to research - so get yourselves to a library or book shop and start looking at these areas and then we can help you focus more.
Mar 12th, 2014, 08:50 AM
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<history, eating, drinking beer, and just seeing what all these places have to offer.>
Well, that's more than a bit vague. History is everywhere in the UK. Nearly everyone likes eating. And "beer" in England is usually served at room temperature.
You have two years to plan, that means you should hit the guidebooks first and foremost. There are lots of them, but the various Fodors offerings are good. And do research. The UK is probably the single most visited foreign destination from the US that lies across an ocean (i.e., not Mexico or Canada). There is no end to the information you can get. Suggested itineraries are easy to find. This post alone could generate a only few replies along the "go hit the books" lines or 300 replies with varying "you have GOT to see ____" suggestions.
You should, however, book your flights as soon as you can once you establish your trip dates - that means about 10-11 months in advance of the trip (carriers allow bookings about 330 days out). You'll likely have to connect, unless Cincinnati has direct Delta flights and you're close enough to leave the car there - this all depends upon what part of Kentucky you're in. Louisville doesn't have direct flights afaik and if Nashville still does, its flights are not daily.
You also need to understand this: LONDON IS THE LARGEST CITY IN WESTERN EUROPE - IT'S TWICE THE SIZE OF BERLIN. And that means there is no way in Raylan Givens' hat you can visit London and do it any modicum of justice (5 nights, four full days MINIMUM) and still see the other three sub-nations in your time frame. That means, cut your wishlist. A lot.
I'd generally suggest a shoulder season if you're not tied to vacationing when kids are out of school. That means May to early June or mid-September. The weather will likely be better than October through April (it varies so much on a daily basis that predicting it in advance is just stupid) and the daylight hours far longer. And that daylight variance is large: London is above the 51st north parallel, Edinburgh is above the 55th. That means dark winters. For comparison, Seattle is the northernmost major US city in the lower 48 states and it's only on the 47th parallel.
Well, that's more than a bit vague. History is everywhere in the UK. Nearly everyone likes eating. And "beer" in England is usually served at room temperature.
You have two years to plan, that means you should hit the guidebooks first and foremost. There are lots of them, but the various Fodors offerings are good. And do research. The UK is probably the single most visited foreign destination from the US that lies across an ocean (i.e., not Mexico or Canada). There is no end to the information you can get. Suggested itineraries are easy to find. This post alone could generate a only few replies along the "go hit the books" lines or 300 replies with varying "you have GOT to see ____" suggestions.
You should, however, book your flights as soon as you can once you establish your trip dates - that means about 10-11 months in advance of the trip (carriers allow bookings about 330 days out). You'll likely have to connect, unless Cincinnati has direct Delta flights and you're close enough to leave the car there - this all depends upon what part of Kentucky you're in. Louisville doesn't have direct flights afaik and if Nashville still does, its flights are not daily.
You also need to understand this: LONDON IS THE LARGEST CITY IN WESTERN EUROPE - IT'S TWICE THE SIZE OF BERLIN. And that means there is no way in Raylan Givens' hat you can visit London and do it any modicum of justice (5 nights, four full days MINIMUM) and still see the other three sub-nations in your time frame. That means, cut your wishlist. A lot.
I'd generally suggest a shoulder season if you're not tied to vacationing when kids are out of school. That means May to early June or mid-September. The weather will likely be better than October through April (it varies so much on a daily basis that predicting it in advance is just stupid) and the daylight hours far longer. And that daylight variance is large: London is above the 51st north parallel, Edinburgh is above the 55th. That means dark winters. For comparison, Seattle is the northernmost major US city in the lower 48 states and it's only on the 47th parallel.
Mar 12th, 2014, 08:54 AM
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Thank you, both! Cutting back a little to those options seems a little less overwhelming.
Another question though to see if this is doable: 7N in London (with those 1 or 2 day trips), 3 days in Edinburgh and 4 in Dublin.. is that doable?
I guess we want to be realistic, but also see as much as possible. Our next trip to Europe will probably be with our kids (to France and Germany). With that said, we want to enjoy the Pubs (drinking) and leisurely sightseeing since we will not have them
(You all are wonderful putting up with my ignorant quesitons)
Another question though to see if this is doable: 7N in London (with those 1 or 2 day trips), 3 days in Edinburgh and 4 in Dublin.. is that doable?
I guess we want to be realistic, but also see as much as possible. Our next trip to Europe will probably be with our kids (to France and Germany). With that said, we want to enjoy the Pubs (drinking) and leisurely sightseeing since we will not have them
(You all are wonderful putting up with my ignorant quesitons)
Mar 12th, 2014, 09:01 AM
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BigRuss: I know I am vague and I apologize. I know I have books to turn to, but before I hit those to get to the knitty gritty, I figured I'd ask those who have visited or live there for a more realistic approach. I can't ask a book a question and always get the answer, and to me, asking people who have been is easier for me.
I appreciate all your suggestions and will most certainly take your advise on the booking and time of travel. I think May or September is what we will look at.
I will probably take this feedback to my husband tonight and let him decide "Are you wanting to just see London and Ireland" or " Are we wanting to see as much of England as possible with a couple of days in Scotland" or whatever. I feel once I give him your all's suggestions, the lightbulb may go off and he will realize we cannot see everything we want in this timeframe.
I appreciate all your suggestions and will most certainly take your advise on the booking and time of travel. I think May or September is what we will look at.
I will probably take this feedback to my husband tonight and let him decide "Are you wanting to just see London and Ireland" or " Are we wanting to see as much of England as possible with a couple of days in Scotland" or whatever. I feel once I give him your all's suggestions, the lightbulb may go off and he will realize we cannot see everything we want in this timeframe.
Mar 12th, 2014, 09:22 AM
#16
Good advice above (unfortunatly you can get iced cold lager in the UK but hard to describe it as beer).
The shoulder seasons are the best and May to July is good though look out for the odd "bank holiday" (2 in May) when we Brits are "en fete".
Probably worth laying out the time based on where you spend the night then assume you loose at least 1/2 a day traveling and jet lag makes, at least, the first day as useless.
London and much of Southern England works well using tours and public transport. Travel London to Edinburgh is best by train but could be flown. Edinburgh to Dublin is a flight thing, taking a ferry and moving rental cars from England/Wales to Eire just gets too complicated.
Timetables do change but not a lot you need
http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/
http://www.transportdirect.info/Web2...epeatingloop=Y
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/
www.seat61.co.uk
http://www.dublincity.ie/RoadsandTra...transport.aspx
If it were me I'd not want a car in Dublin but hire one for getting out and about. While Dublin is a fine small city with some a couple of splendid art galleries and a good core pedestrian way, I have to admit I prefer Edinburgh.
Edinburgh car is possible but not great until you get out. London with a car is a nightmare, too much to learn. London lacks a rectangular street grid and some narrow streets.
The big drawers outside London
Salisbury/Stonehenge, Cotswalds, Oxford, Cambridge, Windsor then loads of castles and gardens. You might like
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/castles/
http://www.theguardian.com/travel/ga...est-castles-uk
http://www.edinburghcastle.gov.uk/
http://www.ireland.com/en-gb/what-is...FWLHtAodAEwAeA
http://www.englishcathedrals.co.uk/cathedrals/
http://www.visitscotland.com/see-do/...edrals-abbeys/
http://www.stpatrickscathedral.ie/index.aspx
pick into that and work out if you want to see this sort of stuff or something else
The shoulder seasons are the best and May to July is good though look out for the odd "bank holiday" (2 in May) when we Brits are "en fete".
Probably worth laying out the time based on where you spend the night then assume you loose at least 1/2 a day traveling and jet lag makes, at least, the first day as useless.
London and much of Southern England works well using tours and public transport. Travel London to Edinburgh is best by train but could be flown. Edinburgh to Dublin is a flight thing, taking a ferry and moving rental cars from England/Wales to Eire just gets too complicated.
Timetables do change but not a lot you need
http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/
http://www.transportdirect.info/Web2...epeatingloop=Y
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/
www.seat61.co.uk
http://www.dublincity.ie/RoadsandTra...transport.aspx
If it were me I'd not want a car in Dublin but hire one for getting out and about. While Dublin is a fine small city with some a couple of splendid art galleries and a good core pedestrian way, I have to admit I prefer Edinburgh.
Edinburgh car is possible but not great until you get out. London with a car is a nightmare, too much to learn. London lacks a rectangular street grid and some narrow streets.
The big drawers outside London
Salisbury/Stonehenge, Cotswalds, Oxford, Cambridge, Windsor then loads of castles and gardens. You might like
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/castles/
http://www.theguardian.com/travel/ga...est-castles-uk
http://www.edinburghcastle.gov.uk/
http://www.ireland.com/en-gb/what-is...FWLHtAodAEwAeA
http://www.englishcathedrals.co.uk/cathedrals/
http://www.visitscotland.com/see-do/...edrals-abbeys/
http://www.stpatrickscathedral.ie/index.aspx
pick into that and work out if you want to see this sort of stuff or something else
Mar 12th, 2014, 09:44 AM
#17
>>Another question though to see if this is doable: 7N in London (with those 1 or 2 day trips), 3 days in Edinburgh and 4 in Dublin.. is that doable?<<
I personally wouldn't like that much . . . But then, to me Dublin is sort of meh . . . Whereas Edinburgh is one of my very favorite places anywhere. BUT the west/southwest parts of Ireland are amazing (though as I said -- sloooooow driving)
If I went to Edinburgh - I'd much rather spend the extra days exploring some other amazing part of Scotland (I've spent probably 6 or 7 months in Scotland over 20 years of visits to the UK and still haven't seen it all)
5 to 7 days in London, 2 or 3 days in Edinburgh, and 3 to 6 days in SW Ireland - now that would be a doable trip. I might not stop in Dublin at all . . . unless that is where your families are from. I'd fly into Shannon or Cork and stay to the west side of the country.
I personally wouldn't like that much . . . But then, to me Dublin is sort of meh . . . Whereas Edinburgh is one of my very favorite places anywhere. BUT the west/southwest parts of Ireland are amazing (though as I said -- sloooooow driving)
If I went to Edinburgh - I'd much rather spend the extra days exploring some other amazing part of Scotland (I've spent probably 6 or 7 months in Scotland over 20 years of visits to the UK and still haven't seen it all)
5 to 7 days in London, 2 or 3 days in Edinburgh, and 3 to 6 days in SW Ireland - now that would be a doable trip. I might not stop in Dublin at all . . . unless that is where your families are from. I'd fly into Shannon or Cork and stay to the west side of the country.
Mar 12th, 2014, 09:56 AM
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Best time of year for cost and weather are not the same. Cheapest is winter and the countryside will not be at it's best and daylight hours will be very short. Midsummer will be best weather, most crowded and most expensive. I would do May (will still be expensive but have long days and decent weather and not totally mobbed yet).
How many days do you have on the ground in 2 weeks? You can't count the day you arrive or the day you leave. If you take a long weekend (Memorial day) and leave on Fri night and return on Monday you can get a full 15 days on ground. This will let you see a small part of 2 countries - or one place each in 4 countries - your choice.
If you want to see part of Ireland due to your heritage I suggest a week there and 8 days in the UK - 5 or 6 days in London, then a couple of days day trips or making your way towards Ireland. In Ireland you must rent a car to see the countryside - I would do 2 days minimum in Dublin and then decide which parts of Ireland are most important (do you have specific parts you want to visit based on family heritge?).
How many days do you have on the ground in 2 weeks? You can't count the day you arrive or the day you leave. If you take a long weekend (Memorial day) and leave on Fri night and return on Monday you can get a full 15 days on ground. This will let you see a small part of 2 countries - or one place each in 4 countries - your choice.
If you want to see part of Ireland due to your heritage I suggest a week there and 8 days in the UK - 5 or 6 days in London, then a couple of days day trips or making your way towards Ireland. In Ireland you must rent a car to see the countryside - I would do 2 days minimum in Dublin and then decide which parts of Ireland are most important (do you have specific parts you want to visit based on family heritge?).
