3 months in UK and Ireland
Mar 23rd, 2016, 02:30 AM
#21
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I see this thread is tagged under UK only, maybe you could ask the moderators to add an Ireland tag or open a new thread there? Often many threads and itineraries about Northern Ireland end up there too....
http://www.buseireann.ie/(public bus on the Republic of Ireland)
http://www.irishrail.ie/ (RoI trains)
http://www.translink.co.uk/ (trains and buses on Northern Ireland)
offer many usuful tools to plan a trip.
http://www.buseireann.ie/(public bus on the Republic of Ireland)
http://www.irishrail.ie/ (RoI trains)
http://www.translink.co.uk/ (trains and buses on Northern Ireland)
offer many usuful tools to plan a trip.
Mar 23rd, 2016, 02:45 AM
#22
janerh - as the above contributions demonstrate, the hard bit is going to be deciding what to leave out!
Everyone of course is having their two penn'oth about what you should see, and I'm no different to the rest, so here's my stab at a list of what you should try to include:
London [a bit obvious, but the question is really how long to stay; any less than week would not do it justice, IMO]
Kent/sussex [loads to see and do, lots of lovely gardens and footpaths - another week]
Bath/Bristol - two very different cities - Bath is a beautiful place with a wealth of history but Bristol has not just history but loads of easily accessible cultural events, as well as being a great base for exploring the countryside. a week, whatever you decide.
Then - the big question - Cornwall, or not Cornwall. I'm biased of course [it's where I live] - but if you enjoy walking, the coast path is one of the best in the country, with many lovely places to explore en route. and into this I would add a few days in North Devon - another gem. say 2 weeks to do this area justice.
from here, I would head up through the Welsh Marches/Brecon Beacons to North Wales to see Snowdonia, then get the ferry from Holywell to Dublin, and spend 2 weeks in Ireland, going south first then ending in the North, so that you can get the ferry from Belfast to Stranraer in Scotland, where you should spend a least 2 weeks exploring the Highlands and Islands.
so that's about 8 weeks so far.
so by my maths that puts you in Edinburgh for the festival - you should easily spend a week there taking in all the shows, but if you want to do that, and if we're talking about this year, you should book now!!! [actually yesterday, in all probability].
if you decide to give that a miss, I would spend a few days in Glasgow, then head for the Lake District [another week] and then cross the Pennines to York where I would return the car, and then had back to London to finish the trip.
Clearly this has omitted a load of wonderful places - south Wales, most of the Cotswolds, the Peak district, the Yorkshire moors [actually you could fit them in before returning your car in York] East Anglia [the area around Blakeney in Norfolk is gorgeous] - but you can't have it all, not even in 3 months.
Good luck sorting out your itinerary.
Everyone of course is having their two penn'oth about what you should see, and I'm no different to the rest, so here's my stab at a list of what you should try to include:
London [a bit obvious, but the question is really how long to stay; any less than week would not do it justice, IMO]
Kent/sussex [loads to see and do, lots of lovely gardens and footpaths - another week]
Bath/Bristol - two very different cities - Bath is a beautiful place with a wealth of history but Bristol has not just history but loads of easily accessible cultural events, as well as being a great base for exploring the countryside. a week, whatever you decide.
Then - the big question - Cornwall, or not Cornwall. I'm biased of course [it's where I live] - but if you enjoy walking, the coast path is one of the best in the country, with many lovely places to explore en route. and into this I would add a few days in North Devon - another gem. say 2 weeks to do this area justice.
from here, I would head up through the Welsh Marches/Brecon Beacons to North Wales to see Snowdonia, then get the ferry from Holywell to Dublin, and spend 2 weeks in Ireland, going south first then ending in the North, so that you can get the ferry from Belfast to Stranraer in Scotland, where you should spend a least 2 weeks exploring the Highlands and Islands.
so that's about 8 weeks so far.
so by my maths that puts you in Edinburgh for the festival - you should easily spend a week there taking in all the shows, but if you want to do that, and if we're talking about this year, you should book now!!! [actually yesterday, in all probability].
if you decide to give that a miss, I would spend a few days in Glasgow, then head for the Lake District [another week] and then cross the Pennines to York where I would return the car, and then had back to London to finish the trip.
Clearly this has omitted a load of wonderful places - south Wales, most of the Cotswolds, the Peak district, the Yorkshire moors [actually you could fit them in before returning your car in York] East Anglia [the area around Blakeney in Norfolk is gorgeous] - but you can't have it all, not even in 3 months.
Good luck sorting out your itinerary.
Mar 23rd, 2016, 04:20 AM
#23
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Ensure that you have your return tickets and are able to show how you can support yourself when you enter UK. DH and I both in our 70s had quite a hassle going from Schengen to UK last year with immigration as we didn't have our return tickets with us . It's not just young people who are queried. An experience I won't forget in a hurry
Mar 23rd, 2016, 05:31 AM
#24
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I can't really offer advice about how long you should stay in each place, but did want to say that I was really nervous about driving on the opposite side of the road for our 2 week England/Scotland tour. But you really do get the hang of it quickly.
My advice would be to either get a GPS so that you're not having to concentrate so much on the directions or have your navigator fully engaged with directions. My DH is the much better navigator (I get car sick looking at a map) so I drove and he navigated. It was fine and we'd do it again in a heartbeat.
Happy Travels!
My advice would be to either get a GPS so that you're not having to concentrate so much on the directions or have your navigator fully engaged with directions. My DH is the much better navigator (I get car sick looking at a map) so I drove and he navigated. It was fine and we'd do it again in a heartbeat.
Happy Travels!
Apr 6th, 2016, 05:12 AM
#25
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Hiya, so mnay lovely places in the UK to visit. I am from the UK and moved to Australia when I was really young and have now moved back. I live in Bristol now and would highly recommend a visit here 
The South West generally is lush. I live in Clifton, there is some great little hotels round here, there's The Clifton Hotel and the Berkeley Square, which is like a fancy 4 star one, I've heard it's lovely. This is their website http://www.cliftonhotels.com/ It's a really cultural city which is great. So much to see. The suspension bridge, loads of theatre and culture, great places to eat. Lots of hidden gems. Bath is lovely as well and not too far away. If you have any other questions let me know! Good luck!
The South West generally is lush. I live in Clifton, there is some great little hotels round here, there's The Clifton Hotel and the Berkeley Square, which is like a fancy 4 star one, I've heard it's lovely. This is their website http://www.cliftonhotels.com/ It's a really cultural city which is great. So much to see. The suspension bridge, loads of theatre and culture, great places to eat. Lots of hidden gems. Bath is lovely as well and not too far away. If you have any other questions let me know! Good luck!
Apr 6th, 2016, 08:42 AM
#26
Hi BBrigg,
Having spend 3 years at Uni there I am always trying to push Brisstle but somehow it's not on the radar of the average fodorite who is drawn inexorably to Bath. Lucky you living in Clifton.
I have stayed at the Avon Gorge hotel a few times - it's really nice with a good mix of big hotel facilities and personalised service - and great views.
Having spend 3 years at Uni there I am always trying to push Brisstle but somehow it's not on the radar of the average fodorite who is drawn inexorably to Bath. Lucky you living in Clifton.
I have stayed at the Avon Gorge hotel a few times - it's really nice with a good mix of big hotel facilities and personalised service - and great views.
Apr 6th, 2016, 11:33 AM
#28
I love the UK countryside, smaller towns & villages and I usually devise ways of seeing non-urban areas using public transport and my feet. Two suggestions:
1. Delve deeply into bus routes that connect with the train system. Since there are more beautiful places to visit in the UK than you'll have time for in a lifetime, limiting one's self to bus & train routes poses no hardship whatever. In fact I much prefer it. Google for bus routes in counties that you think might appeal to you and put together likely routes using information gleaned, rather than the reverse (which would be picking places and struggling to find out how to get there). If you enjoy being in less visited places, finding one, then soliciting onward suggestions from people you meet along the way can work too.
2. Google "uk long distance paths" and you may find a parallel world you never knew existed. Find an accommodation that will keep your luggage for you at one end of a path, then spend weeks traveling by foot. You may find yourself with a new passion, as I did when I gave walking a try some years ago. England, in particular, is the world's best place for walkers.
I should mention, I've been retired for 10 years now and know that age is no deterrent to long walks, assuming one is at all ambulatory. I now prefer flatter terrain to hills but there's no shortage of it, especially along waterways. The early industrial-era canal system's towpaths have been restored for walking & biking and can be found all over the country, usually beginning and ending in the cities they served when built. The Kennet & Avon Canal is a very nice one. The Thames Path is another waterway path I'm now coming to the end of, having been walking sections on each visit for years. Fascinating and almost entirely flat.
1. Delve deeply into bus routes that connect with the train system. Since there are more beautiful places to visit in the UK than you'll have time for in a lifetime, limiting one's self to bus & train routes poses no hardship whatever. In fact I much prefer it. Google for bus routes in counties that you think might appeal to you and put together likely routes using information gleaned, rather than the reverse (which would be picking places and struggling to find out how to get there). If you enjoy being in less visited places, finding one, then soliciting onward suggestions from people you meet along the way can work too.
2. Google "uk long distance paths" and you may find a parallel world you never knew existed. Find an accommodation that will keep your luggage for you at one end of a path, then spend weeks traveling by foot. You may find yourself with a new passion, as I did when I gave walking a try some years ago. England, in particular, is the world's best place for walkers.
I should mention, I've been retired for 10 years now and know that age is no deterrent to long walks, assuming one is at all ambulatory. I now prefer flatter terrain to hills but there's no shortage of it, especially along waterways. The early industrial-era canal system's towpaths have been restored for walking & biking and can be found all over the country, usually beginning and ending in the cities they served when built. The Kennet & Avon Canal is a very nice one. The Thames Path is another waterway path I'm now coming to the end of, having been walking sections on each visit for years. Fascinating and almost entirely flat.
Apr 6th, 2016, 12:40 PM
#29
A interesting perspective, Mme P.
The Ramblers' Association has a vast variety of walks described - just click on the "find a walk or route" button:
https://www.google.co.uk/search?clie...NqHb8AeDuI6gBg
The Ramblers' Association has a vast variety of walks described - just click on the "find a walk or route" button:
https://www.google.co.uk/search?clie...NqHb8AeDuI6gBg
Apr 7th, 2016, 12:16 AM
#30
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"Google "uk long distance paths" and you may find a parallel world you never knew existed."
True: but it's not the only parallel world. Only a minuscule proportion of our footpath network consists of surviving long-distance routes.
Footpaths are mostly used for local connections: many rural areas have extraordinarily dense networks, and it's astonishing how many busy cities have traffic-free paths going right into their centres. Though the route's a tad convoluted, it's possible to walk, without exposure to traffic, from the centre of Liverpool to the Houses of Parliament in the centre of London, for example.
The result is that it's possible (actually: easy) to stay in one place, and spend at least a week out on a different set of paths radiating out from the end of the street every day. It's often possible to use railways to extend this: from my house, I can walk the entire way from London to Hereford in a few weeks by taking a train each day, walking (almost entirely along pedestrian-only paths, usually along rivers or across fields) between two stations, then getting the train from the second station back home: better connected locations can allow an even wider choice of places to link.
Mme P's discovery has the problem of what to do with the luggage each night, which is why it's not a use many Britons make of the network. The parallel universe that's been really hard-wired into English culture - almost since the railways were developed - has been using footpaths close to stations linked to our larger cities, giving almost instant access into open countryside at weekends from densely populated urban centres.
You might even argue that this was why we avoided a political revolution during a period when the strains of industrialisation caused violent revolt across almost all the rest of Europe.
With sufficient planning, this can transform what England can offer longer-term visitors who'd rather not drive.
True: but it's not the only parallel world. Only a minuscule proportion of our footpath network consists of surviving long-distance routes.
Footpaths are mostly used for local connections: many rural areas have extraordinarily dense networks, and it's astonishing how many busy cities have traffic-free paths going right into their centres. Though the route's a tad convoluted, it's possible to walk, without exposure to traffic, from the centre of Liverpool to the Houses of Parliament in the centre of London, for example.
The result is that it's possible (actually: easy) to stay in one place, and spend at least a week out on a different set of paths radiating out from the end of the street every day. It's often possible to use railways to extend this: from my house, I can walk the entire way from London to Hereford in a few weeks by taking a train each day, walking (almost entirely along pedestrian-only paths, usually along rivers or across fields) between two stations, then getting the train from the second station back home: better connected locations can allow an even wider choice of places to link.
Mme P's discovery has the problem of what to do with the luggage each night, which is why it's not a use many Britons make of the network. The parallel universe that's been really hard-wired into English culture - almost since the railways were developed - has been using footpaths close to stations linked to our larger cities, giving almost instant access into open countryside at weekends from densely populated urban centres.
You might even argue that this was why we avoided a political revolution during a period when the strains of industrialisation caused violent revolt across almost all the rest of Europe.
With sufficient planning, this can transform what England can offer longer-term visitors who'd rather not drive.
Apr 7th, 2016, 04:22 AM
#31
Very interesting to hear Bristol extolled. I've wanted to see it ever since reading "Treasure Island", but when we lived in the UK it was often dismissed as a destination. I finally got to Savannah (the other TI city), maybe next time in the UK I'll get to Bristol.
Liverpool too. Recently learned by great-grandfather was born there.
Liverpool too. Recently learned by great-grandfather was born there.
Apr 7th, 2016, 08:55 AM
#33
I'm sometimes not sure if flanner is agreeing or otherwise, but in this case maybe expanding. I left my suggestion at "long-distance paths" as a way to introduce the subject. Of course, flanner is right about all the rest.
The long-distance paths have an advantage, though, almost always impeccably waymarked, have published guides and are shown named on the OS maps. Useful for shorter distances, too. Visits to local tourist information offices will often turn up small printed guides to nearby paths and circular walks in the area. Googling "circular walks (fill in the locale)" will produce ones to print & take along wherever you plan to be.
Regarding "the problem of what to do with the luggage each night", not a problem, as mentioned (if we're still talking about long walks), leave the big bags (choose a hotel for it's willingness to hold them for you), take essentials for several days in a daypack. After a number of trips done this way, one time I hired a luggage moving service to see if it was better to have all my "stuff" with me each night along the way. It wasn't. What I could easily carry (one to wear, one to wash) in my daypack was plenty and being followed by a big bag was just annoying. It also means the possible spontaneity of deciding where to overnight when you get there goes out the window. I don't recommend the practice.
The long-distance paths have an advantage, though, almost always impeccably waymarked, have published guides and are shown named on the OS maps. Useful for shorter distances, too. Visits to local tourist information offices will often turn up small printed guides to nearby paths and circular walks in the area. Googling "circular walks (fill in the locale)" will produce ones to print & take along wherever you plan to be.
Regarding "the problem of what to do with the luggage each night", not a problem, as mentioned (if we're still talking about long walks), leave the big bags (choose a hotel for it's willingness to hold them for you), take essentials for several days in a daypack. After a number of trips done this way, one time I hired a luggage moving service to see if it was better to have all my "stuff" with me each night along the way. It wasn't. What I could easily carry (one to wear, one to wash) in my daypack was plenty and being followed by a big bag was just annoying. It also means the possible spontaneity of deciding where to overnight when you get there goes out the window. I don't recommend the practice.
Apr 7th, 2016, 09:46 AM
#34
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Some B&Bs along the Hadrian's wall walk offer, for a small fee, a luggage transfer service, taking your bags to your next B&B. They also offer a pick up and drop off service to get you from and back to the path.
I believe a similar service is offered along Offa's Dike, and I am sure along other long distance paths too.
They will make you a lunch, and fill your flask too, so that your daypack is just that, carrying just what you need for that day's walk.
I believe a similar service is offered along Offa's Dike, and I am sure along other long distance paths too.
They will make you a lunch, and fill your flask too, so that your daypack is just that, carrying just what you need for that day's walk.
Apr 7th, 2016, 10:10 AM
#35
There are certainly advantages to each of the ways of dealing with one's luggage. I just found I enjoyed being relieved of the bulk of my things for a time. Kind of like, having moved a truckload of belongings 1000 miles when I returned to California, I now wish I'd gotten rid of 3/4 of it, much now languishing in boxes in the garage. I think it will be my summer project, giving things away. Or maybe a garage sale to fund my next UK walk.
