BPJones

In a summer trip to Britain we will be in Edinburgh for 3 nights (After 3 nights in London). We will be hitting York for one night on the way back to London, and doing a day trip to Warwick from there. We had also wanted to do a day trip to Oxford, but in order to do that, we would have to cut one night out of Edinburgh. (Just don't have enough time). Should we do this?
Thanks!

janisj

A day trip to Warwick from York?? That doesn't make sense. Do you mean you are going from Edinburgh to York, staying the night and going to Warwick the next morning? Driving or taking the train? York to Warwick will take nearly 3 hours just for the drive.

I don't get why you are using York for a base to see Warwick. IMHO you have more decisions to make than just whether to cut a day from Edinburgh.

BPJones

Sorry for the confusion! I mean we are going back to London - and then taking a day trip to Warwick from there (the next day).

janisj

OK - now I get it.

But it is still a pretty fractured itinerary. Edinburgh > York > London > Warwick > back to London in 3 days.

By adding another day trip to Oxford you are now looking at Edinburgh > York > London > Warwick > back to London > Oxford > back to London in 4 days. Which is crazy-hectic

For you - an option might be a guided day trip that includes both Oxford and Warwick. They are pretty rushed, and they aren't cheap. But that would be better than cutting a day from Edinburgh and/or doing 2 day trips from London to Warwick/Oxford.

janisj

here are some examples

grayline.com/Grayline/destinations/europe/london.go?mode=activityDetail&apid=1181&si d=590

city-discovery.com/london_tours/tour.php?id=6

london-tour.conciergedesk.co.uk/oxford-stratford-warwick-tour-6.htm

I usually don't recommend guided tours, and it is normally better to slow down a bit and actually see things. But if you really want to see Warwick and Oxford during a too-short trip - these are a way to manage it.

BPJones

Hmmm . . .
Well, let me give you our _full_ itinerary, and you can tell me if it is just nuts.

Arrive London May 26 9AM
Stay in London May 26, 27, 28
Train to Canterbury May 29 AM
Check into hotel, and then take train to Dover Castle - Return to hotel PM
May 30th - Leave luggage at hotel and explore Canterbury for much of the day. Train back to London for overnight train to Edinburgh

May 31, June 1, June 2 Edinburgh
June 3 Train to York AM
June 4 Spend much of the day in York and leave for Huddersfield in PM
(I have to be at Huddersfield University on June 5th (or 4th) for work purposes.)

June 6th AM train to . . .
From here, I am not sure -
Huddersfield to London is 2hrs 45min
Huddersfield to Warwick is 3hrs 20 min - so if we are going to go to Warwick (and my son really wants to), it makes more sense to go straight from Huddersfield (Warwick is 1hr 55 min from London).
So, if we did this, we would take the train to Warwick from Huddersfield on June 6th. Stay overnight, and then we could either come back to London late on June 7, or go to Oxford from Warwick (1 hr train ride), stay overnight, and return to London on June 8th PM.
We fly out June 9th AM.

I thought being in Oxford the day before flying out might make things feel hectic, which is why I thought if Oxford was worth it, we could sacrifice a day in Edinburgh in order to have one more day in London after returning from Oxford. If we do not go to Oxford, we would go to London from Warwick on June 7th, and still have June 8th in London.

I hope you can make since of this. It seems easier to understand looking at my Excel spreadsheet . . .

Thanks for your help!

BPJones

I hope you can make "sense" of this, I mean.
Now I see the value of the "Preview my reply" option.

janisj

I think you need to get on a map and off your excel spreadsheet

as you know, this is a very complicated itinerery - mostly because of the Huddersfield bit. And that is the one bit that can't be fixed.

If it were me - and only because you can't do/see everything - I'd drop the Canterbury/Dover excursion. Dover Castle is a wonder - but it is just another 2 days that makes everything else screwy.

You could do London/Warwick/Oxford over May 26 - 30. Then Edinburgh May 31 - June 2. York/Huddersfield June 3/6. And finally back in London June 7-9.

Does the rest of the family have to be in Huddersfield too or just you? If possible, I'd have the the rest of the family stay in York while you do a day trip over to Huddersfield. They could explore more of York or even take a guided tour to Castle Howard or Fauntains Abbey. You could stay a total of 3 nights in York.

And then finish up in London.

mari5

Janis has it about right! Sounds like a great schedule. I ,too ,would drop the Dover excursion.....but would suggest for sure including Oxford!
OR.. you could do it "the other way around".I've heard of people leaving Oxford in the morning to catch a plane the same day from the London airport.'
What time does your plane leave London, and what Airport?
(but "I' personally think it's better to stay at the airport the night before).

specs

Janis' suggestions make sense. The Canterbury/Dover trip is the odd stop.

I would probably scrap one day in Edinburgh and spend more time elsewhere. I think Edinburgh is a "two day" kind of city.

I've taken the bus from Oxford to Heathrow to make 10:00 a.m. flights without any problems. The Oxford/Heathrow express runs on schedule and is reliable. Be ready to go first thing in the morning, and have breakfast after you check in at the airport.

BPJones

My son has to come with me to Huddersfield, because it is just the two of us on this trip (I know, poor guy!). We fly out of Gatwick at 10:10 am. I think I would rather leave Oxford (if that is where we are)late and stay closer to the airport on the last night.
And I swear I have looked at maps! (And NationalRail has become my homepage.)
If I scrap a day in Edinburgh, should we spend it in York or London?
I'll play with my itineray and begin a new post for your feedback.
Thanks everyone!

janisj

OK - then you and your son do a day trip to Huddersfield, but spend that night and 2 others in York.

I still think the suggestion to drop Dover and do Oxford/Warwick from London during the May 26-30 period.

But how about this option:

- London May 26-28
- May 29 - train to Oxford explore the city all day and take an early evening train to Warwick
- May 30 - all day in Warwick (Nights of May 29-30 in Warwick)
- May 31 - train to Edinburgh. Stay through June 2
- June 3 - Afternoon train to York. Stay through June 6 including your day trip to Huddersfield and back.
- June 7-9 London

BPJones

That's pretty similar to what I have down right now, except a day shorter in London at the beginning (because there is no overnight train on Saturdays, which is the May 31), and I have Warwick before Oxford, but I don't think that will really make a difference.
The reason I planned to stay in Huddersfield was because we could have free accommodation the night before and after my work there. So I had been thinkng we would arrive late the night before, and leave early the morning after. Here's what I have right now:
May 26-27 London
May 28 Warwick
May 29 Oxford
May 30 Late Train to Edinburgh
May 31-June 1 Edinburgh
June 2-4 York (but leaving late on the 4th for Huddersfield)
June 5 Huddersfield
June 6-9 London
Let me know what you think!

specs

Just adding a few more cents.

You could stay in Oxford on May 29 and enjoy exploring Oxford on your own in the evening. Oxford is a great town for walking. You could then see a bit more of Oxford the next morning, and (assuming train schedule permits this) see Warwick in the afternoon.

I am assuming you are going to Warwick because your son wants to go to Warwick Castle. Good choice. I have made this trip as a family with teenagers, and with a group of adults. Everyone had a great day out.

A basic tour of the castle can easily be done in a couple of hours or so. It is largely self guided, and it is open ended as you pick and choose what to see and and when to leave.

If you add an hour or so you can watch a trebuchet launch, or some other historical re-enactments. (IMHO These shows seem to require a good deal of waiting around, are brief, and not altogether gripping)

You can also stop for a bite to eat. No doubt you two will be running around the parapets and clambering up flights of stairs, and will welcome a break. If memory serves, snacks are available at the tea shop, but there are no full meals.

BTW. janisj is knowledgeable and I've found her advice to be 100% reliable. You're in good hands.

janisj

Just a quick comment - there are full meals at Warwick Castle. There are at least two sit down restaurants - one in the stables and one in the undercroft of the castle itself (sort of between the State Rooms and the "Ghost" Tower) Plus the several snack bars around the castle/grounds

Especially w/ a child along - I'd plan on about 4 hours for the castle including having lunch, exploring the mill and island. You could spend all day - but 4 hours should give you a pretty good taste. I think a day for Oxford and most of a day for Warwick would about do it.

janisj

Thanks specs - though some might not agree w/ you

BPJones

I have found janisj to be very helpful!

Do you think I could work Kenilworth into the mix?
If we arrive in Warwick in the am, we could spend most of that day at the castle, and then perhaps visit Kenilworth the following morning. We could leave for Oxford that evening, and spend the majority of the next day there. Our train to Edinburgh does not leave until 11:45 pm, so we would not have to be in any hurry to return from Oxford.

janisj

that would work - Kenilworth is great and it really doesn't have to take too long to explore.

caroline_edinburgh

I agree with Janis's suggestions involving visiting Huddersfield during the day but not staying there, as a) it's a hole and b) unlike York, it's not on the main north-south railway line. I spent 15 of the longest months of my life working in Hudderfield.