travelling to britain in late may. 3 days in london up to edinburgh pickup car rental,tour<BR>scotland for 3 days then drop off car in derby where my husband has 2 days of business I am looking for ideas on what to see during his working days, possibly granda studio tour any suggestion where to stay in derby,how to get to manchester for tour.also best way to travel from derby to london to get euro to paris on friday morning.

I don't know Derby well, but a tourism website is http://www.derby.gov.uk/tourism<BR><BR>Derby is the home of Royal Crown Derby chinaware - you can take a tour of the factory and visit the factory outlet shop. Derby Tourist office also offers walking tours. Or you could venture further afield into the Peak District, e.g. Matlock.<BR><BR>For trains to Manchester or London, see www.railtrack.co.uk (it looks like it takes just under 2 hours to Manchester, with one change). Trains to London (some direct) also take about 2 hours and arrive at London St Pancras. Then you would have to take the Underground or a taxi to London Waterloo for the Eurostar.

The Granada Studio (Coronation Street)Tour closed in 2000 with, I believe, no plans for re-opening.

Derby is in the Peak District a very picturesque area. I would keep the car in Derby for day trips to get around. It is also close to Nottingham which has developed a pretty good tourism industry based around Robin Hood, Lord Byron and lace industry. British train service has really gone downhill since privitization. My trains from Manchester to Nottingham and then Nottingham to London had only two cars each (carriages in Britspeak) with people standing in the aisles.

I too would keep the car. Peak district, Chatsworth, Hardwicke Hall and several other great places are short drives from Derby. I wouldn't go to Manchester at all - the area around Derby is more scenic/interesting.