early planning - UK trip on the cheap
 

We are considering a 12 -14 day to UK. Due to very cheap airfares will probably fly into London and stay in London 4 days. My friend really wants to go to Scotland - I know I want to visit Edinburgh but not sure where else to go. He would like to drive from London to Edinburgh. I did find a car rental for $17/day which I thought was pretty good. <BR><BR>Would really appreciate any help in terms of interesting villages to visit on way from London to Edinburgh. Also info on any budget priced (no hostels) hotels/inns in London, Edinburgh, other places in Scotland would be great. <BR><BR>I assume the weather will be damp and cold in February but that is probably when we will have to go. Thanks for any help<BR><BR>Cindy

Rent a car and stop on the way up in York and Durham, perhaps even in Berwick, right on the England/Scotland border. <BR>There are LOADS of posts about York on this site. It really will be tourist-free in February, but expect it to get dark about before 6. It's got a beautiful cathedral and has lots of history, including that of the church and Viking history. <BR>Durham is another of one of England's oldest cities. It has a very imposing cathedral and a mediaeval centre. Both places will have BandBs (which over here are cheaper and less grand than the US versions) and also the usual town-edge chain hotels with rooms at about &pound;50. (The UK is more expensive on the motel front than the US.) <BR>Once in E'burgh, you will not want to drive. Try to stay at a place with cheap or free parking, or you could find that you will have to pay up to &pound;10 a night. Driving around E'burgh is simply not necessary. You could then visit areas around E'burgh and fly back to London. www.ba.com will help you with internal flights. True, there are the Ryanair and Easyjet options (budget airlines) but they do not fly into Heathrow, whcih is probably the airport you'll be using. BA will be a bit more expensive, but you can save a lot by booking ahead on the web. Easyjet does fly to Gatwick, if indeed that is the airport you are using, but BA is better.

I'd fly from London to Edinburgh and then rent a car there when you want to go somewhere - if you book far enough in advance, it can actually work out cheaper!<BR><BR>What you could do would be to fly into London, do your four days there, then fly to Edinburgh for a wee while, and return to London the day before you need to fly back. That way, you're not restricted to flying from Heathrow. EasyJet flies from Luton and Gatwick, Go - now part of easyJet - from Stansted. BA flies from Gatwick and Heathrow, and BMI from Heathrow. Ryanair only flies to Prestwick from Stansted, so not really an option for Edinburgh in my view.<BR><BR>As for what to see, two regular contributors to this board have made lots of suggestions I know you'll find useful. Do a search for janis and Sheila Ritchie and you'll find something.

Once you set off in the car, Cindy, it is very easy to stop in these lovely villages to book a room. Just head for the city center and find the information building easily identified by the &quot;i&quot; on the exterior. They will show you what is available and the prices and call on for you.<BR>There are many B&amp;B's available for less that 60 per night. And, the breakfast is likely to hold you till dinner. <BR>We have driven through England several times. You could easily spend two weeks in England. <BR>Why not fly to Edinburgh, spend as much time as you like, and then get your car and drive back? Of course, it is better to book your car ahead of time if coming from the states.<BR>Good luck! Enjoy that marvelous country.<BR>

B&amp;Bs are definitely the way to go - a lot cheaper and nicer than hotels/inns. The last time we were in the UK our most expensive B&amp;B was 28 pounds each a night and it was positively luxurious.