If you were to spend two weeks next summer in England and Scotland, where would you go? We are a couple in our late 20's, no kids, love history, art, quaint villages and lively cities and have never been to the UK, save a few days in London when each of us was younger. Please share your favorites with us!

My favorite place in England is the lake district. The villages are so quaint. If the Wordworth's aren't in residence you can visit the poet's home. My favorite inn is the Wordsworth in Windemere. One word of caution--it's very crowded in the summer. It's best to avoid peak tourist season if possible.

We also love the village of Windsor. I'd recommend the open air double decker bus ride around the area. It's not unusual to see a pack of hunting beagles in training!

We were just in England and Scotland in July and loved every minute. We spent 3 days in LOndon. We then rented a car and drove to a small town called Wellesbourne where we stayed for the week. From there , we visited Stratford, all the amazing and unique Cotswold towns , Bath and Oxford. From there we drove to Aberfeldy Scotland where we stopped along the way at Hadrians's Wall(not to be missed). In Scotland , we spent 2 days in Edinburgh(what a great city). We also did a great deal of hiking (the scenery is spectacular). Small villages of Fort William and Pitlochry were favourites. Have a good trip!

Thanks for the suggestions, Wenbon! sounds amazing. How long were you there?

If you go to the Lake District, try some of the areas other than Ambleside / Windermere - they tend to be quieter. Just pick a patch of water and go for it.
If you like walking, it's a great place.

You could try Wales instead - the Snowdonia national park is amazing. I stayed in Betws-y-Coed and loved the place - surrounded by hills, on the side of the river but still with a bit of life mixed with the quaint-ness. I was only there for 1 night but I will be going back when I get chance.
Did you know that there is only 1 lake in the Lake District? The rest are

Oh, yeah, for a city I would go for York (busy again though) or you could try Liverpool if you like a party night out.

We were there for 2 and a half weeks. If you need further information, please don't hesitate to ask

We just came back from our two week honeymoon in the UK. We are also a couple of twentysomethings with similar interests. We flew into London, spent a couple days, then flew up to Edinburgh for a couple days, then rented a car and drove around Scotland, visiting St. Andrews, whisky distilleries, castles, ruins, local museums, prehistoric sites, and many a quaint village. We had a fabulous time. By focusing on Scotland (and some London) we were able to really get a sense of the area. Let me know if you want our more specific itinerary or hotel recommendations.

Sorry to jump in on this thread, but...

kcw, I personally would love more info on your itinerary and lodging choices. We are planning a similar trip for April. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. You can email me at [email protected].

Ditto, kcw...I would love to hear about the towns you visited, hotels at which you stayed and any other interesting tidbits you'd like to share. Sounds like a fabulous trip!

I really like Cornwall. It is full of art studios and fits your requirement for quaint and charming. York is great, too, and as mentioned, from there you can see Hadrain's Wall and go on into Scotland. Jedburgh Abbey is beautiful, too.

bath, oxford, york, st. andrews, glasgow

My wife and I just returned from our second UK summer holiday and our list would be, Yorkshire, the Cotswolds (including Oxford & Blenheim Palace), Western Scotland, Edinburgh and Bath and area. I should add though that there is really no area in the UK that we haven't thoroughly enjoyed. Have an enjoyable trip.

Hi Mic,I'll try and give you some suggestions -
1) Suffolk - beautiful but off the usual tourist track. Medieval churches, ancient villages, loads of antique shops. Have a look at The Swan at Lavenham, The Bull at Long Melford, or The Angel at Bury St Edmunds.
2) Lake District lovely but crowded, scenery beautiful.The Wordsworths won't be in residence - they died decades ago! Ruskin's house is worth a visit.
3) York, Bath, Edinburgh and Cambridge all suggestions for cities to visit.
4) Look at the National Trust webite for beautiful places to visit - might help you decide what areas to concentrate on.
5) If you want a day with a difference visit the Bronte Parsonage at Haworth, Yorkshire.
M

I agree with Morgana - East Anglia is often missed as a desitination and yet it is just so lovely - its worth a week of anyone's itinerary.

The West Country (where I live) is also a little overlooked. Would reccommend time spent in any of the following (all good for your particular interests):-

Oxford and Blenheim Palace
Bath Spa
Cheltenham Spa
Tewkesbury and/or Worcester (both have fabulous churches/cathederals)
Cirencester and Burford (essence of the Costwolds)
Malmesbury (England's oldest borough)and Tetbury
Avebury (for the stone circles - better than Stonehenge) and Marlborough (fabulous high street - pretty shops and some nice places to eat)
Salisbury (and Stonehenge if you have time and really want to see it)
Winchester (Cathederal and Jane Austen connections)

There are of course, just hundreds of fabulous little towns and villages between these bigger towns and cities - it would take a good two weeks to explore!

If you want any further info on any of the above, please let me know and I'll see if I can help. That goes for anyone else who may be interested in visiting this area...

PS - sorry for not including Scotland! However, if you get there too, make sure you got to Berwick Upon Tweed - its been in both Scotland and England (many times each) so it has a distinct character! Also, don't miss out on the Northumberland Coast and nearby Alnwick Castle (where some of the original Harry Potter was filmed) Great scenery.