shelemm

Oh you can eat poorly in Paris, I agree. And it's true London is a melting pot where it's easier to find a Sardinian restaurant there than in Rome. I'm glad you had some great meals in England, but in Paris you can eat some of the finest food in the world and not even step into a restaurant. One street is a microcosm of what I'm talking about. Just look at Rue des Martyrs on Google Maps: Maison Thielen, Landemaine, Artisan de la truffe, Sebastien Gaudard, Le Chocolat Alain Ducasse, Palais des thés, le Repaire de Bacchus, Farine & O, Le Pain Retrouvé, Chez Vous, La Meringaie Martyrys, Coeur de Breizh, Glaces Glazed, Le Comptoir Belge, Maison Le Roux.... plus more! You could have the greatest picnic in the world. A Moveable Feast, n'est-ce pas?

bilboburgler

The whole English food is poor is very 70s and best ignored. That is not to say France has got worse it is just to that the UK has got so much better. London in particular is a true melting pot and you need to visit some of London's markets to see foods from 200 languages.

The UK has a lot to offer and May us a good time to visit. I'd certainly look at the big drawers, the Oxford, Bath, Salisbury, York Durham, Edinburgh. I might even add Dublin for a few days. But certainly look at a train to Paris, Brussels etc.

In 4 weeks adding in Italy makes no sense. You may only come to Europe once in your mind but Italy is not a single country for food but a continent.

mjs

I am usually in the less is more crowd but if this was going to be my first and only trip to Europe, I would expand the trip to sample more the continent. I would read up on Europe and its history and its foods if that is your interest. What about European history intrigues you? If food is an interest I would prioritize Italy, France and Spain. If you are coming from the US you might even watch the videos that Rick Steve puts out. Bear in mind that moving costs you both time and money. Figure at least a half a day to a whole day lost if you are moving to another location. Check out inexpensive air carriers like Easy jet or Ryan. You might also check into a Eurail pass for trains, particularly if you are under the age of 27. Point to Point train fares may be cheaper but it depends on where you are going. Are you doing this alone? Cheaper to travel with a friend as you can share a hotel room. Consider spending some time in the countryside instead of just cities. Often a day bus tour can accomplish this easily. Remember too to build in some "rest" days to do laundry and just sit back. Even if you are young you cannot in my experience go "tourist" for 5 weeks in a row. Its good to slow down every two weeks or so.
One possible sketch of an itinerary would be to fly to Rome after arriving LHR. Keep in mind that many of the inexpensive air carriers from London do not use LHR but other airports like Luton, Gatwick and Stansted. Stay 5 nights (4 full days) in Rome than train to Florence for 4 nights (maybe include day trips to Siena and Pisa). Move on to Bologna for 2-3 nights than onto Venice for 3 nights. Fly to Paris for 5 nights. Fly to Edinburgh, train down to London. Lots of alternatives. You could fly Venice to Nice and visit the Cote d' Azur than train to Paris with maybe with a stop in Avignon and the Provence countryside. You could also fly VCE to BCN and visit Barcelona than fly onto Paris. There are a ton of options for you with 5 weeks that only depend on your interest and money.

halfapair

Don't assume this will be your only trip to Europe. Focus on what you'd like to see in the UK. There is very good food to be had in England, especially in London. But many of the pubs have been converted into gastropubs, so even out in the country (such as the Cotswolds), you can find very good food served in humble surroundings.
I think taking a train to Paris for a week or 5 days would be a great idea. It's easy, and you can get right back to London to catch your flight home. Map out an itinerary for the UK, that loops back down to London, then take the train to Paris, and then back to London & home. If you try to cram in too many stops, you'll just spend all your time getting from place to place and never really see anything (heed everyone's warning on this)
Then, if you make it a priority, you'll get back to Europe and start from a different base. But that's another trip for another day.

TDudette

mi

Sassafrass

Obviously, you will get different opinions from people, depending on their experiences and interests.
You are very lucky to have four or five weeks. IMHO, that extra week makes a big difference, how strong your interests are in England and Scotland and what kinds of activities you want while traveling. For example, if you want to spend time exploring the countryside in Scotland and England as well as cities, you might want more time there than if you want mostly cities and a few historic places.
As a solo traveler, you can relocate more quickly than if you were with others.

I have spent a week in London just going to plays and concerts, but another time I spent three days sightseeing in London, and four days seeing other places like Bath, Oxford, etc. There are a couple of places I might see with another day or two. Your list right now is just about three days worth, max for London.

Personally, with five weeks, I do not think you would be spreading yourself too thin at all to include other places.
Many people have only 10 to 15 days for a trip to Italy and are able to see quite a lot by concentrating on one area, three or four towns or cities, and day trips because places are close together and trains are quick and easy, city center to city center.
Some places are a bit further apart in Spain, but still mostly easy by train.
In France, four days in Paris allows enough sightseeing to be worthwhile. Add a day for Versailles. Provence is a fast, two hour train ride from Paris, but a bit harder getting around without a car.
The Netherlands is another very easy destination.
Therefore, if you have the interest or desire, you can easily visit another one or two other places and not feel at all rushed.
Make a list of what you want to see and do in England and Scotland. Allow travel time. See how much time you have left and then decide how you wish to spend it.