Great Britain - does this sound possible?
Feb 25th, 2003, 06:46 PM
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Great Britain - does this sound possible?
Or does anyone have any better suggestions. My niece and I are beginning planning for a May trip to England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. I know it isn't enough time to really do a good job but does this sound o.k.? Two nights in London followed by 10 days by rental car to putter around England, Scotland and Wales. Then, we thought we would pick up a seven day tour in Ireland just in case we are at each others throats by then with the driving on the "wrong side of the road" bit. Or, should we maybe drive in Ireland also and extend the time in England, Scotland and Wales. Any advice is appreciated.
Feb 25th, 2003, 06:59 PM
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10 days to cover England, Scotland and Wales is not puttering.<BR><BR>Have you fired up any search engines to determine driving times between your destinations?<BR><BR>I would figure you to be at each other's throats by day two over who chose the itinerary.
Feb 25th, 2003, 07:13 PM
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You're trying to do way too much. Roads are crowded and often slow in England, if you're not careful, you will spend all your time in the car. Decide on where you most want to go and then work out some sort of route. A week in Ireland sounds good, maybe in the middle, unless you are flying home from Ireland. You could arrange the Ireland part yourselves if you wanted. There are lots of cheap flights from England to Ireland with Ryanair. It is also quite cheap to fly from the south of England to Scotland - a possibility if you want to lessen the amount of driving.<BR>Without knowing what is important to you, I would suggest 2 or 3 days in London, drive to Cambridge - stay there for 1 or 2 nights, fly to Ireland from Stansted airport (near Cambridge), after Ireland, fly into Scotland for a few days and then add somewhere else in England if you have time. Cambridge is just an example, you could substitute Oxford and the Cotswolds, Cornwall, or many other places. Cornwall alone would be a nice place for a week or so and the Cotswolds deserve a few days at least.<BR>Good luck. <BR>
Feb 26th, 2003, 04:23 AM
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Hi Louise,<BR><BR>Just a few comments on the driving. We had no major problems driving in England, but here are my observations:<BR><BR>1) You have to watch signs carefully and have a good map.<BR><BR>2) You can't get stressed if you take a wrong turn or get lost - you must see it as part of the adventure (this to avoid the "wanting to kill each other" feeling).<BR><BR>3) Driving times are very hard to judge. Expect it to take twice as long as you think - really! Roads that are labeled as "A" roads, which are primary roads, are usually 1 lane, have lots of roundabouts, and go through small towns every few miles (or so it seems) where you are driving about 15-20 miles and hour etc. Try www.viamichelin.com to get an idea of distances and times, then add on time to what they say!<BR><BR>4) I loved London, so I'd spend more time there, but it depends on your interests. The rest of it does sound a little hectic.<BR><BR>5) I'm not a big fan of tours, so I'd say drive in Ireland yourself! <BR><BR>Have fun!
Feb 26th, 2003, 03:25 PM
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Typically, posters on this forum will always say your itinerary is far too ambitious or that you are trying to cover too much ground . . . no matter how few sites or how much time. Posters here tend to be on the sedentary, conservative side of travel.<BR><BR>Not me. I love to drive. If you average 25 miles an hour and four hours a day of driving you can cover a considerable amount of the UK without exhausting yourselves. I love the scenery and I love driving around on the narrow two-lane black-tops skirted by hedgerows and stone fences. I stop when I want and I follow my nose.<BR><BR>I think your idea is marvelous. If you get tired of driving . . . stop! I'd also drive in Ireland for the same reason. If you are "at each other's throats" driving around the UK, it's possible you'd be "at each other's throats" NOT driving around the UK. <BR><BR>As far as the "wrong side of the road" goes . . . look both ways all the time: be very cautious at roundabouts, getting back onto the road from a petrol station driveway or lunch stop parking area, and first thing in the morning when you leave your hotel. Dont get in a hurry.<BR><BR>Have fun!
Feb 26th, 2003, 03:46 PM
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I did a similar vacation, 14 days from London, driving up along the east coast, to Inverness, Skye, back down through Wales... <BR><BR>I wrote up a travelogue that even gives some driving times, as well as some of the problems I encountered 
<BR><BR>If you want me to email it to you, let me know at [email protected]
<BR><BR>If you want me to email it to you, let me know at [email protected]
Feb 26th, 2003, 04:06 PM
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I too love to drive and 10 days will be enough time to see a lot, provided you plan your overall itinerary sensibly.<BR><BR>I would strongly recommend you take the train, preferably overnight, from London to Scotland (Edinburgh or Inverness, say), pick up the car there, and work your way south over the next 10 days, or south then east then west, etc., following your nose but ending up at the point from which you're going to Ireland. Many if not most major car rental agencies won't have a problem with one-way rentals, so you won't have to retrace your steps, plus you'll be well clear of London before you get behind the wheel, a good thing.<BR><BR>Drive in Ireland, too - very rewarding motoring.
