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Help with 22-Day Itinerary

Hey all, just wanted to drop my itinerary on here and get some feedback. I'll be using the 22 day Britrail pass to get around. This will be starting around January 10, 2003. Please let me know about the route, places I could drop, places I should add, etc. I think it might be a little much, but I'm sure there will be some places I won't be staying for the entire day. Thanks! * London -> Greenwich * Greenwich -> Canterbury * Canterbury -> Dover * Dover -> Brighton * Brighton -> Salisbury * Salisbury -> Bath * Bath -> Cardiff * Cardiff -> Swansea * Swansea -> Cork (via Swansea Cork Ferries) * Cork -> Limerick * Limerick -> Galway * Galway -> Dublin * Dublin -> Liverpool (via Norse Merchant Ferries) * Liverpool -> Glasgow * Glasgow -> Inverness * Inverness -> Aberdeen * Aberdeen -> Edinburgh * Edinburgh -> York * York -> Nottingham * Nottingham -> Stratford-Upon-Avon * Stratford-Upon-Avon -> Oxford * Oxford -> Windsor * Windsor -> London

With a rail pass, it's generally easier to stay a few days in one place and make day trips, rather than move between hotels or guest houses every day. Even York is an easy day trip from London (or vice versa) as the journey is less than two hours. Swansea Cork Ferries will not be an option in January as the ship goes for annual overhaul from 10 January. See www.swansea-cork.ie, and for alternatives via Pembroke or Fishgard, see www.irishferries.ie or www.stenaline.co.uk.

If I did all that in 22 days I would have no idea what I saw and I would be exhausted !!!! Pick a few locations and spend a several days in each ...

Good one, Jack!!! Best laugh of the day, so far.

Assuming you are not a troll, this is a hideous itinerary -- Unless you are a train fanatic and the main purpose of your trip is to snag as many rail trips as possible. Otherwise try something like this: London 5 or 6 days. Greenwich is a close in section of London and is a tube or bus ride from the center of town. No need to take a train. Canterbury is an easy day trip from London. So is Salisbury. Other places like Bath and York could also be done as day trips but the likely train disruptions due to bad weather etc make them more iffy in winter. day 7: Train to Dover - visit the Castle and then on to Brighton for the night. days 8 - 10: Train to Bath (if you didn't do it as a day trip from London) or Oxford. Visit Cotswold villages (a few are on rail lines) and Stratford by train or bus. day 11: Train to Cardiff>Fishguard. days 12-15: ferry to Ireland and tour by train or bus. days 16 - 20: ferry to England and train to Edinburgh (or Glasgow if you must). Train trips from Edinburgh to places you want to visit in Scotland. (skip Inverness) day 21: Train from Edinburgh to York day 22: York to London But even this would be a difficut trek in winter with the short daylight and possibility of bad weather and/or train delays.

Maybe he's trying to accumulate frequent rail points ?!? this is just ludicrous 7 a waste of 22 days.

Why don't you just fly over the UK and be done with it?

The first time I was in the UK ( about 11 years ago) I was there for 3 weeks. I had a BritRail pass and of course I wanted to see as much as possible. BUT there IS a limit. I stayed in London the first week, split week two between York and Edinburgh and then returned to London for week three. I took day trips to Hampton Court, Windsor, Oxford, Canterbury , Cardiff,Greenwich, and Aberdeen. I was able to have some time to explore London ( and vowed to return, which I have been fortunate do at least a half dozen times since that first trip.) Make a list of those places that are most important to you and then rethink your itinerary. I know you have already purchased your BritRail pass, but that does not mean you are compeled to travel each of the 22 days. If you stick to the plan you have presented here at Fodors all you will have managed to see are train stations, blurry hedgerows as the train speeds by, and the buffet car. You will still be able to get plenty use of your pass even after you trim your itinerary. Remember that your pass can be used on the Gatwick or Heathrow Express if you are arriving/departing from either of those airports.

I would like to thank those that dedicated some helpful information to this post. After all, the fac that me and my friend are stupid trolls...er...uhmm...Americans who have done absolute zero international travel. We've accepted the fact that maybe we might have been a little overzealous about the things we want to see, but it shall be fixed now. Would greatly appreciate it if in the future if someone has some advice to give that they keep the sarcasm to themselves. I must admit that my friend with the itinerary is a little slow and cries very easily when taunted.