itsv

Two suggestions:

In London, try to stay at the Chancery Court. (If you keep checking Marriot website, you can find a deal). It is a short walk to the British Museum. Check to see if they have envening hours. When we fly from San Diego, we stay there and make the British Museum our first visit on the day we arrive. We find it very doable. The hotel is located on the picadilly line so it is also easy to get to the Tower of London from that location, about 3 tube stops. Hopefully by staying on that side of London, it will save you a little bit of time. Plus it is near Covent Garden-lots of theatre, restaurants.

2. Take heed with driving times. This past summer we drove from the Yorkshire Dales to Chipping Campden in the Cotswolds. It took us twice as long to get there and the traffice around Leeds was horrible. I would pick Bath or Cotswold, but not both. There is too much to see in each place and with your plan, you are only going to be driving-not seeing the sites. In the Cotswolds, there are fabulous hikes, gardens to visits and towns just to see.

If you do drive down from Scotland, be sure to visit Hadrian's Wall along the way.

Heimdall

I like your new itinerary better as well, but think it would be better to turn your car in while still in Scotland, then fly or take the train back south, which would give you a little more time in East Anglia. You could hire another car there for your Newmarket, Bury St Eds, and Cambridge sightseeing. Cambridge isn't very car friendly, but there is a park & ride as you come into Cambridge on the Newmarket Road.

haydeedoll

noe847...You read my mind!. I've recently found out about the Stone Circle Access, and knew I had to do that. I hated the thought of finally seeing Stonehenge and being kept 30ft. away from it. We've contacted The English Heritage group, and they have an opening for us on that Thurs, May10th at 19:45pm. It seems late, but it will be nice to see sundown there. Also, I had no idea you could arrange Tower tours at the cathedral. So, thanks for that info. Will definetely do.. I'm trying to convince my fiance into doing one night in Skye. He wants to stay in one base point the whole time. But, I think it would be great to wake up there and have an early morning walk Great Trip report by the way!
I'm also looking in Spean Bridge, I hadn't thought about it before. Maybe 2 nights there and 1 night on Skye.

We're trying to work out the best route down from Scotland to Newmarket, as well as a place to spend the night. I don't think we'll be able to afford to fly back down. I want to avoid the traffic around the Manchester or Leeds areas. Although it is a bank Holiday weekend....My fiance thought staying near Melrose Abbey might be nice, so we can take a little time to see it.

alanRow

<<< We're trying to work out the best route down from Scotland to Newmarket >>>

From Inverness fly to Luton with Easyjet
From Edinburgh fly to Stansted with Easyjet
From Glasgow fly to Stansted with Easyjet or Air Berlin
From Aberdeen fly to Luton with Easyjet

Then hire a car to Newmarket

Alternatively take the FirstScotRail Caledonian Sleeper service to London then train out to Newmarket

You might also consider flying to Scotland as soon as you arrive in the UK and work your way down and finish in London - it would be more of a linear trip than what you are considering

Or fly into the UK arriving in Scotland (Edinburgh / Glasgow) and leave from London (open jaw / multi city ticket)

Heimdall

Good suggestions from alanRow. Before dismissing air travel as too expensive, check out fares on http://www.easyjet.com/en/book/index.asp - you may be pleasantly surprised. Considering the cost of car hire, including the fee for dropping the car off at a different location, and fuel at around $7.00/US gallon, flying could even be cheaper. Book early, though - with easyJet the earlier you book, the lower the fare.

alanRow

You'd also save half a day or more of travel - a day if coming from Northern Scotland

haydeedoll

OMG - I had no idea about EasyJet. They're Inverness to Luton is about 22pounds.
But they're Glasgow to Stansted is only 8pounds, with more options.
Luton and Stansted both seem close enough to Newmarket, that when we land and get another car. We can drive up there almost before nightfall.
The Glasgow flight seems like a better idea. But, I'm wondering how long the drive is from Ft.William to Glasgow.....

My fiance seems against this idea right now. He wants me to see the countryside on the way down.....But, honestly. I think I'd rather have another day in Skye.

Hmmmm...I'll post when we work it out. Thanks!

sheila

I second the vote not to stay in Fort William and I wonder why you're going to Inverness after that. I actually think you'll find Wasley's suggestion works well for you.

Heimdall

"He wants me to see the countryside on the way down..."

You would more likely see the road works and tailbacks on the M1 or A1(M) unless you turn off the motorway - but then add an extra day to your trip south.

Stansted is about 30 min from Newmarket, Luton about an hour. From Stansted you have dual carraigeway (divided highway) all but the last few miles.

haydeedoll

So, my fiance couldn't be sold on the flying idea. So, we will be driving down......Oh, well.
Another friend of ours (not the ones in Newmarket) also got back to us. She lives in Peterborough. She's going to meet up with us in London on Day 2, and hang out with us. She said she hasn't been in a few years, so she won't mind visiting the stuff we are.......She offered that we could go back to her place in Peterborough with her that night, and then she could take us to the train station Monday morning to go to Edinburgh. We told her we'd consider it. I'm not sure about that though...........

The Scotland itinerary is staying close to the same. We will still break the drive down into 2 days.

Mon, Apr 30th - Train to Edinburgh - Walking tour
Tues, May 1st - Edinburgh - Castle, Arthur's Seat, Royal Mile
Wed, May 2nd - Pick up car. Stirling Castle, Glencoe...Ending maybe Spean Bridge, or farther north.
Thurs, May 3rd - Drive up Loch Ness, Urquhart Castle and back
Fri, May 4th - Drive over to Skye, Eilean Donan Castle. Overnight in Skye
Sat, May 5th - Tour more of Skye. Take ferry across to Mallaig...Drive through Glenfinnan. Play this by ear. End where we end.
Sun, May 6th - Drive south. End in Newmarket.

So we will have 5 full days back in England.

Mon, May7th - Cambridge, Bury St. Edmunds
Tues, 8th - Cotswolds
Wed, 9th - Bath
Thurs, 10th - Salisbury
Fri, 11th - Back in London.

We're not going to rush ourselves. If we feel short on time, the first thing to go will be the last day in London. And push Salisbury to Friday....staying there Thursday and Friday night. Our flight's at noon from Heathrow on Sat, so we could do that.

Thanks for the help guys......I will post a review of our trip afterwards

alanRow

Skye to Newmarket is some 600 miles of driving - I doubt if you could do it in much under 12 hours of solid driving by the most direct route.

Even over 2 days that doesn't leave a lot of time to do anything else.

Do you really want to spend 2 days looking at the back of a HGV?

janisj

I am also a Californian who lived in the UK for several years - piece of advice here -- <b>DO NOT</b> try to compare 200 or 300 or 500 mile drives in CA to anything in the UK!! We think nothing of driving from Sacramento or SF to LA and back in a weekend. But there is no I-5 connecting southern England and northern Scotland. You have a limited amount of time - so instead of trying to dash through so many places spread across the whole country - limit yourselves to what is doable/enjoyable.

You say your fiance wants you ro see the &quot;countryside&quot; on your way south. Well, you won't. The only possible way to make this forced march work is to stick to the Motorways - and for the most part they are not at all scenic.

haydeedoll

OK....I came home today and my fiance has changed his opinion on the driving. I think he's realized how expensive the gas will be for the drive down, and how far south we would have to get on that Sat, as well. So, now we are debating 2 options. Both leaving Scotland on Sunday the 6th.

A) Train from Edinburgh to Cambridge (through Peterborough). My fiance really likes this idea. Because you can get a good price if we book it as round trip (since we are going north this route). He also thinks it will be easy to drop the car the same place we picked it up in Edinburgh.....And he doesn't want to deal with flying again while there.

B) Fly from Glasgow (GLA) to London Stansted via Easyjet. I like this idea because the ticket is only 8pounds. And I think Glasgow may be a little closer to Skye/Glennfinnan, so we won't have to go so far Sat.

Either way we have to end up in Glasgow or Edinburgh Sat night.....Opinions??

In hindsight, it would have been better to book Landing in London and leaving from Edinburgh. But, the tickets are already booked.

alanRow

It's 6 hours of driving from Skye to Glasgow (5 to Edinburgh) so it doesn't improve things much. If I was travelling from Skye to Newmarket I'd drive to Inverness (just over 2 hours) and fly to Luton with Easyjet then drive to Newmarket

Don't understand your reference for the train to getting a good price &quot;if we book it as round trip&quot; as the best prices on the route Edinburgh to Peterborough are single tickets (from &pound;12.50)

Heimdall

You're making progress with your itinerary. If, as Alan says, you can save three hours of driving in Scotland by flying out of Inverness, it will cost you only 30 min extra driving from Luton to Newmarket (vs Stansted to Newmarket). Even though the easyJet fares are a little higher from Inverness, that seems a good tradeoff to me.

BTW, you need to book your easyJet tickets ASAP or you will find all those cheap fares are gone. The closer to your flight day, the more expensive the tickets - even one day could make a difference. The only way easyJet can offer those low fares is by charging more to late bookers. Near the flight day easyJet can actually be more expensive than British Airways.

haydeedoll

Uh - I can't sway my fiance into flying. It's a shame because Easyjet's fares are incredibly cheap right now, they just put on sales today....But it seems like this is a battle I'm going to lose.
But, we have decided to give ourselves more time in Scotland. We'll either take the train down on Monday the 7th, or Tues. I now know I'll want more time in the Highlands.....This ofcourse, gives us less time in England. But, like janisj said, we should aim for what is doable/enjoyable. So, I'm willing to give up The Cotswolds, maybe even Bath (although I'm holding out that there will be time to go there). As long as I get to see everything I want to see in Salisbury, I'm ok.
Thanks for the reality check on my Itinerary guys!

Heimdall

Well, at least you'll make the greens happy by deciding not to fly (carbon footprint, etc). Trains have some advantages, one of them being the scenery. You get a much better view of the countryside than from either an airplane or a car on the motorway. Another advantage is that most train stations are located in city centers, while airports are usually miles out of town.

Have a wonderful trip!

vernon08

I feel you are very lucky to get the advice that you have, and that most of it is correct. But you don't seem to be listening to the overall message. Chill out !!! The whole point of Scotland (speaking as a Scot.) is the PEACE. I have travelled widely and Skye has something it's impossible to describe, the maginficence of the Cuillins the sharp freshness of the water, the vibrancy of the colour to be found in the hillside. To hear a piper practising a pibroch alone by a lochan. To lie in the green grass that seems greener than anywhere on Earth with the sound of bleating from the new lambs of May. It's a feeling - (I'm no poet) but to 'do Skye' in a day is like eating a bowl of sphagetti and thinking you undestand Italy.
Your trip sounds like a nightmare of travel. Take heed of the advice you are getting. Driving through Scotland is a treat, the scenery is more than magnificent but its not to be done in a rush. You are going to be 'dashing' from one place to another and your going to miss the whole point. You're going to see Scotland but don't think that you are going to 'know' Scotland by this trip. I play the pipes, and my teacher said to me many years ago, with the pipes, it will take you 7 years to know that it will take another 7 years until you can play. This in many ways is the essence of Scotland.

janisj

vernon08: Beautifully said. IMHO your post should be required reading every time someone posts one of those &quot;I need an itinerary to see all of Scotland in 4 (or 5, or 7, or 10) days&quot;

haydeedoll

I never expected to see all of Scotland...As my fiance says. No matter how much time we keep giving ourselves in Scotland, we are going to leave feeling like we had no time at all, and that there is sooo much we didn't see and experience....But, we only get 2 weeks a year vacation.