6 nights London

4 nights based in Canterbury for that city, Leeds Castle, Dover, Hastings, Rye, Sissinghurst

3 nights in Salisbury for that city, Stonehenge, Avebury, Corfe Castle, Durdle Door, Shaftesbury, Cerne Abbas

3 nights in Bath for that city, Glastonbury, Wells

3/2 nights in Chipping Campden for exploring Cotswolds, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwick

4 nights in York for that city, the Moors, Whitby, Rievaulx Abbey

3/2 nights in Keswick for N. Lake District and Hadrian's Wall

then back to London for a night or two before flying home

Two 22 year olds by rail and bus next May/June.
Does this sound good?

Sound like something a 52-year-old would come up with so hats off to you for slowing it down and basing. And if you do all that by rail and or buses then by all means consider the bargain BritEngland Youth Railpass - for those under 26 - not the classic BritRail Pass since you are not going to either Scotland nor Wales. And you can hop on and off any train anytime and those type tickets are generally really expensive. There are cheaper online far in advance ducats but then you lock yourself in. www.nationalrail.co.uk is the schedule and fare site for all the few dozen independent rail franchise operators - the Brit England Pass is good on all of them, including airport expresses. It does not cover buses but nearly all the places you are going to you can get to by rail - nearly all and trains can take you close to places like Keswick.

For loads of info on British rail travel and passes and whatever i always spotlight these fantastic sites - www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.ricksteves.com; www.seat61.com. Passes are not sold at station in Britian as Brits cannot use them (well only on the local companion goes free scheme so if you know a Brit they can get a free pass to match yours)

pretty good, lala.

looks as if you are natural fodorites!

have a great trip.

Thanks lol.
I am planning on getting two BritRail England Youth Passes. And for seeing all the sights I'm getting a Great British Heritage pass.

It took loooootsss of narrowing down and research to get to this point. And constant mind-changing lol.

I've been desperate to get to the UK since my childhood and I want to get to know the place the best I possibly can for 1 month.

What an excellent plan, lala. You really have done your work and it's going to be a great trip!

Good plan! While you are in Yorkshire, check out Jervaulx and Fountains Abbey, as well - both are lovely in their own way. Fountains is very impressive, extensive, with lovely grounds and gardens. Jervaulx is smaller, more ruined, more relcaimed by nature, and covered in flowers

Whitby is one of my fave places - a lovely abbey, town, and location.

Are you hiring a car in Yorkshire? if not you will struggle big time to get to Rievualx, Jervaulx etc by public transport - both are very rural.

And get the Days' Out 2-for-1 offers for London and surrounds (the Heritage Pass is not overly useful in the capital) -- check my name on this site because I wrote up some long description of how to get this right about a year ago (get 7 day travelcard at national rail station ticket window, not oyster card, and just print out what you want from the days out guide). The Tower is a lot more accessible financially if it's 17 quid (or whatever youth discount you get) for two, not 17 quid each.

We did a very similar trip a couple of summers ago. You have a great plan. I agree with Morgana that Yorkshire will be your greatest public transportation challenge. It can be done but not as easily as the rest of your itinerary.

Hi lalalacheesejah (great name btw)

If you like castles then join the National Trust - it costs $55 from the USA (assume thats where you are from) but you get into everything free. Corfe and Leeds are both covered plus a whole lot more. I think you need The Royal Oak Foundation but follow this link: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits.htm

At Durdle Door if you get time then climb up Scratchy Bottom (Its a hanging valley).

When you do Warwick, if you get any time at all go to Kennilworth Castle as well. Warwick is the big show piece but Kennilworth is a ruin you can clamber all over - I prefer it!

If you would like to get a flavour of Britain, spend some time when you can listening to the national BBC radio stations and if you can you have to hear the shipping forecast.

Travelling by train is a great way to see the country. Ive seen so many reports from people who say we are snooty, but catch someone's eye, smile and you will have lots of people to talk to on your journeys and I guarantee you will get some great stories for when you get back home. If you are not sure what to say, just talk about the weather....

How are you going to get around the countryside, from your bases of operation? Are you going to do any hiking, biking, whatever? I'm betting local buses can do something for you in the Lakes, Cotswolds and down to Glastonbury, but not sure.

I agree it sounds like a great itinerary, perhaps a little long in Canterbury, unless that's where you family's roots are. I'd take one day away from there and perhaps add one to the Lake District or Yorkshire.

If you would like to get a flavour of Britain, spend some time when you can listening to the national BBC radio stations and if you can you have to hear the shipping forecast.>>

specifically you need to listen to BBC Radio 4 on LONG WAVE at either 11.55 [am] or about midnight to get the shipping forecast. not sure why you'd want to though.

you'd get a much better idea of our culture if you tuned into Radio 4 on FM, and listened while you are travelling round. news, plays, current affairs, drama, comedy - it's all there.

and weather forecasts.

<<not sure why you'd want to though.>>

Because in my mind at least, being an island is integral to the British psyche. Our relationship with Europe would not be so strained if we were connected by land. Also because its hypnotic, romantic, poetic... Enough reasons?

If you don't get it, no matter. Its integral to my nationality and an oddity I though others may enjoy.

Whatever. Laters...

you'd get a much better idea of our culture if you tuned into Radio 4 on FM, and listened while you are travelling round. news, plays, current affairs, drama, comedy - it's all there>

and beforehand tune into Coronation Street - one of the most popular British TV shows and one of the longest running if not - that is why i get all my idea of British culture (no it is not an oxymoron to say that!)

I wonder why the OP is eschewing visiting Wales or Scotland - even just up to Edinburgh - a few hours from the Lake District and IMO Edinburgh is one of the very most beautiful, unique cities in the world!

And Scottish culture is so different from English culture - ditto for Wales, where you often even hear Welsh being spoken as a daily tongue

Though for English in both you may end up asking natives "Do you speak English?" when in fact they are!

<<< And Scottish culture is so different from English culture >>>

English culture is different from English culture - there are different English cultures depending on where in England you are

I agree that Scotland is breathtaking, but the OP has wisely chosen to limit the scope. If they had a car, perhaps I would say differently. I drove all over Scotland when I was that age, but it's a long way and the trains are difficult to plan I think.

<<<Though for English in both you may end up asking natives "Do you speak English?" when in fact they are!>>>

You should come to the Black Country - about as English as you can get, but utterly baffling if you don't have a translator. Alrityows, taraabit!

Im seriously worried that people rely on Corrie for an idea of the country. whew! Stick to The Archers.

lalala: Man alive --- you are a quick study This is soooooo much an improvement on where you started from. I can see how this evolved - you took lots of advice and created a really terrific plan

The pace/locations is a great mix. I do have some concerns about some transports issues. A few of the places you want to visit will either be impossible by public transport --or will take a lot of to-ing/fro-ing and bus/train changes. Some will eat up most of day getting to and back. Maybe it will be worth it a place or two (like in rural Yorkshire) to hire a driver guide for a day.

annhig: <sheepish font on> I actually DO listen to the shipping forecasts.

When I lived there I listened most mornings-laying there in the dark as the reader went through the list and when he got to Finisterre I knew it was about time to get out of bed

annhig: <sheepish font on> I actually DO listen to the shipping forecasts.>>

baaaaa. it's ok if you're actually going out in a boat, and may have a sort of quaint novelty value to visitors. but since the advent of FM I rarely hear it and never miss it.

and I much prefer the extra minutes of TMS I get on digital!