Marge

We are a family of five, including three children ages 10, 12 and 15. We have three weeks planned to visit the UK. We have already spent an entire week in London on an earlier vacation. Now, we want to tour the "must see" sights in the rest of the country. We've reviewed all of the major tour books and have read hundreds of web posts. We're more confused than we were before we started. There seem to be so many great places to see. We obviously can't do them all in three weeks. We would love to get others' opinions as to which places in the UK are really "must sees" and which are "nice but don't bother." Thanks

ALW

Remember, the sentiments expressed here are my personal opinion only; also, as you didn't give an indication of what time of year you were going or how much money you have to spend or if there's an area of the nation you'd like to specialize in, these are all general suggestions: <BR> <BR>Must Sees: <BR> <BR>Stonehenge <BR>York <BR>The Lake District <BR>Cambridge/Oxford <BR>Snowdonia <BR>Durham <BR>The moors -- either southern (e.g., Dartmoor) or northen (e.g., Yorkshire) <BR> <BR> <BR>Nice but not essential: <BR> <BR>Bath <BR>Newcastle <BR>The Peak District <BR>Cotswolds <BR>Penzance (etc.) <BR> <BR>Again, these were just dredged out of my memory. If you have any specific sites you want opinions on, just post and we shall reply! <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR>

Bill I

Some of what defines a must see depends upon your areas of interest. For me it is history & castles. The must sees for me (& I have taken my kids there also), are #1 is Portsmouth. I have been to Britain 5 times & have gone to Portsmouth 5 times. I am really interested in maritime history, & there you can tour the HMS Victory - the warship on which Lord Nelson was killed at the battle of Trafalgar. There are also some other historical ships there to visit. You can also take a very interesting boat tour around the harbor there. Another 5 time visit for us is Edinburgh & the Royal mile area. A 4 time visit for us is Cardiff castle & Caerphilly Castle in Wales. If interested in Roman history - there are many places to visit - such as Dover Castle, which also contains a Roman lighthouse, or Bath with the Roman baths, there is also a good boat ride on the Avon river(not the same river as Stratford) that runs along side of Bath. Then can visit historical Salisbury Cathedral & Stonhenge, &/or go to Warwick castle & then on through the Cotswolds, which is a very pretty area ( Burton on the water, Stow on the Wold, etc.) - but don't know how the kids would like it, & on to Stratford for some Shakespeare history, although that wasn't a must see for me originally, I was glad I got there. One place that I haven't been to, which I really want to see (mainly from reading posts here) is York. I already mentioned Dover but I think the Castle there is worth mentioning again, as is the castle in Caerphilly Wales, & the Royal Mile in Edinburgh. Whatever you decide on as your must sees. Let us know what they are.

sarah

As above this is my personal opinion, but everybody is different! I have only included opinions of England -as I'm not as familiar with Wales and Scotland! <BR>Must sees <BR> <BR>Bath <BR>York <BR>Oxford/Cambridge <BR>Cornwall (St Ives etc) <BR>Snowdonia <BR>Lake District <BR>Dartmoor/Exmoor <BR>Devon <BR>Cheddar Gorge <BR> <BR>nice but don't bother <BR> <BR>Stonehenge <BR>Winchester <BR>Canterbury <BR>The Peak District <BR>Stratford-upon-Avon <BR>Portsmouth <BR> <BR>both lists could be much longer -but I am sure these will start a debate anyway!! <BR> <BR>

Geoff

Same comment as others re these are just my personal opinions about places I have visited in the UK. I'm sure there are others who would disagree with me. I have also added an "in between" category. <BR> <BR>"Must See" <BR>Wales, particularly Northern Wales for the spectacular beauty and the castles. <BR>York and the Yorkshires - the city fully lives up to your expectations and the countryside is great. <BR>Isle of Skye, Scotland - Again, spectacular beauty. <BR>Lake District - One of the prettiest parts of England. <BR>Edinburgh - interesting historical city with lots of things for kids to see and do. <BR>Stonehenge - Yes, I know it is overrated, but it doesn't take much time to see and everbody should see it once (but only once). <BR> <BR>"In between" <BR>Bath - beautiful city with lots of interesting sights. <BR>Oxford/Cambridge - you only have to see one, but its worth a day. <BR>Devon/Cornwall - just because I liked them. <BR> <BR>"Nice, but don't bother" <BR>Stratford-upon-Avon - boring, touristy spot. Only the Royal Shakespeare Theatre makes it worthwhile to go there. <BR>Cotswolds - not that spectacularly attractive as some of the guidebooks make them out to be and the towns, while pretty, are just a bunch of tourist traps. <BR>Winchester, Salisbury, and Cantebury - once you've seen the catherdrals, there isn't much else to do. <BR> <BR>I'm sure I've stepped on somebody's toes, but as I said, these are just my personal opinions.

janis

I have another strategy - not what are Musts - but what part of the country most interests you. In every corner of the UK are "Musts" - from Cornwall/Devon, to Hampshire to Kent, to East Anglia, to Wales, to the Midlands, to York, to Norhumberland/Durham, and of course Scotland. <BR> <BR>And since you can't possibly see all - or even very many - of these in a short trip, pick the 2 or AT MOST three areas that spark your interest and narrow it down to them. Then you can put together a list of Musts that is actually doable.

carol

My experience in the UK has been very limited. (I never saw Scotland, <BR>Wales, the lake district, the Cotswolds, the Yorkshire dales, Chester and many other places that probably should be deemed "must sees.") However, of the places I did visit in 1985, Bath and York stood out as special, and I'm so glad I didn't miss them. Bath is a beautiful city, and it is very interesting to see such clear and impressive evidence of Roman presence in England. Walking the walls of York and seeing the entire city from the back view is a very enjoyable experience, and I loved the York Minster. York is my favorite completely walled city anywhere. (And as an added bonus, the people there are nice.)

kitty

We went to the UK for two weeks in June with our two children, 12 and 8. We had taken the children to London before so we spent only a few days there this time. The places my kids liked the best were: <BR> <BR>Bath, 8 yr old son loved the Roman Baths. My 12 year daughter enjoyed the Costume Museum. The kids both enjoyed a boat ride on the Avon. <BR>York, both liked the Jorvik Viking Museum (my husband and I thought it was lame). Also in York my son loved the National Railway Museum. <BR>Salisbury, both liked the awesome cathedral. <BR>Edinburgh, Both liked Dynamic Earth which is an interactive science museum about our planet. <BR>Warwick Castle, Both enjoyed this a lot and so did my husband and I. Highly recommend this. <BR>Cardiff, Museum of Welsh Life was enjoyed by my daughter and my son was okay with it. Nice outdoor museum where they have erected buildings taken from all over Wales from different time periods. I enjoyed it a lot too. <BR> <BR>The kids liked the fact that most museums had listening devices that explained what you were seeing. That kept the 8 year old occupied quite a bit. <BR>This kids really only enjoyed museums that had interactive exhibits. Other museums were boring for my 8 year old. <BR> <BR>Good luck.

Gayle

Must see: the Lake District, and secondly if you have time, Cornwall i.e, St. Ives, St. Mawes, Fowey (mainly if you are a Daphne duMaurier fan). We've made 2 trips to England and went to Cornwall twice. However, if you're taking children they might enjoy hiking the "fells" in the Lake District. There is also a stone circle there.

Alex

Must see: Bath, North Wales, Lake District and York <BR>Don't bother: Cotswolds, Stratford, Chester, and Coventry. <BR>Haven't been there but have heard west coast of Scotland, Isle of Skye, etc. very beautiful.

Capo

The places I loved in the UK on my first trip there (which was also my first trip to Europe) in 1979 were (in no particular order)... <BR> <BR>York, Bath, Cambridge, Rye (a very small town on the south coast of England), Edinburgh, and the Isle of Skye.

ron

My only absolute 'must see' in England (excluding London) is Hadrian's Wall - everything else is optional. The important 'worth seeings' include York, Durham, Wells, Cornwall Coast, Fountains Abbey, Warwick, the GU and Stratford upon Avon Canals between Warwick and Wilmcote (you can go on into Stratford, but I wouldn't) and Herefordshire & the Welsh Marches. I can't think of any 'don't bothers' beyond Stratford and Broadway.

xxx

The Edinburgh Castle - a must see!!!

Kathy

Lots of folks are recommending Bath. If you go there, DO NOT take the walking tour. We did, and were very sorry. My husband and I and two of our sons (ages 21 and 16) were bored stiff. We walked the city and learned of its architecture. We did not see a Roman bath! Total loser!!!

Rex

How anyone could go to Bath and not see the Roman Baths is a total mystery to me. What walking tour doesn't start out right in front of where the baths are located? Was this some sort of low budget bus tour that only gave you an hour or two in the city? Seriously, Bath is a truly lovely city, with renowned architecture, history, and plenty of wonderful sights to see. You need an absolute minimum of a day or two to really enjoy all it has to offer. It would be on my must see list along with York, Wales, Edinburgh and either Oxford or Cambridge.

kelly

dont miss! <BR> <BR>Edinburgh Castle <BR>West Coast and Highland of Scotland - stunning, mystical place, esp Glen Coe, <BR>London, <BR> <BR>Maybe not worth it: <BR> <BR>Lake District - go north its much more dramatic and haunting

JOdy

Dorset Coast <BR>Cinque Ports- Rye especially <BR>Tintagel <BR>Oxford and enviroins <BR>Corfe castle <BR>Gardens at Powys <BR>Just about any convenient National Trust property <BR>Border region of scotland <BR>Edinburgh <BR>Yorkshire dales <BR>Durham <BR> <BR>These are the one I really love, The ones I have seen but would not put high on my list to revisit <BR> <BR>Chester <BR>Worcester, Both have been too "Mallitized" <BR> <BR>Bath- one day is plenty <BR>Most of the Cotswold, have become a little twee <BR>Blackpool <BR>stonehenge <BR>Stratford-on -Avon <BR> <BR>darn I could spend the whole day here at this listing, but duty also known as work calls! <BR>

xxx

Just my opinion-- <BR> <BR>Great: North Wales and Edward's 5 castles of Caenarfon, Conwy, Beaumaris, Harlech and Cricceth, Warwick Castle, Kennilworth Castle (not far from Warwick, and as a ruin, is a great contrast), Blenheim Palace, the ruined Abbey in a small town named Much Wentlock (this was the found-by-accident highlight of the trip). <BR> <BR>Ok if you have time and are in the area: Sudeley Castle,Bath, Chester. <BR> <BR>Just didn't like it: Stratford, the Cotswolds. <BR> <BR>

Marge

Thanks to everyone who has replied so far. There seems to be some consensus developing as to what to definitely see and what not to bother with. Lots of positive comments about Wales, York and Scotland. What has surprised us so far are the negative comments about the Cotswolds and Stratford since so many of the tour companies make them a major part of their tours. What a great tool this Fodors site is to use to plan a trip. I hope others will continue to post their opinions. We especially appreciate it when people add what it was they particularly liked or disliked about the various areas. Thanks again to everybody.

janis

With your emphasis on Wales, York and Scotland here are my Absolute Musts: <BR> <BR>Wales - everwhere in North Wales - Castles, Snodownia, The west coast. This is amazing country and very lightly populated. There are also nice places in S. Wales but for a 3 week trip don't try to bite off too much. <BR> <BR>Yorkshire: York City - must be seen to be believed - the city wall, Yorkminster, the Shambles and the County Museum should not be missed. Castle Howard - the most beautiful stately home in the country - where Bridehead revisited was filmed. The North Yorkshire Moors including the steam railway. Whitby and Robin Hoods Bay. Fountains Abbey/Studley Royal - a fabulous ruined abbey and the most beautiful landscape garden. Reivaulx Abbey. Thirsk - IF you are interested in James Herriot - his vetinary office is there, still run by his son. <BR> <BR>Scotland - way too many musts for a short trip - but a few: Edinburgh Castle, Stirling Castle, Dunnottar Castle - a ruin on a promontory jutting out into the North Sea. Crathes Castle and Gardens. The Isles of Skye or Mull (probably not time for both) Mull is prettier, Skye is larger, more dramatic. Glen Coe(!). Culloden if you are interested the history of the battles to restore the Stuarts to the throne. Fort George, the largest fort in Europe - all of Edinburgh Castle would fit in its parade ground - plus you can see bottle nosed dolphins right from the ramparts. Culzean Castle. Drummond Castle Gardens. St Andrews if you have ANY interest in golf - there is no play on the Old Course on Sundays so you can walk the entire course even if you don't play a round.