Hello, I'm going to be in Europe for 10 weeks. I'll be in Paris from June 9-17 and travelling around France from June 17-30. From June 30 to July 6, I want to see as much of Scotland, Wales and northern England as I can. From July 6 to August 9, I'm studying at Cambridge University (with time for a couple day trips and three weekend trips). And from August 9 to August 18 I'm going to be in London.

Here's my question. During my travels I don't want to see just major cities. I want to explore the scenery and countryside as well. However, being a college student and under 25 (and unable to operate manual transmissions), car rental is simply out of the question. Tell me, will a combination of trains, buses, bicycles, and the occasional taxi or coach tour get me where I want to go, including places like northern Scotland, the coasts of Brittany, Normandy and the Bordeaux region, the Alps, and remote forests and chateaux in the Loire valley? Or will I miss out on many sights that can only be accessed by car?

Thanks for the help. I have been concerned about transportation ever since I began planning. This is my first trip to Europe, and I want to make it special.

I don't know how common it is, but some train stations in France have bicycle rentals. Other postings have indicated that Amboise can be reached by bus from Tours, and there is a train that stops in Langeais. By combining train schedules posted on the web with a map of an area you want to visit, you might be able to get an idea of what you can reach by train.

Though I'm sure you can take the train into many of these areas, don't rush around too much. There is so much to see in the major cities, and once you get an idea what you like, you can go back for two weeks to a particular spot (an older gentleman on a plane gave me that advice when I went on my first trip to Europe, and he was definitely right). Enjoy!

There's quite a lot on this on here already, at least for Scotland. You have to recognise that you will be limited and take what the train and bus lines give you.

If you email me, I'll send you some pre-prepared suggestions.

And have a look at Roger's "silly little trip" postings

Travel by train/bus in Brittany (including coastal areas),French Alps and Bordeaux areas is quite easy, I have done it few times. But I have some difficulties to visit small villages by bus in Normandy. Perhaps combining biking will be eeasier.

You will be able to see a lot but there are defintie limitations. especially in rural parts of Scotland and N England. Buses are slow and infrequent and trains are non-existant in some areas.

That being said - you can get to lots of places by bus/train and many towns do have bike rentals. And if you base yourself for a few days in major cities you will have a host of local tour operators that do inexpensive one day or overnight trips.

Thanks for the advice. I was able to find a rail map online that shows far more routes than the pamphlet that I have. With that and bus service, I think I shouldn't have problems most of the time. And I can always rent bikes. I'm young and can ride a bike for miles.

Sheila: Thanks for pointing out Roger's postings. They were quite helpful.

I haven't seen much about the northwest highlands of Scotland here. Is it worth the trip to places like Thurso, Wick, John O'Groats, and the Orkneys?

I've decided to change my plans a bit. I think I will leave France on the morning of 29 June instead of the day after, giving me seven days before Cambridge. And in those seven days, instead of Scotland, Wales, and Northern England, I think I will take a ferry from Normandy (Cherbourg?) to Southampton or Bournemouth and train it all the way down to Cornwall, then back over the north end of the southwestern peninsula to Bristol and Bath, and then around the coast of Wales up to Holyhead on Anglesey. At that point I can take the ferry to Dublin for the day to travel with a friend who lives there, and early the next morning ferry to Liverpool with a stop at the Isle of Man. And then, hopping off the train for sightseeing along the way (determined by how much time I have left), I will ride from Liverpool to Cambridge on 6 July.

Can this be realistically done in seven days, or shall I have to shave another day or two off my French trip?

As for Scotland. . . one of the three free weekends during my stay at Cambridge is four days in duration, so perhaps I will leave Cambridge early Thursday afternoon and return from Scotland late Sunday night.

Any advice/suggestions?

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I remember seeing somewhere (maybe on one of Rick Steeve's shows?) that in rural Scotland, the postman doubles as a ride-giver.... if you want a ride to someplace he is going, a traveller, backpacker, hiker, or local can just ask for a ride. The advantages of this is you also get a local to chat with you on the trip

See if you can find out more, I understand this is very prevalent in the highlands where many people don't bother owning cars.

Don't plan on running away from Cambridge every weekend. It's such a fabulous city with so much to do, you really should plan to take some time just to explore it. We spent two summers studying at Cambridge and never left the city; it was just too delightful. I'm sure, too, you will meet intereting people at your college and will want to spend time getting to know them. Don't overscheduled yourself. You have many years to travel. Savor what's around you.

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GreenDragon's memory is imperfect. Don't expect your average Scottish postman to give you a lift.

But Royal Mail does operate a smallish network of postbuses: they're ordinary minibuses, operated like any other bus company, except that the driver also does some postal work. If the idea intrigues you, go to www.royalmail.com/postbus. Rural Scotland actually has quite a comprehensive, though not terribly frequent, bus network: Royal Mail is simply one operator in Scotland