cheska15

Hi
I am in early researching for an 8 week trip to the UK in 2017. We would be arriving in London and am looking at five nights with a day trip to Windsor.
Basically I am looking at going up one side and then back down the other side of the U.K. Train up to Lakes District then Edinburgh picking up a car to see a little of Scotland. Then back down the other side. Possiblly either keeping the car and handing it back after Kent. Hope this makes sense.
Places we would like to see
Lakes District
Scotland (2 weeks)
Durham
Winchester
Newcastle on Tyne
Winchester
Cambridge
Oxford
Maybe Kent if there is time. I can push this out to 9 weeks if needed
The issue as I see it is picking bases that we could stay to see all theses places. We do not like to pack and unpack all the time so seven days in a major base is our ideal. Happy to take advice. It would be from May 2017
Thanks
Cheska15

nytraveler

Do not miss:

York
Hadrian's Wall
(Newcastle?)
Chester
A trip into wales
Don't need both Oxford and Cambridge (we much prefer the former)
Cotswolds
Bath
Dover (castle is fascinating with roman remains)

I agree in principle with not moving every day - but some of the places you have picked are not worth even 5 days - never mind 7.

nytraveler

Oh - and it's itinerary.

janisj

What I would do is cut some of your places back to 4 or 5 days (or even 3 days - 4 nights) and extend your time in Scotland to 3 weeks.

You have tons of possibilities . . .

Something like:

5 nights in London (do Windsor on your get away day en route to tghe Cotswolds)

A base west of Oxford for a week to see Oxford, the Cotswolds, Stratford/Warwick, Bath, etc.

4 or 5 days in the Lake District including a day trip to Chester.

3 weeks in Scotland - Scotland will be a problem w/ your desire to stay in one place for an extended period. It is larger than one might expect and the scenic bits are spread over the entire country. So I would do 2+ weeks for seeing just a few regions but moving every maybe 3 days, 3 or 4 days IN Edinburgh.

A week in Northumberland (not in Newcastle). This would be a base for the Scottish Borders, Hadrian's Wall, Newcastle, Lindesfarne, Durham, etc etc

up to a week in the East Anglia/Cambridge area

7 days in Kent/East Sussex

That would fill your 8 weeks, I'd add 2 or 3 days for Winchester/Salisbury on your way back to Heathrow.


Missing would be time in York which wasn't on your list - I could easily do a full week (and have more than once) in North Yorkshire alone.

So adding a few days for York and the Dales would be a full nine weeks.

annhig

Hi Cheska

I gather from another thread that you're new to Fodors, so welcome.

how lucky to be able to spend 9 weeks exploring the UK, and IMO it's a very good idea to think about bases, perhaps with a few shorter stops in between where you are bridging between them.

Roughly you could do a trip something like this:

Day 1-5- London.
Day 6 - pick up car and drive to Cambridge [or train to Cambridge and pick up car there] Stay 3 nights.
Day 9 - drive/train to Lincoln - a wonderful Cathedral not to be missed. Stay 2 nights.
Day 11 - drive/train to York. Either stay 5 nights and do day trips into the Dales or stay 3 nights then stay another 3 nights in the Dales.
Day 16 [say] drive to Durham. stay 2 nights then move onto say Hexham to tour Newcastle and Northumberland/Hadrian's wall. Stay 4 nights.
Day 22 - drive to Edinburgh. Stay 4 nights then tour Scotland - 2 weeks - returning through Glasgow.

Day 40 - drive to Lake District. Stay 1 week.

Day 47 - drive to Chester - stay 2 nights.
Day 49 - drive to Oxford - stay 3 nights
Day 52 - drive to Bath - stay 5 nights
Day 57 - drive to Winchester
Day 59 - return to London.

This is just over 8 weeks, and you haven't seen anything of Wales or the Peak District or Norfolk, or the West country - but it's reasonably slow paced though with fewer week long stays than you'd hoped for.

if you can squeeze a 9th week, you could drive from Winchester to Tunbridge Wells and use that as a hub to tour Kent and the South East.

Phew.

bilboburgler

summer or winter?

annhig

JJ and i were posting at the same time and seem to have roughly the same sort of ideas, though we've gone about it in different ways.

PalenQ

Yes with that long a trip do it all by car as annhig outlines - lots of places between London and the Lake District to check out by car - could be Cotswolds, Bath, North Wales, etc.

janisj

Oh -- one issue -- you may not be able rent a car for that long. Especially if you want to use your credit card for the insurance (often there is a 30 day limit). If so, that means you will need to turn in one car and either 're-contract' it or collect a different car. So . . . taking the trains between some of your major stop overs could make a lot of sense.

The longest single trip I've taken to the UK was almost 6 weeks but the car wasn't an issue because the last 10 days was car-less in London.

cheska15

As I was having a glass of wine at the time of posting I should have added that this is our second trip to England and we have stayed in Cheltenham Spa, Bath and London and it will be in May/June
These are wonderful ideas you have provided jj and annhig. Maybe pushing to get my husband in Scotland for 3 weeks. I love the idea of catching the train in between car hire.
We accept that we won't see everything and we are trying to see a little of the U.K at a time as that seems to suit our travel style. We do not enjoy rushing and forgetting what you see. Most importantly we are on holidays.
No doubt I will come back once I have written this all down on paper. Lol

nytraveller. Sorry it was the combination of not wearing my glasses and having wine at the same time that led to incorrect spelling.

Thank you all

Bokhara2

Hi Cheska

Looks like a great trip. Just a little tip - it often helps people giving advice if posters show their home city/area/country in their profile. Helps make meaningful comparisons in temperatures, pricing, distances etc.

Have fun & I hope you'll do a Trip Report along the road or when you return.

annhig

glad to have been of help, Cheska.

Hope you have a great trip and come back to tell us about it.