wonderfultravels

Hi,

I hope everyone is doing well. I am currently based in Oxford (U.K) and want to take my girlfriend for a 3 day trip within the U.K or possibly Scotland?

As long as we do not have to go through border control formalities as one of us is visiting from abroad, legally, and does not want to make multiple trips of out of the country (everything is legal with our status in the U.K and we have valid passports and authorization to be in the U.K)

It is her Birthday one of those days, so we want to celebrate it as well.

We can take a bus, fly, or take a train. I was thinking of going somewhere to relax, eat some nice food, maybe see some sights, just wind down.

If there is anywhere close to Liverpool and/or Stonehenge that would help, as we would like to see at least one of those as well, but it is not a requirement. We don't want to have to restrict our choices.

We plan to leave on Thursday evening and return on Sunday evening.

Any suggestions...

Thanks,
wonderfultravels

janisj

Do you mean this Thursday - this weekend?

What is your budget?

Liverpool and Stonehenge could not be more different? I think its supposed to be pretty chilly the next few days - would you prefer a city or country break?

jamikins

What about Salisbury? It's a lovely town with a great cathedral and easy access to Stonehenge and ancient Sarum.

thursdaysd

Also Bath. For Liverpool, Chester.

Havana128

<I hope everyone is doing well. I am currently based in Oxford (U.K) and want to take my girlfriend for a 3 day trip within the U.K or possibly Scotland? >

Scotland is in the UK. Currently.

wonderfultravels

Thanks for the replies friends!

Yes it would be this Thursday - Sunday, terrible about the weather though

I am flexible on the budget...nothing extravagant but not looking for budget hotels etc.

Would like to keep the cost under 1000 pounds for the three days...

We will not have a car so need to rely on trains/bus/flight for transport and local transportation options to get around town.

Thanks,
wonderfultravels

sofarsogood

Liverpool, Stonehenge and Scotland are at different corners of the UK so you can't see all in 3 days.

Edinburgh would tick all your boxes. Buy a kilt - very romantic (not sure 'bout the border formalities though)

rhkkmk

i would rent a car and just poke around in the cotswolds

Sassafrass

Bath is beautiful and an easy train ride from Oxford - get there in time for a nice dinner. Good food, nice free tours, exciting Roman ruins, etc. You could even book a Mad Max tour from there through the Cotswolds for Sat if the weather isn't horrible.

Havana128

<Buy a kilt - very romantic (not sure 'bout the border formalities though>

Am I missing something? OP wants to go from one part of the UK to another. Why is there a borders and passport debate?

wonderfultravels

Hi,

Thanks for the replies. I just want to clarify that we are not looking to go to Liverpool and Stonehenge and Scotland in one trip, just one place.

The above are some places on our to see list but that does not mean we have to see them this time!

In terms of Border crossing, we want to remain 'domestic' just because one of the travellers is on a student visa and not encouraged to leave the country during term time.

Thanks,
wonderfultravels

flanneruk

The forecast for Friday and Saturday is pretty wet, so some people might not find it terribly "romantic" being outside a lot (though you're probably sensible enough to regard such people as wooses, and Oxford's stuffed with outdoor gear shops).

It's six hours by train to Edinburgh, which you might think adds up to a lot of your available time. Direct flights from Oxford to Edinburgh and Dublin don't start till March 3, though with introductory fares available (http://www.minoanair.com) you might consider postponing the trip.

Stonehenge/Salisbury/Avebury can be a lovely few days - but it IS virtually all outdoors.

Liverpool's got Britain's most diverse range of architectural gems listed for conservation (fewer listings than Oxford, but they represent a much wider range of styles), and more free museums. Its weather's forecast to be much drier and, by day, warmer than Oxford/Salisbury for the next week. Perfect weather for walking along its dozens of miles of bracing beach. Nightlife is much more raucous than Oxford and - how can I out this unoffensively - without all those rustics pouring in from the outlying villages and hanging oikishly around George St

And, practically 50 years from the day Please Please Me transformed music by getting to No 1 on the Merseybeat chart (it took a bit longer in less sophisticated parts of the world), where could possibly be more romantic?

Answer: the most beautiful medieval sculpture in Britain. the St Christopher in Norton Priory, just outside the city. Nothing in Oxford compares.

Morgana

York is a beautiful city with much to see and do, even if the weather should be miserable.
http://www.visityork.org/
The Hotel du Vin is a lovely place to stay.
http://www.hotelduvin.com/locations/york/

janisj

sofarsogood - you <i>were</i> joking . . . right??

sofarsogood

janisj - irony can be such a challenge in the fodorsphere O

julia_t

I'm going to be in Liverpool for a couple of days next week so have been looking into what's on at the moment.

Liverpool has some great exhibitions...

Titanic and Lusitania at the Maritime Museum, Albert Dock
Glam Rock at the Tate Liverpool, Albert Dock
Art in the City at Metquarter
The Beatles Hidden Gallery at the Beatles Story, Pier Head
Elvis and Us also at the Beatles Story
Beryl Bainbridge at Museum of Liverpool
and lots more

www.visitliverpool.com/whats-on for more info

And there's always the wonderful Walker Art Gallery.

MmePerdu

I agree with the Bath suggestion. Have been there a number of times coming and going on walks and still love the place. Small city center so no long walks in the rain to get from place to place. And far fewer tourists to clog up the works this time of year. Train station close in and lots of places to stay within walking range. Nicest taxi driver I've ever met was there.

Surfergirl

Love York, but one of the most romantic places I've been to (and I know, people will say Disneyland fake) was Portmeirion in North Wales. Don't know how you'd get there, though.

Sounds like you're too young to have seen The Prisoner, which was filmed there, but even not knowing about it, it's still a very cool and romantic place to hang out.

http://www.portmeirion-village.com/#

MmePerdu

Portmeirion is great but for 3 days? Although, as you say Surfergirl, hard to get there without a car I suspect. Might take a day each way of their 3 available days, which could work, see the countryside from the train/bus/taxi windows with a day there?

wonderfultravels

Hi,

We may consider Edinburgh, but it seems that it will be very busy on Saturday due to the 6 nations Rugby.

Thus, we were thinking of arriving into Edinburgh on Thursday night and leaving Edinburgh sometime on Friday evening to somewhere quiet and romantic.

Then we would return to Edinburgh on Sunday and head back to Oxford.

Any suggestions on somewhere nice, romantic and relaxing to go from Edinburgh at this time of year?

Thanks,
wonderfultravels