Hello! My husband and I are planning our FIRST trip to Europe next May We're super early, I know, but it helps me to plan it out.

Our focus for this trip is the UK, specifically Scotland and England. We have 2 weeks next May (2019). May 11th to May 24th to be exact. Of those two weeks we actually have 12 days on the ground. We would have liked to include Northern Ireland but it goes against our idea of avoiding a hectic trip. My husband and I are huge Game of Thrones fans and wanted to go on a tour from Belfast but it would be a tight fit for our 12 days.

Right now, we are planning to start off flying from Philadelphia to either Glasgow or Edinburgh (whichever is cheaper) on an overnight flight. We are planning to stay in Edinburgh for 5 nights/6 days. The first three days we are planning to explore the city. We want flexibility so we aren't planning too hardcore there. After our three days in the city we are planning to spend the next two days doing day tours with Rabbies. The first we would like to do the Loch Lomond tour and second the Hadrian's Wall tour. Scotland is where my husband really wants to go. He wants to see beautiful scenery! After that, we would head on the train to London.

London is a huge part of the trip. We are planning to spend 7 nights/8 days in London. I personally have always wanted to go to London and I have been a big Harry Potter fan since I picked up the first book. We plan to base ourselves in London and spend the first 3 days exploring the city. We of course would want to see the major sites. Two of the days we plan to do trips out of London. One trip is of course to the Harry Potter Studio tour and the other an independent day trip to Oxford. We had seeing Windsor, Bath and Stonehenge on our list but cut it due to feeling like we ate away too much time in London (unsure if that is true or not). The remaining two days would be to keep exploring London and then fly out of Heathrow back to Philadelphia the next day.

​​​​​​I'm hoping that this rough outline makes a bit of sense. I keep wrestling with the idea of adding in Northern Ireland or maybe an overnight stop in York on the way to London but I cannot seem to work the logistics out in my mind. In your opinion are we solid with what we are thinking or do we have more wiggle room? We will not be renting a car so we will be relying on public transportation to get around. I've done quiet a bit if research and have seen many posts that seem jam packed and I tried to avoid that. I can't help shaking the feeling that our trip is.... Too simple? Any advice would be greatly appreciated! This is our first trip abroad and we just want to do it right! Thanks

Excellent first plan! Not too rushed or packed with changing locations. I think adding in Northern Ireland would begin to impinge on the ease of your schedule--only you can know how important it really is to you to see Games of Thrones locations. York would be an easy added stop for the day or overnight as it is right along the route between Scotland and London.

Here is your schedule day by day. I've just stuck in your proposed day trips on any day, but you should check which day or the week is best to visit these places. For example, Rabbies tours may not run everyday, or there might be some sight that is not open on certain days of the week. If there are no other requirements, for your day trip to Oxford you might watch the weather and go on a sunny day.

Sat, May 11 - DEP Philadelphia
Sun, May 12 - ARR Edinburgh/Glasgow
Mon, May 13 - Edinburgh/Glasgow
Tue, May 14 - Edinburgh/Glasgow
Wed, May 15 - Rabbies Tour
Thu, May 16 - Rabbies Tour
Fri, May 17 - travel to London
Sat, May 18 - London
Sun, May 19 - London
Mon, May 20 - London / day trip to Harry Potter
Tue, May 21 - London
Wed, May 22 - London / day trip to Oxford
Thu, May 23 - London
Fri, May 24 - Fly Heathrow to Philadelphia

Book long-distance trains ASAP at National Rail Enquiries - Official source for UK train times and timetables for prodigious discounted fares (but highly restricted as changes, etc) but ones to places near London like Oxford not so important - just get off-peak day return - can't leave after 9:30 am weekdays I think - and buses depending on where in London you start from can bejust as quick and cheaper. If doing Bath yes discounts are available. There is also an overnight Caledonian Sleeper train between various Scottish places and London's Euston Station. For lots on British trains check www.seat61.com - everything about various fares and booking your own needed - BETS-European Rail Experts and www.ricksteves.com.

And yes take a couple of day trips from London into a more real England.

If you wanted to see Bath you could take train Scotland to Bath then next day Bath to London.

Bath to me is about the nicest looking city in England - indeed a visual feast in its Regency harmony of architecture.

Most Rabbies day trips run daily from April so should not be a problem in scheduling.

Pal, I know you love Bath, but the OP has already eliminated it to accommodate a reasonable itinerary. Besides it’s about a 7 hour trip from Edinburgh with at least 1 change. Most departures require 2 to 3 changes. A bit of a hellish trip in my mind.

>>Book long-distance trains ASAP<<

You are talking about traveling in 2019 -- right? If so you can't book train tix until Feb next year

>>If you wanted to see Bath you could take train Scotland to Bath then next day Bath to London.<<

Sometimes Pal is a one trick pony No, you really can't take the train from Edinburgh to Bath and leave the next day for London . . . not if one wants to see any of Bath. To make that work you'd need a minimum of 2 nights in Bath.

>>7 nights/8 days in London<<

To clarify -- you have significantly less time than you think in London. Your 7 nights will net you 6.5 days free, not 8. Just 6 days if you break the train trip with a few hours in York. And just 5.5 days in London if you spend a night in York. So I personally think 2 day trips out of London is too much. BUT Oxford does not need to be decided ahead of time. Book your HP studio tour if that is a 'must' and decide after you are in London if you can spare time for Oxford. There are quick trains and almost as quick express coaches from central London to central Oxford.

It is not too early to be planning for your first trip to Europe. It is good to start early. You will probably make changes over time as you research things you want to do and places you want to see.

In laying out your plan, never count having more days than you have nights. You never do. You may have parts of days, but days broken up with travel always net less time than it appears. Two nights in a place give you 1 full day, 3 nights give 2 full days, etc. When figuring travel, figure the time it will take from hotel to airport or train station, waiting time at airports, actual travel time plus time getting to the next hotel from the train station or airport. It all adds up.

Be sure not to count a day in two places, even if it will be split, too easy feel you have more time than you do.

When booking, be sure to book multi-city flights, into one, out of another, not two, one-way flights

Nice plan

Edinburgh has a spare day too many, so I think you have time for a night in York using the train.

Scotland to Bath by train, any Brit would tell you to not do that, the train system is great but that does not follow the main flow of the trains so you end up going cross country on slower trains. I use rome2rio just to quickly get a flavour of movements (data is not perfect so don't trust it) also Plan your journey | Traveline for detail work and both show a very dull day on a train.
great planning.

If you are stopping in Yorkshire you might like to check out https://www.visitbritainshop.com/wor...ilm-locations/ for some drop bys

Janisj has already brought up the problem that results from counting days in London. Also in Edinburgh, you don't have as much time as you think you do. If you will have four nights in Edinburgh, the first day will be the day of your arrival, and you'll probably be quite tired after the overnight flight. The last day in Edinburgh will be the day of travel to London, which you are also counting as a day in London.In other words, you're really triple counting that day.

You really only have part of the first day in Edinburgh, maybe an hour or two on the last day (and maybe not even that), and the three days in between. If you take two day trips, you'll have only one full day and bits of two other days to see Edinburgh.

I suggest you lay out your days on a calendar, taking into account the travel days and see what you want to do with the remaining days.

Thank you for laying that out!! I didn't realize that you didn't have to book Oxford ahead of time. I've heard about the weather over there and it tough having to sort of just pick a day and hope for the best. As much as I want to go, I'm definitely saving Northern Ireland for another trip.