Route from Bath to Lake District
 

Hi again, <BR>Next thing I wonder is, how best to get from Bath to the Lake District (Windemere)? How long will this take? Are the potteries along the way at Stoke-on-Trent worth seeing (which ones?) and are they very far off the main route (M?). <BR>Is there a recommended internet travel routing web site for the U.K. where I could print our maps in advance, to augment what I can see in Frommer's? <BR> If anyone can really get into this and help me with a travel route, we go from Bath to Windemere, then to Glasgow, from Glasgow to Strathpeffer, then to Edinburgh, then to a departure from Heathrow. <BR>There are 7 of us in a 12 passenger van, with my husband driving, never having driven in the U.K. before, so watch out from June 19 through the 19th!! <BR>Thanks! <BR>Donna

Hi Donna. <BR>Depends whether you want the fast route or the scenic route. Incidentally, forget the Potteries - an ugly industrial area. <BR>The fast route is simple and takes about 3 hours. From Bath, West along M4 to M5 then North up M5 amd M6 to the Lake District. Not pretty, just Freeway driving! <BR>The scenic route is an all day trip with plenty of interesting stops en route. M roads are freeways, A roads are normal highways, not usually divided except in busy areas. <BR>From Bath west on M4 to Chepstow, then North on A466 thru the Wye Valley to Monmouth, then NE on A40 to Ross on Wye; a good coffee break stopover, especially if anyone is into good book stores of the old fashioned variety. From Ross North on A49 thru Hereford,and Ludlow to Shrewsbury, a lovely run thru the Welsh Marches Country. From Shrewsbury NW on A5 to Llangollen, a pretty Welsh town, for a stroll and late lunch. After Llangollen go direct A483 thru Wrexham and Chester to M56, then M6 North to the Lake District. The Lakes are beautiful by the way. If time permits, (which it probably wont) Chester is a great small city dating from Roman times, with remnants of Roman Walls still there. Actually if the schedule permits you should stay overnight here, from where it takes about 2 hours to the Lakes. <BR>Hope this helps.