Hello, we are leaving for London in 2 weeks(at last!). We are spending 3 days in London and then driving up to Edinburgh. Any suggestions about this itinerary would be very much appreciated. <BR>

So I guess you're flying into and back out of London, yes? <BR> <BR>Here are my recommendations to squeeze the most you can out of your trip, allowing for driving time between sights: <BR>________________________________ <BR> <BR>Days 1-3 fly in, see some of London <BR> <BR>Day 4 Most of the day will be taken up with driving to Edinburgh if you are going straight there (BTW, gas is very expensive - equivalent of about $4.00-$4.25 a gallon!) If you take the train instead you'll reap these benefits: will save you some travel time, won't have to pay for gas or car rental, won't be so tired when you get there. However, it might limit your exploration during days 5-10. <BR> <BR>Days 5-7 Explore Edinburgh and surrounding areas <BR> <BR>Days 8-10 Drive back down south, stopping a few places along the way <BR> <BR>Days 11-13 Stay in London, take day trips on the train to explore outside the city. <BR> <BR>Day 14 Fly back home <BR> <BR>I'm not going to make suggestions about where to go, and what to see. However, this travel schedule should help you stay on track and see as many places as you can during your stay here. <BR> <BR>ENJOY!!!!

Oh, wait - I thought you said you have two weeks for your trip! Oops!! <BR> <BR>Well, take as much of my advice as you can then, for however long you are here. <BR> <BR>Sorry about that!

Why not take a train to E'burgh and back to London, hiring a car once there. <BR>www.gner.co.uk or www.thetrainline.com will help you. You could get a cheap return for about £35 from London Kings Cross to E'burgh. Alternatively, you could get a £49 sleeper journey (one way)from London to E'burgh, saving you hotel accommodation for a night. (www.scotrail.com) <BR>

Hi Joan - how long are you going to be over here in total? York is very easy to see and do on the London to England route. It's a remarkably well preserved city with plenty to do in a day or two. <BR> <BR>Cheers, <BR> <BR>Anastasia <BR>http://www.greatbritaintravelguide.com <BR> <BR>

Joan, <BR> <BR>It is a LONG drive from London to Edinburgh. We've done it but were wandering all over the country. If your time is limited, I would take the train. If you have lots of time, I would suggest that you stop in York, maybe drive across Yorkshire into the Lake District, then north, along Hadrian's Wall into the Borders area of Scotland, before heading up to E'burgh. <BR> <BR>York is a wonderful medieval city and the cathedral (the York Minster) is one of the finest anywhere. If you decide to take the train to Scotland, you could still stop over for a day or so in York. <BR> <BR>The Yorkshire Dales is beautiful, rolling rural countryside...James Herriot country. The Lake District has stellar scenery, many literary connections. It can be crowded in mid-summer, but the beauty of the region is worth it. <BR> <BR>Hadrian's Wall is the Roman great wall separating northern England from Scotland. Part of the wall are still standing, along with several Roman forts. For anyone interested in ancient history, this is a must-see. <BR> <BR>The Borders area of Scotland is a pleasant place to tour on your way north. Many nice towns, ruined abbeys, castles, etc. <BR> <BR>Edinburgh was not my favorite stop in my tours of the UK. The city has many historic and artistic sights but, in retrospect, I would have spent more time in the countryside and less in the city. We also enjoyed a daytrip to St. Andrews (by train, north of Edinburgh). <BR> <BR>One real advantage of going to northern UK in June is that it stays light very late into the evening. On the longest day of the year, it is still somewhat light at 11:30 p.m. This gives you extra time for sightseeing (although the hours of many sights are not extended--check first). <BR> <BR>Enjoy your trip! <BR> <BR>David White <BR>www.KidsToLondon.com