kinkajou007

Hello again! Does the plan I developed look okay? (Not sure if I'm violating protocol by starting a fresh thread, but wanted to spare everyone the clutter of my initial thoughts and questions.) Not quite as logical a flow as I was originally hoping for, but I found highland games I could adjust to accommodate (yay!)

I incorporated advice from janisj and Morgana to move York to stop one. Dates below indicate nights spent at location. Am using public transport except where indicated.

July 11, 12: York
July 13 – 16: Edinburgh
July 17, 18: Glasgow
July 19, 20: Loch Lomond (day at highland games)
July 21 – 23: Skye (rent and return car at Fort William)
July 24 – 27: Keswick, N. Lakes District
July 28, 29: Llandudno, N. Wales (day trip to Conwy)
July 30 - Aug 3: Oxford (day trip to some of the Cotswold towns; Blenheim)
Aug 4 – 7 or 8: Bath (base for day trips to Tintern, Glastonbury/Stourhead, Wilton House/Salisbury – perhaps rent car here also to make it easier to access all those places!)
Aug 8 or 9 to 11: London

Morgana

My only comment is that if you wish to explore some of North Yorkshire (and not just the city of York) I would add another night to York and subtract one from Edinburgh.

janisj

I'd consider renting a car on departing Glasgow instead of at Ft William. You could return it and take the train from Glasgow to the south. There is a lot to see/great scenery enroute to Skye and back.

In fact I might even consider renting a car leaving Glasgow for skye and keeping it all the way to Bath . . . You could explore Hadrian's wall, and other things along your route.

But at least Glasgow - Skye - Glasgow by car.

Rubicund

Is your N Wales coast bit really necessary? The "resorts" including Llandudno are a shambles along there and you might be a bit disappointed with it. Although the castle at Conwy (spell it like that for train tickets) is OK, is it really worth the diversion? Not for me.

Think about spending those couple of days in Manchester, for great food, history, hotels and a buzzing vibrant nightlife for all ages.

kinkajou007

Wonderful suggestions, all - thanks heaps! Yes Rubicund, I too have been eyeing N Wales like a sore thumb; it's a lot of distance and effort to get there. Largely felt guilty ignoring that bit of GB entirely on what I'm thinking is going to be my longest single trip to the island, but if Conwy's just 'okay', I may well chop it.

Really appreciate the car advice janis: where and if to rent a car is a constant thorn in my planning, and there doesn't seem to be a simple way to tell where one way drops are allowed (and how much it'll cost, so I can make a smart decision). A big priority for me is simply wanting to be able to look out the window as much as possible! Spent 6 weeks driving NZ and determined conclusively it's HARD to gawk and steer at the same time! Like your train/rent combo idea a lot.

I def need to research more about Yorkshire, Morgana. Honestly, the next UK destination I was targeting from my bucket list was Ireland until this random great airfare opportunity came up, so now I'm doing super-hasty research so I at least know which of the limited return flights to book. The dozen guidebooks I've looked thru so far only stressed "York!!" on the suggested itineraries.... plus adding the surrounding area then brings up the whole 'but would I hafta rent a car to get around?' issue again.

Morgana

Feel free to ask away once you have researched - I live in the Yorkshire Dales but know the whole area really well.
I could give you enough suggestions for things to see and do in the York area to keep you going for weeks, but I'll leave it to you to try and narrow it down.
We can then get into discussions about cars/public transport! However, just to manage your expectations, it's a pretty rural area so a car is generally the best option.
If you decide to just stick to the city of York then have a look at Durham too - it's a small city on the way from York to Edinburgh on the train line, and it's well worth a stop.
http://www.thisisdurham.com/

janisj

In your planning, factor in that few of the majors impose one way drop off fees - though you may have to shop around a bit. That means renting from larger destinations instead of from small rural/local companies.

Car not needed in York but it is really best to drive to see the rural bits in Yorkshire. Same with Scotland - no car in Edinburgh or Glasgow but best to have one to explore the highlands/islands. Car not needed in Bath - but to get places like Wells/Glastonbury and the Cotswolds a car makes things easier.

ron

Regarding your time in Bath, if you decide (as I would) not to rent a car, you may want to think about staying in Bristol instead. Easy to do day trip to Bath by train, Wells/Glastonbury by bus is much more convenient from Bristol than Bath, Tintern/Chepstow slightly easier from Bristol. And there are some sights worth visiting in Bristol itself.

ParisAmsterdam

Give AutoEurope a call on their 800 number. They can fill you in on one way rentals etc. Their phone staff know their stuff.

GBbabe

I would not miss the train ride from Glasgow to Ft. William. The scenery is SPECTACULAR. On the train you can actually look at it and appreciate it instead of glancing at stuff every now and then from driving a car.