Hi everyone.

We want to visit UK at the beginning of August to say good bye to Summer time 2014 with our 2 wonderful boys. (8 almost 9 going into 30. and my very active 4 yr old) However I am trying to go from London to Scotland in a Fun but still educational family Vacation. = maximum of 2 weeks

Can you please help me decide where to go .. ALso any info on easy on the wallet well located "hotels" (bed and breakfast maybe). Best way to travel...

Thanks in Advance.

Caty

Vague vague vague.

(1) what are you trying to "teach"?
(2) what is your per night budget (dollars or GBP)?
(3) where are you thinking of going? If you have no clue, check the guidebooks for a start. Last check, there's a really large city in the UK that could keep the boys occupied for months, not weeks.
(4) what are the hobbits likes and dislikes?

Answer those and you'll get a TON of feedback.

you only have two weeks -- that isn't enough time to "do" London, much of England and much of Scotland. It would be time enough to visit London, maybe one or two places in England, and Edinburgh. Or -- London, Edinburgh and a couple of other limited areas of Scotland.

London, Edinburgh and many parts of Scotland are perfect for a family trip.

BUT you only have 2 weeks so you need to be VERY selective where you go. No one here can plan your trip - you need to do that - but we can help guide/nudge you once you have some sort of ideas of your own.

Don't think in terms of "England" and/or "Scotland" - either one would take months to scratch the surface, Think in terms of - say, London, York, Hadrian's Wall, Edinburgh, a few castles, the Highlands (these are just for an example). That would be a very full 2 weeks. But just a very limited # of places.

Are there any places you simply 'must' see? Any places you or the kids dream of visiting?

Throw out some of your ideas and we can point you in the right direction . . .

Focus is important...and so is flexibility.

August probably sees the biggest influx of North American visitors into London and the UK (I'm assuming here that your family is coming from US or CN...not that it matters).

With two weeks, it would be easy to focus on London--which really deserves 5-6 full days--and add field trips to areas near to the city. There are close-in sights, like Windsor, Hampton Court, etc.; those further afield, like Bath, Stonehenge; and a bit further to York, Oxford, the Cotswolds and more.

Another option: stay 5-6 full days in London, take the train north and stop in York for 2 days, then keep going north on the train to Edinburgh to spend a few days in that Scottish city and surrounding areas. Total train trip London to E'burg is just over 4 hours (York being about halfway between).

Take a look at maps and other material, give it some thought, then post questions here. You can also contact me with questions if you wish.

Have fun planning your trip!

OOPS - Just now noticed you said August. That puts a spanner in the works as they say.

Not a problem for London -- it is HUGE and easily absorbs the summer hordes. . . . But Edinburgh is a special case when it comes to August. There are several major, world famous festivals and the Military Tattoo - that all run simultaneously. The city quite literally doubles in size during the whole month and probably triples certain days/weekends. Hotels are all full - and charging double+ their normal rates.

So if it must be August - book your accommodations ASAP and be prepared for sticker shock . . . OR . . . Unfortunately, skip Edinburgh. One option though would be to stay some distance from Edinburgh -- like near Stirling. Use that as a base for lots of castles/scenery/hikes/lochs and take one day trip into Edinburgh by train.