I'm 20 and travelling to the UK next Summer for about a month. I possibly have a place to stay in Scotland but want to visit more than just Scotland. I'm interested in Historical sites and places to have fun and relax. I was hoping to get some advice on where to go, places to see and places to have some fun all across the UK. I'll be there for a month so I have time to do a lot of stuff.

Any Suggestions?

<i>Any Suggestions? </i>

1. Do not tip in US Dollars.
2. Do not "order money" from your bank. Use your debit card and ATMs (but be sure to tell your bank about your travel plans).


As for what to do and see,
answer us these questions three
so the more helpful we can be:

1. What exactly are your interests?

2. Will you be driving or relying on public transportation?

3. What is your budget?

My interests are everything. I like History but I also want to have fun and experience the UK.

I have no idea if I'll be driving or not. I definitely want to try but I know that driving over there is going to be different than driving in the US so probably a mixture of both.

I do not know what my budget is quite yet. I haven't even gotten my passport yet but I am getting it soon. I'm hoping to save half of each pay check I get until I go so that's about 600 USD a month. I know travelling is expensive so I want to have extra money for just in case. In the end with my plane ticket paid for it'll be about 6000 USD which is about 4000 pounds so idk if that'll get me very far.

Well, as you may know Scotland is full of Celtic stone circles so if those interest you then I highly, highly recommend Isle of Lewis. If you like traditional Scottish music, Inverness is the place to be, in particular the Celidh Bar Hootananny -- lots of great trad music and dance. You'll also be wanting to visit some distilleries and do the tour/tastings but don't too many of them!

I try to go at least once a year to Scotland soa sk away for questions there but I don't have much advice for England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Ireland. I will say that if you go to London, DO NOT waste your time and money at Madame Tussauds.

I think you are over estimating the cost of a plane ticket. Where are you flying in/out of?

Read all you can about UK history, you well have already done this, then decide which areas you would like to visit, I live in the UK and there are place I still haven't been to. Don't rush around spending a day in a city is not long enough. I would choose a maximum of four areas to base yourself in and have days exploring those areas. I live in south east England so I would suggest staying in somewhere outside London and exploring from there. It's difficult to be more specific without knowing what you want to do.

Suggest you consult some reliable guide books - including the Let's Go student guides - and also some tour brochures (not to take a tour but to get some ides of what some of the key sights are like).

Forget driving. Since you are under the age of 25, most car rental companies will not rent to you. If you find a company that will rent to under-25's, they will impose a steep surcharge. It's easy to get around the UK and Ireland on public transportation--my daughter did it a lot when she did a year of study abroad in Dublin and Belfast. (She made several trips to England and Scotland.)

Hostels are the way to go for accommodations. Not only are they budget-friendly, but they are a good way to meet other people to join you on your adventures. My daughter used HostelWorld.com to locate and book all her hostels when she travelled around. She liked being able to compare lots of hostels and to read the reviews written by those who had actually stayed in them. She said that she found the reviews to be quite accurate--what she expected is what she got.

Finally, DO read a lot of different guidebooks as they each have a different perspective. Personally, I like the Rough Guide and Lonely Planet for their "off the beaten path" activity suggestions.

1. Borrow a bunch of travel books from the library - to get an idea about what looks interesting to YOU. I like the Rough guides and Lonely Planet books but there are lots of others.

2. Go to the various travel/tourism websites for the UK and for Ireland

3. Do you like museums, art galleries, old buildings (like castles and palaces, cathedrals), beautiful scenery ?

4. Personally I don't recommend hotels in the UK. I like B&Bs and guesthouses and when I was younger I stayed at youth hostels (very good places to meet people your age and some are really quite nice and the prices are good).

5. If you can at all tackle it, I recommend renting a car for at least part of your trip - so if I were you I would determine which places I REALLY want to see and how easy they are to get to using public transportation or if a car is necessary. You absolutely DO NOT want a car in London or Edinburgh (however you may want to rent a car to get to Edinburgh).

6. Note re: driving in the UK you drive on the left hand side of the road (there are a number of good websites that will give you tips on handling this and on round-abouts (VERY common in the UK). Also it is easier and cheaper to get standard rather than automatic cars in the UK BUT I would NOT recommend that unless you are a regular standard driver.

I can give you a few very specific recommendations about what I liked on my trips to the UK.

Just a couple of quick comments for now: 1) You are 20 yo, so forget about driving. Unless your friends in Scotland have a car and let you drive it (but I'm not sure about implications to their insurance).

and 2) You need to help us more than >><i>My interests are everything. I like History but I also want to have fun and experience the UK.</i><<

Get a few guide books. Do some other research. Decide what sorts of places interest you/some places you definitely want to go. We can help a GREAT deal w/ refining your own basic itinerary - but creating one for you isn't really doable. There are literally thousands of places you might want to visit in Scotland, England, Wales, Ireland -- and in a month you'll only get to a relative handful. Also <i>Where</i> in Scotland do your friends live?

Some specific things I would recommend -IF they seem appealing after you have done some research:

1. If you decide you want to see castles, I recommend North Wales )Conwy, Harlech, Caernarvon and others. And don't miss the Tower of London (but go early - it is very popular. And in Scotland Edinburgh Castle and others.

2. If you decide that you want to see palaces and stately homes, and manor houses - there are so many that I hesitate to recommend any specifically but I liked - Hampton Court, Knole, Erddig Hall (not for its architecture but the contents are AMAZING - the family were the original horders), Little Moreton Hall (this one is all about the architecture and it's small and wonderful) and too many more to mention.

3. Cathedrals - St Paul's, Ely, Yorkminster, Wells, Durham and more.

4. Museums - Don't miss the British Museum in London.
5. Scenery - the highlands of Scotland, North Wales, Devon and Cornwall, the Lake District and more

You may consider the bargain BritRail Youthpass, for those under 26 years of age - hop on any train anytime and trains will take you anywhere you want to go - zillions of trains going everywhere -= for lots of great info on British trains I always spotlight these IMO fantastic sites - www.seat61.com; http://www.budgeteuropetravel.com/id11.html and www.ricksteves.com.

Or if you want something cheaper slower look at National Express bus company's pass -http://www.nationalexpress.com/coach/offers/britxplorer.aspx

I have no idea if I'll be driving or not. I definitely want to try but I know that driving over there is going to be different than driving in the US so probably a mixture of both.>

driving on the wrong side of the road is not that hard after a day or so it will be natural but it will be much much more expensive than traveling by train or bus and driving by yourself is isolating - you will meet others your age on trains and buses and especially in youth hostels - both HI hostels and non-HI youth hotels, etc.

If going mainly to cities then certainly cars are useless as once in a place like London, York, Edinburg, Bath, etc it is hard to go around by car - impossible in fact. Even in places like the fabled Lake District public transportation is so so great you never need a car.

>>driving on the wrong side of the road is not that hard after a day or so . . .<<

But is semi-irrelevant since you are 20 (presumably 21 by next summer) and the cost would be prohibitive - and many companies won't rent to you at all.

Wow I didn't expect this kind of a response. You are all being super helpful. Sorry that my interests weren't very specific. I am just in the beginning stages of planning and wanted some rough ideas of places that other people enjoyed so I can work out all of the kinks by the time I board the plane.

I will be flying out of Spokane, WA. The airport is GEG. I have already checked round trip tickets for arriving in and leaving from Heathrow next summer and they are about $1,200. The cheapest I've found so far is $1,118 with the website Jetsetz using United Airlines. Would arriving in and leaving from Gatwick be a better option? Or possibly arriving at another airport somewhere else in the UK would be cheaper? If you know of any websites I can find cheaper tickets that would be awesome. The only thing is I do not know exactly the dates I'll be going quite yet. I just guesstimated on the dates.

Historical things that I am interested in are Castles and Manors. I know I want to visit some of those and you have given me great suggestions for those and I will definitely be researching those to see which ones peak my interest.

I will definitely check out some Hostels. I was slightly hesitant of Hostels but everyone is recommending them so they can't be bad if that's the case, especially to meet people which is exactly what I want to do. I will most likely be on my own unless I can get a friend to start saving up as well to go with me, but I'm not going to let not having a travel buddy get in my way of travelling the world. I know it's a bit more risky travelling by myself but I've always been pretty independent and been able to handle myself well.

Also there is no way I could ever miss London. It's one of the places I'm most excited to visit. Other than the Tower of London and the London Eye what are some other places in London I should check out? Restaurants? Sights to see? Shopping? Art Galleries? Pubs and Clubs? Places to avoid?

What about any music festivals that go on in the Summer? I would love to go to one in the UK because music there is AMAZING. So going to at least one festival would be sufficient for my trip, if I can swing it, because I know they can last a couple days.

As for driving, I know they drive on the left side of the road. Where I grew up we have round abouts but I know that US round abouts can be very different. I doubt that I will be doing much driving if any at all. That youth train pass sounds absolutely wonderful and I will definitely be getting one of those.

I am a HUGE Harry Potter fan so any places I should stop and check out that have anything to do with Harry Potter would tickle my fancy.

I am of Irish heritage(and proud of it)as well so I plan on spending some amount of time in Ireland as well to soak up my roots. I want to experience the traditions and culture of Ireland (and the UK as well.) Does anyone know much of places in Ireland I should visit and experience?

I am into Sport as well. I would love to go to a Football Match as well. How much do tickets usually cost? Any specific teams I should watch? I know of a few but I really don't know much about the teams over there. Really all I know comes from movies that I watched. I'm slightly hesitant to go to a sports bar (sport pub?) because I watched Green Street Hooligans. That got pretty intense.

I'm not 100% sure where in Scotland I would be staying. I will check on that. They are a family friends family friend who are very wonderful people and love having visitors. They are a bit older but I like older people. They have the best stories.

I just want to soak up as much of the UK and Ireland as I can in a month without over whelming myself. Any and all suggestions are welcome. Advice for keeping myself out of too much trouble is 100% welcome. I'm only 20 so I still want to have fun but I don't want to get kicked out of the country. Also any tips for keeping my money and stuff safe from thievery would be wonderful as well. I know I shouldn't pack too much and I plan on leaving room in my suit case for souvenirs and clothes that I most certainly will end up buying and bringing back home.

Thanks for all of the suggestions and your help. You all are super helpful!

For cheaper rates on airfare, check out Student Universe. My college-aged son went to Vietnam this summer and said he saved a lot of money by booking on Student Universe.

As for Harry Potter sites, just google "Harry Potter Movie Sites". Here's just 3 of the many websites that popped up when I did it:

http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/desti...-locations.htm

http://www.visitbritain.com/en/Trave...-locations.htm

http://travel.usatoday.com/destinati...ocations_N.htm

If you decide on spending some time in Ireland you might post a separate question for that section but for now there are cheap options with light baggage booking 6 weeks in front on Ryanair or a couple of days in front Rail and sail from any mainline UK train station to Dublin (Belfast from Scotland)

Not sure why Lonhhorn likes Rick Steve's guides but don't read the Ireland one far too self centred.

"What about any music festivals that go on in the Summer?"

If you mean festivals largely centred on rock music,the two sites below try to be more or less exhaustive for 2013. If you mean festivals of other kinds of music, come back and ask. If you're NOT interested in festivals of comedy, classical music, plays or film avoid Edinburgh in August altogether. The Edinburgh Festival and its much, much bigger Fringe constitute what's overwhelmingly the world's most massive cultural smorgasbord: but it's not a rock festival, occupies every single square inch if Edinburgh, squeezes out almost all accommodation and and makes the city almost intolerable for anyone who equates "festival" with rock music

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/m...de-part-1.html
and
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/m...de-part-2.html

Note that what were once fairly standard operations now vary spectacularly. There are those aimed almost entirely at people who can't see the point of gawping at musicians they've neither heard of nor want to - but want to eat, drink, dispute and behave eccentrically in pretty countryside, those concerned with the widest possible range of music, and in between dozens of different permutations on the range of things you can do in a slightly remote country estate.

Read the descriptions of what's on (and reviews) very carefully indeed. Don't accept the word of someone just telling you that (say) Wilderness or Glastonbury is "awesome" or some other meaningless term of approbation: the festival concerned may well meet your depiction of hell on earth perfectly.

I will definitely check out some Hostels. I was slightly hesitant of Hostels but everyone is recommending them so they can't be bad if that's the case, especially to meet people which is exactly what I want to do>

Get a copuy of Let's Go Britain - written by folks you age for folks you age - and a great rundown of hostel-type accommodation which are not limited to HI hostels but also in Scotland Camping Barns and similar rustic accommodations - and youth hotels like in London that may be more client-oriented than traditional more institutional hostels - like at Earls Court there are many youth hotels and these attract a dependably older crowd than HI hostels that may be full of a lot of younger school groups.

London airports - either Heathrow or Gatwick are fine - both are easy to get in and out of London. Heathrow by Tube; Gatwick by train. IF you could get a cheap flight Manchester airport is very centrally located. Also you could consider flying into Scotland (Glasgow). Ideally if you could get an "open jaws" ticket (flying in to one airport and out of another (say flying into one of the London airports and out of Glasgow) that would save you some travel time.

>>Historical things that I am interested in are Castles and Manors. I know I want to visit some of those and you have given me great suggestions for those and I will definitely be researching those to see which ones peak my interest. <<

Believe me you are spoiled for choice. My personal favorites are the castles of North Wales:
Check out this website: http://www.castlewales.com
Especially the North Wales section - If you have a car in Wales - Dolwyddelaan is small but unique and you are likely to be the only one there - we shared it with 3 sheep.
If you want huge and impressive Caernarvon is just that.

Another special castle that is out of the way is Castle Rising
in Norfolk - watch out for the "murder hole"!

http://www.castlerising.co.uk/

Manor Houses: With certain wonderful exceptions (Little Moreton Hall always comes to mind) most Manor Houses have been altered and somewhat modernized over the years - this does not detract from their being interesting or beautiful but I have a background in history - so I am attracted to the "least modernized"

http://www.tripadvisor.ca/Attraction...e_England.html

Stokesay Castle in Shropshire was one of my husband's favorites:

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/d...okesay-castle/


>> I will definitely check out some Hostels. I was slightly hesitant of Hostels but everyone is recommending them so they can't be bad if that's the case, especially to meet people which is exactly what I want to do. I will most likely be on my own unless I can get a friend to start saving up as well to go with me, but I'm not going to let not having a travel buddy get in my way of travelling the world. I know it's a bit more risky travelling by myself but I've always been pretty independent and been able to handle myself well. <<

Before I met my husband I travelled on my own (starting a little younger than you) all over the UK and to continental Europe. Use common sense and you will be fine.

>>Also there is no way I could ever miss London. It's one of the places I'm most excited to visit. Other than the Tower of London and the London Eye what are some other places in London I should check out? Restaurants? Sights to see? Shopping? Art Galleries? Pubs and Clubs? Places to avoid? <<

London has so much it's hard to know where to begin.
The Tower (actually not just a "tower" but a whole castle complex), St. Paul's cathedral, Westminster Abbey, The British Museum, The National Gallery, The Tate Gallery. Just walking along the river is wonderful.

Nearby: Kew Gardens - look for the "penis plant" - seriously it looks like a giant penis - lots of snickering and photos there. Hampton Court - Henry VIII's palace (actually built by Cardinal Wolsey). Wander corridors haunted by Tudors.

As you mentioned, you will likely be picking up a few souvenirs etc AND remember if travelling by bus and train, you will have to tote luggage - SO REALLY just pack the bare minimum and look for "launderettes" (British for Laundromat).
Remember you can pick up anything you need there. I always bring fast drying easy to wash stuff. Bring COMFORTABLE walking shoes - nothing is harder on feet than cobblestones and castle stone staircases AND you will be walking a lot.

Getting around London:

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/gettingaround/default.aspx