Two Britain Itineraries - Help me decide
 

Trip is April 2013. Party of 4 - include two kids - 12 and 10.

See below for two options I am considering. Any input would be appreciated. My wife will be disappointed I am considering a plan that cuts out Edinburgh - but worry including it means too much transit time.

Option 1-
Day 1 - Arrive Edinburgh
Day 2 - Edinburgh
Day 3 - Edinburgh
Day 4 - Drive to Lake District (Kenswick)
Day 5 - Lake District
Day 6 - Drive to York
Day 7 - York
Day 8 - Drive to Bath
Day 9 - Bath
Day 10 - Train to London
Day 11 - London
Day 12 - London
Day 13 - London
Day 14 - Fly to DC

Option 2 -
Day 1 - Arrive London
Day 2 - London
Day 3 - London
Day 4 - London
Day 5 - London
Day 6 - Train to York
Day 7 - York
Day 8 - Drive to Stratford on Avon
Day 9 - Warwick Castle
Day 10 - Drive to Bath
Day 11 - Bath
Day 12 - Cotswolds (Bath base)
Day 13 - Stonehenge (Bath base)
Day 14 - LHR - Fly to DC

Much as I love York I'd remove it from your itinerary 1 and replace it with Chester which saves a fair amount of driving

Can't see the point of a car until you leave Warwick (or rent at Royal Leamington Spa) - note it's best done before SuA as then you can drive to SuA then continue into the Cotswolds, pass through Oxford before reaching Bath. And given you are driving I'd do Stonehenge on the way to Heathrow. If you have an early flight then it might be an excuse to have the Inner Circle tour

Change of mind - on itinerary 2 do everything except Stonehenge before you reach Bath, then return the car. Otherwise you'll have an expensive ornament that only reduces your bank balance. There's a half day tour from Bath that takes in Stonenhenge. You can then take a direct coach to Heathrow from Bath or you could spend a night at Salisbury before Heathrow which would mean you can travel to Stonehenge when you want.

I'd pick your option 1 myself, adding your York day somewhere else (only one full day in the Lake District means you're out of luck if there's terrible weather - no way to tell, especially in April). That's my interests, though. Personally I'd pick Edinburgh Castle over Warwick Castle, and I wasn't that excited about Stratford-upon-Avon.

One idea:

Day 1 - Arrive Edinburgh
Day 2 - Edinburgh
Day 3 - Edinburgh
Day 4 - Drive to Lake District (Keswick)
Day 5 - Lake District
Day 6 - Lake District
Day 7 - Drive to Bath, visiting Chester en route if you like
Day 8 - Bath
Day 9 - Bath/Stonehenge or Cotswolds
Day 10 - Train to London
Day 11 - London
Day 12 - London
Day 13 - London
Day 14 - Fly to DC

Option one seems to have some to and fro--why to west to Keswick and then back east to York?

You could get as many different adaptions of both of these options as you get responders here!

If your wife wants Edinburgh, try to keep it!

With kids those ages, I gotta ask--what are you planning to do so long in the Lake District or the Cotwolds? Hike? If it's just scenery seeing, then I think you have too long in either place.

Here's another version of 1--
Day 4 Train to York
Day 5 York
Day 6 Drive to Lake District
Day 7 Lake District
Day 8 etc.

OR here's another thought--Fly to Edinburgh, spend time, train to York, spend time, train to London, spend the rest of time there. Take day trips--Bath one day, Salisbury/Stonehenge one day, maybe Oxford one day (either kid into Tolkien, Lewis, or Harry Potter?), maybe Dover one day for best castle! (Warwick is great, too, though) Just a thought. Such plan or similar would avoid driving cost/etc.--but then you'd lose the convenience of getting to some places. Are Cotswolds or the Lake District MUSTS?

OR Fly into Edinburgh, rent car, drive to places along Hadrian's Wall (kids would love), drive to York, turn in car at least while there. They'd love York, too, but you could also skip York and drive from western end of Wall to the Lake District and continue.

Your trip is your trip--very very wise to be thinking this far ahead and to have some flexibility. And I don't know what's driving your picks--April will still be quite cool and maybe rainy, so consider weather if you are planning lots of outdoor activities.

You could read lots of trip reports here, but of course no one's is going to mirror exactly what your family wants. So keep your "most want" ideas as priorities, continue research, pour over those maps, take advice here with a grain of salt and sometimes a thick skin! I've planned two 2 week trips to England with help from here--couldn't have done it without!

(If you want to look at some trip reports about 2 week trips there, here are mine:

On this trip we stayed 2 weeks in London and took 5 day trips via train or coach
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-day-trips.cfm

On this trip we started in London then got a car and drove a loop to Oxford, Shrewsbury, Wales, through the Lake District, along the Wall, York, Dover and back to London--with other stops--it was busy!)

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-and-wales.cfm

The above is a bit scattered--got up 3 or 4 times to attend to this and that--but maybe it makes some sense.

My take is that Bath is much overrated.

Heading South from Edinburgh, spend a day or 2 in the Lakes District. I've stayed at Cockermouth, near Kewewick (at the lovely Link House, which offers breakfast and dinner).

It's an easy drive to York. Stop at Durham for a 1/2 day trip, and then go on to York for a couple of days. Drop your car off there. Trains are great along England's East Coast.

IMO -- neither of your plans work.

Some of the others have given you ideas/improvements.

Here are the main issues I see w/ your itineraries:

Opt 1: a heck of a lot of driving to net 1day in the Lakes. A heck of a lot of driving to net 1day in York/Yorkshire. Even more driving to net 1day in Bath (see a pattern :) ).

Opt 2: Using Bath as a base for all that means hours in the car every day.

I'd go with option 1. Stonehenge is a total let-down, to be completely candid. Edinburgh is a fantastic representation of Scottish culture, and I like the itinerary as a whole.
However, Jent103's option is also good.

Have fun!

Only you and your family can decide which places are really your must sees, I would include Edinburgh, Hadrian's Wall and York and bag the Lake District and Bath. I would pick up the car on leaving Edinburgh and keep it until you get to London (but them we like do road trips everywhere).

I've lived in the Lake District for 25 years now (and holidayed here many, many times before that), and I've yet to see it all. So, all I can say is... good luck in seeing it all in one day!!

Seriously, I would advocate spending more time at places and less time travelling between them, even if that means forfeiting one or two places on your list. You'll get a much better experience that way.

As for the place you mention... Kenswick... it doesn't exist. There is a Keswick in the north of the region and, about an hour's drive away, there is Kendal where I live, on the south-eastern edge of the Lake District National Park (and also close to the Yorkshire Dales).

Hi rholt -- I'll leave the itinerary planning to the experts here. Some general advice -- do group things geographically and use the train system to get from city to city. You won't need a car in most of the places on your list.

I'm admittedly not familiar with the logistics of getting one overseas or on arrival, but since you have time you might want to look into a "Friends and Family" railcard. It could payoff in your situation.

http://www.familyandfriends-railcard.co.uk/

We've been here a year with kids the same age. Have a look at our blog to help with ideas:

London
http://ukfrey.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/london.html

Edinburgh
http://ukfrey.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/edinburgh.html

Bath/Stonehenge
http://ukfrey.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08...tonehenge.html

York
http://ukfrey.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05...r-weekend.html

Check back in a few weeks and I'll have the Lake District as well (though admit that it might be a little much for you this trip).

Good luck with the planning.

Thanks for all the input folks - good stuff.

After digesting this advice - I am seriously considering a simplified itinerary that focuses on just three locations -
a) Edinburgh
b) York
c) London
And then supplement with various day trips. The revised plan would tie us more to public transport (which has its advantages and disadvantages).

One more question - how bad is the weather in England in April. I am assuming it is in the 50s (12C) and somewhat rainy? Frankly - I would much rather take this trip in the summer - but our schedule doesn't allow for it.

"<i>how bad is the weather in England in April. I am assuming it is in the 50s (12C) and somewhat rainy? Frankly - I would much rather take this trip in the summer - but our schedule doesn't allow for it.</i>"

There is no way to tell how bad (or how good). The weather changes constantly. You could have warm, cold, sunny, windy, rainy or all of the above.

The weather could be worse -- or just as easily, better -- than in the middle of summer.

Pack layers and good/supportive shoes and you'll be ready for anything.

Scotland has more extreme weather than England. Everybody should have a rainproof, windproof outer layer. And sturdy water-resistant shoes.

Agreed - weather in the UK is really variable, but Edinburgh will almost certainly be colder than the rest of your itinerary (especially London). Last time I was there it was June and maybe hit 60 Fahrenheit. On the same trip I think it got up to 80 in London three days later. Plan for sweaters and light jackets, but check the weather before you go.

Well last April was fabulously sunny, this April is currently very rainy and cold... As the above said pack layers.
You wouldn't need a whole day to see Warwick castle in fact you could do SUA and Warwick Castle in the same day, although there are some lovely heritage houses close by ( check out the national trust website for places like Pavkwood house, Baddesley Clinton) that said I do think both arevworth a visits if you are interested in English heritage etc and are in the area.

"<i>but Edinburgh will almost certainly be colder than the rest of your itinerary (especially London). Last time I was there it was June and maybe hit 60 Fahrenheit. On the same trip I think it got up to 80 in London three days later.</i>"

Not necessarily so. I've been in Edinburgh (and other parts of Scotland) many times when the weather was as good or better than the same dates in parts of England. One June day when I had arranged for two friends to play the old Course, it was dead calm and actually hot, while other friend's wedding in Kent the same day was practically washed out by a cold rain.

Anecdotes about one time or another mean nothing.