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Any advice? I would like to spend a week, starting in London, visiting Wales and then maybe Edinburg. Are trains a viable option? What is most important to see and do?

What are your interests? What's important to one person may be totally unimportant to another?

Sorry, I haven't much cared for the UK on my few visits there. I am just posting to say I love your screen name.

I have the same interests as most first time tourists. I want to see the most important sites in hopes of understanding some of the history and culture of the places that I visit. I love history, natural beauty, and castles and of course food and a little shopping.

Though I may be roundly booed...
I suggest you buy a Rick Steves guidebook (there is one for London and another one for Britain). I think he does a great job of distilling what to see and HOW to see all the sites that are of interest to "most first time tourists". He also give a short "dummies guide to history" section that is very easy for first timers and you'll get to fill in the blanks when you actually visit. I love London and the UK - it was my husband's first European destination and a great introduction to the kind of travel that we now do.

And I like your screen name too.

There are several thousand threads on here about the UK. And many good guide books. We can't do all the work for you -- you have to come w/ something --- anything --- we can work w/.

Start by clicking on DESTINATIONS at the top of this page and get at least some ideas.

Think about what sorts of things you want to see/do. Why you picked the UK. Then come back w/ a little more focus. As it is your post s like >><i>I'm going to the USA for a week and want to see NYC, Yellowstone and New Orleans.</i><<

With a week I would pick two bases (I assume you mean 7 full days + travel days): London for at least 1/2 and then 1 other place - Edinburgh, N or S Wales, Cotswolds, Yorkshire, Lake District etc. If your 7 days include travel days I would spend the entire time in London.

I like the Michelin Green Guide, but get yourself a good guide book and see what you like then come back and we can help you put together a good trip. Transport will depend on what you want to see and the areas you want to visit.

Enjoy!

Leely2, that's a bit of a sweeping statement to make: "I haven't much cared for the UK on my few visits there".

Where did you go, what didn't you care for?

There was no wrecks and no-one got drown-ded
In fact nothing to laff at at all

Ah Miss P, the more appropriate quote for Fodor's might be

'Ere's t'stick wi' th'orse's-'ead 'andle -
Go and poke it at t'tigers instead..."

All these quotes from old monologues, it's obvious someone has got to be summonsed.

MissPrism and PatrickLondon,
What cultural reference am i missing here? Share with us Americans!

Chgo Gal

1. the verse is more usually quoted
"There was no wrecks... nobody drownded
'Fact, nothing to laugh at, at all."

2. All these quotes from old monologues, it's obvious someone's got a reason for going to church in the morning.

starting in London, visiting Wales and then maybe Edinburg. Are trains a viable option? What is most important to see and do?>

Well I am certainly train biased, having traveled annually around the UK by train for eons now but for your plans especially I would recommend them - you are doing a circle - London via Bath to Wales to Edinburgh and presumably back to London though ideally you would fly out of Scotland.

Sample rail tour:

1 Day - Bath, one of Britain's finest cities for sure.

2-3 Days North Wales - base in Conwy or Llandudno, a sweet old seaside resort, and do easy day trips to castles like Caernaferon (sp?) or Beaumarais or explore the Conwy Valley rail line, one of the most scenic in Wales.

Day 4, 5 The fabled Lake District, en route to Scotland - easy to get around by open-air doubledecker buses that circulate between many famed sites constantly - base in Windermere, the only Lake District town with rail service and nicely located on idyllic Lake Windermere.

Day 6, 7 Edinburgh

Possible hop Caledonian Sleeper train back to London

or go in the day and stop by York for a few hours en route by rail - York to many is the finest English town, along with Bath.

Consider the BritRail Pass as it lets you hop any train anytime between all these places - just show up and hop on - or if you want to commit weeks in advance check out the deep discounted train fares at sites like www.nationalrail.co.uk or www.thetrainline.com - the cheapest tickets may be non-changeable and not refundable so flexibility is lost - fully flexible tickets like the pass affords can be really expensive as www.nationalrail.co.uk will show. Railpasses not sold at any British train station TMK so if that is the ticket to ride byuy before leaving.

For lots of great info on British trains and passes check out these IMO fantastic sites - www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.ricksteves.com.

Thanks, flannerUK.
Pity me my state school education.

The quotes are from 'The Lion and Albert' a monologue by Marriott Edgar. The lines are best spoken aloud in a broad Lancashire accent. It used to be one of my party pieces as a young 'un.

"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3jXMsfLxhI"

Pal,
Good itinerary, but not sure if, when she said 'start in London' that meant visit London, then...

"Pity me my state school education."

Why? I had one. Made me the man I am today.