lenlu

Hey guys,
I have booked eight nights in England. I am looking at must see places (having been to London before) and am looking at the Lake District, The Moors, York, Devon, Tintagel, the Cotswolds knowing I can't do them all. For those that have been, is one National Park preferable or more beautiful in your opinion? I'd like to stay in one of the Castles. We stayed at Ashford in County Mayo in Ireland and it was a lot of fun so we're looking to find something similar. I'm finding this overwhelming though because clearly we could live there and not see it all! My next concern is driving. We drove in Ireland but got the car outside of Dublin. Do you think driving would be similar in England if we used the car for the more rural areas? We thought about flying north and then driving back down toward London or taking a train but I can't imagine the train would take us to one of those amazing castles like Chillingham. We'd probably be finding the taxi cost overwhelming for seeing remote areas. So I guess I'm wondering if driving is scary as can be? I wouldn't have wanted to drive in Dublin if that gives you any indication. Thoughts would be appreciated. I am just started to look at itinerary ideas. Thank you!

janisj

You are all over the place . . . But then you knew that

>> Do you think driving would be similar in England if we used the car for the more rural areas? <<

IME driving is actually easier in most parts of England than in Ireland. You really don't want/need a car in any cities.

>>but I can't imagine the train would take us to one of those amazing castles like Chillingham.<<

Well, Trains will get you much closer than an airplane. If you fly or take a train north really depends on exactly where you end up deciding where to go.

>>am looking at the Lake District, The Moors, York, Devon, Tintagel, the Cotswolds knowing I can't do them all. For those that have been, is one National Park preferable or more beautiful in your opinion?<<

Every National Park is worthwhile . . . or they wouldn't be NPs. But they are all different so it depends on what YOU are looking for. Are planning on any time in London at all? If not, in 10 days you could do say the Cotswolds, Devon and Cornwall, Or the Lakes, Northumberlans and a bit of Yorkshhire . . . bearing in mind that you'll have 2 or 3 days eaten up by transatlantic travel/jet lag and-on-the-ground logistics

Chillingham castle is certainly fine -- but there are scores just as interesting/better all over the country --- several in the same County as Chillingham.

lenlu

I'm not sure I'm quoting this properly. It has been ages since I've used Fodors. Janisj, Thank you! I appreciate your reply and thoughts on doing one area or another and I know that is going to be the best option. I do love the look of the Lake District but it's probably a good idea to stick around the SW part of England especially if we want to see Avebury. It all looks beautiful which is why it's hard to choose but I argued that if a castle I loved was in a specific area, I'd be persuaded to go in that direction. I will google them. I saw Thornbury which looked nice too. I can't remember all of them. No time in London simply because we'll be a week in Greece beforehand so time will be okay. : )

janisj

Heading out for the evening, but . . . what time of year? Not sure where I got 10 days -- just re-read your OP and you clearly mentioned 8 nights. That will give you 7 truly useable days, so If Avebury is a must you are pretty much limited to somewhere west or SW of London. Are you flying in/out of LHR? If so, The Cotswolds, Bath/Somerset (maybe you could squeeze in a bit of Dartmoor/Devon), and Avebury would be a really full trip. Absolutely no time for the Lakes or Northumberland or Yorkshire. OR -- you could take the train to Plymouth, pick up a car there, and meander for 7 days back up through Cornwall, Devon, Wiltshire/Avebury and return the car at LHR.

But it depends on what your 'musts' are.

ESW

With only eight nights and using public transport, there is a limit to the number of places you will see. Restrict yourself to two places, preferably close together so you don’t spend a day travelling between them.

What makes somewhere a ‘must see’ place’? Your definition of must see could be very different to mine.

It is impossible to say which is the ‘most beautiful’ National Park. They are all very different and each have their own beauty.

I’m interested you specifically mention Chillingham Castle - what made you pick that? Train won’t get you there, but there are buses... Chillingham is decidedly quirky and not your usual castle.
Chillingham Castle
Alnwick is even better and a lot easier to get to.

What sort of things do you like doing and what interests you? Again what has made you identify Avebury over and above anywhere else? I think you need to be a lot clearer in your thoughts before we can help you.

There is a list of castles offering accommodation here.
Castle Hotels - Stay in a Castle | Historic UK
Some have rooms in the castle itself, others have rooms in the outbuldings.

If this is a ‘must do’ for your holiday it might make sense to decide which castle first and then plan around this

PalenQ

Driving is imperative for the places you are going as local transports are poor.

And don't be scared of driving- start out on motorways and soon it will be a synch.

janisj

Pretty sure PQ means a 'cinch' . . .

PalenQ

Yes cinch - I drove luggage vans for years around England - even with lefthand drives - and you really will quickly adapt to the 'wrong side' of the road driving. Now on small less travelered roads I did find myself at times drifting back to the wrong side but always quickly caught myself. I'd stick to regular two lane roads at first.

Trains can be used yes to go quickly from London to a distant point and drive around or back towards London and return car before going into London metrapolis - for lots about trains and booking really cheap tickets check www.seat61.com; general info about trains www.ricksteves.com and BETS-European Rail Experts.

and yes again a car is needed for your type of trip - put angst to rest.

historytraveler

It’s a bit simplistic and probably over optimistic to assume that driving a few miles on the motorways will mean it’ll be a cinch. It is certainly doable. Actually staying on the left side while driving is the easy part. It helps to check out rules of the road in G.B. such as what to do in roundabouts ( there are rules ) as well as paying attention while making turns and exiting places. With a little preparation, the driving will be easier, but it does take time to become completely comfortable in all situations.

prayfortheloved

I can tell you some search platforms where you can find many of "must have places". It will show you location and costs:
Visit London
Nowescape
Trip Advisor
TravBuddy

It would be very hard to see all of the famous and attractive places! Good luck!

lenlu

janisj,
great suggestions, thank you! I'm going to look at a loop. Yes, in and out of LHR and yes to 7 nights in reality. : )

lenlu

ESW, thank you for your thoughts! I'm a history person and I like haunted things so I was looking at Chillingham for fun but it's pretty far away. I was trying to incorporate a little history with Stonehenge or Avebury and a few nights at luxury castles (I don't think Chillingham is one) and one or two places like Cotswolds or Cornwall. I'm very interesting in King Edward IV and of course King Henry VIII and Hever Castle books up very fast. It's probably not possible to combine these things so something will probably have to go but I want my high school teens to see some historical aspects.

lenlu

PalenQ, thank you! : )

lenlu

I agree!

lenlu

PalenQ, this is great! I'm copying these links, thank you! As you said, I think our best approach is to return the car before London (or this is how we'd be most comfortable). I appreciate your sharing your experience and suggestions. Two lane roads make sense. And yes, I do think we'll need a car too. Sigh... : )

lenlu

Historytraveler, yes, some preparation is needed. It has been several years since we drove in Ireland and at that, outside of Dublin where it was quiet. I'd forgotten about the roundabouts, it's like the Arc de Triumph! EEK!

lenlu

prayfortheloved,
Thank you for the links, I have only been on tripadvisor so I'll definitely look at the others! : )

PalenQ

Don't try to pack too much into your itinerary -things always are slower than expected sometimes.

bilboburgler

you'll find that each area and even town has its own website, (just like in the rest of the world )
so
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/avebury
https://www.visitcornwall.com/
https://www.visitbritain.com/gb/en

along with prayfortheloved's visitlondon

Yes you don't want a car in London, picking up a car from the airport is easy but you need to read up on the laws in the UK. Can I suggest go on youtube with your significant other and watch a few round abouts just to get the hang of it. The rules for the road are called the "highway code" and can be read here https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code just click on different bits, NB there is no such crime as "jaywalking" in the UK, however in some of the smaller towns you will find walkers stepping in front of your car (raised eyebrow).

I'm not that impressed by avebury but you may find the car parking charges to be surprising !

annhig

I'm a bit late to this thread and may have got hold of the wrong end of the stick, but I'm a bit confused about the idea of Hever castle being booked up because so far as I know it's a private residence, albeit one that opens up to the public. Have they started doing B&B or perhaps they have self catering cottages like Sissinghurst. There is a decent hotel at nearby Chidingstone and several in Tunbridge wells.