travelwithginger

Good afternoon! I would love your thoughts on my vacation from London to Edinburgh for this July. Here's the plan so far:

London-3 nights
Bath-2 nights
Cotswolds-2 nights

After that I'm not sure where to go/ how long to stay. I've got it narrowed down to three possible routes:
1. York- 2 nights, Keswick-2 nights, then up to Edinburgh for 2 nights
2. York-2 nights, Keswick (Lake District) 1 night then up to Edinburgh for 3 nights
3. Keswick-1 night, then take the night train to Inverness/ Isle of Sky- two nights, Inverness/ Lock Ness 1 night, then down to Edinburgh for 2 nights.

The only non negotiable for the last leg of the journey is that we spend at least two nights in Edinburgh as that's where our plane leaves from and I want plenty of time to see the city. I would like to book rooms as soon as possible and would greatly appreciate your advice!! Blessings!

janisj

Welcome to Fodors. Have you been to any of these places before??

If not, this is a very aggressive itinerary. Almost to the point of why bother.

Are you flying in long haul? Where are you landing -- LHR?? Are you planning on renting a car for part(s) of the trip? Why have you picked these specific places/what things are you hoping to see do?

But just in general:

• 3 nights in London nets 2 days and if long haul, some of that will be jet lagged.

• 2 nights in Bath gives you 1.5 days

• 2 nights in the Cotswolds = one day. With a car one could see a fair amount in 1+ day, but by public transport the options are very limited.

• York- 2 nights, Keswick-2 nights, then up to Edinburgh for 2 nights - means 1 day for York, 1 day all the way across the country in the Lakes, and 1 day for Edinburgh. But York-2 nights, Keswick (Lake District) 1 night then up to Edinburgh for 3 nights - makes even less sense. Still only 1 day for York but essentially NO days in the lake District.

• Keswick-1 night, then take the night train to Inverness/ Isle of Sky- two nights, Inverness/ Lock Ness 1 night, then down to Edinburgh for 2 nights. Not a good idea - one night anywhere nets less than 1 day for seeing doing. Two nights on Skye and 1 night for inverness/Loch Ness is basically a lot of travel for very little time anywhere.

First of all I would completely forget about the Lake District. With 13 nights what I'd consider is something like:

Arrive at LHR and immediately travel to Bath for 3 nights. First half day walk around Bath, day 2 take a tour with Mad Max to the Cotswolds, day 3 more of Bath including the Roman Baths, etc.

Then train to London for 5 nights.

Then train to York - 2 nights (will give you approx 1.5 days)

Train to Edinburgh - 3 nights. During that time take one day tour with Rabbies. https://www.rabbies.com/en/scotland-...urgh/day-tours

Fly home.

janisj

. . . And - IF the Cotswolds and Bath aren't a huge priority, what I'd really do is 6 nights London, 3 nights York w/ a possible day trip into the Dales or Moors, 4 nights Edinburgh w/ a Rabbies day trip somewhere out into the countryside.

jan47ete

I just came back from Edinburgh and London. Spent 6 nights in Edinburgh (I take my time), took Rabbie's day tour to Hadrian's Wall (bucket list), Stirling Castle, and stayed at Aparthotel Holyrood (apt) was was down by the Palace. Bus stopped in front of Close and Canongate Kirk, grocery around the corner so a fabulous place and location. Lots to see and there is also Glasgow.

Been to London a few times but not since 2005 so redid V&A, TOL, WA, but visited St. Dunstan in the East, St. Martin in the Fields, Cecil Court, Godwin Court, Temple church, London show, Harrods a lot for the Food Court and a great stay at Troy Hotel (room) in 6 days as well.

travelwithginger

I just replied to you, but somehow I lost it. I'm going to give it another try
Thank you very much! No, Ma'am, I have never set foot on either of these countries before. I was concerned it was too aggressive, so your honest feedback is very helpful.
Our flight is non stop (is that what long haul means?) from Atlanta, Georgia to LHR. I haven't decided on transportation, but was leaning towards public transportation in the big cities and renting a car for stops in between London and Edinburgh. Taking the train sounds great, too. We are a party of 9 (all family) so that might be relevant in choosing our mode/s of travel. I picked these cities based loosely on Rick Steve's itinerary from his book The Best of England plus Edinburgh, although he starts in Bath then travels up towards Edinburgh. Next, he suggests stopping in York, then finishing up in London. We primarily want to see historic sights, castles, churches, etc. If we can squeeze it in, I'd also like to see a charming village or two and some majestic scenery. My son wants to see Stone Henge and the Bovington Tank Musuem, so those are non negotiables. I was thinking he could visit those places on a day trip from Bath (on the same day). In London our top priorities are Westminster, Tower of London, Churchill's war rooms. Id love to visit the Globe and see a performance, if possible. My Sister is set on the Cotswolds, so I think visiting them is a must. I'm fine to leave out Keswick. Bath isn't a huge priority, but I am quite a Jane Austen fan.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on my itineraries and for the plans you shared! It seems that both London and Edinburgh have so many sights to see, so I'd like time to experience the best of what they have to offer.
By the way, upon your suggestion I've already checked out those Rabbie's tours, and they look wonderful!!

travelwithginger

Hi jan47ete! Thanks so much for your feedback! That's great to hear that Edinburgh had enough to do and see to keep you entertained for 6 nights. That makes me want to spend more nights there. What did you think of the Rabbie's tour to Hadrian's Wall? Stirling Castle would be a day trip from Edinburgh, yes? Thanks for sharing about your accommodations, too.

travelwithginger

May I ask why you suggest going to Bath first? It seems like London is closer to Heathrow, but perhaps I'm wrong. Is it because it's easier/ faster to travel to York from London, or perhaps it's better to start in a smaller city? Taking a day trip to the Cotswolds seems like a great idea, too! About to check out Mad Max....

KarenWoo

FWIW, I wouldn't plan my trips based on Rick Steves itineraries. And I am also on his forum and I use his guidebooks, along with others. But his tours typically spend 1 and 2 nights in each destination; occasionally 3 nights. These are whirlwind tours; you don't get to spend a lot of time in each place.

Also, this would be an extremely difficult pace to do on your own with 9 people in your group. Would all 9 people be up early and ready to get moving at the same time? It takes much longer to get 9 people ready and out the door at a reasonable time. And then trying to decide on restaurants, what to do each day, etc. A larger group works better with a slower pace.

I was in London many, many years ago. So I can't offer advice based on recent visits. But it's a huge city and really does require at least 5 nights, if not more. We will be in Edinburgh this June for the first time, and based on my research, I think one needs a minimum of 4 nights to do it justice. We will be spending 2.5 weeks in Scotland, and we won't be able to see it all. You will have a more enjoyable trip if you slow down the pace, especially traveling with a large group.

Long haul means that it takes a long time to get to your destination. Coming from Atlanta, you will definitely have jet lag and will be exhausted on your arrival day and most likely the next day, so you won't be as active as you think.

P_M

Most Fodorites will disagree with me but here goes. We did an organized tour from London that took us to Bath and Stonehenge in the same day. Yes, it was rushed but it was enjoyable for us. The rest of our day trips were by train and on our own.

There are so many things to do in London and so many great day trips, and as it's your first time, I would give London at least a week. Then 5 or 6 days in Edinburgh, and a day or so somewhere in between.

janisj

For a couple of reasons 1) you will likely be jet lagged and it might be easier to recover in the less hectic/smaller city, and 2) Yes, London is nearer but there is a direct non-stop bus from LHR to Bath and Bath is the outlier of all the destinations. London > York > Edinburgh are all on the same south / north rail line and an easy trip. Bath is far in the other direction.

So IF you keep Bath in the mix I'd get it out of the way first.

Nine is a very large group -- it would require a minimum of 2 cars and then only if you all managed with no checked luggage. So Yes, trains are best - keep things as simple as possible. But nine is also expensive on the train so you'll want to book as far ahead as possible for discounts.

Yes - you are flying 'long haul' You are flying Transatlantic overnight. You take off one day and arrive the next day so pretty long haul

Note: I personally would not rely on Rick Steves for UK advice. He's not terrible but he really doesn't like that UK as much as say Italy or Switzerland.

With the Jane Austen and Cotswolds priorities, my proposed itinerary is a way to tick them off the list with less hassle. Mad Max does great tours.

bilboburgler

Wow 9 people and the Tank Museum is un-negotiable. That is a toughy... as 9 people gets expensive on the train
https://www.seat61.com/train-travel-in-britain.htm
The nearest station is Wool
If you drive the 2 1/2 journey time via Google from London is a joke, the roads are very narrow and crowded. It will be even worse from Bath.

Stonehenge is much easier, take a tour, or catch the train to Salisbury and use the bus, or taxi, or a car service, or hire a car.

You have set yourself a tough schedule, I suggest focus on London, York and Edinburgh. Alternatively focus on the South of England. Maybe London, Portsmouth (google " HMS Victory" and "Portsmouth"), Brighton, Salisbury, WInchester, Oxford. If doing these by car note that, for instance Oxford offers "Park and Ride".

mjs

I was looking at about 10 days in Cornwall this May and renting a car in the UK like most places has gotten much more expensive than before Covid. Bear in mind that renting a short term rental is generally more expensive per day than renting for a longer term such as a week. Also if you need an automatic it is much more expensive than a manual. You have probably never driven on the left with a manual. Getting an automatic is not always a given either unless you are renting from someplace like LHR. Drop off charges can also be expensive. Gasoline prices will be significantly more expensive than the US, often more than 50%. Lastly you may have tolls to pay too. As Janisj points out 9 people may work in two cars if you have no checked luggage. Trains are not cheap but driving can be expensive as well.

janisj

OMG . . . I totally missed the Tank Museum and Stonehenge. Sorry. (long-ish posts w/o ¶ breaks iI tend to skim and may miss some of the details)

UH -- no. There really is no practical way to do the tank Museum. A train from Waterloo Station to Wool is 2.5 hours then a 10 minute shuttle bus. So total commute time from your accommodations to the Museum is more than 3 hours each way. From Bath it is no easier and takes almost as much time. Bovington simply doesn't fit in a trip that includes London/York/Edinburgh. Depending on how important the museum is, you should consider doing ONLY London/Bath/Dorset then either train or fly to Edinburgh for a couple of nights before flying home.

For Stonehenge the members of your group who are interested can take the train to Salisbury and a local bus to the Stones then train back to London. (The rest of your group can stay in London having fun ). OR if you are in Bath several days -- Mad Max does do a day trip to Stonehenge and Avebury.

You have quite a bit working against you -- a very large group, having to fly out of Edinburgh, driving anywhere would require multiple vehicles, train travel will be expensive, wanting to visit a rural area near the Channel, and having a short time to plan all this.

A couple of options you might consider: 1) Change your flights eliminating Edinburgh (if there have been schedule changes you might be allowed to change flights without fees and up-fare) Stick to the south of England for this trip. But there would still be the issue of renting enough cars and finding accommodations for nine.

2) Explain to your son that on a map Bovington may look close to London or Bath but it isn't. Maybe you can plan a future trip to England (with fewer people ) If you did just Bath/London/York/Edinburgh no cars would be necessary.

travelwithginger

That makes sense-thanks for explaining that.

I didn't even think about finding room for our luggage if taking a car. Thank you very much for bringing that to my attention and for sharing about the discounts. I definitely want to save where I can!

I'm glad to say I know what "long haul" means now.

I went to bed last night with a sense of peace because I had made a decision about skipping Inverness/ Isle of Skye. Maybe one day I can go back and spend a few weeks seeing Scotland, Lord willing! I had been praying about what to do, so your reply was an answer to my prayers. Thanks again for helping me!!

travelwithginger

Hi KarenWoo! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts on Rick.

You are so right about larger groups needing a slower pace. That's important to consider when planning.

Thanks so much for sharing about how long you need to fully experience London and Edinburgh. At this point, I'm spending at least 3 nights in Edinburgh, and going to add one night to London (that's if I can talk my Sister into it, as she's been there before).

Thank you-I've added new words to my vocabulary thanks to this forum. You are a blessing!! Have fun on your Scotland adventure.

travelwithginger

Hi bilboburgler! Thanks for your feedback on Stonehenge and Bovington. I think that only the men in our group (5) will be going there. That's great to know where the nearest train station is. I have a travel agent and maybe she knows or can recommend someone who can pick up my guys from Wool and take them to the Museum.

Thank you for the Stone Henge tips!!

That's a great idea about focusing on the South. I'm going to research those destinations. Blessings!!

travelwithginger

Hi P_M! Thanks so much for your tips! That's great that you can take day trips by train. That sounds pretty easy and relaxing.

I really appreciate your feedback on how long to stay in London and Edinburgh, Thanks again. Blessings!!

travelwithginger

Hi mjs! Thanks so much for all the great things you shared about getting around whilst we're there. I really appreciate your help!! Blessings!!

janisj

"I have a travel agent and maybe she knows or can recommend someone who can pick up my guys from Wool and take them to the Museum."

There is no need at all for a travel agent (and likely no US-based TA would have any idea what your are talking about). The museum's website even provides the phone numeber of taxis that can pick you up at Wool station. Or take the shuttle bus.

https://tankmuseum.org/visit-us?gad=...8aAlbiEALw_wcB

bilboburgler

As janisj says.... "Travel agent"!

https://garrisoncars.co.uk/
https://www.woolstationtaxi.co.uk/

Wool station is pretty small with only limited facilities (went through there a couple of weeks back).