Greetings! We will be visiting the UK for 3 weeks in October, flying in/out of Heathrow. We're not new to the UK but are hoping to hit some new areas but want to make sure we're being smart and not packing too much in. I've mapped out a tentative itinerary and will appreciate any advice!

Days 1-3: Cotswolds (have been before but it's lovely and is easy enough drive after long flight; have baked in time to recover from jet lag)
Days 4-6: Wales
Days 7-8: Visiting relatives near Lancaster (dates flexible)
Days 9-10: Lake District
Days 11-12: Yorkshire Dales
Day 13: Interim stop enroute south to enable morning visit on Day 14 to Bletchley Park
Days 14-21: London (trip is anchored on this as our daughters will fly in to help celebrate a big bday)

Despite all the driving, we're hoping to set a relaxed pace, enjoy beautiful scenery, quaint villages, eat good food, ramble a bit.

So many Qs... should we skip the Cotswolds and spend more time in Wales? What are the must-sees in Wales... if we have limited time should we skip South Wales? Is only 2 days in the Lake District ridiculous? Is Ambleside a good base to get a taste for the area? What are the must-sees in the Yorkshire Dales?

We've been to London several times and just really want to enjoy being there without too much hectic. That said, we'll be happy for any must-see, must-do tips there are well!

Thank you!

OK -- a bit nebulous. Wales is a big place --- sort of like saying '3 days in Portugal' or similar. "What are the must-sees in Wales... " Quite a long list really.

What / where are you considering in Wales?? If just say Cardiff/Chepstow/Tintern/maybe a bit of the Brecon Becons then 3-ish days would be doable. Or just Conwy/Snowdon/Caernarfon -- then 3 days would be OK. But for a road trip to cover more bits you'd want a week or two for even just a basic taste. "

I am a little concerned about your days 1-3. Pease don't drive on your arrival day. Not sure what you mean 'baked in time' for rest. It isn't just jet lag -- its the micro sleeps, unfamiliar traffic patterns, etc. I'd stay the first night somewhere like Windsor car-less and then start your road trip the next day.

Re 2 days in the Lake District -- if the weather cooperates two days is short . . . but f its raining sideways, then 2 days is 3 days too long

I LOVE the Dales and likely would want a very minimum of three nights -- more would be better (but again if the weathr is awful - I'd be going eslewhere)

I second don't drive on your arrival day. I have family in those areas and I want them to live.

Dales, well since you are counting days rather than nights I think that means drive to Masham, have meal, sleep, drive to Ripon sleep, drive south. Which would mean a good time to see Fountains and the Minster and that is about it. I would recommend more time but weather may interfere.

Thanks for the quick response, janisj !

Re: Wales, I know I'm fishing... I'd originally thought to spend 1 day in Pembrokeshire before heading north to spend 2 days exploring Caernarfon, Conwy, and points in Snowdonia. It all feels ridiculously compressed which is why I'm considering skipping the Cotswolds (which we've at least visited previously) to buy us more time in Wales. If we take your advice re: kicking off after a day's rest, that feels more doable.

I'm also considering skipping the Lake District on this trip to buy us more time in the Yorkshire Dales. My husband's a bit resistant to that idea, lol. Noted also re: the weather... ultimately will try to have a rough plan which allows for re-routing.

My challenge is always that these trips seem too infrequent, so I'm always tempted to pack in too much!

Best to you!

bilboburgler ! HAH! Thank you for the laugh and for weighing in! Fair enough re: the driving and wishing your family members long lives.

Am definitely feeling like I need to edit to buy time in key areas like the Dales. If we do find ourselves with 3-4 days in the Dales, are there other stops you would recommend?

Thank you so much!

I think a lot of the questions I have relate to what you like and what you want to do. And I guess where you're coming from. And maybe even general age (are there youngsters in the group, mixed bag, etc.)

I've spent time in all the areas you mention over an almost 40 year period. My interests, and those of my husband (and our son, when he was young and traveling with us) could be wildly different than yours. And I agree with Janisj and bilboburgler about traveling by car after you land. But I end up at Heathrow after an 11 hour night flight from LAX. As many times as I have driven in the UK, as many times as I have gone up and down Hwy 1 in California (which can, at times, be a test of skill), and as well as I sleep on the plane, I know not to drive my first day there.

If it were me, and based upon our interests, not yours (!), if you want to get a quick start out of the Heathrow/London area, I'd take the Heathrow Express to Paddington, then take the First Great Western Service directly to Cardiff. The whole thing is about a 3 hour ride, where you can kick back and enjoy the scenery. You can kick back, and rent a car there.

Cardiff is a beautiful town, and the castle is amazing. Being Dr. Who buffs, I highly recommend the Dr. Who experience. Touristy, yes, but lots of fun even for those who haven't watched every episode.

On our last trip there, we continued on to visit Swansea, Mumbles and up to Laugharne. All those places we visited because I had to do my Dylan Thomas pilgrimage, so to speak.

Then I'd drive up to north Wales. A fun place to stay up there, and serve as a base would be Portmeirion, right there next to Snowdonia National Park. The English and older Americans who saw The Prisoner would know its fame. The Village is lovely, and lots of good walks. Also, it's very close to Porthmadog. From Porthmadog, you can take the world's oldest narrow gauge steam engine to the slate mines in Snowdonia at Blaenau Festiniog and back. Really a fun way of getting there and back, beautiful scenery, and being on an historical piece of machinery. See link below for further information.

https://www.festrail.co.uk/trains/

From there, head up to Lancaster, then on to the Yorkshire Dales and York.

From York, it's an easy drive back down to London.

Just quick - I'll post more in a bit. While heading in to Paddington and then a train out to Cardiff is totally doable, IME/IMO it would be easier and less hassle to just take the Express Coach directly from LHR to Cardiff.

While I personally love the Cotswolds, if you've visited there before and not been to Wales, I'd probably skip the Cotswolds and spend all that timeout west. I would NOT try to squeeze Pembrokeshire into one day and N Wales in two days. There is so much ro see and do on the gorgeous SW coast and all over North Wales I'd want a minimum 2 full days / 3 nights in Pembrokshire and 3 full days/4 nights in the north.

The Lake District vs Dales decision is totally 'flip a coin' territory. No wrong answer. But I wouldn't try to do either area in just two days. So you two will just have to duke it out

( psst . . . if it was me I'd pick the Dales )

Surfergirl and janisj , thank you!

Surfergirl, we're also from LA... Kids are grown so we're... older but not old. Interested in local culture, history, art, walking/driving through beautiful landscapes.

Like the suggestion of heading straight to Cardiff and picking up a rental there to start exploring and appreciate all the great Wales tips!

janisj, thanks for weighing in re: how much time we'll need to do it right. And re: the Dales vote, I'm hoping to leverage my husband's love for All Creatures Great and Small to convince him we'll need more time there!

Oh -- If he's into ACGandS you simply must go both to the Dales and also to Thirsk - Alf Wight's (James Herriot) original home veterinary surgery is a wonderful museum.

https://worldofjamesherriot.com/expl...or-attraction/

Years ago I was staying just up the road in Sutton-under-Whitestonecliffe - this was when Jim Wight was still running the surgery and we met him in the local pub. Not long after, he retired and the surgery was turned into a museum. I've since visited and it is really great

Wonderful! Thank you, janisj !

British weather is famously difficult to predict, but one thing we know is it is always wetter in the west than the east on average.

Good targets in the Dales are the ancient abbeys. Unesco sites like Fountains do need to be included but there are others in stunning situations but bring walking boots. Ripon Minster is a long walk from Fountains or a short drive. This is one of the few places worth having a tour guide show you around.

https://www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/pl...ervaulx_abbey/ Bolton Abbey

Don't stay in Harrogate, find a B&B near a pub and talk to locals (US CIA base is hidden in the Dales so you may be surprised who the locals are)

I live in the Yorkshire Dales and have done for many years - and I'm still exploring and finding new things!
It would help if you let me know what your interests were so I could guide you to various Dales locations (Bilbo is pretty local too, and the excellent Janis definitely knows her stuff!!).
For instance are you walkers? Interested in gardens? Not their best in October of course, but autumn colour can be lovely. Waterfalls? Stately homes? Museums? Abbeys? Shopping?
If the weather should be unkind there's indoor things to keep you busy - even caves to explore!
Stump Cross Caverns – A Fun Family Day Out in Yorkshire

Always good to have a Plan B up here and you won't have to get tickets in advance for anything.

A lot of the new series of All Creatures is filmed in Grassington. I wouldn't recommend going here mid summer as it can get busy but October would be lovely - it's a pretty place in Wharfedale, surrounded by beautiful scenery and a good base. It also has a nice selection of hotels, cafes and restaurants.
Discover Grassington | The beating heart of the Yorkshire Dales

There are some truly excellent places to eat in the Dales and if/when you find somewhere to stay I'll be happy to point you in their direction! The local produce is wonderful.

You could also consider a self catering cottage if that appeals, giving you plenty of space and freedom. Many cottage companies will consider a 3 -5 day stay this time of year. One of the biggest companies is Sykes - we use them all the while and have always found them to be reliable.
Grassington Cottages | Sykes Holiday Cottages (sykescottages.co.uk)

Given the time of year and the fact that you're coming from the US west coast (hence a major time change and potential jetlag issues to confront) I'd be tempted to reduce the scope of this trip to fewer destinations and less running around. I'd also consider changing things to a north-to-south plan rather than the opposite. The differences might be minor, but you MIGHT be able to stay a little ahead of poorer conditions by starting in Yorkshire (or even farther north) and moving south, and possibly by staying more on the east side of the island away from Atlantic influences in the west.

Now of course the Lakes and, say, Snowdonia in Wales are superb destinations; there's no arguing with either. But the north of England is full of marvelous destinations, some of which might serve as worthy substitutes for those areas.

What if you included the North York Moors along with the Dales? That could give you access to some of the picturesque and historic towns along the North Sea Coast - Staithes and Whitby, for example. Or even, what about something like this:

Land in Heathrow and spend the first night near the airport or maybe in Windsor. (Most flights from the west coast arrive in the late morning or early afternoon.) The next morning, fly up to Newcastle (NCL) - an hour and Ł63 - much faster (and cheaper) than by train, not even counting the hassle of getting into central London to catch the train north.

Get a car at NCL and drive north around an hour to the likes of Bamburgh or Alnwick, in the heart of the Northumberland "castle coast." Spend a day exploring this remarkable area - incredible castles in Bamburgh and Alnwick, the Holy Island of Lindisfarne just north of Bamburgh...

Then head south, maybe spending a night in Durham, home of the imposing Durham Cathedral. From there continue south to the North York Moors, maybe stopping in the beautiful coastal communities of Staithes and Whitby, maybe ending up in Helmsley. From there you'd be on the doorstep of the Dales, for whatever touring plans you might have for that area.

You might even think about continuing down the east side of Britain toward London. Maybe stop in the beautiful cathedral cities of Lincoln and Ely and explore Suffolk as a more than acceptable stand-in for the Cotswolds. Drop the car at Stansted Airport and train into London for the final week.

Map - northern part: https://maps.app.goo.gl/QxRKGDLXP7Jiw2da8
Map - southern part: https://maps.app.goo.gl/VZYyWpLHrTfDJFQp9

I haven't included the visit to Lancaster; maybe that could be done with a train ride from York, or of course you could visit Lancaster then continue into North Wales and Snowdonia if that appeals.

Anyway, just some thoughts to throw into the game.

Thanks so much, bilboburgler ! Great tips and all noted. See plenty of Americans here (LOL) so will heed your tip not to stay in Harrogate (was on the list!).

Thanks, Morgana ! Excellent point re: remaining flexible. The forecast here in LA is pretty one note so, while we expect actual weather elsewhere, the reality of it is something else entirely!

In terms of interests, I'd say we're more strollers than walkers, love a nice garden or country path, and enjoy all of the above... waterfalls, interesting architecture, museums, abbeys, music... but maybe not so much shopping.

Will check out your tips, and will definitely loop back as the plan comes together to tap you for dining recommendations - thank you!

Oh wow, Gardyloo , I think you've just made this harder! So many interesting suggestions we never would've known to consider! Yikes! I am looking forward to digging into these and likely will loop back with questions! Thank you!