France, Ireland and the UK: from tartan to tudors - food, history and wildlife!
Jan 13th, 2026 | 10:02 PM
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France, Ireland and the UK: from tartan to tudors - food, history and wildlife!
Our trip in a nutshell:
We (2 x 20-something lassies and our mum) spent 5.5 weeks travelling across France (Paris), Ireland and the United Kingdom from Australia in June-July 2025. We all share a love for food, history and wildlife so those were what we focused on. We also love Outlander so you’ll see a few references to that in this report. We spent about $15K AUD each on this trip thanks to the rubbish conversion rate and all our airfare was booked using points.
I'll take you through our adventure country-by-country, day-by-day and hopefully some of you will find the information useful for your own trips.
Before I kick off, thanks to those of you on Fodors, Rick Steves Forums and Trip Advisor for all your advice and recommendations, it was immensely helpful
And with that, we begin!
Transit
Day 1: We flew from Sydney to Paris via Singapore with British Airways and Air France. Both flights were comfortable and without delay. We were luckily able to upgrade our seats to business class on the longer leg from Singapore to Paris a few days out. As someone who hits the ground running to acclimatise to the new time zone (and not miss out on anything) it was much easier having had a good sleep in a lie flat bed en-route.
France (Paris)
Day 2: We arrived at CDG on time at 6am and cleared the airport quickly (phew). The RER wasn't operating from the airport that day so we took an Uber to the city after a bit of searching to find the pickup spot. We dropped our bags at our hotel and began sightseeing right away (call us crazy if you will) beginning with a visit to Notre Dame Cathedral. We pre-booked our entry and got in the door quickly but I must admit I found Notre Dame underwhelming perhaps because with the crush of crowds, it felt like you had to keep moving and didn't have the time or space to really appreciate the beauty of it. With that, I last visited Paris in November 2019 shortly after the fire so perhaps the longing to see Notre Dame increased my expectations. We broke for a mid-morning pastry stop at A Lacroix (lovely little spot) and walked along the river to take a cruise with Vedettes du Pont Neuf. I thoroughly enjoy seeing Paris from the Seine and happily found the numbers on the boat were comfortable so you could enjoy the views without others breathing down your neck. In the afternoon we took a walking tour of Montmartre and enjoyed some free time before enjoying a steak at Sacree Fleur for dinner. On this occasion we missed the beautiful Sacre Coeur as the line was hideously long and one we weren't prepared to stand in with the heat Paris was experiencing at the time.
Day 3: Our day began pottering about some small markets in the Latin Quarter near Maison d'Isabelle where we were happy to oblige and try their award winning croissants which were absolutely worth the hype. We took our time walking through the Latin Quarter towards the Catacombs, stopping in at the charming Church of Saint Etienne-du-Mont and admiring the Pantheon on our way. We arrived to find the Catacombs closed due to staff-strikes (when in Rome, eh?) so decided to re-route and made our way instead to the Conciergerie and thereafter, Saint Chapelle. I forgot how breathtaking Saint Chapelle was and was glad for the return visit. After a brief siesta, we made our way to the Eiffel Tower for some obligatory photos before dining at Francette aboard a decommissioned boat. We booked a month ahead the moment the booking calendar opened up and were rewarded with a great table for our efforts. Was it touristy? Yes. Did we have a wonderful time with unbeatable views? Absolutely. We stayed on to watch the Eiffel Tower light up (around 11pm) though this did mean we had to quickly make our way afterwards to get the last RER train from Champ de Mars as alternate later options would have taken us far longer to return to our hotel.
Day 4: We began a culture-filled day at the Louvre where we *briskly made our way to the Mona Lisa before the queue lengthened. Afterwards we visited each wing in turn with a shortlist of artworks and pieces we wanted to see - something that came quite in handy to make sure we didn't leave without seeing those pieces given how large and overwhelming the Louvre is. We lunched at the Galleries Lafayette and had delicious pasta at the truffle bar before trapsing up to the rooftop to enjoy the views. We rounded out with a visit to the Garnier opera house to take their 'Mystery Tour' before enjoying a wonderful dinner at Chez Georges du Rue Mail.
Day 5: Our final day in Paris was spent in Versailles. We arrived at opening before crowds picked up and stopped mid-morning to dine at the Angelina restaurant which in hindsight I wouldn't do again as it took us over 45 minutes to be seated despite the half-empty restaurant. We spent much of the day roaming around the palace grounds and particularly enjoyed Marie Antoinette's Hamlet and the animals there, a nice change from the main palace and with few people. It was a horrendously hot day and we began to regret the decision to explore the gardens by foot when later on the return train to Paris there were neither empty seats nor any cool air circulating. With that, it did mean that upon landing in London at 12am that evening en-route to Ireland, we practically fell right into our hotel beds and slept like the dead.
Accommodation: Hotel Royal Saint Michel - the rooms were small and a little dated but this gem made up for it with wonderful staff and a location that couldn't be beaten. There is a metro and RER station right across the road that connects to much of Paris that made it easy to get around.
Transport: We found it easy to navigate on public transport and used a Navigo weekly pass having come prepared with photo cut outs. Had the RER run the day we arrived at CDG we would have bought the passes there but due to the trains not operating, we instead had to find another station with a ticket office to buy the pass, something that wasn't a feature at all stations.
General thoughts: With more time I would have loved to explore more of the museums. I did find some of the forwardness of the men uncomfortable with few refusing to give up easily (and perhaps unsurprisingly a stark difference to when I visited last in Autumn when the cooler temperatures had me covering up more!) but never did I feel unsafe. Most frustratingly, it took MONTHS to be refunded for our tickets to the Catacombs and even then it was only facilitated after I threatened to lodge a complaint to the Tourism and Travel Ombudsman.
Notre Dame, so pristine
Delicious cakes from A Lacroix including their famous Notre Dame Apple
The beauty of Saint Chapelle
Our view from dinner at Francette
Lovely (and free) viewpoint from the roof of the Galleries Lafayette
You almost forget you're in Versailles when visiting the Hamlet
Ireland
Day 6 (County Clare): We flew from London Heathrow to Shannon Airport with Aer Lingus in the morning and picked up a hire car from Budget upon arrival. Our first stop was Doolin Cave where we had a great tour of the cave that we enjoyed thoroughly before continuing on to the Cliffs of Moher. It was a bit overcast but luckily had little fog. We then made our way towards Galway with a brief stop at Corcomroe Abbey en-route where we strolled through the ruins. On arrival to Galway we enjoyed a Spice Bag at Xian’s which absolutely hit the spot as the weather had cooled and turned for the worst.
Day 7 (County Galway): In the morning we drove to Clifden and took the Sky Road loop – what an incredible drive that was! As the driver I had to resist the urge to pull over every 5-minutes because of how breathtaking it was! Story-book mountains overlooking mirror-like lakes. Spectacular. We made our way to DK Connemara Oysters for a tour of their farm. Even as a non-oyster eater myself, it was a great experience and we learnt much about farming oysters amongst a beautiful backdrop. After lunch, we pulled in at Kylemore Abbey with a bit of time up our sleeves. We didn’t have time to explore much of the gardens having not originally planned to visit but were glad we did – the manor itself is small but was an enjoyable visit, but the views from the manor and the walkways nearby was truly something else. We rounded out with a cruise of Killary Fjord which was a lovely way to end the day before driving back to Galway and returning our car.
Day 8 (Inis Mor): We took the ferry from Galway to the largest of the Aran Islands, Inis Mor. Fair to say, if you’re one to get seasick, absolutely have nausea medication with you – we were absolutely fine but this was a vomit-cruise for many. Once on land we took a local bus tour around the island. We had a great day out and enjoyed learning about the island and the local community there. We particularly enjoyed the scenery from atop Dun Aonghasa and the incredible crab ‘salad’ we had for lunch (a heaping pile of grilled seasoned crab claws – delicious!). The cruise stopped past the Cliffs of Moher on its return to Galway which I thought provided for a much better view than when at the Cliffs themselves. Once back in Galway, we said goodbye to the West Coast and took the coach to Dublin.
Day 9 (Dublin): We began our time in the capital with a walking tour to see some of the main sights and learn about the city’s history – one of my favourite ways to get a taster of a new city. After lunch, we visited Kilmainham Gaol which is a sombre a thought-provoking place but a must-see in my opinion, and opened our eyes further to Ireland’s political history. In the evening, we took a ‘local’ pub tour which was a load of fun, even for a non-drinker like me!
Day 10 (County Trim + Surrounds): In the morning we picked up a car from the airport for the day to head to Trim Castle, the largest Anglo-Norman castle in Ireland. We just made it in time for a tour that starts each hour (after a bit of difficulty getting out of the airport with nearby traffic) and were thankful for it as it meant we got to visit inside the castle itself and learn of its history. We then continued to Bru na Boinne to see the neolithic burial tombs of Knowth, Dowth and Newgrange which was mystically eye-opening and an absolute treat. We rounded out with dinner in the seaside town of Skerries at Stoop Your Head (a recommendation from TripAdvisor which I’m glad for!) and had the most incredible scallops I’ve ever tasted. We returned the car in the evening after a fantastic day out. The hire car was a great option for us as we wanted to visit both Trim Castle and Bru na Boinne but couldn’t find any group tours that offered visits to both in the one day.
Day 11 (Dublin): By this point we were in much need of a sleep in so enjoyed a slow morning before heading out for some shopping and particularly enjoyed the op-shops along the south side of the river. In the afternoon, we took the train to Belfast making our way to Northern Ireland.
Accommodation: Victoria Hotel (Galway) and NYX Hotel Dublin Christchurch (Dublin) – we would happily stay in both hotels again – the rooms were a reasonable size and clean and the locations were well situated.
Transport: As an Aussie living in a major city with some narrow roads, I was driving in Ireland, but for anyone who isn’t comfortable driving on the left or on narrow roads, a smaller car will be more comfortable as some of the motorways (especially the N59) are quite narrow and there is very little clearance at times with stone walls right next to the road. We only used public transport on limited occasion and this meant that in Dublin we needed to have exact change for the bus (we knew we wouldn’t need the bus enough to justify getting a Leap card) so worth noting for other visitors who might only need to use public transport occasionally.
General thoughts: I’d return without question and next time will spend more time on the West Coast (and down South as has been recommended). This trip was never meant to include France or Ireland but was added on near the end but I’m glad we had even a few days to visit as we got a taster for how lovely the people are and how breathtaking the scenery is!
Slightly overcast at the Cliffs of Moher
The tranquility of Kylemore Abbey
On the water at Killary Fjord
The world's end? Cliffside on Dun Aonghasa
Cliffs of Moher on approach back to Galway from Inis Mor
Kilmainham Gaol
Newgrange
Northern Ireland (Belfast)
Day 12: This day was spent largely along the gorgeous Antrim coast on a ‘Game of Thrones’ tour we took with City Tours Belfast, visiting Carrickfergus Castle, Carrick-a-rede rope bridge, the Dark Hedges, Giant’s Causeway, and my favourite stop of the day, Dunluce Castle. We had a fantastic day with our tour guide, Dave and would recommend this tour to others. My only critique is that the buffet lunch at the hotel stopped at near the Dark Hedges wasn’t great (reminiscent of school camp foods) but there is a café on site that’s great!
Day 13: With Belfast’s history of shipbuilding, we couldn’t go without visiting Titanic Belfast. What a fantastic museum! The exhibits begin with an introduction to Belfast – the economic climate and the industries underpinning the city before moving on to the design and construction of the Titanic, including an immersive experience on a ride to see what work in the shipyards would have been like for workers. I particularly appreciated the exhibits showing what the staterooms would have looked like and stories about some of its passengers. The last exhibits on how the tragedy of its sinking unfolded provoked so much emotion while walking past reading the frantic Marconigrams sent by the crew to nearby ships. We broke for lunch in the café at the museum which surprised us with how delicious the food was (I devoured the pork chop despite not usually being a fan of the cut) and then proceeded nearby to the SS Nomadic, a former tender vessel used for the Titanic with a colourful history. It was immensely enjoyable to learn about its history while walking through the boat itself. Our visit to the museum took up much of the day that concluded with a short flight over to Glasgow, Scotland.
Accommodation: Bullitt Hotel – we found the hotel clean and reasonably appointed but on the smaller side, though it was a little noisy for us so I’m not sure I’d return necessarily for that reason.
Transport: We only caught public transport once to get to the airport and found the bus system straightforward and easy to use, even loaded up with luggage.
General thoughts: Our time was brief but would happily return to Northern Ireland with a focus on other places along the coastline based on the taster we had from the day we spent along the Antrim coast which was spectacular.
The not particularly visible Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge with spectacular surroundings
View from Dunluce Castle
Dunluce Castle
Giant's Causeway
Views from Giant's Causeway walk
SS Nomadic
ScotlandDay 14 (Stirling): Having arrived in Glasgow the night early, after a quick breakfast we took the train from Queen Street to Stirling and opted to take a quick cab ride to Stirling Castle due to mobility issues with my mother who met up with us and joined our trip in Glasgow. As a history buff who particularly loves Scottish and English royal history, I was quite excited to see Stirling but admittedly found it a wee bit underwhelming but did enjoy walking around the walls of the castle and the knowledgeable guides in historical dress scattered throughout the castle who shared some interesting facts and stories with us. After lunch, we made our way down towards the town and finished with a tour of the Old Town Jail, which was touristic but very engaging and eye-opening, and then returned to Glasgow. Had we the time, I would have loved to visited the Wallace Monument and the Battle of Bannockburn experience but with mum having just flown 26 hours from Australia the day before, it would’ve been too much too soon with the jetlag. Next time!
Day 15 (Drive to Oban): Thus began the car trip portion of our time in Scotland upon collecting our car from Glasgow Airport to avoid driving out of the city centre. We’d initially planned to spend some time in Luss on our way to Oban as well as a stop at Dunaad Fort but the downpour of rain was rather discouraging (Scotland, eh?). With the weather being what is was, the only planned stop we ended up making was at the Kilmartin Museum which focuses on the prehistoric history of Kilmartin Glen. We had a delightful lunch at the Kilmartin Hotel (where we tried and were pleasantly surprised and won over by haggis) before continuing on to Oban. After drying off, we enjoyed a tour of Oban Distillery followed by dinner at EE-Usk.
Day 16 (Isle of Mull - Iona): We got up bright and early to take the first ferry across to Craignure (Isle of Mull). We drove to Fionnphort where we parked up waiting for the ferry to Iona, with a quick detour to Duart Castle on the way. After the short ferry to Iona, we spent a few hours walking around the island and the revered Iona Abbey where we particularly enjoyed the exhibits detailing the history of Christianity in Scotland. We returned to Fionnphort from Iona on the ferry and then drove to Tobermory, our base while on Mull. We had a great dinner at Mishnish and loved their haggis spring rolls.
Day 17 (Isle of Mull – Staffa and Lunga): After picking up some baked goods from Tobermory Store, we walked to the pier to join Staffa Tours for a day on the islands of Staffa and Lunga. We arrived on Staffa first and had plenty of time to explore Fingal’s Cave and then walk up to the top of the island to see if we could spot any puffins (none sighted). The basalt rock formations at Giant’s Causeway were impressive but those at Staffa were something else entirely – there was something so mystically eerie and intriguing about these formations given the island location and the ability to walk just a wee bit into the cave. A short ride later and we were on Lunga and my goodness what a treat it was! In addition to the many puffins that we so eagerly awaited to see, there was plenty of other birdlife to be seen such as shags, guillemots and kittiwakes which we saw at Harp Rock which you can reach by following a walking path from the top of Lunga – there were so many thousands of shags, it was incredible. At the time of year we were there (end of June) we were fortunate to see many chicks as well, many having just emerged from the nest or still being closely guarded by their mothers. The experience was truly magical and absolutely a core memory! For those interested in going, a few notes I’d add that I hadn’t necessarily seen elsewhere – 1) A good degree of mobility is needed to traverse these islands and to walk up the hill in Lunga and along the path to Harp Rock it is initially steep and from there uneven and muddy. In our case, this meant that mum did not get to see much of the puffins as she couldn’t make her way up to the top of Lunga. 2) The boat ride is VERY bumpy and rough to the point of having to brace yourself to stay upright at times. Bring waterproof clothing (and shoes) and absolutely take nausea medication before even getting on the boat if you get motion sick! 3) Facilities are limited – the boat tours all have a toilet onboard as there is nothing on the islands, meaning you must bring food and drinks with you.
Day 18 (Isle of Mull): Following our day on the water, we spent our last day on Mull on a wildlife tour with Nature Scotland, taking us around the island to see wildlife by land, sea and air. We saw otters and dolphins, deer, golden eagles (with chicks!), white tail eagles (also with chicks!) and hen harriers. Our guide Jack was incredibly knowledgeable and personable and we had a great time and would gladly recommend this tour to others. We returned to Tobermory after the tour for a last hurrah at Café Fish (cash only) for dinner.
Day 19 (Glencoe): We said goodbye to Mull in the morning and caught the CalMac ferry back to Oban on our way towards the Glencoe Valley. On our way we stopped at the charming St Conan’s Kirk and a few scenic viewpoints before arriving at our destination. While in Glencoe, we enjoyed the Glen Etive drive and Three Sisters viewpoint for some marvelous scenery before visiting the Glencoe Visitor Centre. We enjoyed an early evening in, admiring the mountains of the Glencoe Valley from our hotel.
*** photo break ***
Iona Abbey
Charming colourful Tobermory
Fingal's Cave, Staffa
Staffa
Puffins!
Harp Rock and a few thousand odd European shags
More puffin goodness
Three Sisters Lookout
We (2 x 20-something lassies and our mum) spent 5.5 weeks travelling across France (Paris), Ireland and the United Kingdom from Australia in June-July 2025. We all share a love for food, history and wildlife so those were what we focused on. We also love Outlander so you’ll see a few references to that in this report. We spent about $15K AUD each on this trip thanks to the rubbish conversion rate and all our airfare was booked using points.
I'll take you through our adventure country-by-country, day-by-day and hopefully some of you will find the information useful for your own trips.
Before I kick off, thanks to those of you on Fodors, Rick Steves Forums and Trip Advisor for all your advice and recommendations, it was immensely helpful
And with that, we begin!
Transit
Day 1: We flew from Sydney to Paris via Singapore with British Airways and Air France. Both flights were comfortable and without delay. We were luckily able to upgrade our seats to business class on the longer leg from Singapore to Paris a few days out. As someone who hits the ground running to acclimatise to the new time zone (and not miss out on anything) it was much easier having had a good sleep in a lie flat bed en-route.
France (Paris)
Day 2: We arrived at CDG on time at 6am and cleared the airport quickly (phew). The RER wasn't operating from the airport that day so we took an Uber to the city after a bit of searching to find the pickup spot. We dropped our bags at our hotel and began sightseeing right away (call us crazy if you will) beginning with a visit to Notre Dame Cathedral. We pre-booked our entry and got in the door quickly but I must admit I found Notre Dame underwhelming perhaps because with the crush of crowds, it felt like you had to keep moving and didn't have the time or space to really appreciate the beauty of it. With that, I last visited Paris in November 2019 shortly after the fire so perhaps the longing to see Notre Dame increased my expectations. We broke for a mid-morning pastry stop at A Lacroix (lovely little spot) and walked along the river to take a cruise with Vedettes du Pont Neuf. I thoroughly enjoy seeing Paris from the Seine and happily found the numbers on the boat were comfortable so you could enjoy the views without others breathing down your neck. In the afternoon we took a walking tour of Montmartre and enjoyed some free time before enjoying a steak at Sacree Fleur for dinner. On this occasion we missed the beautiful Sacre Coeur as the line was hideously long and one we weren't prepared to stand in with the heat Paris was experiencing at the time.
Day 3: Our day began pottering about some small markets in the Latin Quarter near Maison d'Isabelle where we were happy to oblige and try their award winning croissants which were absolutely worth the hype. We took our time walking through the Latin Quarter towards the Catacombs, stopping in at the charming Church of Saint Etienne-du-Mont and admiring the Pantheon on our way. We arrived to find the Catacombs closed due to staff-strikes (when in Rome, eh?) so decided to re-route and made our way instead to the Conciergerie and thereafter, Saint Chapelle. I forgot how breathtaking Saint Chapelle was and was glad for the return visit. After a brief siesta, we made our way to the Eiffel Tower for some obligatory photos before dining at Francette aboard a decommissioned boat. We booked a month ahead the moment the booking calendar opened up and were rewarded with a great table for our efforts. Was it touristy? Yes. Did we have a wonderful time with unbeatable views? Absolutely. We stayed on to watch the Eiffel Tower light up (around 11pm) though this did mean we had to quickly make our way afterwards to get the last RER train from Champ de Mars as alternate later options would have taken us far longer to return to our hotel.
Day 4: We began a culture-filled day at the Louvre where we *briskly made our way to the Mona Lisa before the queue lengthened. Afterwards we visited each wing in turn with a shortlist of artworks and pieces we wanted to see - something that came quite in handy to make sure we didn't leave without seeing those pieces given how large and overwhelming the Louvre is. We lunched at the Galleries Lafayette and had delicious pasta at the truffle bar before trapsing up to the rooftop to enjoy the views. We rounded out with a visit to the Garnier opera house to take their 'Mystery Tour' before enjoying a wonderful dinner at Chez Georges du Rue Mail.
Day 5: Our final day in Paris was spent in Versailles. We arrived at opening before crowds picked up and stopped mid-morning to dine at the Angelina restaurant which in hindsight I wouldn't do again as it took us over 45 minutes to be seated despite the half-empty restaurant. We spent much of the day roaming around the palace grounds and particularly enjoyed Marie Antoinette's Hamlet and the animals there, a nice change from the main palace and with few people. It was a horrendously hot day and we began to regret the decision to explore the gardens by foot when later on the return train to Paris there were neither empty seats nor any cool air circulating. With that, it did mean that upon landing in London at 12am that evening en-route to Ireland, we practically fell right into our hotel beds and slept like the dead.
Accommodation: Hotel Royal Saint Michel - the rooms were small and a little dated but this gem made up for it with wonderful staff and a location that couldn't be beaten. There is a metro and RER station right across the road that connects to much of Paris that made it easy to get around.
Transport: We found it easy to navigate on public transport and used a Navigo weekly pass having come prepared with photo cut outs. Had the RER run the day we arrived at CDG we would have bought the passes there but due to the trains not operating, we instead had to find another station with a ticket office to buy the pass, something that wasn't a feature at all stations.
General thoughts: With more time I would have loved to explore more of the museums. I did find some of the forwardness of the men uncomfortable with few refusing to give up easily (and perhaps unsurprisingly a stark difference to when I visited last in Autumn when the cooler temperatures had me covering up more!) but never did I feel unsafe. Most frustratingly, it took MONTHS to be refunded for our tickets to the Catacombs and even then it was only facilitated after I threatened to lodge a complaint to the Tourism and Travel Ombudsman.
Notre Dame, so pristine
Delicious cakes from A Lacroix including their famous Notre Dame Apple
The beauty of Saint Chapelle
Our view from dinner at Francette
Lovely (and free) viewpoint from the roof of the Galleries Lafayette
You almost forget you're in Versailles when visiting the Hamlet
Ireland
Day 6 (County Clare): We flew from London Heathrow to Shannon Airport with Aer Lingus in the morning and picked up a hire car from Budget upon arrival. Our first stop was Doolin Cave where we had a great tour of the cave that we enjoyed thoroughly before continuing on to the Cliffs of Moher. It was a bit overcast but luckily had little fog. We then made our way towards Galway with a brief stop at Corcomroe Abbey en-route where we strolled through the ruins. On arrival to Galway we enjoyed a Spice Bag at Xian’s which absolutely hit the spot as the weather had cooled and turned for the worst.
Day 7 (County Galway): In the morning we drove to Clifden and took the Sky Road loop – what an incredible drive that was! As the driver I had to resist the urge to pull over every 5-minutes because of how breathtaking it was! Story-book mountains overlooking mirror-like lakes. Spectacular. We made our way to DK Connemara Oysters for a tour of their farm. Even as a non-oyster eater myself, it was a great experience and we learnt much about farming oysters amongst a beautiful backdrop. After lunch, we pulled in at Kylemore Abbey with a bit of time up our sleeves. We didn’t have time to explore much of the gardens having not originally planned to visit but were glad we did – the manor itself is small but was an enjoyable visit, but the views from the manor and the walkways nearby was truly something else. We rounded out with a cruise of Killary Fjord which was a lovely way to end the day before driving back to Galway and returning our car.
Day 8 (Inis Mor): We took the ferry from Galway to the largest of the Aran Islands, Inis Mor. Fair to say, if you’re one to get seasick, absolutely have nausea medication with you – we were absolutely fine but this was a vomit-cruise for many. Once on land we took a local bus tour around the island. We had a great day out and enjoyed learning about the island and the local community there. We particularly enjoyed the scenery from atop Dun Aonghasa and the incredible crab ‘salad’ we had for lunch (a heaping pile of grilled seasoned crab claws – delicious!). The cruise stopped past the Cliffs of Moher on its return to Galway which I thought provided for a much better view than when at the Cliffs themselves. Once back in Galway, we said goodbye to the West Coast and took the coach to Dublin.
Day 9 (Dublin): We began our time in the capital with a walking tour to see some of the main sights and learn about the city’s history – one of my favourite ways to get a taster of a new city. After lunch, we visited Kilmainham Gaol which is a sombre a thought-provoking place but a must-see in my opinion, and opened our eyes further to Ireland’s political history. In the evening, we took a ‘local’ pub tour which was a load of fun, even for a non-drinker like me!
Day 10 (County Trim + Surrounds): In the morning we picked up a car from the airport for the day to head to Trim Castle, the largest Anglo-Norman castle in Ireland. We just made it in time for a tour that starts each hour (after a bit of difficulty getting out of the airport with nearby traffic) and were thankful for it as it meant we got to visit inside the castle itself and learn of its history. We then continued to Bru na Boinne to see the neolithic burial tombs of Knowth, Dowth and Newgrange which was mystically eye-opening and an absolute treat. We rounded out with dinner in the seaside town of Skerries at Stoop Your Head (a recommendation from TripAdvisor which I’m glad for!) and had the most incredible scallops I’ve ever tasted. We returned the car in the evening after a fantastic day out. The hire car was a great option for us as we wanted to visit both Trim Castle and Bru na Boinne but couldn’t find any group tours that offered visits to both in the one day.
Day 11 (Dublin): By this point we were in much need of a sleep in so enjoyed a slow morning before heading out for some shopping and particularly enjoyed the op-shops along the south side of the river. In the afternoon, we took the train to Belfast making our way to Northern Ireland.
Accommodation: Victoria Hotel (Galway) and NYX Hotel Dublin Christchurch (Dublin) – we would happily stay in both hotels again – the rooms were a reasonable size and clean and the locations were well situated.
Transport: As an Aussie living in a major city with some narrow roads, I was driving in Ireland, but for anyone who isn’t comfortable driving on the left or on narrow roads, a smaller car will be more comfortable as some of the motorways (especially the N59) are quite narrow and there is very little clearance at times with stone walls right next to the road. We only used public transport on limited occasion and this meant that in Dublin we needed to have exact change for the bus (we knew we wouldn’t need the bus enough to justify getting a Leap card) so worth noting for other visitors who might only need to use public transport occasionally.
General thoughts: I’d return without question and next time will spend more time on the West Coast (and down South as has been recommended). This trip was never meant to include France or Ireland but was added on near the end but I’m glad we had even a few days to visit as we got a taster for how lovely the people are and how breathtaking the scenery is!
Slightly overcast at the Cliffs of Moher
The tranquility of Kylemore Abbey
On the water at Killary Fjord
The world's end? Cliffside on Dun Aonghasa
Cliffs of Moher on approach back to Galway from Inis Mor
Kilmainham Gaol
Newgrange
Northern Ireland (Belfast)
Day 12: This day was spent largely along the gorgeous Antrim coast on a ‘Game of Thrones’ tour we took with City Tours Belfast, visiting Carrickfergus Castle, Carrick-a-rede rope bridge, the Dark Hedges, Giant’s Causeway, and my favourite stop of the day, Dunluce Castle. We had a fantastic day with our tour guide, Dave and would recommend this tour to others. My only critique is that the buffet lunch at the hotel stopped at near the Dark Hedges wasn’t great (reminiscent of school camp foods) but there is a café on site that’s great!
Day 13: With Belfast’s history of shipbuilding, we couldn’t go without visiting Titanic Belfast. What a fantastic museum! The exhibits begin with an introduction to Belfast – the economic climate and the industries underpinning the city before moving on to the design and construction of the Titanic, including an immersive experience on a ride to see what work in the shipyards would have been like for workers. I particularly appreciated the exhibits showing what the staterooms would have looked like and stories about some of its passengers. The last exhibits on how the tragedy of its sinking unfolded provoked so much emotion while walking past reading the frantic Marconigrams sent by the crew to nearby ships. We broke for lunch in the café at the museum which surprised us with how delicious the food was (I devoured the pork chop despite not usually being a fan of the cut) and then proceeded nearby to the SS Nomadic, a former tender vessel used for the Titanic with a colourful history. It was immensely enjoyable to learn about its history while walking through the boat itself. Our visit to the museum took up much of the day that concluded with a short flight over to Glasgow, Scotland.
Accommodation: Bullitt Hotel – we found the hotel clean and reasonably appointed but on the smaller side, though it was a little noisy for us so I’m not sure I’d return necessarily for that reason.
Transport: We only caught public transport once to get to the airport and found the bus system straightforward and easy to use, even loaded up with luggage.
General thoughts: Our time was brief but would happily return to Northern Ireland with a focus on other places along the coastline based on the taster we had from the day we spent along the Antrim coast which was spectacular.
The not particularly visible Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge with spectacular surroundings
View from Dunluce Castle
Dunluce Castle
Giant's Causeway
Views from Giant's Causeway walk
SS Nomadic
ScotlandDay 14 (Stirling): Having arrived in Glasgow the night early, after a quick breakfast we took the train from Queen Street to Stirling and opted to take a quick cab ride to Stirling Castle due to mobility issues with my mother who met up with us and joined our trip in Glasgow. As a history buff who particularly loves Scottish and English royal history, I was quite excited to see Stirling but admittedly found it a wee bit underwhelming but did enjoy walking around the walls of the castle and the knowledgeable guides in historical dress scattered throughout the castle who shared some interesting facts and stories with us. After lunch, we made our way down towards the town and finished with a tour of the Old Town Jail, which was touristic but very engaging and eye-opening, and then returned to Glasgow. Had we the time, I would have loved to visited the Wallace Monument and the Battle of Bannockburn experience but with mum having just flown 26 hours from Australia the day before, it would’ve been too much too soon with the jetlag. Next time!
Day 15 (Drive to Oban): Thus began the car trip portion of our time in Scotland upon collecting our car from Glasgow Airport to avoid driving out of the city centre. We’d initially planned to spend some time in Luss on our way to Oban as well as a stop at Dunaad Fort but the downpour of rain was rather discouraging (Scotland, eh?). With the weather being what is was, the only planned stop we ended up making was at the Kilmartin Museum which focuses on the prehistoric history of Kilmartin Glen. We had a delightful lunch at the Kilmartin Hotel (where we tried and were pleasantly surprised and won over by haggis) before continuing on to Oban. After drying off, we enjoyed a tour of Oban Distillery followed by dinner at EE-Usk.
Day 16 (Isle of Mull - Iona): We got up bright and early to take the first ferry across to Craignure (Isle of Mull). We drove to Fionnphort where we parked up waiting for the ferry to Iona, with a quick detour to Duart Castle on the way. After the short ferry to Iona, we spent a few hours walking around the island and the revered Iona Abbey where we particularly enjoyed the exhibits detailing the history of Christianity in Scotland. We returned to Fionnphort from Iona on the ferry and then drove to Tobermory, our base while on Mull. We had a great dinner at Mishnish and loved their haggis spring rolls.
Day 17 (Isle of Mull – Staffa and Lunga): After picking up some baked goods from Tobermory Store, we walked to the pier to join Staffa Tours for a day on the islands of Staffa and Lunga. We arrived on Staffa first and had plenty of time to explore Fingal’s Cave and then walk up to the top of the island to see if we could spot any puffins (none sighted). The basalt rock formations at Giant’s Causeway were impressive but those at Staffa were something else entirely – there was something so mystically eerie and intriguing about these formations given the island location and the ability to walk just a wee bit into the cave. A short ride later and we were on Lunga and my goodness what a treat it was! In addition to the many puffins that we so eagerly awaited to see, there was plenty of other birdlife to be seen such as shags, guillemots and kittiwakes which we saw at Harp Rock which you can reach by following a walking path from the top of Lunga – there were so many thousands of shags, it was incredible. At the time of year we were there (end of June) we were fortunate to see many chicks as well, many having just emerged from the nest or still being closely guarded by their mothers. The experience was truly magical and absolutely a core memory! For those interested in going, a few notes I’d add that I hadn’t necessarily seen elsewhere – 1) A good degree of mobility is needed to traverse these islands and to walk up the hill in Lunga and along the path to Harp Rock it is initially steep and from there uneven and muddy. In our case, this meant that mum did not get to see much of the puffins as she couldn’t make her way up to the top of Lunga. 2) The boat ride is VERY bumpy and rough to the point of having to brace yourself to stay upright at times. Bring waterproof clothing (and shoes) and absolutely take nausea medication before even getting on the boat if you get motion sick! 3) Facilities are limited – the boat tours all have a toilet onboard as there is nothing on the islands, meaning you must bring food and drinks with you.
Day 18 (Isle of Mull): Following our day on the water, we spent our last day on Mull on a wildlife tour with Nature Scotland, taking us around the island to see wildlife by land, sea and air. We saw otters and dolphins, deer, golden eagles (with chicks!), white tail eagles (also with chicks!) and hen harriers. Our guide Jack was incredibly knowledgeable and personable and we had a great time and would gladly recommend this tour to others. We returned to Tobermory after the tour for a last hurrah at Café Fish (cash only) for dinner.
Day 19 (Glencoe): We said goodbye to Mull in the morning and caught the CalMac ferry back to Oban on our way towards the Glencoe Valley. On our way we stopped at the charming St Conan’s Kirk and a few scenic viewpoints before arriving at our destination. While in Glencoe, we enjoyed the Glen Etive drive and Three Sisters viewpoint for some marvelous scenery before visiting the Glencoe Visitor Centre. We enjoyed an early evening in, admiring the mountains of the Glencoe Valley from our hotel.
*** photo break ***
Iona Abbey
Charming colourful Tobermory
Fingal's Cave, Staffa
Staffa
Puffins!
Harp Rock and a few thousand odd European shags
More puffin goodness
Three Sisters Lookout
Last edited by victoriainwanderland; Jan 13th, 2026 at 10:19 PM.
Jan 14th, 2026 | 12:23 AM
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** trip report continued in this comment as I maxxed out the time to edit the original post!**
Day 20 (Highlands): Our plans went belly up with some soggy weather (a humble reminder to allow some contingency time when planning) on our drive from Glencoe to the Isle of Skye so we drove into Fort William on the way and enjoyed a lovely visit at the West Highland Museum.
Day 21 (Isle of Skye): We spent the day driving around the Trotternish Peninsula starting with a hike of the Old Man of Storr. It was a fairly miserable morning with rain and heavy wind so we didn’t quite make it all the way up but enjoyed a pleasant view nonetheless. From there we stopped at viewpoints on our loop such as Lealt Falls, Kilt Rock and Mealt Falls, the Quiraing (which we chose not to hike) as well as Duntulm Castle Ruins. We pulled in to the Skye Museum of Life in the afternoon before following the road back to Portree where we were based, our final stop of the day being at the Fairy Glen which was wonderfully whimsical and charming.
Day 22 (Isle of Skye): We spent the day on the North West of Skye beginning with a walk to Neist Point. For the efforts that would follow in returning up the hill later, we were rewarded with spectacular views. We continued along the road towards Dunvegan Castle which had far more to offer than we had first thought and spent a pleasant afternoon there. If there at the right time of year, I’d recommend the seal tour by boat – it was a great treat and also allowed us a chance to see the castle from the water. We finished with a walk along the Fairy Pools which were utterly tranquil.
Day 23 (Highlands): Leaving Portree late in the morning, we hit the road towards Inverness the ‘back way’ past Duirinish and Plockton. We stopped in Duirinish for a farm tour to see some highland cows up close before continuing on our way. For anyone driving that way, the Corran Restaurant is a gem that shouldn’t be missed. With a later departure than planned and a bit more pottering around than we thought, we stopped only briefly at a few scenic viewpoints before arriving in Inverness.
Day 24 (Inverness): We began our day by seeing Clava Cairns – naturally a must-do for us as Outlander fans. We drove a little further on to Culloden Moor to take a tour of the battlefield and explore the museum. The museum has been very thoughtfully designed in a way to allow you to take in both the Scottish and English perspectives of the events leading up to the rising of ’45 and the Battle of Culloden itself. After a break for lunch, we then visited Fort George which we enjoyed thoroughly despite our general disinterest in military history. Before saying goodbye to our hire car, we drove to Nairn to enjoy a fish and chip dinner which hit the spot nicely.
Day 25 (Edinburgh): In the morning we made our way by train from Inverness to Edinburgh. We took a walking tour through Edinburgh which was rather miserable due to poor judgment on our part in underestimating the power of a light sprinkle and being just about saturated by the time we finished. Edinburgh was absolutely alive though as it was Royal Week so crowds were abuzz with excitement and we did get to see King Charles and Queen Camilla arriving at St Giles Cathedral and later as they drove past us en route to our accommodation (shame we couldn’t catch a lift).
Day 26 (Edinburgh): We visited Edinburgh Castle for much of the morning and enjoyed all of the history of the castle and its occupants. After some lunch and window shopping along West Bow and Victoria Street, we stopped in to the National Museum where I was happy to have seen some of the Lewis Chessmen. We then made our way back to the Royal Mile and stopped in at St Giles, it having been closed the day prior because of the royal visit, and were pleasantly surprised by the ‘early Burghers’ exhibit on some of the medieval people of Edinburgh who were found buried within the Cathedral’s grounds.
Day 27 (Edinburgh): We couldn’t come to Edinburgh without taking an Outlander tour and so we did with Highland Explorer Tours. We visited Midhope Castle (Lallybroch), Doune Castle (Castle Leoch), Culross (setting for Cranesmuir), Falkland (setting for 1940s Inverness) and Blackness Castle (Fort William). We thoroughly enjoyed Blackness Castle in particular with its history and a notable mention for the Mac N Black pies we got in Falkland – delicious. On our drive back to Edinburgh we had a lovely sing-a-long to The Proclaimers’ ‘500 Miles’ which put a big smile on our hearts and our tour guide’s as well.
Day 28 (Edinburgh): We spent the day in Edinburgh’s not-so-new New Town for a bit of shopping but first visited the National Portrait Gallery. At the time the Gallery had an exhibit on James VI & I which we enjoyed tremendously. After dropping a good chunk of change in the shops, we returned to the Old Town to visit Mary King’s Close – we weren’t quite sure what we’d think and whether it might be a bit gimmicky but had a great time.
Day 29 (Edinburgh): Our last day in Scotland was spent at the Palace of Holyroodhouse which we were fortune to visit, it having only been re-opened that day following the end of Royal Week. A rather random but noticeable standout of our time there was a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II having not seen any of her portraits elsewhere. We learnt from the staff that much like the equivalent of family photographs, the royal family tend to keep contemporary portraits in their living quarters and it is more common for them to be disseminated to other castles and palaces after the passing of the subject of the portrait. In the afternoon, we made our way by train to York.
Accommodation: Premier Inn Glasgow City Buchanan Galleries (Glasgow), Premier Inn Oban (Oban), Morvern private rental (Tobermory, Isle of Mull), Clachaig Inn (Glencoe), Airbnb (Portree, Isle of Skye + Inverness), Holyrood Aparthotel (Edinburgh) – we were happy with all our accommodation and would stay at each again. In particular, the Premier Inn in Oban was quite practical as it was one of the few hotels with a carpark. Our favourite was Morvern in Tobermory (they have their own website but are also on Booking.com) – it is located only 2 minutes from Tobermory and is very comfortably appointed and offered a lovely view from the deck.
Transport: We drove everywhere and then walked around Edinburgh by foot so never took public transport in Scotland. I found driving in Scotland easier than Ireland with the roads being slightly wider. I found all driving times on Google to be accurate estimates but will add that I regularly drove the speed limit and was fairly confident on the road. I did find that traffic was worst on Skye largely thanks to slower moving cars. It was much better on Mull and my only guess to why is perhaps that Mull is only accessible by ferry where there are signs throughout advising slow moving traffic to use passing places whereas there’s perhaps less awareness for Skye since it can be accessed via the bridge.
General thoughts: Scotland absolutely has our hearts and we would return without giving it a moment’s thought if we could. The photos simply don't do it justice! We enjoyed our time along the Inner Hebrides the most and on a future visit would love to do the NC500 and visit the Outer Hebrides and other islands. I often see people querying whether to visit Mull or Skye and having been to both, both is desirable but we overall enjoyed Mull that little bit more. We felt like Skye is more of an adventurer’s playground with all the hiking opportunities whereas we enjoyed the slower pace of Mull and all the wildlife we got to see. When visiting, don’t turn your nose at haggis or black pudding! We were pleasantly surprised by both and found them delicious.
We had to remind ourselves that we were in Scotland with that crystal blue water!
Kilt Rock and Mealt Falls
The Fairy Glen
Neist Point Lighthouse
Dunvegan Castle from the water
Fairy Pools
Hairy coos!
My friend, Rab
Charming Edinburgh
If you know, you know
ENGLAND
Day 30 (York): We began our time in York with a walking tour run by the Association of Voluntary Guides and enjoyed a marvelous few hours orienting ourselves around York. As a massive history nerd myself, being in York and walking along the walls was a 'pinch me' moment as York has just about seen it all from Vikings to the Normans to the Lancastrians during the War of the Roses. We visited York Castle Museum in the afternoon which we didn't quite know what to make of at first but pleasantly enjoyed. The preserved Victorian street is reason alone to go - it was simply magnificent! Stick around for one of the guided talks by one of the curators. We then strolled over to Clifford's Tower and enjoyed a great view of the city.
Day 31 (York): Our morning was spent at York Minster with some free time on our own wandering around coupled with a 'Hidden Minster tour' to access the parts of the Minster most visitors don't get to see. After a stop for lunch, we spent the rest of the day wandering around the streets of York spotting the cat statues and doing a little bit of shopping before taking the train to London.
Day 32 (London): As lovers of British royal history (and tourists...) we had to start our time in London at the infamous Tower of London. We b-lined for the Crown Jewels immediately upon opening to avoid the queue that would worsen as the day went on and then made our way around the site at our own pace. We chose not to take a tour with the Yeoman Warders largely because of the crowd sizes and preferring to go inside buildings as we went our way around. With that said, with my historical interest I considered myself not too shabby of a tour guide and was thrilled to spot Tracy Borman (IYKYK) on the grounds of the Tower filming a documentary of sorts. We spent around 6 hours at the Tower in all (compared to the 4 I spent there in late 2019) largely due to the heat that London experienced that week which slowed us down and added on a few more drink breaks in the cafe. After finishing at the Tower in the afternoon, we'd intended to see some of the Roman ruins around London but found a few had been closed on short notice for events (the mithraeum and amphitheater).
Day 33 (London): In the morning we visited Westminster Abbey, one of my favourite places in London. We were able to grab spots on one of the Verger tours which was absolutely wonderful and something I'd highly recommend to anyone visiting the Abbey. The verger guiding our tour had a wealth of knowledge to share about the Abbey (including his personal involvement in the coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla) and it was incredible being able to sit in the Quire and visit the tomb of Edward the Confessor. In the afternoon after a well needed lunch break we headed to Tate Britain so I could see one of my favourite paintings, Ellen Terry as Lady Macbeth by John Singer Sargent. That evening, we went to the O2 to see Mamma Mia: the Party. We had intended to take the Uber boat to Greenwich Pier for a more scenic journey along the Thames than the train but were rather disappointed to find that only limited numbers were let on at each stop despite the boat being half empty and didn't have the extra 40 minutes up our sleeves to make it onto the following boat or two.
Day 34 (London): After a much needed sleep in we visited the National Portrait Gallery and spent a few hours roaming the halls to enjoy the royal collection spanning from 1300 to 1850, particularly enjoying the Tudor and Stuart portraits on display. We had a fabulous lunch at Pick & Cheese (think sushi-go-round but with cheeses from Ireland and the UK) and then made our way to Buckingham Palace that had just opened for the summer. Our last stop for the day was Fortnum & Mason where I spent far too much time oogling at all the offerings on display and dropped a pretty penny on some gifts for loved ones back home.
Day 35 (Stonehenge + Bath): We took a day trip with Andersen Tours to Stonehenge and Bath but this day was rather a blur as the weather was absolutely scorching and made it rather unbearable to be out in the sun with very little shade. We Aussies are used to high temperatures but it hits different when you're out and about all day and with little access to air conditioning. While in Bath we toured the Roman Bath and enjoyed some free time in town and took the first opportunity to enjoy some much deserved ice cream.
Day 36 (Hampton Court Palace): We ventured out of London once again but this time we visited Hampton Court Palace. As part of the summer program of activities, we enjoyed a staged jousting tournament in the Palace's garden before touring the Palace itself. I was thrilled to visit the Wolsey Rooms, part of the oldest section of the complex, which had opened in the time since my first visit back in 2019. We more or less spent the entire day at Hampton Court Palace making sure we saw every bit of it and then walked across the road to enjoy a lovely pub roast at the Mute Swan before returning to London.
Day 37 (London): We spent our last day in London at leisure with some shopping and a visit to Kensington Palace where we enjoyed the learnings about Queen Victoria's childhood, and for me particularly as a sewist, I was fond of the fashion exhibit on at the time. After a bit of rest in the afternoon we went to the ABBA Voyage concert which was a spectacular night out to close out our time in London and our trip.
Accommodation: Radisson Hotel York (York) and Premier Inn Waterloo (Westminster Bridge) - the Radisson was preferrable to the Premier Inn (alas in peak season in London we couldn't afford much else!) but both were clean and very well situated and we would happily return to stay there. I particularly would recommend this Premier Inn for other travellers as the location was superb being located between (and proximate walking distance to) Westminster and Waterloo stations which connect directly to much of the city making for few transfers, if any.
Transport: In York we got around entirely by foot whereas in London we were naturally reliant on public transport. London's transportation system is incredibly user friendly with the ability to 'tap on' using your credit or debit card rather than a transport ticket. During peak hour it was sometimes nerve wracking due to the crowd crush and trying not to get separated. We took cabs to/from our hotel when we checked in and later checked out and went to the airport as we couldn't bear the thought of trying to navigate the train system with our luggage.
General thoughts: We were worried that we'd allowed far too little time for York but it worked out to be just right. We spent a week in London and there was still plenty we could have done (I would have loved to visit Bletchley Park had time permitted) though in future visits I'd be inclined to visit Northern England rather than spending quite as much time in the capital. Only shortly before our trip did I realise how much of interest there was to see in the Northumberland area but by that time it was far too late to change our plans. For those visiting deciding between Mamma Mia: the Party and ABBA Voyage, if you can't do both, see ABBA Voyage!! I found Mamma Mia: the Party a little gimmicky (and cramped). It was a fun night out but far surpassed for me by ABBA Voyage which absolutely exceeded our expectations and we'd happily go again if given the chance.
View from Clifford's Tower
York Minster
Tower Bridge
The White Tower, Tower of London
Ravens at the Tower of London
Elizabeth Tower (better known for its clock, Big Ben)
Ellen Terry as Lady Macbeth, Tate Britain
Stonehenge (not pictured, the sunburn we got walking around on a 35 degree day)
Roman Baths, Bath
Hampton Court Palace
TRANSIT
Day 38: Our time had come to return home on a 26+ hour journey. Our return flights weren't as direct as our originating flights and we had a very tight and stressful layover in Frankfurt with only 70 minutes that was complicated by the fact that we had to self-transfer having been told at the last minute before boarding in London that the airlines we were travelling on didn't have a transfer agreement in place. But alas, we made it onto our connecting flight and safely home in Australia where we couldn't help but laugh at returning to winter temperatures that were warmer than those we encountered in Scotland in the summertime.
Overall thoughts and advice
Pacing/timing: I was a bit nervous about timing of our itinerary as we'd been cautioned by other travellers to cut things out or slow down. In the end, we found that the pacing was absolutely fine for us and we were happy with it with the exclusion of London simply because it was so stinking hot that slowed us down, but we could have encountered the same even if we had twice the time in London. All that said, we were quite lucky while doing the roadtrip portions as I was able to confidently manage on the roads (we also drive on the left in Australia) and we didn't come across any road closures or re-diversions that can add hours of travel time.
Car hire: We rented our cars from Budget and Europcar and the only complaint was that half the time the cars were not as advertised and at times that we needed a larger car for luggage we had a smaller car, and on the times that we could have made do with a small car, we had a larger car despite booking medium SUVs the whole way through. With that, we made it work so it was fine in the end. We were sad to return the car when we had to as it was wonderful being able to go where we wanted when we wanted.
Where we visited: We'd absolutely return to all of the places we visited though we'd be more inclined to see more of the countryside than the city. In addition to the spectacular views, the people were far more pleasant.
Costs: The UK in particular is quite costly for us to visit as our dollar is utter rubbish against the GBP (at the time we were getting 48 pence for each Aussie dollar if we were lucky). We were able to save a lot of money though by booking accommodation well ahead but also through passes and memberships. We bought Historic Scotland memberships in advance (that also got us 50% off in some sites in England) as well as memberships for Historic Royal Palaces and found that those saves us a significant amount of money. For us, Historic Scotland memberships with the package deals (i.e. 2 x adults for reduced pricing) was far better value than the Explorer Passes usually recommended.
Regrets: Our only regret was not visiting Lindisfarne/Holy Island. We'd intended to go on our last day in Edinburgh and were going to take the train to Berwick-upon-Tweed and meet a taxi driver who would drive us around for the day before dropping us at the station to continue on to York. We decided to cancel this a few days out as we would have had our luggage with us and one blindspot in our planning was how short the train stop at Berwick-upon-Tweed would be which we simply wouldn't have managed with our luggage and my mum's bad hip.
Food: We enjoyed trying delicacies like haggis and black pudding (I've said it twice now because we were taken away by how delicious they were) and mostly had good food wherever we went with few exceptions. The seafood in Ireland and Scotland was absolutely incredible and better than what I have had at home in Australia (I was very surprised by this!). Admittedly by the end of the trip I was ready to never eat potatoes again but that lasted all of 5 minutes. I've put some cafe and restaurant mentions throughout this report based on the places I can remember which we enjoyed.
With that all, if you've managed to read all that - well done!
I hope this trip report helps some of you with your planning and that I can pay it back for all the great advice I received when planning my own trip. I'm now pleased to say that after returning from this trip I bought my first home and am now saving ahead of starting a family with my partner so alas I will not be heading anywhere exciting any time soon so it was lovely to re-live this trip in writing this report
Day 20 (Highlands): Our plans went belly up with some soggy weather (a humble reminder to allow some contingency time when planning) on our drive from Glencoe to the Isle of Skye so we drove into Fort William on the way and enjoyed a lovely visit at the West Highland Museum.
Day 21 (Isle of Skye): We spent the day driving around the Trotternish Peninsula starting with a hike of the Old Man of Storr. It was a fairly miserable morning with rain and heavy wind so we didn’t quite make it all the way up but enjoyed a pleasant view nonetheless. From there we stopped at viewpoints on our loop such as Lealt Falls, Kilt Rock and Mealt Falls, the Quiraing (which we chose not to hike) as well as Duntulm Castle Ruins. We pulled in to the Skye Museum of Life in the afternoon before following the road back to Portree where we were based, our final stop of the day being at the Fairy Glen which was wonderfully whimsical and charming.
Day 22 (Isle of Skye): We spent the day on the North West of Skye beginning with a walk to Neist Point. For the efforts that would follow in returning up the hill later, we were rewarded with spectacular views. We continued along the road towards Dunvegan Castle which had far more to offer than we had first thought and spent a pleasant afternoon there. If there at the right time of year, I’d recommend the seal tour by boat – it was a great treat and also allowed us a chance to see the castle from the water. We finished with a walk along the Fairy Pools which were utterly tranquil.
Day 23 (Highlands): Leaving Portree late in the morning, we hit the road towards Inverness the ‘back way’ past Duirinish and Plockton. We stopped in Duirinish for a farm tour to see some highland cows up close before continuing on our way. For anyone driving that way, the Corran Restaurant is a gem that shouldn’t be missed. With a later departure than planned and a bit more pottering around than we thought, we stopped only briefly at a few scenic viewpoints before arriving in Inverness.
Day 24 (Inverness): We began our day by seeing Clava Cairns – naturally a must-do for us as Outlander fans. We drove a little further on to Culloden Moor to take a tour of the battlefield and explore the museum. The museum has been very thoughtfully designed in a way to allow you to take in both the Scottish and English perspectives of the events leading up to the rising of ’45 and the Battle of Culloden itself. After a break for lunch, we then visited Fort George which we enjoyed thoroughly despite our general disinterest in military history. Before saying goodbye to our hire car, we drove to Nairn to enjoy a fish and chip dinner which hit the spot nicely.
Day 25 (Edinburgh): In the morning we made our way by train from Inverness to Edinburgh. We took a walking tour through Edinburgh which was rather miserable due to poor judgment on our part in underestimating the power of a light sprinkle and being just about saturated by the time we finished. Edinburgh was absolutely alive though as it was Royal Week so crowds were abuzz with excitement and we did get to see King Charles and Queen Camilla arriving at St Giles Cathedral and later as they drove past us en route to our accommodation (shame we couldn’t catch a lift).
Day 26 (Edinburgh): We visited Edinburgh Castle for much of the morning and enjoyed all of the history of the castle and its occupants. After some lunch and window shopping along West Bow and Victoria Street, we stopped in to the National Museum where I was happy to have seen some of the Lewis Chessmen. We then made our way back to the Royal Mile and stopped in at St Giles, it having been closed the day prior because of the royal visit, and were pleasantly surprised by the ‘early Burghers’ exhibit on some of the medieval people of Edinburgh who were found buried within the Cathedral’s grounds.
Day 27 (Edinburgh): We couldn’t come to Edinburgh without taking an Outlander tour and so we did with Highland Explorer Tours. We visited Midhope Castle (Lallybroch), Doune Castle (Castle Leoch), Culross (setting for Cranesmuir), Falkland (setting for 1940s Inverness) and Blackness Castle (Fort William). We thoroughly enjoyed Blackness Castle in particular with its history and a notable mention for the Mac N Black pies we got in Falkland – delicious. On our drive back to Edinburgh we had a lovely sing-a-long to The Proclaimers’ ‘500 Miles’ which put a big smile on our hearts and our tour guide’s as well.
Day 28 (Edinburgh): We spent the day in Edinburgh’s not-so-new New Town for a bit of shopping but first visited the National Portrait Gallery. At the time the Gallery had an exhibit on James VI & I which we enjoyed tremendously. After dropping a good chunk of change in the shops, we returned to the Old Town to visit Mary King’s Close – we weren’t quite sure what we’d think and whether it might be a bit gimmicky but had a great time.
Day 29 (Edinburgh): Our last day in Scotland was spent at the Palace of Holyroodhouse which we were fortune to visit, it having only been re-opened that day following the end of Royal Week. A rather random but noticeable standout of our time there was a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II having not seen any of her portraits elsewhere. We learnt from the staff that much like the equivalent of family photographs, the royal family tend to keep contemporary portraits in their living quarters and it is more common for them to be disseminated to other castles and palaces after the passing of the subject of the portrait. In the afternoon, we made our way by train to York.
Accommodation: Premier Inn Glasgow City Buchanan Galleries (Glasgow), Premier Inn Oban (Oban), Morvern private rental (Tobermory, Isle of Mull), Clachaig Inn (Glencoe), Airbnb (Portree, Isle of Skye + Inverness), Holyrood Aparthotel (Edinburgh) – we were happy with all our accommodation and would stay at each again. In particular, the Premier Inn in Oban was quite practical as it was one of the few hotels with a carpark. Our favourite was Morvern in Tobermory (they have their own website but are also on Booking.com) – it is located only 2 minutes from Tobermory and is very comfortably appointed and offered a lovely view from the deck.
Transport: We drove everywhere and then walked around Edinburgh by foot so never took public transport in Scotland. I found driving in Scotland easier than Ireland with the roads being slightly wider. I found all driving times on Google to be accurate estimates but will add that I regularly drove the speed limit and was fairly confident on the road. I did find that traffic was worst on Skye largely thanks to slower moving cars. It was much better on Mull and my only guess to why is perhaps that Mull is only accessible by ferry where there are signs throughout advising slow moving traffic to use passing places whereas there’s perhaps less awareness for Skye since it can be accessed via the bridge.
General thoughts: Scotland absolutely has our hearts and we would return without giving it a moment’s thought if we could. The photos simply don't do it justice! We enjoyed our time along the Inner Hebrides the most and on a future visit would love to do the NC500 and visit the Outer Hebrides and other islands. I often see people querying whether to visit Mull or Skye and having been to both, both is desirable but we overall enjoyed Mull that little bit more. We felt like Skye is more of an adventurer’s playground with all the hiking opportunities whereas we enjoyed the slower pace of Mull and all the wildlife we got to see. When visiting, don’t turn your nose at haggis or black pudding! We were pleasantly surprised by both and found them delicious.
We had to remind ourselves that we were in Scotland with that crystal blue water!
Kilt Rock and Mealt Falls
The Fairy Glen
Neist Point Lighthouse
Dunvegan Castle from the water
Fairy Pools
Hairy coos!
My friend, Rab
Charming Edinburgh
If you know, you know
ENGLAND
Day 30 (York): We began our time in York with a walking tour run by the Association of Voluntary Guides and enjoyed a marvelous few hours orienting ourselves around York. As a massive history nerd myself, being in York and walking along the walls was a 'pinch me' moment as York has just about seen it all from Vikings to the Normans to the Lancastrians during the War of the Roses. We visited York Castle Museum in the afternoon which we didn't quite know what to make of at first but pleasantly enjoyed. The preserved Victorian street is reason alone to go - it was simply magnificent! Stick around for one of the guided talks by one of the curators. We then strolled over to Clifford's Tower and enjoyed a great view of the city.
Day 31 (York): Our morning was spent at York Minster with some free time on our own wandering around coupled with a 'Hidden Minster tour' to access the parts of the Minster most visitors don't get to see. After a stop for lunch, we spent the rest of the day wandering around the streets of York spotting the cat statues and doing a little bit of shopping before taking the train to London.
Day 32 (London): As lovers of British royal history (and tourists...) we had to start our time in London at the infamous Tower of London. We b-lined for the Crown Jewels immediately upon opening to avoid the queue that would worsen as the day went on and then made our way around the site at our own pace. We chose not to take a tour with the Yeoman Warders largely because of the crowd sizes and preferring to go inside buildings as we went our way around. With that said, with my historical interest I considered myself not too shabby of a tour guide and was thrilled to spot Tracy Borman (IYKYK) on the grounds of the Tower filming a documentary of sorts. We spent around 6 hours at the Tower in all (compared to the 4 I spent there in late 2019) largely due to the heat that London experienced that week which slowed us down and added on a few more drink breaks in the cafe. After finishing at the Tower in the afternoon, we'd intended to see some of the Roman ruins around London but found a few had been closed on short notice for events (the mithraeum and amphitheater).
Day 33 (London): In the morning we visited Westminster Abbey, one of my favourite places in London. We were able to grab spots on one of the Verger tours which was absolutely wonderful and something I'd highly recommend to anyone visiting the Abbey. The verger guiding our tour had a wealth of knowledge to share about the Abbey (including his personal involvement in the coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla) and it was incredible being able to sit in the Quire and visit the tomb of Edward the Confessor. In the afternoon after a well needed lunch break we headed to Tate Britain so I could see one of my favourite paintings, Ellen Terry as Lady Macbeth by John Singer Sargent. That evening, we went to the O2 to see Mamma Mia: the Party. We had intended to take the Uber boat to Greenwich Pier for a more scenic journey along the Thames than the train but were rather disappointed to find that only limited numbers were let on at each stop despite the boat being half empty and didn't have the extra 40 minutes up our sleeves to make it onto the following boat or two.
Day 34 (London): After a much needed sleep in we visited the National Portrait Gallery and spent a few hours roaming the halls to enjoy the royal collection spanning from 1300 to 1850, particularly enjoying the Tudor and Stuart portraits on display. We had a fabulous lunch at Pick & Cheese (think sushi-go-round but with cheeses from Ireland and the UK) and then made our way to Buckingham Palace that had just opened for the summer. Our last stop for the day was Fortnum & Mason where I spent far too much time oogling at all the offerings on display and dropped a pretty penny on some gifts for loved ones back home.
Day 35 (Stonehenge + Bath): We took a day trip with Andersen Tours to Stonehenge and Bath but this day was rather a blur as the weather was absolutely scorching and made it rather unbearable to be out in the sun with very little shade. We Aussies are used to high temperatures but it hits different when you're out and about all day and with little access to air conditioning. While in Bath we toured the Roman Bath and enjoyed some free time in town and took the first opportunity to enjoy some much deserved ice cream.
Day 36 (Hampton Court Palace): We ventured out of London once again but this time we visited Hampton Court Palace. As part of the summer program of activities, we enjoyed a staged jousting tournament in the Palace's garden before touring the Palace itself. I was thrilled to visit the Wolsey Rooms, part of the oldest section of the complex, which had opened in the time since my first visit back in 2019. We more or less spent the entire day at Hampton Court Palace making sure we saw every bit of it and then walked across the road to enjoy a lovely pub roast at the Mute Swan before returning to London.
Day 37 (London): We spent our last day in London at leisure with some shopping and a visit to Kensington Palace where we enjoyed the learnings about Queen Victoria's childhood, and for me particularly as a sewist, I was fond of the fashion exhibit on at the time. After a bit of rest in the afternoon we went to the ABBA Voyage concert which was a spectacular night out to close out our time in London and our trip.
Accommodation: Radisson Hotel York (York) and Premier Inn Waterloo (Westminster Bridge) - the Radisson was preferrable to the Premier Inn (alas in peak season in London we couldn't afford much else!) but both were clean and very well situated and we would happily return to stay there. I particularly would recommend this Premier Inn for other travellers as the location was superb being located between (and proximate walking distance to) Westminster and Waterloo stations which connect directly to much of the city making for few transfers, if any.
Transport: In York we got around entirely by foot whereas in London we were naturally reliant on public transport. London's transportation system is incredibly user friendly with the ability to 'tap on' using your credit or debit card rather than a transport ticket. During peak hour it was sometimes nerve wracking due to the crowd crush and trying not to get separated. We took cabs to/from our hotel when we checked in and later checked out and went to the airport as we couldn't bear the thought of trying to navigate the train system with our luggage.
General thoughts: We were worried that we'd allowed far too little time for York but it worked out to be just right. We spent a week in London and there was still plenty we could have done (I would have loved to visit Bletchley Park had time permitted) though in future visits I'd be inclined to visit Northern England rather than spending quite as much time in the capital. Only shortly before our trip did I realise how much of interest there was to see in the Northumberland area but by that time it was far too late to change our plans. For those visiting deciding between Mamma Mia: the Party and ABBA Voyage, if you can't do both, see ABBA Voyage!! I found Mamma Mia: the Party a little gimmicky (and cramped). It was a fun night out but far surpassed for me by ABBA Voyage which absolutely exceeded our expectations and we'd happily go again if given the chance.
View from Clifford's Tower
York Minster
Tower Bridge
The White Tower, Tower of London
Ravens at the Tower of London
Elizabeth Tower (better known for its clock, Big Ben)
Ellen Terry as Lady Macbeth, Tate Britain
Stonehenge (not pictured, the sunburn we got walking around on a 35 degree day)
Roman Baths, Bath
Hampton Court Palace
TRANSIT
Day 38: Our time had come to return home on a 26+ hour journey. Our return flights weren't as direct as our originating flights and we had a very tight and stressful layover in Frankfurt with only 70 minutes that was complicated by the fact that we had to self-transfer having been told at the last minute before boarding in London that the airlines we were travelling on didn't have a transfer agreement in place. But alas, we made it onto our connecting flight and safely home in Australia where we couldn't help but laugh at returning to winter temperatures that were warmer than those we encountered in Scotland in the summertime.
Overall thoughts and advice
Pacing/timing: I was a bit nervous about timing of our itinerary as we'd been cautioned by other travellers to cut things out or slow down. In the end, we found that the pacing was absolutely fine for us and we were happy with it with the exclusion of London simply because it was so stinking hot that slowed us down, but we could have encountered the same even if we had twice the time in London. All that said, we were quite lucky while doing the roadtrip portions as I was able to confidently manage on the roads (we also drive on the left in Australia) and we didn't come across any road closures or re-diversions that can add hours of travel time.
Car hire: We rented our cars from Budget and Europcar and the only complaint was that half the time the cars were not as advertised and at times that we needed a larger car for luggage we had a smaller car, and on the times that we could have made do with a small car, we had a larger car despite booking medium SUVs the whole way through. With that, we made it work so it was fine in the end. We were sad to return the car when we had to as it was wonderful being able to go where we wanted when we wanted.
Where we visited: We'd absolutely return to all of the places we visited though we'd be more inclined to see more of the countryside than the city. In addition to the spectacular views, the people were far more pleasant.
Costs: The UK in particular is quite costly for us to visit as our dollar is utter rubbish against the GBP (at the time we were getting 48 pence for each Aussie dollar if we were lucky). We were able to save a lot of money though by booking accommodation well ahead but also through passes and memberships. We bought Historic Scotland memberships in advance (that also got us 50% off in some sites in England) as well as memberships for Historic Royal Palaces and found that those saves us a significant amount of money. For us, Historic Scotland memberships with the package deals (i.e. 2 x adults for reduced pricing) was far better value than the Explorer Passes usually recommended.
Regrets: Our only regret was not visiting Lindisfarne/Holy Island. We'd intended to go on our last day in Edinburgh and were going to take the train to Berwick-upon-Tweed and meet a taxi driver who would drive us around for the day before dropping us at the station to continue on to York. We decided to cancel this a few days out as we would have had our luggage with us and one blindspot in our planning was how short the train stop at Berwick-upon-Tweed would be which we simply wouldn't have managed with our luggage and my mum's bad hip.
Food: We enjoyed trying delicacies like haggis and black pudding (I've said it twice now because we were taken away by how delicious they were) and mostly had good food wherever we went with few exceptions. The seafood in Ireland and Scotland was absolutely incredible and better than what I have had at home in Australia (I was very surprised by this!). Admittedly by the end of the trip I was ready to never eat potatoes again but that lasted all of 5 minutes. I've put some cafe and restaurant mentions throughout this report based on the places I can remember which we enjoyed.
With that all, if you've managed to read all that - well done!
I hope this trip report helps some of you with your planning and that I can pay it back for all the great advice I received when planning my own trip. I'm now pleased to say that after returning from this trip I bought my first home and am now saving ahead of starting a family with my partner so alas I will not be heading anywhere exciting any time soon so it was lovely to re-live this trip in writing this report
Jan 14th, 2026 | 12:25 AM
#4
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It took me a few hours to get it all out but it's finished! Original post I updated a few times until the time for doing so ran out.
Jan 14th, 2026 | 05:32 AM
#6
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What a wonderful report and very timely for us because we are spending 3 weeks in Ireland in May. What tour company did you use for the walking tour in Dublin? We enjoy walking tours, too; it's a great way to get acclimated to a new city. Did you walk across the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge? We are planning on visiting Dunluce Castle, too. I love castle ruins especially when they are in spectacular settings. We are spending a night at the Causeway Hotel.
Did you book your tour to the Aran Islands far in advance?
In general, what was the weather like in Ireland when you were there? I know weather is unpredictable. Looks like you had some nice weather everywhere.
I enjoyed reading about Paris and Scotland, too, as we've been to both places. Love your photo of Saint Chappelle. Somehow we missed it.
Did you book your tour to the Aran Islands far in advance?
In general, what was the weather like in Ireland when you were there? I know weather is unpredictable. Looks like you had some nice weather everywhere.
I enjoyed reading about Paris and Scotland, too, as we've been to both places. Love your photo of Saint Chappelle. Somehow we missed it.
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Jan 14th, 2026 | 11:53 AM
#8
Joined: Mar 2004
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victoriainwanderland Well done you! What a trip and what a trip report! Thoroughly enjoyed reading it and your photos are gorgeous. Thank you!!
Jan 14th, 2026 | 12:44 PM
#9
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What a wonderful report and very timely for us because we are spending 3 weeks in Ireland in May. What tour company did you use for the walking tour in Dublin? We enjoy walking tours, too; it's a great way to get acclimated to a new city. Did you walk across the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge? We are planning on visiting Dunluce Castle, too. I love castle ruins especially when they are in spectacular settings. We are spending a night at the Causeway Hotel.
Did you book your tour to the Aran Islands far in advance?
In general, what was the weather like in Ireland when you were there? I know weather is unpredictable. Looks like you had some nice weather everywhere.
I enjoyed reading about Paris and Scotland, too, as we've been to both places. Love your photo of Saint Chappelle. Somehow we missed it.
Did you book your tour to the Aran Islands far in advance?
In general, what was the weather like in Ireland when you were there? I know weather is unpredictable. Looks like you had some nice weather everywhere.
I enjoyed reading about Paris and Scotland, too, as we've been to both places. Love your photo of Saint Chappelle. Somehow we missed it.
- We did the 'free' (tip based) tour of the Southside of Dublin with Yellow Umbrella Tours - they were the same provider for the pub crawl we went on that evening.
- We didn't get to walk across Carrick-a-Rede but only visited from the viewpoint pictured. Something I forgot to mention was that we learnt only while on the tour that tour groups are not allowed to cross it so if you want to cross, you'd have to hire a car and do it yourself. In hindsight driving the coastline ourselves would've given us more freedom but it's so beautiful so it was nice to just sit back and relax and take it all in. We went with City Tours Belfast.
- When at Giant's Causeway, depending on your physical activity level, we were recommended to walk the red (moderate) trail there and the blue (easy) trail back to get the best of the cliff views but without a strenuous hike back and were glad for that advice. There are also coaches that can drive you down.
- We booked the cruise for the Aran Islands a few weeks ahead largely so that we had less to worry about once there. We only organised the tour of Inis Mor once on the island itself and despite being one to prefer pre-booking, things on the island are relaxed and easy going so there were plenty of tour operators waiting at the docks so it was no trouble organising the tour.
- We were very lucky with weather in Ireland! Save for a spot of drizzle and clouds maybe twice, we otherwise enjoyed sunshine and comfortable temperatures which we were thankful for. With that, I will pre-face that if visiting the Aran Islands, definitely bring something warm with you if like us you live in a warmer climate. Being out in the Atlantic is was quite chilly so we wore our puffer jackets most of the time we were there. Most of the time we were content in short sleeved clothing but did bring our puffers when we knew we'd be in areas with higher wind.
Jan 14th, 2026 | 04:27 PM
#10
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Victoriainwanderland, thank you so much for your detailed and helpful responses. I really want to go to Inis Mor. I am prone to seasickness, so I will have to take dramamine or similar before I even get on the boat. Was the ocean very choppy when you were there?
Thanks for the tip about the different hiking trails on the Giants Causeway!
Thanks for the tip about the different hiking trails on the Giants Causeway!
Jan 14th, 2026 | 04:35 PM
#11
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Victoriainwanderland, thank you so much for your detailed and helpful responses. I really want to go to Inis Mor. I am prone to seasickness, so I will have to take dramamine or similar before I even get on the boat. Was the ocean very choppy when you were there?
Thanks for the tip about the different hiking trails on the Giants Causeway!
Thanks for the tip about the different hiking trails on the Giants Causeway!
Jan 14th, 2026 | 06:35 PM
#12
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Yes it was fairly choppy. I'm fine with motion sickness so it wasn't an issue but let's just say that the staff aboard the boat were running around non-stop looking after people who were seasick and the journey is 90 minutes each way. There is also the option to fly that's only a little more expensive but my understanding is the flight can be cancelled more readily due to weather conditions. If you do take the ferry, I'd take medication ahead of boarding so you're ready to go the moment the boat hits the water.
Jan 14th, 2026 | 07:58 PM
#14
Joined: Sep 2012
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What an incredible, action-packed trip. I both relived some of our own experiences as well as think about new places to visits. The Scottish isles sound like fun places to explore; besides you had me on puffins - were you able to get close?
Jan 14th, 2026 | 08:24 PM
#15
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Yes, I agree with you about taking the medication before boarding. I wouldn't want to fly. I am interested in the tour that includes the Cliffs of Moher on the return because I think it would be wonderful to also see the Cliffs from the water. Did you say that you didn't book the bus tour in advance? You purchased the tickets when you arrived on the island?
We pre-booked the ferry but the bus tour around Inis Mor we organised on the spot on arrival once we disembarked from the ferry.
Jan 14th, 2026 | 08:27 PM
#16
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You can get within maybe 3 metres? For conservation reasons they cordone off the cliff edge on Lunga so that you don’t get too close (or accidentally damage the puffin nests) and there is also a conservationist working for the government authorities on shore with you. It definitely felt close up enough though - you could just sit/stand and watch them and it was absolutely marvelous. It was very special and I would go out of my way to do it again if I could!
Jan 15th, 2026 | 07:11 AM
#17
Joined: Mar 2004
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What a great trip you had and your photos are wonderful. I love haggis - I make sure to have it several times every time I visit Scotland.
The Premier Inn Waterloo is my go to hotel when I'm in London for exactly the reasons you stated, being well situated between the Waterloo and Westminster tube stations. Plus, I'm the type that prefers updated, no fuss cookie cutter type hotel rooms. Plus, for London it's well priced.
I'll be in London this coming June for a little over 2 weeks (including a side trip to Wales for about 5 days) - I'm planning a visit to Pick & Cheese. I've been wanting to try it for a while but could never fit their "bottomless plate" Wednesdays into my schedule. Finally on this trip I'll be able to and I'm looking forward to it.
The Premier Inn Waterloo is my go to hotel when I'm in London for exactly the reasons you stated, being well situated between the Waterloo and Westminster tube stations. Plus, I'm the type that prefers updated, no fuss cookie cutter type hotel rooms. Plus, for London it's well priced.
I'll be in London this coming June for a little over 2 weeks (including a side trip to Wales for about 5 days) - I'm planning a visit to Pick & Cheese. I've been wanting to try it for a while but could never fit their "bottomless plate" Wednesdays into my schedule. Finally on this trip I'll be able to and I'm looking forward to it.
Jan 15th, 2026 | 06:04 PM
#19
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What a great trip you had and your photos are wonderful. I love haggis - I make sure to have it several times every time I visit Scotland.
The Premier Inn Waterloo is my go to hotel when I'm in London for exactly the reasons you stated, being well situated between the Waterloo and Westminster tube stations. Plus, I'm the type that prefers updated, no fuss cookie cutter type hotel rooms. Plus, for London it's well priced.
I'll be in London this coming June for a little over 2 weeks (including a side trip to Wales for about 5 days) - I'm planning a visit to Pick & Cheese. I've been wanting to try it for a while but could never fit their "bottomless plate" Wednesdays into my schedule. Finally on this trip I'll be able to and I'm looking forward to it.
The Premier Inn Waterloo is my go to hotel when I'm in London for exactly the reasons you stated, being well situated between the Waterloo and Westminster tube stations. Plus, I'm the type that prefers updated, no fuss cookie cutter type hotel rooms. Plus, for London it's well priced.
I'll be in London this coming June for a little over 2 weeks (including a side trip to Wales for about 5 days) - I'm planning a visit to Pick & Cheese. I've been wanting to try it for a while but could never fit their "bottomless plate" Wednesdays into my schedule. Finally on this trip I'll be able to and I'm looking forward to it.
Jan 15th, 2026 | 06:06 PM
#20
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