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Trip to England, your advice please

if you want to be moving all the time then loads can be done.... we love a great road trip and have just done

London to Inverness by sleeper,

then Inverness, Fort William (trip to Malaig), Oban (trip to Mull and Iona), Loch Lomond, Carlisle, Settle, Lake District, London (all by hire car with 2 nights in all Scotland locations)

then Penarth (S Wales), Taunton, Exeter by rail (one night each)

lsles of Scilly (Bryher) for 4 nights - then Exeter and back home to Herts.

It takes time to plan and execute - but if you love the journey as much as the stay you came achieve loads
 
As a southerner living in the Lake District, I'd recommend a trip up here - Windermere is OK but Keswick and the north west lakes area: Buttermere, Ennerdale, Wast Water are beautiful - stunning lakes and mountain scenery, especially if we get some good autumn weather in October. Fastest train from London Euston to Penrith is 2hr 59 mins then hire a car. Keswick is about 40 mins drive. Base yourself around Keswick or Braithwaite. Buttermere and Ennerdale, etc are within 30-45 mins drive on some very scenic roads.

North Yorkshire (Harrogate and York) are great places with some lovely buildings and history. Yorkshire Dales also have some lovely hills if that's your thing.

Dorset and Cornwall are lovely too. But so are many other places in the U.K! Too many places not enough time - as is often the case with most trips overseas.
 
JensenHealey said:
!!!!


Fastest train from London to Looe is 4 hrs 41Min So it is a long way (255 Miles as it happens, so well over 4 hours by car too)
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Thanks, well seen I'm from Scotland lol.

The train to Looe is excellent BTW it's an old fashioned thing, small gauge railway line there I seem to remember.

That's about the same time for Edinburgh to London and is about double the miles.
 
davem said:
As a southerner living in the Lake District, I'd recommend a trip up here - Windermere is OK but Keswick and the north west lakes area: Buttermere, Ennerdale, Wast Water are beautiful - stunning lakes and mountain scenery, especially if we get some good autumn weather in October. Fastest train from London Euston to Penrith is 2hr 59 mins then hire a car. Keswick is about 40 mins drive. Base yourself around Keswick or Braithwaite. Buttermere and Ennerdale, etc are within 30-45 mins drive on some very scenic roads.

North Yorkshire (Harrogate and York) are great places with some lovely buildings and history. Yorkshire Dales also have some lovely hills if that's your thing.

Dorset and Cornwall are lovely too. But so are many other places in the U.K! Too many places not enough time - as is often the case with most trips overseas.
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Wast Water is beautiful, we were in Eskdale this summer which is only about half an hour away from Wast Water.

Loved Keswick too, lovely place.
 
Forgot to add, Northumberland. Amazing place for castles (Dunstanburgh, Chiilingham, Bamburgh, Alnwick etc), historic houses (e.g Cragside) and vast beaches. And walking in the Cheviots. A lot quieter than the Lakes and a reasonable train journey from London Kings Cross - car hire needed though. North East coast can be a bit cooler than the North West but Northumberland is a real gem and less touristy than the Lakes. I'm a big fan of both.
 
It rains much more on the west than the east.....avoid Wales, Manchester, Lake District and the entire West coast of Scotland.

I'd do London, Canterbury........And then head for the ferry to France!
 
Yes, Eskdale is stunning and generally quieter than the more touristy parts of the Lakes. In October the trees may just be starting to gain their autumn colours too which makes for some great photos if the weather is good!
 
davem said:
Yes, Eskdale is stunning and generally quieter than the more touristy parts of the Lakes. In October the trees may just be starting to gain their autumn colours too which makes for some great photos if the weather is good!
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Eskdale is ace but not something for the casual tourist.
 
jimi said:
Eskdale is ace but not something for the casual tourist.
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Absolutely so. It's a bugger to get to and if the weather turns foul (it's October) then there is no Plan B as it is a VERY long way to anything interesting and indoors. There's only so much time that you want to spend in the pub, after all.
 
richgilb said:
It rains much more on the west than the east.....avoid Wales, Manchester, Lake District and the entire West coast of Scotland.

I'd do London, Canterbury........And then head for the ferry to France!
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I've been in Little Haven Wales (May) and Eskdale in The Lakes this year (July) for holidays and I live in The West of Scotland, plenty of rain yes but beautiful places all of them.

The entire West coast of the UK is much more amazing than anywhere on the East including Fife IMO.

Cambridge and around there Ely etc I love but it's pretty boring scenic wise and freezing in winter/autumn.

Barra and the isles are just absolutely stunning places, some of the beaches are world class.

Glenfinnan and the road to the isles is probably one the most beautiful places in the UK.
 
twotone said:
I've been in Little Haven Wales (May) and Eskdale in The Lakes this year (July) for holidays and I live in The West of Scotland, plenty of rain yes but beautiful places all of them.

The entire West coast of the UK is much more amazing than anywhere on the East including Fife IMO.

Cambridge and around there Ely etc I love but it's pretty boring scenic wise and freezing in winter/autumn.

Barra and the isles are just absolutely stunning places, some of the beaches are world class.

Glenfinnan and the road to the isles is probably one the most beautiful places in the UK.
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Like I said...London, Canterbury, France.
 
twotone said:
Wast Water is beautiful, we were in Eskdale this summer which is only about half an hour away from Wast Water.

Loved Keswick too, lovely place.
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Wast Water is stunning we drove there a few weeks ago on our road trip. We were staying in Carmel, drove to Wast water and then on to Ambleside.

We drove via hard Knott pass and wry nose pass - some absolutely stunning views
 
gintonic said:
Wast Water is stunning we drove there a few weeks ago on our road trip. We were staying in Carmel, drove to Wast water and then on to Ambleside.

We drove via hard Knott pass and wry nose pass - some absolutely stunning views
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We shat it re those passes, well my wife and daughter refused point blank to drive them so we didn't.

I thought I had seen some really amazing places on the West coast of Scotland but Wast Water is just out of this world and is up there with some of them an amazing place though a bit like Glencoe atmosphere wise, creepy even, but stunning.
 
Arye, I remember you from the arguments over Gaza in 2014 - it was you and me against the rest. You can't get decent hummus and falafel in Northumberland, but you can get rubbish weather this time of year.
Personally, I would stay a few days in London, then go to Oxford or Cambridge (day trips from London), then Bath, Bristol, Devon, Cornwall. Lots of National Trust and English Heritage properties, but check online as many close around October for the winter. Lots of beautiful walking (including Dartmoor). Much better chance of decent weather compared to Scotland. Then come back to London for 3 to 4 days, there is so much to do in London best to split in two at start and end. Any if you have time, I'll take you for the best hummus falafel we have here, where we go regularly with our good friend from Haifa.
Driving to Devon/Cornwall is really easy this time of year, the North and Scotland is a long way and a real pain (lots of traffic, often worse than the Ayalon on a Friday afternoon) and will be exhausting.
p.s. Did you get to Radiohead in July? My wife and son went, I regret not going.
 
I'm clearly biased but as suggested Manchester is a good base for a few days, if you like history there are a lots of things in close proximity within very easy reach - if you're there Wednesday afternoon Tony L apparently does a good exhibition. You could even jump on a train and spend the afternoon in Chester or Halifax for a completely different but English experience.

Shakespeare's own Stratford-upon-Avon will relax you after London, but any more than 48 hours and you're bored.

I'm going to throw a curved ball and offer Longleat. (link)
 
cooky1257 said:
Birthplace of the industrial revolution, Manchester and Liverpool, two fantastic cities full of incredible architecture, museums, galleries, concert halls and steeped in history, both huge contributors to popular culture /music and full of friendly welcoming locals-also very handy for the lakes and Chester.
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I was wondering how far into this thread I'd have to read before Liverpool came up!!

Go to Liverpool. Within a mile or so of each other you have the Docklands Museum, with also the 'Three Graces' ( Liver Building etc.) and Museum of Liverpool Life. A short walk will bring you to Matthew Street with the Cavern Club and the Cavern Pub. Any number of other pubs etc. Also close by, St George's Hall, the magnificent Liverpool Central Library.. worth it just for the stairs even if you can't read.. and of course.. free admission. Locals will direct you anywhere you need and are almost universally friendly and very proud of their city.
Take a triangular 'Ferry Across The Mersey' round trip.
See two magnificent and unique Cathedrals.
Take a 'Magical Mystery Tour'.

Oh.. Manchester is OK.... ;)

Mull
 
sls4321 said:
Arye, I remember you from the arguments over Gaza in 2014 - it was you and me against the rest. You can't get decent hummus and falafel in Northumberland, but you can get rubbish weather this time of year.
Personally, I would stay a few days in London, then go to Oxford or Cambridge (day trips from London), then Bath, Bristol, Devon, Cornwall. Lots of National Trust and English Heritage properties, but check online as many close around October for the winter. Lots of beautiful walking (including Dartmoor). Much better chance of decent weather compared to Scotland. Then come back to London for 3 to 4 days, there is so much to do in London best to split in two at start and end. Any if you have time, I'll take you for the best hummus falafel we have here, where we go regularly with our good friend from Haifa.
Driving to Devon/Cornwall is really easy this time of year, the North and Scotland is a long way and a real pain (lots of traffic, often worse than the Ayalon on a Friday afternoon) and will be exhausting.
p.s. Did you get to Radiohead in July? My wife and son went, I regret not going.
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I take it nothing exists north of Watford?
 
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