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Trip to England, your advice please

Mullardman said:
Sadly, Kirkby Lonsdale is now a much busier place then when I used to park up in the town square on a Saturday morning in the 1970s
Mull
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Aye well, I reckon that much goes for most of the UK. I don't know many parts of it that are unchanged in 40 years. I must say though that some of the villages just up from there are hardly overrun.
 
stevec67 said:
Aye well, I reckon that much goes for most of the UK. I don't know many parts of it that are unchanged in 40 years. I must say though that some of the villages just up from there are hardly overrun.
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just cross the border at gretna, turn left, pass dumfries, and it's pretty much 1950, with a few more cars....time and tourists pass galloway bye. Silly them.
 
Rockmeister said:
just cross the border at gretna, turn left, pass dumfries, and it's pretty much 1950, with a few more cars....time and tourists pass galloway bye. Silly them.
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You know, I have often thought this and never visited the place. I'm a mountaineer too, I've spent more time in the Lakes than I care to remember, and I've looked at the hills over the water many times. The only times I've been in D&G I've been on the M74 heading for other hills. Must change this.

JensenHealey said:
Agreed. Scilly Isles much the same, but that would be an adventure for an American Tourist!!
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Still more so an Israeli one like Arye!
 
stevec67 said:
You know, I have often thought this and never visited the place. I'm a mountaineer too, I've spent more time in the Lakes than I care to remember, and I've looked at the hills over the water many times. The only times I've been in D&G I've been on the M74 heading for other hills. Must change this.
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I used to climb a lot Steve in me youth, and the lakes were a fave haunt. There are some faces in Galloway, but the country is more hilly, forest and river. It's a walkers and cyclists haven, but for challenging climbing grades, you were right to go on through AFAIK.
 
PsB said:
Hmmm, nature and history in October...The weather can be quite bad (as in wet and miserable): you need some flexibility so that you can switch from indoors to outdoors depending on the weather, and good rain gear. Fortunately, there is so much to see in this country in the way of castles, mansions and stately homes, cathedrals, to keep you busy even if it rains for the whole two weeks of your stay.

Although the country is quite compact, there is so much to see that it makes sense to concentrate on a couple of areas rather than rush around doing a Top10 bucket list.

The Lake District is beautiful for serious walking. West Sussex is more gentle but also good for walking (lots of trails around the South Downs, the famous white cliffs between Seaford and Eastbourne, cute villages everywhere like Amberley, Petworth), also the New Forest near Southampton (incl. Beaulieu or Buckler's Hard). Also the scenery in Wiltshire (around Marlborough, Devizes, etc.), the coast in Dorset and Devon, Cornwall too (although it is further, it takes the best part of a day to get there from London)... So pick one or two of these areas.

You will need several days in London, indeed you could spend a week there and only scratch the surface. Despite what some of the haters here suggest, it is an attractive city (much improved from the 60-70s) with a lot to offer the tourist. You must see the classic tourist area, essentially between Knightsbridge and Covent Garden: work your way from the Victoria & Albert museum, pop into Harrods, see Buckingham Palace, the Mall and St James' Palace/Square/Park, Westminster Abbey, Parliament, Whitehall, the London Eye, Trafalgar Square and National Gallery, Soho and Covent Garden. Then you must go to the area around the Tower of London, and see St Paul's and the Tate Modern on the way. Maybe take in a concert at the Southbank Centre: good views of the Thames from the bar terrace upstairs. If you have time, push on to Greenwich for the Cutty Sark clipper museum and some fine Ch. Wren architecture. The river bus can be a good way to get around.

Just outside London: if you're interested in history, you must see Hampton Court and/or Windsor. You might consider getting a yearly pass for Historic Royal Palaces, which will get you into Hampton Court, the Tower of London, Kensington Palace, Kew and a few others: it can work out cheaper even if you don't return. Doesn't cover Windsor unfortunately. https://www.hrp.org.uk/#gs.tzghc9E If in Windsor, you can also take a look at Eton and see the Thames around Henley and Marlow.


Outside London: Oxford or Cambridge are classics, also Bath. Bath can be combined with Bristol and a visit to Stonehenge (nicely renovated now), Salisbury (nice cathedral) and some of the market towns on the way. But you will need to rent a car (and learn to drive on the "wrong" side, changing gears with your left hand; better still: get an automatic). If you go to Cambridge, Ely, Bury St Edmunds and Norwich can be a good circuit if you want to see cathedrals. Last but not least: Canterbury in Kent (beautiful and historically cathedral in a fairly well preserved town. Lots of tourists, but maybe October will be quieter).
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This.

Don't miss London; accept two weeks is merely un assaggio, as our Italian friends might say... plan very carefully & thoroughly...

Have a wonderful trip !
 
To all those who were interested in my trip to England. I have been to the cotswolds, Oxford, the Peak District, York, Yorkshire Dales, the Lakes District, Snodonia and North Wales - and the land is amazing and the people very nice. I'm in love with England... (-:

Arye
 
Glad you liked the place. You certainly got around. Careful with the Welsh as they don't always like to be thought of as English.
 
Ayre, you certainly covered some territory; a whistle-stop tour indeed. As mentioned about the Welsh, it's in that Caernarfon - west Snowdonia area that you rarely hear English spoken.

Do you have a favourite area from those visited? Think I could guess, though......:)
 
A happy tour in October - this needs to be brought to the attention of VisitBritian!
 
avole said:
Go straight to Scotland, stunning country, lovely people. Start at Edinburgh, you won't go wrong.
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Agreed, Edinburgh is beautiful. It's usually pretty reasonable to fly there to with Flybe which would save a chunk of time and energy (unless you wish to visit places en-route), I always fly.
 
Ayre that sounds like a brilliant trip and glad you and Mrs Ayre sorted through the wealth of suggestions. Hope Oxford was enjoyable!

I would definitely put London on your wish-list too for your next trip - a really world-class city and so much depth and interest there. I no longer live or work there but we love playing tourist, especially walking / cycling off the beaten track.
 
gintonic said:
I never fly to Edinburgh..... the train is far easier, and far more comfortable.
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I've never used the train to Edinburgh but I might give it a try. I'm disabled and have special assistance at the airport, I check in online and then just arrive at the airport where they pretty much bend over backwards to help, I just find it easy. Last time I drove there, I was in pure agony by the time I'd gotten two thirds of the way there so I wouldn't drive again. I'd be okay on the train if it was direct (transfers would be a pain) and if I could get help at each end with my bags.
 
Rockmeister said:
just cross the border at gretna, turn left, pass dumfries, and it's pretty much 1950, with a few more cars....time and tourists pass galloway bye. Silly them.
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yes, I love that part of the world...stayed in castle douglas a few times as a base point to travel around :)
 
ariegur said:
To all those who were interested in my trip to England. I have been to the cotswolds, Oxford, the Peak District, York, Yorkshire Dales, the Lakes District, Snodonia and North Wales - and the land is amazing and the people very nice. I'm in love with England... (-:

Arye
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great stuff :)
 
We are back in israel since this morning. England is great. Amazing landscapes and amazing people. I have many good things to tell about both, I will post pictures too, but I want to start with the bad things. Why? Because there is only one bad thing in England. Very important and annoying, but as it is one only, I start with it:
Your coffee is awful!!!
I can't understand how a superpower state can rely on such terrible coffee. This is a disaster!
It took me several days to get the picture. I told Nurit that next time we will order coffee only if I see that there is a good coffee machine in the coffee shop.
We entered a coffee shop, I saw a great beautiful shiny coffee machine. That's ok, let us get it. I ordered two Latte, and almost lost my mind when the woman went to the corner and poured the coffee from one of those awful automatic machines... . The good machine was standing there without being used... .

You must do something with this.

Arye
 
if you missed London, then you missed most of your chances to get a decent coffee. Most of the other minor cities might have an artisan coffee shop, where properly trained barista's make your coffee with skill.
 
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