6 weeks in Britain, Northern Ireland

[Wayfairers]

We (DH and I) are going to sail to Amsterdam from Boston then spend 6 weeks seeing England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland and Northern Ireland after seeing Amsterdam. We will either take a ferry or fly from somewhere near Amsterdam to anywhere in Britain. I want to see enough of each country so that I don't feel the need to return because I missed something. (Although I'm sure I will return in my lifetime). If that means we don't see all those countries, that is ok. I've been doing internet research and have started a list of things to see and do. What are the things you think we should see and do in these countries? Any itinerary suggestions? We enjoy seeing the most interesting tourist sites (castles and churches and ruins get old after a while so we try to stick with the ones that had historical impact or have something unique. We are active and enjoy almost all outdoors activities......hiking, kayaking, climbing, caving, natural hot tubs.

[soccerref]

Fortunately, the UK is relatively small if compared to the US so you can see a lot in a fairly short time especially if you hire a car (remember that we drive on the left!). Should you choose to fly from Amsterdam to Edinburgh you could start by travelling North through some glorious Scotish scenery to places like Loch Ness, Inverness and across to Fort William, the Isle of Skye and then South to Loch Lomond and Glasgow. From there you could enter England and visit the Lake District, travel south to Liverpool and then zigzag east to Manchester, Leeds and York. If you then head south west from York you could visit Chatsworth House, the Peak District and Chester from where you could go into North Wales. Zigzag back east through South Wales to Bristol and then South to Devon and Cornwall followed by a drive along the south coast towards the London area. A route like this will obviously miss some parts of our country but will give you a flavour of the diversity of scenery, historical sites, culture and the modern UK. You could then fly over to Northern Ireland and visit Eire from there.

 

You can get relatively inexpensive accommodation at hotel chains like Travelodge and Premier Inns especially if you book in advance. You can get a 'visitor's membership' of the National Trust which gives you entrance to a huge variety of both historical monuments (stately homes....think Downton Abbey)and scenic areas at a reduced rate.

I hope you have a great time.

[HRPro]

First of all, I'm jealous as the UK is one of our favorite places to travel. We spent three weeks traveling through England, and then went beck to Scotland the next year for two weeks, and spent 2 weeks in Ireland this year. Do rent a car as you can travel much more efficiently, and we prefer B&B's to the chain hotels. Wonderful hospitality in the UK, and lovely B&B's at all price levels. Since you're active, don't miss hiking in the Lake District and the Cotswolds, punting in Oxford, and some climbing/hiking on the Isle of Skye. If you enjoy theatre, don't miss seeing plays in Stratford upon Avon and London. I would plan on at least 4-5 days in London and surrounding areas like Greenwich, Hampton Court etc. We loved the Cotswolds so much that we rented a cottage for a month several years ago. Don't miss Bath and York We used Rick Steve's guidebooks for our trips, and he never steered us wrong.

 

Enjoy planning for what will be a trip of a lifetime!

[Ravenscroft]

In England, the Lake District for sure.

 

But while you're in the area, given your interests, I'd also recommend to spend some time in the Ingleton/Settle/Grassington area for hiking, climbing and caving. There are some show caves here, but also plenty of options to go off and do your own thing, with the right gear of course.

 

http://www.visitingleton.co.uk/CAVING.html

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ingleborough

 

http://www.whitescarcave.co.uk/local-information/surroundings-and-places-of-interest

 

This is an easy trail but it's great for showcasing the local geology :

 

http://www.ingletonwaterfallstrail.co.uk/trails.php

 

You could also visit the Forest of Bowland, although this may be of lesser interest for you as this is an area for walking rather than serious hikes etc. If good food is also on your radar there are some great local pubs and restaurants.

http://www.visitlancashire.com/explore/forest-of-bowland-aonb

 

This is a beautiful part of northern England, taking in Lancashire and North Yorkshire, and as I said, given your interests I think you'll enjoy it very much.

Come and visit this lovely part of the British Isles, you'll get a warm welcome from the locals, but do remember to bring rainwear :D

Plus, we're not too big on natural hot tubs here - it's too cold !

 

Also, if you're coming this far north, Hadrian's Wall is close by too, so you can combine some history with your outdoor activities.

[Eboracum_d]

Hi Wayfairers

 

If you don't want to hire a car (or don't want to hire one for all your time here) you might buy a BritRail pass from http://www.visitbritainshop.com. It's a real bargain by comparison with buying tickets here. You could journey up from London as far as Aviemore Inverness in the Scottish Highlands places to take in on the way could be Cambridge, York, Durham, Alnwick, Berwick, Edinburgh and Dundee. Coming back down the West Side of Britain I would take in the Lake District, Chester, Snowdonia, Anglesey, Oxford, Bath, Stonehenge,

 

 

You say you are intending to go Northern Ireland. I would be inclined also to take in Southern Ireland and indeed travel via Boat to and from Dublin from either Liverpool or Holyhead (on the Isle of Anglesey). In Northern Island you should take in the North Coast, particularly the Giants Causeway.

[John Bull]

For simplest logistics, consider.......... flying Amsterdam to Dublin, rent a car there (though you'll not need one for a day or two in Dublin itself) & do your thing in Ireland. Return the car to the same depot, take the ferry to Holyhead, North Wales, rent a car there, do your thing around Wales & Scotland & England. End up in London - return the car (Heathrow or Gatwick airport location avoids driving into London, excellent public transport links from either to central London) & spend the tail end of your vacation in London without a car, then fly home from London.

Both Amsterdam & London are major airline hubs, you should find a choice of airlines / airline alliances offering open-jaw returns.

 

Four days in Dublin don't make me an expert on Ireland, so I can't help there.

From Holyhead, along near the north Wales coast you'll have a wide choice of magnificent castles such as Caernarfon & Conwy, slate mines like Blaenau-Ffestiniog & Llanberis, the "little trains of Wales", hiking in the Snowdonia NP.

Continue east to Derbyshire's Peak District (hiking, caving, history) mebbe based somewhere like Castleton. Then north-east to historic York, the North Yorkshire moors, the east coast up to Scotland's historic capital, Edinburgh.

The Scottish highlands, places like Braemar & Ballater, to the whiskey distilleries of Speyside. Head south-west from Inverness alongside Loch Ness, (cut across to the Isle of Skye if that appeals), Fort William, Glencoe, Loch Lomond, the Clyde estuary, Glasgow. A decent fill of the Scottish highlands & islands.

Back down the west coast into England & the Lake District, based somewhere like Ambleside.

Blast down the M6 motorway to Shakespeare's Stratford-upon-Avon, then the gentler countryside of the Cotswolds to historic Bath.

More caving in the Mendips (Cheddar, etc).

Perhaps the north Somerset & Devon coast (Lynmouth & Exmoor) & even across Dartmoor to Plymouth, then the south coast (Jurassic coast, Portland Bill), the Dorset downs, Salisbury, Stonehenge if you feel you must, the New Forest, further along the coast to places like Portsmouth, Arundel, Brighton or until the calendar says its time to head up to London.

Give yourselves up to 6 days in London - but if you end up with only 3 that'll do.

 

Here's that route on a map - just as a general guide.

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?saddr=Holyhead,+Port,+Holyhead&daddr=53.0848489,-4.0418441+to:Castleton+to:York+to:54.4701121,-0.6288716+to:Edinburgh+to:57.0582522,-3.0841218+to:Inverness+to:Fort+William+to:55.9758125,-4.6783948+to:Glasgow+to:Ambleside+to:Stratford-upon-Avon+to:51.8620931,-1.7991688+to:Bath+to:51.2810932,-2.7828402+to:Lynmouth+to:50.7681969,-4.0231222+to:Plymouth+to:Portland+Bill+Lighthouse,+Portland+to:50.8696104,-1.700003+to:Salisbury+to:Brighton+to:London&hl=en&ll=54.342149,-0.966797&spn=8.395487,22.478027&sll=50.823289,-1.461182&sspn=1.136449,2.809753&geocode=FXxsLQMd91u5_ylH5KxRNjVkSDESuKPE9MNJBw%3BFbACKgMdjFPC_ylpNiHKPgllSDEF_EYdl6ZcQw%3BFQD3LQMdaOrk_ykZmYusBi16SDHtIEhls7XaHA%3BFR1dNwMdvmjv_ynxZZjhQMN4SDHR5FSKiat0Rw%3BFeAlPwMdeWf2_ylZQXdEhxd_SDHRTnpiUcqXGw%3BFWTHVQMd1VnP_ykjJpilALiHSDEnF-d8exTyZA%3BFcyjZgMdp_DQ_ymlNg7jrdqFSDH7_0LzhxZxDQ%3BFY0KbQMdL4m__ykr3hctW3GPSDE9xD4u0QlDYg%3BFWkAYwMdvhmy_ykbAxw3IzOJSDEhSFQI4z6gzQ%3BFYQfVgMdBp24_ynj6uWHs62JSDHWWWCqmvFbqw%3BFa1rVAMdYh-__ynrzlYgVhWISDEeUe8FuIPmcQ%3BFUCEPgMdS9DS_ynjUUuTvZR8SDGTMK2y33mkZQ%3BFfJhHAMd9u7l_yk3gBj4I8VwSDF3mUHPbYgxrw%3BFU1aFwMdAIzk_ykJTTC95iRxSDH_mCMqpEYsig%3BFbnuDwMdoP3b_ykt4T50pnhxSDEJmm3W0CeLEw%3BFcV8DgMdiInV_ykZ4uXL0B1ySDElhyVRx_JvgQ%3BFQO6DQMdKYrF_ymbyLuvQtRtSDE-F3yWtnMuAQ%3BFUSpBgMdrpzC_ykp80YZylpsSDEWPpUb_HYgMg%3BFSCrAAMdwMnA_yk96pUOU41sSDGThfXOtSwoOw%3BFfDIAgMdx4Ta_yE0mTknDcS6KylNB3U4TvBySDE0mTknDcS6Kw%3BFWo1CAMdXQ_m_yljGlDCSJBzSDGXgNO_It5Ojw%3BFXE_CwMdWJ7k_ym3mwA2VYxzSDEGql7ygOCjDQ%3BFYJ9BwMdNej9_ylnQSn2CYV1SDH5Dn1yeq_GnA%3BFZfwEQMd8gz-_yl13iGvC6DYRzGZKtXdWjqWUg&oq=London&mra=dpe&mrsp=20&sz=9&via=1,4,6,9,13,15,17,20&t=m&z=6

 

Very broadly, the scenery is more dramatic in the north, more gentle for in the south. The south perhaps has rather more places of interest (tin hat on, waiting for the back-lash :D)

In the places where I've mentioned them, there are caves open to the public. But if you're a serious pot-holer you need to make contact with clubs.

Can't help with kayaking, but there's plenty of opportunities dotted around. Mebbe not too many opportunities for serious climbing. And no hot springs - there is some thermal underground water (Southampton takes some of its heating from it) but it's deep underground.

 

JB :)

 

Edit: If I'd taken the trouble to read previous posts, I could have saved my typing finger by simply typing "like wot they said".:rolleyes:

[Bob++]

Six weeks... I have lived here most of my life and there are still places I have yet to visit. I suppose the first thing would be to list the major tourist destinations - A bit of a cliché but there is a good reason why the tourists go there:

 

Cities: London , Edinburgh, Belfast, York, Dublin, Stratford upon Avon.

Scenery: Snowdonia, Lake District, New Forest, Cotswolds.

 

Activities: Walking and climbing in the Highlands of Scotland or Snowdonia; Beaches in the south West like Torquay; Hiking along parts of the many scenic paths like Hadrian’s Wall, or the Cleveland Way. For more specialist activities you should contact the appropriate club.

 

Kayaking - http://www.canoe-england.org.uk/our-sport/places-to-paddle/

Climbing - http://www.ukclimbing.com/

Caving - http://www.trycaving.org.uk/

 

I would start by getting a large map and pinning it on the wall. Then find any ‘Must See’s’ and highlight them. This would give you some idea of a basic route (I think starting in Dublin is an excellent idea) and you can look for side excursions from this.

 

A major part of your holiday will be accommodation. I strongly suggest that you look at small hotels/B&Bs/Pubs. These will have much more character than the bland chain hotels, and you will get to meet the locals in the bar.

When you have some ideas - come back with questions and I am sure that JB and many others will be only too pleased to help.

[Wayfairers]

Wow....awesome information. Thank you all so much for taking the time to provide itineraries and detailed information. I don't feel so overwhelmed now. I will look into the information you've provided over the next few days and no doubt come back with a million questions. Thanks again!!

[Riise]

You could get a ferry across from Hook of Holland to Harwich then rent a car and start in a part of the UK not often seen by many tourists. You have Constable country near by, then head to Colchester for some history before moving on to the Norfolk broads and then the Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire fens. Then continue up the east side of Britain for the other places people have mentioned including using the ferry for Ireland before coming back to London having done a rather large loop ready for your return flight.

[Sauer-kraut]

This website is always a big help before I go over.

 

http://www.visitbritain.com/en/US/

 

We used to do 6 weeks just in Britain or Scotland or Wales. We drove and usually spent 1 week in London to get acclimated to traffic and driving and spending time with relatives. The rest of the time was driving 'areas' and playing it by ear with a sort of destination for the end of the day where we would stay. We always used B&Bs very simple accomodations, unlike what a B&B in the U.S. is (fancy and expensive).

 

There were church fetes, country fairs, and quaint towns where we would just stop and spend time on our way to seeing something famous. Its the best way to see and MEET people.

[Wayfairers]

We will be there in August and early Sept. If I remember correctly half of Europe is on vacation for the month of August. Outside of cities, is it possible to easily get accommodations day of the stay without reservations?

[Eboracum_d]

We will be there in August and early Sept. If I remember correctly half of Europe is on vacation for the month of August. Outside of cities, is it possible to easily get accommodations day of the stay without reservations?

 

 

You will usually not have great difficulty. The exception will be Edinburgh as the International Festival and Fringe takes place in August.

 

You might to have a look at Wolsey Lodges which are a somewhat upmarket Bed and Breakfast marketing group -- the properties are individually owned and run. I hasten to say I have no connection with them other than as an occasional customer.

[newport dave]

If you are really active and like hiking and camping you should try the Brecon Beacons in Wales. It's where Britain's World Famous Elite Armed Forces Regiment the 'SAS' do their selection process and training.

 

http://www.eliteukforces.info/special-air-service/sas-selection/

Edited December 3, 2014 by newport dave

[John Bull]

We will be there in August and early Sept. If I remember correctly half of Europe is on vacation for the month of August. Outside of cities, is it possible to easily get accommodations day of the stay without reservations?

 

I would be very wary of heading for somewhere without that night's accommodation booked.

It's not like the USA where you'll find a string of motels all along one road.

You really don't want to be traipsing around hunting for somewhere, or accepting somewhere you don't like because you fear there may be no alternatives - perhaps without knowing that there's a super place with vacancies just down the next lane.

 

Best for quality & value is to book months ahead, but that of course doesn't fit in with the flexibility that you need.

But you should have a good enough idea of where you want to be the next night. Although booking just 24 hours ahead means plenty of places will already be booked-out and you won't get best prices, you will at least be able to pick & choose what's available on the internet, armed with details, prices, photos, reviews etc, you can then choose & book, plumb the address into your GPS and be confident that you know where you'll be laying your head next day.

 

Use a B&B consolidation website.

We stick mainly to small hotels & motels and use http://www.booking.com

We find that they provide the most comprehensive details & verified reviews, plus a simple boking process.

They do offer some B&B's but I suspect that if you hunt the web you'll find a specialist or two.

One factor to bear in mind is whether a place has wifi, so that you can check out & book the next night's accommodation.

 

Works for us ;)

 

JB :)

Edited December 3, 2014 by John Bull

[fabnfortysomething]

a previous poster suggested getting ferry to Harwich from Amsterdam

 

I'm going to put in a plug for the North East of England by DFDS ferry Amsterdam to Newcastle[overnight 12 hour journey]

 

From here you can visit Hadrians Wall, Durham with its cathedral and castle and beautiful Northumberland coastline[possible if you hire a car]

 

sticking to public transport East coast trains run frequently between London and Edinburgh with stops at York,Durham and Newcastle

 

in 6 weeks you can get to see a lot of the UK :D

[Eboracum_d]

If you do use the Harwich entry point then I would hire a car and aim for Cambridge as your first destination. Other ferry options are Newcastle as previously mentioned with an easy train journey up to Edinburgh and Hull with easy access to York -- I think the ship provides a coach link to York although there is also easy access to the rail system. Tourist Information Offices hold lists of B and Bs.

[roysmith99]

What an exciting holiday you will have, the planning will be the key as you already know.

 

I would like to support a previous comment which was to purchase a visitors membership of The National Trust, you can do this at the first Trust property you visit - I am a Trust volunteer and meet so,many visitors from outside the UK who do this, they all say how much they are pleased they did so.

 

I have had the pleasure of helping friends from the U.S. put together their trips and always use a simple approach - keep it simple by identifying regions to visit and book a recommended guest house in a central position. For example, in Wales you could, base yourselves in Betwys-y-Coed and spend a very good 5 days touring the area. The same applies to The Lake District, The Costwolds, the South West (Somerset for Bath and Bristol) with Dorest and Devon/Cornwall close by.

 

I will always put in a word for my own area, Derbyshire / Stafforshire / Nottinghamshire - basically what we call the East Midlands, plus Yorkshire.

 

Can't help much with Ireland / Ulster or Scotland though.

 

How you get to the UK may depend on how much luggage you have, you can fly one of the low cost airlines from Amsterdam to many airports in the UK but the cost implications depend on luggage.

 

If you do end up in Derbyshire, please contact me and I would be happy to offer any help you may need, including emergency backup if needed.

.

[Bob++]

Roy might have added that The Peak District in Derbyshire is the best place in the country for caving and the scenery is wonderful.

 

http://www.peakdistrictcaving.info/

http://www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/

Edited December 7, 2014 by Bob++

[Missus Makkem]

If you did the ferry to Newcastle and hire your car go to nearby Washington, then you can visit George Washington's ancestral home, and continue up the coast and see our Castles on the beach[at Bambrough] and Holy Island before crossing into Scotland.

[roysmith99]

Roy might have added that The Peak District in Derbyshire is the best place in the country for caving and the scenery is wonderful.

 

http://www.peakdistrictcaving.info/

http://www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/

 

Modesty stopped me from saying so. But, I love the open spaces and heat of Arizona so maybe I am not the best person to judge. I was born and brought up in the Fens, so I think open spaces and flat lands are in my DNA.......

 

:)

[tartanexile81]

Well how lucky are you, Wayfairers! Ok so everybody has put in a word for their home area so I must of course speak up for Edinburgh and Scotland in general.

 

As someone else suggested I'd fly from Amsterdam to Edinburgh and pick up a car at the airport where you'll find all the main companies and you can get some excellent deals if you shop around. You must spend time in Edinburgh and when you do so depends if you are really interested in The Arts because the Fringe, Festivals and Tattoo all happen in August. However it means that the city is incredibly crowded and it is difficult to relax and enjoy the other sights. We tend to avoid the city in August other than popping in for shows we've booked tickets for.

 

There is a suggested tour on this site

http://www.aboutscotland.com/tour/tourmap.html

 

- follow the yellow line which give you some good ideas.

 

If I had ten days or so, I'd spend 3 days in Edinburgh, maybe spending a bit of one visiting Rosslyn Chapel (DaVinci Code) and Linlithgow Palace maybe then move on to Aviemore, Ullapool and Crianlarich as possible bases to see this amazing country. There is so much to see and do, not like the over-hyped places of the South. You'd love the history, beautiful scenery and friendly people. B&Bs are the way to go here and lots of the personally run B&Bs in the more remote places won't be on any websites other than the local Tourist info board's

 

If you want further info about Scotland, don't hesitate to ask!

Edited December 9, 2014 by tartanexile81

[dogs4fun]

Oh, you are very fortunate to have so much time to spend in this area.

I, too, would recommend spending some time in Edinburgh. I just love Scotland! The Tattoo is incredible if you will be there during that time (you can book your tickets online) it is definitely worth it. There is so much to see in the city & the people are wonderful.

If you are renting a car, the a drive through Lock region is gorgeous. Although quite heavy with tourists, the Lake region is also beautiful.

And, the Cotswold region is simply breathtaking. Could spend several months there. :D

[Wayfairers]

Good news...we have some close friends with relatives scattered throughout the UK. They haven't traveled outside of London and want to join us on this trip. They have offered to contact the relatives to get ideas then put together a general itinerary that we will fine tune together. Thanks so much for all your help so far. You have helped me decide how we will get to (train Amsterdam to London) and from (ferry Newcastle to Amsterdam or closest terminal) the UK as well as an idea of our route within the UK. As I have more questions I will start new threads. This really helps me as this is a portion of a 4 month European trip

[paddingtonbear]

https://www.rabbies.com

 

This website will give you some good routes covering the highlights of Ireland, Scotland and England. We have found car hire is much cheaper if you do loops from major cities. Taking a car in a ferry is $$$. There are very cheap flights between destinations if you book in advance but they have weight restrictions (15kg) for luggage. Trains are cheaper if you book 3 months in advance and non peak hour services cheaper again.

 

The national trust in England is a different organisation to the national trust in Scotland- one membership does not cover it all.

[Eboracum_d]

https://www.rabbies.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The national trust in England is a different organisation to the national trust in Scotland- one membership does not cover it all.

 

 

Although what is said in the above quote is true the two Trusts have a reciprocal arrangements for members of to have free access to both sets of properties.