tev9999

I'm revising my initial plan (I think) to spend my first two nights in central London. I'm working on churning the Club Carlson Visa, so I will have 50K points in my bank soon that will get me two nights at several locations. Leaning towards the Radisson Blu Edwardian Mercer Street, but have to wait for the points to post.

Sat - Arrive LHR @ 11:05 - Tube to Central London
Sun - Central London
Mon AM - Pick up rental - head to ???
Tues - Fri - Explore central/northern UK
Sat - Return to London early afternoon, return car, Hilton Wembley
Sun - Game, Hilton Wembley
Mon - Depart LHR 12:35

I figure that will give me enough time to play tourist in London the weekend before the game. Since the game is at noon, I won't have time to explore before the game, and may not feel like doing much after. I'll probably be ready to just relax in a pub before I head home Monday.

I'm looking at the Hertz location in Wembley Park for the rental. Right now the rate is Ł145 for a week (compact, auto). The five day rate is the same, and I figure if I'm not back by the 1PM closing time on Saturday, I can just drop the keys - hopefully. I don't want to pay the Ł15 parking per day at the hotel. Looks to be 500 feet from the Wembley Park tube station, so it will be easy to reach for the pickup. Also an easy 1/2 mile walk to the hotel when I drop off.

The other options I see are Hertz and Enterprise in Russel Square, but that would have me driving in central London which I would prefer to avoid. Thought about a one way between the two Hertz locations, but not worth the Ł45 one way fee.

Am I missing any convenient rental car locations on the Metropolitan or Jubilee lines?

stifle

Where are you planning on going in central/northern UK? Are you sure you need a car?

tev9999

I like to travel where I want, when I want, so yes - I need a car. I know that driving in the UK is not the same as the US, is slow, gas is expensive, etc. Some people like to sit on a beach all day or hang out in museums, I prefer to explore by car.

I booked a series of IHG properties based on good reward redemption rates and hotels that appear to be in, or a short walk to, city centers where I can park the car and pub crawl a bit in the evening. So far I have:

Sat-Sun: London - TBD Club Carlson property
Monday: Cardiff - HIX Cardiff Bay
Tuesday: Preston - HI
Wednesday: Greenock - HIX
Thursday: Dundee - HIX
Friday: Harrowgate - HIX
Sat-Sun: Wembley Hilton

Everything can be cancelled up to the day of arrival, so if I find a better location or my plans change at the last minute I can always adapt.

stut

OK - some interesting choices there! You'll certainly find plenty around them, but Preston, Greenock and Dundee are pretty offbeat. In fact, I'd be very careful in Greenock at night (I may be swayed by having known a senior police officer from there, but still...)

konagirl2

I agree with stut, interesting choices! I appreciate that you want to use IHG points for your stays and want to fit in both Wales and Scotland. You sound like you are aware that you will be undertaking a lot of driving without much time to actually see or spend time in the places you visit.

As I am sure you have found out from your planning, chain hotels in the UK tend to be either in a city centre or on a main road route. The latter hotels tend to have very limited options for food / drinking in the vicinity. I was going to suggest Stirling has a nice old centre, rather than staying in Greenock, but it looks like the HIX is on the outskirts so probably not what you are looking for.

But I would say, instead of Preston either Lancaster or Chester have nicer city centres and they would be my preference (both in terms of architecture and ambience).

Let us know your interest if you want ideas for routes and detours. For example, from Cardiff taking the Usk Valley north through Abergavenny and then over the Brecon Beacons will give you much nicer countryside than either going straight north or on the motorway.

exilencfc

For what it's worth Preston is the only place i've ever been threatened... (Though not the only place i've ever felt threatened)

stut

To be fair to Greenock, I've never felt particularly threatened there, but I don't go out there at night. Most of the bad stories I've heard have been around gangsters (really think vicious gangs are a new phenomenon?) and alcohol-fuelled violence.

The town used to be the shipbuilding capital of the world, but almost nothing remains. The yards laid derelict for years. There were some 'enterprise zone' style attempts at regeneration in the 80s, but most companies left when the tax breaks expired. Call centres remain.

Most of the town centre was redeveloped into a concrete shopping mall in the 60s and 70s, converted to indoor use in the 90s. A giant Tesco's over the road has made trading difficult for many of the smaller guys. It's definitely designed for function rather than form.

But... Head East and things improve immeasurably. Ardgowan Square is the old heart of the town, and the tenemented terraces typical of the area. The Tontine Hotel (famous for its funeral teas and the people who try to sneak into them) sits on one side of the square.

Fans of BBC programme Waterloo Road may recognise this area. The best part of this part of town, however, is the Esplanade - where these terraces meet the Firth of Clyde, with views over towards Kilcreggan and Helensburgh. Carry on and you get to Fort Matilda and Battery Park (and a rather lovely café at One Cove Road). You're now in Gourock.

Gourock isn't the seaside town it was in its heyday, but it's a pleasant little place for a wander, particularly for the stunning views (the Continental Café - also a bar - is a great place to admire these). If you're particularly brave, try the outdoor swimming pool...

There is a passenger ferry from Gourock over to Dunoon, which gives you access to the (rather lovely) Cowal Peninsula. Alternatively, head down to Wemyss Bay (and it's beautifully renovated old station and ferry terminal) for the boat to Rothesay and Bute.

Further round the coast is Largs, a real, old-fashioned seaside town (again, it has a ferry, over to the little holiday island of Great Cumbrae). It's famous for the Italian ice cream parlous, Nardini's (yes, Daniella Nardini is part of that family...)

Back in Gourock itself, Lyle Hill has some intriguing viewpoints, and the Free French memorial. You can carry on walking to Loch Thom, the local reservoir (and the reason why this whole area basically gets something akin to mineral water pumped into its mains...)

I may have done the town a disservice in my initial post. But it certainly is an area with some big problems. The vast majority of people round here are incredibly friendly, and, gruff as it may be, you'll never be alone if you're in a pub. But it can get violent - very quickly - so be careful (particularly if there's a Morton match on).

Also, do be aware of a sectarian divide in the west of Scotland in general. On the main tourist trail, you'd be unaware of it, but this is far from the main tourist trail. Again, most people don't care, but those who do *really* do, and, with a few drinks inside them, are happy for an excuse to kick off.

tev9999

Thanks for the advice so far. I'm from Detroit - and yes I hang out in some of the not so nice parts of the city. I typically know how to recognize trouble and keep myself out of it, so I'm not overly worried. I also know better than to ever argue politics or religion in a bar, and I'll add football (soccer to me) to that too.

Mainly I like exploring scenic drives, really old pubs, and other historic sites. I'm definitely a drive by tourist - I get bored too quickly to spend more than a few hours somewhere. I've been flagging castles around the areas I expect to be - the old style ones or ruins, not the fancy wait in line for three hours to get in places.

I also expect that most of my daylight hours will be spent exploring by car. I expect to check into the hotel by dusk and leave the car parked so I can have a few pints, then be back on the when the sun comes up.

Some of the spots I have flagged:

Avebury - less touristy alternative to Stonehenge as I understand, and less of a detour from London to Cardiff.

Ludlow Castle - convenient between Cardiff and Scotland.

Doune Castle - a must as I am a big Monty Python fan

As for my choices:

Preston: seemed to be a good midway point between Cardiff and Scotland. I was actually looking at Liverpool or Manchester, but was unsure of what areas to focus on. Plenty of IHG options in the area, so I'm open to suggestions. Definitely up to changing this one as my redemption rate was not great ($.008/point).

Greenock: looks like a good jumping off point to explore Loch Lomond and hit Doune Castle by mid-day. Really good redemption rate at 10K points, $.019/each. I figured as a cruise terminal it might have an interesting place or too.

Dundee: Wanted to keep the distance down a bit since I expect some slow driving and detours around Loch Lomond plus time at Doune. Also puts me striking distance from St. Andrews to make my golf buddies jealous. I looked at the HIX Stirling, but did see it is off by the motorway and Dundee looked a little more walkable.

Harrogate: Again this looked to be midway between Scotland and London with a decent redemption rate ($.014/point). Was also considering York or Leeds.

I'm also not against paying for a room if I get a good rate through priceline etc. Knowing I have a guaranteed free bed for the night is nice though.

I'll be equipping my Nexus 5 with a UK SIM as soon as I get to London so I will have the ability to check places out, plus navigation. Does it matter which carrier I pick for this route? I figured I would just walk into whichever phone store is closest to my London hotel and get a ~Ł15 plan that will give me a couple Gig of 4G data.

konagirl2

Yes, there are lots of castles on the Welsh-English border as well as around the north and west Wales coasts (for the history read about Edward I).

Chester has a Roman amphitheatre in the centre and a lot of medieval architecture (The Rows, Watergate Bar, the basement of Spud-U-Like - I kid you not), as well as the city walls which were originally established by the Romans.

Liverpool has more recent history; it only really grew when the port was established in 1715 but for maritime history and some oppulent architecture, it is very good (I am biased as I used to live there). All of the IHG hotels are central - if you choose to stay on the docks, head up Fleet street or Wood street, the Ropewalks, up through the cobbled streets to the Philharmonic Dining Rooms, The Phil; if you end up in the business district, head to the Ship & Mitre for a very good beer selection.

Manchester has an industrial era heritage but is much more modern in the city centre. However, the northern quarter is a gem. Stay at the HIX Arena or CP and try The Marble Arch and The Castle for historical pubs with good beer and food.

Harrogate is a nice victorian baths town. York also has a lovely pretty city centre with a rich Roman and medieval history, a bit like Chester. Although it will be a long drag back to London on a Saturday, if you leave early enough you could pop in to Bletchley Park if you have time (WWII code breakers) if that interests you. There is lots of industrial era stuff throughout the Midlands.

With regard to a SIM, I couldn't say which network would be 'best'. I get reasonably good coverage for navigation with O2, but coverage drops off very quickly in rural / hilly areas, so it might be good to buy a road map as well, just in case!

iFlip23

I think the package you are on for the NFL is excellent. Me and a few friends went a few years ago (Patriots vs Rams) and we did the very same package. I don't really remember much of the 3rd and 4th quarters because of the over indulgence in the alcohol, but the quality of the seats, and the quality of food and alcohol was second to none. ^

Onto the itinerary. I used to live in Manchester before moving out to Sydney and regularly travelled around England, so I feel I could help you out a little.

The first thing I would say would be, have you seriously considered taking the Train? As an example, you can catch a Virgin Pendolino Train from Euston in London and be in Manchester 2 hours later. First Class advanced fares start from as little as Ł80 return (standard fares would be less than Ł40 return), if booked 3 months in advance. Compare that to the cost of driving, when factoring in the hire of a car, the fuel costs and if you choose to use the M6 toll too, you could be saving so much more by train, and the views of the scenery on that route especially, are amazing.
I understand you prefer to drive, but I do think utilising the rail network is something you should consider, especially if you're looking to cut costs or save money to spend elsewhere.

As for your places of interest, I would very much recommend a trip to both Harrogate and York. York is about 90 mins from Manchester on a train, driving it would probably take just a little bit longer. Driving from York to Harrogate would take about 30 mins. There's also a little place near Harrogate called Skipton which is lovely too, quintessentially British and has a lovely Castle atop of a hill which is beautiful inside and well worth a visit, especially if you're that way.
As for Preston, I agree logistically that it is in between your places of interest, but aside from that, there are literally no other distinguishing features of the place. There is literally nothing there. IMO, you would be much better suited to either Liverpool or Manchester, as not only would you have more offering of IHG Hotels (I can recommend some in particular if you'd like?) you would also be close to two major train stations should you choose to use the rail network.
I also think there would be much more to do, and much more choice for evening drinks in both Liverpool and Manchester than there would be in Preston.

As an American tourist, you would almost feel at home in Harrogate and York, as it is regularly populated with people from further afield. One place they all flock to, is the world famous Betty's Tea Rooms. The first one was set up in Harrogate and then they branched out to York too. A MUST if you're going to either (or both!).
The Minster in York is fabulous too and with you being interested in the Churches/ruins the UK has to offer, then this should be visited IMO! (dates back to 637AD!)

I am envious of your trip over for the NFL and hope I have been of some assistance?

EDIT: As for a SIM, try Three UK. They offer some great deals that include unlimited data (inc tethering) with their PAYG packages. I was with the network before moving to Australia and regularly used in excess of 15GB-20GB p/m and it was never a problem. Data could be the thing you would need travelling around the UK, especially if you're one to utilise social media in particular places of interest.

tev9999

I'm actually leaning against the package ticket for the game. While I could get my moneys worth of free alcohol, I would like to remember the entire game. Plus as an afternoon game, I probably don't want to start drinking that early. If I can't find something through my local Detroit Lion's connection, I'll just go to the secondary market on Stubhub, etc.

I have made some hotel changes.

First two nights in London are now booked at the Radisson Blu Edwardian Hampshire on Leicester Square. Seemed to be the best location that was available for the signup points I had.

Preston HIX is out, Liverpool Hampton City Center is in.

Greenock HIX is out, Glasgow HIX City Center is in.

Those changes seem to give me more to do, streamline the driving a bit, and don't cost much more.

As for exploring Lochs, is it worth the detour through Gourock to take the car ferry to Hunter's Quay? Looks like it would then be the A815 north to A83 east, A82 along Loch Lomond then A811 to Doune, eventually ending up in Dundee. Google puts it at 171 miles and 4.5 hours. That is easily doable for me if it is a scenic drive.

Thanks again for the advice.

Chandler Bing

They are selling a limited quantity fo return tickets on Thursday (4th September) at 10am UK time so 5am EST. Have a look on http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/nfl, they will most likely sell out very quickly, they normally don't have that many at this stage but I recommend you try this anyway. Good luck! ^

tev9999

I did see that some returns are going on sale Thursday. Already have the alarm set for 5:00 AM EDT to try to pick one up. If not, I will just go to the secondary market on StubHub etc.

tev9999

I managed to snag Section 502 Row 4 so I should be around the 40 yard line. The Ticketmaster fees and UPS shipping made my 70 GBP ticket 89 by the time it was done, but I'm happy. Also good I had a collection of 0% foreign exchange credit cards handy since it sent my Cap One card into fraud lockdown and denied the charge.

Chandler Bing

Excellent, glad to hear you got one ^ enjoy your trip!