Potential itinerary for a two week trip
May 27, 2017, 6:33 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: PHX
Programs: AA Aluminum, WN B+
Posts: 929
Potential itinerary for a two week trip
Last November I was able to pick up dirt cheap R/T flights when all the airlines were having that week long USA-Europe yard sale. Now I need some help figuring out our itinerary and whether we're spending too much or too little time in each city. My tentative itinerary is as follows:
Day 1: Arrive LHR mid afternoon; National Express to Bristol (flight and coach have been booked)
Day 2: Visit Bristol/Bath (we must be in Bristol this evening for an event)
Day 3: Visit Bristol/Bath
Day 4: Morning train Bristol-London. Visit London.
Day 5: Visit London. Late afternoon/evening train London-York.
Day 6: Visit York. Afternoon/evening train York-Edinburgh.
Day 7: Visit Edinburgh.
Day 8: Visit Edinburgh.
Day 9: Visit Edinburgh.
Day 10: Fly EDI-DUB mid day
Day 11: Visit Dublin.
Day 12: Visit Dublin.
Day 13: Morning flight home from DUB (flight has been booked)
We have both been to London and Edinburgh, but none of the other cities. We have also been to Birmingham. Edinburgh we both greatly enjoyed so we want to spend at least a few days there. Also we'd both like to do some hiking somewhere along the trip, probably in Scotland or northern England.
London: My companion is OK with skipping London. I'd like to do one or two activities in London if we have the time, such as the British Museum.
York: Is it worth a stop? So far I've read good things about the city. Or should we stop in another city on the way north or just go straight from London to Edinburgh?
Our interests include outdoors, sports, and local/regional history. I would have loved to take one of those Transport Museum Underground tours, but I missed the boat on those tickets. Any similar suggestions would be appreciated. Also we'll be looking at a football match somewhere, but we'll figure that out once we nail down our itinerary.
Thanks for any insight.
Day 1: Arrive LHR mid afternoon; National Express to Bristol (flight and coach have been booked)
Day 2: Visit Bristol/Bath (we must be in Bristol this evening for an event)
Day 3: Visit Bristol/Bath
Day 4: Morning train Bristol-London. Visit London.
Day 5: Visit London. Late afternoon/evening train London-York.
Day 6: Visit York. Afternoon/evening train York-Edinburgh.
Day 7: Visit Edinburgh.
Day 8: Visit Edinburgh.
Day 9: Visit Edinburgh.
Day 10: Fly EDI-DUB mid day
Day 11: Visit Dublin.
Day 12: Visit Dublin.
Day 13: Morning flight home from DUB (flight has been booked)
We have both been to London and Edinburgh, but none of the other cities. We have also been to Birmingham. Edinburgh we both greatly enjoyed so we want to spend at least a few days there. Also we'd both like to do some hiking somewhere along the trip, probably in Scotland or northern England.
London: My companion is OK with skipping London. I'd like to do one or two activities in London if we have the time, such as the British Museum.
York: Is it worth a stop? So far I've read good things about the city. Or should we stop in another city on the way north or just go straight from London to Edinburgh?
Our interests include outdoors, sports, and local/regional history. I would have loved to take one of those Transport Museum Underground tours, but I missed the boat on those tickets. Any similar suggestions would be appreciated. Also we'll be looking at a football match somewhere, but we'll figure that out once we nail down our itinerary.
Thanks for any insight.
May 27, 2017, 7:19 pm
#2
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: ORF
Programs: Amex Plat, AA, BA Silver, Marriott Plat, Choice Gold, HHonors Gold, IHG Diamond
Posts: 3,749
From your post, it seems you're boxed into certain things, such as Bristol and your flight from Dublin, but I'd say that is an overwhelming itinerary. You want to do hiking in Scotland with three days planned in Edinburgh, and the best hiking in Scotland probably four hours away by train? That's asking a lot as I think there's plenty to do in Edinburgh for three days. Dublin is about right at two days.
But much of the charm of Scotland and Ireland is in its rural areas, requiring time to get there and time to savor. Given what you've outlined, I'd consider a trip by train through the Highlands to Inverness or Fort William, but I wouldn't expect much hiking beyond that. I'd stay in Dublin for the two days you're there.
Given your need to attend something in Bristol and your booked flight from Dublin, I can't really recommend much of a variance from hanging in the cities you've already identified.
Just to give you an idea, I just did a trip to Ireland in April that was 12 days. I flew into Dublin, drove to the southeast for three days, came back to Dublin for one day, then went into Northern Ireland for six days before returning to Dublin the night before flying out. Last August, I was in Scotland for 17 days and only went to Edinburgh, St. Andrews, and the Highlands. And I was in Scotland for six weeks in 2014 and couldn't hit everything I wanted to see.
But much of the charm of Scotland and Ireland is in its rural areas, requiring time to get there and time to savor. Given what you've outlined, I'd consider a trip by train through the Highlands to Inverness or Fort William, but I wouldn't expect much hiking beyond that. I'd stay in Dublin for the two days you're there.
Given your need to attend something in Bristol and your booked flight from Dublin, I can't really recommend much of a variance from hanging in the cities you've already identified.
Just to give you an idea, I just did a trip to Ireland in April that was 12 days. I flew into Dublin, drove to the southeast for three days, came back to Dublin for one day, then went into Northern Ireland for six days before returning to Dublin the night before flying out. Last August, I was in Scotland for 17 days and only went to Edinburgh, St. Andrews, and the Highlands. And I was in Scotland for six weeks in 2014 and couldn't hit everything I wanted to see.
May 27, 2017, 8:26 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: PHX
Programs: AA Aluminum, WN B+
Posts: 929
Hiking isn't a must do if we don't have time, but it's be nice to get out somewhere for half a day if we have the time.
I was also looking at Inverness for a night or two. We might drop London and York and do that instead.
I was also looking at Inverness for a night or two. We might drop London and York and do that instead.
May 28, 2017, 3:27 am
#4
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Malaga, Spain
Posts: 1,076
Head one hour west from EDI to Glasgow and afterwards to 'Scotland in Miniature' - the Isle of Arran. Two different destinations without the time involved in getting to Inverness but which would satisfy your declared interests and includes world-class scenery. It can all be done by public transport. There's even a direct bus from Glasgow to Edinburgh Airport
May 28, 2017, 6:57 am
#5
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: ORF
Programs: Amex Plat, AA, BA Silver, Marriott Plat, Choice Gold, HHonors Gold, IHG Diamond
Posts: 3,749
As far as Scotland is concerned I assume this trip will take place in Summer otherwise the weatther may restrict you to cities. If you have both been to Edinburgh before, and although you want to revisit, here is a suggestion which might be different.
Head one hour west from EDI to Glasgow and afterwards to 'Scotland in Miniature' - the Isle of Arran. Two different destinations without the time involved in getting to Inverness but which would satisfy your declared interests and includes world-class scenery. It can all be done by public transport. There's even a direct bus from Glasgow to Edinburgh Airport
Head one hour west from EDI to Glasgow and afterwards to 'Scotland in Miniature' - the Isle of Arran. Two different destinations without the time involved in getting to Inverness but which would satisfy your declared interests and includes world-class scenery. It can all be done by public transport. There's even a direct bus from Glasgow to Edinburgh Airport
May 28, 2017, 8:50 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: PHX
Programs: AA Aluminum, WN B+
Posts: 929
Head one hour west from EDI to Glasgow and afterwards to 'Scotland in Miniature' - the Isle of Arran. Two different destinations without the time involved in getting to Inverness but which would satisfy your declared interests and includes world-class scenery. It can all be done by public transport. There's even a direct bus from Glasgow to Edinburgh Airport
Jun 1, 2017, 3:58 am
#7
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: UK / India
Programs: SPG Gold, BA oik, TK pleb, EY Hoi Polloi
Posts: 87
York is nice, and fairly compact. There is the national railway museum there which is a good half day out, particularly if it's raining. I'd almost just take out London altogether and go from Bristol to York direct, if you've seen London before, but of course there is a lot to do in London so I'd understand if you want to keep it in there.
Bath and York are fairly similar in nature in my opinion, both effectively university towns with Roman & Medieval heritage, but they're both worth doing as they have different character. On a trip from London to Edinburgh if you want to stop off, I'd choose York though (over say, Newcastle or Durham)
I assume you're aware of the train prices being high in the UK on the day- book in advance if possible to get the fares at a reasonable price, though these aren't usually flexible. Splitting tickets will often mean you can get the exact same journey and pay less. e.g. http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/spl...train-tickets/ [other sites will also do similar searches, cheapest place to actually purchase tickets will be nationalrail.co.uk who will then redirect to a train operator] Given the amount of rail you're doing (with another person), I'd also investigate getting a 2-together railcard as well which will cut all fares by 33%. Costs 30GBP but will usually pay for itself on a single London to Scotland trip. https://www.twotogether-railcard.co.uk/
2 weeks to do the lot (Bristol, Bath, London, York, Edinburgh, Dublin) is going to be a busy schedule, make no mistake. It's do-able if you have the energy and want to see as much as possible, but you'll be tired at the end. I'd compare this itinerary to one I did with a Friend over a similar timeframe across the pond, from Montreal to Ottowa to Toronto, Niagra Falls, NYC and Boston and then back to Montreal.
Bath and York are fairly similar in nature in my opinion, both effectively university towns with Roman & Medieval heritage, but they're both worth doing as they have different character. On a trip from London to Edinburgh if you want to stop off, I'd choose York though (over say, Newcastle or Durham)
I assume you're aware of the train prices being high in the UK on the day- book in advance if possible to get the fares at a reasonable price, though these aren't usually flexible. Splitting tickets will often mean you can get the exact same journey and pay less. e.g. http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/spl...train-tickets/ [other sites will also do similar searches, cheapest place to actually purchase tickets will be nationalrail.co.uk who will then redirect to a train operator] Given the amount of rail you're doing (with another person), I'd also investigate getting a 2-together railcard as well which will cut all fares by 33%. Costs 30GBP but will usually pay for itself on a single London to Scotland trip. https://www.twotogether-railcard.co.uk/
2 weeks to do the lot (Bristol, Bath, London, York, Edinburgh, Dublin) is going to be a busy schedule, make no mistake. It's do-able if you have the energy and want to see as much as possible, but you'll be tired at the end. I'd compare this itinerary to one I did with a Friend over a similar timeframe across the pond, from Montreal to Ottowa to Toronto, Niagra Falls, NYC and Boston and then back to Montreal.
Jun 1, 2017, 9:33 am
#8
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Isle of Man
Programs: IHG Platinum Elite, BA Pleb
Posts: 347
If you're intending on doing a lot of rail travel, then a BritRail pass may well be a good option for you.
https://www.visitbritainshop.com/wor...trail-gb-pass/
If walking is important to you, it might be worth swapping out York for a couple of days in the Lake District.
York isn't so different in terms of olde worlde charm to Bath. But if you want to stop off in a city for a night then I'd also recommend York over Leeds or Newcastle; the only other option I'd consider would be Durham, whose cathedral is more impressive than York Minster. It's a smaller city though, so less alternative choices.
https://www.visitbritainshop.com/wor...trail-gb-pass/
If walking is important to you, it might be worth swapping out York for a couple of days in the Lake District.
York isn't so different in terms of olde worlde charm to Bath. But if you want to stop off in a city for a night then I'd also recommend York over Leeds or Newcastle; the only other option I'd consider would be Durham, whose cathedral is more impressive than York Minster. It's a smaller city though, so less alternative choices.
Jun 2, 2017, 10:34 am
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: PHX
Programs: AA Aluminum, WN B+
Posts: 929
York is nice, and fairly compact. There is the national railway museum there which is a good half day out, particularly if it's raining. I'd almost just take out London altogether and go from Bristol to York direct, if you've seen London before, but of course there is a lot to do in London so I'd understand if you want to keep it in there.
Bath and York are fairly similar in nature in my opinion, both effectively university towns with Roman & Medieval heritage, but they're both worth doing as they have different character. On a trip from London to Edinburgh if you want to stop off, I'd choose York though (over say, Newcastle or Durham)
I assume you're aware of the train prices being high in the UK on the day- book in advance if possible to get the fares at a reasonable price, though these aren't usually flexible. Splitting tickets will often mean you can get the exact same journey and pay less. e.g. http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/spl...train-tickets/ [other sites will also do similar searches, cheapest place to actually purchase tickets will be nationalrail.co.uk who will then redirect to a train operator] Given the amount of rail you're doing (with another person), I'd also investigate getting a 2-together railcard as well which will cut all fares by 33%. Costs 30GBP but will usually pay for itself on a single London to Scotland trip. https://www.twotogether-railcard.co.uk/
2 weeks to do the lot (Bristol, Bath, London, York, Edinburgh, Dublin) is going to be a busy schedule, make no mistake. It's do-able if you have the energy and want to see as much as possible, but you'll be tired at the end. I'd compare this itinerary to one I did with a Friend over a similar timeframe across the pond, from Montreal to Ottowa to Toronto, Niagra Falls, NYC and Boston and then back to Montreal.
Bath and York are fairly similar in nature in my opinion, both effectively university towns with Roman & Medieval heritage, but they're both worth doing as they have different character. On a trip from London to Edinburgh if you want to stop off, I'd choose York though (over say, Newcastle or Durham)
I assume you're aware of the train prices being high in the UK on the day- book in advance if possible to get the fares at a reasonable price, though these aren't usually flexible. Splitting tickets will often mean you can get the exact same journey and pay less. e.g. http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/spl...train-tickets/ [other sites will also do similar searches, cheapest place to actually purchase tickets will be nationalrail.co.uk who will then redirect to a train operator] Given the amount of rail you're doing (with another person), I'd also investigate getting a 2-together railcard as well which will cut all fares by 33%. Costs 30GBP but will usually pay for itself on a single London to Scotland trip. https://www.twotogether-railcard.co.uk/
2 weeks to do the lot (Bristol, Bath, London, York, Edinburgh, Dublin) is going to be a busy schedule, make no mistake. It's do-able if you have the energy and want to see as much as possible, but you'll be tired at the end. I'd compare this itinerary to one I did with a Friend over a similar timeframe across the pond, from Montreal to Ottowa to Toronto, Niagra Falls, NYC and Boston and then back to Montreal.
If you're intending on doing a lot of rail travel, then a BritRail pass may well be a good option for you.
https://www.visitbritainshop.com/wor...trail-gb-pass/
If walking is important to you, it might be worth swapping out York for a couple of days in the Lake District.
York isn't so different in terms of olde worlde charm to Bath. But if you want to stop off in a city for a night then I'd also recommend York over Leeds or Newcastle; the only other option I'd consider would be Durham, whose cathedral is more impressive than York Minster. It's a smaller city though, so less alternative choices.
https://www.visitbritainshop.com/wor...trail-gb-pass/
If walking is important to you, it might be worth swapping out York for a couple of days in the Lake District.
York isn't so different in terms of olde worlde charm to Bath. But if you want to stop off in a city for a night then I'd also recommend York over Leeds or Newcastle; the only other option I'd consider would be Durham, whose cathedral is more impressive than York Minster. It's a smaller city though, so less alternative choices.
I'm we'll aware of the train pricing so I'm hoping to book shortly after the schedule opens (the trip is too far out right now). And the two-together card is already on my to do list ^ It looks perfect for the amount of rail travel we'll be doing.
Jun 4, 2017, 10:43 pm
#10
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: UK / India
Programs: SPG Gold, BA oik, TK pleb, EY Hoi Polloi
Posts: 87
York? you could spend a whole week there if you wanted. Personally I've only ever done day trips there though and they've been fine, so given you're doing Bath and Bristol as well, a one-and-a-half day stopover is probably enough on balance.
If you're happy picking and choosing what you do, a day and a half will be enough to experience the city (if it's nice outside) or the city's museums (if it's pelting down with rain). You'll probably manage 4-5 attractions in that time, the city centre is where the majority of them are located and it really doesn't sprawl all that much so it's easy to walk from place to place quite quickly.
If you're happy picking and choosing what you do, a day and a half will be enough to experience the city (if it's nice outside) or the city's museums (if it's pelting down with rain). You'll probably manage 4-5 attractions in that time, the city centre is where the majority of them are located and it really doesn't sprawl all that much so it's easy to walk from place to place quite quickly.
Jun 5, 2017, 1:21 am
#11
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Flatland
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold 1MM, BA Gold, UA Peon
Posts: 6,106
The Jorvik Viking Museum in York is open again, so that's another thing to do there.
You itinerary is busy yet plausible for seeing a bit of each city area; you won't have a lot of time to get out and about away from the cities. For seeing each city area, some local museums, and walking around it seems quite plausible. You obviously won't get to see all of each city, but you'll get to see some interesting things in each one and as long as that's what you want that's fine. I'm sure some people will say you should stay longer in one place or another, but that really is up to you whether you want to go to one place and look in detail, or several places and look in less detail.
Any hiking in Scotland will be limited to near Edinburgh, when the dramatic countryside is further north and east.
In Bath, there are some walking opportunities outside the city, for example you can take bus number 3 to Bathford and get off near the end of the route at Dovers Park, then walk up Dovers Lane to access a path at the end that leads up the hill through woodland to Browns Folly with commanding views of the city. It takes a couple of hours to walk up there and back.
You itinerary is busy yet plausible for seeing a bit of each city area; you won't have a lot of time to get out and about away from the cities. For seeing each city area, some local museums, and walking around it seems quite plausible. You obviously won't get to see all of each city, but you'll get to see some interesting things in each one and as long as that's what you want that's fine. I'm sure some people will say you should stay longer in one place or another, but that really is up to you whether you want to go to one place and look in detail, or several places and look in less detail.
Any hiking in Scotland will be limited to near Edinburgh, when the dramatic countryside is further north and east.
In Bath, there are some walking opportunities outside the city, for example you can take bus number 3 to Bathford and get off near the end of the route at Dovers Park, then walk up Dovers Lane to access a path at the end that leads up the hill through woodland to Browns Folly with commanding views of the city. It takes a couple of hours to walk up there and back.
Jun 18, 2017, 10:40 pm
#12
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: MSP
Programs: Delta PM, 1MM
Posts: 3,781
OP, your itinerary seems to me like a lot of places in a short time. But my favorite travel in England is on foot, doing a ~100 mile walk over a week or so, with accommodations and luggage transfer every day, a different pace from what you're describing. I think it would be too bad to go to England and only see the countryside from the trains.
You say you could skip the hiking, but my recommendation would be to skip one of the cities and instead do a 2-3 day walk. There are several agencies (PM me if you want the one I use) that will set up the accommodations and provide you with the necessary maps and guidebook. There are beautiful walking trails all over the UK. You get a different, more intimate view of the country when walking through countryside and small villages, stopping for lunch at a pub. The southern end of the Cotswold Way, one of the most famous of the British national paths, is in Bath, which would fit into your plans.
The above suggestion may be too much of a divergence from the plans you've already made. Here's a shorter idea that could be an adjunct to your stop in York:
When I visited York a few years ago I wanted to see the moors. So I took a bus from the city to the North York Moors National Park, got off at a village called Goathland (as I recall it had a visitor center with info about the park), spent a few hours walking on paths on the moors (lots of heather and sheep!), had tea in the village, then returned in time for dinner in York.
You say you could skip the hiking, but my recommendation would be to skip one of the cities and instead do a 2-3 day walk. There are several agencies (PM me if you want the one I use) that will set up the accommodations and provide you with the necessary maps and guidebook. There are beautiful walking trails all over the UK. You get a different, more intimate view of the country when walking through countryside and small villages, stopping for lunch at a pub. The southern end of the Cotswold Way, one of the most famous of the British national paths, is in Bath, which would fit into your plans.
The above suggestion may be too much of a divergence from the plans you've already made. Here's a shorter idea that could be an adjunct to your stop in York:
When I visited York a few years ago I wanted to see the moors. So I took a bus from the city to the North York Moors National Park, got off at a village called Goathland (as I recall it had a visitor center with info about the park), spent a few hours walking on paths on the moors (lots of heather and sheep!), had tea in the village, then returned in time for dinner in York.
Jul 12, 2017, 6:52 pm
#13
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: BHX
Posts: 43
Nearest hill to Edinburgh - Arthurs Seat Its about a mile from the city centre , nice grassy hill with a fabulous view of Edinburgh from the top. Think its about a 250 metre ascent . North Berwick is a great coastal town a short train ride from Edinburgh. Ben Lomond , the most southerly of the Munros ( local name for 3000 foot hills ) is a couple of hours in a rental car - says Google - from Edinburgh , easy roads , rarely congested . St Andrews is easy drive , Im no golfer but a nice place. My other half lives near EDI , so frequent visitor Just listening to Runrig and thinking of Scotland as I type this..