brownkc

I have several friends I travel with every couple of years and we try to hit somewhere new and different each time. This upcoming year we are considering UK, Ireland and maybe a quick trip to Paris. I'm looking for ideas on how to divide up our time and would appreciate any helpful tips. Also, any suggestions about travel (plane/bus/train; best to fly in and out of heathrow/one airport; etc.) We are on a budget and will most likely stay at hostels or with friends that we have in London and Cork. It will most likely be four 30 something males. We will want to see some sights mixed with going out to the bars and getting to know the local people. Nothing very high pressure and more about getting a feel for the various cities/countries than checking off a list in a guidebook.

So far, I was thinking a week in London, a week in Ireland, a few days in Glasgow and a few days in Paris. The locations are a rough estimate and we may hit some stopovers/day trips while we are there. Paris could even be a day/overnight trip.

The trip will likely start around March 11, 2011 (one person works for a university and spring break starts then). This makes me think it may be fun to start in Ireland and be there for St Patricks Day on the 17th. Next, head to Scotland for a few days and work our way to London. Finally, head to Paris for the last few days before returning home.

We live in Austin, Texas but can use the Houston International Airport for less expensive/direct international flights.

Barnaby100

IreLand is good. Cork is great but ireland is easy to drive for some smaller towns.

Glasgow- interesting-any reason? Edinburgh is a more usual tourist place. Glasgow has some nice architecture. Are you driving to london? The trains can be booked 3 months in advance and you can get very cheap tickets but they sell out very quickly. You could get train from glasgow to Newcastle- a famous uk drinking town- google it. Hens and stags- lots of cheap hotels- some tAke 4 which may well be as cheap as a hostel. You can then get train to london- it's east coast trains- they have a website. Or drop off in York- touristy- has hostels- lots of bars etc but a bit quieter. Or from York get local train to Leeds- not much to see or do ( well it has museums) but some good bars. Leeds or York single train to London cAn be as cheap as £10 each but you have to get a fixed time train and book 3 months in advance.

London. Yes. You can get the train to paris- eurostar- quite cheap if you book well in advance- much less hassle than flying from London- and often quicker as getting to heathrow is a drag.

Wadjet

I would also pick Edinbugh above Glasgow. Its a more interesting city in my opinion.

Your other picks are pretty sound. A week in each location is reasonable for the types of things you are wanting to do.

I would consider Paris to be an optional extra. If your goal is a UK trip, why not stick to the UK? Maybe the next trip could focus on the continent.

kendalcottages

Yes, I was surprised by Glasgow and would have thought Edinburgh would be the more natural of the two to choose. I would argue for seeing non-urban parts of the UK also. How about the Lake District, the most popular part of England outside of London, but all too often overlooked by many, particularly those who focus on the key cities? You live in Austin... wouldn't it be nice to see some countryside?

Swanhunter

If 4 30-something males looking to meet local people is code for getting drunk and talking to girls, a weekend in Newcastle is a must!

brownkc

I like your thinking Barnaby and Swanhunter. Honestly, I was thinking more Edinburgh but one of the others mentioned Glasgow so I thought he knew something I didn't.

Any regular fliers? Would it be best to fly roundtrip to one location? I checked some pricing for two one way trips and they appear to be almost double the cost. I'm checking pricing and found a non stop from Houston to LHR for $742 w/ taxes (United - trying to stick with them). Is that a decent price? From LHR, it looks like Aer Lingus is about $80 to Cork, Ireland.

Barnaby100

Have you looked at a return but from a different airport? That can sometimes be cheaper than either a straight return or 2 one ways. You could then fly I to Ireland but return from Paris. United also fly to Manchester but not sure how many connections etc

Once in cork I would fly with a budget airline to edinbugh or Newcastle. These flights look cheap but add up on taxes,seats and baggage which are all extra but if you are flexible you may well find a bargain. They are very strict on luggage though.

The train either from Newcastle to Edinburgh or vis a versa. Book on east coast directly- they give you a code and you collect at the station They are released 3 months in advance and can be very cheap ( newcastle to London £10 one way). It is almost always cheaper to book singles. Never turn up at station to book a ticket- always do it on line as it is much cheaper.

Newcastle is the drinking capital of the uk. You need to be there fri and Saturday. Google it as I do t want you to be shocked. In the USA they don't drink like they do in the uk.

Barnaby100

Then train to london- possibly stopping at York. After London eurostar to Paris- again book in advance- can get it from about £40 single or more usually about £70. Fly back from Paris.

brownkc

Searching United (I have about 18k miles with them and no miles with any other FF program), I can find a direct roundtrip flight between Houston (about 2.5 hrs away) and London Heathrow for $750 w/ tax and fees. The cheapest one way I can find on Kayak to Ireland on 3/12 is about $550 and for a return trip from Paris on 4/3, it was over $900. That's about $700 more expensive than the roundtrip to LHR. Those flights also included stopovers. A cheapie Aer Lingus flight to Cork from LHR is about $80 and a roundtrip ticket on the Eurostar is about $100. That would save me about $500 plus I would imagine the train ride gives me a chance to see a little more of the countryside.

My first rough outline of the trip is to fly to LHR on 3/12 and arrive the morning of 3/13. Catch a flight to Cork that afternoon and stay until 3/16 (visiting a friend from previous travels). On 3/16, take a bus/train to Dublin (just in time for St. Patrick's Day). Stay in Dublin until 3/19 and catch a flight to Edinburgh. Stay there through the 23rd and catch a train to Manchester (had this recommendation from a friend that grew up there) or Newcastle. On the 25th, take a train to London. On the 30th, take the Eurostar to Paris and return to London on 4/2 or 4/3 (depending on flight times/Eurostar times).

Full Days in each City:
Cork - 2
Dublin - 2
Edinburgh - 3
Newcastle/Manchester - 1
London - 4
Paris -2/3

Any reasons to choose Newcastle over Manchester? Any suggestions on time spent in each location (keep in mind we are visiting a friend in Cork and London; also I wanted extra time in Edinburgh and London for a possible day trip)?

I've ordered some travel books that cover the UK and also started fishing around the Internet for additional information about the locations. Any recommendations for a day trip around Edinburgh? I read an article about a train ride between Inverness and another location being a great way to see the countryside.

Once again, thank you for all of the valuable input.

Barnaby100

Newcastle and edinburgh are on the same trainline. To get to Manchester is another line.

Manchester is a bigger city. Well known for for gay scene. Some good straight nightlife as well.

It would be helpful if we had more idea about the kind of things you wAnt to do- what kind of experiences do you want to have?

adagio

Instead of two one ways over and back, toggle the multiple destination button. On Continental for your dates, from IAH into LHR and return CDG to IAH is about 800 all in. Eurostar b/w London and Paris is definitely the way to go as well, 2 hours, 20 minutes St. Pancras Station to Gare du Nord, so roughly city center to city center.

Also agree Edinburgh over Glasgow.

stut

FWIW, there are direct trains (pretty cheap, too) between Edinburgh and Manchester, run by TransPennine Express.

Personally, I'd choose Newcastle, but then I would - I grew up there.

I really think it's an underrated city - the sight of the Tyne Bridges as you approach from the south is one of the world's great cityscapes. Plenty to see around the city, too, and a trip to the coast is easy on the Metro.

The nightlife, though, is insane - it's the last of the Viking cities. Just make sure you don't wear anything approaching a sweater or jacket when you go out

Jenbel

I think for the scantiness of the clothing in all weathers, it has to be Newcastle. I do hope though they aren't going to be there on a Monday night, it will be a bit of a let down after what we've said

Day trips around Edinburgh:
- Stirling (castle, battle monuments, nice wee Scottish town)
- St Andrews (home of golf, cathedral, historic university town) and the East Neuk of Fife (picturesque wee villages)
- down into the borders - Melrose, Jedburgh (historic abbeys, nice wee towns)
- Glasgow (stuff - ok, museums, art galleries, Charles Rennie MacIntosh)

Personally, I'd avoid Inverness. It's an 8 hour round trip by train, there aren't that many trains a day, and although that scenery is pretty unless you get the 0630 up and the 1700 back (which makes for a helluva long day), you end up with only a couple of hours up there. I sometimes have to go up on business, and really, 8 hours on a sprinter makes you want to poke your eyes out with a stick. The only thing that's worse is driving up!

Barnaby100

Underwear is also optional especially for women!!!!!

brownkc

As to what I want to see when I am there, I would have to go with the people and scenery. I am not much of a museum/art gallery person but would like to check out any castles/gardens/etc you might recommend. I would rather spend my time people watching and taking in the scenery than looking at an exhibit of ancient artifacts or having a history lecture (those can come on return trips). I don't really have a checklist of items that I must see. Hopefully, the guide books I will receive today will help me to find a few must sees.

A few years ago, I went with this group to Japan (Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka). Looking back on the trip, the first thing that stands out is what we learned about the culture. The second would be the grounds around the castles and temples we visited. The insides were interesting but generally the layout of the grounds and gardens were much more impressive. Third, the food. We had some memorable meals. Finally, the nightlife/bars. We found some pretty interesting places and that ties back to the culture. I went to a few museums/galleries along the way but those won't be the parts I remember years down the road. I have similar memories of a Russia trip. I think back to the people, palaces and grounds and not so much the art or exhibits set up inside museums and galleries.

I guess you could say I want to find the idyllic scene for each place I visit. If someone wanted to capture the beauty of a particular region, what sights would you recommend. I know that varies from person to person and to me I think of the image portrayed on TV and in movies. For Ireland, it would be the green hilly countryside dotted with cottages and broken up by stone fences, rivers and lakes. For Scotland, it would be the windswept stone-strewn hillsides surrounding Lochs. For England, it would be ancient castles with elaborate gardens/grounds.

So are there any suggestions at the locations I plan to visit based on the information above?

Thank you so much for all of the help.