UK Independent Self- Drive
Oct 2, 2007, 10:07 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: MSP
Programs: UA 2P, IHG Royal Ambassador
Posts: 497
UK Independent Self- Drive
My partner and I are looking at spending 10 days or so in late July 2008 self-driving around the UK following a couple of days in London. Has anyone done this before and have itinerary tips, links or other resources? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
Oct 2, 2007, 10:30 am
#2
Moderator: UK and Ireland & Europe
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Biggleswade
Programs: SK*G, Lots of Blue Elsewhere
Posts: 13,611
Would you rather stay in one place or take in a snapshot of the country? Rural, urban, modern or quaint?
Personally, as a big fan of the Westcountry, I'd hop on a train down to Cornwall (Truro, for example) and hire a car there. There's an awful lot to keep you occupied down there for several weeks, from the Eden Project to the wonderful Isles of Scilly.
If you're planning on doing a lot of long-distance driving, do be aware that petrol costs are high (£1/litre) and that roads are very crowded. It makes sense to get well clear of London (I would generally get the train or fly in preference to any journey over, say 100 miles) and hire a car at the destination if I'm going out into the countryside. To give you an idea of timing, I would leave 3-4 hours for London-York and 7 hours to reach Scotland.
Other tips - most cars here are manual transmission, you may well pay a premium for automatic, if that's what you're used to. One-way rentals are often hard to come by, and also attract a premium.
Personally, as a big fan of the Westcountry, I'd hop on a train down to Cornwall (Truro, for example) and hire a car there. There's an awful lot to keep you occupied down there for several weeks, from the Eden Project to the wonderful Isles of Scilly.
If you're planning on doing a lot of long-distance driving, do be aware that petrol costs are high (£1/litre) and that roads are very crowded. It makes sense to get well clear of London (I would generally get the train or fly in preference to any journey over, say 100 miles) and hire a car at the destination if I'm going out into the countryside. To give you an idea of timing, I would leave 3-4 hours for London-York and 7 hours to reach Scotland.
Other tips - most cars here are manual transmission, you may well pay a premium for automatic, if that's what you're used to. One-way rentals are often hard to come by, and also attract a premium.
Oct 2, 2007, 12:42 pm
#3
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: BHD/DUB
Programs: BA Gold, TK*G, EI Elite
Posts: 7,622
I see you said late July. A word of warning, schools in England and Wales break up for Summer at that time so driving to/in areas like the West Country (anywhere coastal actually) will be tortuous. Plan your trip accordingly.
Oct 2, 2007, 3:21 pm
#4
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 7,560
Sort of echoing what stut has said...: Driving around rural areas in the UK can be a very pleasant experience (I had a great time driving around Cornwall earlier this year), but driving long-distance on motorways is a real pain. I try to avoid it unless I absolutely have to - it's just SO stressful!
Large parts of the UK are easily accessible by public transport - and in town a car is often more hindrance than help: Half the time you'll either be stuck in traffic, or looking for somewhere to park (or both). If you want to explore rural areas do what stut suggested and fly or take a train somewhere and get a car locally (which is what I did for my trip to Cornwall)
Large parts of the UK are easily accessible by public transport - and in town a car is often more hindrance than help: Half the time you'll either be stuck in traffic, or looking for somewhere to park (or both). If you want to explore rural areas do what stut suggested and fly or take a train somewhere and get a car locally (which is what I did for my trip to Cornwall)
Oct 7, 2007, 6:11 pm
#6
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Across the bay from TPA
Programs: DSM, USDM, BAEC, AAAdvan
Posts: 284
I found that listing a few sights you really want to visit, planning a route, and then seeing what else is within easy distance of the route works very well. I did Scotland using this method in August and was able to visit over 20 various attractions over the course of 8 days.
One good resource for planning a trip is the British Heritage Pass website. You can review the attractions, determine which one's you would like to visit, and plan your trip accordingly. See http://www.britishheritagepass.com for more information.
Having learned the hard way, I can say do not attempt to drive within London under any circumstances. If you look at a map of the city, you will see that it resembles a plate of spaghetti that has been cut into very small pieces and mixed up well. Stay at a hotel in an outlying area near a train station, take the train into town, and get around via the Tube, as it's the fastest mode of transport. http://www.tfl.gov.uk/modalpages/2625.aspx
London has so many places to see, a few days are not anywhere near enough, but a few days are enough to take in the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, The London Eye, and so on.
You can save in London as well with the London Pass. http://www.londonpass.com
One good resource for planning a trip is the British Heritage Pass website. You can review the attractions, determine which one's you would like to visit, and plan your trip accordingly. See http://www.britishheritagepass.com for more information.
Having learned the hard way, I can say do not attempt to drive within London under any circumstances. If you look at a map of the city, you will see that it resembles a plate of spaghetti that has been cut into very small pieces and mixed up well. Stay at a hotel in an outlying area near a train station, take the train into town, and get around via the Tube, as it's the fastest mode of transport. http://www.tfl.gov.uk/modalpages/2625.aspx
London has so many places to see, a few days are not anywhere near enough, but a few days are enough to take in the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, The London Eye, and so on.
You can save in London as well with the London Pass. http://www.londonpass.com