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Finding the Universe

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2 Weeks in the UK – My Perfect UK Trip Itinerary

Last updated: June 1, 2024 . Written by Laurence Norah - 221 Comments

If you are looking for a two week UK itinerary which includes Ireland, you have come to the right place. This UK road trip itinerary has you starting in London, and using a rental car as the transportation method. It covers some of our highlights in the UK, including cities, castles, and stunning natural scenery.

I have spent a great deal of time living in and exploring the UK. I’ve drawn on my experiences travelling here to put together my perfect two week UK trip to help you plan your own trip.

This UK itinerary (which also includes Ireland) covers England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. It’s a self-drive road-trip, although could also be modified to support travel by public transport if you prefer.

If you haven’t driven in the UK before, do check out my guide to driving in the UK for helpful tips. We also have a guide to how much it costs to travel in the UK if you need budget planning help.

Without further ado, allow me to present my two-week UK itinerary.

Table of Contents:

A 2 week UK Trip itinerary

This itinerary is very busy and fits a lot in, including time in Ireland. It is doable, but just be aware that it will be fast paced with quite a lot of driving. Naturally, you are welcome to take the itinerary and adjust it to meet your own interests and pace.

For example, many folks prefer to focus on the UK with their two weeks, and skip the island of Ireland, returning instead via the Lake District and Wales. However, if you want to see as much as possible, this itinerary is how to do it.

Days 1 & 2: London

The UK’s capital is one of my favourite cities in the world. It’s been hanging around for over 2000 years on the banks of the Thames, and there is just an incredible wealth of things to see, from historical sights, to amazing museums, to crazy street markets.

It’s a wonderfully walk-able capital, and you can easily take in the major central sights in a day or so, leaving you the second day to explore museums, art galleries, or go a little further afield and take in some of the other sights, from crumbling cemeteries to massive parks. And if all else fails, you will never be short on an incredible pub to while away some time before heading on.

For inspiration for your visit, take a look at our 2 day London itinerary , which covers the major highlights of the city, and also links to lots of other information about visiting, including tips on finding Harry Potter locations in London through to Winston Churchill locations in London – something for everyone!

My advice for London is to invest in an Oyster card to save money on your transport (don’t hire a car until you leave the capital) and if you think you’re going to use it, look into buying a London Pass to save money on London’s top attractions.

Available in 1, 3 and 6 day versions, as well as a version with an included Oyster card, the savings can really be quite impressive if you plan on visiting a few locations. You can read a full break down on when the London Pass is worth buying here , and buy one yourself here .

Finally, London is probably going to be the most expensive city in the UK for your accommodation. We recommend booking well in advance to get a good deal.

Some of our recommended accommodation options in London are:

The Walrus Bar and Hostel , The Z hotel in Shoreditch , Point A Hotel , Lime Tree Hotel and the  Resident Victoria Hotel . You can see more London hotel listings here on booking.com . We also love the curated apartments available on Plum Guide .

Once you have finished up exploring London, we suggest collecting your car hire and heading out of town. For car hire we recommend Discover Cars , they search all the major providers so you can compare and find the best deal for your trip.

Days 3 & 4: Oxford & the Cotswolds

One of the stipulations of the original question was the wish to avoid feeling too much like a tourist. Unfortunately, this is nearly impossible in Oxford , as nearly everyone there is either a tourist or a student. I lived in and around Oxford for a number of years, and generally felt like a tourist most of that time too.

Part of the reason for that is that this tiny city is absolutely jam packed with incredible buildings, largely in the form of the Oxford Colleges. These are seriously wealthy establishments, who clearly had no problem flaunting that wealth in an architectural fashion back in the day.

This means that yes, it is full of people wandering around, mouths agape, at quite how pretty the whole thing is. Yes, it’s jam packed with tourists. But for good reason!

So strap that camera on and snap away. Then go for a punt on the river, and enjoy some Pimms or a cream tea. Seek out the Harry Potter filming locations . Take a walking tour of the Universities . There’s no shortage of way to fill your time!

Read more tips for spending a day in Oxford, here .

From Oxford you are also well located to take in the incredibly picturesque Cotswolds area – all quaint villages and rolling countryside. The England that everyone imagines England to be like, with country pubs, village greens and cricket ovals. Lovely stuff. Check out hotel prices for  Oxford here .

Days 5 & 6: Peak District and Manchester

From Oxford I’m going to suggest heading “up north”, towards the Peak District national park. Think rolling hills, quaint villages, and beautiful walks.

There are also some fabulous stately homes to visit , not to mention that on the way from Oxford you can stop off at Warwick Castle – one of the UK’s best-preserved castles.

If you’re interested in the industrial revolution in the UK I can highly recommend a visit to the city of Manchester.

Of course, if the industrial revolution isn’t your thing there are plenty of other reasons to visit Manchester, including excellent retail therapy, an awesome food scene, and a variety of architectural highlights. Not to mention the music scene!

You can see my guide to things to do in Manchester for lots more ideas, and you can see hotel prices for Manchester here .

One other thing you might consider as you pass through the Peak District and Manchester is a visit to Alton Towers . This is arguably the UK’s best known theme park, and would make for a great thrilling day out for those of you who like that sort of thing.

Day 7: York

Not that far from Manchester (England is so quaintly explorable!), the city of York is another of my favourite UK cities.

From the incredible Gothic York Minster (a climb to the top is highly recommended) to the winding, tumbled down alleyways of the shambles, to the Viking history – this is a city that just cries out for exploration.

It’s also an awesome place if you’re into ghost stories. There are a whole number of ghost walks that take in the spooky past of York, so if you want an evening of entertainment and intrigue, likely accompanied with a number of fine drinking establishments, an evening ghost walk is a great bit of fun.

I’m not a great believer in this sort of thing usually, but I took a tour and thoroughly enjoyed it!

If you do plan on seeing a few things in York, you might save money with a York City Pass , which includes most of the attractions in the city as well as access to the York Sightseeing bus or York City Cruises. You can buy that in advance here .

For more York ideas, see our guide to spending two days in York , which has a comprehensive itinerary as well as tips on where to stay and how to get around.

For accommodation, you can check out and book the best York hotels here .

Days 8 & 9: Edinburgh via Northumberland

From York we’re going to wave farewell to England, and head up to Scotland’s capital city, Edinburgh. On the way though, you’ll be passing through some of England’s least travelled, yet stunningly beautiful, landscapes.

I am of course talking about Northumbria. From miles of deserted beach, to crumbling castles, to the Roman equivalent of the great wall of China, Northumbria really has a lot to offer someone looking for a slightly off the beaten track England experience. The rolling landscapes are breath-taking and you’ll find yourself alone much of the time. Worth taking a bit of time to explore, in my opinion.

Then of course, it’s up to Edinburgh , where you’ll not be short of amazing things to look at. From Edinburgh castle, to Arthurs Seat, from fine whiskys, to Princes Street, there really is enough here for a number of days of entertainment. And if you visit during the Fringe festival… well… plan on being entertained for a good many weeks!

See more ideas on spending some time in Edinburgh in this detailed two day Edinburgh itinerary that I put together, as well as our guide to things to do in Edinburgh , our tips on visiting Edinburgh in winter , and our guide to finding Harry Potter in Edinburgh .

Then  check and book your Edinburgh hotels here.

Days 10 – 12: Ireland

Because the UK is an easily explorable place with decent roads and relatively short distances to drive, it is totally possible to include another country – Ireland! – in a trip like this if you’re up for it.

Do be aware that if you are renting a car, some car rental companies have restrictions on taking cars on ferries, or into other countries – so make sure you check before you go as there may be an additional fee to pay.

Of course, you could also fly to Ireland (Edinburgh to Belfast or Dublin for example), and use different rentals for different parts of your adventure!

If all that sounds like too much hard work, you could extend your time in Scotland, or alternatively, you could take in the west coast of the UK, including Glasgow , the Lake District, and Liverpool, as well as popping into Wales for the stunning Snowdonia national park, and rejoin this itinerary in South Wales or Bristol . The choice is yours!

If it is Ireland you want though, it’s a short ferry ride from Scotland (Cairnryan to be precise, which is 2-3 hour drive from Edinburgh) across to Belfast in Northern Ireland, from where you can spend a few days exploring the Emerald Isle.

We have travelled from Cairnryan with both Stena Line and P&O Ferries, both of which have been a fast, comfortable and efficient service. We normally use Direct Ferries for ferry booking as they compare prices across all the providers and support payment in multple currencies. You can book your ferry tickets here .

This part of the world has a lot to offer, and three days is quite a short amount of time. We can recommend spending some time in Belfast and driving north along the causeway coastal route to see such highlights as the Giant’s Causeway, ruined castles and spectacular coastline. Then, head south into Ireland, and see fabulous Dublin.

I’ve explored Dublin and her surroundings, taken a trip down to the Dingle Peninsula , kissed the Blarney Stone at Blarney Castle, gazed at the Cliffs of Moher ,  and visited the Dark Hedges of Game of Thrones fame – to name but a few of our wonderful experience on the Irish Isle.

In Dublin there’s the Guinness Factory, of course, as a popular highlight, but also oodles of Gaelic history and culture to get excited about.

There are also of course the Irish people, well known for their love of a good time! Personally, I’d head on down the coast from Belfast, through Dublin and down to the port of Rosslare, where after three exciting days in Ireland another ferry service will whisk you across to the last of the four countries to make up the UK: Wales!

Day 13: South Wales and Cardiff

In Wales you will arrive either at Fishguard or Pembroke – both excellent places to explore the Pembrokeshire Coast national park . Here you will find beautiful beaches, rugged cliffs, and fabulous opportunities for walking.

You’re also not too far a drive from Cardiff, the Welsh capital. Four capitals in a fortnight – not bad going! Here you’ll find castles, sporting venues and more Welsh based culture than you can shake a stick at. Plus, arrive at the right time of year and you’ll find the Great British Cheese festival in full swing. What’s not to be excited about? For more about travelling in Wales and highlights along this route, see our detailed Wales road trip itinerary .

Find and book your Cardiff hotels here .

Day 14: Bristol & Bath

From Cardiff you’ll cross the enormous Severn estuary over the impress Severn road bridge and be back in the UK, or Bristol to be precise. Here you’ll find all sorts of interesting items of historical interest, largely running on a nautical theme, as well as some of the best street art in Britain .

For over a thousand years Bristol has been an important English port. From early explorers and traders, to the dark years of the African slave vessels, to filling Australia with immigrants, it is hard to understate the role that Bristol has played in Britain’s sea faring history. There is, after all, a reason for the expression “ship-shape and Bristol fashion” having a place in the English language.

I can highly recommend taking a trip round the SS Great Britain when you’re in Bristol. Built in 1843, and designed by the engineering genius who was Isambard Kingdom Brunel – the man who almost single-handedly revolutionised both engineering and public transport in the UK.

The SS Great Britain is notable as being the first steamer to cross the Atlantic – setting a record pace for the time of 14 days. An amazing bit of history. Note that tickets are slightly cheaper if you book them online, which you can do online here .

For more ideas in Bristol, check out our guide to things to do in Bristol , which should give you plenty of ideas to fill your time. Find the best prices on Bristol hotels and book here .

From Bristol it’s on to the Roman spa city of Bath, a world heritage site. Like Oxford , this is a difficult place to be anything other than a tourist, but it is so worth it all the same!

Day 15: Back to London, via Stonehenge!

Our last day of our just over two week UK itinerary takes us back to London. No trip to the UK though would really be complete without taking in perhaps our most famous monument – the circle of rocks known as Stonehenge.

There is just something about the place that makes you wonder. A circle of rocks, built by a people who had nothing but their hands and some bits of wood to help them out, in the middle of the Wiltshire countryside, hundreds of miles from an actual quarry, is just mind blowing.

Add in the pagan ritualism, the relationship between the rocks and the sun, and the sheer mystery of the place, and you have somewhere that is capable of really capturing the imagination. Worth your time to visit (see more thoughts from a trip to Stonehenge here ).

Plus, while you’re there you can pop into Salisbury and enjoy the cathedral, which boasts the highest cathedral spire of any church in the UK.

And then… back to London, where this tour finishes!

2 Weeks in the UK: Road Trip Map

Here’s a map of the route , for your reference.

2 Week UK Itinerary Summary

• Days 1 & 2 : London
• Days 3 & 4 : Oxford & the Cotswolds
• Days 5 & 6 : Peak District and Manchester
• Day 7 : York
• Days 8 & 9 : Edinburgh via Northumberland
• Days 10 – 12 : Ireland
• Day 13 : South Wales and Cardiff
• Day 14 : Bristol & Bath
• Day 15 : Back to London, via Stonehenge!

Can you do this 2 Week UK itinerary by public transport?

A popular question from readers is whether or not this itinerary can be done by public transport. I appreciate that of course not everyone wants to drive in the UK, and the answer, for the most part, is yes.

Certainly, between the major cities on the itinerary there are good rail and/or bus links, with the train usually being a little faster. The main challenge is the rural sections of the route – for example, exploring the Cotswolds, Northumbria or the Peak District. This is possible using local buses of course, but it can definitely slow you down a fair bit, and so you would need to adjust the itinerary a little to fit the schedule.

Another option is to add in some days in London or Edinburgh, and doing some specific day trips from these cities to take in the out of town attractions.

For example, there is this  day trip from London that takes in highlights such as Bath and Stonehenge. Then, for Northumbria and the Scottish Borders, including beautiful Alnwick Castle, consider this tour from Edinburgh .

If you are interested in doing this itinerary by public transport, check out my guide to taking a 10 day UK trip by public transport, which as well as a route, has lots of ideas for how to book different forms of transport in the most effective and cost-efficient way.

What About Touring the UK With A Tour Company?

Another popular question is whether or not this sort of trip can be done with a tour company, and if we have any companies we would recommend for this.

So you have a few options for doing this which I have outlined below.

The first option is to take a group tour of the UK. There are a number of companies offering small group tours – we’d recommend finding a service which operates tours of 15 people or less. We usually use and recommend Rabbie’s Trail Burners , who operate trips around the UK and Ireland, and have a number of tour options to choose from.

We haven’t found a tour that exactly matches our UK wide itinerary, but we still have a solution for those of you wanting the do a similar trip as part of a guided tour.

First, we recommend you spend two or three days in London, following our suggested London itinerary .

Next, we recommend you take something similar to this small group tour , which takes eight days to take you from London to Edinburgh.

In Edinburgh, you can spend a couple of days following our Edinburgh itinerary , after which you can easily fly to either Belfast or Dublin direct from Edinburgh.

Here you can either explore these lovely cities, or take a tour to explore more of the country, we’d recommend either this three day tour of Northern Ireland  or this three day tour of the southern and western coast .

Alternatively, if you’d prefer to skip Ireland, you could take something like this five day tour of the Scottish Highlands and Skye .

Finally, you can either return to London, or have your flights home depart from Dublin or Edinburgh, depending on your tour choice.

The other option is a bespoke tour company and/or a private tour guide, who will be able to put a tour together for you, including guiding, transport and accommodation.

Of all the options, this will generally be the most expensive way to travel, but it will also give you total flexibility in terms of your trip and schedule, plus you’ll have a guide with you every step of the way, taking all the hassle out of your trip.

For this sort of tour, we recommend the services of a professional driver-guide. This website lists all the certified blue badge guides offering tours across the UK. We have taken tours with these guides and always had a good time. The guide we used has sadly now retired, but the website has many good options to choose from.

When to Visit the UK

You can visit the UK at any time of year, although for the best weather and longer daylight hours, we’d definitely suggest visiting in the warmer months – from May to September. May is probably our favourite time of year, the weather is usually quite reasonable but the tourist crowds are not too intense.

Christmas, and the period leading up to Christmas, can also be a wonderful time to visit, when the streets and shops are all brightly lit and decorated for the festive season. For a good example of this, check out our guide to visiting Edinburgh at Christmas .

Where to Stay in the UK:

For accommodation , there are a great many options to choose from, ranging from cosy B&B’s through to upmarket hotels, and everything in between. Finding the best deal on your accommodation is an important part of trip planning – helping you to get the most from your budget, as well as find the property that is right for you.

• We’ve tried a lot of booking sites, and nearly always find ourselves using Booking.com. They have an extensive selection of properties, many with no-fee cancellation policies, and often run discounts and special offers. Click on each city title to see their listings:  London , Oxford ,  Manchester , York , Edinburgh , Dublin , Cardiff and Bristol .
• If you prefer an apartment or more of a hosted stay, then we recommend Plum Guide . We’ve tried all the others, and in our experience Plum Guide consistently has the highest quality options for the locations they are available.
• If you can’t find what you want on Plum Guide, or you want some new options to try out, we wrote a whole post on the best alternatives to AirBnB , as well as a guide to our favourite holiday cottage accommodation in the UK , which you should check out!

Between these options, you should find the best prices and places to stay for your trip, as well as a good selection of reviews and feedback to help you make an informed decision.

How to Get Around the UK

For this kind of trip I also obviously recommend that you look into renting a car. We have used and can recommend Enterprise Car Rental , they usually have great rates, especially for one way rentals. We also recommend comparing car prices using a service like Discover Cars , which compares prices across a range of providers to help you find the best deal.

A hire car will give you a lot more flexibility than public transport, and prices are generally fairly reasonable. However, if you would prefer to do a trip like this by public transport instead of driving yourself, check out our UK itinerary by public transport for ideas.

Another option for travelling in the UK is to hire a motorhome. Whilst this might not be practical for a city focused trip, you might prefer it if you are planning on visiting more rural locations.

For campervan rental we suggest checking out Motorhome Republic . They offer a campervans from a range of companies at different price points, so you can find the right one for you. You can see their UK listings here .

Further reading for your UK Trip

We’ve got lots of resources to help you plan your trip to the UK, from posts we’ve written ourselves to third party content we’re happy to recommend. Here it is:

• If you want a shorter trip, taking in some more off the beaten path destinations, check out this one week itinerary of the UK that I put together. If you’d prefer not to drive yourself, we also have a 10 day UK itinerary by public transport .
• To prepare for your trip to the UK, we’ve put together a detailed UK packing list which covers both London and the wider UK at any time of year
• This is a self-drive trip, so you should definitely check out our guide to driving in the UK for helpful tips.
• We also have a guide to how much it costs to travel in the UK  which will help you cost out a trip like this.
• A guide to driving Scotland’s epic North Coast 500 , as well as accommodation options on the North Coast 500
• When you’re near Glasgow, you should check out the beautiful Devil’s Pulpit in Finnich Glen
• A two day Edinburgh itinerary & 21 Highlights in Edinburgh
• Edinburgh: Getting off the beaten path
• A Two Day Glasgow and Loch Lomond itinerary
• A guide to 10 of the best Stately Homes in England , to give you some ideas as you plan your itinerary
• For London, we have some detailed itineraries to help you plan your visit. These include a 1 Day London Itinerary , a Two Day London itinerary and a Six Day London itinerary
• The top Harry Potter sites in London
• The Best Photography Locations in London
• Tips on Buying and Using the London Pass
• Eight Things to Do in Kensington
• The Highlights of Oxford
• Our guide to things to do in Cambridge
• Visiting Blenheim Palace and the Cotswolds
• 20 Things To Do in Dublin , a 2 day Dublin itinerary and a 3 day Dublin itinerary
• A Guide to Touring the Scottish Borders
• Getting online when travelling in a foreign country can be daunting – check out our guide to getting online when travelling to help you figure out the best options for your trip
• If you’re interested in getting better photos when you travel, take a look at my online photography course , where I’ll teach you everything you need to know about getting better photos – whatever camera you have!
• If you want a physical (or digital!) book to accompany your travels, then Amazon do a good line in UK Travel Guides , and there is naturally a Lonely Planet and a Rough Guide to the UK available.

If you’re planning on visiting a number of historical properties, there are a couple of options you have for saving money as a visitor to the UK. Two main organisations exist to preserve these properties, the National Trust, and English Heritage.

Both of these organisations offer specific passes for visitors to the UK, which represent great value for money for visitors.

For the National Trust you can pick up a National Trust touring pass . This is valid for 7 or 14 days, and gives you access to every National Trust property in the England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

For English Heritage , you can get an English Heritage Overseas Visitor Pass . This is valid for 9 or 16 days, and gives you access to every English Heritage property in the UK.

Alternatively, you can also buy a full membership to these organisations, which will last a full year. You can buy an English Heritage Membership here and a National Trust membership here .

So those were my thoughts for taking in a slightly longer than two week trip in the UK. I’ve obviously missed out a great number of places, as no two week trip can possibly hope to see everything, but I’d like to think I covered a great many highlights of this truly fascinating country.

As always, if you’ve got any thoughts on this post, do hit up the comments below!

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25th February 2024 at 6:30 pm

Hello, we are planning a trip this summer. On my list is scotch tasting in Islay. How many days should we add? Do you have any recommendations?

Laurence Norah says

25th February 2024 at 9:28 pm

Sure thing. Islay is beautiful and very much worth a visit. I’d suggest spending a couple of day at least if you can spare it as it takes a bit of time to get to and from the island and there is plenty to see and do there. I have a guide to things to do on Islay which might help. In terms of whisky distilleries, if you have a favourite whisky that I’d obviously recommend going to that distillery. My favourite whisky is Laphroaig, so I enjoyed visiting that distillery particularly. However my guide to Islay lists all the currently active ones so you can make a choice as to which one you prefer.

Have a great trip!

THOMAS OGDEN says

18th July 2024 at 4:09 pm

Re UK Trip We are interested in a two week trip to the UK to include a side trip to Normandy and Omaha Beach. We are thinking about the summer of 2025. We would be most interested in a combination of guided and self guided in a rental car. Please let me know if you have something available like this.

18th July 2024 at 11:03 pm

So we don’t personally run or operate tours. I’d suggest looking on a site like TourRadar, they aggregate tours from a range of providers and include both self-drive and guided options. Here are their listings for the UK and here are their listings for Normandy as a starting point. You can filter by departure date, budget, duration, age group, trip style and more.

Hopefully that gives you a good starting point, but I’m happy to answer any further questions you might have!

Marcelo Gurgel says

18th January 2024 at 11:52 pm

Hello ! Your post is very good ! I would like to do a similar tour, but on a motorcycle. Including Isle of Man where the TT Isle of Man race will take place. Please for I leave the bike on the London side and take the Ferry by foot and the best option? Cheaper in this case? How much do ferries generally cost? Where do I search for tickets and itineraries? Thanks a lot for the help !

19th January 2024 at 12:02 am

Hi Marcelo,

Thank you! So the only company which operates ferries to the Isle of Man is the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, and the best way to book a ferry is directly on their website here . They operate services from Heysham, Liverpool, Belfast and Dublin.

If you plan on visiting during the TT race then you should book as soon as you can as this is a very popular event.

The price will vary depennding on when you go but it is definitely less expensive to go as a foot passenger. Looking at a route, it’s around £40 – £50 one way for a foot passenger, and £120 – £140 for a passenger with a bike. However, remember that you will need to pay to park your bike somewhere secure, and you will also need to have transport on the Isle of Man. Also, at more popular times, such as during the TT races, prices can be higher.

I hope this helps, let me know if you have any more questions! Safe travels!

PAUL BASILE says

10th December 2023 at 10:20 pm

stumbled across your blog and was pleasantly surprised! my wife and I will arrive in London on 6/19/24 in advance of Wimbledon where we’ll be staying from 7/5 though 7/10. we want to sorta do your route in reverse, heading out of London straight away renting a car, and heading out. we have around 2 weeks and want to start heading to Ireleand, then Scotland, then visiting cousins in Durham in northern GB, returning car in London before wimbeldon.

would love to get some advice on that reverse route, forgoing the London stuff until later, but wanting your insights on anything else! thanks in advance!

13th December 2023 at 12:19 am

It’s great to hear from you. So you can do the route either way without any issue. The main thing if you do decide to include Ireland is to be sure to check if the car rental company you choose allows you to take the car on a ferry to Ireland. Some will and some won’t, you’ll just want to confirm before booking. Otherwise I think you have the structure of a good itinerary. You can follow my route and just adjust it to suit your interests and available time. I’d definitely recommend booking in advance for places to stay and the ferries as you are coming at a popular time for travel so things will start to book up. Otherwise, just have a great time and let me know if you have any questions!

13th December 2023 at 2:38 am

Lawrence….thanks so much…great info on the ferry and booking places….do you have a fav booking site for places to stay?

13th December 2023 at 3:37 am

It’s my pleasure! We primarily use Booking.com when we travel because we like the filters. We usually filter by rating (8+) and then depending on the trip things like having free parking (handy for a road trip). Then things like WiFi, laundry, free breakfast, free cancellation, depending on what we are doing. Also like that you can apply the filters to the map view (again, handy for road trips). You can also book apartments. We also use various other sites depending on where we are going, some places have more AirBnB options. In the UK we also book holiday cottages but for a trip like yours which will likely have more shorter stops I’d say hotels or B&Bs are likely to be an easier option as apartments often have the extra overhead of needing to arrange check in and check out times.

Let me know if I can help any further 🙂

Linda Haddock says

2nd December 2023 at 7:38 am

Hello, thank you for this helpful blog! Do you have any recommendations on when, where and what to include for sites for a JRR Tolkien fan?

2nd December 2023 at 8:46 pm

It’s my pleasure. So Oxford would be my main recommendation as it was here that Tolkien studied and worked. Fun side story, a dear friend of mine was Tolkien’s Doctor and knew him well, although he has now passed. Anyway, Tolkien studied at Exeter Collge in Oxford and was also a fellow at Pembroke College and Merton College, so many of the sights in Oxford like the Radcliffe Camera and Ashmolean museum would be of interest. The Bodeleian Library in Oxford (the Radcliffe Camera is part of this) does have the originals of many of his works but these are not usually on display unfortunately.

I hope this helps a bit! Have a lovely time in the UK and do let me know if you need any more input 🙂

Ingrid Ermanovics says

24th May 2022 at 3:45 pm

Hi, Love your blog. I hear that the traffic in July can be daunting and cause very long delays. As such, would you still recommend a private car hire (car rental)? Or have other suggestions to avoid the issue? Thanks!!

24th May 2022 at 4:33 pm

Thanks very much! So in my experience, the main factors that contribute to traffic in the UK are road works, which can happen at any time, and travelling at specific times. For example, when there is a public holiday on a Monday or Friday, this tends to lead to a lot of holiday traffic. So avoiding those dates makes a lot of sense. July is not particularly worse in my experience, it can be a bit heavier, but it’s not normally awful unless you are unlucky and encounter an accident, or there are road works. I would advise against trips on Friday or Sunday afternoons, as this is when the traffic can be quite bad at any time of year as people go away for or come back from the weekends.

I’d also advise using an app like Google maps with real time traffic, and trying to plan your travel times so they don’t align with the busier times of day. In general though, i would still recommend using a car rental even in July 🙂

I hope this helps!

Debbie Hebert says

16th May 2022 at 12:16 am

Hi Laurence and Jessica, this trip looks super fun and we are looking to visit July-Aug of this year starting in Dublin (as the airfare is best to there from our home in New Orleans). Just a few questions. Would you suggest going North or South from Dublin? How many miles is the entire itinerary? Is there is a stretch where we could ditch the rental car and take the train and then pick up another car? And/or if we drop off the car before and after London and train in which cities would be best to do that? Thank you so much!

16th May 2022 at 3:11 pm

Thanks Debbie!

So I’d probably recommend dropping the rental car in Belfast or Dublin and then flying across to Cardiff or Edinburgh, depending which way you go. Many car rental firms don’t allow for rentals to be taken on the ferry, plus you have to pay more to transport a car, so this would likely save you money.

Direction wise in Ireland, it really depends what you want to see. In the Republic of Ireland you have lovely landscapes and places like the Dingle peninsula and Ring of Kerry. If you head north to Belfast (also a lovely city), then you can visit places like the Giant’s Causeway and the Coastal Causeway route.

Putting a mileage total on the entire itinerary is tricky as there are likely to be many detours but I’d say a ballpark of 1500 – 2000 miles seems about right. In terms of areas where you can drop the car and take public transport, a lot of this will depend on what you want to see. If you are happy with primarily cities, then you can easily get around between cities with a train instead of a car. So for example, Edinburgh to York, York to Manchester, Manchester to Bath and Bath to Oxford would all work. Then if there were specific day trips you wanted to do there’s the option to either rent a car for that day, or take a day tour. But if you are thinking of spending more time in the countryside and smaller towns, then a car would be a lot less useful. I’d definitely recommend against taking a car into London, and dropping it off somewhere like Oxford or Reading before taking the train into London.

Farooq Ghouri says

6th May 2022 at 2:56 am

Hi Laurence and Jessica We are visiting UK this summer for two weeks. Your two weeks itinerary is great resource for us. I wonder how we can squeeze Wales in it . Any suggestions will be much appreciated We will be using rental car Sincerely Farooq Ghouri from Chicago USA

6th May 2022 at 9:44 am

Thanks very much! So the southern part of Wales is included in this trip on the return from Ireland. However, if you wanted to add Wales your main option would be to do it as you drive north, or to consider skipping Ireland and to drive back down through Wales to Bath. The second option might be easier as it cuts down having to think about a ferry / flight across to Ireland, but it’s up to you. This itinerary is already very busy, so adding more to it as it exists would be a bit of a challenge in my opinion.

Let me know if I can offer any further advice, and have a great time in the UK!

6th May 2022 at 5:06 pm

Thank you much Laurence I will keep your suggestion in mind when finalizing the itinerary

Heather says

28th April 2022 at 2:35 am

I noticed your recommended the The Resident Victoria and I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions. I will be travelling with 3 people, one of which is a full time wheelchair user. Do you think the room size is adequate for a 5 day visit? Did you happen to notice if the showers were roll in or a wet room with chair? I realize most hotels only have accessible showers and whatnot in certain rooms so will understand if you don’t know. I found your travel blog a month ago and love it. Thanks from Canada

28th April 2022 at 12:01 pm

Hi Heather,

Sure thing. So, the first thing to be aware of is that rooms in central London tend to be quite small, especially if you are used to the size of hotel rooms in North America. Another thing to be aware of is that baths are quite common, and having a shower over the bath rather than a separate stall is also fairly common. So if looking for an accessible room it’s really important to specify that, and it’s always worth checking with the hotel what that actually means.

I would say that none of the rooms in the Resident Victoria would really be suitable for three adults to share for a longer stay, if that was what you were thinking. The superior rooms do have the option for three single beds, but these are not accessible rooms. In general, the rooms are fairly compact and I think a wheelchair user in particular would struggle in their standard rooms.

If you were thinking of separate rooms, some of their King Rooms are accessible so that would be an option. I called the hotel this morning and they confirmed that it is their King rooms which are accessible and the showers in these rooms are fully roll in. The toilets and sinks are also accessible. They can also provide a chair in the shower if you want. However these are definitely rooms for two people.

I hope this answers your question! The property is very well located for sure. Let me know if I can offer any further advice. I also have a full guide to where to stay in London which has a lot more options 🙂

13th April 2022 at 11:47 pm

Hi Laurence,

Was very interesting to read this trip. But it’s more suitable for adults without kids to travell to Ireland within two weeks. Can you please look for following trip plan: We are 2 adults + 2 kids (12 and 10) for 14 days. My daughter likes Harry Potter, so preference on these kind of attractions. So i wanted to divided for following parts: 1. London 5 days –>>> museums, parks and so on. 2. Warner Bros. Studio Tour London 1 day 3. Oxford or Cambridge .. yet not decided… for one day + Windsor Castle 4. Rent a car(or by train) and drive to the north >> York 1 day Manchester + Alton Towers – 1 day 5. Drive to south Birmingham (Cadbury world + other attractions) – 1 day Costwolds area – 1 day Bath + Stonehenge – 1 day Total 12 + 2 days (driving + bufffer for other changes during the trip)

Do you think is it good? What to add or remove? Or continue to Edinburgh and cancel some places in current trip? Thanks in advance Sam

14th April 2022 at 11:23 am

Great to hear from you. I agree, trying to include Ireland on the trip would be challenging with family. I think your itinerary sounds good, spending more time focusing on a smaller number of areas is a good choice. For your options, I think I might suggest Oxford over Cambridge if your daughter likes Harry Potter as there are quite a few filming locations in Oxford (see the Oxford section of our Harry Potter guide here ). I would also probably allocate a whole day to Oxford and maybe do Windsor Castle on one of your days in London. Oxford is very easy to reach by train from London so makes an easy day trip, but the day might feel rushed if you include Windsor as well.

I think otherwise your itinerary sounds good. A car will make things easier for sure, especially for things like exploring the Cotswolds and getting to Alton Towers. These are doable by public transport but it will take up valuable time. I also think focusing on England is a good idea. Depending on how much of a Harry Potter fan your daughter is you might consider stopping at Gloucester as well to see Gloucester Cathedral, which was used for various Hogwarts scenes .It’s a spectacular cathedral and lovely city in its own right as well, easy to see in 2-3 hours between Birmingham and Bath before dipping into the Cotswolds.

Have a great trip – let me know if you have any questions!

Vincent Choo says

12th April 2022 at 11:04 am

Laurence, My family and I ( 4 of us intend to tour Great Britain for 2 weeks before joining our friends in Belfast to continue another 10 days covering the island of Ireland. We intend to travel with a combination of car, train , ferry and air and hope to have your recommendation on which sectors should I use the above modes of transport. The intineary is roughly the same as your 2 weeks ( loop from London and ends there ) Thank You

12th April 2022 at 2:43 pm

Hi Vincent!

This is a great question, and the answer will come down to both budget and your interests.

If you are primarily interested in cities and larger towns, then travelling by rail might be easier for the majority of your trip. You can get between most cities and towns quite easily by train, and if you book well in advance you can also get cheap fares. You can also use a Friends & Family railcard to save even more. Travelling by train has the advantage that you don’t have to worry about car rental costs, fuel costs and finding car parking, the latter of which can be a challenge in many cities. I’d definitely advise against a car in London at the very least.

If you prefer a mix of city sightseeing and countryside, then a car is going to be more useful as most countryside sights and places like the Lake District are going to be a lot easier to get to and around with your own vehicle. I’d just suggest leaving the car out of the London part of the trip, and remembering to think about parking and fuel prices as part of your budget. I think a car might end up being slightly more expensive than public transport, but honestly the car rental market is so turbulent these days it’s hard to know without doing the math.

My recommendation would be to fly to Ireland – low cost flights with budget airlines will likely be the best option, and most car rental companies actually don’t allow for their vehicles to go on a ferry. Then you could pick up a hire car in Ireland on arrival.

It sounds like you have a great trip planned – let me know if I can offer any more input!

Sanchay says

7th April 2022 at 8:05 pm

Hello, Im planning a 2 week trip which shall include England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland during the month of October 2022. Is it feasible to cover all the places in 2 weeks considering that we are a group of 6 adults and 2 children ( 11 and 12 yrs) or shall we skip any of the destinations. We shall use Public transport in London and prefer Self drive cars / Trains / Ferries elsewhere. I also want to know if you could share some ranch stays where in we can stay and enjoy the country side instead of hotels. Awaiting your kind suggestion

Thanks and Regards 🙂

8th April 2022 at 11:04 am

Hi Sanchay,

Thanks for your comment. So I would probably recommend that you focus on maybe a couple of countries so you can enjoy yourself a bit more. I would probably recommend perhaps the mainland UK, as the extra effort required to get across to Ireland will eat into your time with two weeks. So perhaps a trip which includes London and Edinburgh, and then areas like the Lake District and / or Wales. One thing to be aware of is that the weather in October can be a bit variable, so spending more time in the cities might be more appealing rather than the country side where the weather might not be suitable for a lot of outdoor activities. Of course, you might be lucky and get good weather, but this is not guaranteed.

For ranch stays, probably the closest in the UK would be countryside B&Bs. Some farms do have accommodation option, and there are some lovely self catering options in the country as well.

Have a great trip and let me know if you have any further questions!

Derek Bowen says

2nd June 2021 at 5:16 pm

A really good trip, but I would skip Manchester and head right up through Rawtenstall, up through Burnley and Nelson. This would be a really good look at the cotton industry as well a real feel of northern England, as well as the best fish and chips. Then carry on up through Skipton, trying to time market day, and over to York, which is a must.

3rd June 2021 at 12:53 pm

Thank you Derek! For sure, there are so many ways to change this route depending on interests, and your suggestion is a good one 😀

Patrick Russell says

22nd March 2021 at 5:18 pm

This is absolutely amazing itinerary. What would a rough cost be for a trip like this? Minus airfare, and passports.

Thank you, Patrick

22nd March 2021 at 5:23 pm

Thanks Patrick! So it will vary quite a bit depending on your travel style. The main costs on a trip like this are transport, accommodation, food and attraction entry. Accommodation will obviously depend on how comfortable you like to travel, and food will also vary a lot depending on if you prefer fine dining or simpler fare.

To help cost a trip like this I put a guide to the costs of travelling in the UK in a post, which should give you some guidance 🙂

https://www.findingtheuniverse.com/cost-travel-uk/

Hope this helps!

Matthew says

8th December 2020 at 2:51 pm

Interesting itinerary. As a British person, rather than a traveller, my comment would be it doesn’t have much of the coast in, though I understand the time constraints. But a trip to the UK with no seaside towns! At least add Brighton, easy to reach from London. Dorset isn’t too far either, and has a fantastic coast. Also, Chester is beautiful and well worth inclusion.

8th December 2020 at 2:52 pm

Hey Matthew,

Great feedback. When I wrote this guide initially it was in response to a specific request, but of course there is so much of the UK that it doesn’t cover for various reasons (including time restraints!). I always encourage folks to use it as a rough guide, but to modify it for their own interests 🙂

Thanks for stopping by!

Tammy Howard says

25th February 2020 at 11:07 pm

Dear Laurence,

Thank you so much for this itinerary. It is fabulous!! We would like to sleep in a castle while on our trip. Are there any that you know of that allow this along this route?

26th February 2020 at 11:20 am

Dear Tammy,

My pleasure! So yes, there are quite a few options along the route, depending on your budget. Some options to consider:

Thornbury Castle – just north of Bristol

Glenapp Castle – just south of the Scotland – Ireland ferry crossing. We’ve stayed here and it’s wonderful

Kilkea Castle Hotel – south of Dublin. We’ve also stayed here.

Cringletie Castle Hotel – about a 40 minute drive south of Edinburgh. Another of our favourites.

Of course, this is just a small selection – there are many more across the UK to choose from, at a range of budgets. One tip when staying in a castle hotel – some of them have built more rooms outside the castle itself. So make sure when booking that you get a room that inside the castle (I think otherwise it sort of defeats the point!).

Have a great trip, let me know if you have any more questions!

Abdiaziz says

29th February 2020 at 8:27 am

How much will I pay if I want to travel next month

29th February 2020 at 10:14 am

Hi Abdiaziz,

March is not too busy a month for travel in the UK, so prices should be reasonable. To figure out your costs for this trip, see our guide to how much it costs to travel in the UK 🙂

Dhaval says

3rd February 2020 at 9:17 am

Hi Laurence, Thanks a lot for this amazing itinerary. We are a group of 4 adults + 4 kids (1Y,3Y,5Y,7Y) and are planning a 15 days trip to the UK. This will be our first time. Can you please assist us with the below queries:-

1. Considering we have small kids, what is the best mode of transport to travel from London to Edinburgh to Dublin? Should we keep one separate day for travelling in our itinerary? We will also have Kids Strollers everywhere we travel. 2. We want to do Day tours from London to Oxford, Cotswold, Stonehenge, Bath etc keeping our base in London. But few of my friends suggested that the Local operators don’t include kids below 5Years and we will be forced to take a rent a car. Any suggestions? 3. Also if we follow your above itinerary, can you guide us the exact cities in which we need to book our apartments/hotels to avoid hassle-free travelling.

Thanks a lot in Advance. Cheers 🙂

3rd February 2020 at 2:45 pm

My pleasure 🙂 I will do my best to help of course. To answer your questions:

1 – From London to Edinburgh I would recommend the train. This takes around 4.5 hours and will be a lot quicker than driving / taking a bus, plus you will have more space for your stroller / bags etc. You could fly too, but as it will take time to check everything in, go through security etc, I think the train will be easier. Just be sure to book your train well in advance to get a good price, and be aware that if you book a ticket in advance, you must take the booked train, the ticket will not work on a different train, even on the same day.

For Edinburgh to Dublin, your only option is realistically to fly.

2 – This is correct, for safety reasons most group tours do not accept children under a certain age, which is often 5. However, you can instead book a private tour. For a group of eight of you this should not work out much more expensive than a normal tour, plus you will be able to customise the itinerary. So I would advise reaching out to private tour operators who should be able to assist.

3 – All the cities are in the itinerary, you would need to stay in whichever ones you want to visit that don’t fall within the day tours you wish to take from London.

I hope this helps – have a great trip and let me know if I can help any further,

Serafina Macdonald says

11th January 2020 at 9:09 pm

Hi there, we are planning a trip to England, Scotland, and Ireland at the beginning of July. We are thinking about 16-18 days. I looked at your itinerary and love your suggestions! My husband does want to spend a half-day in Liverpool and I think we can tweak your itinerary to fit it in and try to do Isle of Skye as well. Since we do have the few extra days at the end of the trip, do you think it would be worthwhile to travel over to the other coast of Ireland to explore that side? (Galway, Aran Islands). Would love some suggestions.

11th January 2020 at 9:18 pm

Hi Serafina!

So Liverpool would definitely be an easy addition to the itinerary. The Isle of Skye is a bit more of a trek, as it’s a five hour drive each way from Edinburgh, so I’d suggest allocating at least 3 days for that, one day each for the drive and one day to actually explore. So do keep that in mind.

For Ireland, absolutely. The west coast is stunning, and if you can find time to head over there I would definitely suggest doing so. There’s a lot to see over there, so the hardest part will be choosing, but certainly the Cliffs of Moher, Dingle Peninsula and Ring of Kerry are some good candidates for your shortlist 🙂

Have a great time, and let me know if you have any more questions!

12th January 2020 at 2:15 pm

Thanks so much! Looking forward to this trip!

3rd December 2019 at 9:40 am

Dear Laurence, This is the first time I visit UK so could you help give a good advice to have plan visit UK during time 24th Dec- 08th Jan

Thanks Duong

3rd December 2019 at 6:11 pm

Thanks for your message. The majority of the information you need should be available on the site, both in this post and in the posts I link to. I am happy to try and help answer any specific questions you might have – is there anything in particular you are worried about?

The main things I would suggest, depending on where you are travelling from, are to plan what you want to see, to plan your accommodation and transport, and to pack properly for winter. Obviously you are visiting over Christmas and New Year, which is a busy time of year, so if you have not booked your accommodation yet you will definitely want to look into that, especially over New Year as that can be a busy time for both travel and accommodation.

Let me know if I can offer any more specific help for your trip,

Hang Tran says

26th November 2019 at 3:59 pm

Hi Laurence, Thank you for your advice and emails. I was able to put together our 2-week itinerary in England. I changed our lodging to London instead of Heathrow and booked different places when we travel around with our Britrail passes. I can’t say thank you enough. It’s very helpful for us. We will stay in London (3 days), Edinburgh (3 days:Edinburgh and York), Bristol for 5 days, Bath for 2 days and travel to other nearby cities (Stonehenge, Oxford, Cardiff) by train to make one-day trip. Is it right time to visit Cardiff in winter? If not, do you have any other places to spend a day? We’re thinking about Liverpool but it takes about 3-hours ride. If so, what should we can see in such a short time in Liverpool? We never ride a train before so we don’t mind riding the train everyday and enjoy the view together.

26th November 2019 at 5:20 pm

I am so pleased to have been able to help you and to hopefully make your trip a memorable one. It sounds like you have a wonderful itinerary planned now.

I would say that Cardiff is fine to visit in winter. Like many cities in the UK, lots of the attractions are indoors, so you can visit at any time of year and have a good time. Obviously you’ll want to dress warmly, but this will be the same all around the UK. Cardiff will definitely be one of the easier places to visit given its proximity. Another option would be Birmingham. I think I would probably not do Liverpool from Bristol – the 3 hour trip each way would be 6 hours on a train, so I don’t think you’d really have enough time to enjoy the city.

Let me know if I can be of any further help! We actually live in Bath too, so maybe we’ll see you 😉

28th November 2019 at 5:30 am

Hi Laurence, Thank you for the suggestion. We will look into Birmingham instead of Liverpool. We might be able to meet you for breakfast or lunch in Bath on Dec 22 or 23. I was able to find a place to stay that we can walk up or down the street to get to Bath Spa. Everything is in walking distance. Thanks to you again.

Sincerely, Hang

28th November 2019 at 7:22 pm

My pleasure – have a lovely trip. Do pop a comment here or send me an e-mail if you have some free time!

Laurel says

9th October 2019 at 7:23 am

Hi, love your itinerary of the UK. It includes much of what we want to see. Howev r, we are a senior couple of nomads from Australia and we are trying to organise a four week trip of the UK and Ireland including the islands off Scotland but we are steam train buffs and have the 10 best day trips on steam trains to try to include. Do you help with itinerary planning to include as many of these as we can but in some sort of order? If not can you head us in the right direction? We don’t need London as we have a couple of days there prior to a cruise of Norway. Is it feasible to do this trip in September and will he days still be long and fairly warm? Thanks in anticipation for your advice.

9th October 2019 at 6:16 pm

Thanks very much! So we don’t offer custom itinerary planning as it’s quite a time intensive process. We’re happy to answer specific questions and help where we can of course. Steam trains aren’t really an area of expertise though!

I can definitely answer your questions about September – I’d say September is a great month to travel. If you are lucky it might still be reasonably warm (recent years have been lovely in September), but you skip the crowds of the summer months and the schools will have gone back as well. September and May are our favourite months to travel. Of course, this is the UK, so rain and cooler weather is certainly possible (although you can get this in July and August as well!), so it’s always best to be prepared with layers of clothing, but you should be fine generally. The days will still be long, light until around 8pm depending on which part of the month you visit 🙂

Have a great trip, and let me know if I can answer any more specifics!

Kevin Ortyl says

19th September 2019 at 6:51 pm

Love the website and your two-week itinerary. Very easy to follow.. So glad we found your site. Need advice please… (Coming from Boston, USA) Thinking of a two-week vacation late August 2020 (family of 4… 2 college age kids) flying into London and out of Dublin. So similar trip you outlined but not returning to Heathrow once in Ireland. Planning on rental car and driving everywhere. Can the one way car rental work in this scenario (London, Scotland, ferry to the Emerald Isle, drop rental at Dublin)? Second Q… if we were to eliminate the Wales back to London segment how would you fill in that itinerary staying in Ireland?

19th September 2019 at 7:20 pm

Thanks very much. So dropping off the car in a different country might be a challenge. Most car rental companies will let you drop the car off in a different part of the same country, but as the Republic of Ireland is separate from the UK, that would likely be a challenge. So your best option is probably to rent the car in the UK, then drop it off at Edinburgh airport and fly to Dublin, then pick up a new rental there.

For your time in Ireland, you have a lot of options! If you are looking for a road trip the Causeway Coastal Route in northern Ireland is a favourite of ours, and the Wild Atlantic Way is also a great drive. Of course there is so much to see in Ireland and Northern Ireland depending on what you are interested in, with both Dublin and Belfast being worth a visit. It would just depend if you wanted to do more city or more country 🙂

Let me know if I can be of any more help – we have quite a few posts on Ireland as well on the site with some ideas!

19th September 2019 at 9:58 pm

Thank you for the reply, and the good information regarding rental cars.

To follow up, once in Ireland probably interested in seeing some of the quaint cities/towns, visit the pubs, little urban culture, castles, etc and those types of places in lieu of say hiking and biking. Hoping of course between destinations to see beautiful countryside and such!

20th September 2019 at 9:02 am

My pleasure 🙂 So I would suggest that driving the Causeway Coastal Route ( https://www.findingtheuniverse.com/causeway-coastal-route-northern-ireland/ ) Might be a good option 🙂

4th September 2019 at 2:13 am

Hi Laurence, I really like the two week trip itenerary. We’ll will be driving and are experienced with that. We’d like to see some worthy gardens along the suggested route. Any ideas?

4th September 2019 at 7:02 pm

Certainly. The gardens at Alnwick Castle are wonderful, as are the gardens at many of the stately homes in the UK (you can see our list of good stately homes in England here ). Not all of them have gardens of course, but that’s a good starting point. Many cities also have botanic gardens, including Edinburgh and Kew Gardens in London, which are well worth the visit.

I hope this helps a little 🙂

Rachel Sales says

16th August 2019 at 5:15 am

Hi! This post gave me lots of ideas. However, can you help me out in modifying this itinerary which will make Edinburgh as the last stop? My flight booking is DXB-LHR, EDI-DXB. I thought it will be nice it it’s an onward journey and not have to go back to my starting point. Thank you in advance!

16th August 2019 at 12:12 pm

Glad to be able to help! So as this itinerary is a loop, it’s a bit challenging to modify it that easily. My suggestion would perhaps be to drop Ireland from your trip, and instead to spend more time in Scotland. So you could follow the itinerary up to Edinburgh, and then add in time exploring more of Scotland before returning to Edinburgh. Let me know your thoughts,

Robin Major says

13th August 2019 at 12:53 am

Hello Lawrence,

I just found and love this site!! I’m trying to plan a 25th wedding anniversary trip for next September (2020) to surprise my hubby.

He’s never been to Europe. I was fortunate enough to get two and half lovely days in London a couple years back courtesy of my employer.

I’m not sure if what I want to do is totally doable though… No driving.. we would do transit and rail… I’m thinking a week in Britian and a week in Scotland. Maybe fly into London, spend two full days exploring the sites.. then I’m sort of lost. We are interested in Castles, love the supernatural aspect of York so that will be a must, definitely want to see Stonehenge.. and as odd as it sounds, my parents did Sherwood Forest and Nottingham on their 25th Wedding Anniversary many years ago so wondering if that would be a recommendation? Just not sure of the logistics for a week in Britian.. where to stay etc.

For Scotland, again, Castles and we are both big Outlander fans so we’ve have to see Loch Ness, Inverness and any and all sites made famous by Outlander. I am thinking a week up there and we fly home from either Glasgow or Edinburgh.

Do you have any suggestions/recommendations on an itinerary for us? I would greatly appreciate any knowledge you wish to share with me.

Thank you so much! Robin

13th August 2019 at 10:19 am

Thanks very much! It certainly would be possible 🙂 I’ve actually written a 10 day UK itinerary by public transport. Whilst the route isn’t exactly what you want, the post does have some useful information to help you plan your trip, especially around booking the trains etc. If you’ve not seen that post yet, it’s here:

https://www.findingtheuniverse.com/10-day-uk-itinerary-public-transport-train-bus/

Regarding your specific itinerary, I would suggest you start in London as you suggest. You could then take a day tour from London out to Stonehenge. This is doable by public transport, but is way easier as a day tour, plus they usually have some extra stops like Bath. You can read our guide to doing that here:

https://www.findingtheuniverse.com/Stonehenge-bath-cotswolds-day-trip-from-london/

So Nottingham is nice (I went to university there), but with limited time I wouldn’t say it was a must do. My suggestion would be to take the train from London to Oxford, and then up to York. A day in each location would work. You are now up to five days in England. Castles are a bit tricky by public transport as many of them are out of cities. I would perhaps suggest extending your time in London and taking the extra day to visit either Windsor Castle or Hampton Court Palace. From York you could head up to Durham which is a beautiful cathedral city.

From Durham the train to Edinburgh is not too far. I’d suggest basing yourself in Edinburgh for at least three days. Two days to explore the city, and then one day to take an Outlander tour. We have specifically done 1 day tour with Rabbies , and thought it was great. We have more suggested day tours from Edinburgh here:

https://independenttravelcats.com/day-trips-from-edinburgh-scotland/

From Edinburgh our recommendation would then be to take the train up to Inverness, from where you can explore more castles, Loch Ness and the Highlands. Again, plenty to do in this area, and there are lots of great day trips to plan. You can see our guide to some of the best here:

https://www.findingtheuniverse.com/day-trips-from-inverness-scotland/

I think that should give you plenty to work with – let me know if you have any more questions!

8th August 2019 at 9:35 pm

I just found this page and so glad I did especially your “Best Stately Homes in England” We will be visiting England and Scotland for 2weeks October 16-29, 2019 and I am excited about your itinerary. We have been to Northern Ireland (once)and Republic of Ireland (4 times) so we can leave those out, so are there any other places you might suggest? My husband has driven every time we have visited Ireland so he can handle a manual transmission. We land at Gatwick Airport and I thought we could head to Edinburgh via a easterly route and return to London via a westerly route. We do not have to travel only motorways but don’t wait too many small country lanes (did plenty of those in Ireland). Any suggestions you could make would be greatly appreciated. Love Manor Houses, Castles, rolling landscape, waterfalls, quaint English market towns or villages, etc. THANKS

9th August 2019 at 8:54 am

Sounds like you have a great trip planned, and I will certainly do my best to help. It sounds like your route is pretty good already, coming down the west side of the UK gives you the chance to pop into the Lake District, explore towns like Chester, and even larger cities like Birmingham. In terms of stately homes, well, I would obviously recommend the majority of those in my post on stately homes. I’d also add Edinburgh Castle of course if you like castles, as well as the more ruined Craigmillar Castle on the outskirts of Edinburgh. Alnwick Castle on the way up through Northumberland is stunning, as are many of the other castles in Northumberland, like Bamburgh and dunstanburgh. For rolling hills and greenery, the Lake District is lovely, but I can also recommend the Hadrian’s Wall area of Northumberland, particularly the area near Housesteads.

For quaint English towns, of course the Cotswolds would be by number one pick. The counties of Kent and Dorset are also good options.

I think that should get you started, let me know if you need some more ideas!

Christine Greentaner says

5th August 2019 at 12:26 pm

Hello!! I stumbled on your site asking google if I could do the this kind of trip and wow, here you are! Unsure of the driving though since we zero experience. However, this two week itinerary gives us something to start thinking about. Thank you so much!! Christine

7th August 2019 at 2:52 pm

Hi Christine!

Driving in the UK is definitely a bit different, especially if you are coming from a country where they drive on the right hand side. Also, if you’re coming from the USA, be aware that most cars in the UK have manual transmissions, so when you rent a car if you are not used to driving a manual you should specify an auto. I have a guide to driving in the Uk which you might also find useful 🙂

https://www.findingtheuniverse.com/tips-for-driving-in-the-uk/

Let me know if you have any questions, and have a great trip!

Danie marais says

11th July 2019 at 8:54 pm

What will it cost for 2 adults

12th July 2019 at 4:17 am

Hi Danie – this really depends on your travel style – you can see a guide to how much travel in the UK costs here for some estimates: https://www.findingtheuniverse.com/cost-travel-uk/

Margaret says

9th July 2019 at 6:29 am

HI , Just wanted to ask. I am getting a little a little worried,as our trip is getting closer and closer. Your site has helped so much. Does this sound ok to do. Day 1 arrive late afternoon explore Paddinton. Day 2 & 3 follow your 2 day guide of london sites. Day 4 train to oxford, free 2 hour tour. free time to explore oxford Day 5 train back to oxford ,pick up car. Drive to Cotswold explore.. Drive on up to peak district stay over night . 1 night Day 6 explore peak district , drive to Manchester and york .explore. Now I am unsure to travel to the Lake district Or follow onto Alnwick. as some people say not to miss out on the lake district. We dont have enought time to cut back over to Alnwick unsure . We arrive in paddington on the 20th want to leave Edinburgh 31st. So take into account at least 2 night in Edinburgh and head onto Belfast. We will then explore Belfast and Dublin for 2 weeks as we have friends there. follow onto wales Bath but we do want to stay in Southampton for two days once again friends. Can you get to Heathrow airport from Southampton We have 5.5 weeks for this trip but I do want to spend time with friends in Belfast and Dublin. I am so over whelmed .

10th July 2019 at 5:43 am

Hi Margaret!

First, I’m delighted we’ve been able to help 🙂

Your comment covers a few points so I will try to help where I can. For your itinerary, the first six days look good, the only feedback I would offer is that trying to do the Peak District, Manchester and York in one day is likely going to be too much. Even Manchester and York in one day is quite a bit. York would need at least four hours to fully enjoy it, so I might suggest skipping Manchester unless you are particularly invested in it.

For your Lake District dilemma, I can’t really answer this for you. Everyone has a different idea as to what is “unmissable”, so it really depends on your priorities and interests. The Lake District is certainly very pretty, but so is much of the UK 😉

From Southampton you can definitely get to Heathrow airport. It takes around 2 hours by train. It’s not a direct train though, so you do have to change, but it shouldn’t be too difficult. If you would prefer a direct route, I believe National Express operates a coach service between the two locations.

I think for the rest of your trip you might want to reach out to your friends and ask for their advice in terms of what to see and do. I would try to relax and enjoy yourself instead of trying to see everything and becoming overwhelmed if you can. Travel is definitely a bit of work, but ultimately it is supposed to be fun. I always find that the less planned adventures are the more fun ones. So certainly come up with a framework, but don’t spend too much time worrying about it to the tiniest detail, as it will likely detract from the enjoyment.

22nd July 2019 at 4:35 am

Thank you Laurence, Your advice is so helpful. I have added days, so we can get the most out of our trip 2 days in the Peak District, Manchester and 1 day for York. Now I am on the end part of our trip and once again would like some advice. : After spending 18 days exploring Ireland. We will be catching the ferry to Wales. 20th Fishguard pick up car, early afternoon explore the country driving towards Cardiff, Bristol Question : Unsure as to time length of time needed

I was thinking, see Cardiff, then drive towards Bristol arrive around tea time. sleep overnight and have full day to explore Bristol. 21st after exploring Bristol drive towards Bath. arrive around tea time, find somewhere to sleep for 2 nights (21st and 22nd) 22nd full day to explore Bath. 23 th drive toward Stonehenge, Amesbury, drive onto southamption return Car

24th southamption .explore Southamption see family member. we need to be at Hearthrow airport on the 26th at 9:20 flight take off , My next question is , Should I return to paddington for the 25th so I can get the express train to airport , Is my flight to early to return from southamption. Once again . please guide me. Margaret

22nd July 2019 at 6:03 pm

Hi Margaret,

My pleasure! I will try to help again. Your timings for Bristol / Bath etc seem reasonable. They are very close together, my only advice is to avoid travelling at rush hour (4pm – 6pm), as it will make your journey much longer due to the traffic.

For your second question, in theory you could get from Southampton to Heathrow in time, but it’s around a 2 – 2.5 hour journey. You’d want to check train times for the day you are going, but the earliest trains are around 5am based on my research, so you would get to Heathrow around 7.30am. So yes, it’s possible, but it depends how happy you are with an early start and also the risk of any train delays. Up to you, but personally I avoid early mornings at all costs, so would personally probably just find a hotel near Heathrow 😉

Diana Cottrell says

1st July 2019 at 1:57 am

Loved seeing your site. Very helpful since I’m trying to plan a driving vacation for my husband and myself and really didn’t know were to start. I have some questions but will start with only one. We were in London last year but I could go again. Loved it. Hubby sick and had a different feeling. Would it be hard for someone from the US to land at Heathrow and rent a car…then drive to Windsor right after landing? Is it far enough out of London to get comfortable with driving on a different side of the road?

1st July 2019 at 10:18 pm

So, funny story, after passing my UK driving test the first thing I did was rent a car and drive out of Heathrow! I’m not sure I’d exactly recommend it, you’d be driving onto one of the busiest motorways in the UK (our equivalent of a freeway) which might be quite stressful. It’s possible of course, and I’m sure many people do it, but I would advise caution. Also, make sure you specify you want an automatic as most cars in the UK are manual 🙂

3rd July 2019 at 12:01 am

Thanks for the information. Think we’ll skip Heathrow. How would landing in Edinburgh, then heading up through Scotland and back down England (maybe to Bath). Then going up through York and returning back to Edinburgh to return car.

3rd July 2019 at 2:57 pm

That would likely work quite well. My only advice, if you plan on spending time in Edinburgh, is not to pick up the hire car until you leave, as you won’t need it in the city and you’ll just be paying for car rental and parking for no good reason – the city is very walkable.

6th July 2019 at 11:11 pm

Thanks so much. Will start planning.

Amanda says

23rd June 2019 at 5:59 pm

This is such a great detailed itinerary! We are planning to get a rental car in Cambridge and then driving to Scotland from there, so some of these places we will definitely have to visit! I do have one question, about renting a car. Is there a boarder crossing fee or any other type of fee the rental company could charge to go from England to Scotland? We are planning to do a one-way trip so I know there is a fee for that, but in terms of crossing between the two countries is there a fee? When I read about the boarding crossing fee it was unclear to me if that is only if we leave the UK?

Thank so much!

23rd June 2019 at 6:02 pm

Thanks very much! There’s no fee or anything like that for crossing into Scotland, it’s not really a border like that. It’s all part of the UK, so it’s one country.

Opal joiner says

18th June 2019 at 1:37 pm

Hi Do I need to purchase a London pass and a heritage pass? Or just one pass?

18th June 2019 at 7:05 pm

It depends what you want to see and where you are travelling, but for London the London Pass will cover the majority of the attractions 🙂 I definitely recommend checking what they cover before purchasing though 🙂

Chris Ryan says

17th June 2019 at 8:44 am

From an English persons point of view this is an excellent itinerary. It would be good to include the Lake District and Snowdonia but to cover all this in two weeks would be a nightmare and far too much time on the road. The average Brit would allow at least a month for the whole trip. If only two weeks available I would suggest you save Ireland for another time, it’s sacrilage not to explore more of that country, and maybe see more of the west of Scotland instead.

17th June 2019 at 11:06 am

Thanks very much 🙂 I agree, I was actually born in Snowdonia and that part of the world is wonderful. Have spent many happy weekends camping in the Lakes as well. The itinerary was in response to a specific request – we normally encourage folks to slow down where possible and spend more time seeing and less time travelling, but unfortunately many people don’t have much leave to play with and want to try and see as much as possible 🙂

Lillie says

15th June 2019 at 2:56 pm

Hi! So glad to have stumbled upon your site, as I am planning this trip to the UK in October, and I didn’t even know where to begin. I like the idea of doing all the traveling by road ourselves since we’ll be traveling with our baby who will be 9 month old at the time. I was thinking 10 days, including Ireland, but would you consider that possible? We are really interested in doing the whiskey distillery tours in Scotland and anything and everything related to Harry Potter. We’re also interested in visiting landmarks like the cliffs and stonehenge. We’re usually good at squeezing in a lot in our vacations, but this will be the first time we travel with our son, so I don’t want to set ourselves up for failure either. Any advice on what to cut out or if we need to lengthen the trip?

15th June 2019 at 8:38 pm

So, first off, I have to say that we’re not really experts on travelling with children as we don’t have any of our own. So any advice I offer you is based on what friends and other readers have shared with us about the logistics of travelling with a young person. Of course, everyone’s experience will also be different.

Generally, most folks say that you definitely need to slow down when travelling with young children, as you have to factor in things like feeding, changes and so on. This will definitely vary though depending on age and individual personalities 😉

That said, you are trying to do a great deal in 10 days. Scotland and England are around a 6 – 7 hour drive apart, and if you want to get up into the Highlands you’re looking at another few hours. To then add Ireland would make it more of a challenge for sure. It’s not impossible of course, but it would definitely be rushed. It might be that you would be best off focusing on Ireland and Scotland on this trip, perhaps five days in each, rather than trying to see everything and just having a stressful time. Alternatively, add 3 or 4 days and include some time in England 🙂

I hope this helps a bit!

Ashok Agarwal says

15th June 2019 at 6:01 am

Wow. I looked up the WWW for a 2 week itinerary for the UK and am glad I clicked on your site, from the numerous options that sprang up. The information contained here is so so exhaustive. Not only did I get a fantastic plan but ab amazing read, too. We are planning our first visit to the UK in October and are going to follow your tips to the T. You guys are fantastic. Thanks.

15th June 2019 at 11:04 am

Thanks very much Ashok! Much appreciated 🙂

9th June 2019 at 9:56 am

Dear Laurence!

Thank you SOOOOO much for your inspirational itinerary and all other articles you provide here. They’re great help!

We are going to spend 15 days in UK in August and this is cause we’ve planned to take our son to Warner Bros HP Studio as we are all massive HP fans :). We’ll start and finish in London, though initially we want to hire a car at the airport and start a trip and spend couple of days in London in the end.

Could you kindly give us some advice / decide whether it is possible, to plan a trip considering these simple priorities: 1) we’d love to see Scotland with its green hills, waterfalls etc. 2) we would really like to visit Snowdonia 3) I guess Stonehenge is sth 8-year-old traveler to England must see 4) I personally have dreamt all my life too see PUFFINS (I mean – free puffins) 5) we can skip Irelnad, no problem 😉

I must admit – reading about UK – I am getting a bit lost in huge amount if options and sites one must visit, so I’d be grateful for some advice.

10th June 2019 at 10:57 am

My pleasure 🙂

So my first tip, if you haven’t already booked the Harry Potter Studio Tour is to do it as soon as possible as it books out well in advance 🙂 I also have a guide to visiting which you might have already seen, but just in case you haven’t, it’s here:

https://www.findingtheuniverse.com/taking-a-harry-potter-studio-tour-everything-you-need-to-know/

Then, on to the question of your itinerary. Assuming two days in London, that gives you around 12 – 13 days to play with. I would suggest you spend them as follows. Given that you are Harry Potter fans I’m also including some HP filming locations you might enjoy 😉

Day 1 – head to Oxford, overnight here. Lots of awesome history, plus lots of Harry Potter filming locations to explore. Day 2 – head to Bath via Stonehenge Day 3 – head up to Snowdonia. Will be a bit of a drive, but worth it. I’d advise a couple of days in Snowdonia to do some hiking and exploring the towns, castles etc. The roads are slower here so it will take longer go get around

Day 5 – Head across to York Day 6 – Drive up to Alnwick Castle, another HP filming location. Then continue on to Edinburgh. Day 7 & 8, Edinburgh. Lots to see, lovely castle. Where Rowling wrote many of the HP books. Note the Edinburgh festival will be on so the city will be very busy. If you decide to stay in Edinburgh, you need to book now. Also, if you want to see puffins, the Isle of May just near Edinburgh is one of the best places to get up close to them. You need to book a trip, which you can do here: https://seabird-centre.seafari-edinburgh.co.uk/forth-ferry-and-isle-of-may

Day 9 – head across to Loch Lomond and the Trossachs. Overnight here or in Oban Day 10 – head up to Fort William / Glencoe. You can ride the HP train from here, or go see the viaduct at least Day 11 – head down to Glasgow, overnight Day 12 – drive down to Liverpool, overnight Day 13 – return to London.

I would say that would be a good way to do it! We have lots more info on Harry Potter sites if you are interested: https://www.findingtheuniverse.com/london-harry-potter-locations/ https://independenttravelcats.com/guide-top-harry-potter-sites-in-edinburgh-scotland-jk-rowling/ https://www.findingtheuniverse.com/harry-potter-filming-locations-uk/ https://independenttravelcats.com/harry-potter-filming-locations-in-scotland/

10th June 2019 at 8:52 pm

Thank you a lot for your advice! The plan sounds great and we are definitely going to follow it step by step :)))

with best regards!

7th June 2019 at 9:00 am

Hi, what a great article! However, do you have any tips for hire car? Are there any fees/ extra charge or need to notice the supplier that the road trip route is involve Wales, Ireland and Scotland?

7th June 2019 at 8:37 pm

Thanks very much!

For driving in Wales and Scotland it won’t matter because they are part of the united Kingdom, so it’s still the same country.

The republic of Ireland however is a separate country, plus you have to take a ferry to get there. So that would be something you would need to check with the rental agency.

S. Steinback says

26th May 2019 at 9:16 am

Hi, my daughter and I are leaving mid August to the UK for 2 weeks. We are planning to start our trip in London. Then wanted to see Brighton, Cornwall, Wales and Scotland. We also want to see Bath and Oxford too. Is this doable using the train? We are unsure of how we should book our traveling using train, car or bus. Can you provide and manageable itinerary and recommendations on how we should travel from each place on a 2 week trip?

26th May 2019 at 11:04 am

Hi Sabrina,

So you should be able to see most of what you want to see by train. As an example, I’d suggest:

2 days in London 1 day in Brighton (train to Brighton takes about an hour, so can be done as a day trip from London or overnight) 1 day in Oxford (1 hour train from London to Oxford, overnight in Oxford) 1 day in Bath (1 hr 40 minute train from Oxford to Bath, overnight in Bath) 2 days in Cornwall (around 3 hours by train from Bath to Cornwall. You might want to take a tour in Cornwall as there is less public transport to get around) 3 days in Wales (train from Cornwall to Cardiff is around 3 – 4hours, but then you will have to plan how to get around Wales. Again a tour might be easiest) 3 days in Scotland (you can either fly from Cardiff to Glasgow / Edinburgh, or take the train, but the train will take around 8 hours)

I’d also suggest looking into Rabbie’s Trail Burners . They do a number of tours from London which might suit what you want to do and save you the hassle of planning. These cover the majority of the destinations you want to visit.

I hope this helps a bit with your planning!

Ed Hyland says

17th April 2019 at 12:01 am

Thankyou for your guide it was really helpful I am living in Argentina and j am planning on bringing Argentinian tourists to Wales and central England on a tour of castles and important historical sites .I plan on bringing groups of around 10 people and using a rented mini bus to move around. Do you have any helpful tips as this will be our first tour ,we are planning on visiting early September All the best .Ed,x

17th April 2019 at 10:56 am

My pleasure. So I don’t have any experience of running this kind of trip, so it’s tricky to give very specific advice. I am sure you have considered things like insurance and liability and so on, as well as any other legal requirements involved with running a tour.

THe only tips I have would be around admission to sights – there are usually group discounts available for attractions that you might be able to take advantage of, although you might need to call in advance to arrange these. I’d also advise to definitely book your accommodation in advance as you have a larger group.

Otherwise, I hope you have a great trip!

12th April 2019 at 12:04 am

I was planning this itinerary since I saw and had 15 days in the region. After more research I am now wondering what it takes to get a rental car from London to Ireland and back? Do you use the same car the entire trip, or would you switch cars at the water crossings in order to not have to pay to ferry the car across? Also I’ve heard rental agencies in England don’t really allow their rentals (or at least coverage) in Ireland? And yet another concern is time, I keep hearing that driving over there is quite a bit slower going than say the US, or by train, would this itinerary still give enough time to enjoy the locations or would it be quick stops and rushed in order to get to the next place? Sorry a lot of questions, just trying to decide if I need to break the trip up to just one or two countries. Thanks. And love you blogs and all the information and amazing photography.

12th April 2019 at 11:46 am

So it is certainly possible to take a hire car on the ferry, it just depends on the hire car company, and some of them charge a fee for doing so. Here’s an example of the Enterprise UK policy: https://www.enterprise.co.uk/en/help/faqs/driving-across-borders.html

Obviously you also then have to pay the ferry fee for the hire car as well. So an easier option to be honest is just to fly, for example to take a flight from Edinburgh to Belfast or Dublin. You would drop off the hire car in Edinburgh and pick up a new one in Belfast.

I appreciate this might be a bit of hassle, so certainly adjusting the itinerary so you skip Ireland is another option. In this case, I’d suggest either spending more time in Scotland, or coming down the west coast of the UK, visiting the Lakes and Wales.

The roads in the UK are definitely a bit busier and can also be slower than roads in the USA. This itinerary is definitely doable, but I’m always a fan of slowing down and seeing more, so that is a good option too 🙂

Let me know if you have any more questions!

David Cameron says

11th April 2019 at 1:56 pm

“You’ve packed up every possible solution in this one blog. I’m over the moon! I really am! How much would this trip cost, approximately? And if I’m going on this trip, Ireland will definitely be included coz from the moment I saw P.S I love you and Leap Year movie, I’ve been dreaming of visiting those places. Thank you. Thank you so much, Laurence !”

11th April 2019 at 2:04 pm

Thanks very much! So it’s hard to give an exact price as it will depend on your travel style. The best option is to cross reference this post with our guide to how much it costs to travel in the UK, which will let you come up with a budget based on your travel style 🙂

Have a great trip, and let me know if you have any more questions!

Usha Gupta says

10th April 2019 at 6:02 pm

Hi, we are travelling to London for a holiday from India. My 2 sons (29 & 27) and I are planning on spending 2 weeks in London and Wales. 13th-18th in London 19th-21st in Wales 22nd-26th in London Please advice how best to spend our holidays? We do not want to visit any of the normal places as we have seen n visited them all. What are the best places in wales to see and visit? We have not been to wales. Is it safe to take a road rrip from London to wales? Are 3 days in wales enough to get around? Pl advice

10th April 2019 at 6:52 pm

Well, there’s a huge amount to do and see in London beyond all the normal tourist things that you have likely already done. I can advise visiting Greenwich for example if you have not been out there already, and perhaps some of the palaces out of the city, like Kensington or Hampton Course. Sometimes we like to pick up the London Pass and visit some of the many attractions we’ve not been to before!

Wales is lovely but it is quite big so you will want to consider visiting a region. My favourite part of Wales is the northern part, including the Snowdonia national park and towns like Caernarfon, but there are many nice regions and places to visit. If you want to see more you will likely want a few more days in Wales.

It is certainly safe to take a road trip from London to Wales, of course, I can’t guarantee your safety, but it is no less safe than travel anywhere else in the UK 🙂

I hope this helps – have a great trip!

Usha gupta says

14th April 2019 at 3:24 am

Ty for you advise. We decided to spend all our time in London and do day trips, theatre etc.

14th April 2019 at 11:46 am

My pleasure. Enjoy!

Darlene Williams says

24th March 2019 at 6:10 pm

Lovely ideas here! My Granddaughter and I did a trip last summer to the Cotswolds, London and Paris. I’m thinking of a trip with my Granddaughter (18) in 2020 and would like to base myself in the Lakes District or Wales and take in Ireland and Scotland in a 2 week trip. Since I’ve been there I’ve decided I could probably drive it myself or possibly rent cars when needed and travel via train/bus/tours between Ireland & Scotland. I’m guessing the Highlands is probably out of reach for a 2 week trip? I would welcome your knowledge and suggestions. Thank you, Darlene

25th March 2019 at 3:44 pm

Thanks very much Darlene!

I would definitely recommend hiring a car for the Lakes – it’s a more remote part of the UK, and there are fewer public transport options, both for getting there, and for getting around. I would say that it would make for a good base, but just to be aware that the roads are not very fast in either the Lake District or Wales, so it can take a bit of time to get from place to place.

The Highlands would be achievable, but it would involve a great deal of driving, and if you wanted to head up there i would suggest that as a standalone trip, perhaps flying to Inverness (or overnight train from London), and then renting a car from there 🙂

Do let me know if I can provide any more specific information to help you plan!

Deep Shah says

22nd March 2019 at 5:43 am

Hello Laurence and Jessica,

It has been a pleasure reading about all your experiences in and around UK. I am planning to visit UK between April 22 and May 1. I am planning to start my trip from Edinburg cover a bit of scotland and than move on and end my trip in London.

Here is my itinerary Inverness (23 April) –> Isle of Skye (24 April) –> Fort William (25 April) –> Edinburgh (26 April) –> Jedburgh (27 April) –> York (28 April) –> Cambridge (29 April) –> Cotsworld (30 April) –> London (1 May)

Do you think this is doable? Or any particular section is too aggressive? Your help will really help me plan this better.

22nd March 2019 at 10:00 am

This is in theory do-able, but you will be spending a lot of time driving. From Inverness to the Isle of Skye is a 2.5 hour drive for example, and then there’s a lot to see and do on the island which will also require driving. If you are ok with lots of time driving then yes, this is doable, I just wanted to be sure you knew 🙂

24th March 2019 at 12:35 pm

Thanks for the reply. Yes, I am aware that we will have a lot of driving. But thats ok with me. Thanks again for your time. I have made the reservations to follow this itinerary. Will let you know how it goes.

Thanks for sharing all the information on your website.

24th March 2019 at 12:38 pm

My pleasure – have a great time and do let us know how it goes! You can drop in here or in our facebook group 🙂 https://www.facebook.com/groups/travelloversandphotography/

Omker Mahalanobish says

21st March 2019 at 5:22 pm

Thanks for your detailed itinerary. Looks exciting. By the way, could you please let me know, what should be the expected cost for the said trip? Further : I dont want to drive. Me and my wife would be travelling, and we would rather prefer a chauffer driven cab.

Thanks, Omker

21st March 2019 at 5:27 pm

I have a guide to how much it costs to travel in the UK here: https://www.findingtheuniverse.com/cost-travel-uk/

However, if you want to travel with a private guide, this will generally cost in the region of £500 – £800 per day for the car / driver guide, and then you would need to add accommodation expenses and so on on top of that. We recommend Robina Brown for this sort of trip: http://driverguidetours.com/

Heather Reid says

20th March 2019 at 5:20 am

This site is the most perfect one for my needs. I am a solo traveler female aged 74 and I wish my 75th Birthday be spent on the next trip. If there be another solo person I would be happy to meet up before departure….male or female.

20th March 2019 at 12:49 pm

Thanks Heather – have a great trip, and we hope you find someone to travel with!

Phillip Armanas says

5th March 2019 at 12:20 am

Stumbled over your website while looking for ideas for a two week trip to the UK, glad I did. You’ve got a fantastic itinerary which includes a number of destinations my wife and I had in mind already. We are a retired couple, living in Australia six months of the year, and Atlanta, Georgia the other six months. This gives us great flexibility in travel terms, both in SE Asia and from the USA to many places including UK/Europe. A question I have is whether you have done any family history work on any of your travels? My ancestry is Scottish in the mid-1800s when my great-great-grandfather arrived into Port Adelaide, Australia. As yet we have been unable to track him accurately back into Scotland, but his surname is from a very ancient clan that can be traced back to the 13th century in Fife county. Have you any tips on places I might visit to pursue my elusive ghosts? Phill & Patti

5th March 2019 at 1:35 pm

Hi Phill & Patti!

We’re delighted you have found our content useful : ) So this isn’t something we have personally done, however I have some resources that might be helpful:

http://www.scottishgenealogyresearch.com/ https://www.visitscotland.com/see-do/research-your-ancestry/steps/ https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/research/family-history https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/research/local-family-history-centres

It helps if you know the person’s name you are researching and where they lived before leaving Scotland. If you know this, you can look for a local research center or records office or clan center. The Visit Scotland link above is a good place to start. The Scottish Genealogy Research is a professional service that will do research for you for a fee.

Good luck, and have a great trip!

Ronald Rieder says

15th February 2019 at 1:22 am

My wife and I would like to take your “ideal itinerary” beginning Sept. 30, 2019. Is there anyone or any group that we could join?

17th February 2019 at 3:56 pm

So this itinerary is a self guided tour for those wanting to drive themselves. However, we appreciate not everyone wants to do that, and we’ve put some suggested tours that will allow you to do a similar trip but in a group tour format. My suggestion for that would be to focus on England and Scotland, and to take this small group tour followed by this five day tour of the Scottish Highlands and Skye .

I hope this helps – let me know if I can offer any more advice!

Cass Baron says

11th February 2019 at 2:19 am

Laurence and Jessica, We are from Utah, United States and have never traveled abroad (except a short trip to Canada and a Western Caribbean cruise). It has been our dream to come to England and retrace our family history roots. We were looking for trip ideas that covered the areas for both a historical trip as well as a family roots trip. We found your site and loved everything that you have written about. We like the 2 week itinerary but don’t want to do the Ireland and Wales portion. We would like to include Nottingham and Hastings areas, do you have any suggestions to add these in for the same amount of time. We are planning on this May. Thanks!

11th February 2019 at 7:40 am

Certainly. I’d recommend Hastings first, then heading from there along to Stonehenge and Bath, then the Cotswolds and Oxford. From there, start heading north, with Nottingham your next stop, before continuing with the itinerary. You could even drop the car off in Edinburgh and fly out from there if you didn’t want to drive back down to London 🙂

I hope this helps – let me know if you have any more questions!

Lashaun says

5th February 2019 at 11:42 pm

Hello. If we skip the Ireland portion where should we extend our time or add another destination for the 2 week adventure? Also we’d like to see a football game, suggestions for city (Manchester, Liverpool?), tickets etc? thank you!

6th February 2019 at 10:36 am

I’d say you could extend by visiting the Lake District and northern Wales, or by heading further north into Scotland, where there’s lots to see. You definitely won’t have trouble finding places to see!

For football, if you don’t have a particular affiliate with a team, then Manchester will likely be a good option as they have the largest stadium. Tickets can be bought online in advance for any of the teams from their official websites, just be aware that they can sell out so you’ll want to book well in advance to be sure of getting a spot.

I hope this helps! have a great trip 🙂

Steve Geller says

2nd February 2019 at 3:10 am

Hi there, Curious if this itinerary, or part of it, could be done in a motorhome (midsize RV) for a family of 2 adults and 2 kids. I’ve never been to most of these places, outside of some brief time in London and Dublin. For itineraries like these where there is a lot of moving around, I like the idea of a motorhome vs going from hotel to hotel (or apt to apt). Thanks!

3rd February 2019 at 11:45 am

So yes, it would be possible to do this is a motorhome. However, I’d probably advise modifying the itinerary fairly substantially, especially the city parts. Most UK cities don’t have centrally located motorhome camping locations, and the streets tend to be fairly narrow, which can make driving and parking a motorhome very challenging. I would instead suggest, if you wanted to do a motorhome holiday in the UK, to look at a driving route like the NC500 (see our camping itinerary for the NC500 here ), or adjusting this route so it visits more of the countryside parts, like the Cotswolds, Peak District, Lake District and Northumberland.

Let me know if we can answer any more questions!

Iskandar Zulkifly Bin Ali says

29th January 2019 at 10:05 pm

Hello there ! finding this website was such a blessing for me! i am a student who wishes to travel around UK for 2 weeks before i go outside UK ( around Europe for a month ). my only problem is, i am studying in london therefore i’m gonna skip london from this amazing itinerary, and am also skipping Scotland cuz i went there last Dec already. which will give me extra days to fill in to make it 2 weeks. would you please help me to suggest places to fill in between the itinerary ? ps; i really really want to see Jurassic coast and cambridge and watergate bay. where should i put these places in terms of best route wise?

thank you in advance for your time !! you got a follower on your ig !

30th January 2019 at 7:33 pm

Hi Iskandar!

Thanks for your lovely comment and following on IG! We’ve actually just recently visited Cambridge and written a detailed guide to the city, which will be live on the blog in the next few weeks 🙂

To answer your question, first I have to assume you are driving. If not, this might have to change a bit to accommodate public transport. But I would say I would go from London to Cambridge, then up to the Peak District, Manchester and York. You could then go across to the Lake District if you wanted, then across to Holyhead and to Ireland (if you wanted to visit Ireland). Then south wales, Oxford and the Jurassic coast.

I hope that works for you 🙂 Have a great trip!

HANNAH JOHNSON says

29th January 2019 at 3:07 pm

This has been an amazing help! If possible, I did want to ask about more recommendations as far as castles/history goes. This is a very close itinerary for what I think we want to do, but I was wondering if you had any more info on what I could add/take away from this list in order to do more of that. Also, we will be departing from the atlanta, GA airport, and returning back to (or starting from) england isnt entirely necessarily. I definitely agree and would take your advice of ending in dublin and returning from there or wales, but im basically trying to avoid flying/ferrying more than need be. What would be your recommendation for doing everything in the UK in one vehicle and then only crossing into ireland once? if that makes sense

30th January 2019 at 7:38 pm

So there are a lot of great castles in the UK, and it’s hard to travel anywhere without finding history! Some of my favourite castles are in Scotland and the Northumberland area, and you’ve also got Hadrian’s wall up there. But York has all the Viking history too, and then cities like Oxford or Cambridge have more from the middles ages, Bath has the Roman empire.. So there’s really no shortage of history to find.

If it was me though, I’d spend a bit more time exploring some of the castles in Northumberland like Alnwick, Bamburgh and Dunstanburgh, as well as some in Scotland.

If you want to do everything in the UK that would be possible, just continue from Oxford to Bath and Cardiff, and then head north from there to York. You might want to bypass Manchester in order to get more of the history you are interested in as it’s more of a town that had it’s heyday with the industrial revolution, which might be a bit too recent history for your interests. You could instead add Warwick, which has a popular castle and a lovely town centre.

Have a great trip and let me know if I can be of any more help!

Hannah says

30th January 2019 at 8:25 pm

For sure! Thank you so much.

Maribel says

17th January 2019 at 4:13 am

Hi, I am planning a 2-week trip to Great Britain flying from Mexico City to London. Your post is very helpful. My trip HAS to include the Isle of Man but I do want to go to Edinburgh and Ireland. What do you think would be the best route? Thanks for your amazing post!

17th January 2019 at 6:37 pm

Hi Maribel!

Great question, and the first time anyone has asked me about the Isle of Man, which I have to admit, I haven’t been to!

There are direct ferry connections to the Isle of Man from Belfast, Dublin, Lancaster and Liverpool.

So assuming you want to do a fairly similar route, mug suggestion would be to follow the general outline of this trip, but take the ferry from Dublin to the Isle of Man, and then on to Liverpool, instead of from the southern end of Ireland to Fishguard. I think that’s the most logical option.

There are other option too – you could go London -> Oxford -> Liverpool -> Isle of Man -> Dublin -> Belfast -> Cairyan -> Edinburgh -> London.

So up to you really! Have a great trip, and let us know if you have any more questions!

Maribel Felix says

17th January 2019 at 6:40 pm

Muchas Gracias! I appreciate you advice very much. I will send you an update of my trip on my way back to Mexico.

17th January 2019 at 9:50 pm

Please do Maribel – we love to hear back from people on how their trips go, and incorporate feedback into our content to help everyone!

16th December 2018 at 12:15 am

Hello! I am planning a 28 day trip in in May 2019. What would you recommend to fill in the extra days? Thank you so much! And thank you for sharing such a lovely itinerary!

16th December 2018 at 11:49 am

Hi Sara! It’s hard to give a precise answer without knowing your interests, but if it was me I would extend my trip up into the northern half of Scotland, perhaps spending 7-10 days driving the North Coast 500, visiting the Isle of Skye and seeing the highlands. You could also head out to the some of the other islands, like Lewis. May is a great time to head up into that part of Scotland.

Other options include Wales or Cornwall, or extending your time in Ireland. There’s so much to see and do, even 28 days will be filled easily!

Nathaniel says

14th December 2018 at 7:57 pm

Could I use this itinerary for a school project. You will be credited and cited, obviously. Thank you if yes and thanks anyway if no. This was fun to read, regardless of your reply Thank you again, Nathaniel

14th December 2018 at 11:43 pm

Hi Nathaniel,

Thanks for asking! Could you e-mail me about this so I get more of an idea of the use? It’s [email protected] 🙂

9th December 2018 at 8:26 am

We are planning a 3 week trip to UK (2 weeks) and Amsterdam (1 week).. We will fly to Amsterdam from London. We were looking at your 2 week itinerary and wanted to ask what would you suggest instead of Ireland, We only want to visit London, Wales and Scotland start at London and return to London. Family with kids who like a bit of adventure, culture so interested in castles, nature etc. Also would like to visit Whisky distilleries preferably Glenfiddich and Aberlour. Also we will be hiring a car in London and return there. Would really appreciate your suggestions.

9th December 2018 at 10:37 am

So my suggestion would be to do a loop from London, similar to that I’ve described here, but instead of going across to Ireland, to head down the west coast of the UK, and then visit the Lake District and Wales on your way down.

In terms of distilleries, certainly, Aberlour and Glenfiddich are achievable from Edinburgh, but you are looking at a three hour drive each way. So you might prefer to visit a closer distillery like Deanston, which is also right next to Doune Castle, which I’m sure your kids will also enjoy 🙂

Hope this helps a bit!

Navtej says

22nd October 2018 at 11:18 am

Hi, a very helpful article. As I plan my next year travel to Europe after a gap of 15 years…it’s a god send. I propose to spend a few days in Amsterdam-Bruges and then fly to London. Here I catch up with another couple and there 12 year old daughter and plan to drive to Scotland and Ireland. We have a total of 10 / 11 days for this.

Am thinking will cut Wales from my itinerary and which other place would u recommend I skip ?

Many thanks

Navtej from New Delhi, India

PS another slighlty unrelates question : If I fly into London should I take a flight into Amsterdam and the train back from Bruges or is this complicated and expensive?

22nd October 2018 at 8:22 pm

It’s hard to give specific recommendations as to what to skip as I’m not sure as to your personal interests. If you are more interested in culture / museums etc, then you will want to include more of the cities, and less of the countryside. Conversely, if you are less interested in the outdoors, perhaps leaving out some of the countryside attractions would be a good idea 🙂

Generally my advice would be just to stick to flights as it’s likely going to be easier and probably less expensive. The train though can be a good option if you book far enough in advance, it will just take a little bit longer.

Hope this helps – have a great trip!

Leslie says

21st July 2018 at 11:12 pm

Four women from Texas will be traveling to the UK in September and wanted to drive (one of us is brave enough to drive on the wrong side of the road). We spend 8 days in London last September with side trips to Bath and a tour to Oxford and Cotswolds and Warwick Castle. We have relatives in Glasgow, so plan to see that area of Scotland. Your information is a Godsend and thank you so much for all your planning. We will let you know how it goes!

22nd July 2018 at 9:36 pm

Thanks Leslie – please do! We always love to hear feedback as to how our posts help people (or if they need changing, we love to hear about that too!)

Have an awesome trip!

Ruth Deane says

11th July 2018 at 6:24 am

A good travel guide to the UK. I know it is difficult to provided a balanced approach due to limited wordage but the emphasis should be on the UK. N. Ireland and its capital Belfast have been sadly neglected in this article and the focus was Dublin which is not part of the UK. Surely something coulf have been added about Belfast and N. Ireland in general. It is a beautiful place. The author did make a reference to the Dark Hedges but associates them with Dublin. Last time I checked they are quite definitely in N. IRELAND. Hope this criticism is constructive. N. Ireland continues to get a bad press but it is a beautiful place and the majority of the people are that bad either.

11th July 2018 at 9:44 am

Constructive feedback is always welcome! We’re actually visiting Northern Ireland next week for a week to fully explore Belfast and the Coastal Causeway, and will be updating our content (and creating new content!) to have more information on this part of the UK 🙂 Stay tuned!

Craig Grimston says

26th June 2018 at 2:47 am

Thank you!!

September is a perfect month to come to Texas – the weather is perfect then! I’d be happy to answer any questions you have to the best of my ability (I’m not a native Texan – originally from Australia), but there is a lot of great things to do here. Austin and San Antonio are great too.

Thank you for offering to answer any questions! We are going in a group, so I’m sure a lot of questions will come up! I’ll try not to bombard you with them, but I may just hit you with a few! We are planning for somewhere in June to August next year (I plan ahead big time!) and couldn’t be more excited to see your beautiful country!

But please, definitely hit me up with any questions you have about Dallas or Texas. If I can’t answer them, I can track someone down who can!

Thanks!! Craig

22nd June 2018 at 8:02 pm

Hi Laurence and Jessica,

I just wanted to say thank you for posting this itinerary. I really wanted to plan a road trip in the UK and after googling about it all I got was a bunch of blogs pointing out all of the negative things and basically saying “don’t bother”!

As I was about to give up and go the typical tourist route, I came across your website. It was exactly what I was looking for! It is inspirational, and put the joy and adventure back into my travel plans.

I’m pretty much going to stick to your itinerary with the exception of Ireland (I wanted to check out the Lake District and Liverpool), so Ireland may have to be a separate road trip!

I have a million questions, but I’m going to spare you of that! LOL. I really just wanted to say a big thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge!

Kindest Regards, Craig – Dallas Texas

25th June 2018 at 9:28 pm

Thank you so much, it always means a lot to hear that people are finding our content useful. I think you are making a sensible choice – there is a lot to see on the mainland of the UK, and it’s also less hassle to worry about rental cars and ferries if you leave Ireland for another trip 🙂

We’re happy to answer any questions you have. We’re actually planning a trip to Texas for late September, and will be swinging by Dallas, so may have some questions for you in return!

Vanessa says

14th May 2018 at 9:38 pm

I’ve googled “hire car” and it says “rental car.” But on your site here it seems that a rental care and a hire car are different things. What exactly is the difference? Thank you! And also thank you for this post – it’s amazing and I think I will definitely base my trip -whenever that may be… – around it. Bookmarking this page!!

15th May 2018 at 5:57 pm

Thanks Vanessa! I think in the UK we use the term hire car, wheras in the USA it’s more likely to be called a rental car. But yes, they are the same thing in my mind, you can use the terms interchangeably as far as I know 🙂 Have a great trip, and don’t hesitate to let us know if you have any questions at all 😀

Saurabh says

7th May 2018 at 7:55 am

Hi Lawrence, This is a great post! I think I can use some help. We are planning a 2 week trip to UK in August with a 1 year old toddler. What from above or otherwise will be a good itinerary for us. How realistic is it for me to cover what you have listed here? Appreciate any help. Thanks!

7th May 2018 at 10:03 pm

Thanks Saurabh! First, I should say that not having kids ourselves this isn’t an area of expertise for us 🙂 However, based on experiences of friends who travel with family, my suggestion would be to probably cut the itinerary in half, and focus on some of the major cities. As it is, it’s quite a busy itinerary, and I think you will have a better time doing a bit less and having the time to really explore some of the cities on the itinerary. So for example, maybe just do England and Scotland, and skip Ireland and Wales. This will reduce your travel, and let you spend a bit longer in each city. I’d also advise finding accommodation close to the city centres and attractions, so at least one of you can go out sight-seeing if one of you needs to stay behind for naps etc. I hope this helps – have a wonderful trip!

3rd May 2018 at 12:38 am

My husband and I are following this itinerary this summer, flying round trip into Gatwick from Canada. I was looking at the cost of the ferry from Scotland to Ireland and than Ireland to Wales and was shocked at the cost. Do you know of any Ferry discounts?

3rd May 2018 at 7:12 pm

Hi Sarah – you can try the various ferry search companies like directferries or a1ferries I think they are called. Unfortunately that time of year is school holidays, and there aren’t many companies operating the routes, so the prices go up. You might consider instead flying from Edinburgh to Belfast or Dublin instead, and hiring a car in Ireland rather than taking the ferry, if that is a cheaper option!

Badariah says

21st March 2018 at 8:24 am

Awesome I am planning for a 2 week get away to UK. Your article helpsss a lot. Planning to go in mid sept till end of sept

21st March 2018 at 11:25 am

Thanks very much – have a wonderful trip!

11th March 2018 at 9:06 am

hi lawrence me n my wife middle aged planning to do england and scotland in 15 days in july which would be ideal places to cover by public transport. i am open to hire a car for 2 to 3 days if required. please suggest us best possible train route for this trip we are flying in n out of london thanks waiting for ur reply

11th March 2018 at 10:02 am

My advice would be to follow my 10 day UK itinerary, which is designed for public transport: https://www.findingtheuniverse.com/10-day-uk-itinerary-public-transport-train-bus/

You could spend a little extra time in each location, or you could add a couple of stops. My advice would be to add 1 day in Bath near Bristol, stop in Manchester between Liverpool and York, and think about stopping in Newcastle on the way to Edinburgh. If you wanted to see the Cotswolds, you could do that with a hire car from Bath, or on a tour from London.

I hope this helps! That post also has lots of information on using public transport in the UK. Have a great trip!

Christine says

19th February 2018 at 4:57 am

Hello and Thank You!! I was just wondering, I’m not the best with timelines haha, but exactly how many hotel stays are there in total in each location? I’m just trying to determine if you actually spent the night in each location for both nights or if you spent the day touring then drove to the next location and got a room, especially for the 1 day places… if that makes sense? My husband and are are arriving March 10th and fly back out the 24th so just trying to sort out the timelines… Also it was suggested to me to go to Cornwall or Leeds, what are your thoughts? Thanks!

19th February 2018 at 6:11 pm

Hi! And my pleasure 😀

So you’d be looking at:

2 nights in London 1 night in Oxford 1 night in the Cotswolds 1 night in the Peak District 1 night in Manchester (could do Leeds here instead) 1 night in York 2 nights in Edinburgh (could do one night in Northumberland on the way up) 3 nights in Ireland / Northern Ireland 1 night in Cardiff 1 night in Bristol or Bath

You could of course spend more or less time in each destination, and leave say London after two full days but only one night, and overnight in Oxford. So really it’s up to you 🙂

Leeds you could easily fit into this itinerary. Cornwall would be a bit harder as it’s a bit further away. If you wanted to do Cornwall, you might need to leave Ireland out for example to give yourself enough time. Hope this helps!

15th February 2018 at 10:57 pm

Awesome Itinerary, I would add Canterbury to this list 🙂

17th February 2018 at 8:35 pm

I’ve only briefly visited Canterbury, must return!

22nd January 2018 at 4:52 pm

This came a blessing in disguise after searching for a week almost and making all shit loads of itineraries. I am thinking of blindly following this as it looks great to me. Need your help on a few points here if it doe snot bother you much, it would serve a great deal of planning for me in addition to what it already has, 1. Was this too hectic considering the number of places you covered? 2. Was driving time included in the time spent at each place you mentioned? 3. Is driving safe in and around England? 4. Is driving a cheaper option than using rail/bus transport? 5. How much did this two week trip cost you? 6. How much does the drive part of the trip cost?

22nd January 2018 at 5:44 pm

HI Saurabh!

Pleased to hear you found the itinerary 🙂 I’m happy to answer your questions of course.

1. This is definitely a busy itinerary, although as you can see from the other comments, many people have enjoyed it. So it really depends on your own personal style of travel and your preferences, as well as who you are travelling with. If you want a less hectic schedule, I’d suggest perhaps leaving the Irish part of the trip out, and maybe focusing on England and Scotland, and perhaps extending your time in cities like London and Edinburgh.

2. Yes, driving time is included. Driving time is not too great in the UK as distances are not large and the motorways are good, however, be aware that traffic can be bad around rush hour in the morning and evenings.

3. Yes, driving is very safe. Of course, accidents happen like anywhere in the world, but for the most part you shouldn’t have any trouble.

4. It depends on a few factors – mostly how many of you there are. For one person, it might be more cost-effective to take public transport. Also, if you book public transport well in advance, especially trains, this can be much cheaper than buying tickets on the day. Car hire also depends on the size of the car, but you can get pretty good value car hire. Fuel is quite expensive, but most modern hire cars are very fuel efficient. I am shortly going to publish a post with a similar itinerary that focuses on travelling in the UK by public transport, so stay tuned for that 🙂

5. Cost is really up to you, as it depends so much on what you want to see! I’d say you can hire a car for around £180 – £250 a week, fuel costs will be in the region of £50-£70 a week, and accommodation is likely to be in the range of £80 – £150 a night for two people sharing. You can of course get cheaper and more expensive accommodation options, it really depends on your style of travel.

6. The main costs for the car are the car hire, fuel, and any insurance you buy. I’d say between £200 and £300 a week, plus any parking fees. I’d definitely advise always booking a hotel that includes free parking.

I hope this helps with your planning – have a wonderful trip, and don’t miss my one week itinerary post for more ideas 🙂

https://www.findingtheuniverse.com/UK-Itinerary-One-Week-Road-Trip/

Steve and Cheryl Bales says

26th February 2018 at 9:09 pm

Thank you for the wealth of information! We are planning to take a trip to visit our daughter who is in the Air Force in the UK this May. I’ve read your itinerary and the questions and answers that followed. There were a couple of questions that popped up for me and I was hoping you could answer them. You mentioned taking a car over on the ferry to Ireland. We will be driving our daughter’s car, but I was wondering if we needed special insurance on the car to have it ferried. My husband are both disabled to a degree; neither of us are capable of walking long distances or sitting for any duration. Is there a need for concern over these issues? And, what is the cost of a London Pass and how many people does it cover, there will be four in our group? Any information would be much appreciated, thank you in advance. Steve and Cheryl

26th February 2018 at 9:19 pm

Hi Steve and Cheryl,

Thanks for reaching out, and I’m happy to hear you have found the content useful. You don’t normally need special insurance on a car to have it ferried, but you will likely need to check with your daughter’s insurer to make sure it is covered in Ireland. As far as I am aware it should be covered in Northern Ireland with the full coverage, and most UK insurers do provide at least some level cover for the EU, which Ireland is a part of, but worth checking.

For the itinerary I’ve put together, it’s really up to you how much you do. All the major cities have good public transport if you choose not to drive, as well as sight-seeing buses and things like that.

The London Pass prices vary – you have to buy one price per person, so that would be four passes total. Again, the value is up to you and how much you can get out of them. My only concern would be to get real value out of them you do need to try and pack quite a lot in – if you aren’t sure if that’s going to be possible you might end up being better off not getting them and just paying the ticket prices. Also, I’m not sure of your ages, but many attractions have senior concessions, which might also save you money rather than getting a pass. Worth checking the individual websites for the different attractions you want to visit to see what those might be.

You can see the London Pass prices here; https://prf.hn/click/camref:1011lbTW/pubref:FTU2WeekQuestion/destination:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.londonpass.com%2Flondon-pass-prices.php

Derian Quek says

4th September 2017 at 1:10 pm

This trip seems a bit rushed when driving over to Ireland..I am also planning a 2 weeks this December to January. Any tips on this? Am planning London/Manchester/Lake district/Edinburgh/Cotswolds/bath/Stonehenge/Paris

Laurence says

4th September 2017 at 4:05 pm

Hey Darian,

This trip is definitely quite fast – unfortunately folks don’t have too much time sometimes, and are keen to see as much as possible, which is what I try to achieve on this itinerary.

Regarding your itinerary – at that time of year do be aware that the weather obviously won’t be great and it will be getting dark around 4pm – just something to bear in mind. Certainly your plan is possible but will also be quite packed. Perhaps focusing on a few less locations and seeing more. From your list I’d suggest London, with a day trip to bath, the Cotswolds and Stonehenge, then Edinburgh and Paris. You could add in Manchester as well of course. It would also depend on if you have visited any of the locations before and how you plan to travel. I’d suggest train from London to Edinburgh, and a cheap flight from Edinburgh to Paris.

4th September 2017 at 4:15 pm

Hi Laurence. It would actually be my first time to the UK. I’m visiting Manchester because I would wanna catch a game at old Trafford and that’s probably the only reason why. Flight from Edinburgh to Paris sounds like a good option though I would most likely be self driving from London up north. I’m thinking 3 days in London, 1 day in manchester, 2 days in lake district, 3 days in Edinburgh, 1 day to cotswolds and then 3 days in Paris via eurostar before heading back to London for my return flight

Mital Khona says

9th August 2017 at 2:43 pm

Hi Lawrence, Thanks a bunch for this wonderful itinerary… 1. We are travelling this September with 2 Kids ( 2 years old and 8 years old) and2 parents ( senior citizens).. Is this still doable.. I was thinking of picking up train for journey from London to Edinburgh 2. We would like to spend 3 days on the alternative route to Ireland suggested by you above. Can you help on the route/ time we should allot to Snowdonia, etc(west coast of the UK, including Glasgow, the Lake District, and Liverpool, as well as popping into Wales for the stunning Snowdonia national park)

7th January 2018 at 1:26 pm

Hi Mital! It really depends on your kids and grandparents and their stamina. I think this trip might be a bit much for some, and you might find it easier to go a bit slower and take things in a bit more. So perhaps a trip focusing on Edinburgh / London, with a hire car for the return journey down the west coast of the UK. I’d say three – four days in London, two to three days in Edinburgh, and then the rest of the time on the drive down the west coast would work!

Sussex Bloggers says

30th May 2017 at 12:56 pm

Can’t believe you’ve completely skipped Cornwall and the rest of the south coast. Such beautiful scenery all along the southern coastline and some wonderful towns and villages. Here’s a little teaser!

ipsita bhattacharya says

3rd May 2017 at 12:19 am

Hi guys, We are planning a trip to the UK in August/September 2017 and this 2-week itinerary is proving to be of great help! But if we plan to take public transport instead of driving, how much of this is doable? We are also looking at two weeks and while I understand taking trains/buses will eat into our travelling time, we are not sure we want to drive. Please advise. And thanks for this wonderful travel plan!

8th August 2017 at 8:56 am

Our pleasure. Much of this is doable, certainly between the major cities by train at least. We’d advice flying from the UK, likely Edinburgh to Dublin, and then back from Dublin to Cardiff or London. It’s definitely achievable in part though 🙂

Jessica says

2nd April 2017 at 1:15 am

I am so glad that I found your itinerary as we will be visiting the UK for a little over two weeks this coming summer. I do have question for a part of the trip when you have to ferry from Scotland to Ireland, is it easy to find ferries that will take your car across? Also do you recommend a car for the entire trip or to break it up with trains? Such as from London to Edinburgh? Thank you and I hope to hear back from you soon.

7th January 2018 at 1:24 pm

Hi Jessica! Sorry for the slow response. Most of the ferries take cars, but the question is as to whether or not your rental car company will let you take the car on the ferry. So you would need to check with them. If not, you might find it easier to say fly from Edinburgh to Belfast or Dublin to continue to journey, and perhaps pick up a hire car in Ireland instead.

Nishant says

19th March 2017 at 10:59 am

My family of 4 is planning in Aug’17 for 2 week and i like your write up here. we would be staying with our friend’s family (4 member) in LONDON and then accompany them to this tour plan. we wish to know approx budget in INR apart from AIR Ticket required for this kind of tour. Consider AIR BnB stay, Home cooking where ever possible, car drive and budgeted expense suitable for family.

แอโรคอม บริษัทจำกัด says

13th March 2017 at 8:24 am

Your 2 weeks itinerary seems very good. I am concerned with parking space in tourist attractions especially in big cities. Is it not so difficult to find parking area in all these recommended places (except London)? How much is a typical parking fee?

Thanks in advance! Pairoj S.

13th March 2017 at 2:24 pm

Thanks very much! Parking fees really vary depending on where you want to park. On road meter parking is usually the most expensive, around £3 an hour. I’d suggest finding a larger car park, like a multistorey operated by a company like NCP. These are more reasonable, and you would pay on a sliding scale where it is better value for staying for longer. I wouldn’t worry though, there is usually plenty of parking available, and sometimes if you don’t mind walking a little bit, if you don’t park centrally you can park for free. Have a great trip!

Mittal Shah says

10th March 2017 at 11:44 am

Hi Lawrence and Norah. I have been trying to plan a road trip in UK around July end for approximately 12days and have found a lot of helpful information.There are certain things i would like to know from you: For road trip should i consider hiring a caravan or a car( 4 of us travelling)? Is it better to book a hotel or bnb? Please help. Awaiting your reply

12th March 2017 at 9:47 pm

Thanks for your comment. A car would definitely be the best option, for four of you it would likely be the most cost effective option. I’d also suggest bed and breakfasts are a nice option, although there are lots of great hotels as well, it really depends on your budget,

Enjoy your trip!

rajul parikh says

19th February 2017 at 11:46 am

Hi Lawrence and Norah just been browsing through your site and taking in the information about the 2 week holiday in the UK. We find your information relevant and useful. We live in India and are considering a trip sometime mid June 2017. This would be our first trip to the UK. Lots of questions: would the weather be ok around that time? To cover your suggested itinerary (including ireland) how much driving would one end up doing everyday? Would your stops which are marked alphabetically on the map suggest overnight stay? Since we would like to spend at least 5 days in London we would need to extend our trip to about 21 days. Look forward to hearing from you.

19th February 2017 at 11:49 am

Happy that you found it useful! Yes, the main stopping points suggest an overnight stay. The weather is likely to be good in June, however, the weather in the UK can be very unpredictable. Coming from India, you’ll probably find it fairly cool 😉 I’d say between 15 and 25C would be the norm, and you should plan for rain whenever you visit the UK.

In terms of driving, the UK is quite small so not too much, probably not more than 2 – 3 hours a day.

Myn Wong says

14th February 2017 at 1:18 am

Hi. May I know the estimated cost of this trip?

George Monaghan says

30th January 2017 at 8:51 pm

Finding this site most interesting !

30th January 2017 at 8:52 pm

Thanks George, appreciated!

Dave_Toni says

18th January 2017 at 2:17 am

Hi guys, I’m staying in London for a short time (4 days) and I’m now thinking I should have booked a longer stay, but I’m on route to another destination. What would you recommend for a four day tour to get the best out of “must see” locations in in short amount of time? Really enjoying the site, keep up the great information. Thanks Dave.

18th January 2017 at 6:52 pm

Four days is a good time to see lots of London 🙂 My advice, if you’ve not been before, would be to focus on the highlights, plus allocate some time just to wander a bit. I have a two day Itinerary here: https://www.findingtheuniverse.com/2016/06/two-day-london-itinerary-essential-sight-seeing.html That should help a bit, and then an itinerary that focuses on the region of Kensington: https://www.findingtheuniverse.com/2015/07/top-8-things-to-do-in-kensington.html I also have a guide for getting around London: https://www.findingtheuniverse.com/2016/08/guide-public-transport-london.html Some tips for the best photo spots in London: https://www.findingtheuniverse.com/2015/12/best-photography-locations-london.html And finally, we always recommend the London Pass to save money if you’re planning on visiting a lot of attractions. Here’s a great breakdown to find out if that’s worth it for you or not: independenttravelcats.com/2016/05/21/tips-using-buying-london-pass-worth/ Enjoy!

13th January 2017 at 10:19 am

So so perfect! Planning a 2 week UK holiday in June. This was God-sent!

13th January 2017 at 10:21 am

Wonderful, pleased you found it useful

Ashton says

5th November 2016 at 5:24 am

This is perfect! Exactly what I was looking for to start planning my honeymoon!! Thank you for taking the time to put this together

13th November 2016 at 7:58 pm

My pleasure – let us know how it goes and if there’s anything missing we can add to the post!

shiva bhavini says

16th July 2016 at 2:34 pm

Hi Laurence & Jessica, My husband and I are planning to have a 10 days UK trip , reaching London on September 16 and have return flight from london on september 26 , can you please suggest should we take some travel agent to take us around in UK ? Thanks much in advance

Ellana McNulty says

3rd July 2016 at 1:39 am

Hi Laurence & Jessica, My husband and I are planning on following your itinerary when we go over in August. When we first looked at your blog, there was a map at the end that you could zoom in on, but cannot find it now? Is the link still available.

3rd July 2016 at 11:24 am

Hi Ellana! Sorry about that, the map was causing issues for mobile users so I removed it. See comment below with a better answer!

Paul McNulty says

7th July 2016 at 12:09 am

Thanks for this Laurence!

Is it possible to have the whole route on the map like you had it before?

4th November 2016 at 11:13 pm

Hi Paul, I’ve been battling with google maps over this and gave up as it wouldn’t let me have enough waypoints. So I’ve switched to Bing Maps with the embedded image, and there’s a link to the route here: https://binged.it/2fDQGD2

Sorry for the delay!

5th November 2016 at 12:02 am

Thanks Laurence… we toured the UK in the last half of August using your itinerary. We modified it a bit to suit our personal tastes, but the basis of our trip was thanks to you. And it was even better than we expected!! Cheers.

5th November 2016 at 9:49 am

Brilliant! Delighted you had a good trip 😀

Alicia says

7th June 2017 at 3:22 am

The above link does not have a driving route in it. Is it no longer working (or I am doing it wrong)?

Unfortunately Google wouldn’t let me put together a driving route with this many stops, so this was the best I could do!

Seyne Tee says

27th June 2016 at 4:03 am

Hi Laurence & Jessica, I plan to visit UK for 2 weeks and rent a car to travel around places outside UK. Your perfect itinerary is exactly what I’m looking for, thanks! I have a problem here, I can only travel with my husband and son in the middle of November, will the weather be friendly enough to carry out activities as per your recommendation?

27th June 2016 at 9:23 am

Well, the weather in the UK can be quite varied, with sun even in November! However it will more likely be cold and grey, temperatures in the range of 3 – 10 degrees C. It will also be dark fairly early. However, that shouldn’t put you off, a lot of this itinerary is focused on the cities, and indoors activities, so you should be fine, although you might want to edit the itinerary a bit to focus more on indoor activities than outdoor ones 🙂

Stephen Mason says

9th May 2016 at 3:58 am

This trip is incredible! Can you give a price of what the final trip costed?

28th June 2016 at 11:55 am

Hi Stephen – it really depends on many factors, including your budget for accommodation / food. You can find places for £50 / night in most of the locations I’ve mentioned, food per person you could get away with £15 a day, then there’s fuel and car hire, not to mention attraction entry. I’d probably look to budgeting around £700 – £1500 per person, as a guideline, but a lot of variables to take into account 🙂

SharronJ says

8th March 2016 at 6:33 pm

This is just what I was looking for. I am planning on visiting your wonderful country for a month next year and just started doing research. Your article is just what I was looking for Thanks so much!

8th March 2016 at 6:35 pm

My pleasure! Have a wonderful trip 🙂

Edward says

17th January 2016 at 11:32 pm

Thank you for this. I will be going in UK late Spetember to October (one month) and this is a nice itnerary and I can do it in a slower pace. Would you say September and October is a good time to do this? How is the weather usually in those months?

2nd February 2016 at 2:47 am

It’s the Autum time so you might fair pretty well, considering. It starts to cool down in September and the trees start changing. There will be rain, especially in the West of England and Wales but there always is.

The best time to visit England is May – August, but if you don’t mind getting caught in the rain now and then, you shouldn’t have a problem

Joanne says

12th October 2015 at 2:18 pm

Is it possible to do this itinerary relying only on public transportation since I don’t drive? Thank you in advance.

12th October 2015 at 2:21 pm

Good parts of it are certainly possible, as the major cities are linked by public transport, and the trains in particular are an excellent and fast way to get around. One tip – book well in advance on specific trains to get the best prices in the UK, the fares you pay on the day are much higher. I’d also suggest flying from Edinburgh to Dublin if you wanted to include the Irish part of the trip.

You might have a bit more difficulty visiting places like the Cotswolds or other “country” parts on your own, however there are plenty of tour operators who can give you a day trip out from London to say the Cotswolds and Stonehenge.

On the whole though, yes, the majority of this itinerary would be more than do-able by public transport!

Nina Tchernova says

7th October 2015 at 2:43 pm

Hi Laurence, thank you so much for sharing this! We are planning to go in April, and this is exactly what we were hoping to do. And here it all is, so wonderfully explored and illustrated! One question though – what would you recommend about car rentals -one, or three? when we cross on a ferry to Ireland, do we bring the car, or is it better to rent another one there, and then another when we get back?

10th October 2015 at 1:14 pm

My pleasure 🙂 The answer to your question isn’t as simple as it sounds. One way rentals, as you’d need if you were to change cars, are generally more expensive than returning the car to the same place. On the other hand, a ferry ticket without a car is cheaper! So you might want to just check the math and see, depending on your budget. Personally, I’d not bother with the hassle of changing cars and just stick with the same one, you just need to check that it’s ok to drive the car in Ireland as well 🙂

10th October 2015 at 1:28 pm

Thank you very much, we will have to make a few enquiries.

Darryl Chan says

24th August 2015 at 6:03 pm

Hey! Love your itinerary! Is there anyway I can contact you to get more personalised advices from you? Looking forward to your reply!

27th August 2015 at 5:28 pm

Sure, you can just drop me an e-mail via the contact page on the site, or just fire away in the comments and I’ll see what I can do,

17th August 2015 at 4:58 am

Where’s the castle in your first picture?

25th September 2015 at 8:51 pm

The castle in the first picture (with the daffodils) is Alnwick castle in Northumberland. Home to Harry Potter or at least the was some filming taken place there and also some of Downtown Abbey. Alnwick is also home to Barter Books where the original ‘keep calm and carry on’ poster was discovered. Northumberland has one of the largest number of castles in the uk. Some of the most impressive I think are Bamburgh Castle, Lindisfarne Castle (on holy island – which needs a visit itself) and Chillingham Castle (known for being pretty spooky). Contact Wooler Tourist Infomation Office on +44 1668 282123 to learn about accommodation as Wooler is a fantastic base for the best of Northumberland.

25th September 2015 at 9:02 pm

Can I also say there is an awesome place for Brits and tourists alike; Beamish, the living museum. It is an outdoor village fashioned perfectly on olden days northern England complete with coal mine, dentis, working sweet shop and more

Monica says

11th August 2015 at 8:16 pm

I loved you itinerary and pictures. I’m definitely using your steps to trace some of my own. Thanks for sharing. I’m excited to read through more of your posts.

15th August 2015 at 8:32 pm

Thanks Monica, have a great trip!

3rd August 2015 at 9:50 pm

Great review of a nice trip through GB. My wife and I are trying to plan one for May, and we were thinking of spending more time in Scottland. Do you have any suggestions for moving from Endinburgh and into the northern part of Scotland and skipping Ireland. I thinking about Aberdeen and stopping by Ben Nevis, but it’s our first time traveling abroad and I’d love more information. Thanks!

3rd August 2015 at 11:49 pm

Hi Andy! To be honest I’ve not spent a lot of time in Scotland recently, but I can very much recommend taking the time to visit Glencoe. It’s a couple of hours from Edinburgh, and is an absolutely stunning valley in the highlands. I’ve also heard nothing but good things about the isle of Skye! Sorry I can’t be of much more help right now 🙁

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The Ultimate Great Britain Trip Planner

If you’re starting to plan your trip, this great britain trip planner will help you work out when to visit, where to go and how to make the most of your time..

We know that planning a trip to Great Britain might feel a little overwhelming. There are so many great options of places to go and styles of trip to choose between. From hiking trips in Scotland, to city breaks in London and coastal adventures in Wales, there is a lot of variety on our little island.

That’s where our Great Britain trip planner comes in handy. We’ve broken your trip planning down into baby steps, and we’re ready to hold your hand every step of the way!

Haven’t decided on what kind of trip you’d like to go on? We recommend starting here…

The Best Of Britain: 20+ Trips To Add To Your Great British Bucket List

21 Places To Add To Your Great British Bucket List This Year

21 Incredible Great British Experiences To Have This Year

Pick a country.

Now it’s time to a country and start exploring. From pretty English villages, to Scotland’s dramatic landscapes and Wales’ history, you might have trouble picking which country to visit first!

when to visit great britain

Hopefully now you’ve got an idea of the kind of trip you’d like to plan in Great Britain. Now, it’s time to work out when to travel. These guides outline the best times to travel to England, Scotland and Wales based on the different seasons, weather and special events across the countries.

When Is The Best Time To Visit England?

When Is The Best Time To Visit Scotland?

When Is The Best Time To Visit Wales?

What do you love.

Travelling in Great Britain isn’t about ticking off the obvious sights. There are lots of unique things to do in England, Scotland and Wales. What interests you? We’ll help you plan your trip.

Best British Food and Drink

Unique Places to Stay in Great Britain

City Breaks

United Kingdom

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10 Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Plan Your UK Trip

TripSavvy / Ashley Nicole DeLeon

Planning a trip to the United Kingdom (UK) probably seems pretty easy. The language is almost never a problem, the  visa requirements  are not particularly onerous for vacationers from North and South America, Australasia or Europe, and there's a good choice of ways to arrive and get around.

And, you know, it probably is as easy as all that. You could pop over to London  and take a few  day trips  in the immediate area, then spend a day or two venturing a bit further afield—to  Oxford  or the Cotswolds or  Stratford-upon-Avon —and, hey presto, what a great vacation you've had.

But whether you buy your vacation basics online for yourself or use a travel agent to book a tour, a little advance planning can open your eyes to corners of the UK you never even heard of, let alone thought of visiting.

It's all a matter of asking yourself the right questions. Considering who you really are (from a travel perspective at any rate) and what you really enjoy seeing and doing can turn an okay trip into a great one.

But where do you start? The 10 questions that follow should help keep your vacation planning in sharp focus.

Who Is Going?

Unlike some vacation destinations that are more suitable for couples than families, or older than younger people, the United Kingdom has something for everyone. It's just a question of choosing wisely for your party. Time to zero in on your travel profile.

• A couple planning a romantic trip?  Think about romantic things to do and see , the best places to smooch in Britain or some very nice spots to pop the question .
• A family traveling with children? Young and old will enjoy all the treasures on the Harry Potter trail , the fun at Legoland Windsor, the farm holidays, family cycling, and camping trips. The UK has one of the world's best (and its first) safari parks . And there's even a rich family schedule at the world famous Edinburgh Festival.
• A large group? Plan a trip for   a sports team, a hiking party, a group of cyclists, a clan reunion, a class trip by checking out hostels or the new, more glamorous "poshtels." Or consider large  vacation rentals ; there are some remarkably luxurious homes, suitable for a big family reunion, that are good value on a per person basis.
• Outdoor enthusiasts looking for adventure? The UK's varied national parks have some of the best free hill walks, mountain hikes and sheer cliff climbs in the world. Go fossil hunting on the  Jurassic Coast  and check out the surf on the beaches of Cornwall. Some of the UK's most remote parks in England, Scotland and Wales are now registered as world-class Dark Sky Reserves where you can go star gazing in blissful peace. And if it's an adrenaline rush you're after, check out the Northern Hemisphere's fastest zip line in Wales.
• Millennials and party animals? The UK has some of the best rock and pop festivals in the world and almost every UK city worth its salt has great clubs and venues for live music and hot DJs.
• Mature and looking for peaceful surroundings? Try one of the UK's lovely country house hotels, where accommodations range from traditional to modern boutique, where spa retreats and pools are common and where the food is almost always superb.
• Pet owners? Learn about the UK Pet Travel Scheme  that makes it easier than ever to bring the family pet along on your travels.

Being clear about exactly who is going to the UK—to the members of your party, yourself, and your travel agent —narrows the infinity of choices and makes planning your UK trip that much easier.

How Much Can You Spend?

How much will a vacation in the UK cost? There's no upper limit and minimums depending on the season, the last minute deals you can find, where you are starting out from, and so forth. Consider these prices as approximate guidelines.

Getting There

The round trip fare for two people flying to London from an East Coast USA departure point varies from about $1,200 to more than $4,000 depending upon the time of year.

• How to save: The price of some package tours (including car and hotel) can be less than booking a flight alone. Most of the big transatlantic operators, including American Airlines, British Airways, and Virgin Atlantic, offer good value packages. Before you book a hotel, flight, and car separately, spend some time searching for cheap packages.

Getting Around

Renting the smallest car with a manual transmission will cost between $350-$500 for a couple of weeks. To that, add the cost of gasoline and you'll see that renting a car, in a country with excellent trains and public transportation, may not be such a good idea.

You can save by using other ways to get around. Take the Underground in London , try Britain's rail services, and  take the train . For total freedom, buy a BritRail pass . Even cheaper:  hop on a bus .

Accommodations

The average price of a night in a UK hotel in 2020, was just under £100—but the average price of acceptable hotel accommodation in most major cities was still above £100, with London and Edinburgh leading at about £200. Check out some of these ideas on how to save on accommodations. And if your aim is London, have a look at some cheaper places to stay just outside the capital.

Food and Drink

Expect to pay a minimum of £25-£30 per person per day. If you're really on a very tight budget, these are some ways to save on food and drink .

From £10 to £25+ per adult, per attraction. You can save a great deal by buying a UK discount pass . Some of them are only available to overseas visitors and are remarkably good value.

How Much Time Do You Have in the UK?

Trying to fit too much into your UK vacation is bound to leave you feeling rushed and unsatisfied. But you probably don't cross oceans very often so you will want to make the most of the time you have. Consider these planning approaches.

The Short Break

If you have a week or less, you could either:

• Plan a two-center vacation : You might visit two cities that you find interesting—London and Edinburgh or London and Glasgow are popular combinations—or plan a short city break with some adventure at the beach or in a national park. 
• Use a city as a hub : If you base yourself in one of the UK's main urban hubs you can explore it and take one or two-day trips to nearby towns or scenic regions. Most UK cities are well connected, by bus and rail, to their surrounding region.

If you make your hub city or your vacation centers places with good international airport connections , good rail hubs, and good road connections for venturing further afield, you'll have more stress-free time to spend on your vacation. These locations are all well connected:

• Manchester  (handy for Liverpool too)

The Longer Vacation

If you have two weeks or more... You should have plenty of time to visit one of the UK's leading cities and do some touring as well. You might:

• Try using several cities, in different parts of the UK as a base for further exploring. Combine London with York and Edinburgh, for example, Cardiff with Birmingham and Manchester or Glasgow. There are loads of opportunities for exploring historic sites, family attractions , castles , and stately homes within an easy train or car journey of most UK cities.
• Spend a few days in a city and then take off on an in-depth exploration of a region. Some adventurous fell walking in the Lake District , for example, combines well with the UK's indie music city, Manchester. Edinburgh or Glasgow pair well with Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park. London makes a good partner for some time spent exploring Suffolk —the England of dreams, and East Anglia .
• Take on a long distance hike , cycle or mountain bike trek along one of the UK's national paths, like The South Downs Way or the 7stanes Trails.

When Do You Want to Travel?

The UK has pretty much a two-season climate . Spring and autumn are both just brief, passing hints of summer and winter. Which of the two main seasons you choose will influence the price you pay and what you'll be able to do.

Visiting the United Kingdom in Summer

Summer is the high season. Prices for accommodation, flights, and local tours are at their most expensive. If you come in the summer—essentially from May through mid-September—here's what that premium price will get you:

• Very long days so more time for touring and outdoor activities. Through mid-August, it will be light enough to be outdoors until after 10 p.m. in some parts of the country
• English gardens at their best and open longer hours
• The Edinburgh Festivals
• Glastonbury and lots of other music festivals

Visiting the United Kingdom in Winter

Prices are lowest from mid-October to the end of March, but the days are also shortest. In mid-winter, lights may be on all day in bad weather. Sunset before 5 p.m. is typical of December and January.

If you enjoy indoor activities, shopping, museums, theatres, dining out, and nightlife, you can save a bundle and have a very good time in the United Kingdom in the winter. Here's some of what you can look forward to:

• European-style Christmas markets all over the country
• The best and the newest theatre in all the big cities
• Bargain rates or bargain breaks at hotels and other accommodations
• Wonderful Christmas choir concerts in the UK's historic cathedrals
• Fire festivals in England and Scotland
• Hogmanay , Beer Festivals, and Up Helly As a Viking festival all over the place.

Where Do You Want to Go?

People sometimes forget that there's a lot more to the UK than England. This is, after all, a United Kingdom of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. And each nation of the UK has its own distinctive personality.

Probably the most varied of the UK's nations, England offers urban lifestyles, country living, empty beaches, rugged coasts, national parks, historic touring, markets, shopping, lakes, hikes, riding, cycling—a kind of United Kingdom in miniature.

Scotland is the emptiest of the nations of the UK with great, beautiful stretches of highlands, dramatic lochs, rolling borderlands and upland moors. It also has two of the UK's most exciting cities, Glasgow and Edinburgh, and some of it's wildest holiday celebrations.

Wales is more rural than most of the UK. It has storybook pretty valleys and wonderful areas for walking. In Snowdonia , it has the highest UK mountain outside of Scotland as well as several brilliant waterfalls and cascades. In 2017, the view from the top of Snowdonia was voted the best view in Britain in a survey of 3,500 visitors. And, if you like castles, this is the place to be. Wales also has gorgeous beaches and miles of protected, heritage coastline. If you tour and visit local pubs, you are likely to hear Welsh spoken as a first language in parts of North Wales.

Northern Ireland

Belfast is experiencing a cultural revival and Northern Ireland is finally being discovered by visitors. Ulster, as it is also known, has lovely, rural landscapes, dramatic coastal features like the Giant's Causeway and some of the UK's oldest historic monuments. It has maintained an open border with Eire (the Republic of Ireland), but following the U.K.'s official withdrawal from the EU ( Brexit ), this open border policy may change.

What Do You Like to Do?

Are you outdoorsy? A history or literature buff? Mad for shopping and pampering? Maybe you like museums? The beach? Wonderful scenery to photograph?

The nice thing about the UK is that it has all the variety you might expect of a country with its rich and long heritage. Yet it's all packed into a relatively small land mass. With so much within easy reach, you could drive yourself mad trying to do and see everything. Far better to plan your trip around one or two kinds of activities you really enjoy.

Outdoors and Active

There are plenty of opportunities for hiking, cycling, riding, sailing, and more adventurous sports like hang gliding, scuba diving, and spelunking. Here are a few ideas:

• Scenic walks and rugged hikes around Balmoral
• Exploring UK national parks
• Diving shipwrecks in Scapa Flow

Shopping, Clubbing, Dining Out

You're not just limited to London and its high prices. Here's just a sampling of what else is available:

• Birmingham—A shoppers paradise with a hot music scene
• Liverpool—The Beatles hometown and a historic maritime center
• Manchester—Clubland and indie music central. Plus two great football teams.
• Discount designer shopping
• Leeds' Glamorous Shopping Arcades

From castles, stately homes , museums, and historic gardens to literary icons of the English language, you are never far from the UK's rich cultural heritage.

What Kind of Accommodations Do You Prefer?

To some degree, where you decide to stay on your first or your fiftieth visit to the UK will be a matter of price. But there are other things to consider when you are choosing the kind of accommodation you'll opt for in the UK. The way you travel (tour or stay put) the amount of do-it-for-yourself you're up for, the way you do or do not make friends on vacation are all factors. So what kind of digs will you choose?

If you are touring, staying one night here, one night there, a cheap chain hotel might be an adequate and reliable choice. On the other hand, if you are looking for a luxury or romantic experience, fine dining, bags of charm, a country house hotel might be a choice that provides indulgence for less than you might pay for similar luxury in a city.

Vacation Home Rentals

Vacation home rentals are great for independent travelers who like to cook their own meals, come and go as they please. They're also a good and money saving choice for families and groups. And these days, there a lot of amazing, historic vacation rentals available— Agatha Christie's summer home , for example, or a 14th-century hall house hidden behind brambles worthy of Sleeping Beauty.

Like a friendly environment and a chance to meet lots of people? A hostel  (or these days, a "poshtel") might be just the trick; they're a lot more comfortable, clean and convenient than you might think. Or, if you are ready to graduate from couch surfing, Airbnb is just as popular—with just as many opportunities and risks—in the UK as it is in most other countries.

Bed and Breakfasts

B&Bs can offer great breakfasts, warm and friendly hosts, good locations and loads of charm without massive expense. But choose wisely. A grim B&B with an intrusive or unpleasant landlady can be dire. The AA—The UK Automobile Association—publishes an authoritative guide to the best B&Bs .

House swap to live like a local for free. It's safer and easier than ever before. And there is house swapping choices in all the cool places.

If you like living under canvas, there's no shortage of camping opportunities in the UK. There is both wild (tent) and caravan (RV) camping all over the UK. Many RV parks are open year round.

Are You a Conservative or an Adventurous Diner?

The kinds of food you prefer to eat or the amount of cooking you are prepared to do for yourself can make a big difference for both your budget and the places you choose to go.

The myth that English food is terrible is exactly that—a myth. It is possible to find food that is more than acceptable all over the UK and there are plenty of opportunities for fine dining too. It is also possible to explore a very broad range of ethnic dining styles including Indian, Balti, Singaporean, Chinese, Thai, Moroccan, Tunisian and, if you have an adventurous palate, you can dine very well for a good deal less money. Here are some other things to think about when planning your vacation:

• If you like to try a different style of food every night, London is the place to be.
• Some of the best seafood in the UK is available in the Southwest (Devon and Cornwall), on the Northeast coast, and in Scotland.
• Cities with big ethnic populations have excellent ethnic restaurants. The Balti —a derivative of Pakistani cooking—is amazing in Birmingham.
• If you're traveling with a family of fussy eaters, vacation home rental, hostelling or apartment hotels with their own kitchenettes may be your best bets.

Dressy or Casual: Which Do You Prefer?

Do you enjoy dressing for dinner or are you more of a jeans and t-shirt traveler? There are very few occasions when you really have to pull out all the stops when going out in the UK. In most cases, you can wear whatever you are most comfortable in when dining out. There are a few exceptions. Here's what to expect:

• Some of the most exclusive restaurants and hotel dining rooms in London require men to wear a jacket and tie (the Ritz , for example) but that kind of formality is on the wane.
• What the British call "smart casual" (which basically means you've made an effort and it shows, but you haven't gone over the top) is acceptable in most nicer restaurants.
• If you like to go clubbing and you want to get into the best clubs, you have to look the part. Bring your hippest club gear or buy some when you arrive. If you think you can get into a nightclub in jeans and a t-shirt, plan on being Taylor Swift or Beyoncé.
• Some country house hotels will expect you to "dress for dinner" but most won't. Smart casual is usually more than acceptable. If you are planning to stay at a very grand country house hotel, it is worth asking about dressing for dinner before you leave home—just in case.
• Going to the theater or a concert does not require dressing up unless you feel like it.
• If you are heading for the races at Ascot, the Henley Regatta , or Glorious Goodwood, a very smart dress is the rule. For women a smart skirt suit or a flowery dress (and on Ladies Day, a hat); for men, suit and a tie. Many men choose to wear formal morning suits and top hats on Ladies' Day at Ascot—but if you have not been invited to the Royal enclosure, don't worry about it.

How Will You Travel to the UK?

If you are flying to the UK—and most non-European visitors do—you have a bigger choice of airports than you might imagine. Most visitors choose Heathrow or Gatwick but, if you are able to fly into one of the UK's other international airports, you could save money or land more conveniently at your ultimate destination.

If you are lucky enough to cruise to the UK, you'll likely arrive at Southampton, Harwich, or the new luxury cruise port in Liverpool. You can give yourself the experience of arriving in the UK by sea and, for example, seeing the White Cliffs of Dover, without the commitment of an ocean cruise. Fly into a European city—Amsterdam, Paris, Brussels, Dublin, Belfast—and take a ferry. Ferries from Ireland come into the UK at Fishguard in southwest Wales, Holyhead in northwest Wales and Liverpool. Ferries from Continental Europe arrive at a range of the English Channel and North Sea ports.

The Channel Tunnel has made a world of difference to traveling to the UK from Continental Europe. It is now much easier than ever before to combine a European touring vacation with a trip to the UK, with or without a car.

• If you are driving, take the  Eurotunnel Car Transport Shuttle , also known as The Chunnel, from near Calais to Folkestone.
• Touring without a car? Take the Eurostar from Paris and other continental points, direct to London in about 2 hours and 15 minutes. BritRail Pass holders can book Eurostar tickets at a discount.

Related Articles

More related articles.

United Kingdom

Home to the Beatles and Fish n' Chips, explore the incredible history, nature, and culture of the United Kingdom.

It’s no wonder that the UK, which includes England, Scotland , Wales , and Northern Ireland, is one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations. The countries are steeped in a captivating history yet boast a dynamic modern lifestyle.  Each country has a natural beauty with many national parks, nature reserves and dramatic coastlines. England features a rich and exceptional culture, iconic monuments, romantic castles and gardens. The British monarchy is one of the 8 oldest monarchies in the world.  There is something to enjoy for every traveler.

Steeped in history and royalty, the English capital is considered to be one of the most progressive and exciting cities in the world.

Fort William

One of the largest towns in Scotland's Highlands, this busy town boasts museums, warm locals, and access to stunning nature.

Once coveted for its strategic locale, Scotland's northernmost city is a booming economic and cultural hub, full of Highland charm.

Edinburgh is an exciting city that gives the traveler the opportunity to fill the days with culture, history and entertainment.

Glasgow, a port city on the River Clyde, is the largest city in Scotland. It was once the center of manufacturing, ship building and trade. 

Trip Planner - United Kingdom

Create your perfect trip to london, united kingdom.

Easily plan your trip based on your preferences, budget, and style

Plan your trip with RoutePerfect’s AI and optimize it by using RoutePerfect’s crowdsourced database, based on proven and enjoyable, well-crafted itineraries of thousands of travelers.

London , the capital, is a bustling international city that offers endless types of activities and pleasures for everyone, young or old. From world famous museums, many of which are free of charge, to high-end or budget shopping, food and vintage markets, theaters, live music clubs and venues, sports events and much more. London scenery is marked with famous must-see monuments and icons such as the Big Ben , House of Parliament, Buckingham Palace , the Tower of London and the Tower Bridge , to name but a few. For relaxation from the crowds, London is rich with vast green parks where you can take a break and enjoy the local wildlife like squirrels and swans. London’s comprehensive public transportation systems will get you to the famous, chic and trendy neighborhoods like Notting Hill, Shoreditch, or Camden, to name but a few. It doesn’t matter how much time you spend in the city you’ll always find a new experience.

But the UK is much more than London! From North to South and East to West, there is so much more. You can walk in the footsteps of The Bard of Avon – William Shakespeare in his hometown Stratford upon Avon , follow the Fabolous Four – The Beatles early years in Liverpool, visit the famous university towns of Oxford and Cambridge or jump back in time to the Viking Age in York. Immerse yourself in the Victorian era splendor and feel like a character from Jane Austin novels in Bath or enjoy small alleys and arts and crafts stalls in small market towns. Walk the ragged and wild beaches in Cornwell or climb the famous white cliffs of Dover.

But then again, the UK is not just England! Head north to Scotland to enjoy dramatic sights and tastes. The area in the Scottish Highlands is home to the famous Loch Ness and Ben Nevis , the highest mountain in the whole of UK. Secret: Ben Nevis translated from the Gaelic is Malicious Mountain - Ben is Mountain and Nevis from the word Nibheis which means venomous / malicious). Not necessarily in this order, but taste the local whiskey and then visit and stroll through the capital city of Edinburgh (Old and New Towns) that in 1996 both were inscribed as a World Heritage Site. in 1996. Find out about the Industrial Heritage of Glasgow and visit the museums and festivals, events, theatre and arts. For the romantics, be sure to visit a castle or two, including the unusual Crookston Castle from the early 1400’s, the only surviving medieval castle in the City of Glasgow. But there many others to choose from. Secret: Before departing be sure to visit the University of Glasgow that has its magical cloisters and is known to be a doppelganger for the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

To the west of the UK, lies Wales, the smallest region but no less beautiful. Snowdonia National Park is a heaven for hikers. Then, in the capital city Cardiff be sure to visit the spectacular Cardiff Castle situated in the center of the city, as well as the majestic castle in Caernarfon and the 700-year-old Conwy Castle - a must for every history fan. In the small villages you’ll hear the locals still speaking Welsh. Don’t forget to ask their help in pronouncing the longest name in Europe for a tiny village – Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. (How to pronounce this name: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bbAAegC40U )

Need guidance? Whether you’re looking for culture, nature, or adventure – must-see attractions or off-the-beaten-track treasures – or some of each, Routeperfect .com is your address for planning, organizing, and finalizing your personalized dream vacation to the UK. Unlike any other company, Routeperfect offers its exclusive popular itineraries written by tourism professionals and experienced travelers to jumpstart your planning, helping you to customize your travel and make all your reservations and book your flights, tours and accommodations so that you can be worry-free and experience the country YOUR way.

Regions in United Kingdom

Attractions in united kingdom, popular itineraries in united kingdom.

UK Travel Tips (Complete guide to planning your trip)

By: Author Tracy Collins

Posted on Last updated: February 9, 2023

If you are planning a trip to the UK (or have even booked your flights) you may be wondering where to start or what things you need to consider to ensure your trip is everything you want it to be.

In this UK travel planning guide you will find all the practical advice and tips you will need to ensure you have the best vacation in the UK and help with your travel planning. 

I have lived in the UK off and on for over 50 years and have experienced travel there both as a resident and as a visitor. I have compiled an essential UK travel tips and planning guide to provide you with everything to you need to plan the perfect trip .

In this article I will answer common questions about how to plan a trip to the UK including 

• When is the best time of year to visit England and Scotland as well as Wales and Northern Ireland?
• Do I need a visa to travel to the UK?
• Where should I visit in the UK and how do I create my UK travel itinerary?
• How do I get to the UK?
• What are the best booking sites for UK travel?
• What are the best accommodation options in the UK?
• How can I get around the UK? Drive? Train? Flights?
• Where do I buy tickets for tours, trips and attractions?
• What is the best food to eat in the UK?
• What UK travel tips do I need to know to make the most of my trip? How do I sort Wifi access, money, airport transfers?
• What do I need to pack for my UK vacation?
• Do I need travel insurance for the UK?

UK Travel Planning Facebook Group

Check out my UK Travel Planning Facebook group – come and join us! It is a great resource to help plan your UK trip (or for inspiration for those wanting to explore more of the UK) – come and chat, ask questions and find out more about the UK.

→ CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE FREE UK TRAVEL PLANNING GROUP ON FACEBOOK

Visiting the UK in the summer

Visiting the uk in autumn, visiting the uk in winter, visiting the uk in spring, do you need a visa for visiting the uk, flying to the uk, train travel to the uk – the eurostar, what is the difference between the united kingdom (uk), great britain and england, scotland, wales and northern ireland, best things to do, attractions and tours, recommended group tours in the uk, recommended reading books (including guide books), how to travel around london, planning a road trip around the uk – driving in the uk, train travel in the uk, internal flights, essential uk travel tips – what to pack for uk travel, planning to eat out in the uk, arriving in the uk – airport transfers, internet access in the uk, travel insurance, enjoy your uk adventure, when is the best time to visit the uk.

The weather in the United Kingdom should be considered when planning your trip. There are 4 distinct seasons in the UK.

• Spring (March, April, May)
• Summer (June, July, August)
• Autumn (September, October, November)
• Winter (December, January, February)

There are advantages and disadvantages to visiting in each season but do remember whenever you visit there is always the possibility of rain . With over 156 days a year of rain, an umbrella is always worth including in your UK packing list!

Some parts of the country are wetter than others with the north-west ( Lake District in particular), western and central Wales and south-west England the wettest according to the UK Met Office.

Also remember temperatures are normally a few degrees cooler the further north you go so if you are travelling to Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland or Northern England be prepared for the change in temperature.

• Temperatures in the UK summer range from 14° C to above 21 ° C with the warmer temperatures found in the southeast of the UK (i.e London) and the cooler averages in Scotland.
• Summer is the main tourist season in the UK both for visitors from abroad but also for UK holiday makers. Schools in England finish in July for 6 weeks and generally start back at school during the first week in September.
• The main advantage of visiting in summer are that days are longer (more hours of daylight) and generally sunnier too. June is on average the sunniest month in the UK. You can plan to do and see more in the summer and also make the most of the wonderful beer gardens attached to some pubs.
• Autumn is a beautiful season to visit the UK with average temperatures ranging between 8 and 15° C.
• Gorgeous colourful autumn foliage, traditional English celebrations such as Guy Fawkes and the mild weather make this a popular time to plan that UK vacation. It is also quieter as schools are back.

• Darker days and colder weather (between 1 and 8° C) typify winter in the UK. However if the wet weather holds off there is always the possibility of a cold crisp day with blue skies. These days are perfect for sightseeing in London (or York/Bath/Stonehenge etc)
• London is also wonderful to visit over the festive season with gorgeous decorations adorning the streets, hot chestnuts for sale on street corners and Christmas markets.
• My essential packing guide for London and the UK in winter will help you to organise and plan what you need to pack to have the best trip.
• If you love daffodils, bluebells and the sight of lambs frolicking in a field then spring is the perfect time for you to visit the UK.
• With milder weather (6 -13° C) and an increasing amount of daylight hours this is pre-peak season and a great time to visit.

Depending on your nationality you may or may not require a visa when visiting the UK

US/Canadian/Australian Citizens

At present no visa is required for stays of up to 6 months but you must have a valid passport.  Always check for up-to date information on the UK government website as it can change at any time.

EU, EEA and Swiss Citizens

Citizens from Switzerland, the EU and the EEA do not at present require a visa to enter the UK but must carry some form of photo identification. 

Citizens of other countries

Citizens of South Africa, China, Jamaica and India need visas to visit the UK.

For all other countries and to check up-to-date information regarding visas to the UK please check the official government website here.

How to travel to the UK

There are a few ways to travel to the UK depending on your starting point, budget and preferred method of transportation.

From North America there are numerous daily non-stop flights to major UK cities including London, Birmingham, Glasgow and Manchester. Visitors from Australia generally have to make one stop on the way unless flying from Perth to London Heathrow on the direct daily service.

From Europe there are many airlines flying into the UK including some of the low-cost budget airlines such as Easy Jet and Ryan Air.

Best flight booking websites

⇒ Find the top international flight deals  with Skyscanner USA (for USA residents)

If you are travelling to the UK from mainland Europ e hopping on the Eurostar is a great option and always my first choice. Trains depart from Paris, Amsterdam, Lille and Brussels daily for London St Pancreas.

LEARN MORE: COMPLETE GUIDE TO UK TRAIN TRAVEL

 What is the best train travel booking website for the UK?

I recommend the  Trainline for your rail booking in the UK. They guarantee the best price, you can book securely via their app or website using PayPal, Visa, Amex and more.

Just a quick explanation of the different terms I will use in this article. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Island refers to the political union between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Island. The UK is a sovereign state but each of the nations that make up the UK are countries in their own right.

The Channel Islands and the Isle of Man are not part of the UK but are classed as Crown Dependencies.

Great Britain is the collective name for England, Scotland and Wales (it doesn’t include Northern Ireland)

Within the UK/Great Britain you find the countries of England, Scotland and Wales. People from England are English. from Scotland are Scots and from Wales are Welsh. Unless you know with certainty where someone is from it is better to err on the side of caution and use the term British.

Where are the best places in the UK to visit?

Choosing where to spend your time on your UK trip may be your most difficult decision and will depend on the length of your trip as well as your particular interests and priorities.

There is lots of information about places to visit in the UK on this website and its sister site UK Travel Planning including the ultimate UK bucket list – 100 places to visit in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which will help too.

My recommendation is to choose your main destinations and plan your itinerary around those.

Click on the country specific categories for more ideas of destinations to visit in the UK. There are lots more posts planned soon but if you have a question about a particular destination why not join my UK travel planning group on Facebook.

Most visitors to the UK arrive in London and travel from the capital to destinations across the country. I would suggest spending a few days in London and then travelling to other areas by train or hiring a car and planning a UK road trip.

Although the UK is relatively small don’t try to squeeze too much into a short period of time. Tours are also another excellent option if there are places you really don’t want to miss.

The nation’s capital and number one destination for visitors to the UK. There is so much to do and see in London that it is easy to dedicate a week to it (if not more).

If you considering using London as a base it is possible to take some great day trips by train to places like Bath , Stonehenge , Brighton, Oxford and Cambridge.

Posts you may enjoy reading about London

• Essential travel tips for first-time visitors to London.
• Budget travel guide to London
• 32 things to do for free in London
• 3 day itinerary for London

The Cotswolds

An area of outstanding natural beauty the Cotswolds stretches across 6 counties (Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Bath and North East Somerset) and incorporates countless charming villages. This truly is an area that is quintessentially English.

UK cities 

There are so many interesting cities to visit in the UK including Bristol , Bath, Oxford, York, Liverpool. If you are looking for some inspiration or tips to help you choose a particular city read my article about  12 cities to visit in England .

The Lake District

I have an itinerary for the Lake District to help with planning and a guide to the prettiest towns and villages . This is an area I highly recommend adding to your UK travel itinerary if you have time. (Why not stay in one of these amazing log cabins ?)

UK towns and villages

There are also many beautiful villages and towns worth visiting in the UK including Whitby, Bakewell , and St Ives .

Northumberland

My favourite county in the UK (and where I was born) in Northumberland. You can find all the information about things to do in Northumberland you need to plan a visit on this website.

You will find lots of articles to help plan your visit to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. If you find it daunting planning your itinerary for these countries there are group tours that would be worth looking at. (More about those in the next section)

Don’t miss these articles or check out my travel planning guides for Scotland , Wales and Northern Ireland

• A one day itinerary to the Isle of Skye
• The Scottish Highlands
• 20 things to do and see in Edinburgh
• 8 Welsh castles to stay at in Wales

I recommend booking tickets for tours and attractions as soon as you have your itinerary planned.  I use Get Your Guide for many of the tours I book personally. I find that they have lots of options to choose from all over the world.

With Get Your Guide you can download your booking and tickets onto your phone. I find this helps organisations as it avoids the need to carry paper copies of tickets which just take up room in your luggage). You can also pay for your tickets in your local currency and most tours can be cancelled up to 24 hours before. 

I also highly recommend paying that little extra for “skip the line” tickets, especially during the peak summer months. I always do this because I just don’t want to waste any of my holiday time standing in a line.

Other tour companies I recommend are Take Walks , With Locals and Rabbies .

These are a few examples of the types of tours available. More information is available in relevant destination articles.

Read my guide to the best themed tours and sightseeing tours of London to help you decide which tours are right for you.

• The London Eye – book your fast track ticket on the London Eye from Get Your Guide.
• Buckingham Palace – take a tour of the state room at the King’s residence!
• The Tower of London – take a look at the crown jewels and admire this famous building and UNESCO World Heritage Site 
• Harry Potter themed – London walking tour 

Loch Ness, Glencoe & the Highlands Tour from Edinburgh – book your day tour of the Highlands with Get Your Guide

Isle of Skye Tour with Fairy Pools from Inverness – book your day trip to this beautiful island.

Doctor Who Walking Tour of Cardiff City – for all Dr Who fans out there book your walking tour of Cardiff.

If you prefer to have the details of your trip sorted for you perhaps consider a group tour. My recommended options are:

TourRadar is a marketplace for tours with lots all over the UK to choose from. Check out the reviews and filter tours according to your dates, interests and style of travel.

Click here to see TourRadar tours in the UK

If you are looking for a fully organised bus tour around the UK Trafalgar is an excellent option.

They have a great selection of tours around England , Scotland and Wales.

I enjoy reading about a destination before I arrive. This includes fiction and non-fiction as well as consulting guide-books. There are some great books to read about the UK including the very funny (and accurate) portrayal of the British by Bill  Bryson.

If you are looking for a guide book you can find more great suggestions in my article about the best London guide books or the best UK travel guide books on the market.

READ MORE – 9 BOOKS TO READ BEFORE YOU VISIT ENGLAND

How to get around the UK (London)

I would recommend that you avoid driving in London if you can. London is a busy, congested capital city that is best travelled by foot, cab and public transport.

Consider purchasing a Visitor Oyster Card which can be used to access public transport in the capital. You can also purchase the Visitor Oyster Card as part of your London Pass .

Or why not purchase a one-day travel card from Get Your Guide? Click to purchase here!

Read more in my full guide to getting around London using public transport.

How to travel around the UK

If you are planning to travel around the UK there are a number of options available depending on your preference:

Hiring a car and taking some road trips around the UK is an option. If you do plan to hire a car don’t forget that you will need your full licence and ID such as a passport (if your licence was not issued in English you will need an international driving permit)

If you decide to drive there are some important points to remember:

• In the UK drive on the left side of the road.
• Most cars are manual (automatics are more expensive to hire)
• Everyone in the vehicle is required by law to wear a seat belt.
• “Gas” stations are called petrol stations and the fuel for you car will either be petrol or diesel. It is important to know which fuel type your hire car requires. We have had friends fill up on the wrong fuel before when visiting the UK and this can be a costly mistake.
• Roundabouts are common in the UK – give way to traffic on the roundabout which will be approaching from the right.
• It is illegal to use a cell phone/mobile phone when driving in the UK.
• Pay attention to speed limits. Speed cameras are common in the UK and you will be fined if found to be above the limit.
• Children under 12 (or 135 m tall) must use a child car seat.

Car hire in the UK

If you are travelling to the UK and need to hire a car to get around I would recommend comparing prices before booking – compare prices from all major car hire companies with Discover.com

My own personal choice is always to travel by train in the UK when possible. There are some beautiful scenic rail journeys I highly recommend too if you enjoy train travel.

Fast speed services between London and some major cities:

London to Birmingham  – 1 1/2 hours

London to Manchester – 2 hours

London to Edinburgh – 4 1/2 hours

London to Cardiff – 2 hours

I recommend The Trainline  for tickets for trains, buses or flights in the UK.

CLICK TO BUY

If you need to get from A to B in a hurry there is always the option of catching an internal flight. To be honest unless you are really pushed for time and you are planning to trip to Scotland from London I would always take the train.

You can even take an overnight sleeper service like The Caledonian Express from London to Scotland so no flying is necessary!

The main consideration when packing for the UK is the weather. I would recommend checking the forecast a week before your departure to also check on the situation due to changeable weather conditions.

What would I always recommend packing when travelling to the UK?

• An umbrella
• A pair of comfortable shoes/sneakers
• A thin/thick jacket depending on the season

You can find out more information about what to pack (and not to pack) for your vacation in my essential UK packing list for every season.

If you are visiting during the cooler months read my dedicated winter packing post to ensure you know what you need to bring to keep you warm and dry.

Whilst in the UK I would recommend trying some traditional British foods such as fish and chips. Although not famous for our culinary prowess there have been improvements in the last 20 to 30 years with some of the world’s top chefs hailing from the UK.

Of course there are plenty of  fast food options in the UK too including recognisable international chains such as McDonalds, Nando’s, KFC, Subway and Burger King.

Other well known restaurants chains in the UK include Wagamama (Asian food based on Japanese cuisine) Zizzi (Italian) Prezzo (Italian) YO Sushi (Japanese) and Frankie and Benny’s (American Italian)

For coffee the three top chains in the UK are Costa, Starbucks and Cafe Nero.

Tipping is not required or expected when ordering drinks at a bar or in a fast food restaurant/coffee shop.A 10% tip can be left for good service in a restaurant.

Tracy’s Top Travel Tip: Tap water is safe to drink in the UK but avoid drinking from the hot tap as it often comes from a storage tank rather than directly from the mains. You will also notice that in many places there are separate taps for hot and cold water!

READ MORE – 20 TRADITIONAL ENGLISH FOODS TO TEMPT YOUR TASTEBUDS

If you are flying into one of the main airports in the UK there are a number of best options when transferring from the airports into the city.

Heathrow into London 

I have a comprehensive guide to help you choose the best way to transfer from Heathrow into London. Below are just two of the possible options:

• Heathrow Express (train)

The Heathrow Express is the fastest way between Central London and Heathrow Airport. It takes just 15 minutes to reach Paddington Station. Avoid traffic jams and congestion and take the train!

CLICK HERE TO BOOK TICKETS FOR THE HEATHROW EXPRESS

• Heathrow Airport to London City Center: Shared Transfer

Save time and money with a safe, comfortable and convenient shared transfer from London Heathrow Airport to your hotel in the city center.

CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR SHARED TRANSFER FROM HEATHROW INTO THE CITY

Gatwick into London

• Gatwick Express: 1-Way or Return London Train Ticket

With scheduled departure every 15 minutes, and a journey time of just 30 minutes, Gatwick Express is the most popular way to travel between London Gatwick Airport and central London.

CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR GATWICK EXPRESS TICKET/S

• Executive Transfer Gatwick to or from Central London

Travel in luxury from Gatwick into London with your chauffeur-driven executive car.

CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR EXECUTIVE TRANSFER FROM GATWICK INTO LONDON

There is free Wi-Fi available in many places in the UK and if you book accommodation with internet access this will keep you on line for part of your day. If you have an unlocked phone consider purchasing a SIM card at the airport when you arrive.

Read more about wifi and internet access options in the UK in my comprehensive guide which includes in detail at what is available and which option is best for your needs.

* Advice given in this article is general in nature and is not intended to influence readers’ decisions about investing or financial products. You should always seek your own professional advice that takes into account your personal circumstances before making any financial decisions. We always encourage our readers to compare options when it comes to financial products. Read our full disclosure.

In the UK the currency is the £ (pound sterling)

There are 1p 2p 5p 10p 50p £1 £2 and £5 coins as well as notes in the following denominations – £5, £10, £20, £50 and £100.

You will find that Visa and Mastercard are accepted just about everywhere.

Contactless transactions are available up to a £30 value (after a number of taps you will be required to enter your pin number so ensure you know what it is!)

I have a Wise account (formally TransferWise) and card which I use as well as my normal credit cards when I am in the UK. The Wise card works like a debit card and can be loaded up with your home currency and converted into £££’s when required.

It avoids the charges you would incur using credit cards or your normal bank debit card and is an excellent way to handle spending money when traveling.

The exchange rate is good and I recently held Australian $$’s, Hong Kong $$’s and UK ££’s on my card. At the end of my trip I was able to transfer any unused currency back into my bank account.

CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE WISE CARD *

I always recommend having travel insurance as you just never know what might happen when you are on holiday.

If you are visiting the UK for the first time you may also like to read my guide to 15 essential things to know before you visit. If you have any more questions please ask in the comments or join my UK travel planning community on Facebook .

London travel planner – How to plan a trip to London in 7 easy steps

By: Author Tracy Collins

Posted on Last updated: August 10, 2024

Are you planning a trip to London for the first time? If so you may be finding the process a little overwhelming. There are so many things to think about that you may not even know where to start!

This article is aimed at removing the overwhelm and showing you how to plan your trip to London in a few easy-to-follow steps.

As well as this easy-to-follow London travel planner our website, our podcast and our Facebook community are also here to help you. Together they form the perfect online resource to help you shape the perfect London travel plan for your travel style and needs and ensure you make the most of your trip to London.

We have dedicated articles and podcasts which include practical tips and information for first-time visitors to London on this site and on our UK Travel Planning sister site but in this article, we start with the steps to follow to start the process of planning your trip to London.

If visiting London is only one part of a bigger trip we recommend planning the London element first and building the rest of your itinerary out from there.

What time of year is best to visit London?

How many days to spend in london, step 2 – decide on your budget 💷, london airports, travel insurance, where to stay in london, here are some practical tips to help plan your itinerary:, check out our sample itineraries:, we recommend the following companies for london tours, tickets and activities, how you will access wi-fi, how will you pay for things – cash or cards/contactless, deciding what to pack, deciding how you will pay for london transport (oyster card or contactless), how will you get from the airport to your hotel, london travel planner – plan your trip to london in 7 easy steps, step 1 – decide what time of year you want to visit london and for how long 📆.

If you are not impacted by time constraints you may have the ability to choose exactly what time of year to visit London.

Things you may want to consider when deciding when to visit London include the weather, hours of daylight, whether you prefer peak, shoulder or off-peak season, any particular events you would like to see (the Chelsea Flower Show, Christmas markets or Wimbledon for example) and school and public holiday dates.

You can find information about visiting London during every season and month on this website but for a summary, this provides a flavour of each season –

🌷 London in Spring – At this time of year, spring flowers are in full bloom and it’s less crowded than the busy summer months. The darkness of winter has lifted and the days become longer and the weather milder. This is the perfect time to enjoy London’s parks and gardens and spend some time outdoors.

• London in March
• London in April
• London in May

☀️ London in Summer – Summer (along with Christmas) is London’s busiest time. The weather can be very hot and sunny and the days are long so lots of time for sightseeing. Popular events and festivals are held during these months.

• London in June
• London in July
• London in August

🍁 London in Autumn – Prefer to visit London during the shoulder season? Autumn weather in London is usually pleasant and mild and the days are still long enough to fit in a decent amount of sightseeing. Enjoy a stroll through London’s royal parks or visit Kew Gardens to enjoy autumnal colours.

• London in September
• London in October
• London in November

🧣 London in Winter – Not only will you be able to experience the amazing winter festivities and  Christmas things to do in London  such as festive markets, Christmas lights and outdoor ice skating, but the winter weather (fingers crossed for snow!) transforms the city into a true winter wonderland! The downside is that the days are short but with cosy pubs to enjoy who is complaining?

• London in December
• London in January
• London in February

Once you have decided when to visit the next decision is for how long. We are often asked how many days to spend in London but this is a really difficult question to answer for someone else!

We have completed itinerary consultations for people whose entire trip to the UK is spent in London and for others where London is the start/end point of a longer trip around the UK (and possibly Europe ).

Ideally, 3 days would be a minimum as this will give you an opportunity to see some of London’s main landmarks, attractions and sights bu t if you can plan for longer we would recommend 5 – 7 days is a good starting point.

London in one day

London 2 day itinerary

London 5 day itinerary

INest step is to know how much to budget for what might be the first of many visits – or a once-in-a-lifetime trip.

London has a reputation for being costly and you may be wondering exactly how much does it cost to go to London?

The quick answer to this question is that we recommend budgeting around £105 plus (about $130 in US dollars) per day, per person, after paying to get there. You can of course spend a lot more, or a little less, but our recent trip revealed this figure to be a good starting point. 

We have a dedicated article about budgeting for London which we suggest reading to help calculate expenses for your trip.

(Do remember there are many free things to do in London and we do also have tips to help you stick to a budget when visiting London too)

Step 3 – Book flights and organise travel insurance 🛫

Step 3 is planning how you will get to London.

If you are in North America, Asia, Africa or Australia/New Zealand the answer is generally by air.  (Unless the UK is the start or end point for a cruise or you are travelling overland by train or bus)

There are 6 international airports that serve London including London Heathrow (the Uk’s largest airport), London Gatwick, London City, London Luton, London Stansted and London Southend (the last 3 serve low-cost airlines such as Ryanair and EasyJet).

To find the best flight deals to the UK I use Skyscanner to get a good comparison of all available options (prices and routes)

Skyscanner is useful if you are searching for various route options and the cheapest dates to travel. Set up an email alert if prices change.

Once you have your flights booked I highly recommend paying for travel insurance. I have never travelled without it and last year while travelling in Asia I developed pneumonia and was admitted to hospital. As I had comprehensive travel insurance I was able to claim the costs of treatment back and ended up only $450 AUD out of pocket.

Step 4 – Book accommodation 🏨

Step 4 seems to be a major stumbling block for many people when it comes to planning their trip to London. We totally understand – deciding where to stay in a city you have not visited before can be quite daunting. And then add into the mix the cost of accommodation in London and it can be even more difficult to choose the right area and the right accommodation for your travel party, travel style and of course travel budget!

My tip? Study the table below and choose an area which suits your interests.

Another great tip? If it’s your first time in London pay that little extra and stay in or around Covent Garden. It has great transport links, is near many of the main sights and has excellent entertainment and restaurant options.

Accommodation options

There is a large range of accommodation options available in London to suit all travel budgets and styles including hotels, apartments, hostels and Airbnb.

We recommend using  Booking.com  for your hotel and apartment accommodation in London. It is the site we use for our own trips all over the world. The site is easy to use and we find the option to book with free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance of a stay absolutely essential. It may cost slightly more but for peace of mind, it is invaluable.

Vrbo  is a great option for those who are looking for an entire home or apartment to rent for their time in London.

Plum Guide  lists the top 3% of vacation homes around the world all of which must pass a rigorous application process. If a beautiful luxe experience is what you are after then we highly recommend checking out Plum Guides London’s inventory.

Read – Where to stay in London: Area and Accommodation Guide

Step 5 – Plan your London itinerary 📋

Step 5 of our London Travel planner involves itinerary planning. And we know that planning your day-to-day London itinerary may be the most difficult part of this entire process. Much as you may want to see and do it all and plan an itinerary to include everything on your London bucket list we know it is pretty much impossible.

Also, don’t underestimate how tiring London is, especially with a packed itinerary.

• Prioritise the list into “must do’s” and “would like to’s”
• Using a map of London like this one add dot stickers for the “must do’s” (in red) and “would like to’s” (in green)
• You will find that you have clusters of dots – this will help you to plan your itinerary!
• For example, one day itinerary may include visiting the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, the Sky Garden, Pudding Lane, Leadenhall Market and St Dunstans in the East.*
• One day visiting Big Ben, the London Eye, the Houses of Parliament, Churchill War Rooms, 10 Downing Street etc
• One day visiting South Kensington Museums such as the V&A, Natural History Museum
• Read relevant articles for opening hours and recommended visiting times for each of the attractions (check our London itinerary planners for history lovers and museum lovers for essential information)
• Also include some flexibility in your plans due to the unpredictable British weather.
• *Try not to plan too many things in one day! The examples above may need to be adjusted based on the time of year, budget constraints, mobility needs etc
• I’m saying it again but please don’t underestimate how tiring London can be (wear comfy shoes!!) don’t forget a good supply of drinks to stay hydrated, not just in summer.
• 1 day in London itinerary
• 2 days in London itinerary
• 3 days in London itinerary
• 5 days in London itinerary
• London itinerary planner for history lovers
• London itinerary planner for museum lovers

Step 6 – Book tours, attractions, experiences and activities 🎟

Once you have your itinerary planned it’s time to consider booking your tours, tickets and activities . There can be some variability when these become available and you may need to check nearer your departure date for some tickets and tours.

If this is your first visit to London and you are planning to visit a lot of the most popular sights and attractions it may be cost-effective to invest in a London Pass .

• Includes access to more than 90 of London’s top attractions
• See London’s top landmarks and attractions with a hop-on hop-off bus tour
• Includes a digital guide which is packed with instructions for each attraction
• Get your London Pass instantly on mobile
• Choose the option that’s right for you with passes available for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 10-days

We recommend buying the London Pass from Get Your Guide as you can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund if necessary.

Read more about the London Pass

• 🎟 LONDON PASS – Unlock admission to 90+ attractions for one low price. Pass includes Tower Bridge, London Eye, Tower of London and Westminster Abbey. Use code UKTP5 at checkout for 5% discount off the cost of your pass. Buy here.
• 🎟 GO CITY EXPLORER PASS – Choose 2 to 7 attractions. Valid for 2 months after activation. Buy here .
• Get Your Guide and Viator – Both companies offer a large selection of tours, attractions and experiences. Free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance for a refund on most bookings.
• Walks (Take Walks ) – Offer small group guided tours including their popular “London in a Day Tour” and “Exclusive opening ceremony at the Tower of London and Crown Jewels Tour”
• Liv Tours – Offer sustainable private and small group London tours with local guides including popular museum and food tours.

Step 7 – Predeparture checklists and tips

While this may seem like a long section for step 7 these are things that you may want to consider in the 3 months or so pre-departure (or sooner if you wish!)

We are often asked what the options are for connecting to the internet in London. Relying on hotspots* for free wifi is an option and is available in many locations like museums and coffee shops plus most hotels now include free wifi too.

However, if you want a fast and reliable service your best options are

• They are portable, about the size of a drink coaster and very easy to use.
• Call your provider to see what their options are. Some have international calling built right in, while others offer international day passes. For the day passes, be sure to make a note of the price, the limits on data and the ability to make calls and texts.
• For those folks not so technically minded, a SIM card is the small card inside of your phone that stores data unique to the user and to the phone. When travelling to the UK from abroad, assume you’ll need to swap out your existing SIM card for a UK-compatible SIM card.
• Buy an esim card (if you have a compatible phone) from Airalo and you will be ready to go from the moment you touch down in the UK.

* If you access free public wifi we highly recommend using a VPN to protect your privacy

Again this is a common question that comes up in our UK and London Travel Planning Facebook group . We do recommend bringing some cash with you but if you are spending your entire time in London you will need less than for example someone planning a road trip around the UK (you may need some for parking meters!)

If you prefer not to use your credit card when you visit (for example if you incur currency exchange fees) you may wish to consider a  Wise card *

The Wise Card comes from Wise, an international payment and transfer platform. Wise was set up to offer simple, lightning-fast and low-cost transactions. 

The Wise Mastercard is available to anyone with a Wise account, including citizens of countries like the US, New Zealand, Australia and Europe. You need a multi-currency Wise account to apply for the card.

A Wise card works like a debit card. Put simply, if there’s money in your Wise account, then you can spend it anywhere Mastercard is accepted. You can pay via Wise in more than 50 currencies worldwide. A set amount of money can also be withdrawn in cash, and this varies by country. 

It’s free to  open a Wise account .

*Advice given in this article is general in nature and is not intended to influence readers’ decisions about investing or financial products. You should always seek your own professional advice that takes into account your personal circumstances before making any financial decisions. We always encourage our readers to compare options when it comes to financial products.  Read our full disclosure.

I love a good packing list as it’s the best way for me to stay organised for my travels. Whether you prefer carry-on only or are someone who takes their luggage allowance to the max it’s useful to be prepared for your London adventure.

Some essentials to consider include :

• Comfy shoes – I can’t stress this enough. Don’t wait until your trip to ‘break them in’ either! In winter a pair of waterproof boots is a great option while in summer sneakers or sandals are the perfect option.
• Adaptor – You will need to plug in all your electricals so don’t forget to pack an adaptor .
• Theft-proof bags – I have a day pack and a variety of cross-body bags from Travelon and I always use these when I travel wherever I am in the world.

Read – London Packing List for every season

There are many public transport options available to get you around London including the Underground (Tube), overground trains, London buses, Uber boats, Docklands Light Railway, Elizabeth Line, bicycles, and even a cable car as well as private transportation options including London black cabs, Uber

To pay for public transport in London you have a choice between purchasing an Oyster Card (Standard or Visitor) or using contactless methods. The Oyster Card is the size of a credit card which you preload with funds to pay for public transport. Learn more about Oyster Cards.

Alternatively, contactless methods of payment are becoming increasingly popular. Both methods have their pros and cons and we recommend reading our article which compares Oyster card versus contactless before deciding which is best for you.

You can purchase a visitor or regular Oyster Card on arrival in London and of course if you prefer contactless you are all set!

If (like me) you prefer to be organised and know exactly how you are getting from the airport to your hotel you may wish to book a private transfer. With a private transfer, you don’t need to worry about negotiating an unfamiliar transport system or city with your luggage after a long flight.

Other options to get from London Heathrow to London include via the Tube (Piccadilly Line), Elizabeth Line or Heathrow Express. Taxis are also available just outside arrivals at each terminal.

Our preferred option – a private transfer with our partner Riz of XFA Cars – find out more here.

From London Gatwick into the city, options include the Gatwick Express, coach or a taxi. Private transfers are also available to book from Gatwick into London.

If you have booked accommodation and can’t get access until later on in the day check out our guide to where to store luggage in London.

London Travel Guide & Itinerary Planner Ebook (+ 4 BONUS ebooks)

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European visa waiver: when must I apply for an Etias and how will travel from the UK work

Extra red tape due to brexit will likely to be mandatory for travel from the uk to the schengen area from november 2025, article bookmarked.

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British travellers to the European Union and wider Schengen Area will need to apply in advance for an online permit to visit from November 2025, according to current plans in Brussels.

EU officials have confirmed that the much delayed “ entry-exit system ” will take effect on 10 November 2024. From that date, every UK traveller entering the Schengen Area must, in theory at least, be fingerprinted and provide a facial biometric. (The requirement will not apply to British visitors to Ireland and Cyprus, which are in the European Union but outside Schengen.)

Six months later after EES takes effect – ie in May 2025 according the latest plan – the Electronic Travel Information and Authorisation System ( Etias ) will launch. But for at least another six months the Etias will be optional.

What is Etias?

British travellers and those from all other “third-country visa-free nationals” (as the UK chose to become after Brexit ) will need provide information in advance so that frontier officials know more about them on arrival – and to identify people who the EU wants to keep out.

Etias, the next step in tightening frontier controls, is a online permit system that is similar to the US Esta scheme (but cheaper at €7/£6 and valid for longer: three years, or until the passport reaches three months to expiry, whichever comes first).

“UK nationals are required to have a valid Etias travel authorisation if they travel to any of the European countries requiring Etias for a short-term stay (90 days in any 180-day period),” says the EU.

“Its key function is to verify if a third-country national meets entry requirements before travelling to the Schengen Area.” The zone covers almost all of the EU (apart from Ireland and Cyprus) plus Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

When will I need one?

The European Union says: “Starting in the first half of 2025, some 1.4 billion people from over 60 visa-exempt countries are required to have a travel authorisation to enter most European countries.”

That sounds ominous for British travellers to Europe in summer 2025. But fortunately “required” is not accurate in that statement.

The EU also says: “The launch of Etias in mid-2025 will be followed by a transitional period of at least six months. This means that, for travel during this time, travellers should already apply for their Etias travel authorisation, but those without one will not be refused entry as long as they fulfil all remaining entry conditions.”

Those conditions are basically the existing requirements for passport validity:

• Issued no more than 10 years earlier on the day of entry to the European Union.
• Valid for at least three months on the intended day of departure from the EU.

So it will not be mandatory for prospective UK visitors to apply online for permission to enter the Schengen Area until November 2025 at the earliest.

Even then, once the “transitional period” is over, a further “grace period” of at least six months will apply on a one-time only basis to British travellers who turn up without an Etias.

The European Union says: “There is an exception: only those coming to Europe for the first time since the end of the transitional period will be allowed to enter without an Etias provided they fulfil all remaining entry conditions.

“All other travellers will be refused entry if they do not hold an Etias travel authorisation.”

The grace period will last at least six months.

This detail is exhausting. Can you provide a quick timeline?

10 November 2024 (confirmed): EU entry-exit system comes into effect, requiring British passport holders to be fingerprinted and provide a facial biometric on entry to the European Union and wider Schengen Area (but not Ireland or Cyprus).

May 2025 (unconfirmed, but no earlier): Etias online permit becomes available, with a transitional period of at least six months during which Etias is optional.

November 2025 (unconfirmed, but no earlier): Etias transitional period ends. Grace period begins, giving travellers without an Etias a one-time only pass.

May 2026 (unconfirmed, but no earlier): Grace period ends; all British passport holders must have an Etias.

How will I apply?

At the heart of the system is an Etias website . An app will follow (any apps that currently purport to be official EU Etias apps are imposters).

Travellers will be required to submit personal information including name, address, contact details in Europe and passport data. They must also state an occupation (with job title and employer). Students must give the name of their educational establishment.

The applicant must give details of any serious convictions in the past 20 years.

Travellers must also provide the reason for their journey (holiday, business, visiting family, etc), specify the Schengen Area country they will first arrive in, and provide the address of their first night’s stay – which will pose a problem for tourists who like to make plans as they go along.

It is likely that for subsequent journeys the traveller will not be expected to update the information.

The fee is €7 (£6) for all applicants aged 18 to 70. While those under 18 or over 70 will still need to apply for and hold an Etias, they need not pay.

What happens to the information?

Every application will be checked against EU and relevant Interpol databases, as well as “a dedicated Etias watch-list”.

The system will be tuned to pick out individuals suspected of being involved in terrorism, armed robbery, child pornography, fraud, money laundering, cybercrime, people smuggling, trafficking in endangered animal species, counterfeiting and industrial espionage.

In a case of mistaken identity, will I be able to appeal?

Yes. If you are suspected of one or more of the above offences, but in fact have led a blameless life, you will be allowed to argue your case. Details of how to appeal will be included with the notice of rejection.

How far in advance must I apply?

The aim is for an Etias to be granted in most circumstances within minutes, though even a straightforward application could take up to four days.

If an application is flagged (ie there is a “hit” with one of the databases) the prospective visitor may be asked to provide additional information. Alternatively, says the EU, the applicant may be asked “to participate in an interview with national authorities, which may take up to additional 30 days”.

The European Union says: “We strongly advise you to obtain the Etias travel authorisation before you buy your tickets and book your hotels.”

If I get an Etias, must I print anything out?

No. The frontier guard will get all the information they need from the passport you used to apply for your Etias.

Will my Etias be checked before departure to the EU?

Yes. Most British travellers to Europe will have their Etias status checked by the airline, as currently happens with travel to the US (Esta), Canada (eTA) and many other countries.

Airlines are obliged to ensure passenger comply with the immigration rules of the destination. A couple of them made a complete mess of it when the post-Brexit passport regime took effect, and invented their own rules .

To try to avoid a repeat, I have written to the airlines’ representative body to try to ensure that they are fully aware of the “optional” nature of Etias during the transitional and grace periods before it becomes mandatory.

For subsequent trips, must I amend the online information about the purpose where I am staying?

My understanding is that information on where you are going and staying, and the reason for your trip. is needed only at the application stage. The form should be completed with reference to your first journey.

As with the US Esta, after you have been admitted once and returned home you should be able to enter again without updating such information online.

Is Etias a visa?

This answer to this common question depends on your interpretation of semantics. Officially, it is exactly the opposite of a visa. Europe says that Etias is “a pre-travel authorisation system for visa-exempt travellers”. It is a similar concept to the US Esta and Canadian eTA, which are not technically visas.

But Etias requires visitors to:

• Apply in advance
• Provide substantial personal information
• Be issued with a permit to cross a border.

So I contend it amounts to a normal person’s understanding of a visa.

Once I have an Etias, am I guaranteed admission to the Schengen Area?

No. “Mere possession of a travel authorisation does not confer an automatic right of entry,” says the EU. As with the US, travellers can be turned away for any reason, with the Etias permission rescinded.

Must I apply for an Etias every time I travel to Europe?

No. The permit will be valid for three years, or until your passport reaches three months before expiry, whichever is the earlier. (Note also that British passports must not be over 10 years old on the day of entry to the European Union .)

Will I need an Etias to travel to Ireland?

No. Ireland is not in the Schengen Area, and the Common Travel Area – incorporating the UK, Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands – transcends European Union rules.

If I have a long-stay permit from one of the EU nations, must I obtain an Etias?

How are people without internet access supposed to apply.

They will be expected to get a friend, a family member or a travel agent to make the application for them, in the same way as the US Esta and similar schemes.

Just remind us about the 90/180 day rule?

This rule, to which the UK asked to be subject after leaving the European Union, means that British travellers cannot stay more than 90 days in any stretch of 180 days.

As an example of what it means: if you were to spend the first 90 days of 2025 (January, February and almost all of March) in the Schengen area, you would not be able to return until late June.

Is the UK being punished because of Brexit?

No. Work on strengthening the European Union’s external border was already under way before the UK referendum on membership in June 2016. Initially British officials participated in plans for the entry-exit system.

Neither the EES nor Etias would be relevant if the UK was still in the EU. But the nation voted to leave the European Union and the UK government negotiated for British travellers to be classified as third-country nationals – triggering extra red tape.

Will Etias be the next online scam?

Yes. As with other online travel permits, commercial intermediaries are allowed.

But according to Frontex – the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, which is implementing Etias – there are many scam sites out there that are likely to apply fees way above the basic €7 (£6).

Any site other than europa.eu/etias is unofficial and should not be trusted. One “imposter” site claims to have processed 671 applications already; this is impossible since no applications have been processed anywhere.

Another site offers a 40 per cent discount for early applications. Some use the EU logo, which is illegal.

Frontex also warns about the risk of identity theft if personal information is provided to imposter sites.

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Notting Hill Carnival: Road closures and travel disruptions to watch out for

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Notting Hill Carnival kicks off on Saturday, August 24, with the vibrant London street party continuing through Monday, August 26.

Attendees are set for a fun bank holiday weekend – as the annual celebration of Caribbean culture weaves its way through W10.

Naturally, though, there’ll be some travel disruption for those trying to reach the carnival , locals who call the area home, and Londoners trying to get from A to B in the vicinity.

And it’s not just public transport, either, as a number of roads will be closed off to make way for the parade.

Here’s a full guide to Notting Hill Carnival road closures, Tube station closures, and bus diversions.

Which roads will be closed during Notting Hill Carnival?

There will be a number of roads closed from 6am on Sunday, August 25 until 6am on Tuesday, August 26 in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and in Westminster.

In Westminster, a full list of the affected roads has been released, which includes:

Notting Hill Carnival 2024 road closures in Westminster area

• Aldridge Road Villas
• Alexandra Mews
• Alexander Street
• Alfred Road
• Artesian Road
• Bishops Bridge Road (from Porchester Road to Westbourne Grove)
• Bridstow Place
• Caradoc Close
• Caroline Close
• Caroline Place
• Chepstow Road
• Courtnell Street
• Dartmouth Close
• Durham Terrace
• Edgware Road, southbound at junction of Harrow Road and junction with Marble Arch
• Elgin Avenue
• Fermoy Road
• Great Western Road, starting at the junction with Harrow Road
• Hatherley Grove
• Hereford Road
• Holland Park Avenue
• Holland Road
• Hormead Road
• Kensington Church Street
• Kensington Gardens Square
• Kildare Gardens
• Kildare Terrace
• Leamington Road Villas
• Ledbury Road
• Monmouth Place
• Monmouth Road
• Moorhouse Road
• Newton Road
• Northumberland Place
• Park Lane, junction Hyde Park corner
• Redan Place
• Shrewsbury Mews
• Shrewsbury Road
• St Luke’s Road
• St Stephen’s Crescent
• St Stephen’s Gardens
• St Stephen’s Mews
• Sutherland Place
• Sutherland Terrace
• Talbot Road
• Tavistock Crescent
• Tavistock Road
• Uxbridge Street
• Wellington Close
• Westbourne Gardens
• Westbourne Grove
• Westbourne Grove Terrace
• Westbourne Park Road
• Westbourne Park Villas
• Woodfield Place
• Woodfield Road

There will be traffic diversions in place in certain areas, and parking bays (as well as some bike stands) on streets near the carnival route will be suspended temporarily.

If you’re a local worried about your parking spot or bike rack, get the full details on the City of Westminster’s website.

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For Kensington and Chelsea, use the  council’s online checker to see which roads will be impacted by the festivities.

Which Tube stations have restrictions during Notting Hill Carnival?

On carnival days, the London Underground will be incredibly busy.

Expect smaller tube stations to be particularly rammed on August 25 and August 26 – so, if you can, do keep alternate routes in mind when travelling around.

Transport for London (TfL) advises: ‘For the easiest and least-crowded journey to Notting Hill Carnival, customers are advised to take London Underground or Elizabeth line services to Paddington station as the Carnival is only a 20-minute walk away.

‘The Bakerloo, Circle and Hammersmith & City lines, as well as the Elizabeth line offer step-free access, while the District line also serves the station.’

Various stations near the Notting Hill Carnival route will either be closed or will operate a shorter timetable on the relevant days.

They include:

Notting Hill Carnival 2024 Tube closures and timetable changes

• Ladbroke Grove – Closed
• Latimer Road – Closes at 11.30pm, and may close for short periods when busy
• Notting Hill Gate – Exit only between 11am and 6pm. District/Circle lines will not stop. No interchange between Central line and District and Circle
• Westbourne Park – Exit only from 11am. Closes at 11.30pm. It’s advised you use other stations where possible as it will be extremely busy
• Holland Park – Exit only between 11am and 3pm, when it closes
• Royal Oak – Exit only between 11am and 6pm, when it closes

List via TfL’s website

Which buses are affected during Notting Hill Carnival?

Prefer to ride the bus? Special carnival routes 7X and 36X will run in the area.

You can also expect diversions or route changes on a number of West London buses.

Check the TfL website or relevant operator for more information on your chosen bus route.

That said, the TfL website says that the following bus routes will be affected:

Notting Hill Carnival 2024 bus diversions

• 7 & N7, 18
• 23, 27 & N27, 28
• 31, 36, 52, 70
• 148, 228, 295
• 316, 328, 452

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