Scotland/Ireland

[lifeasme123]

We are booked for a Med Cruise out of Rome next summer. Since the ticket prices to fly from US to Europe cost a lot of shiny pennies, we decided to add some additional sightseeing to the cruise. Here is my plan, which does not include flying time. I have factored 2 travel days between Europe and US.

 

(4) Days in Scotland

(3) days in Ireland or (3) days in English Countryside

(3) days in London

(3) days in Rome

(7) day Med Cruise

 

Does this look doable? I honestly do not know how much traveling (Scotland, Ireland and England) would entail.

 

Do American citizens need to get a special license to drive in the UK? I was thinking of renting a car from London to Scotland.

[mhb1757]

Your plan is certainly doable depending on your stamina and energy levels. I have one suggestion.....do NOT attempt to rent a car in London....even just to drive it out of town. I would strongly suggest taking the train from London to wherever you are headed in Scotland....maybe Edinburgh?? Easy and relatively inexpensive. Then if you want to rent a car in Edinburgh to drive about the Scottish countryside that is certainly safer....personally I would rather throw myself in front of a bus than to try and drive in London....and for someone who has never been there and is not used to driving on the right and does not know where they are going, driving in London would be just short of suicidal!!

[Alaskanb]

Are you looking at the UK pre-cruise? If so look at flying into somewhere like Manchester and then renting the car. Would you give us a few more details about how the days would break down and where you are thinking of flying into and out of. Also advise to get a really good UK map and look at time and distance involved in travel. Think about what it is you want to see? --countryside, historical places etc --what will be your focus?

Agree with previous post if you are flying into one of the London airports.

Edited August 29, 2016 by Alaskanb

[Thejuggler]

You may need to consider your flights and how it fits what you want to do. Your current plan looks very intensive.

 

A flight to Glasgow or Edinburgh would be easier than driving, it could still be via Heathrow. Its 400 miles from London to Edinburgh on very busy roads, especially for the first 200-250 miles. Potentially 10-12 hours with breaks depending on traffic levels. Train is 4-5 hours London to Edinburgh. For real adventure take the sleeper train from Euston to Edinburgh, or further into Scotland.

 

4 days in Scotland is enough for a very intensive drive yourself tour, but it would be easy to try and do too much and miss a lot! Alternatively base yourself in Edinburgh and take 1-3 day tours.

 

For 3 days in England you really do need to know what you would like to see.

 

If Ireland is a must see consider doing it after the cruise and fly home from Dublin.

[lifeasme123]

Lots of very good info! Thanks all!

 

We have not decided yet on whether to see the England's countryside or Ireland. Personally, I would like to visit Jane Austen, Shakespeare, Bronte sisters areas. DH wants to see Ireland.

 

We are considering flying into Edinburgh or Dublin. But now Alaskanb threw in Manchester. :-) So many choices/decisions.

 

Sounds like an overnight ride from Edinburgh to London is highly recommended. I am curious as why.

[Alaskanb]

Have you considered a British Isles cruise?

[lifeasme123]

Have you considered a British Isles cruise?

 

Great idea!!! I will look into that...but we are hoping for more of living/being around the locals.

Edited August 30, 2016 by jen70

[Alaskanb]

Great idea!!! I will look into that...but we are hoping for more of living/being around the locals.

With the timing you have laid out it will be simply one place after another --not much different from a cruise. We will be on a 12 day BI cruise next May that goes to 3 ports in Ireland, 4 in Scotland, Guernsey, and Le Havre (France). Lots of lovely historical places to explore from Southampton by train.

If you really want to live in an area maybe renting a flat or cottage and exploring a lovely area of the UK would be best. I grew up in the north midlands and love the Lake District and moorland areas. The Yorkshire dales and moors are wonderful areas.

Edited August 30, 2016 by Alaskanb

[Cotswold Eagle]

"England's countryside" is more of a concept than a place :) There are beautiful rural areas in every corner of the country, so you can only visit a tiny fraction in three days. What are you looking for - high mountains, bleak moorland, thatched cottages in rolling green valleys, dramatic coastlines? You mentioned three literary figures - are you interested in visiting sights relating to their lives, their writings or the general areas? Just visiting West Yorkshire (Brontes), Stratford-upon-Avon (Shakespeare) and Hampshire/Bath (Austen) would easily take much more than three days.

 

Here's a good overview to get you started: http://about-britain.com/tourism/english-countryside.htm

Edited August 30, 2016 by Cotswold Eagle

[prish]

Lots of very good info! Thanks all!

 

We have not decided yet on whether to see the England's countryside or Ireland. Personally, I would like to visit Jane Austen, Shakespeare, Bronte sisters areas. DH wants to see Ireland.

 

We are considering flying into Edinburgh or Dublin. But now Alaskanb threw in Manchester. :-) So many choices/decisions.

 

Sounds like an overnight ride from Edinburgh to London is highly recommended. I am curious as why.

 

We flew into Edinburgh for five and a half days before a cruise out of Southampton in 2012, did two day tours to St Andrews and Stirling/Loch Lomond. Then took the Caledonian sleeper train to Euston which we found quite comfortable, we even got some sleep! Tickets are quite cheap when booked in advance, can't remember if it was 120 days or 90 days ahead. We spent a few days in London both pre and post cruise before heading back home.

 

We have a BI cruise booked for next June and will again get into London three days ahead, we then spend a week in Dublin post cruise, with 2-3 day trips.

 

Since your cruise is out of Civitavecchia, you might also consider flying into Venice for a few days, then taking the train to Florence and ending in Rome. Just a thought:)

[Thejuggler]

Lots of very good info! Thanks all!

 

We have not decided yet on whether to see the England's countryside or Ireland. Personally, I would like to visit Jane Austen, Shakespeare, Bronte sisters areas. DH wants to see Ireland.

 

We are considering flying into Edinburgh or Dublin. But now Alaskanb threw in Manchester. :-) So many choices/decisions.

 

Sounds like an overnight ride from Edinburgh to London is highly recommended. I am curious as why.

 

Sleeper train is a novelty, its also a cheap hotel!

 

As for seeing Bronte, Shakespeare and Jane Austen country, impossible in 3 days.

[Bob++]

My mother worked for years in a hotel in the Cotswolds. They had many American visitors who came to enjoy the scenery, the little villages and the pubs. Often they would have a small scale map of the UK and would be planning impossible tours, like visiting Oxford and London and then back to Burford in a day. They soon discovered that 100 miles in England takes a lot longer than 100 miles in Texas or Montana.

 

Most of the picturesque towns are pretty anti car. They have bypasses for through traffic and park-and-ride schemes for visitors. Parking in the centre is expensive and often full anyway.

 

You really need to decide on a few must sees and plan a trip around them. If Edinburg castle is one, I strongly suggest that you fly to Edinburgh and stay at least a whole day. You could then catch a train to York, or even, if you get up early enough, catch the non stop train to London. Spend a few days there and then maybe drive to the Cotswolds and Stratford upon Avon.

Edited September 1, 2016 by Bob++

[badtwin]

We took a British Isles cruise this spring and must say we were extremely relieved we had no plans to rent a car in the British ports because they drive on the other side of the road. This doesn't sound like that big of a deal, but after finding ourselves having trouble as pedestrians in London (even with numerous painted signs reminding you which way to look for oncoming cars) we could not imagine trying to drive. Everything intuitive to american drivers is the other way - like the lane you take while turning onto another street to the direction of roundabouts. In Scotland the roads could be very narrow if you are not used to country driving. I think trying to do a lot of driving there on vacation would be extremely stressful.

[Bigdasher]

Here's my 2p.

 

Fly to Edinburgh. Spend a few days there - fabulous place for walking around, great museums, do a ghost walk, take an open top bus. Good hotels and its a beautiful introduction to the UK. And there is a world class art gallery. Don't be conned into getting a tram or taxi (££) into the city centre, get on the Bus, dead inexpensive and a nice journey.

 

Then to London. You are strongly advised to take the Caledonian Sleeper. Tartan Blankets, little guests carriage ( with drinks) good company. Then to bed, to be woken the next morning by your steward with a coffee and some shortbread. You arrive in LOndon, right into the heart of London, no taxi fares no hassle.

 

Spend a few days in London, ( can't stand the place personally)...but then get a train out towards the West, to Bath. From there you can do a coach excursion to some lovely Cotswold villages, or even Stonehenge. Back to London, fly out to Rome.

 

NOw driving. Even as a Britisher, driving in the south of England is mental. They are merciless...please noooo. Think of your worst driving experience, now think of doing it with the wheel on the other side of the car, roundabouts that go the other way, and all this with ....a shift stick.

 

Finally Ireland, you can do that another day...if you want to be daring go to Wales. Its not far from Bath, and a few days in Swansea or the Gower Peninsula might be very cultural. And you might meet some that speak Welsh, with all the lovely double L's. And Wales is famous for lots of people, Richard Burton, Shirley Bassey, Tom Jones, Catherine Zeta Jones...

 

Remember less is more.

 

Dayle