We’re going to England for 10 days in the summer.
We’re staying in London for 5 days at the Conrad St James. We have another week and trying to decide what to do. York? Bath? Edinburgh? Should we take a train to Belgium to see Brugge and Ghent? D24 and D26 have no interest in going to France.
Criteria: We dont want to rent a car. Anything we do has to be convenient by train etc.
We’d like to do the usual touristy stuff. Nightlife is irrelevant as it’s a family trip. Thoughts?
There are a million great places to visit in Britain, I think you should think about what you want to see. Cities? Countryside? Georgian England? Medieval England? Castles and Stately Homes? The Coast?
We did a similar but shorter trip without a car
We hired a driver through a tour company and did Stonehenge and Bath in one day. On a different day we took the train back and forth to Windsor Castle.
We decided not to got to York because we didn’t have enough time but York and/or Scotland would be a great trip
Paris is great. Cant speak to Belgium.
My first thought was I’d stay in London longer (7 days?) and do a couple/few(?) day trips…like Windsor and Cambridge. Then make a choice whether your group wants to fly or only train somewhere else. It’s good to plan some variety into the trip and consider people’s interests…Harry Potter, anyone? Churches and museums can become tiring. I suggest seeing a show and doing a food tour. There’s so much to do in London!
We’ll be in London for 5 days so probably a lot of city life already.
Definitely some castles but don’t want to be repetitive. Countryside doesnt seem easy to get to - transportation wise.
Thought maybe York for a day on the way to Edinburgh? Edinburgh for 2-3 days?
Definitely interested in some variety. We’ll check out Windsor and Cambridge in our planning.
Planes seems like a real hassle. Most flights that we saw Ryanair? are these tiny regionals that take you to airports far from the city centers. But we’re open to plane or train.
Bath is lovely and easy train from London. plus a nice small city/big town for a few days. Great tour company (Mad Max tours)in Bath that could take you to the Cotswolds and Stonehenge plus some cycling options in the area too. Any interest in a day exploring Oxford ? Not sure when you are going - but plan ahead with Wimbledon, Henley Royal Regatta and the Olympics in France - increasing tourism in the UK. Reservations are at a premium. You could overnight train from London to Edinburgh, otherwise you are using a lot of travel time to get there and back - unless you can fly out of Edinburgh back home.
We looked at the Caledonian but since it leaves so late, weren’t sure what we do with a bunch of luggage moving around London until 10pm. Also read some reviews that the train is bumpy and hard to sleep.
It’s also mostly sold out during our times so probably a moot point.
The 4 hour train ride is definitely a minus getting from London to Edinburgh which is why we thought of York as a halfway point to break down our train ride over 2 days.
Saw several Lumo/LNER YouTube reviews and some said the seats were uncomfortable unless you get the first class tickets on LNER.
I have a love affair with Edinburgh. That would hands down be my choice if you don’t mind 1/2 day on the train.
Otherwise the day trip idea works too. You can get almost anywhere by train. I loved our visits to Canterbury, Oxford, Windsor and Bath.
You could do Oxford and the Cotswolds for something a little different, throw in Bath and Stonehenge as well.
You could take the train up to Edinburgh (and then St Andrews) but that is more city.
You could go to the Lake District or Cornwall or even the Highlands for a week.
You could go on a walking tour. Check out https://walkwithwilliams.com/
How many days would you stay in Edinburgh? Any hotel recommendations? There are several Marriott Brands (using points) in the area including the W, Glasshouse, Sheraton etc.
Also, the AC Hotel in Glasgow (Glasgow Centre City area) is 1/4 the points as the W in Edinburgh.
Should we consider parking ourselves in Glasgow and then taking the train into Edinburgh? Is the center of Glasgow dangerous? The price/point disparity seems crazy.
I was underwhelmed with Glasgow. I would spend the points and stay in Edinburgh, for at least 3 days.
We are a Hilton family (love the Caledonian at the base of the Edinburgh Castle) but we had family that stayed at the Glasshouse in Edinburgh and said it was very convenient and nice.
Cambridge > Oxford
Go punting on the Cam!
I did that many, many years ago! So much fun! Actually, probably on the Cherwell in Oxford.
The train from London to Edinburgh is delightful. We went on ‘first class’ which give you some nice space, some nice food and some nice drinks. It was relaxing and the scenery in parts was spectacular.
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I like the other suggestions for Canterbury, Bath, Windsor from London by train, but you could also pop over to Europe by plane. British Airways departs from London Heathrow or Gatwick into major cities. We are flying to Venice from Heathrow this summer for example as part of our UK trip.
Agree. I went to the University of Cambridge, and would highly recommend a visit. You can get out into the countryside and walk too.
Grantchester via The Meadows — Walks of Cambridge.
Random thoughts: Lincoln, York, Hadrian’s Wall, The Cotswolds, Brighton, the Lake District, Cornwall . . . So many fascinating places!
Definitely like Edinburgh over Glasgow. Also loved Wales. I wonder if the train goes there, too?
This is Britain!! Of course it does!