Taking a break from all the news and thinking ahead to a trip to visit our daughter in the UK this Spring. I am stuck and would appreciate any assistance:
Timing: March, April or May - 2+ weeks of travel time
Goals:
Visit daughter in Oxford for 2 days, husband attend a Liverpool home game, a few nights in Bath, explore the Cotswolds’ and maybe Stratford Upon Avon (will get car) and then 10 days in Scotland with Isle of Skye a priority. I have to work around Liverpool schedule, daughter’s school commitments and then there is the Easter holiday and not sure if we should avoid travel at that time - any insight?
Flexible if we start by flying into Edinburgh, Glasgow or London - presume best way to get to or from Scotland is by train vs driving - even though we will have a car in Scotland and when we are in Oxford and Bath area. Yes, No, Thoughts on transportation? My husband thinks we can drive from Bath to Liverpool and then Liverpool up to Glasgow - seems like what I read online says that driving that route is a pain and train is advised.
Would love to hear advice and any must see and dos for the trip - I am just presuming my husband can train to and from Liverpool for the game (may need to stay overnight if night game) and then train back and meet me in Bath or Oxford. Most likely we will be back in London for the Henley Royal Regatta in late June/early July - so London not a priority for our Spring visit.
We flew into London, spent time there, took the train to Edinburgh, visited the city for a few days and then picked up our rental car. We found driving around Scotland to be fairly straightforward. We took two weeks and drove all over, including a few days on the Isle of Skye before ending in Glasgow and flying home from there.
I’m hard pressed to tell you the must sees because everything was so fabulous. Edinburgh for sure is worth at least a few days (we spent two weeks their for our honeymoon and used it as our home base for day trips so we didn’t spend quite as much time there on our last trip).
Along the eastern coast, I loved visiting the ruin of Dunnator Castle and St. Andrews; driving through the highlands (we stayed in Inverness two nights and did some castle visits, my favorite was Cawdor Castle); Eileen Donan on the western coast; Skye (visit Tallisker Distillery, the Fairy Pools, and Dunvegan Castle); Ft. Williams and Glen Coe (highly recommend having lunch at Inverlochy Castle); and if you go back to Edinburgh, Loch Lomond and the Trossachs.
We’re planning a return trip to drive the Northcoast 500 and I’m especially excited to stay at the Torridon House in the NW part of the country.
Driving is the UK is not for the faint of heart! We always manage to come away with at least one ticket! Between Oxford & Bath, you can take the train (or National Express bus). You can either fly to Scotland and rent a car from there, or car (with an overnight in Lake District). I highly recommend you spend a few days in the Highlands; if you are willing to spend, one of the best hotels in the Highlands is Fife Arms.
Again, if you are driving, you will pass through Cumbria; the drive would not be complete without a stop at Tebay Services - the best freeway food, beverages and shopping in the world (imo)!
We did this drive last year; with the price of gas in UK, we rented a car through Turo, a Tesla; there were plenty of charging sports all over the country.
A car in Oxford and Bath is definitely not needed and will be such a hassle that it won’t be worth it. I’ve been to both places many times and they are totally walkable. Parking will be a pain and expensive too.
Now, a car in the Cotswolds is necessary. Maybe just pick up a rental car in Ox, do your drive in the Cotswolds for a day, then carry on to Bath. Bath, IMO, is two days max. Then train to the north with stops where you like, and car rental in Glasgow.
Edit: I think driving is pretty easy in the UK, at least on motorways. But be prepared for auto tickets from speed cameras. You WILL get a ticket if you speed. They have cameras everywhere. Driving deep in farmland, Devon, Cornwall, even parts of the Cotswolds is tricky as soon as you get off A or B roads.
In terms of timing, the weather in Scotland in March will probably be dire, in April not great, but May starts to get a lot better and the days are much longer. I did lots of hiking trips to Scotland in May to climb the Munros (usually over one of the bank holidays which are the first and last Mondays in May) and it can be lovely, with just a little snow left on the peaks in early May. If you want to hike on Skye then that should be a consideration, because the Cuillins are not for the faint of heart in winter conditions. Easter weather is typically unpredictable so it isn’t usually a big domestic travel time in the north, except visiting family during the long holiday weekend. Schools are typically off for 2 weeks (a week either side of Easter weekend) so travel tends to be a bit more spread out than on a bank holiday weekend.
I would agree with no car in Oxford, but driving elsewhere the distances aren’t that far compared to the US. Maybe get the bus from Heathrow to Oxford (very easy) then pick up the car there? Then visit Bath (a bit out of the way), drive through the Cotswolds and up from there to Stratford and on to Liverpool and carry on to Scotland. Maybe stop for a night in the Lake District on the journey between Liverpool and Scotland if you want? I agree you could drop the car in Scotland and fly out of Edinburgh (I would leave Scotland to the end of the trip as the weather should generally be improving).
In Scotland I would start on the west side in Glasgow (which is where the M6/A74 end up), drive up past Loch Lomond to Rannoch Moor and Glencoe. We used to stay at Bridge of Orchy, just south of Rannoch Moor, which I think is nicer than Fort William (Glencoe is also an option). From Ft William the drive out to Mallaig is amazing, stop at Glenfinnan (the famous viaduct and monument) and Arisaig (beautiful beaches in the Local Hero movie). You can get the ferry across to Skye from Mallaig. Then on the way back from Skye, go across the bridge and you could take a side trip from there to Torridon, or if you are mountained out, come back through Glen Shiel to Loch Ness, then Inverness and head down the A9 to Perth, maybe Stirling, and Edinburgh.
If you want hiking recommendations then let me know. Also I’m jealous re Henley, it’s a long time since I rowed there and I’ve never been back as a spectator.
I’m from Bath and agree that a car is unnecessary there. If you do have one it is best to use one of the park and rides on the outskirts and catch the bus into the city. The Mayor of Bath Honorary Guides do free walking tours of the city and have a good reputation. Details are on their website. The time spent there will depend upon your interests. There are several museums besides the Roman Baths and the Assembly rooms and Museum of Costume.
Agree with prior comments on Bath. For the 1-2 nights, stay here if you can swing it:
In Edinburgh, if you get a clear day climb Arthur’s Seat if you like to hike and then go down ‘the other side’ and eat at The Sheep Heid, one of the world’s oldest pubs. Book ahead if you can. Not superlative, but fun.
I forgot to share our favorite spots in Edinburgh -
super touristy but worth it - the walk down the royal mile from Edinburgh Castle to Holyrood House. Visit both, plus the John Knox House, and all the little nooks and cranny streets along the way.
Grassmarket area
Second climbing Arthur’s Seat
Dean Village
My SIL just came back and said to absolutely visit Mary King’s Close
For high end dining - highly recommend No. One in the Balmoral Hotel
For a fun night of music and beer - Milnes Bar.
A big thank you to everyone that has provided ideas and insight so far - this is so helpful.
I want to go to Bath, as I haven’t been since staying there at the home of a good friend’s grandmother when I backpacked around for 4 months in college (40 yrs ago!)- a soft spot in my heart, as it was a wonderful way to kick off my travels as a college aged student. Liverpool is on my husband’s wish list otherwise we would most likely just see our daughter and spend the bulk of our time in Scotland. Obviously, seeing our college daughter and having her show us around her study abroad time is #1.
Love, love, love all the info and opinions - please keep it coming. If only we knew if Henley was a go…then we could go to Bath, Cotswolds etc during that trip (different child) - but with the sport and qualifying it is impossible to know until the late Spring.
While in Edinburgh, I recommend a visit to the Royal Yacht Britannia if you have time - I was in Edinburgh for a work trip a few years ago (pre-Covid) and did not have a car. I used public transportation to get everywhere. I also visited many of the sites already mentioned, and second the Real Mary King’s Close ghost tour. Cheesy, but fun.
Yes, H’row bus to Ox is very efficient and straightforward. I think Bath is worth visiting. You could always do a one way car rental, as in Ox-Cotwolds-Bath. It will cost you, though. There are proper car rental agencies in both locations. I personally think taking a train to L’pool, then to Scotland, will be much less stressful. There can be absolutely standstill traffic on the M6. You’ll be wishing you were on a train. Traffic at the beginning and end of bank holidays or school holidays isn’t fun. Britain is a small, crowded island and was better suited to horse and carriage.
Then again, if you really do have so many destinations, maybe a car is better. The issue I think is staying multiple nights in places where parking is a nightmare, like Oxford, Bath, central Liverpool. Regardless, I would definitely fly in to England and out of Scotland, or vice versa. Stratford is really a day trip, or even half a day. I think you’re cramming a lot in if ten days in Scotland is nonnegotiable.
I was there this past March, and it will be cold and wet still. If you’re lucky, you might see the gorgeous magnolias and tulips in bloom around Ox. But it will not be warm in the slightest. Do you really need to do the Cotswolds this visit? Because I am not sure it’s the nicest time to get the most out of it. Just saying.
Bring an umbrella and a good rain jacket if lots of outdoor time is part of the plan. Or, you can get a great rain jacket there somewhere. Trust me, you will use it.
March is not the prettiest time of year anywhere in the British Isles, but hey ho. Rain is expected, sunshine is a bonus. I’ll be there next week, also cold and wet😄
plan on sending my husband to liverpool on his own - i have no real need to see the football stadium or the game even less of a need with the high cost of a game ticket thinking through if we just meet up in Scotland and I stay an extra day in Bath or Oxford - all the posts here are so helpful and look forward to researching the ideas.
Parking in Oxford and Bath is painful-- I agree with the posters who’ve noted that.
I’ve taken the train from London to Edinburgh- it is a beautiful route, stress free, and as memory serves, MUCH cheaper than renting a car.
The public bus in Edinburgh to/from the airport is also hassle free and very easy to find/negotiate.
The National Museum in Edinburgh- worth seeing. It’s not on the level of the Louvre or National Gallery in London, but it’s also a five minute walk from wherever you find yourself on the Royal Mile and it’s a nice, tight collection.
I pack light- sometimes too light- but based on your itinerary, an extra pair of walking shoes/rain boots (with arch support) or running shoes will definitely come in handy. Your feet will get wet at some point and having spares will be really convenient.
We drove through the Lake District and up to Edinburgh, and it was a great drive. I can’t recall exactly where we got off the train, but somewhere north of Liverpool.
If you are going to Edinburgh, I agree with others that you should get up to St. Andrews as well. Another fun drive was from St. Andrews back to Edinburgh along the coast.
Your thread is giving me lots of good ideas. My son just started graduate school in Glasgow last month. He’ll only be there a year, so this is our chance to see more of Scotland.
We are committed to taking a good friend’s daughter (we know her well too) out to dinner and she is a student at St. Andrews - so a visit for sure. I am loving this thread too
Beautiful route! IMO, the Lake District is a separate visit and worthy of at least several days, especially if walking is on the itinerary. I once went for a week, which flew by. I also love the Peak District, around Bakewell and Chatsworth House.
