Vacation tips for England

[Saregon]

Hi guys. My girlfriend and I are planning our summer vacation, and we're going to be touring England and Scotland. The plan is to land in London, be there for a while, then travel north to Scotland (not sure how far north), and then back south, ending at the Isle of Wight or something. Any tips would be greatly appreciated. Things to do and see, places to visit, places to stay, travel methods etc. We're thinking 2,5 - 3 weeks in summer.

 

[Colour Scientist]

Land in England, immediately catch a flight to Ireland, have a much better holiday.

Fly from Ireland to Scotland, go to Edinburgh and back again.

Disregard England. XD

 

[Albino Boo]

There are 1000s of things to see and do in London alone so a few pointers to what you like would be helpful. Err well, here goes any way, the best way to get to Scotland from London is by train. Its quicker to fly but you get to see less of the country and you cant stop off on the way. What I would do is stop off at York and spend a day there. If you are a Harry Potter Fan, you stop off at Alnwick and visit the Castle( it was used as Hogwarts exterior) and then go on North to Edinburgh. Spend the day in Edinburgh and then think about where you want to go next, the train up to Fort William is spectacular. Bath in Somerset is another popular destination for a day trip and you should be able to get a coach trip from London that will take in Bath and Stonehenge in the same day. Oxford and Stratford upon Avon is doable in single day from London.


Ignore any chipy celts. Sitting in their damp bogs they are just jealous of Scunthorpe, the New Jersey of the North. The only place guaranteed to make Detroit look good

 

[Toejam]

Cornwall/Devon for beautiful beaches and countryside, water sports (stop it.) So much to do in that area alone...which is good because it's quite far out of the way.

London - Harry Potter studio tour (you will need to book far in advance), Natural History Museum (this you could spend a few days in alone)

Theme park wise the biggest we have is probably Alton Towers, you might be able to get a good deal on the hotel, but otherwise google some vouchers for 2 for 1 entry. A good day out.

 

[Dizchu]

Land in England, immediately catch a flight to Ireland, have a much better holiday.

Fly from Ireland to Scotland, go to Edinburgh and back again.

Disregard England. XD

Disregard England, travel across Wales instead. Pembrokeshire has some dramatic cliffsides and cosy beaches.

 

[tm96]

I am disappointed with the lack of tips regarding queuing. OP when you arrive in England and find yourself in a line or queue just use common sense. The most important piece of advice I can give you is get an umbrella.

London - Harry Potter studio tour (you will need to book far in advance), Natural History Museum (this you could spend a few days in alone)

Theme park wise the biggest we have is probably Alton Towers, you might be able to get a good deal on the hotel, but otherwise google some vouchers for 2 for 1 entry. A good day out.

Can I also add Drayton Manor and Thorpe Park to the list of possible theme parks to visit?

 

[Toejam]

I am disappointed with the lack of tips regarding queuing. OP when you arrive in England and find yourself in a line or queue just use common sense. The most important piece of advice I can give you is get an umbrella.

London - Harry Potter studio tour (you will need to book far in advance), Natural History Museum (this you could spend a few days in alone)

Theme park wise the biggest we have is probably Alton Towers, you might be able to get a good deal on the hotel, but otherwise google some vouchers for 2 for 1 entry. A good day out.

Can I also add Drayton Manor and Thorpe Park to the list of possible theme parks to visit?

But of course! I've never been to Thorpe Park myself, but it's on my to do list (i'm a bit bored of Alton Towers). Drayton Manor I've not been for 30 years or so, i'd imagine it's changed alot over that time, but I loved it when I went. Theres also Flamingo Land which is supposed to be a good 1 too. Again i've not been but the OP can google them

 

[Lightspeaker]

Well TripAdvisor has a good guide to the top destinations in the UK:

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/TravelersChoice-Destinations-cTop-g186216


Other than that definitely consider visiting the Lake District. Its beautiful around there.

 

[L. Declis]

Bath is pretty beautiful. They film most of Pride and Prejudice stuff in that area and about, plus you know... Stonehenge. There is an awesome cinema where you drink wine and sit on bean bags, and the Roman Baths.

Plus, Paris is pretty close as well

 

[Terminal Blue]

It might help to give a bit more information about the kind of thing you're looking for. What's your budget, for example? Also, what kind of things do you both enjoy? What's your image of an "ideal" holiday in the UK? What would you like to find?

 

[Gunner 51]

Sure thing, OP.

Firstly, when it comes to London - it has good shopping, but it's prices are absolutely extortionate.
Secondly, consider other towns and cities. The Welsh countryside is dirt cheap compared to the cities of England if you're into nature.

Edinburgh is really nice. (In Scotland.) I've never heard anyone say a bad word about it.

Another thing you might want to beware of is culture shock - I know we British have a reputation for being erudite, good mannered and otherwise refined - but as a people, we're not. The British people are a varied bunch, but most of us are really quite well, common.

For the most part, we're quite a liberal people. But mentioning Europe or immigration will bring out a very ugly and xenophobic side to us. (Very odd considering that we are delightfully mongrel people by culture and bloodline for the most part.)

But for all that's holy, don't disparage the National Health Service, as a people - we're very, very proud of it.

 

[Guffe]

I'm not English, but I've been there a few times.
You have one thing you need to do, go watch a.... *reads OP again*... football match, damn summer travelers! You'll miss the best part of the whole country -.- Unless you can catch a pre-season match of course :/

 

[Tatsuki]

I'm English and I feel I should give one piece of advice on what to look for in this thread, watch out for bias. The UK and Ireland are both an active warzone, and this is a war for resources. The resource in question? Tourists.

It is a really odd thing you see, but people will generally always try and pull you in their direction which is often Ireland, Yorkshire and Wales. I will point out that all 3 places are fabulous to visit anyway.

My personal advice, travelling from London to Scotland, pick a few things you want to do on the way then find cities that will cater to this and you should stop off in at least one historic walled city or some equivalent (York is always a good bet in that department, and I'm a sucker for York Armoury) maybe a nice seaside town (Whitby is small but awesome) but other than that, why not tell us the types of thing you enjoy?

p.s. I live in Sunderland... I wouldn't advise many people to visit.

p.p.s Learn your fanny from your fanny.

 

[Shymer]

Oxford is wonderful to visit in the summer. You can get a coach or train from London. The Pitt Rivers Museum [http://www.prm.ox.ac.uk/], Museum of Natural History [http://www.oum.ox.ac.uk/] and The Ashmolean [http://www.ashmolean.org/]. See if you can have a tour around the colleges - Worcester College is lovely. And go punting up the Cherwell river to the pub - sink a few pints and then drift back.

London is vast and has attractions, history and expense in equal measure. I recommend the British Museum, The Tate Gallery, The National Portrait Gallery. Take a 'trip' on the London Eye - perhaps catch a show at the West End? The Tower of London is expensive - but worthwhile.

On your way North - , sample the Viking-flavoured attractions of York - the Hadrian's Wall experience - perhaps taking in Housesteads Roman Fort near Haydon Bridge. There are many castles you could look in at Warwick Castle is good (expensive) - and the aforementioned Alnwick Castle.

Edinburgh is a lovely city to visit - but in Scotland try and visit Loch Ness (beautiful) and, of course, a Whiskey Distillery.

The Isle of Wight is lovely, but small and the roads can be terribly packed. If you decide to go - then a ferry is the only way to travel. Carisbrooke Castle is a fine visit and central to the island. There are plenty of fossil walks around the coast. Osborne House [http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/osborne/] was Queen Victoria's favourite residence by all accounts and is an unforgettable visit with private beach area, gardens and royal collection.

Have a nice time.

 

[JoJo]

If you're coming down to the Isle of Wight, why not stop off in Dorset [http://www.visit-dorset.com/] on the way? We're right next to Wight and have have some of the best classic English countryside in the country here and a coastline so spectacular the UN designated it a world heritage site [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jurassic_Coast]. Plus all the cider you can drink! I swear we're not all bumpkins... okay, most of us are..

 

[Colour Scientist]

Come to Ireland. We desperately need the money.

Don't let them see how desperate we are, dude!

 

[Drops a Sweet Katana]

If you're coming down to the Isle of Wight, why not stop off in Dorset [http://www.visit-dorset.com/] on the way? We're right next to Wight and have have some of the best classic English countryside in the country here and a coastline so spectacular the UN designated it a world heritage site [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jurassic_Coast]. Plus all the cider you can drink! I swear we're not all bumpkins... okay, most of us are..

Lived in Bournemouth for about 5 years, can confirm. The beaches are great from Poole to Southbourne and there are some seriously beautiful places in the surrounding areas. Except Boscombe. Never go there. If you plan to go to Dorset, Corfe Castle and the surrounding countryside is a great place to visit.

Bath is another city that is definitely worth visiting. Easily one of the most beautiful cities I have ever been to.

London is a no-brainer, but the public transport is a bit much to get your head around at first. Plus the people who use the tube tend to be impatient assholes if you inconvenience them for the whole of 2 seconds.

 

[Sigmund Av Volsung]

There's a shit ton of museums in London, like the Natural History, The Science Museum, The Victoria & Albert Museum, The National Maritime Museum(as well as Greenwich which has the dividing line between the east and west hemispheres) as well as other such locations like The Great British Library and The National Gallery.

In terms of sightseeing, there's of course central, but there are also a lot of musicals going on throughout the week in the West End, as well as theatre and dance performances. Prices in central are mental though, so it'd be good to have apps or whatever ready so you can find the best place for the cheapest price, since there's the usual tourist trap problem in some places(like the inevitable souvenir shops).

For everywhere else, I can't say much. Going on tours could be fun: visiting Stonehenge, Bath and Canterbury could be interesting, as well as the aforementioned York & Edinburgh.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Just kidding.
I'd love to visit Scotland and "proper" Ireland while I'm there though.

 

[Robert B. Marks]

My wife and I honeymooned in England. Stuff we learned:

1. There is no tipping in the pubs, and tax is built into the prices. So, if something says it costs 20 pounds, it means that is what it costs. We overestimated our food budget by about 15-20% trying to account for tips and taxes that weren't there.

(That said, there ARE restaurants where tipping does sometimes happen. So, when in doubt, ask.)

2. Travel by train when you're there, and book the tickets early. England has a world-class transit system, and my wife and I never felt the need for a car.

3. Spend most of your trip out of London. London is an amazing city, but it is also its own entity, and the rest of England is very different.

4. When you are in London, get an Oyster card - it's the easiest way to travel in the Underground and the public transit.

5. You cannot do the Tower of London in a couple of hours. It's not possible, do not try. Give it an entire afternoon, and enjoy the hell out of it. With luck, the random dragon made from weapons and shields is still in the White Tower.

6. Canterbury is a great place. One of our regrets is that we only day-tripped it. You can see everything in the city center there in a day, and the cathedral is amazing, but it's a REALLY pleasant place. I honestly wish that we had spent an extra day there to just enjoy the parks and the city walls (which are Medieval, and intact). And, there's a hotel that is literally on the cathedral grounds (one of these days, we're going back and staying there).

7. Nottingham, in particular the Trip to Jerusalem. It's a pub carved into the caves under Nottingham Castle that has been there since 1189. And the food is delicious (we went there twice). Nottingham itself, though, is mainly Robin Hood-based, so there isn't much touristy stuff to see. But the Trip to Jerusalem by itself is just worth it.

8. TK Maxx is a great place to buy clothing. I got a brand new lambskin leather jacket for under 70 pounds - good luck finding a price like that in Canada, at least. Come to think of it, clothing as a whole seemed cheaper in England - I nearly came home with a brand new suit, the prices were that good.

9. The Holy Island of Lindisfarne - if you have time, go there. Seriously. It is the site of the first Viking raid in history, but more to the point, it is the most peaceful place I have ever been in my LIFE. It's a tidal island, so when the tide comes in, you're alone with a few people in a small village and the sheep (who set the pace of the island). All of our future travel plans for England involve spending a week in Lindisfarne at the end, just to decompress. But, if you're going to go, reserve your accommodations TODAY. They are few and far between (it is not just a popular tourist site, but also an important pilgrimage site), and it may already be too late to get something. If can't get accommodations on Lindisfarne itself, though, the island is a twenty minute cab ride from Berwick-Upon-Tweed, which itself is a nice place (with an intact Elizabethan wall system, which does not look as you think it might - seriously, don't mistake it for hills, or you're going to find yourself on the receiving end of a 20-30' drop), and you should be able to day-trip it. Also, there's the Lindisfarne Meadery, which has some REALLY nice mead. I think we came home with four bottles, and we would have brought more if we had the space.

10. Money and currency: your credit cards should work, your bank cards are hit-and-miss. HOWEVER, we found that anytime we were able to locate an HSBC bank machine, we could not only pull money out of our account, but also got a good exchange rate out of it.

11. When you plan your trip, know what you want to look at. England is a place where you can't walk more than five paces without tripping over some history, and it is physically impossible to see everything. So, get an idea of what sort of things you want to see, and plan around that.

And, I think that covers it...

On a related note, if you type "Canterbury Cathedral" into Google maps and hit "Street view," it takes you inside the cathedral. That doesn't do justice to the place by a long shot, but it's a good way to get a taste of things to come...