Edinburgh Travel Forum

Hi everyone we are hiring a car and travelling for 3 weeks around England and Scotland. As this is a first time experience can anyone give us some hints on which way to go and what is the best plan of action. So many places not sure where to start. Appreciate any help.

Kind of depends on what you are looking to do. Great museums in London, also great "big" theatre. The British Museum has a great collection of antiquities, then there is the National Gallery for art, the Tate for modern. We enjoyed the National Gallery in Edinburgh and tested several pubs, mostly on Rose St. We also enjoyed the Highlands and the Isle of Skye. Great traditionl music on the Island.

First of all, be aware that all journeys in the UK will take longer than the map might suggest. Roads are frequently congested (even motorways), especially in rush-hours, and can narrow and/or winding in rural areas (with limited opportunities for overtaking lorries/tractors etc). You will have a less tressfultrip if you accept that your estimated timings are only an estimate!

Familiarise yourself with the UK road laws/rules here:

http://www.drivingabroad.co.uk/content.aspx?page=driving-in-the-united-kingdom&navid=12

This site (one of the main UK motoring organisations) will give you printable point-to-point routes and times (with traffic blackspots etc):

http://www.theaa.com/travelwatch/planner_main.jsp?database=B

Buy a large-scale road-map book from the first garage (petrol station) you see. they are quite cheap (around 5-6 GBP usually) and invaluable for plotting scenic routes and finding work-arounds when you meet congestion (as you almost certainly will).

Petrol is around 1.08GBP per litre at the moment, and unlikely to fall in price, so hire the most economical vehicle you can. Parking in towns and cities can be expensive, so you need to factor this into your budget. Car hire is tightly regulated in the UK, so you don't need to worry about that aspect: just find the most convenient provider for your dates and budget.

If you are planning to visit London then I would strongly advise you not to hire your car until you are ready to move on (as would the majority of UK VT-ers). Driving in central London is really, really not advisable, and parking is a nightmare (and very expensive).

What route we suggest will depend on your points of arrival and departure, and on your interests. Basically, you could go up one coast and down another in a huge circle, or just focus on visiting specific places for daytrips whilst based in two or three major towns/cities. Let us know what you your must-sees are, and where you will start from/end, and we can give you more detailed suggestions.

For Scotland:
Start reading the VT Travel Guide about Scotland:http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Europe/United_Kingdom/Scotland/TravelGuide-Scotland.html

We had also a lot of help from the website 'Undiscovered Scotland'.
Of course not al the destinations are undiscovered, but a lot of them were absolutely new for us. We found a lot of information about 'every corner' in the country, with always some very good pictures.
There are links for every destination to accommodations, pubs, restaurants, activities, attractions and local businesses.
Really GREAT info.
Website: http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk

happy travels
Jaap

YOu don't say from which location you are hiring your car, so it's a little hard to give you specific tips on itinerary. However, Leics gives excellent general pointers. I would add that you will not need a car in London, ditto for Edinburgh and Glasgow if you go there, also York and Durham and Leeds. In all these places cars are a nuisance to have to deal with. Quite a few towns/cities have "park and Ride" facilities which I recommend you use. When booking accommodation ensure that there is off-street parking. If you haven't previously encountered roundabouts, then I suggest you familiarise yourself with the etiquette and rules!

Thanks to everyone who answered my query. The information you all have me was very informative and helpful. Robyn