r/uktravel

Hi everybody,

I (M35) am going to travel Scotland for a week starting now together with my dad (74).
Our itinerary is:
- Edinburgh, 2 nights
- Aberdeen, 1 night
- Cairngorm National Park, 2 nights
- Glasgow, 2 nights

We both like walking cities, experiencing history, hiking, whiskey, beer, good food.
My dad likes castles and churches.
I am a big sports / football fan.

Do you have any recommendations or must dos for us?
Thanks!

At security in Stansted yesterday, I gave two rolls of camera film to a security officer for hand checking yesterday and forgot to collect them on the other side once I had grabbed my bags, I’ve submitted a lost property claim but does anyone know the process for the staff when something has been left in security behind the counter? Is it immediately thrown away or is it handed to lost property? It has film photos from a hen do so I’m very keen to get it back

I was gonna cancel my solo trip to Edinburgh as a trans solo traveler but I’m just gonna get over my ocd and anxiety and not miss out of an amazing experience. Any suggestions on places I should visit and cafes/restaurants to add to my itinerary?

Budget - $5,500

Hotel (Edinburgh - New Town) - 6 nights with early 1pm check in - $1,957

Jet Blue flight from Boston to Edinburgh - $1326

Aug 1 - arrive at Edinburgh Airport (10am) & take tram (10:30am), check into hotel, grab brunch, rest and go for evening walk to Ross Fountain, Scott’s Monument, Colton Hill for evening walk and grab dinner

Aug 2 - have breakfast at the Pantry, go for a walk through Circus Lane, St Bernard’s Wall, Deans Village, maybe visit a museum, then go back to hotel (rest/touch up), evening walk and grab dinner (still deciding where)

Aug 3 - have breakfast (Greenwoods Edinburgh), walk to Waverley Bridge, Cockburn St, Royal Mile, Victoria St., and Vennel Viewpoint, (still need more to add)

Aug 4 - stop at milkman for breakfast (7-8am) and head to HighlandExploreTours for Scottish Highlands & Glenfinnan day tour

Aug 5 - Haven’t decided yet

Aug 6 - Haven’t decided yet

Aug 7 - check out of hotel, take team to airport and leave Edinburgh (11:30am)

Approx total (not including other transportation/food/tour expenses = $3,242)

Travelling from Manchester but the coach is around 9-10 hours and the trains are around £200+, can anyone recommend a way of travelling to Brighton to make it cheaper and quicker such as car share?

Thanks

I’m plotting a last minute trip to Scotland next month. I’d like to see more than Edinburgh. I can start or end my trip in Edinburgh or London. I love trains and I’m skittish about driving myself in the UK. And would love some suggestions for itineraries with towns or cities accessible by train. I love history, gentle hikes, and scenic views - so I’m open to just about any town or village you could recommend. Thanks!!!

Traveling to Scotland next month from the US and wanted to know just how much busier it gets there. We’re likely to stay in Glasgow now because of the arts festival but would like to stay somewhere near Edinburgh for at least a night or two to experience it. But is it even possible to do touristy things in Edinburgh during that time, or is it just too crowded to enjoy the city?

(and also if people have recommendations for where to stay near Edinburgh for a shorter than 30 minute commute to the city area that’d be great, thank you!!)

I flew out of Heathrow T5 recently and chose to make use of the new liquid rules, keeping a couple of full-size toiletries in my hand luggage instead of checking them in.

Security confiscated my non-aerosol non-flammable facial mist (250ml) (which they took to a back room for additional testing) and my La Roche-Posay Anthelios sunscreen (200ml). These were the only liquids I was carrying, save for some lip balm. No explanation was given, and they directed me to customer services if I wanted to take it further but I didn’t bother as it wasn’t going change the outcome. I was asked to go through the scanner a further two times because those two items were confiscated, and a woman took note of my boarding pass and passport number.

The whole experience was strange. The woman next to me had a sealed bottle of liquid Pepto-Bismol taken away, and two guys nearby had unopened cans of Coke Zero confiscated. All of these things you can purchase beyond security in the terminal.

If I had known this was going to happen, I’d have packed them in my checked luggage instead. I’d rather they kept to the 100ml rule.
Has anyone else had a similar experience since the new liquid rules came in?

Spending a few days in England and have plans in Blackpool and Southport - where should I stay? Looking for only one hotel and will be traveling to Southport and Blackpool a few times. Liverpool seems far from Blackpool, how would I get there? Southport is too expensive, Blackpool doesn’t seem safe, and neither does Preston which seems to be the most central location. Help!!!

I am so excited to visit London for the first time in a few weeks! I have a question about getting around London as someone with mobility issues. I have a chronic pain condition, and am unable to be on my feet for long or walk for more than 20ish minutes. I will be renting a wheelchair to make the most of my trip. I understand the Elizabeth line is the best tube line for wheelchair users. However, because I am ambulatory and only need a wheelchair part of the time, I am wondering how easy it is to fold up a wheelchair and bring it onto the tube. Do most tube lines allow this, or should I stick to only using the Elizabeth line?

Thanks so much :)

I'm moving to Reading soon and most of my friends will be in London so plan to visit London on weekends to see them often, but I visited the city yesterday and was super tired, and have been thinking about how people navigate London or even if what I'm doing on my trips to London is the reason why I am tired. Whether others who visit London have techniques or strategy.

to be fair though since yesterday's trip was me coming from afar I felt I had to make the most of it, but i was conscious about my energy level and planned limited things to stick to so im not wondering around aimlessly.

- got to london at 10am
- Went to West London for an errand (1 hour from paddington)

- went back to central london/ china town area (dozed off a bit as public transport does this to me)

- got some food and drink by myself

- went to two shops in convent garden area

- by this point I was getting a bit tired and thought about leaving early (14:30)

- took some refuge in waterstones/book shops for quiet moments

- met my friend in the pride parade area, lots of people, energy and overwhelming

- went for coffee with friend, then went home

I know I travelled from west england to be in london so it contributed to the long day but im very interested to know about people who live near and around London, do you plan to go several areas on several tubes or just 1 or 2, see friends and call it a day? This is an issue because im a chronically tired person (felt like my trip yesterday would be fine for the average person and they'd still have enough energy), and also money conscious because from Reading to London is still quite a bit of money (but i know I will have to deal with it as thats just how my social life will be set up)

We’re Canadians travelling to the UK in September and trying to decide on a rail pass vs a railcard. We qualify for the seniors railcard but think a Eurail pass (cheaper that a Britrail pass!) might be better for cost and convenience, especially as there are routes we’ll be getting on and off of. Does anyone have experience using a eurail pass and making seat reservations? Is it easy? Expensive?

I am housesitting for someone in Alexandra Palace area, and have always wanted to travel just outside London from the station.

Which of the two towns is more worthwhile, if you could only choose one? Welwyn Garden City / Hertford

I'm planning to spend roughly half a day (not including rail travel from AP Station).

Thanks!

Dear gentle visitors to the UK. Learn from my car rental mistake. Do not upgrade a rental car or take the pre-paid fuel offer at the airport!!! (Especially not from Enterprise in Manchester).

That ”good deal” for “about” 10 quid a day extra doesn’t include the extra premium location fee of 22%, and if you prepay for a tank of fuel at £1.50/litre it doesn’t include the 20% VAT on top of the petrol price which makes it absolutely not competitive to the forecourt, and is especially egregious when they fail to tell you they are upgrading you to a hybrid.

(I mean… hybrid is better for the environment and all, but you’re not doing the quick mental math in your head correctly if you don’t know you’re getting a hybrid).

Having said that, the drive through the Peak District was exquisite. Nobody does rolling hills of sheep and stonemasonry as well as the Brits!!

I had a brilliant time in England all up except for the car rental so just heed my warning.

Hello we are travelling with our 6.5 yrs old kid to London this week for 7-8 days. We plan to stay around St James street. Following is what we have decided to do (tentatively) -

1. Bus to oxford street
2. london zoo - regent’s park - camden market
3. lunch in covent garden plaza - hamley store
4. london transport musuem
5. tower of london - beefeater tour
6. borough market - strawberry chocolate and thanes river cruise speed boat ride
7. kensington palace - kensington garden
8. diana playground memorial (
9. hyde park

Questions -

1. I know I haven’t locked in a theme park. Any recos?

2. Any more places to add/remove from the itinerary?

3. Any food recos? Heard a lot of good bakeries are in London and we are visiting from the UAE.

4. Please could you throw some light on the weather in London. I saw 30 degrees but feels pleasant.

5. Any other tips are most welcome.

Thank you.

So my question is should i do the Thermae bath spa? The reviews are so mixed, I dont wanna waste time on something that could be crap but the rooftop pool looks the shit. I have booked the roman baths and dinner at sqyare for 6 we will leave at 9pm back to paddington. Si what are your thoughts?

I know the train is the cheapest way to get into the city. However, I'll be arriving around noon with one checked suitcase and a carry-on. After spending several hours on a plane, I'm wondering if it would be worth paying extra for a taxi or Uber to get to my accommodation instead.

From a safety perspective, which would you recommend? I've heard about some issues with Uber, so I'm curious whether licensed taxis are generally considered the safer option, especially for someone arriving with luggage and traveling alone.