Travel: Cascadians in the UK

[Roo St. Gallus]

My sweetheart and I travelled the Canal du Midi, the Loire Valley, and Paris two years back. She liked that. It was easily done, what with travelling a goodly part of the trip on a barge.

She has never been to the 'British Isles' and wants to go. We've tenatively set plans before which got scrubbed early, but this time she seems intent.

I've been twice now; once alone and once with my wife. My solo trip included Ireland; the paired one included the Benelux.

When I prompted her for suggestions of what kinds of things she wanted to see, I got ambiguous 'castles, Scotland, walks...that kind of thing', and later, a 'I want to get out into the country'. I think the latter was a concern about spending too much time in London. Later, she said she wanted to go to Bath.

So...I want to see Wales and the Isle of Man. Other than that, I'm open and have seen much of what I want to see.

I'm fine with Bath. I think we can use it as a center of operations and bus or train to places like Glastonbury, Cheddar Gorge, and the Cotswolds from Bath. What I don't know is if trying to reach Stonehenge and Avebury from Bath is doable, or if I need to schedule another couple of nights in the Salisbury area. South Wales is within easy reach, as well. I don't know if there is any thing not to be missed along those reaches.

Then, I think it's on to Conwy, in North Wales. Staying there seems like a good bet for catching a whole grouping of castles. I understand that there are special train curiosities as well. And Snowdonia.

I figure from Conwy, it's to Liverpool to catch the ferry to Douglas on the Isle of Man. I don't really know why I want to visit this, so I'm open to suggestions. One night, or two at most, then take the ferry to Heysham.

I figure we'll shoot north to Inverness, dawdle in the Highlands a bit. I suppose I should drag her through Edinburgh, just for the castle and all, then on to York, which I enjoyed.

I don't know if I should traipse through the Lake District, or not. Or, attempt to walk a bit of Hadrian's Wall.

I may have already filled my itinerary for three weeks in the UK, but my sweetheart is staying on and would be open to all sorts of recommendations.

We're tourists, now. Cheapskates at that. We'll be staying in youth hostels (I'm a life member) and B&Bs, not toney hotels or rented flats. When I was travelling solo in 1980, there were 'inTourist' (i) offices in or near every train station, where a traveller could book a room from there. I don't know if these still exist, but they would be lifesavers for the way I'd like to travel. (She will probably be carrying her laptop...dunno how wi-fi is in the UK.)

We'll be equipping ourselves with the requisite BritRail passes and expect to travel by rail/bus much of the time.

[Berthold]

Beyond the Great Glen, I liked it there (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lairg).

Many places worthy of visiting are obvious anyway*. If you want some nicely weird sights, I can recommend Portmeirion and Penrhyn Castle, both in Wales.

*And you can't cram too much into 3 weeks. :(

[Silly Sausage]

Hi Roo,

As one of the Cafe's Brits, we'd be happy to have you visit :)

I actually haven't travelled too much round my own country, although I did make a trip round some castles in Scotland a few years back.
When you're in Blighty, if you hear anyone mention visiting Dudley or Tipton, just run Roo, run. :p

[Berthold]

When you're in Blighty, if you hear anyone mention visiting Dudley or Tipton, just run Roo, run. :p
But don't miss Taunton. :evil:

[SteveF]

My gf is from the Isle of Man (well she's Scottish but her family moved there) and I've visited a lot. It's really lovely, well worth a visit. You should also go to the Lake District, it's amazing.

South Wales is nice - the Gower, the Brecons etc. Stonehenge is doable in a day from Bath, but it's a bit of a drive and the A303 near to the site can be a total shit. So if you have time, probably worth staying a bit closer. If you land in London, head to to Bath via Stonehenge (pretty easy from Heathrow).

There are Tourist info stations still available. They can be a bit variable - some very helpful, some a bit useless (the system in New Zealand is the best, if anyone ever travels there).

[Berthold]

Just came to my mind: If you are adventurous enough to go beyond the Great Glen*, you should just as well make the hop to the Orkneys, too. With your cramped schedule, maybe just for the megalithic sights. I found them a lovely place to stay a few days.

*My teacher of English at high school said that her farthest point in Scotland was Inverness, "...but there are some extreme types for whom the real Highlands just begin there." :)

[SteveF]

Yes, I would heartily agree with Berthold - try to get some of the Islands. Orkney is spectacular and Skye is incredible. You will get wet though.

Make sure you see the Cairngorms as well as the classic Highland destinations too. Plus, if you have time, head further north west Highlands - Ben Hope and the like. There's a lot outside of the Great Glen.

[Roo St. Gallus]

When you're in Blighty, if you hear anyone mention visiting Dudley or Tipton, just run Roo, run. :p
But don't miss Taunton. :evil:

I've been there. On a Tuesday, too.

[Roo St. Gallus]

Yes, I would heartily agree with Berthold - try to get some of the Islands. Orkney is spectacular and Skye is incredible. You will get wet though.

Make sure you see the Cairngorms as well as the classic Highland destinations too. Plus, if you have time, head further north west Highlands - Ben Hope and the like. There's a lot outside of the Great Glen.

I've been to Skye...barely. I took the Royal Highland Line from Inverness. I crossed on the ferry to Kyle and back. Two different times. Come to think of it, I had a bout of nausea and barfed on Skye the second time. Anyway, my first time, we weren't there long and took the mail packet boat south along the inlet to Mallaig. That was awesome.

Cairngorms...Along A9? Is there train that way, or need it be by bus/rented car? That's 'Whiskey Road' country, too, isn't it?

I would so like to make it to Skara Brae. I suspect time will keep us from the islands. My travelling companion may be satiated with Edinburgh, but I'm pushing to go beyond that. I suspect that she and I have different objectives. I'm focused on peripheral and she wants to do all the 'big basics', most of which I've done in earlier tours. She's willing to buy into package tours, which I shy from.

Of course, my desire just to set foot on the Isle of Man is mere whimsey. It's not driven by any meaningful motivation, I just want to see something off the beaten path. I fully expect it to be pleasantly quiet and something of a bore. But then, so was Avebury, and I loved my day there.

[David B]

http://www.google.co.uk/images?q=pembrokeshire&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&sa=X&ei=9VFsTf2GE4yzhAeC_4GWBA&ved=0CI0BELAE&biw=1366&bih=587

Why bother with anywhere else?

David

[Roo St. Gallus]

Oops...New whimsy. Orkney Islands. Skara Brae. I found a decent, if a bit expensive tour. Standing stones, windswept islands, barren horizons...o my.

[munnki]

If you feel like a stop-over in Ireland let me know... my favourite of above places is Inverness which I still miss... there's a beautiful converted church which is now a second-hand bookstore there... it's one of the largest I've seen... lovely town... great place to own a car... you can drive for miles out of Inverness and barely see another person (let alone any Rozzers... :) )...

Sounds like a nice holiday... like I say.. lemme know if you plan to cross over during your trip... I'll give you some tips on Ireland... and I'll be there for the summer...

[DMB]

I think Bath might be rather expensive for accommodation, although it is obviously worth a visit. You might try staying somewhere like Warminster. Melksham or Chippenham. If you are doing Bath, I would suggest a visit to Lacock, which is between Chippenham and Melksham. If you are prepared to forego Stonehenge, you can still do Avebury without going as far south as Salisbury. And instead of Stonehenge you could walk part of The Ridgeway. The Ridgeway has many neolithic survivals, such as Wayland's Smithy.

If I seem anti-Stonehenge, it's because I have seen it basically ruined as a spectacle in my life time. I first saw it when I was a child and it stood alone and impressive without much around. Nowadays it is usually swarming with tourists and I believe you can't even normally walk among the stones.

[SteveF]

Cairngorms...Along A9? Is there train that way, or need it be by bus/rented car? That's 'Whiskey Road' country, too, isn't it?

There's a train to Aviemore and beyond, but you'll be much better served by car. Allow you to get off the beaten track much more easily. If you're hostelling to save money, hopefully that would leave you enough to rent a car. From my own travelling experiences and from my knowledge of the UK, particularly Scotland, it would make a big positive difference.

If you're in the western highlands, it's a couple of hours drive east from Fort William (though stop off to see Glen Roy on the way) and a really nice drive along past Loch Laggan. You also see a very different type of landscape when you enter the Cairngorms (which is basically a big plateau), quite a contrast from the west.

Of course, my desire just to set foot on the Isle of Man is mere whimsey. It's not driven by any meaningful motivation, I just want to see something off the beaten path. I fully expect it to be pleasantly quiet and something of a bore. But then, so was Avebury, and I loved my day there.

The IoM is quiet but it's not a bore. It's got some gorgeous coastline, particularly in the south and west and many other nice areas. If you have time, it's highly recommended. Pretty cheap to get there by boat too.

[SteveF]

I think Bath might be rather expensive for accommodation, although it is obviously worth a visit.

If they're hosteling it won't be expensive, but it will be busy. Very busy. So essential to book ahead. This will generally hold, but particularly so for Bath.

If I seem anti-Stonehenge, it's because I have seen it basically ruined as a spectacle in my life time. I first saw it when I was a child and it stood alone and impressive without much around. Nowadays it is usually swarming with tourists and I believe you can't even normally walk among the stones.

Get there early in the morning and Stonehenge isn't particularly busy, but it's true that you can't walk among the stones unless you're a pagan and it's the solstice. However, if you've never been I'd say it's pretty much essential to visit, if you're even vaguely interested in that kind of thing.

[Roo St. Gallus]

Yes, Stonehenge is a must and I know of which DMB speaks. I was there in 1980, when I did the islands on my own. No fences, nothing. When I returned in 1996, it was fenced and crowded. When we were in Oxford, we ran across the tour guide with her Rover and dog and did the Cotswolds with her. She's still in business, and now working out of Bath. Her tour of Stonehenge is a day tour including Avebury, Lacock Village, and Castle Combe. I know she's good and plys the hostellers (and thus knows they look for value). Stonehenge must be included for Swimmer.

Your recommendations are most tempting, DMB.

The reminder regarding booking early is a good one.

Okay....I have trepidations about driving in Britain. I'm pretty ingrained with being a right-side-of-the-road driver. Yet, I clearly understand the benefits of hiring a car to get off the beaten path. Particularly in Scotland.

[Roo St. Gallus]

When you're in Blighty, if you hear anyone mention visiting Dudley or Tipton, just run Roo, run. :p
But don't miss Taunton. :evil:

I've been there. On a Tuesday, too.

Okay...Thinking about it, it wasn't Taunton on Tuesday, it was Totnes on Tuesday. That's when city merchants dress in medieval costumes. And, I haven't been to Taunton, but rather through Taunton. And I was trapped in Truro for a few hours, due to crappy bus schedules.

Since Dudley and Tipton are in the midst of the Birmingham conurbation, I assume they are 'rough' areas of the former 'dark, satanic mills' of the English midlands?

So, what's the deal with Taunton?

I ask because my surname comes from the area. It's one of those 'placename surnames' from the English countryside. I figure that when they were assigning surnames to people, my ancestor was drifting into a nearby town, probably looking for work after having been displaced or dispossessed, and he told them that he was from that area (rightfully or not).

[Berthold]

My deal with Taunton was just:

I went there on the whimsy of looking at a middle-sized town that's reasonably old, but not much mentioned in guidebooks. Fact is: It's indeed a bit "nondescript" (or how to put it).

And when I googled Dudley and Tipton, I thought they are in a similar order.

[Jack Willsson]

I'll always remember Dudley for the Zoo, visited as a child. I can't remember Tipton at all.

There's not much in Taunton. My home address post code begins with TA. It's named after the river Tone which flows through the town.

Taunton is a great place to come from though. ....

Go North and you'll come to the Mendip hills with rocky Cheddar gorge and the Cheddar caves not to mention touristy Wookey hole.

Go West and it's the lovely woody Quantocks taking you off towards Devon and Exmoor.

http://www.quantockonline.co.uk/tourism_leisure/activities/walks/primrose_walks/primrose_walks01.html

The Blackdown hills http://www.blackdownhillsaonb.org.uk/ are nearby Tauton and have the well deserved title of Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Cross the (frequently wet) Somerset levels and visit "historic" Glastonbury.

Whatever you do, if you find yourself in Taunton, leave. Any direction is magical :)

[rog]

I'll always remember Dudley for the Zoo, visited as a child. I can't remember Tipton at all.

lucky you!

If anyone is ever in the area, I recommend a visit to "the black country living museum" http://www.bclm.co.uk/ there is lots to see and do, especially the coal mine and the canal tunnel trip.

[Roo St. Gallus]

Ah...send the rube to nowheresville?

We have Boring. And Drain. And the state capitol, Salem. Zzzzzzz....

Thanks for the linkies, Jack. I think that Glastonbury is hysterical. So much woo crammed into one little village....

Out of interest, how easy is it to traverse the distance from Bristol to Bath? There's a huge hostel in Bristol. Bath will be a challenge booking in at the times I want.

[SteveF]

Okay....I have trepidations about driving in Britain. I'm pretty ingrained with being a right-side-of-the-road driver. Yet, I clearly understand the benefits of hiring a car to get off the beaten path. Particularly in Scotland.

It's not particularly hard, you soon adjust. I've driven on the right in America quite a bit and never had a problem. And I've driven in the Bay Area where literally no one can actually drive properly.

Out of interest, how easy is it to traverse the distance from Bristol to Bath? There's a huge hostel in Bristol. Bath will be a challenge booking in at the times I want.

Pretty easy. 10-15 minutes on the train, will cost you a few quid. If you book far enough in advance though, you shouldn't have any problems finding somewhere in Bath.

[Roo St. Gallus]

Okay....I have trepidations about driving in Britain. I'm pretty ingrained with being a right-side-of-the-road driver. Yet, I clearly understand the benefits of hiring a car to get off the beaten path. Particularly in Scotland.

It's not particularly hard, you soon adjust. I've driven on the right in America quite a bit and never had a problem. And I've driven in the Bay Area where literally no one can actually drive properly.

SF? SF is a piece of cake. LA is much worse, but the worst, by far, in my personal experience, is Boston. Never again. I wouldn't wish driving in Boston on my worst enemy.

Driving here in Puddle City is fairly sane, even though most of the drivers came here from somewhere else, most likely California.

I'll have to look into the 'international drivers license' thing; see what that entails.

[Anne]

We stayed here (http://www.sychnant-pass-house.co.uk/index.html)when we went to Wales. We cancelled part of our trip to go back and end it there.

North Wales is amazing.

[Roo St. Gallus]

So I've heard.

Sychnant looks a bit...rich. I don't know if I could swing that. Of the north of Wales, where would you recommend concentrating the most. It looks as though Conwy is fairly centrally located and has a HI hostel within view of the castle.

I've heard about a small gauge railway that goes into, or through, Snowdonia. I just tracked that down...Snowdon Mountain Railway. (http://www.snowdonrailway.co.uk/video.php)

It seems one cannot get there on BritRail, though. It's out of Caernafon.

[Anne]

I can't remember prices. It was a while ago. It wasn't bad, though.

That's a lovely area. Have a great trip!

[SteveF]

SF? SF is a piece of cake. LA is much worse, but the worst, by far, in my personal experience, is Boston. Never again. I wouldn't wish driving in Boston on my worst enemy.

Not SF specifically, but the 880 up to Oakland. It's a nightmare. Haven't found LA to be too bad actually. Anyway, I digress.

I'll have to look into the 'international drivers license' thing; see what that entails.

No need to look into anything, your licence will enable you to rent a car here. As I say and as you know, it will be worth it if you can.

[Roo St. Gallus]

I'll have to look into the 'international drivers license' thing; see what that entails.

No need to look into anything, your licence will enable you to rent a car here. As I say and as you know, it will be worth it if you can.


Really?

Most excellent.

[SteveF]

Yeah, you can drive in the UK for a year with a U.S. licence.

[Ray Moscow]

If you like walking, you'll find some nice places here. My favourites are the Lake District, parts of Wales, and Cornwall.

Snowdonia is fun, but there are more good walks in the Lakes (IMO). You can indeed take the train up Snowdon, but the walk is not too hard and a lot more fun.

There are also tons of great walks in Scotland, but you have to be prepared to be out well away on your own for much of it.

[Berthold]

There are also tons of great walks in Scotland, but you have to be prepared to be out well away on your own for much of it.
If you mean, like in the vicinity of Lairg: The place is definitely not crowded, but one does meet the occasional fisherman. A hiker from the USA probably knows lonelier places.

[Roo St. Gallus]

Well...crap.

The kitchen floor and my teeth, gums actually, may lead to this foray being scrapped. Both together will cut deep into my discretionary income and obviate the overseas jaunt.

*sigh*