Traveling abroad - paying for stuff and planning

[brynndolyn]

My husband and I are planning to visit England and Ireland this summer without our children  :hurray:  It is our gift to each other for our 10th wedding anniversary!  This will be the first time for both of us to be out of the country. I'm stressing a little bit about everything, we have so much we want to see and do but a relatively short time to do it. I'm also worried about what will happen if something goes wrong, we miss a flight, etc.  I am just hoping to get some general advice and feedback on your thoughts about what we have planned so far. We're using a lot of public transportation which I have never ever done. 

 

We're looking at late July/early August but do not have plane tickets bought yet.

 

My first question is - what do you recommend for paying for things? We have a debit/credit card tied to our bank account, and I called our bank and they said to just let them know what dates we'll be gone and what countries we'll be in and they will not block the transactions (we have had a hard time with them blocking purchases in the past when we have tried to buy things from other states online).  I'm not sure I trust them 100%, and because of the time zone differences I'm nervous about being stuck somewhere and unable to pay for what we need and unable to call them to fix it.  We have no credit cards at this time, but are considering getting one to use for this trip. Thoughts on that?

 

Second, here is our itinerary.  We are visiting my sister while we are there, but spending only a few days with her. She'll be in the states visiting for a month pretty much right after we get back so I don't feel too badly about not spending a ton of time with her.  Our main goals are to see historical and nature-ish things.  Does this look like too much?  Any recommendations on things that are worth seeing that I don't have listed?

 

This is a long time away so I still have a lot of time to plan and make changes if needed, but hotels are already starting to fill up so I think we need to finalize plans pretty soon.

 

Also if you know of any restaurants to check out, and hotels to stay at, advice is much appreciated. I don't mind being a bit of a tourist but the less the better.  We are doing a tour company for Dingle and Ring of Kerry really for the convenience and cost factor, it's not ideal but I think it will be fine.  We know where we are staying near Lakenheath, but in London, Bath, Dublin, and Killarney I do not have plans yet.  Don't need somewhere super nice, but laundry facilities would be a bonus. We are planning to pack light so we will need to do laundry at least once.

 

England

Day 1

• Arrive in London in the morning
• Pick up rental car, go to hotel at Lakenheath, drop off bags
• Visit Burghley House(Closed on Fridays!), stop in Cambridge on the way there or back
• Sleep at Lakenheath hotel

 

Day 2 

• Visit York (via rental car)
• York Castle Museum
• York Minster Abbey
• Durham Castle
• Chatsworth House? on the way there or back
• Sleep at Lakenheath

 

Day 3 

• Dover (via rental car)
• Dover Castle
• Cliffs
• Leeds Castle
• Sleep at Lakenheath

 

Day 4 )

• Drive to London, drop off rental car
• Use hop on/hop off bus pass to get around
• In no particular order, we want to see:
• Westminster Abbey
• British Museum
• Tower of London
• Royal Observatory
• Jewel Tower
• Windsor Castle
• More?
• Spend the night in London

 

Day 5 

• Take train to Bath
• Jane Austen Center
• Baths
• Stourhead Gardens? Maybe?
• Stay night in Bath

 

Ireland

Day 6 

• Train to Bristol, catch flight to Dublin (Bristol is 40 minute train ride from Bath, flight is 1 hour)
• Possibly do Walking Tour of Dublin if there is time (1:00 to 4:00 every day)
• Do Dublin stuff, stay the night in Dublin

 

Day 7 

• Do Dublin stuff such as
• Book of Kells
• St Patrick's Cathedral
• National Gallery
• Other stuff that looked interesting on Walking Tour?
• Free Walking Tour (if not done on Day 6)
• Stay the night in Dublin

 

Day 8

• Train to Killarney
• Ring of Kerry tour, with tour company
• Stay the night in Killarney

 

Day 9 

• Dingle Tour with tour company
• Stay the night in Killarney

 

Day 10 

• Train back to Dublin
• Catch flight home

[clementine]

We have always used cash and credit cards only, not debit cards.  We let our CC company know of locations and dates ahead of travel time & we haven't had a problem with having transactions denied.  We try to save our cash for street vendors and little shops & use our credit cards for most other purchases.  

[TCB]

Just a couple of things I noticed - I don't think it is possible to travel from Lakenheath and see York, Durham Castle and Chatsworth in one day. It is over 3 hours each way to get to York and then would be a further hour and a half, I think, to get to Durham. The roads in the UK are busier and narrower and it takes a lot longer to travel 100 miles there than it does in the USA. I haven't been to Durham Castle, but can definitely vouch for York and Chatsworth being worth a days visit each. I love Chatsworth, lived just down the road from it for many years, and loved York when I visited.

 

The places you listed in London are all very interesting to visit. I definitely recommend taking one of the hop on hop off bus tours, especially if you only have 1 day in London. The guides on the bus are knowledgeable and you can see and learn a lot this way. I would maybe pick a couple of places to stop off for a longer look. Also, Windsor is outside of London and it would take you a while to get there and back. Greenwich is a little ways from the center as well and would take a little while to get to, but you could do a boat trip along the Thames as part of your day, and get on somewhere like Tower Bridge or Westminster and go to Greenwich and back that way.

[TCB]

Not too up on hotels but my parents have stayed in quite a few Travel Lodge motels and they are ok and not too expensive.

[oneangelwaiting]

 

 

Just a couple of things I noticed - I don't think it is possible to travel from Lakenheath and see York, Durham Castle and Chatsworth in one day. It is over 3 hours each way to get to York and then would be a further hour and a half, I think, to get to Durham. The roads in the UK are busier and narrower and it takes a lot longer to travel 100 miles there than it does in the USA. I haven't been to Durham Castle, but can definitely vouch for York and Chatsworth being worth a days visit each. I love Chatsworth, lived just down the road from it for many years, and loved York when I visited.

 

The places you listed in London are all very interesting to visit. I definitely recommend taking one of the hop on hop off bus tours, especially if you only have 1 day in London. The guides on the bus are knowledgeable and you can see and learn a lot this way. I would maybe pick a couple of places to stop off for a longer look. Also, Windsor is outside of London and it would take you a while to get there and back. Greenwich is a little ways from the center as well and would take a little while to get to, but you could do a boat trip along the Thames as part of your day, and get on somewhere like Tower Bridge or Westminster and go to Greenwich and back that way.

I think you are right about Durham Castle. I'll cross it off my list. Thank you! :) Good idea about the boat trip, that sounds fun!

 

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

[NorthwestMom]

Just on the money issue: plan to get local currency out of cash machines, not at currency exchanges at the airport. You will get a better return. Get a lot of cash and try to use that instead of your cards or you will rack up foreign transaction fees like crazy. If you think you will be traveling out of the country more often, consider getting a credit card with no foreign transaction fees; we just got a Chase Sapphire, but I know CapitalOne has a popular one too.

 

Make sure you notify the cards you plan ti use that you will be out of the country. Sometimes they will freeze your card anyway, but at least try.

[skimomma]

I also suggest having at least one back-up credit card.  We have had at least one card locked up on every trip even though I always call ahead of time.  Twice.  

 

Check out credit unions for a cc.  Ours has no transaction fees.  But I also agree that using ATMs and cash is usually preferable for all kinds of reasons.  We typically locate an ATM first thing and take our the maximum for the day.  Then keep an eye on your total so you can withdraw as needed.

 

At least U.S. cards now all have chips.  That was really irritating in the past when trying to use cards abroad.  At least you have language on your side.  Explaining the chip thing to cashiers WAY off the beaten traveler path has become my specialty.  I am now a master at charades.  

 

I also wonder about the rental car.  You are a brave soul.  We tried renting a car one time in the Netherlands and we will never ever do that again.  We are now strictly bus/train/taxi/uber people.

[MEmama]

Just agreeing with pps that a chip card is an absolute necessity--Europe is light years ahead of North America in that regard-- and that you'll want to really consider driving. Driving on "the other side" of the road is no simple task, and the traffic might really surprise you.

 

Also, make sure you aren't visiting on a bank holiday. Ask me how I know! Lol

 

Also...if you like pubs (and really, why go to Ireland if you don't?), don't miss the Brazen Head in Dublin. :)

[Melinda in VT]

I would get a credit card. There's more risk with a debit card. We only use our debit card for ATM withdrawals. Everything else goes on the credit card.

 

As for the itinerary, my first thought is that you are spending a lot of time moving from one place to the next, and skipping over really cool stuff to do it.

 

I'd pick one island or the other for the entire 10 days. There is plenty to do in either place.

 

I also think it's a shame to go to Dingle and not stay the night so you can hear the music. The whole point of Dingle is the pub music! (We picked our Dingle rental house based on it being walking distance from the pubs. I might be a tad bit obsessed.)

 

The good news is, you'll have a great trip! I just think you'll have a better one if you reduce the geographic area you are trying to cover.

[Laura Corin]

I agree with others about chip and pin cards and also about travel times.  I know that England looks tiny, but there are an awful lot of people in it and most of them are trying to go on holiday in the summer, so the roads will be jammed.  Google maps tells me that Lakenheath to York will take 3 to 3 1/2 hours each way in late July - do you really want to spend seven hours on the road that day with young children?

 

London: drop off your rental car in the outskirts, perhaps at one of the airports, and take a train in.  London is very, very busy.  Other thoughts: the jewel house is in the Tower of London, so that's all in one place.  Windsor Castle, however, is way outside of London - it's a different day trip.  The Royal Observatory is at Greenwich - it's in London but not that close to the other things you mention, so you might want to drop it.  You could spend half a day at the Tower of London and hours at the British Museum.  I think it would be more fun to absorb yourself in a few things than to try to visit everything.

 

Don't forget that the train station in Bristol is central but the airport is not, so there's a half-hour bus ride in there too.

 

Premier Inn is a decent chain hotel.

Edited March 23, 2016 by Laura Corin

[mumto2]

I actually live near York and we visit Dover frequently. I have some suggestions to make days 2,3,and 4 a bit more enjoyable.

 

First on day 2 a few things to think about schedule wise.....

 

Lakenheath to York in practical terms is really a 4 hour drive. Your odds of no congestion on the A1 are slim. Dh does a chunk of that drive weekly so we know it. York is absolutely wonderful. Probably my favorite city to spend a day. You can walk the wall around the city. See Roman ruins. Fun shopping. Lots of food to choose from but buy a scone at Betty's. Jorvik viking center is closed due to flooding indefinitely. The Cathedral takes at least an hour. The free train museum is DJ's favorite. I normally recommend 2 days for York.

 

Durham is a long ways north. Won't work. We hesitate for a day trip.

 

Chatsworth is probably 45 minutes off the M1. I would guess about 3 hours from Lakenheath. It is lovely and it is pricey. Personally I think its a York or Chatsworth choice. Chatsworth could be combined with Bakewell or a walk around the Longshaw estate which is scenic and a Pride Prejudice filming favorite.

 

One side note...English Heritage membership would give you entrance to Clifford's Tower in York, Brodsworth Hall which is right off A1, and Bolsover Castle off M1. For Day 3 does Dover Castle too. Hardwick Hall(offM1) is a family favorite, Harry Potter filming, which was built by Bess of Hardwick who was Chatsworth too. Part of Hardwick is National Trust and part English Heritage. Great pub as you exit Hardwick...

 

Okay Day 3, In real terms roughly 2 1/2 hours Lakenheath to Dover (toll bridge/tunnel at Dartford are toll but have gone to license plate recognition ask how that will work in rental) You can probably do it all if you really move. About 2 hours minimum for Dover Castle, ticket system for tunnels which is great but can take extra time figure 3 to 4 hours with tunnel. If you want a really good cliff walk and have a nice day go to the National Trust area. It takes 3 hours to go all the way to the Lighthouse and back for our family. The reality is that is easily a great day especially with the drive. But I love Leeds Castle, so grounds plus castle quickly is 3 hours. Grounds alone are a nice walk, extremely scenic.

 

Day 4, I don't think you can add Windsor in and tour the Castle. You might be able to plan to go in the evening, see the Castle from the outside, eat dinner, and stroll along the Thames. Walk to Eton, etc. That will give you time to enjoy your bus tour a bit more.

 

Eta. I really don't mean for you to do all my add on idea. More of a giving you extra so you can slim the main idea down because you have really busy days planned. Hope you have a great time.

Edited March 24, 2016 by mumto2

[oneangelwaiting]

 

 

As for the itinerary, my first thought is that you are spending a lot of time moving from one place to the next, and skipping over really cool stuff to do it.

 

I'd pick one island or the other for the entire 10 days. There is plenty to do in either place.

 

I also think it's a shame to go to Dingle and not stay the night so you can hear the music. The whole point of Dingle is the pub music! (We picked our Dingle rental house based on it being walking distance from the pubs. I might be a tad bit obsessed.)

 

The good news is, you'll have a great trip! I just think you'll have a better one if you reduce the geographic area you are trying to cover.

I'm not sure when we'll be able to do this again, so it feels like we need to do both while we have the chance!

 

As for Dingle, we did want to stay the night there but just didn't seem like getting from Dingle to Dublin to catch a flight home was very feasible. I mean it's like 7 or more hours right? And I think Dublin is the only place we can fly home from from Ireland. I think the tour company can drop us at our hotel in Dingle but it's just a matter of getting back to Dublin.

 

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

[mumto2]

 

I'm not sure when we'll be able to do this again, so it feels like we need to do both while we have the chance!

 

As for Dingle, we did want to stay the night there but just didn't seem like getting from Dingle to Dublin to catch a flight home was very feasible. I mean it's like 7 or more hours right? And I think Dublin is the only place we can fly home from from Ireland. I think the tour company can drop us at our hotel in Dingle but it's just a matter of getting back to Dublin.

 

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

Did you change your name? I just sent a pm to a different name who started this tread. Really confused.

[oneangelwaiting]

I wonder if I have two log ins somehow? I am confused also! I did get your pm. I wonder if it has to do with this whole Tapatalk thing. But I'm the same person!

 

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

[SparklyUnicorn]

On the money thing we take a credit card and our debit cards.  We take a larger sum of money out at an ATM.  Not a huge amount, but not small amounts because every purchase/withdrawal you make with a credit or debit card generally gets charged a foreign transaction fee.  So we try to minimize on those fees.  You can also opt to order foreign currency at a bank near you in the US that does that (generally larger banks do this).  That will usually get you the best deal for your money.  If you do currency exchange at the airport their rates tend to not be as good. 

 

 

[SparklyUnicorn]

Oh or you can take US currency to a bank in the UK and do an exchange there.

 

 

[TrixieB]

Two things:

 

1.  Take debit or credit cards from at least two different accounts.  If one gets disabled, you will have another way to get money.

 

2.  Make sure your bank has your travel date and country information entered for your accounts.  Call to double-check, or go into the bank, whatever.  Especially if you have to fill out the info online - when I did this for dd's credit card, the info never got put on her account and that card didn't work anywhere on her trip.

[Arctic Bunny]

 

I'm not sure when we'll be able to do this again, so it feels like we need to do both while we have the chance!

 

As for Dingle, we did want to stay the night there but just didn't seem like getting from Dingle to Dublin to catch a flight home was very feasible. I mean it's like 7 or more hours right? And I think Dublin is the only place we can fly home from from Ireland. I think the tour company can drop us at our hotel in Dingle but it's just a matter of getting back to Dublin.

 

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

I know this is the trip on a lifetime!! But I would agree that you should slow it down and enjoy the experience.

 

I would be exhausted after the flight to London. Then add on an hour (two? more?) for customs, eating, car rental, getting on the road.

 

Then I would count on it taking longer than you think to drive. So say two hours to Lakenheath. An hour to Cambridge, an hour back. I'm exhausted. Why not stop in at Cambridge on your way to Lakenheath? Be prepared for an early night.

 

Have you looked at guided tours and their itineraries, just for a guideline? I find that even though they allow time for large groups, individuals take longer to find their way, line up for tickets, find a tour (or not), find a restaurant, etc.

 

What are your absolute musts?

 

Maybe prioritize those, then have the extras in mind if the opportunity presents itself?

 

Enjoy every moment!!!

[Miss Tick]

For us, atm withdrawals are charged 1% with a maximum daily limit, and credit purchases are charged 3%. So, while I have both, I try to pay cash as much as possible. When we get closer to the end I try to use up my cash and finish with credit, but that may not be a concern for you, what with your sister living there!

 

Long ago a cabbie told me that if I drive in the U.K. to try switching my watch to my other wrist. Of course, not many people wear watches any more...

[mumto2]

I was just thinking about Day 1. Not sure which airport but Heathrow to Lakenheath would take 2 hours, Gatwick probably an hour more. Luton or Stansted less. Audley End house is a lovely English Heritage property on your way north to Cambridge and Lakenheath. Might be far easier on your first day than Burghley. Burghley is at least an hour Northwest of Lakenheath. Not sure how much time you will actually have at Burghley because it closes at 5.

 

Burghley and York on second day......this is still an incredible amount of driving by British standards. If you switched to a Premier Inn (I agree with Laura, great affordable chain) near York (normally good chain restaurant attached to Premier Inn, but on the A64 outside of York totally there is the only exception I know of, a McDonald's or a decent Fish and Chip are the choices). There are other Premier Inn locations near York but I don't think any in City Center...in or near walled area).

 

Anyway staying near York would make it easier if you wanted to move Chatsworth to Day 3 skipping Dover. Anyway down the A1 past Brodsworth Hall then M1 to Chatsworth exit. Roughly 2 hours. You could eat in Bakewell and go on to Lakenheath coming near to Bolsover and Hardwick in route. Depending on how many stops you wish to make. ;)

[Laura Corin]

FYI: Cambridge to York is only two and a half to three hours by train.  I'd do that as the trains are more likely to run on time than are the motorways during holiday/vacation periods.  I can't guarantee it of course, but it's worth thinking about, especially as you don't have all the stress of driving on the wrong side of the road and finding your way.  I'd take the train and just do a really good job of York, including wandering along The Shambles, exploring the Minster....

 

When you are looking at train prices, remember that petrol costs a lot more here: it costs me about £55 (USD75) to fill the tank of my Ford Focus Hatchback, which apparently holds 14 US gallons.  So that's about £4 (USD6) per US gallon.  If you are going to York and also to Bath, it's probably worth your buying a rail card to reduce costs.  There's one for a couple.

[Aiden]

I've only been to the UK once. We spent 5 or 6 days in London and didn't get to see everything we wanted, because it's just such a wonderful place to visit and so much to see, but we thoroughly enjoyed everything we did see and do, especially the Tower of London and the Churchill War Rooms. I highly recommend the hop on hop off bus--the company we used included a river cruise that could get you to Greenwich, though we only took it from Big Ben to the Tower of London.

 

I'm very familiar with the jet lag of transatlantic travel, though, and I guarantee you--you do NOT want to get there in the morning after a redeye flight and drive a long way in an unfamiliar car on unfamiliar roads on what will feel like the wrong side of the road.

 

I know it's the trip of a lifetime, but you won't enjoy it if you spend the entire time exhausted. Build in some down time or you'll regret all the hours you spent pushing yourself to go, go, go, and not enjoying any of it because all you wanted to do at the time was rest but you kept pushing because you just had to get it all in. That was the way my father structured our childhood vacations, and I rarely enjoyed any of it except the evenings at the pool in the hotel. As an adult, my husband and I now are careful to structure our leisure trips as a combination of what we call expeditions (go, go, go, see it all!) and vacations (relax around the pool, sleep late, enjoy leisurely meals at nice restaurants). Trips that are all vacation are boring. Trips that are all expedition are exhausting--we may see it all, but we don't absorb any of it; we end up with cool pictures and few memories. You're planning a major expedition, and if you're anything like me, you'll regret not building in some vacation.

 

For 10 days, I'd pick one home base, maybe 2, and do what I could do from there--mostly staying in the city where I was staying, with a day trip or two for something really special. That's what we did with London--most days in the city, with one day trip to Oxford and one half day trip to the Harry Potter studio.

[G5052]

I just did a quick scan. Someone else may have mentioned this...

 

If you take a credit card, make sure that you get one that doesn't have foreign transaction fees. Capital One has several that do not.

 

Foreign transaction fees can really eat up your $ quickly!

[brehon]

My dh and I have driven all over England and Scotland in past years. I understand that this is a trip of a lifetime; but, you'll spend so much time in the car you're going to miss a lot! Plus be exhausted and cranky from the driving. Late July/August is prime holiday time, if I'm not mistaken. Lots of traffic!

 

Day 2 will mainly be spent in the car! You'll miss wandering around the Shambles in York. And you'll be giving short shrift to the Abbey. Are you planning on seeing the Minster?

 

It looks like Day 3 will mostly be spent on the car, too! I don't know anything about your schedule in Ireland, except that it looks like it's jam packed.

 

I personally would pick an area of England and set up a home base, then spend quality time exploring that area. There is much to see and do in SE England and environs. If I were to try to fit in Ireland on the same ten day trip, I'd do the same thing.

 

I really am afraid that you're setting yourselves up for a whirlwhind trip that you'll be too tired to enjoy. Oh, and double check if there is a Bank Holiday scheduled during the time you're there.

[brehon]

Oops. Glitch in the matrix - double post.

 

However, I'll take the opportunity to recommend, OP, that you pay heed to the people who live(d) in Britain and adjust your trip to a much more manageable level. I think you're operating under the assumption that England and Ireland are much smaller than they actually are. Add in the holiday traffic and I believe y'all will be stressed to the max and not enjoy your trip!

 

Good luck!

 

Edited March 24, 2016 by brehon

[importswim]

I actually live near York and we visit Dover frequently. I have some suggestions to make days 2,3,and 4 a bit more enjoyable.

 

First on day 2 a few things to think about schedule wise.....

 

Lakenheath to York in practical terms is really a 4 hour drive. Your odds of no congestion on the A1 are slim. Dh does a chunk of that drive weekly so we know it. York is absolutely wonderful. Probably my favorite city to spend a day. You can walk the wall around the city. See Roman ruins. Fun shopping. Lots of food to choose from but buy a scone at Betty's. Jorvik viking center is closed due to flooding indefinitely. The Cathedral takes at least an hour. The free train museum is DJ's favorite. I normally recommend 2 days for York.

 

 

 

Chatsworth is probably 45 minutes off the M1. I would guess about 3 hours from Lakenheath. It is lovely and it is pricey. Personally I think its a York or Chatsworth choice. Chatsworth could be combined with Bakewell or a walk around the Longshaw estate which is scenic and a Pride Prejudice filming favorite.

 

One side note...English Heritage membership would give you entrance to Clifford's Tower in York, Brodsworth Hall which is right off A1, and Bolsover Castle off M1. For Day 3 does Dover Castle too. Hardwick Hall(offM1) is a family favorite, Harry Potter filming, which was built by Bess of Hardwick who was Chatsworth too. Part of Hardwick is National Trust and part English Heritage. Great pub as you exit Hardwick...

 

 

This makes me very sad!!! I'm from Harrogate originally and I remember very fondly our school trips to Jorvik. This makes me glad that we visited last time we were over. I also agree with Betty's - OP, you MUST stay for tea. My grandmother was in service at Longshaw so I have an affinity for the estate. 

 

OP, I agree with all of the PP's that your York day is a LOT to try to fit in. I would do Clifford's Tower, The Minster, and walk past the Roman Column and down The Shambles (I definitely wouldn't miss The Shambles). They have hop on, hop off buses in York and that's what I'd use to get around (just park the car in one of the many parking lots - they're all pay to park).  If you can swing spending a night by York then that's what I'd do. I'm biased, but I think York is one of the best places to get a snapshot of medieval England.

 

If you do Chatsworth (their farm shop on the outskirts of property is AMAZING) I could see it taking a whole day, especially if you combine with Bakewell. If you DO go to Bakewell you MUST have a proper Bakewell Tart as you won't have tasted anything like it in America.

 

As far as money goes, I usually take both a credit and debit card. I pull money out through an ATM and find that the easiest way to pay for things. My debit card also doesn't have a chip yet, so I wouldn't use it as often. I, like the PP, am very glad that we're FINALLY getting chips. It makes paying for things a lot easier. I would also recommend a capital one card without transaction fees. They're a killer.

[oneangelwaiting]

Ok so I do think the England portion of the trip is pretty rushed. My sister who lives there will be driving us around for the driving bits so she's accustomed to driving times etc. I think Ireland will be ok, the tours of Dingle and Ring of Kerry return to Killarney by 5 p.m. leaving (I hope) a bit of time in the evenings for relaxing or exploring the city or whatever. Also since someone else will be driving for much of our traveling I'm hoping to spend that time snoozing, gazing out the window, or journaling what we have done. All of which sound pretty relaxing to me, as compared to my daily grind currently with my kids. I hope that doesn't sound awful, I love my kids buuuut it's hard.

 

Is London skippable? Because honestly York and Chatsworth sound so much more up my alley. London sounds scary, I'm not going to lie.

 

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

[Laura Corin]

Scary in what way?  As big cities go, it's really safe, particularly the central areas.  And if you use the tourist bus, you can't get lost.  I really don't think you should skip it unless you just hate big cities.

[mumto2]

Ok so I do think the England portion of the trip is pretty rushed. My sister who lives there will be driving us around for the driving bits so she's accustomed to driving times etc. I think Ireland will be ok, the tours of Dingle and Ring of Kerry return to Killarney by 5 p.m. leaving (I hope) a bit of time in the evenings for relaxing or exploring the city or whatever. Also since someone else will be driving for much of our traveling I'm hoping to spend that time snoozing, gazing out the window, or journaling what we have done. All of which sound pretty relaxing to me, as compared to my daily grind currently with my kids. I hope that doesn't sound awful, I love my kids buuuut it's hard.

 

Is London skippable? Because honestly York and Chatsworth sound so much more up my alley. London sounds scary, I'm not going to lie.

 

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

I feel a bit better knowing that someone with some experience on our roads will be driving. You have some long days planned and with a jetlagged person driving no one would enjoy themselves at all. Our roads can be narrow at times and stressful for experienced drivers (me ;) ). I still think you need the less jam packed days so you get to get out of the car. ;)

 

I love the countryside, especially Yorkshire and Derbyshire and could give travel tips that would keep you busy your entire visit. That being said London for a day or two is good fun. London is a really safe big city with good transportation etc. The tourist areas are especially safe. We go a few times a year and play tourist. Also London is where the main attractions that people talk about are and by skipping it you might feel cheated later.

 

We have never done a hop on/off bus in any big city so have no experience what it would be like. We are more the guidebook and walking tour type. We do use a bus/underground pass in London so do hop on and off. :lol: For a sightseeing day in London we normally do something along the lines of start at Buckingham Palace, walk accross park area to Horse Guards, then on to Westminster/Big Ben, take a boat down to the Tower, you could continue by boat to Greenwich if you have time. I think that hits several of your spots and would be a really full day for most. We would probably go to Oxford Street in the evening to eat and window shop. Collapse in hotel after.

[Ms Brooks]

Travel CC. I got a really good deal last year on a B of A travel card with no interest for a year, plus travel points to redeem. 

 

Your days sound too overloaded. The Tower of London is at least half a day. Oyster cards are an easy way to use London underground. Try to narrow down what you want to see and take some time to enjoy where you are. Sit in a cafe and read the newspaper or walk to a farmers market.

 

Book ahead. I was a bit leary of using online booking services, but they worked. I used a website I learned about from a financial advisor: Kayak.com 

Auto Europe has good car rental rates. London is super $$$$$.

[importswim]

Ok so I do think the England portion of the trip is pretty rushed. My sister who lives there will be driving us around for the driving bits so she's accustomed to driving times etc. I think Ireland will be ok, the tours of Dingle and Ring of Kerry return to Killarney by 5 p.m. leaving (I hope) a bit of time in the evenings for relaxing or exploring the city or whatever. Also since someone else will be driving for much of our traveling I'm hoping to spend that time snoozing, gazing out the window, or journaling what we have done. All of which sound pretty relaxing to me, as compared to my daily grind currently with my kids. I hope that doesn't sound awful, I love my kids buuuut it's hard.

 

Is London skippable? Because honestly York and Chatsworth sound so much more up my alley. London sounds scary, I'm not going to lie.

 

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

IMO, London is not skippable. I went for the second time in my life last September (the first time I was 6 :D ). I took a train from my parent's house down to St. Pancras station and a black cab to our hotel. We spent 2 days down there and it was absolutely fabulous. Our hotel was by Buckingham Palace and we walked most everywhere. We didn't have a huge amount of time to go inside buildings and explore so we had to pick and choose what to do. We ended up taking a lunch cruise down the Thames, where we saw quite a lot of things (From right by the London Eye down past the Globe Theatre and the Tower of London.) Our big tour was Buckingham Palace as we were there at the time of year that they open up the state rooms for tours. We walked around Trafalgar Square, from Buckingham Palace to Oxford Street, St James' Palace, Piccadilly Circus, all around the outside of the Houses of Parliament/Westminster Abbey, and outside Downing Street. London is a VERY walkable city. We racked up 52,000 steps in 2 days.  :eek:  I have very fond memories of my time there and wish that we had had more days to do things (The British Museum especially). I can't wait to take my DH and kiddos.

 

2 restaurants that we ate at were Rules and Cicchetti's. Rules is the oldest restaurant in London and has been shown in lots of movies (the latest being the last Bond film). Cicchetti's was a restaurant we stumbled upon while we were walking around (by Piccadilly Circus) and it was incredibly fresh, fabulous food.

 

Definitely don't leave London out.

Edited March 24, 2016 by importswim

[lailasmum]

I agree that London-york-Durham and back to London is going to be a hard day mostly spent in the car and you'll get many hours on our bland motorways but not a lot else. Also, you've planned a lot for your day in London. We were up in London just the other week and British museum plus one other thing and maybe sitting on the sightseeing bus is more than enough for one day unless you literally plan to visit the front door of the places. The British Museum is huge and it takes a while to travel from place to place. The sightseeing bus tours will help you but they are extremely slow moving. I think you are trying to do too many places per day and will run yourself ragged without really getting to soak in the sights you are visiting.

Edited March 24, 2016 by lailasmum

[lailasmum]

For London accomodation my friend is a travel writer and was recently recommending the zhotels in London or alternatively I stayed in the premier inn just a couple of minutes walk from Tower Bridge and it was a very good location. I'd also recommend rather than trying to get around on the buses why not try a self guided walk. It's way quicker to walk around central london and you get to see a lot more. I use these walking tour maps and they're mostly 1-3 hrs long depending on how fast you walk and they link together a lot of tourist destinations. When I lived and worked in London I used to walk a lot because most of central London is much easier and quicker to walk than use public transport. 

[Melinda in VT]

Ok so I do think the England portion of the trip is pretty rushed. My sister who lives there will be driving us around for the driving bits so she's accustomed to driving times etc. I think Ireland will be ok, the tours of Dingle and Ring of Kerry return to Killarney by 5 p.m. leaving (I hope) a bit of time in the evenings for relaxing or exploring the city or whatever. Also since someone else will be driving for much of our traveling I'm hoping to spend that time snoozing, gazing out the window, or journaling what we have done. All of which sound pretty relaxing to me, as compared to my daily grind currently with my kids. I hope that doesn't sound awful, I love my kids buuuut it's hard.

 

Is London skippable? Because honestly York and Chatsworth sound so much more up my alley. London sounds scary, I'm not going to lie.

 

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

London is great and not scary at all. And there is a ton to do there.

 

However, London is not the highlight of England, and I wouldn't hesitate to skip it for many trips.

 

For your trip, though, I'd skip Bath and fly to Dublin from London. I'm saying this based on where Lakenheath is and the belief that you'll enjoy your trip more if you work with a smaller geographic area.

[brehon]

Ok so I do think the England portion of the trip is pretty rushed. My sister who lives there will be driving us around for the driving bits so she's accustomed to driving times etc. I think Ireland will be ok, the tours of Dingle and Ring of Kerry return to Killarney by 5 p.m. leaving (I hope) a bit of time in the evenings for relaxing or exploring the city or whatever. Also since someone else will be driving for much of our traveling I'm hoping to spend that time snoozing, gazing out the window, or journaling what we have done. All of which sound pretty relaxing to me, as compared to my daily grind currently with my kids. I hope that doesn't sound awful, I love my kids buuuut it's hard.

 

Is London skippable? Because honestly York and Chatsworth sound so much more up my alley. London sounds scary, I'm not going to lie.

 

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

London is fun, I think, and not scary at all. Certainly not any more scary than any other big city. I'm glad your sister is driving you around; however, your travel journal is going to have lots of entries like "More time spent on the [major highway]. Amazing how like America's these are." and "Yet another 10 hour day in the car and I didn't see much whizzing by."

 

You could probably spend most of your time in and around York and have a blast.

Edited March 24, 2016 by brehon

[Donna]

We have not been to England but travel to Ireland yearly.

 

Unless your time of year is set in stone, airfares are significantly lower (we paid half last year) if traveling in October rather than July/August which is peak tourist travel time.

 

Once we flew and drove three hours…not a good idea. Jet lag and lack of sleep from overnight flight equals miserable. I suggest staying in town near the airport you land at, spend the night and you'll feel better driving the next morning.

 

I would recommend B&Bs rather than hotels. Breakfast is included, costs are not more, and you get to know real people who are great at giving you travel tips for their area. We are still friends with the people we have stayed with.

 

We use a credit card that does not charge an exchange rate…also use it at ATM machines. We have AAA and I exchange a bit of money before we go as well.

 

I never go with tour companies…like to travel on our own and see what we want to see. Dingle is awesome…be sure to check out the live music in pubs! The drive to Dingle is crazy scary going over the pass…one lane road with cliffs and ocean…but beautiful. The B&B owner we stayed with in Kerry suggested not doing the Ring of Kerry because it is so tourist-y and the Dingle peninsula is more beautiful. There is a mansion in Killarney (Muckross House and Gardens) which was a lot of fun…a living history sort of place with a long walk through the grounds, people making bread in the village near the mansion, and an old abbey. 

 

In Dublin, the kids like Dublinia (a museum about the vikings). The National Museum in Dublin is free and shopping on Grafton St. is fun as well…we go to a cheese shop and purchase some for a picnic in St. Stephen's Green. From Dublin airport, take the bus into the city to the Trinity College area and most of the tourist stuff is within walking distance. I suggest not driving in Dublin…one way streets, constructions, lack of parking…not good. There are a number of hotels right in the area within walking distance of Temple Bar/Trinity College…a search (hotels.com or something similar) will let you know the least expensive.

 

 

[brynndolyn]

Thank you all so very much. I appreciate all your advice. I'm still going through everything and trying to figure out what will work best.  

 

So after consideration, I think we are going to cut Bath out of the trip completely, so we have one extra day and night to spend elsewhere in England.  I think I'm leaving what we had set for Ireland as it is; that being said I am not sure how to structure the England portion of the trip.

 

I'd like to spend a night in York, the day before that night we can hang out in York and the day after that we can spend in Bakewell and do the Chattsworth House and whatever else (or switch those two days around, whatever is easiest).  Will be going to Dover with my sister and her family, her husband has not been yet so he is looking forward to that.  We can fly from Leeds Bradford airport near York to Dublin instead of flying from London to Dublin, if that would be easier. And also at least one full day in London as well as one night in London..

 

Essentially we have 5 days and nights, day 6 will be flying (preferably in the morning) to Ireland from some airport. Any thoughts on the best order to do this in?  Will definitely be driving to Dover from Lakenheath, and Dover day will have to be on a Saturday or a Sunday (my BIL will have those days off of work, and he will be driving the car).  But otherwise the days are flexible and I'm hoping to get around without a rental car. My sister said she can pick us up from the airport as well so we won't have to drive right away. Or we could just spend the time in London while we are there, and plan to fly out from some other airport. I am feeling overwhelmed, can you tell?   :drool:

[mumto2]

Before I start giving recommendations I just want to clarify, your sister is no longer the one driving the rental car to York and Chatsworth? Trains are now possibly a preferred option for as much of the trip as possible?

[oneangelwaiting]

Yes I hope so! If she thinks we need to rent a car we will but I'm hoping we'd only need to for the one day.

[Lanny]

Planning is the last word of the title of this thread.  You MUST spend a lot of time planning, or after you return, you will learn that you should have spent your time seeing something else. Many years ago, I read that for every day of a trip overseas, one should spend one week, reading about the attractions in that city/area.   I am watching Harry Potter movies, trying to prepare myself for our visit to Universal Orlando next month. Study, study and study and you will get more out of your trip.   Enjoy!

[brynndolyn]

OK I think I have maybe a more reasonable England portion of our trip.  What do you think?

 

And I plan to get much more of a plan for each particular day as far as which places we will visit, but for now I just want to get the framework down so that I have an idea of how much time we have to work with.

 

Also, we are planning to pack with carry-on backpacks only, so we will be able to keep all our luggage with us if necessary and will not have to wait for luggage at the air port.

 

Day 1  Thursday (will get on plane Wednesday evening, hopefully arrive early on Thursday)

• Arrive in London in the morning
• Drop bags at hotel
• Do London stuff
• Spend the night in London

 

 

Day 2  Friday

• Do London stuff for most of the day
• Late afternoon/evening meet up with sister and have her drive us OR take train to Lakenheath
• Possibly stop in Cambridge on the way, if via car
• Sleep at Lakenheath

 

Day 3 Saturday 

• Dover (via car, with sister & co)
• Dover Castle
• Leeds Castle
• Maybe other stuff
• Sleep at Lakenheath

 

Day 4 Sunday (I'm assuming my sister will drive us for part of the way, possibly all the way to Bakewell and then head home and we will fend for ourselves from there)

• Visit Cambridge (45 minutes from Lakenheath by car), but if already visited earlier then skip it today
• On to Burghley House (house opens at 11, gardens open at 8 and are free) (1 hour by car from Cambridge)
• On to Chattsworth House (2.5 hours from Cambridge by car
• Other stuff in the area?
• MAY end up just doing Chattsworth house and then heading on to York to spend the night? Or spend the night somewhere at Chattsworth House? 

 

Day 5 

• Possibly spend some more time in Bakewell, catch up on what we may have missed yesterday (unless we opt to go to York the day before, then just stay in York and do York stuff)
• Head to York and do York stuff (1.5 hours by car or train from Grindleford station to York station)
• Stay the night in York

 

Day 6 

• Train from York to Leeds Bradford Airport (half hour by train? Need to look into this more not sure), fly on to Dublin

 

I'm pretty fuzzy still about the whole Chattsworth House and York bit, it all sounds so lovely I want to do everything but there is not enough time of course.  Chattsworth House has what looks like some lovely hotels on site so that might be worth looking into more as well.

 

I think this probably looks just as crazy as before but really most days shouldn't have a ton of time in cars and things. Once we leave London we will not be going back, and Cambridge and Burghley House are on the way to Chattsworth anyway so that was my thinking on putting that all in one day - we'll be driving near those areas anyway so it's not out of the way.

[domestic_engineer]

As for Dingle, we did want to stay the night there but just didn't seem like getting from Dingle to Dublin to catch a flight home was very feasible. I mean it's like 7 or more hours right? And I think Dublin is the only place we can fly home from from Ireland. I think the tour company can drop us at our hotel in Dingle but it's just a matter of getting back to Dublin.

 

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

 

Flying home ... as in the US?  There are international flights from the US into Dublin, Cork, or Shannon.  Cork or Shannon would be closer to Dingle than Dublin.  Cork would probably be the most expensive; but Shannon's prices (I think) can be competitive with Dublin's prices.

 

Also - in Ireland, you might check into using the bus system instead of the train ... but that's just another option; I don't know which is preferable.

 

And credit cards - Chase Sapphire, Southwest's credit card, and Marriott's card don't have foreign transaction fees.   

Edited March 28, 2016 by domestic_engineer

[oneangelwaiting]

Flying home ... as in the US? There are international flights from the US into Dublin, Cork, or Shannon. Cork or Shannon would be closer to Dingle than Dublin. Cork would probably be the most expensive; but Shannon's prices (I think) can be competitive with Dublin's prices.

 

Also - in Ireland, you might check into using the bus system instead of the train ... but that's just another option; I don't know which is preferable.

 

And credit cards - Chase Sapphire, Southwest's credit card, and Marriott's card don't have foreign transaction fees.

Thank you! Your post made me think - why not reverse our Ireland trip, fly in to some place close to Dingle, then make our way over to Dublin and finish up with a few days there and fly home from there. That would make much more sense I think, as long as we can still get everywhere we need to go. That would hopefully save us a few hours on a train or bus or whatever.

 

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

[domestic_engineer]

Well ... if you wanted to rethink your Ireland itinerary ....  ;)  Here are some ideas you could consider - but it's probably assuming you are renting a car ...

(1)  As an alternative to the Ring of Kerry, you could drive around the Beara Peninsula, which is just the next peninsula south. It's smaller and less touristy. 

(2)  If you really wanted to do the Ring of Kerry, you could drive yourself the OPPOSITE direction of the tour busses.  Rick Steves has a whole itinerary organized this way.

 

and a *really* radical suggestion that DH wants me to include ....

(3)  Skip Dublin in favor of spending time in the southern and western parts of the country (County Cork, the west side, and County Kerry)... Dingle, Ring of Kerry, Beara Island, Kinsale (for eating), Aran Islands.  This would give you a heavy dose of nature.

 

But if you wanted to keep close to Dublin, you could

(4)  Explore the Wicklow Mountains and Powerscourt Gardens

(5)  Don't forget the Guinness Brewery in Dublin!

 

[mumto2]

First off your new itinerary looks much more enjoyable.

 

Before I forget since there may not be a Premier Inn in York I have gotten positive reviews about the Bar Conventhttp://www.bar-convent.org.uk/. A friend recently spent several nights there. It is right by the train station so very convenient.

 

Another idea I researched a bit is Castle Howard near York. I have never been mainly because we have English Heritage and National Trust membership so tend to prefer outings that are free. There is bus service (private, £10) from York to the Castle. I was worried about the amount of time needed to get to Chatsworth from Lakenheath so was trying to come up with easy no car alternatives.

 

Chatsworth would be so much easier if your sister drives you. Grindleford is a nice very little village. Trains from Manchester to Sheffield go through frequently but most don't stop. Make sure you have the schedule. There is a restaurant open in the morning right by the train station that is very popular. It is actually a stop on one of our favourite walks from Longshaw, frequently referred to as the Padley Gorge walk.

 

Not sure about trains to Leeds/Bradford airport. Dh thinks they have good service to Ireland. One other option if the train to the Leeds airport proves difficult, Air Lingus does fly from Doncaster Robin Hood to Dublin. A combo train and bus would work from York. About an hour travel time I would think but need to allow an extra half hour in case you need to wait for the bus....think every half hour.

 

Shannon might be a departure point for some areas in the US. I know you can clear US customs in Shannon. We flew to Canada from Shannon once and liked the airport. Really nice people.

[TCB]

Chatsworth House and Gardens are lovely and will take some time to see. There is a little village within the Chatsworth Estate, called Edensor, which is nice to walk around and has a nice tea room. While you're in England have as many cream teas as you can! I love them, scones with jam and preferably clotted cream - delicious! Bakewell is lovely to walk around too and there is the Bakewell pudding shop there. We used to love getting fish and chips there too, and eating them in the park. This is my old stomping ground. I absolutely love Derbyshire, one of the most beautiful places!

[Lawyer&Mom]

Do the on/off bus in London. It's an absolute must and perfect for your first day. You don't even have to get off. Just sit and relax and absorb everything. I lived in London for years and I love that bus.

 

Does Dover mean a lot to you? Personally I'd skip it and have more time for Cambridge, York or Chatsworth.

[lailasmum]

The train from York to Leeds Bradford airport is 1 to 2 hrs depending on time of day.

 

The negative thing about the London tour buses is that they are incredibly slow moving and you'll spend a lot of time going no where plus you'll need to wait for them at stops which will lose you time. If you can walk from place to place whilst in London then definitely do it.

Edited March 29, 2016 by lailasmum

[brynndolyn]

But if you wanted to keep close to Dublin, you could

(4)  Explore the Wicklow Mountains and Powerscourt Gardens

(5)  Don't forget the Guinness Brewery in Dublin!

 

This bit has me very intrigued. We can't skip Dublin, the only thing my husband MUST see/do on this entire trip is see the Book of Kells.  But looking on the visitwicklow.ie website, it looks pretty much amazing.  I will be looking into this more for sure.  Looks like we can rent bicycles and roam around, of course we'd have to hope for good weather. My hubby loves biking so that would be a fun way to see things.  

 

All of these suggestions are so fantastic, by the time I'm done with this my entire itinerary is going to be completely different. I love it! :) 

[brynndolyn]

2 restaurants that we ate at were Rules and Cicchetti's. Rules is the oldest restaurant in London and has been shown in lots of movies (the latest being the last Bond film). Cicchetti's was a restaurant we stumbled upon while we were walking around (by Piccadilly Circus) and it was incredibly fresh, fabulous food.

 

Definitely don't leave London out.

 

What would the dress be like at these restaurants?  Looking online it looks like they are both pretty dress-up. I am working on our London days now so trying to get an idea of where all we would be.  We are staying somewhat close to these restaurants, 15 minutes by bus it looks like. But I'm not sure we'll have nice enough clothes with us since we will be packing very minimally.  So, just thought I'd check and see what you thought!  We will also have been walking around all day so maybe not the most presentable anyway.

 

Our London plan:

 

Arrive at Gatwick airport at 9:25, bus to station near hotel (30 minute bus ride), drop bags off at hotel 

• 11:00 (hopefully earlier)- Visit Churchill War Rooms (Open 9:30 to 6:00 but last entrance at 5:00)
• Walk to Westminster Abbey (Open 9:30 - 3:30)
• Cruise from Westminster down River Thames to Greenwich Observatory, boats leave every half hour (possibly get on 1:00 or 1:30 boat), trip takes approx. 1 hour, lots of sightseeing from the river
• 3:00 - Visit Greenwich Observatory (open 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) 
• ? Eat Somewhere, see other stuff that is still open? Walk around? IDK

Day 2

 

• Breakfast at the hotel
• 10:00 Queen's Gallery
• 11:05 Buckingham Palace
• Lunch somewhere
• 12:25 British Museum
• 2:45 Tower of London
• 4:15 Tower Bridge
• Dinner somewhere
• Head to Lakenheath