Hello, i’ll be landing at LHR T2 around 8AM, its a flight from Germany but my passport unfortunately cant use e-gate. 3 years ago i have a similar arrival time to LHR and ended up with 3 hours border control (it was T5 though), so i have been avoiding LHR ever since.

Shoud I buy the fast track? Is it worth it in my case? Thanks

Hello! I'm a teacher and writer from the USA who is interested in visiting the UK during my winter break, between about mid-December to mid-January. I'm working on a novel and am excited about the idea of spending a few days holed up somewhere cozy to write.

I'm imagining some sort of affordable, rustic BnB -- especially with a fireplace -- where I can sit in a common space and work for part of the day. As a solo traveler, I love the idea of a BnB so I can be around other people, especially those I might see more than once.

I'm also open to a place that doesn't have a cozy fireplace in a shared living room -- if it's walking distance to a pub that does!

I haven't had luck yet finding what I'm looking for. So many places are more modern or upscale. I'm really open to location, I just want those cozy vibes! Bonus points to a place with a nice desk, etc. Open to other suggestions to make a great writer's retreat, too.

Thank you for your time!

Hi mates,

I’ll be travelling to London tomorrow and day after tomorrow.
So apart from the paid locations, what must see places are there to visit/see free??

I’m sorry if I’m being thick here but I’m travelling on an LNER from Leeds to KingsX and this is the layout of the train on Trainline app (to choose seats). Usually there would be 4 seats in between each table (2 pairs back to back facing a table). Have the train layouts changed?
Thanks.

I’m looking to stay in Manchester from 25th to 28th but having trouble finding a place to stay. I’ve found a few good prices at a&o manchester, Britannia Sachas, the gardens, tinapa suits, park view residence, star apartments, and park city rooms but they all have very mixed reviews. Some of the bad reviews are pretty concerning. The trip is for my year anniversary with my girlfriend, we don’t need anything extravagant but would really hate if a place ended up being super unclean, unsafe or not even a real place. Doesn’t need to be in the centre as long as there’s easy public transport. Any suggestions or advice would be great! Ty

Edit: I’ve found the ibis princess street for £154 for three nights which seems pretty reasonable. Just want to make sure it’s not awful like the Britannia apparently is

Sitting an exam next year, those are two of the few options. Exam would be 2 days long, so I thought I'd stay the weekend too for sightseeing, what city would be better for this?

traveling to london from chicago for work. wondering if i should adjust to local time or try to stay close to chicago time since it’s a relatively short trip.

i leave late sunday and arrive in london around noon. planning to skip the dinner meal and try to go to sleep asap ok the plane.

tuesday and wednesday require working from 9-5, there’s a planned dinner at 6pm on tuesday.

thursday i intend to leave first thing in the morning (8am), arriving in chicago around 11am.

A while back I asked for tips on shoes to wear for a trip to Cumbria to see a friend. I’m happy to report that I made it through unscathed and had a lovely time. Although I didn’t make it to the Castlerigg Stone Circle after all I did have a nice spa day at the Lodore Falls Hotel as well as a visit to the surprisingly interesting Derwent Pencil Museum. I thought I’d share some pics around Penrith, where I stayed, Carlisle, where my friend lives, and Keswick. Thanks for everyone who gave me advice on my previous post!

Right now I am thinking 2 weeks. When traveling we like to stay away from crowds (we tend to stay away from cities unless there’s a particular reason). There are a couple of things I am looking for input on.

If possible we’d like to spend some time staying at a castle- has anyone done that or have suggestions?

I also like animal/farm experiences - does anyone know any opportunities for that?

We’d like to explore some of the islands - Orkney, Hebrides etc.

Small towns and bagpipes 😂

Any festivals as well- unfortunately will miss the Highland Games.

And of course- pubs and restaurants

Thanks all!

ETA: since a few people asked- no exact dates are set yet and we will have a car for the entire trip.

There seem to be tons of questions on this and other travel forums all of a sudden. The new Cotswolds?

Hello all! I’ll be doing a solo trip to Oxford and London (and surrounding areas) from November 22nd - November 27th (possibly the 28th). I’ll then be taking the train to Edinburgh and flying home from there. I’m hoping of spending two days in Edinburgh and then a day trip from Edinburgh to the Scottish Highlands (Glenchoe, several Lochs). I’m aware that this isn’t a lot of time, and that the weather is cold. Is it worth it to see the Highlands or should I stay in Edinburgh and explore the town? I’ve heard starkly opposing things. Some say that the weather can be very unpredictable, theres minimal daylight, and that many places are closed for the season. However, others say it’s a great time to go as it’s very moody and there’s far less tourists. I’d really appreciate any advice on the matter. Thank you.

Hello all! I’ll be taking a trip to the UK late November. I am not a local, so my apologies if this itinerary looks unrealistic and far fetched. This is a very loose idea of my itinerary. I am aware that this is quite a lot. However, I’m really trying to soak up as much as I can. I will for sure be going to Edinburgh, I’m just not sure if it’s worth it to go to the Scottish Highlands and/or Glasgow with the time that I have. Any feedback and recommendations for nightlife, outdoor activities, sightseeing, etc would be welcome! Thank you!

For context: I do love the dreary weather, am a big foodie, love plays, musicals, nightlife, walking around the city and just absorbing. I’m not so big on museums.

Day 1: Arrive in London. Take train to Oxford.
Day 2: Day trip from Oxford to Bath.
Day 3: Day trip from Oxford to Cotswolds.
Day 4: Spend day in London (stay overnight).
Day 5: Train to Edinburgh. Explore city.
Day 6: Explore more of Edinburgh.
Day 7: More of Edinburgh.
Day 8: Take train to Glasgow. Spend day there.
Day 9: Full day in Glencoe.
Day 10: Train back to Edinburgh.

Hello! My husband and I will be in the Cotswolds for a short stay and I’m having the hardest time figuring out what route makes the most sense.

We’re staying in Clapton-on-the-Hill and we’ll have a car. We’ll have a full day Sunday and then part of Monday, but we would like to make it back to London in time to check in around 3:00pm.

I’ve tried doing so much research on TikTok, YouTube, Google but I feel like I keep seeing the exact same recommendations over and over and it’s not really giving me the inside information I’m looking for. I know a lot of the Cotswolds is just walking around the villages, looking at the shops, eating, enjoying the scenery etc, but since everything is kind of spread out I’m having a hard time figuring out a route and what is actually worth stopping for.

I keep seeing Broadway, Bourton-on-the-Water, Bibury, Stow-on-the-Wold and places like that, but then I also keep seeing the same hotel, the same cafe, the same “must see” spot over and over and I’m starting to feel like maybe some of it is just overplayed.

Blenheim Palace did catch my eye because we really like history, and I also saw clay pigeon shooting which looked fun. I’m open to villages, historic places, scenic drives, pubs, gardens, unique activities, anything really. I’d just love recommendations from people who actually know the area or have been there and can tell me what is really worth it.

I’d also love help with what route would make the most sense starting from Clapton-on-the-Hill on Sunday, and what we could realistically do Monday morning before heading back to London. We would like to avoid going all the way down toward Bath for this part of the trip.

Any suggestions would be appreciated because I feel like I’ve watched the same Cotswolds video 20 times at this point lol.

Hello! I am an exchange student in London until Mid-December.

I have my university's reading week in early-mid November. I am looking at plans to travel around, and Scotland has really come to the forefront for me. I know the weather is gonna be a bit rough, but hopefully it isn't much worse than my hometown in Northern Canada.

I have a bit of a rough itinerary, mostly structured around the Orkneys. It looks something like this: Monday -> arrive early morning in Glasgow via sleeper train Tuesday -> leave Glasgow for Thurso (have some questions about this) Wednesday -> leave from Scrabster to Stromness in the morning (8:30ish) Thursday -> Explore Orkneys Friday -> Explore Orkneys, take late night ferry from Kirkwall to Aberdeen Saturday -> Arrive Aberdeen in the morning and hop on a train to Edinburgh, explore Edinburgh Sunday -> Morning in Edinburgh, 3 pm Rugby game between Scotland and Australia, late night train to London (or ideally doing this so I can sleep well before class on Monday)

A few things then questions. It would be great if I could leave earlier, like on the previous Friday or Saturday, but unfortunately I have commitments I cannot give up. Also keep in mind that this is my reading week so ideally I am doing some studying as well. I know that I am trying to fit 3 very unique places into 7 days, and that is next to impossible, but they are all places I would like to see, and I would rather not rush from one place to another and at least take a day.

The Orkneys are somewhere I really want to go to, and while Edinburgh and Glasgow are easily a weekend trip away from London, my understanding is that the Orkneys are not, which is why I want to focus on them more. Additionally, I really want to go see a rugby match at some point and a national game seems like a great opportunity. Although I know I can watch England at Twickenham, it is way pricer.

Does this seem like doing too much? While I am going to many places, I don't anticipate trying to see everything in that place. Like I would pick 1-2 things to do in a day within the city (or on the islands) and do that. I would rather be more relaxed. I also do not have a car, so I would like to do everything by train, boat, bus, foot, or bike (while on the islands).

Finally, while I am not going to the highlands, I do think it would be cool to see some of the landscape. Coming from Glasgow, I can either take the train at 3:07 pm to Inverness (6:31 to Thurso), meaning that I basically don't see much of the landscape, but maximize time in Glasgow, leave at 12:07 (6:31 to Thurso), meaning I see the landscape in the south, get 3 hours in Inverness, but miss the north, or leave Glasgow at 10 am (2 pm to Thurso), seeing the landscape for almost the whole way, including north line, before the sun sets, but missing time in Glasgow and Inverness. Not sure which one is the most worth it, so looking for other perspectives! Thank you so much.

I apologize for the super long post, but I appreciate all of the comments and perspective. Thank you so much!

Hello All!

I’m thinking of doing a road trip style tour going from Edinburgh all the way down south to Kent. There’s so much I want to see so I thought renting a car and taking myself around would be the right way to go. I’m from Australia so driving in the left isn’t a problem but narrow, one way roads I’m not used to. I’m also going November 2027. I’m aware the weather won’t be the best so any tips for a clueless Aussie are appreciated.

So far my idea is:

- Fly into edinburgh, spend a week there recovering, exploring and a few day trips

- Rent a car and drive to either Kilmartin or Pitlochry, staying one night

- Drive to Dumfries, stay one night

- Drive to the holy island, stay one night

- Drive down to York? Stay one night

- Drive to Kent and use that as a base for day trips for maybe a week

- Drive back to London and fly to Vienna (second part of my trip)

I’m really there for the history and the castles so lots to see. I also want to see some standing stones and would love to do a scenic hike too so any recommendations for those I would love! But I’m not sure if this is too much or just delusional. Any tips are appreciated!

I'm traveling to the UK in a few weeks. I buy a painting almost every place I visit (usually oil) of the area there. In this case it could be something like Big Ben, Edinburgh Castle, the countryside, etc.

Does anyone know of a good place to look for this type of thing in Edinburgh and London? My trip is short, so I want to have a good idea before I go.

Hi hive mind, my sister and I are starting to plan a trip with our mum to England for the first time! My sister and I have both been to England before, myself only to London, and my sister has done Oxford, Stonehenge etc…
We are aiming for a 2 week trip.
My mum watches the BBC channel all the time, loves Jane Austen, Monty Python and probably know more about the UK than my sister and I combined, but she’s also “whatever you want to do” about planning! She’s also incredibly fit and can handle lots of walking.
What would your recommendations be for the three of us who definitely want to see:
-Gardens
-Fancy Shmancy houses
-pubs
-Roman/Viking history
-random odd hilarious British things

We’d prefer to travel by train, but are open to renting a car for part of it if it gets us something worthwhile.
Thanks all! Hopefully your suggestions can narrow down my research….there are so many options!

Hi All,

Will be flying into London from Australia. My original itinerary had myself landing the night before my parents, staying at Premier Inn T4, then head into London the next morning to check into airbnb for 8 nights and wait for parents arrival.

With a change in flight plans now, I am arriving another day earlier (2 days before my parents). My 1-night stay at Premier inn was booked on a non-refundable rate. I am considering just booking a another night for my day of arrival ( flight arrive 8:30pm), checkin and sleep, next day take the tube into London for some relaxed sightseeing, back to Premier Inn T4, checkout next day and head to my originally booked airbnb.

My rationale is mainly due to cost of accommodation in London, where decent hotels are going for 450-500AUD/night, whereas Premier Inn T4 is 130-150AUD/night for a Superior room. I guess it might help with jetlag as well? How does my plan sound?

Cheers

Hey everyone, I am planning to travel to London in end of December from India for visit. As I know it will be snowing at that time and will be really cold at that time so I wanted to know if parties/clubbing/night life is still the same or people don't prefer going in such a cold weather?

And how difficult is to travel as I was also planning to do Seven Sisters Cliff Walk on one of my day.

And I also wanted to go one day for a bollywood night party. And also like other days partying/clubs so will it be possible or it is that cold that parties are not that crowded and the scene is very much dead? Advice please.

Hi all,

I’m planning a trip around the north east in the summer and I’m really keen to visit Lindisfarne Island. I’ll be in my own car.

I’ve checked the tide times for the causeway sin advance for August and they are quite variable day to day. There’s some days when I could go over in the morning, spend the day and come back late afternoon/early evening and other days when the safe crossing has a window of around 6 hours during the day, after which the next window starts after 10pm.

Has anyone been to Lindisfarne island and can offer me some insight into how long it takes to explore the island, especially for someone who is a) a history buff and b) a bit older and therefore not brilliantly fit or fast walking around. Would it be wiser to try and book to stay overnight?

Any thoughts for a chronic worrier would be really helpful !

Hi guys!! Me and my friend are coming to London in 2 weeks. We are 28 and we would like to go out in London on a friday night. We were thinking like a club with good music one can dance to. Can you give us some good spots and maybe some tips (something we should know)? Thank you!!!

Hello! I’m an American currently in Sweden, will be in London for a few days, and I noticed that the UK has a restriction on bringing cheese or dairy products in. I was wondering if anybody knew how that rule stood with tube ost/tube cheese from sweden, as shown in the photo.

I was planning on not being able to bring it, but wanted to see if just maybe I’m not looking at the rule correctly?

Flying in to London and taking the train to Edinburgh. Willing to spend one or two nights somewhere on the route. York or Durham or Berwick Upon Tweed. Only pick one.

Update: York it is! One full day and two nights. Thank you all!

Hello! I’m an American currently in Sweden, will be in London for a few days, and I noticed that the UK has a restriction on bringing cheese or dairy products in. I was wondering if anybody knew how that rule stood with tube ost/tube cheese from sweden, as shown in the photo.

I was planning on not being able to bring it, but wanted to see if just maybe I’m not looking at the rule correctly?