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My sister and I (I'm 26, she's 25) have decided to embark on a euro-trip this coming May 2015. We would like to visit England, Scotland, Ireland, and France (just Paris). We are thinking travel site fare results reservation return of leaving May 1st from Canada and heading to London first. We have a lot of time to plan this trip and want to do it right! We aren't interested in tours, and would like to create our own itinerary. I just don't know where is most logical to start. We would like to rent a car for our UK portion of the trip. We are most interested in the countryside and smaller travel site fare results reservation return communities where we can get a real feel for the culture! I'm envisioning cozy B B's for our stay. We aren't really into the party scene, just want a relaxing (but busy) trip. I know this is vague, we welcome all tips and suggestions!! Thank you!!
If this was my trip I'd start by eliminating Ireland. Considering your desire to spend time in the countryside, as I most often do, try to give it the time it needs by spending more time in fewer locales. Save Ireland for another time when you can also do it justice.
travel site fare results reservation return We really want to see Ireland, I don't think we can cross that one off. Thank you for the suggestion though. As well, it's extremely expensive to fly one way from where I live. Round trip to london is 1100 CAD, whereas one way is almost travel site fare results reservation return 900CAD. travel site fare results reservation return it's insane!
You don't fly one way, you fly "multicity" or open jaw. Fly into your first city and home from your last. It is likely no more expensive than round trip and will save you the time and cost of returning to your first city.
Ireland? travel site fare results reservation return -- just Dublin (I sure hope not) - or a lot of the scenic wast/southwest coast and Dublin too? If you mean to see a fair amount of Ireland -- then you have to plan a minimum of 10 days. The travel is very slow -- like 30-35 mph slow.
Same for Scotland - Edinburgh is 2 or 3 days minimum. But if also you want to see anything else (Highlands/Skye or Mull,/Fife, travel site fare results reservation return the Castle Trail/ the Borders/etc) then you'll want 9 or 10 days total in Scotland. Again, the travel is slow -- not quote 'Ireland slow' but 35-40 mph.
Is there any reason why you have decided to do London first? Starting off with Ireland might be more logical, then head for Scotland (either fly or take the ferry) and then work your way down to London. travel site fare results reservation return Do Paris last by Eurostar from London. Fly home from Paris. This saves travel time as you won't be doubling back on yourselves.
Plus, where are you planning on touring in Scotland. Unless you want to see the far SW - Dumfries and Galloway/Ayrshire travel site fare results reservation return which are lovely but you really don't have a lot of time - a ferry from Belfast to SW Scotland likely doesn't fit in your plans.
You can fly from Ireland to GLA or EDI in a fraction of the time of schlepping from Dublin to Belfast to SW Scotland travel site fare results reservation return and then across the whole country. I'd maybe fly into EDI, see Edinburgh car-less for a couple of days, collect a car and drive around for 5 or 6 days, drop the car at GLA and fly to Paris.
The OP needs to sort out what order she wants to do things first and then fill in detail. I did suggest she could either fly or take the ferry. It may be that she decides to do Ireland and one option is to get the ferry from either Belfast or Larne to Stranraer or Cairn Ryan and then travel across Dumfries travel site fare results reservation return and Galloway to either Glasgow of Edinburgh. Scenically Galloway, especially around Glen Trool which has some serious hills.
travel site fare results reservation return By the way, how do you know the OP won't have time to go to Belfast or that won't fit in with her plans. Doesn't it all depends on where she wants to start in Ireland and what she is planning to do in the time allocated to this bit? Dublin to Belfast is about two and a half hours by train. (Less by car but she would need to check out implications of hiring a car in the Republic and dropping it off in Northern Ireland.) Travelling between the two will let her see more of both Ireland and Northern Ireland. (Perhaps I should have distinguished between them more carefully in my original post.) travel site fare results reservation return There is a very different feel between the two countries which if the OP is interestd in culture as she says in her original post, might be of interest to her. Taking the ferry is a different travel site fare results reservation return experience to flying...
What I have been trying to do is get her to think about a possible route and give suggestions. The OP is 'most interested in the countryside and smaller communities where we can get a real feel for the culture'. One of the ways of achieving this is by driving between main points - spending time in teh countryside rather than the cities. I was thinking about this in my origianl suggestion which seems to have exercised janisj mind.
Whatever she decides on, I am sure she will enjoy it as there is some cracking scenery travel site fare results reservation return in Ireland, Scotland and England... Sometimes there are advantages for heading for the less touristy areas of SW Scotland over say Skye and the Highlands....
She needs to start whittling down . . . not adding places and complexities . . . (She says they are 'chopping England' but still are planning on London - which is in England and will need several days at minimum)
I hope they make time for the ferry. It could be a relaxing break from one place after another. Those who say "don't do it" fail to realize many of us enjoy not flying travel site fare results reservation return and seeing where we're going, as much as getting "there". They'll likely remember travel site fare results reservation return it more than most of the destinations, for better or worse.
Yes, I came to this forum for assistance and suggestions not to be made fun of for not knowing the best way to do things travel site fare results reservation return I only meant London as to visit London for a day or two and leave from there.. But sounds like that's not the best idea. I'm liking the sounds of fly into Ireland, drive around (is it possible to do some north and south in ten days?) fly to Scotland .. Tour around, fly to paris and back to canada
I think you need to understand that more than one trip needs to be made. A trip to Europe is no longer a "once in a lifetime" event, and lots of people make a trip to Europe every year or every other year (and yes, sometimes less often than that but still as regularly as possibile). Don't try to stuff everything into the same trip.
Yes of course it is. Especially if you fly into say Shannon and leave from Dublin or Belfast. Travelling across a country like this lets you see the countryside - much more than you will if you base yourself in a big city. There's some lovely countryside and plenty of things to do on the way. Coming into Shannon you could spend a couple of nights in Kerry. Then head to Galway for another couple of nights. Then head up through Sligo and/or Donegal travel site fare results reservation return (1 night) and head for Northern Ireland, going round the coast. Stop 1 or 2 nights around the Portrush area for the Giant's Causeway, Carrick a Rede Bridge and then continue round the coast through the Antrim Glens to Belfast or continue a bit further to Dublin if you decide to fly from there. And that hasn't used up all your ten days.
If you haven't already bought a guide book, it might make sense to do so. DK Eyewitness guides are the best as they have lots of pictures and ideas of places to visit and reasonable maps. They are quite cheap bought through Amazon. Have a look at Ireland, Scotland and England. They will help you decide which areas you want to concentrate travel site fare results reservation return on. With a bit of careful planning at this stage, you will be surprised what you can achieve in the time allowed. You have started planning early so have plenty of time to get it right.
travel site fare results reservation return By the way, ignore Big Russ's comment about the ferry taking all day. The Belfast to Stranraer ferry takes 2hr 15minutes. It might even work out as quick as flying when you allow for check in times.... If you didn't want to drive from Stranraer, there is always the train to Glasgow, another experience.
If you are really wanting to see countryside and smaller communities (an aspiration I would heartily applaud) advice to spend X days in a capital city, though well intentioned, is not helpful. Apart from the fact that capital (and other tourist centred) cities are usually busy, expensive, stressful and over-populated with, well, tourists visiting them, you won't achieve your stated objective. Neither will you achieve that objective by going round the well-worn trails such as (in England travel site fare results reservation return for example) Stonehenge, Bath, The Cotswolds and Stratford.
After that you do need to do some serious research. The usual guide books may be of limited use as they often tend to concentrate on the tourist honeypots so you will need to dig around a bit to find what you want. I'll give another travel site fare results reservation return English example. Say you're interested in architecture and fancy seeing York Minster. Now it is a magnificent travel site fare results reservation return building and York has a lot to offer but it is also Tourist Central. Yet not far from York you will find Beverley Minster, Ripon Cathedral and Selby Abbey, all excellent buildings, all relatively free of visitors and the first two in pleasant country towns.
You refer to cosy B Bs. Very nice, but a few caveats. You say you "want a relaxing (but busy) trip". B Bs may be relaxing but if they don't serve breakfast at the time you want you may find you're wasting time in the mornings. Booking may be a hassle too, as might finding them if they're tucked away in the back of beyond.
As a very different alternative you might want to consider chains like Travelodge or Premier Inn. Soulless in terms of rooms and often location, but they offer consistent standards travel site fare results reservation return (albeit lower than what you may be used to in similar places in Canada), travel site fare results reservation return are clean, safe, often cheap and easy to book (and cancel if you avoid the cheapest rates offered) and easy to find. Early breakfasts and all-day meals are usually available on site but check. One drawback is that whilst there are planty of them you won't fi