After a lot of research here and every where else, I have an itinerary worked out for a 21 day road trip around the UK in Sept. . We pick up our car at heathrow and basically do a grand circle around the island. staying in hostels and air bnb, we get up early to see a lot each day. As far as i can tell, the HHA pass covers the most things we will see so we will buy that one but no other. just pay regular fees at stonehenge and hadrians wall. I can't find any on the national trust list.
i read somewhere someone said don't buy the insurance with the car. buy it separately. From whom?
does it matter that much which kind of gas you request for the car?
any suggestions for unique affordable bed and breakfast or hostels?
any unique roadside attractions that are really weird? i am going to osborn palace to see the canalettos, and blenheim for the dramatic setting. any other remarkable palaces or hikes ?
Any
Here is where we are going.
HHA pass for , blenheim, woburn, arundel castle , bamburg castle,
heritage pass stonehenge, hadrians wall but we wont buy this one since there are only two places on it. .
battle field of hastings
dover castle\kent castle
rochester castle
henry moore home,
cambridge,
ely cathedral
durham cathedral
york cathedral
edinburgh castle
little moreton hall
chester
Rievaulx abbey
tintern abbey
salsbury cathedral
edinburgh castle
When posting an itinerary, if you want accurate advice, you need to tell us:
1) What day you arrive in UK
2) what day you fly out
3) What dates/how many days you expect to be at each place
With regard to the hire car fuel - gas is called petrol in UK. It is likely to take UNLEADED petrol and be sure not to put anything that is not unleaded in it. It could take diesel but I think this unlikely - I will leave it to the actual car drivers on here to tell you for sure.
(For those reading this, like me, who hadn't a clue what the HHA pass is - it is the Historic Houses Association) pass)
The problem with UK is if you scratch a bit deeper you find a bit more. You mention the battle of Hastings, and that you intend to visit York. I know you might not have listed everything on your bucket list, but are you aware of for example (1) the battles of Fulford and Stamford Bridge and (2) just how close to York they are and (3) how relevant they are to the Battle of Hastings.. And 10 miles away is the site of the civil war battle of Towton. There may not be much to see at these places but they sound like somewhere you may find interesting. The same goes for example with Old Sarum or Wilton House, both near Salisbury and Stonehenge, or Avebury. Just about everywhere you have listed has a range of similar places nearby. You obviously can't do it all in 3 weeks but I guess the question I'm asking is do you want replies here saying there's nothing wrong with your list but did you know about xxxxxx ?? I don't want to seem as though we know better than you, but it is whether this sort of info would add to the enjoyment of your trip, or whether you've already chosen the highlights for your visit and realise you can't do it all.
Re car hire, if you need an automatic, you must specify it - most cars here have manual gear change. For long distances, diesel is probably preferable to petro, but there's not much in it and I wouldn't let it influence my decision. Try to avoid buying petrol / diesel on motorways and main roads - large supermarkets have fuel station forecourts and usually the best prices. If it helps to look at costs, current supermarket prices where I live are around £1.12 -£1.14 per gallon. Check distances etc online at the.aa.com or on viamichelin. Remember journey times are optimistic - they don't allow for congestion, roadworks, or coffee breaks. We have some of europe's most congested roads, so just be prepared for journeys to take longer than you expect. If staying in towns like Cambridge, York, Chester - and you should, part of the enjoyment is seeing them early and late - look for accommodation with parking. Most bigger cities have park &ride sites which are vety useful for visitors.
Mike, I presume 'per gallon ' is a wishful typo & should be 'per litre'? Otherwise, let us know where you live so we can all drive over and fill up?!
H
I'd check out some sample dates for different destinations on www.booking.com as a means of seeing what's out there and (more importantly) what's available.
Although September is not a main holiday period as schools will be in session, the month is a popular time for what is sometimes called The Silver Market to head off on holiday in the UK (and yes, I fall into this category before anyone says something!).
Petrol prices on supermarket forecourts in Yorkshire are @ £1.12 per litre rising to £1.15 for major fuel brand forecourts and £1.18 for rural areas - motorway prices are just silly (for food, drinks and other refreshments, unless you can get a sandwich meal deal at Marks & Spencer motorway outlets).
Ah! Wishful thinking! -or just showing my age. Sorry - and no point running around UK looking for a bargain.
that is the kind of adivce i need. where the best prices are, whether to go with a diesel or unleaded car. i have been basing driving times on google maps. i have been researching car parks in each area so we can use public transportation when possible do you pump your own gas in the UK like we do in the US?
a there is no end to the number of things to do and see and choose from. i am trying to get as many choices possible and then start weeding out what i can. and also be flexible so that we can adjust as we go. either to slow down and see more, or skip areas that don't interest us as well. I always hope to get local feedback of things that are not in the guide books. we have a really weird sculpture park here in my city that no one knows about that i always recommend people see.
For parking the parkopedia website may help. And yes 99% of refuelling points are self service. However, some pumps may be credit card only, especially evenings and Sundays, whereas daytimes on weekdays you'll usually find someone in a shop on site which sells sweets newspapers etc..as well as taking payment for your fuel -personally prefer dealing with the human being in the shop. Google maps are ok but no less optimistic re timings as the others.
As you talk about picking up your car at Heathrow, just beware that that area around the M4 and M25 motorways can be extremely congested at any time of day. Frequent advice on Thorntree is that if you've flown for 8 hours or so from US to UK you really ought to have a decent rest and sleep before driving away from the airport - sorry if that sounds like "nanny knows best"!!
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