sayra
Traveller
1 comments
Posted 15 years ago
hello there!
some friends and I are planning to travel around england, scotland and maybe also ireland next summer. the problem is we`ve never interrailed before and don`t know which ticket to buy. so my question is: do you think 10 days are enough or would you rather advise me to buy a 22-day ticket?
and do you have any really cool destinations we have to see?? of course we want to visit all the big cities like manchester, edinburgh, liverpool, london...but do you have any insider tips??
greetings from switzerland :)
Peter
Traveller
9332 comments
hej hej ... just a short answer - as I think here are enough persons from the UK knowing it better than me :)
I think the 10 travel days within 22 days InterRail pass will be enough when you do only city-hopping ... :)
have a nice day, Peter :)
FloChaoZ
Traveller
6 comments
i made this trip last summer and i was really glad to have the 22-day-ticket. of course, if you really just want to see the big cities, 10 days will be enough, buti think you will lose a lot of the great scenery there. there are so many beautiful national parks, lakes and beaches you really shouldn't miss :)
but of course, it's your descision what you want to see ...
greetings, flo
anonymous
Traveller
2467 comments
Hey there,
There are loads of places to go in England/Scotland/Ireland- although Ireland isn't my expert area!
In England- of course the big cities are the biggest draw, although, some can be a bit boring- I'd advise going off-the-track a bit. I would head to South West England- you can see Bristol and Bath (Bath is a must) and then head down to St. Ives which has some of the most breathtaking views you can get on a train in England (once you get past Exeter)- the train line heads along the coast then the train from St. Erth (you have to change) to St. Ives goes along the most beautiful coast line I've seen (miles of sandy beach)- be warned I think there's only one hostel in St.Ives so if you can't stay there, you can camp or find a hostel in nearby Newquay where all the surfers go- there's loads more to see in this area. Also in England I would see York (and go on a ghost walk), catch a train to Oxenholme in the lake district and catch a bus to a hostel or visit Brighton- a very lively city on the South coast and smaller towns like Rye, Battle or Hastings in 1066 country which are also worth a day-trip (you could probably do all 3 in one day). If you want night life- London can be very expensive- going to the Student cities like Sheffield, Birmingham, Manchester are great for (cheaper but not cheap) nights out.
In Scotland Edinburgh is great and I remember having one of the best nights-out there and seeing the traditional architecture is great- I remember when I went to Scotland as a child there being loads of good castles to see- it might be worth checking them out!
I've noticed that you've missed out Wales- Snowdonia is really pretty and has great views of Welsh countryside or you could head to Aberystwyth or even Cardiff for a great nigh-out and a 3am Kebab. Portmeirion is quite nice too.
And on London- there's loads to see so don't fill-up your day with too much, and there are quite a few free attractions like the Tate modern, Tate Britain, Science Museum, Natural History Museum and so on which are all worth seeing. If you intend to go to Madam Tussuads book in advance as queues can be long in the summer- but I think it's overrated anyway. Unfortunately InterRail isn't valid on the Underground or Buses- you can either get a travel pass or a visitor oyster card where you pay-as-you-use- Transport for London has more details.
I hope this helps!
roryroryrory
Traveller
39 comments
I recommend visiting the south west of England. Some of the scenery from the train makes it worth it straight away. There is a lot to do in Devon and Cornwall (South West England).
If you have time Birmingham may also be a good place to visit for a night out, but don't make it a priority to go there.
Mrbowlcutter
Traveller
3 comments
If you are heading towards Scotland, make sure you stop off for a night out in Newcastle which is sort of on the way.
I live nearby and can persoanlly assure you its an amazing city.
JP
anonymous
Traveller
2467 comments
What about Inverness is it worth it to stay one day there(or longer)? And how long is the trip form Edinburgh to Inverness. And how close is Loch Ness :D
Thanks in advance
sayra
Traveller
1 comments
inverness really isnt that special...we did a dolphin tour which was cool, but sucks if you dont see any dolphins. and then theres some kind of castle. whats beautiful is the nature in the surrounding area of inverness, there are a few places you can reach by foot.
there are a lot of offers for tours to loch ness and it really depends on what tour you decide on doing, but basically its really near!!
it takes between three to four hours from edinburgh to inverness :)
Cupcake
Traveller
1 comments
Hi
I did the city hopping thing in England years ago (and now actually moved here!) but if I can recommend anything to see it would be the East Midlands region, Nottingham, Derby, Sherwood Forest are absolut beautiful places. I did not visit them when I was travelling because I actually not heard of them but now that I live in England I can only recommend you explore the area :)
The big cities you are planning to see are probably worth while as well but I reckon there will be more tourists around.
Have fun!
anonymous
Traveller
2467 comments
Just to add my 2 cents...
Liverpool - my home town, and I don't rate it AT ALL. Suppose it's ok for visitors for a day...and with neighbouring Manchester...it's not too bad I guess.
Birmingham - the heart of England! You can get there from almost every part of the country direct! A buzzing student city (you'd expect that from the second biggest...!) Not that architecturally stunning compared to places like Bath and Brighton, but still, not bad! (it pains me to say that as a resident!)
Newcastle - got to love the Geordies...it's beautiful, it's got plenty to see and do and it's just generally a good day out there!
York/Durham/Chester/Bath - all classic historical cities which does have nice architecture...though I don't think I'd go out for a night out in any of them, Chester especially!
Oxford/Cambridge - DO NOT ask the locals where the University is (unless you mean Oxford Brookes...that's slightly different), it really bugs the locals! Beautiful cities, and bookings into colleges is recommended in peak times (knowing students there usually helps too!)
Glasgow/Edinburgh - both just awe inspiring. Edinburgh is more visually beautiful but Glasgow has that party atmosphere!
Devon/Cornwall/Sussex coasts - all absolutely beautiful. Littlehampton, Brighton & Hove, Plymouth, Penzance, Hastings, Bognor Regis, Westward Ho! (the only place to officially have ! in its name!), Exmouth, Paignton, they're all nice to visit! some, more than others...admittedly!
Cardiff - the Welsh capital, vivacious, pretty and compact, can't go wrong really! and only an hour away from Swansea Mumbles!
Pembrokeshire/Cardigan coasts - relatively remote but still visited a lot, especially Aberystwyth, Pembroke, Tenby, Harlech, Fairbourne, Pwllheli and Barmouth.
Have fun! ^_^
mefhisto1
Traveller
9 comments
Hi everyone,
I'm visiting UK and Ireland this summer. I read these posts but still I'm not sure what to visit and what not to visit. Firstly, I wish to balance between visiting cities and off city scenery. As far as the cities go, I know i wish to visit London, York, Liverpool, and seeing these posts, Bath and Birmingham. Now what other excursions / field trips would you recommend in the UK, that are maybe near these cities? About Scotland, I'm going to Edinburgh and Glasgow, but still i definitely wanna see the highlands and such :) . So is this achievable? Do you know any special highland field trips? Or maybe should i just go exploring on my own ? What kind of a pass would you recommend for this, flexi or continuous? One last thing, do you know any good sites where i can get more info about UK, what things to see and such?
Thank you very much in advance :)
Flo
Traveller
10723 comments
Well, I'd definitely recommend the West Highland Line in Scotland, particularly the Fort William - Mallaig part for some nice scenery. You could stay in Fort William which has one or two nice hostels and go to Mallaig as a day return.
On the southcoast the mainline to Penzance is quite nice; you could stop in the Dawlish area or head further east where several small resorts are connected by branch lines.
Flo 8)
mefhisto1
Traveller
9 comments
Hey, thanks for the answer. I'll definitely check these out. However, seeing as I'll be interrailing, do you know how easy would it be to hike and explore, since all means of transport i'll have is train. I mean, i won't have a car, so I'll have to resort to trains and my own feet when it comes to exploring. :)
Flo
Traveller
10723 comments
Well, if you are staying in Fort William you could walk up to Ben Nevis. In general I'd recommend to stay at one place for a longer time and then make day trips if you want to go hiking (and it is possible route-wise). Then you wouldnt have to carry all your luggage around.
I dont know how an experienced hiker you are but not everybody likes to carry the whole ~60 litres backpack around the whole day. ;)
I'm not so familiar with the South Coast (only went there with the train without much sightseeing), but I think there is a trail along the coast which you maybe could partly walk along - again, best option would be to go one way and return with train to your basecamp in the evening.
Flo 8)
gancyboy
Traveller
14 comments
hello all. the best i can help you is from visiting only the main cities in the those countries: belfast, dublin, glasgow, edinburgh, london, liverpool, cambridge and oxford.
If you like to see study environment and buildings with history, as well as some free museums, head to oxford and cambridge.
London is always a must for everyone around that areas.
Liverpool doesn't have much to see besides the docks area. Belfast is a bit of boring too, and the terrorist problem is always a concern. Dublin is a nice city to visit on foot.
Glasgow has a great sub urban trains network which interrailers can enjoy to visit the main spots. Edinburgh is a must too. With the Castle, National Museum, Bank of Scotland (this last 2 are free), and the landscapes you see, is one of the most medieval and beautiful cities in UK.
In general points this is what i can tell you. To know more details about these places and if I know them, I'll be glad to answer your questions.
Greetings ;D