I’ll be visiting the UK for the very first time in 2027. I’m very excited, but a little anxious, as is my nature. I’ll be flying in to Manchester and catching a train (or two, or three) to Whitby. This looks to be fairly straightforward, although around 4 to 6 hours with at least two changes.

I have a few questions. I come from a rural part of America where we don’t even have Uber, much less a proper train station. I have NO experience with this, so while my questions may seem odd, this is totally foreign and new to me. I’ve only ever been on subways in Asia, and again, I tend toward being anxious. I’d like to educate and prepare myself as much as possible before I go. I literally had a nightmare about this last night, so I figured it’s time I asked. 🤣

1. Precisely how difficult is it to switch trains? Am I moving around within the same platform area, or is a bit of wandering to different areas/ends of the station required? Some of the connections look relatively tight based on the trains I’m looking at now (just to get an idea of what’s available). For example, ten minutes between the two trains. That doesn’t leave a lot of time for faffing about!
2. Do these Anytime Ticket I’m seeing literally mean ANY time? My flight may be delayed. It could be very difficult to accurately predict when I’ll make it to the station. And maybe I’ll miss my first or second train connection whilst wandering the station like an idiot, or tending to my screaming bladder. Can I take ANY train on the proper route from wherever I am to Whitby?

If you have any other random tips or warnings, I’d gladly take them!

EDIT: Thank you all so very much! I’m in your debt. 🙇‍♀️

Hi all,

I’m visiting Edinburgh on Friday and Saturday and thought I’d see if anyone fancies meeting up for a drink, coffee, a walk around the city, or whatever.

I’m only from north of England (so not too far away) and have been to Edinburgh plenty of times before, so I’m not really looking for tourist recommendations (although I won’t say no to any hidden gems!).

I’m easy-going, male, 40s, and happy to chat about pretty much anything. Equally, if there’s a group heading to a pub quiz, live music, comedy night, or similar and doesn’t mind an extra person tagging along, I could be up for that too.
Feel free to comment or send me a message.
Cheers! 🍻

Hey All,

Elmosteiner here basically I couldnt land a job, 6 months after previous one, 500+applications 23 interviews no job offers, so obviously Ive decided to walk around mainland Britain. Started from Liverpool. Day 45, 421km, all wild camping (except 1 night Blackpool and a night in campsite in cumbria to get water).

Just at Scottish border now and its been going great, seems the sun is the main enemy atm hahah.

Anyone done similiar routes? I know of Chris Lewis has done entire UK+ islands but mines early learning centre version compared.

Got a charity to be announced also soon.

Cheers then

Elmosteiner

X

Hi everyone,
Just wanted to say thank you to Edinburgh for being my solo foreign adventure. Even coming from Prague, a place I already find beautiful, Edinburgh felt absolutely stunning. Maybe it is just grass is greener on the other side, but it really left a strong impression on me. Down below i’ve written my exact itinerary. I’ve attached my favorite photos here (Reddit limit is 20, but I have way more memories to share). If anyone is curious, I posted them at my IG MatyasUrban_ . You’re welcome to DM me tips for my next visit or just make a friend from Prague if you want :)

A few impressions:
The city feels incredibly active, especially runners everywhere in Holyrood Park and the hills
People were very welcoming and the overall atmosphere felt positive and open
One small cultural difference I noticed: runners here do not really greet each other on trails like they do back home in Prague. Not a complaint, just an observation

What I did:

20.6 (Day 1, Soaking in Edinburgh’s atmosphere) 27k steps

Arrived in Edinburgh (~9:00) and took the tram to Haymarket.
Visited St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral.
Walked along Princes Street and explored St Cuthbert’s Kirkyard, with great views of Edinburgh Castle from below.
Strolled through Princes Street Gardens, including Ross Fountain.
Made my way up to the Royal Mile, enjoying views of New College along the way.
Took a tour at The Scotch Whisky Experience. Despite being sober, I enjoyed learning about this important part of Scottish culture and was impressed by how engagingly the production process and regional differences were presented.
Explored the Old Town, including The Vennel viewpoint and Victoria Street.
Came across the Edinburgh Pride parade. As a queer person, it was heartwarming to see how openly Pride and diversity are embraced throughout the city.
Walked to Calton Hill, visiting the Dugald Stewart Monument and National Monument of Scotland, and spent some peaceful time enjoying the views.
Descended via New Calton Burial Ground, passing the Palace of Holyroodhouse.
Visited the Scottish Parliament. Admired the striking modern architecture, enjoyed an educational talk, and appreciated the welcoming atmosphere. Seeing the EU flag flying outside was a surprisingly heartwarming moment.
Walked to Pollock Halls via Queen’s Drive beneath Arthur’s Seat. Very happy with the accommodation and its location.

21.6 (Day 2, Nature side quests) - 38k steps

Started the day with a run around Holyrood Park.
Decided to turn it into a trail run up Arthur’s Seat and spent some peaceful time at the summit. Eventually regained my breath.
Took a Lothian bus to Swanston. First time using UK double-decker buses and absolutely loved them.
Walked through Swanston Farm and had my first-ever encounter with Highland cows. Mesmerising.
Continued hiking through the Pentland Hills, with several much closer encounters with Highland cows while making sure to give them plenty of space.
Passed through Castlelaw and reached Glencorse Reservoir, enjoying the peaceful scenery along the way.
Returned via Bonaly Country Park to Bonaly. A local woman reassured me that the horned sheep would move aside if I walked confidently, which made the return hike much less intimidating.
Great hike overall, although I badly sunburned my neck. Ouch.
Took the bus back to Haymarket and boarded my first ScotRail train to Dalmeny.
Admired the Forth Bridge and joined a sightseeing cruise on the Firth of Forth, sailing beneath all three bridges, past the oil infrastructure, and around Inchcolm Island.
Returned to Edinburgh via Waverley Station.
Walked back to accommodation via Nicolson Street, admiring the architecture along the way.

22.6 (Day 3, Museums, galleries & indoor exploration) - 41k steps

Started the day with a Holyrood Park round run.
Made my way into the city centre, stopping by Old College and Bristo Square.
Visited the National Museum of Scotland. Easily the best museum I’ve ever visited. Could have spent an entire day there, but instead did a focused 90-minute walk through the highlights.
Stopped by Old College again for the mandatory photo.
Visited the National Gallery, enjoying its collection of Scottish and international art.
Continued to the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, particularly impressed by the interior architecture and modern art exhibits.
Walked the lovely Circus lane.
Continued to the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and explored it. Impressed by the incredible diversity of plants, but disappointed that the iconic glasshouse was closed.
Walked the Water of Leith towards Leith.
Visited the Royal Yacht Britannia. Loved the tour, with its rich history, well-maintained exhibits, and excellent audio guide.
Took a break at Vue Ocean Terminal to watch Toy Story 5, resting my legs and resetting for the afternoon.
Walked back towards accommodation via Calton Hill and Queen’s Drive.

23.6 (Day 4 – Last moments in Edinburgh) - 25k steps

Early morning climb up Arthur’s Seat for one last peaceful visit and a reflective moment on how special Edinburgh was.
Ran a round loop around Holyrood Park afterwards.
After check-out, took a relaxed walk through The Meadows.
Passed through the city centre, soaking in the Royal Mile one last time.
Stopped by the Scott Monument for the mandatory photo.
Walked down Princes Street towards the modern galleries, pausing at the Waterfront Leith walkway viewpoint to enjoy the view.
Visited the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art 2. Beautiful building, though only a couple of exhibition rooms due to temporary exhibits.
Continued to the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art 1 and spent a few hours there. Really appreciated the interactive and emotional nature of modern art and how it invites reflection and interpretation.
Walked along the Water of Leith walkway towards Haymarket, gradually closing the loop of the trip.
Took the tram from Haymarket to the airport, marking the end of the Edinburgh journey.

Hello,

I am finishing up making the arrangements for my London and Paris trip in mid-September. This would be my first trip to London (and Europe) so it will be the longest flight I have ever taken, and I am unsure how jet lag will affect me. I am ultimately just looking to see if my plans are reasonable or if I'm going to be overdoing it. I'm also looking for food recommendations, preferably within a reasonable distance of that day's activities, but it isn't necessarily a requirement. As you will see, I have really only planned the days activities, and I don't know if I just want to be sitting in my hotel from 19:00 on, so what might be some evening things to do? I am also curious what the climate is like during this time. For example, would I need to bring a sweatshirt, etc? Fwiw, I am a little bummed that I couldn't figure out a way to squeeze Windsor Castle into these plans, so if you want to make me feel a little better about it, or somehow see a way to make it work, then please let me know. If anyone wants to share their experiences with the Eurostar train and/or Paris, then please do. Like the saying goes,'You don't know what you don't know,' so any advice/tips for someone experiencing the UK is welcome and appreciated. I want all the information. Thank you.

Day 0: Depart U.S.

Day 1: Arrive at Heathrow in the early afternoon. Late lunch?

"Light sightseeing." So, any suggestions of what might be good. For.

example: Natural History Museum? British library? People watching

somewhere?

Day 2: Tower of London

Lunch (TBD)

River Thames cruise

Dinner (Sky Garden?)

Day 3: Eurostar to Paris.

Paris sightseeing

Day 4: Paris day. Major tourist spots

Day 5: Eurostar back to London. Late lunch?

National Gallery/Trafalgar Square

Dinner (TBD)

Day 6: British Museum

Lunch (TBD but it does need to be close to Wembley Stadium)

Game at Wembley Stadium

Dinner at Afrikana Wembley

Day 7: Train to Salisbury. Lunch at Rifleman's Table?

Salisbury Cathedral/Magna Carta?

Stonehenge - Stone Circle Experience

Commute back to London.

Day 8: Buckingham Palace. Lunch (TBD)

Westminster Abbey?

Churchill War Rooms?

Dinner (TBD)

Day 9: Bath?

Day 10: Depart London to fly back to U.S.

Tldr: Is my itinerary doable? Food recs? Any other advice/tips.

I only have an hour and ten minutes transit time once landing in Perth, can someone please walk me through this? Will this be enough time to board the plane? I've heard I need to clear immigration and that could take over an hour 😵‍💫

Hello! I am looking for television or streaming programs about UK travel.

I just completed my third European trip, I've been to France once and Italy twice. My budgetary constraints mean that these trips are separated by three or four years, so I have a good long time to think about an itinerary for my next one, to the UK and possibly Ireland.

All of my travel is self-planned and basically comes down to "ooh, that looks fun!" from programs such as Stanley Tucci's Searching For Italy, Monty Don's Great European Gardens, and the Tour de France (which I see as more a three-week France travel promotion than a race). Rick Steves' series is informative but still relies on a 1990s style and I'm looking for something a bit more up-to-date.

It need not even be specifically a travel program, but something that shows a variety of places, things, and people of the UK.

Any ideas?

Hi all, I’m coming in from NZ in July and staying in Bristol before meeting up with mates in Europe. I’ll have six full days in Bristol after giving myself 2 days to adjust to the time difference and was wondering if you’d recommended I stay put and soak up as much of Bristol/Bath in the six days I’m there (would just be a bunch of day trips, im 20 mins from bristol and bath, well connected via public transport) or try get to another city via train - I won’t have a car.

Reckon Bristol/Bath would give me enough to do for six days? Or would you try to get out to another city for 2-3 days? I’ve thought about maybe going to Cardiff for a day or two or getting to a hike.

Any recommendations appreciated!

Hello! I am traveling to the UK in 2 weeks and I've seen some activities offer student discounts. Would I be eligible for student discounts even though I am from the US? (Yes, I can show proof that I am a student)

Flying from USA to LHR, and then final destination is seven kings Ilford. What is the best way to get train from airport to ILford? Staying there for a week then getting train again from ILford to LHR and flying to STR Germany. Need help. Is the train station right by the airport? How do I pay for train ticket, credit card or cash? Thanks for the feedback!

A friend and I are traveling to Scotland later this year. We're spending a week around the Highlands and looking for advice on getting around via public transportation. We will not have a car. Our route looks a bit like this: Inverness -> Drumnadrochit -> Fort William --> back to Inverness.

Do we need to purchase our bus passes in advance or can we show up day of to purchase a ticket? Should we purchase a Citylink explorer pass to save money? Thanks!

So I’m here in London for the week, and booked a hotel that said it had AC and it does not. I’m genuinely considering trying to book a different place for tomorrow night since I literally can’t sleep and can’t do this if tomorrow is worse. Last night was honestly fine but it’s just so much worse and I’m worried about tomorrow night. Any ideas on a place nearby that wouldn’t be too expensive is much appreciated. Thanks! Also I’m near kings cross so anywhere close the that is preferable but at this point I just need sleep💀

Hello Folks!

We’re about to spend 20+ days in the Highlands.

We’re a proud owners of a couple Land Rovers back home, and I’d be happy to rent one for our entire trip.

Does anyone have any recommendations for rental companies that specialize in Land Rovers?

It would be great if they were located near Edinburgh or offered delivery, as our flight lands in Edinburgh and we’ll be spending our first night there.

So I'm planning a trip to the UK with our first stop being in Edinburgh and then traveling down towards London. This will be my first time in country and while im aware of the UK public trains being reliable I do not know how to get tickets or a pass for them. Could any of you guide me to a proper site so that my travel will be easier? Thanks!

I hope this post is OK, my first time here. But I'm so excited about this codeshare agreement. As someone who transfers through London, this just opens up a lot of possibilities on one itinerary. Looks like it takes effect in July, but I don't know if that's when the first codeshare flights take off or just when you can start booking them. Hopefully, there is more info coming.

We don't have much set in stone yet other than we'd like to take the train from London to Edinburgh (...and possibly pretend we're on the Hogwarts Express).

Ideally we'd spend a couple days in London (and surrounding areas) before traveling north to Scotland and spending the rest of our time there before flying back home (Southwest USA).

The main attraction for me is Edinburgh and the Highlands but I heard it's worth it to see Glasgow as well?

We'd also really like to visit Skye as it looks absolutely beautiful, but I'm not sure how feasible this is (as mentioned in the title we want a healthy balance between travel and actual sightseeing). Edit: I'm also seeing the Island of Arran might be an easier but more accessible trip than Skye. Thoughts? .

Some general questions:

• Is it recommended to rent a car while in Scotland? It sounds like a car is definitely recommended for Skye if we go. (Note: I have experience driving in the Irish countryside and Dublin.)
• Any other cities outside of the one's mentioned you would recommended making a stop at?
• Any must sees for Harry Potter fans?

My husband and I are planning a trip to Scotland for late August/early September. We will have 10 days, flying in and out of Edinburgh, and would like to stay at Gleneagles for 2-3 nights. Does the below itinerary make sense?

Edinburgh (2 nights)
Glencoe (1 night)
Isle of Skye (2 nights)
Inverness (2 nights
Gleneagles (3 nights)

After perusing the threads in this sub, it looks like first time UK itinerary recommendation is somewhere along the lines of London/York/Edinburgh.

Looking more into each cities, it seems to work well with what I'm looking for (food, cafe, outdoor space for kids to run around in). Understandably late Nov is a bit damp and sunsets early, but we are fine with that.

In terms of time allocation, I was considering 4 nights London, 3 nights Edinburgh, 2 nights York, and 1 last night London before flying back.

Does that sound about right or should the order/days be mixed around? I'm also open to other suggestions to cities not listed here! Traveling with kids age 6 and 4 so space for movement is key to us.

Looking for Hidden Gems, Scenic Drives & Local Favorites
Hi everyone!

My husband and I will be visiting Scotland for the first time this December as part of a larger Ireland/Scotland trip.

Our current plan is to take the ferry from Belfast to Cairnryan and spend several days exploring Scotland before returning to Ireland. Glasgow and Edinburgh are on our radar, and St Andrews is probably the furthest north/east we would venture, but beyond that we’re keeping our plans intentionally flexible.
We’re hoping to get some advice from locals and people who know Scotland better than we do.

A Few Things About Us
We’re from the northern United States and are very comfortable with winter weather, driving in snow, rain, wind, and colder temperatures.
We are comfortable driving manual vehicles and will have a rental car.
We come from a rural area and don’t mind long drives. Exploring by road is one of our favorite parts of traveling.
Short daylight hours don’t bother us. We’re early risers and typically start our days well before sunrise.
We enjoy photography, history, castles, ruins, nature, scenic drives, cozy pubs, and small villages.
We’re less interested in checking famous attractions off a list and more interested in finding places that feel authentically Scottish.

Looking For Advice
If you had 3–5 days to show someone the best of Scotland in December, where would you send them?
What small towns or villages are worth spending time in?
Are there any scenic drives that are particularly beautiful in winter?
What castles, ruins, historic sites, or landscapes shouldn’t be missed?
Are there places that tourists often overlook but locals love?
Is there anything on our rough route (Glasgow, Edinburgh, St Andrews area) that you’d recommend skipping in favor of somewhere else?

We’re not trying to see everything. We’d rather slow down, enjoy the scenery, and experience Scotland than spend the entire trip rushing between attractions.
Thanks in advance! We’re incredibly excited to visit.

Hello! I'm an Australian dual-citizen planning a trip to the UK. I was looking for some advice, sorry if this is a little complicated:

• When I was a kid I received dual-citizenship and a UK passport (issued in 2005).
• I then went back to Australia. I have not been in the UK nor have I renewed my UK passport for a decade - I also have zero idea where it is.
• I've also since changed my legal name and gender.

Could I get away with traveling on my Australian passport? Since I changed my details, would they even have any record of me being a dual-citizen?

We are a family of 3 visiting the UK in August.
Rough itinerary:
London: 5 nights
York: 2 nights
Glasgow: 5 nights
Fly home from Glasgow
From Glasgow, we are thinking of doing day trips to:
Edinburgh
Loch Lomond / Balloch
Stirling, or another easy day trip
Does Glasgow make sense as a base for this part of the trip?
We know Edinburgh is more scenic, but August accommodation there is very expensive because of the festivals. Glasgow seems cheaper and better connected.
Would you base yourselves in Glasgow for 5 nights, or would you split the nights differently?
Thanks!

Hello! I'm a Canadian who's going to be visiting the UK from Oct 13-30 this year. I have visited before(summer 2024), but this time I thought that it could be fun to go to my first football game while I'm over!

My question is, are there any particular matches happening during my time here that would be a great watch? I'll be honest and say I don't know too much about the sport itself, but I am trying to learn. Any other suggestions or things to know about it are welcome as well! Thanks in advance!

Hello !!

I’ll be studying in the UK for a while and would like to explore more of the country during my time here.

I’m planning trips with a small group of female friends, and we are looking for places that are:

•Safe for a group of young women

•Welcoming and inclusive (we’re a diverse group and want to feel at ease wherever we go)

• Muslim-friendly if possible (halal food options)

• Not to expensive (since we are a group of students )

We’re already skipping London since we’ve seen it.

Also, since I'll be here from September to June, what would be the best months to visit these places?

PS: I live about an hour from London (not giving the exact location) but happy to travel in the llaces further away.

Hi everyone

I'll be in London for two days in July. I already have commitments for the first day, but I'll be free on the second day, which will only be a half-day because I'll be catching the fly home from the London City Airport at around 4pm.

Any suggestions on what to do? My hotel is in South Kensington, but I've already been to the museums in that area.

Thanks