As Muddy frequently points out, I have never been abroad.
Absolute novice overseas traveler.
But wifey and I intend to visit the UK early in 2017 for about 4 weeks.
We’d like to spend a fair bit of that time checking-out the places our forebears came from - Inverness, Paisley, Dublin, Wexford and (wouldja believe ?) Kent.
We’d be ready to go anytime from January on but, coming from tropical Queensland, Australia, we hate cold.
Around May/June has been suggested ?
Maybe a week or ten days to “see” England.
Any advice re timing or an itinerary ?
Cost is not too much of an issue.
I don’t mean 5-star stuff but hardly backpacker joints either.
Middle level I guess. Maybe B&Bs.
We realize that the time-frame will only enable us to get a snapshot of the place.
You’ll be dropping into the capital will you?
London is always a must and loved by the tourists.
A red London bus , once seen, is never forgotten.
St Paul’s Cathedral in the background is always worth a visit too. Great early English architecture.
With our weather, you really can’t guarantee anything. Who knows what May or June will be like. Personally I would have thought somewhere around July to Sept might be warmer.
Have you nothing planned regarding your itinerary? If not, you surprise me TBH. I thought most folk who were visiting another country had stuff planned in advance regarding sights/places of interest.
Have you done a reccie online of the places of interest and B & Bs in the places you are visiting?
You are dead right, Pesta.
The decision to actually go has been very recent.
So we are just at the very beginning of the planning stage.
It seems that we’ve got the best part of a year to get our act together.
Just thought that some of the wise heads here might give us a few pointers in that planning / itinerary process that we might not otherwise consider.
Not a prob, Purwell. Both wine-drinkers.
Would expect to be able to get some fine Western Australian sav blanc or even French bubbly .
Whilst in Ireland, I guess that Guinness will be de rigueur.
Virtually nothing, Pesta.
Except, as I said to visit the localities of our forebears.
I can see I should come back later when we have done even a modicum of homework.
Think that’s probably best. What would you like to visit, what are your interests (besides cats ;-)), museums, art, hilly, flat, country, town, castles, breweries …
I’m sure Morty is playing you at your own game, WumPum. You probably already realise that isn’t St Paul’s.
And St Paul’s is several hundred years later than Early English!
Seriously, if you want to see England you really can’t miss Yorkshire: history, beautiful landscapes, better beer than anywhere else in the country (don’t drink the southern stuff - witches piss), world-leading cricket (I know the Australians could do with some tips), and friendly welcoming people… like me.
Not much into museums or art.
I guess trying to cover England, Scotland and Ireland in four weeks means we’ll be pretty much restricted to just the normal touristy stuff.
In London, say, for just a few days - Buck Palace, Westminster Abbey, Parliament, St Pauls, that bloody big ferris wheel thing (London Eye ?) - that sort of stuff.
Actually, I prefer to spend time with people as much as places or things.
Try to get to now the natives - so to speak.
I am into pubs - but wifey, not so much.
And I’d like to sample the music wherever we go.
EDIT: And yes, an absolute must - one or two of those places where the Muslim demographic is most prominent.
Would love to chat with a few about the attitudes they encounter.
What would you like to visit, what are your interests (besides cats ;-)), museums, art, hilly, flat, country, town, castles, breweries …
… :-p