If you’re planning a trip to the British Isles, be sure to include theses destinations on your itinerary. These are some of my favorite cities in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. Click on the heading for more details and photos.
Shrewsbury, England:A picturesque river city in Shropshire with a medieval past.
Shrewsbury School Across the River Severn
Conwy, Wales:A beautiful little coastal town in Northern Wales with an awesome castle.
Conwy Castle on the North Coast of Wales
Inverness, Scotland:A city in the Scottish Highlands near Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle.
Inverness Castle, Inverness, Scotland
Galway, Ireland: This eclectic city on the west coast of Ireland is the gateway to Clifden and Connemara.
A Good Starting Point for Planning Your British Isles Itinerary
This summary of the itinerary for my recent 18 day trip through the British Isles will, hopefully, help jumpstart your own trip planning process. I’ve just completed a detailed series of postings featuring each city I visited, including where I stayed, how I got there and what I saw at each stop along the way. If you decide to follow this itinerary you’ll get a good overview of England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, while keeping the travel times each day to a minimum. For me, getting there is half the fun, so I love riding the trains and buses through the countryside from one town to the next. This is often a great way to meet people and it’s wonderful to be able to leave the driving to someone else when you’re on vacation. If you’re traveling in a group of two or more, however, it may be more economical to rent a car, but remember, driving a car with manual transmission on the opposite side of those narrow roads is not for the faint of heart!
London, England
Customize to Fit Your Own Schedule
A word of caution…as a solo, budget traveler, I like to squeeze as much as I can into my trips, so this pace may be a bit fast for some. If that’s the case or if you don’t have three weeks, you can use any portion of this schedule and tailor it to fit your own timetable. One possibility, for example, would be to separate it into two trips, the first just concentrating on England, Wales and Scotland and the second just on Ireland. Another suggestion would be to do England and Wales in one trip and Scotland and Ireland in another. By dividing the trip in this manner you would have time to spend two nights in some of the major cities like London, Edinburgh and Dublin and at major scenic destinations like the Cliffs of Moher and the Ring of Kerry in Ireland.
Conwy, Wales
City by City Itinerary
As you can see from a quick look at the list below, you will be traveling to some of the most famous and interesting destinations in the world…and getting from one place to the next will take you through some of the most beautiful scenery on the planet. Here goes!
1) London, England
-arrived by plane from SFO
2) Bath, England
-by train, 1 hour 45 minutes
3) Cardiff, Wales
-by train, 1 hour
4) Shrewsbury, England
-by train via Swansea, 8 hours
-scenic Heart of Wales train journey
5) Conwy, Wales
-by train, 2 hours 30 minutes
6) York, England
-by train, 5 hours
7) Edinburgh, Scotland
-by train, 2 hours 30 minutes
8) Inverness, Scotland
-by train, 4 hours
-scenic Highlands train journey through Cairngorm Mountains
-LochNess
9) Glasgow, Scotland
-by train, 4 hours
10) Belfast, Northern Ireland
-by train and ferry, 6 hours
11) Londonderry, Northern Ireland
-by train, 2 hours
12) Sligo, Ireland
-by bus, 2 hours 30 minutes
13) Galway, Ireland
-by bus, 2 hours 30 minutes
-Clifden and Connemara
14) Limerick, Ireland
-by train, 2 hours
-Cliffs of Moher
15) Tralee, Ireland
-by bus, 2 hours
-Dingle Town
16) Killarney, Ireland
-by bus, 1 hour
-Ring of Kerry
17) Cork, Ireland
-by bus, 1 hour 30 minutes
-Blarney Castle
18) Dublin, Ireland
-by bus, 4 hours 15 minutes
Loch Ness, Scotland
Summary of Expenses
Airfare: (San Francisco to London and Dublin to San Francisco) $807.00
Land Transportation: (trains and buses) $613.00
Lodging: $1,327.00 (average $74.00 per night)
Food: $144.00 (doesn’t include breakfast which came with most hotels)
Incidentals (including entrance fees): $73.00
Total Expenses:$2,964.00
Londonderry, Northern Ireland
Las Vegas or Europe?
Depending on what part of the country you’re coming from, a round trip plane ticket to Las Vegas can cost anywhere from $200 to $500. For just a few hundred more you could fly to the British Isles and see something new and exciting. Remember, either way you still have to eat and sleep, so the expenses once you get to either destination will be similar. The choice was a no-brainer for me! Considering all the fantastic things I saw, the wonderful people I met and the awesome accommodations I had on my nearly three week trek through England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland, doing all this for less than $3,000 was a great value for this budget traveler. Be sure to check out the other articles in this series for more details on planning your trip to the British Isles. Tally Ho and Cherrio!
Leen’s Bed and Breakfast in Killarney, Ireland was one of the nicest places I stayed during my trip through the British Isles. I arrived there at 9:30 AM by bus from Tralee in order to catch the 10 AM Ring of Kerry tour bus and the proprietors could not have been more accommodating. They gave me a warm welcome and allowed me to check in early so that I could freshen up and leave my main pack before setting out on the tour. I had arranged both the room and the tour bus the day before at the Tralee Tourist Office for a $7 booking fee. My accommodations at Leen’s Bed and Breakfast included a nice room with private bath and a wonderful full Irish Breakfast, all for $54, an excellent value for the price.
Leen’s Bed and Breakfast, Killarney, Ireland
A Great Location
Leen’s Bed and Breakfast is located in a nice, quiet residential area within easy walking distance of most of the major attractions in Killarney. There are four bedrooms available, including single, twin, double and triple accommodations and each room has an en suite bathroom. Each room also has television, wireless internet connectivity and tea and coffee tray. Leen’s can also accommodate groups at a reduced rate and as an added benefit for those traveling by rental car, private parking is available.
Bedroom at Leen’s Bed and Breakfast, Killarney, Ireland
All the Comforts of Home
My bedroom at Leen’s Bed and Breakfast was bright, clean, comfortable and modern and had all the comforts of home. It also had a nice window that looked out on the pleasant, peaceful surrounding neighborhood. The proprietor, Siobhan Leen, prepared a wonderful full Irish breakfast which I thoroughly enjoyed in the cheery breakfast room before heading off to catch the bus to Cork the next morning. Leen’s Bed and Breakfast had all the qualities I look for and more when considering a place to stay. It was clean, comfortable, safe, well located and operated by a friendly, helpful staff in addition to being a good value. I’m quite sure you will enjoy Leen’s Bed and Breakfast as much as I did on your next visit to Killarney, Ireland.
The Llys Llewelyn Guest House…An Awesome Accommodation
As the gateway to Snowdonia National Park, Conwy, Wales is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the British Isles. At certain times of the year finding accommodations there can be difficult without planning ahead and that is exactly the situation I found myself in when I stepped off the train early in the afternoon on a Wednesday in late May. After checking several ‘bed and breakfasts’ near the center of this historic, medieval town and finding them fully booked, someone suggested that I try the Llys Llewelyn Guest House just a few blocks up the hill in an area of Conwy appropriately called Mount Pleasant. It was located right next to the old town walls and afforded a spectacular view of the town, river and castle below.
Llys Llewelyn Guest House Next to the Old Town Walls
One of My Favorite Sleeps!
From the moment I spotted the impressive edifice and walked up the front courtyard, I could see why this place was listed as a historic building. Roger Hughes was covering for his father that day and invited me in when I rang the bell. He had a room with private bath available for $48 including a traditional English breakfast. I was soon checking in to a large room that included two beds, a television, and a table with a fully stocked coffee and tea tray. The room was clean, cheery and welcoming and was appointed in what I would call ‘old fashioned’ décor. After unpacking and getting myself organized I was soon out the door and on my way to explore Conwy. I had only to step across the street to find an ancient stone stairway leading to the top of the old town walls where I began my walking tour of this quaint Welsh village.
Room #1 Looking Out to the Town Below
Like Being in an Old British Movie
After a wonderful day of exploring Conwy and environs, which I described in my previous posting, I returned to the Llys Llewelyn Guest House around 9 PM exhausted and ready to sit down with a cup of tea. Even at this hour it was still light out way up there in the northern latitudes. I plopped myself down in the overstuffed chair by the window looking out at the estuary and the town below and watched the darkness settle in. As the lights in town came on one by one and the castle gradually faded into a mere silhouette in the shadows below I began to feel like I was in an old British movie. I could almost see Robert Donat and Madeleine Carroll coming up the walk (The 39 Steps) and half expected Dame May Whitty to knock on my door (The Lady Vanishes). OK, maybe I’m getting a little carried away, but you had to be there. It really was an entrancing feeling to be a part of this wonderful setting so far from home.
Dining Room at the Llys Llewelyn Guest House
Up Early for Breakfast
Alas, the knock never came on my door and after a good night’s sleep I was up early the next morning to catch the train to York, England. After packing, I went down to a charming dining room to find the owner, Alan Hughes, waiting to take my order. He prepared a delicious breakfast and then asked if I would mind if he pulled up a chair so we could chat. I was glad to have the company and enjoyed hearing him talk about the history of the area and how he came to be the proprietor of the guest house after retiring as a Welsh Olympic ski coach. He explained how he enjoyed meeting his guests who came from all over the world and that having an opportunity to get to know them was reward enough for his efforts as a good host. After breakfast we took a quick tour of the rest of the facility which has a number of large well-furnished bedrooms available, including family, twin and double, most with en-suite facilities. If you’re lucky enough to find yourself in Conwy, Wales I recommend Room #1 at the Llys Llewelyn Guest House, so you can sit in that chair by the window at the end of a busy day of sightseeing and watch the sun go down!
Alan Hughes, Proprietor, in the TV Lounge of the Guest House
Well, I did it again! Just got back from another fabulous three week journey to one of the most beautiful and interesting parts of the world, all without spending a lot. This time I traveled through England, Wales and Scotland by train, crossed the Irish Sea by ferry and then toured Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland by bus. The weather could not have been nicer and I met friendly folks everywhere I went. It was my first visit to Wales and Ireland, which made the trip particularly special, and I was able to squeeze in even more than I had anticipated. Believe me…everything you have heard about the beautiful countryside and the friendly people who inhabit this area is true!
Off We Go into the Wild Blue Yonder
A Trek Through England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland
From York to Cork, Derry to Kerry, Conwy to Galway, and Killarney to Blarney…I saw it all and everything in between! In the next few posts on this travel blog I will be describing some of the highlights of the trip, including photos of the castles I explored, my visit to the ancestral homes of my Grandparents in Edinburgh, Scotland, a picturesque train ride through the heart of Wales, and the stunningly beautiful scenery of the Emerald Isle. Every trip has its share of adventures and this one was no exception. You won’t want to miss the upcoming articles where I recount my experiences kissing the Loch Ness Monster and searching for the Blarney Stone. Or was it searching for the Loch Ness Monster and kissing the Blarney Stone? Be sure to check back later to find out!
Cliffs of Moher, Ireland
Lots of Travel Tips
If you are contemplating a trip to the British Isles, I will have lots of information, suggestions and tips on transportation, points of interest, itineraries and lodging. With a little bit of advance planning, you will be surprised at the reasonable rates available for ground transportation throughout this region. I had extremely good luck finding high quality lodging everywhere I went, often staying in Bed and Breakfasts along the way. Many of them were truly outstanding and I will be providing detailed information and links to the establishments that I can recommend to my readers. One of the most fun parts of my journey was meeting and getting to know the proprietors of some the B and Bs where I stayed.
Spooky Castles!
Let’s Go!
So, hang on tight and prepare yourself for an interesting overview of the British Isles that will give you lots of good ideas for planning your own vacation. Remember, you, too, can have a wonderful, fun filled trip, packed with adventure, history, beautiful scenery and friendly people, all without spending a lot.
