Tips and tricks request: 2 weeks UK trip in August

[MaxRed]

Hello everybody! We're planning a trip to UK this August. We have 2 weeks and want to see most of England and Scotland. I've create a map with places which we would like to visit , but probably I will not be possible to visit them all. Feel free to post more hints!

So my questions are:

1. Is it necessary to book camp sites in advance in August? We have ACSI membership, so probably try to find sites where ACSI card is accepted, but that's not a hard restriction.
2. I heard somewhere that it is possible to stay overnight on pub's parking spots, if I'm not mistaken there's a name for it and even a website where participating pub's are listed. Could you shed some light on this aspect please?
3. Any other tips are always welcome!

Thanks!

 

[MattBW]

You may struggle to see all of England and Scotland in 2 weeks, so it may be worth getting a few places you really want to see. We did the west side of Scotland and spent around 2 weeks doing so, and we could have gone longer. Once you get into the more remote parts of Scotland the roads are slower and it takes longer to get to places and you need to allow more travel time. Same for Cornwall in my view.

My favourite places are:
Cornwall (but it is a long drive and roads are slower)
Lake District (good to go through on the way to the West Coast of Scotland. Winderemere, Wastwater are my favs.
West Coast of Scotland (some great threads on here about Scotland). Applecross, Arisaig, Glenelg Inn, Sligachan.



1. August is the school holiday month so some places can be very busy and it may be good to book. However we have rarely booked and have always managed to find somewhere but August can be hardest. In remote parts of Scotland and Cornwall you should be fine.
2. One of those schemes is called Britstop http://www.britstops.com/
3. If you are going to Scotland or Cornwall for example and have never experienced single track roads with passing places then it may be worth reading up on them so you know what to expect.

 

[flying banana]

www.searchforsites.co.uk
download the app on google play. all the pub stops are on there. and small camps.
bear in mind that august is the big school break here in the uk so campsites in popular spots will be busy. especially in cornwall and the lake district. try and book a camp without a playground in it.

 

[Neilos]

Hi Max, I see you have Cambridge and Oxford marked on there. I’d personally pick one of those whichever works with your route. Being slightly biased I’d pick Cambridge as it’s my home town!


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[MaxRed]

www.searchforsites.co.uk
download the app on google play. all the pub stops are on there. and small camps.
bear in mind that august is the big school break here in the uk so campsites in popular spots will be busy. especially in cornwall and the lake district. try and book a camp without a playground in it.

Thanks! Regarding playground: my kids are 3 and 6, so playground on the campsite is almost a necessity ))

 

[katyjw]

Not a member, but I think this is what you've heard of...
http://www.britstops.com/

 

[Hotel California]

Looking at the maps you added with places you want to visit you better make it 2 months instead of 2 weeks .
You need to pick a area and start over again imo.
To much to see and lots will be slow travel . The UK is not like France where you easy can drive +1000km in on day if needed.
We been 3 times , our report is on the forum .

 

[MaxRed]

Looking at the maps you added with places you want to visit you better make it 2 months instead of 2 weeks .
You need to pick a area and start over again imo.
To much to see and lots will be slow travel . The UK is not like France where you easy can drive +1000km in on day if needed.

I was using Google Maps as driving distance/time estimation. It gave me Dover to Fort William about 900km and almost 10 hours. Which is doable in one day, but more comfortable to have 1 stop on the way.
So if I plan 6 days for Loch Lomond & surroundings, and 3 days for getting there and 3 days for back trip - I still have 2 more days to spent somewhere
Sounds reasonable to me, isn't it?
And if I don't go that far, say to Lake District as the northest point - it is going to be very relaxed...

 

[Hotel California]

We only been to the south and Wales .
If we would go to Schotland i would use the ferry taking us up higher and start the trip there instead to Dover and driving all the way .
Wanted to go this year again but due b r e x i t we set it back and now b r e x i t is set back so seems we are visiting the UK in 2019 .
Do let us know how your trip goes/was .

See here two of our our trips

South-West coast UK trip / meet Slimbridge

Heading of for the UK to join the meet at Slimbridge / Gloucester . Leaving behind our home in very sunny weather on thursday evening the 19th April , the plan is to drive up to Dunquerqe to get on the 6am ferry to Dover on friday the 20th. Just drove up in to the ferry terminal and parked up in...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

Meet in Tewksbury and a trip in Wales

Leaving home in Belgium today to set off to the UK . Plan is the meet at Tewksbury and a 10 days trip arround Wales . Got to the ferry in Dunquerke at 12pm to arrive at Dover 13pm lokal time. As we where tiped the Dungeness site is loveley we are overthere to spend our first night on UK ground(...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

 

[B J G]

Whilst it may be possible to do Fort William from Dover in 10 hours non stop the fact that UK roads are very busy means that they are also tiring to drive as there is little time to just relax and cruise. Fatigue sets in quite quickly especially having to adjust to driving on the other side of the road. Don't expect British drivers to be courteous, many are but ....

ACSI don't have many site options in the UK.

Looking at your map I'd say that you should forget all of the South and West part of England up to Liverpool, including around London, as that would take another 2 week trip to complete.

 

[MaxRed]

@hotel california , thanks for the links, I'll have a look!
I researched a bit over the ways to get to UK and especially end up north directly. In two words: crazy expensive!

There's an overnight ferry Newcastle - Amsterdam, which for 2 adults and 2 kids was >500 EUR!
Another ferry I was considering was Harwich - Hoek van Holland, but that's 7 hours and also not cheap. It was much faster to drive from our place in Leuven to Harwich via eurotunnel than taking that ferry.

So I ended up with eurotunnel there and Dover-Dunkirk ferry back (ferry is cheaper but longer time, I took it just for fun for the kids)

 

[MaxRed]

UK roads are very busy means that they are also tiring to drive as there is little time to just relax and cruise

Thanks for the tips! It look like ACC will pay off

 

[briwy]

I was using Google Maps as driving distance/time estimation. It gave me Dover to Fort William about 900km and almost 10 hours. Which is doable in one day, but more comfortable to have 1 stop on the way.
So if I plan 6 days for Loch Lomond & surroundings, and 3 days for getting there and 3 days for back trip - I still have 2 more days to spent somewhere
Sounds reasonable to me, isn't it?
And if I don't go that far, say to Lake District as the northest point - it is going to be very relaxed...

Yes Google may well say that but bear in mind that there are many roadworks on the UK motorways with sometimes long holdups. Also there are average speed cameras on nearly all motorways so it is very difficult to maintain a decent average speed. Looking at your map I don't think it's a practical proposition, you will end up frustrated, tired and only seeing things in passing.
As already mentioned I agree that you would be far better off either doing one or two parts of England and Wales and coming back for the Lakes and Scotland.