UK round trip

JPOSH
JPOSH Forum Participant Posts: 131
edited November 2016 in UK Campsites & Touring #1

Hello everyone.

the birth of our 2nd grand child in late may has changed our travel plans to europe with the caravan next year  so we are thinking of a round trip tour of uk starting and finishing in west wales. towing caravan with just the 2 of us over 50's. In june for
about 16 days, off grid is not a problem. Probabaly get to Betws y Coed on 1st day  then upto lake district and from there scotland come down east coast of england then home ,well thats the plan but if you have any better suggestions and reccomendations of
sites , cl's etc. then it would be most welcome.

 by the way

we like live music in pubs good food and walking .

thanks in advance

Comments

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited November 2016 #2

    If it were me I would be looking more at 8 weeks than two

  • Wildwood
    Wildwood Club Member Posts: 3,585
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    edited November 2016 #3

    Good luck it sounds exciting. The only thing I would say is iff you are venturing up the West coast of Scotland above Glasgow allow plenty of time for the travelling as the roads though passable can be slow. 

    If you indicate more precisely where in Scotland you are looking at there are several of us on here who will help.

  • JPOSH
    JPOSH Forum Participant Posts: 131
    edited November 2016 #4

    constraints of the dread W word unfortunately

    on the bright side i only have weeks to count now until retirement at 60

    183 weeks and 5 days to be exact

  • JPOSH
    JPOSH Forum Participant Posts: 131
    edited November 2016 #5

    probably midge free spectacular areas of western scotland

  • young thomas
    young thomas Club Member Posts: 11,357 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited November 2016 #6

    If it were me I would be looking more at 8 weeks than two

    sorry, Posh but i have to agree.....

    even with say 8 stops (not a lot in many hundreds of miles on all types of roads) youll only have 2 nights in each place, which in fact will turn ut to be one full day.....

    lots of driving, not much rest and enjoyment....

    sorry, but this sounds like blooming hard work....Sad

    do it properly in 183 days time....Wink

     

    ...ooops, just saw that was weeks.....Sad

    go on a cruise.....Wink

  • JPOSH
    JPOSH Forum Participant Posts: 131
    edited November 2016 #7

    yeah thinking about it

    probably right there

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited November 2016 #8

    I normally stay 5 nights on a site. Was 3 or 4 when I was younger LOL

     

    Mind you in those days you coukd (after phoning ahead) usually arrive on site by 9am

  • Bakers2
    Bakers2 Forum Participant Posts: 8,199 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2016 #9

    Congratulations on the grandchild news . I'd allow as much time as possible for a tour of UK and with only 16 days I'd explore the Lake District this time. We did six weeks in Scotland a few years back, nowhere near enough time, and we regularly visit
    friends in Ayrshire so that part already covered . Don't forget the midges on the west coast as well as the smaller roads. Small roads not an issue, gives more time to enjoy the journey!

  • JPOSH
    JPOSH Forum Participant Posts: 131
    edited November 2016 #10

    yep scrap this idea

     

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,155 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2016 #11

    16 days? No way, sorry. The others are right. 

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,073 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2016 #12

    Hi Jposh. It was our (early) retirement plan to take off and do the whole coastline trip around the UK, however for the present  two elderly and frail parents have put paid to anything beyond a week at the moment! We intended just to head off and go, hitting
    various places at key times of the year, and popping home solo every now and then to check on the house! I dont realistically think you could do the whole lot in two weeks, not without constantly driving which sort of defeats going some where really. perhaps
    better to choose a stretch and do that, and then start off your next trip where you left off? But good luck with it, hope you manage to get offHappy 

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited November 2016 #13

    I would use 7 weeks for each side of Scotland. If restricted to 16 days I would seriously look at no more than 4 or 5 sites. But still well worthwhile

  • JPOSH
    JPOSH Forum Participant Posts: 131
    edited November 2016 #14

    we did have a rule at one time less than a week no more than 2 hours drive and where we live its taken quite a bit of time to start breaking the rule. but we are breaking it on a regular basis now

     

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited November 2016 #15

    I try to keep down to 3 hours. First hop I am happy to do 4 hours. Before my arthritis was as bad I would happily tow 7 hours on first hop

  • JPOSH
    JPOSH Forum Participant Posts: 131
    edited November 2016 #16

    any ideas on ireland in this time frame ?

    we live about an hour from fishguard so straight onto the ferry

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited November 2016 #17

    I don't know Ireland but it sounds a better bet timewise

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,657 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2016 #18

    Beat me to it CT. 16 days should result in 4 or 5 sites which would do to cover the country as a taster.

  • Bakers2
    Bakers2 Forum Participant Posts: 8,199 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2016 #19

    Sorry not tried Ireland. Choppy bit of sea to cross . Somewhere I'd like to go but don't fancy the crossing, would do as flight and car hire I think myself

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,155 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2016 #20

    We 'did' Eire in 14 days and it was a bit rushed. We didn't travel north of an imaginary line from Dublin to Connemara so there was plenty of the island as a whole that we didn't see.

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
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    edited November 2016 #21

    Sorry not tried Ireland. Choppy bit of sea to cross . Somewhere I'd like to go but don't fancy the crossing, would do as flight and car hire I think myself

    Not always. I came down the Irish sea on a cruise ship and have a photo of the reflection of the ships bow on the water. 

     

  • Kennine
    Kennine Forum Participant Posts: 3,472
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    edited November 2016 #22

    Jposh -- If you don't mind a suggestion, :- to try and circumnavigate the UK with the van on the back within your time scale is a bit of a No No. 

    Yes you could drive around the UK within that time and view the countryside from within your car as you cruise along.  If this is what you want to do great,---- but if you want to actually tour the areas and find out what each area has to offer, it won't
    be possible.

    My humble suggestion is to choose a specific area and spend your 16 days there. 

    Cheers..................K

  • Athel
    Athel Forum Participant Posts: 80
    edited November 2016 #23

    If you do end up doing a bit of a tour the plough inn cl near Berwick Upon Tweed does fantastic food and is in a very nice area.

  • nelliethehooker
    nelliethehooker Club Member Posts: 13,657 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2016 #24

    Sorry not tried Ireland. Choppy bit of sea to cross . Somewhere I'd like to go but don't fancy the crossing, would do as flight and car hire I think myself

    Not always. I came down the Irish sea on a cruise ship and have a photo of the reflection of the ships bow on the water. 

     

    That's as maybe, but I would guess that there are many more days of rough seas than perfectly smooth ones in the Irish Sea.

  • scarletsfan
    scarletsfan Forum Participant Posts: 292
    edited November 2016 #25

    we did have a rule at one time less than a week no more than 2 hours drive and where we live its taken quite a bit of time to start breaking the rule. but we are breaking it on a regular basis now

     

    In Carmarthenshire it takes at least 1 1/2 hours to get out of Wales when towing