The mistake made by most visitors to the United Kingdom — many British citizens too, actually — is to see it as one entity. Politically that’s true. But the Act of Union of 1707 masks the fact that this is four distinct nations: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Each has its own character and frequently its own vocabulary. For outsiders that’s a holiday jackpot; it’s four countries for the price of one, each rich in heritage and gorgeous scenery in 15 national parks.
England has the wonky medieval towns and stately homes among soft hills shown in films. Wales lives up to fantasies of green valleys and rugby singalongs, and its national pride and language is in rude health. Scotland, too, becomes more Scottish by the year. You’ll come for whisky and Highland romance and you’ll discover a nation with the community spirit of the best parts of Scandinavia; no wonder, since some parts of Scotland are closer to Norway than to London. Northern Ireland is different again, a complex stew of Irish and British.
All nations share a currency and a love of sarcastic humour. In each you’ll get pints in pubs. You’ll always be offered fry-ups at breakfast (although I’d warn against always ordering one). Yet such similarities mask the differences. And that’s the thing about the United Kingdom: it’s only by touring the country as a whole that you grasp what makes each nation distinct. The sights en route aren’t too shabby either. Welcome to the best road trip in Europe.
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What to do
Start in London, the nation’s melting pot with its icons — the Tower of London and St Paul’s Cathedral, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey just to name a few. Now for a spin through English landmarks: Windsor Castle and the dreaming spires of Oxford; Unesco-listed Stonehenge then Bath’s Regency streets and ancient Roman spa. I’d stretch my legs in the Cotswolds — touristy Bourton-on-the-Water or pretty Painswick — en route to Stratford-on-Avon. The scenery flexes its muscles as you go north towards medieval York (arrive via the Peak District) before crossing the Yorkshire Dales National Park into the Lake District: mountains, lakes, luxury. Perfect.
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You’ll know when you’ve arrived in Scotland: saltires replace Union Jacks on flagpoles and buskers will be playing bagpipes in the Old Town of Edinburgh. It’s a terrific introduction. But the hills beyond are tempting too. Take Scotland’s most scenic drive: through Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, then Glen Coe to Fort William beneath Britain’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis. Google Maps suggests three hours; I’d allow a full day. Next, Skye, looking like something from a Celtic myth but with restaurants and hotels that are bang up to date. You’ll eat and sleep like royalty. Get to the island via Glenfinnan (famous for Bonnie Prince Charlie and the train to Hogwarts) and Arisaig (fine kayaking territory) then take a ferry from Mallaig. Return via the road bridge to make the ferry from Stranraer to Belfast. Time for a pint of Guinness in a pub throbbing to folk music. Another? Go on, then.
The boisterous Northern Irish capital is the gateway to the Causeway Coast, a glorious coastal route slaloming through the region’s big-hitters (plus numerous Game of Thrones locations): the Glens of Antrim, Carrick-a-Rede for wobbly footbridge selfies, the nature-filled island Rathlin, the majestic, melancholic Giant’s Causeway and the whiskey town Bushmills. Back to Belfast for the ferry to Liverpool. Join a tour of Beatles sights then slip around the corner into Wales.
Promenade your ice cream along the UK’s finest pier at Llandudno and ascend battlements of Conwy Castle before the peaks around Snowdon. It’s the highest British mountain outside Scotland and is so British you can buy tea at the summit. No excuses: you can ascend by train. There’s time for Portmeirion and a scenic ride aboard the Ffestiniog Railway before driving south for beautiful coast around St Davids — a great base for activities — and the candy-coloured harbour of Tenby.
Where to stay
London has grande dame hotels for an introductory splurge. Beyond, Oxford and Bath are strong options, with the countryside around each littered with luxury hotels in mansions — ideal if the idea of living out Downton Abbey fantasies appeals. York makes a terrific historical base. Calmer options include nearby Harrogate, Ilkley or old coaching inns in the Yorkshire Dales — a chance to save money before a pampered stay in the Lake District. Don’t worry, walkers: none frown at muddy boots.
Time is tight in Edinburgh so spend extra to stay near the centre; either in the busy Old Town or in a boutique hotel in the Georgian New Town. Either way, go for a place that trades on its history. Skye is your next option for a blow-out — among the seriously good options here is Kinloch Lodge.
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Belfast deserves a night’s stay at least. Going north I’d base yourself in pretty Ballycastle (conveniently the terminal for a ferry to Rathlin Island) or in Bushmills. Good-value small hotels and B&Bs rule both.
Wales is also a bargain. Choose Llandudno for a heritage seaside stay or take your pick from hikers’ B&Bs and country inns in Snowdonia; the Dolgellau area has appealing small options. There are excellent boutique hotels in St Davids and outside Tenby; both are worth a couple of nights each.
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Don’t miss
The red-brick villages of the West Chilterns en route to Oxford have long been the stuff of movie magic. You’ll recognise Turville, Hambleden and Watlington from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Vicar of Dibley, Poirot and Midsomer Murders. You might not have time to explore all of the West Country but around Bath are market towns that offer tasters of its rural good life. Shepton Mallet and Frome, plus Stroud in the Cotswolds, are my picks. If you’re after somewhere more rural, head into Herefordshire or stop in the Wye Valley for a gentle day canoeing around Symonds Yat.
Matlock is worth half a day of anyone’s time en route through the Peak District towards York. The Lake District is magnificent — and busy. The alternative route north tracks the northeast coast: visit Scarborough, part-Victoriana, part surfers’ town; Robin Hood’s Bay and Whitby, which are knotted above harbours; then the Northumberland Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty for vast beaches, hulking Bamburgh Castle and proud towns such as Alnwick.
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A tip in Scotland: the North Coast 500 route is bumper-to-bumper, but few visitors tour the Argyll Coastal Route. See it as a two-day alternative route to Fort William; 130 miles of big, bold Highlands scenery travelling from Loch Lomond via Oban. I’d be tempted to skip touristy Skye and sail from Oban to Barra, the most accessible Hebridean island. Or for a change of pace before Skye, island-hop through the Small Isles from Mallaig: the hiking island Rum, community-spirited Eigg and birders’ island Canna. Leave the car — all of the islands are tiny.
In Wales, south Snowdonia is quieter than the north. The Llyn peninsula is almost undiscovered — just beaches, coast and beauty. If time allows on the return east from Tenby you should go through hills that look like an illustration in a child’s picturebook in Carmarthenshire and the Brecon Beacons. My pick of the small towns en route are Laugharne, Llandovery, Brecon, Hay-on-Wye and Crickhowell.
Best time to visit
Peak season is July and August. Come in May or June to see the countryside flushed with spring or in September to late October for golden late summer spilling into early autumn. A warning about the Highlands — late May to September is peak midge season.
FAQs
What’s the best way to travel around the UK?
With perseverance and a healthy bank balance touring by train is possible. Long-distance buses are cheap. However, both are sketchy beyond gateway destinations; regional transport in the UK is patchy. Your time is tight. You’re coming for the UK’s interesting corners, especially those in rural areas. That means touring by car.
Which seaside town is best?
It depends. Blackpool receives the most visitors but is a niche taste: raucous, brash. So contenders include St Ives, Dartmouth, Southwold, Bamburgh, Tenby, perhaps Portree in Skye. Yet consider what you’re after: lanes coiled above a working harbour; a proper community; blustery cliff walks; top-notch fish and chips. Only one excels in all: take a bow, Whitby.
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What are the least-visited corners of the UK?
Northumberland is the least populated region of England, too far north for most English visitors, too far south for Highlands-loving Scots. Ask most Britons about the Cambrian mountains’ stirring moors in central Wales or the Forest of Bowland near the Lake District and you’ll receive blank looks. A vote too for the pretty hills of the Yorkshire Wolds: “Hidden, small, full of valleys,” the artist David Hockney once said succinctly.
Inspired to visit the United Kingdom but yet to book your trip? Here are the best places to stay from Hotels.com, as well as the best UK tours from trusted travel partners
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