Best Road Trip Stops in the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom, aka the motherland of the romanticized royals, afternoon tea, and the Beatles. In 2016, I set out on a 16 day road trip with my travel bestie, Parker, and just about every other day, we explored a new city. Just imagine, rolling green hills, small English pubs, driving on the other side of the road, and endless UK accents. Swoon. Wondering where the best cities are to stop on your road trip in the UK?! Keep scrolling.
Photo Cred: Unsplash
We boarded our flight to London in late Summer. And as young 20 somethings on a budget, we chose to spend more money on excursions and traveling around rather than our hotel. So we chose to stay in small room Airbnbs or hostels. Never again in my life will I stay in a hostel as a 30 something but I have so many fond memories from this trip and hope I can inspire you to take a visit for yourself to feel nostalgic for your youth again.
Photo Cred: Unsplash
London, England
After checking into our first hostel, we hit the streets to find Big Ben. The best way to get around is taking “the Tube”, their subway system. You can buy day passes or one way tickets from the station. Here are some other of our favorite spots we stopped during the three days we were there before hitting the road:
The Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Walk
Natural History Museum
The Churchill Arms
Notting Hill neighborhood- Rika Moon
Borough Market
St. Paul’s Cathedral
Tower Bridge
Etch
Picadilly Square
Buckingham Palace
Parliament Building
Big Ben
Kew Gardens
Hoxton Hotel Rooftop Bar
York, England
About 3 hours from London is York, England. This is the city that New York City is named after. They have one of the oldest pubs in the country, right downtown, and there seems to be a great community surrounding the area. Felt like we stepped into a story book. We ended up meeting some friends at a pub and they showed us around. It was a fun, fuzzy night out.
Heres a list of what to check out in town:
Golden Fleece- Pub with patio est. 1503
Castle Tea Rooms
Bettys Cafe
Punch Bowl
We stayed at a small airbnb that you can take a peak at here (photos from Airbnb)! It was a 20 minute walk to town along the country road and had a pub on the first floor. Family owned and operated! Recommend for anyone who doesn’t mind a little noise. Only $38 USD a night.
Edinburg, Scotland
Next, we cruised the country side on our way to Edinburg, Scotland. The drive is absolutely gorgeous and there are roadside towns you can stop in to take in the scenery. I immediately felt at home. This capital city of the northern region of the United Kingdom has a rich history of knights, torturous monarchies, and underground cities. All very walkable from the Royal Mile.
Here is where we stopped and other experiences we enjoyed:
The Elephant House- Cafe where J.K. Rowling was rumored to have written some of the Harry Potter Novels
Royal Mile- road leading to the castle, touristy but cool
Underground Ghost Tour- explore the tunnels and caves that once house the dark parts of history in Scotland
Deacon’s House Scottish Cafe- tea room
Edinburgh Castle
St. Giles Cathedral- go inside and see if you have a Scottish surname. Pick the card and see what your last name means in the old language. My last name meant “faithful to our country”… MURICA.
Greyfriars Briar Dog Statue- rub his nose for good luck
Greyfriar’s Cemetery- It is a custom to leave a stick for the dog ghost that guards the dead. Of course I left the biggest stick I could find so he could love me the most out of the tourists of the day. Rumor has it that J,K. Rolling also used to walk around the cemetery, getting inspiration for her character’s names from the headstones (we found McGonagall). Oh and it is super haunted.
The best thing about Scotland is the people. The weather was decent when we were there in September, the food was impeccable and I feel like there is so much more to explore. We booked our two night stay at Kick Ass Hostels on Hostelworld.com and it was by far the nicest hostel of the trip. Good for large group travel.
Lochness, Scotland
Ever heard of the legend of Nessie, the mysterious dinosaur-like monster that haunts Lake Lochness?! Well, if you travel just a couple hours north of Edinburgh then you can “glamp” right near all the action. There are castles to explore, lake tours on the search for Nessie, and some touristy shops with cafes full of fresh tea.
As you drive to the next city, drive through the highlands. You can pull off anywhere and get you an eyeful of sheep fields and waterfalls. Bring your layers and prepare for the wind/rain. Kinda makes you understand why men in this country wear kilts.
Glasgow, Scotland
Our airbnb was a room on the fourth floor of a historic flat near the University of Glasgow. This university is the fourth oldest in the English speaking world, founded in the 1400’s. If you have ever wanted to feel like Harry Potter at Hogwarts, tour the grounds and try to blend in as students.
Click here to view Ishbel’s apartment for rent at $32/night.
Liverpool, England
Liverpool is the home town of the Beatles. They were discovered here and many of the same clubs/pubs they used to frequent are still open. Since we were detoured a few hours from our drive down from Scotland, we arrived late and had booked the worst hostel possible, right in the heart of town. Liverpool is cool buuuuut probably would never go back. Pop in for a night of pub hopping if you are a music fan and then, leave.
From Liverpool, we crossed the stream over to Ireland and continued our road trip there. If you wanna see my Ireland, recommendations, check out my Ireland blog (coming soon). Once we completed our Irish road trip, we re-entered the United Kingdom on our way back to London through the South of the island, Wales. Next stop…
Tenby, Wales
Tenby is a super quaint, coastal town with ferry access to Ireland close by. The journey across the water is around 3 hours. We knew when we arrived, we would wanna go check out the beach, grab some food, and check into our hotel. Here is where I recommend to do if you chose to stop in this colorful fishing village:
Castle Beach
St. Catherine’s Island
Tenby North Beach
Five Arches Tower- most preserved Medieval walls in the UK, built 12th century
Bar hop and get traditional food from the area
Grab an Ice Cream at a local creamery
Hotel- Premier Inn Tenby
Bath, England
You may have heard about this place because of it's appearance on “Bridgerton” or it’s location close to Stonehenge. The town is a UNESCO World Heritage city and it oozes charm. We picked a fun hostel at the top of the mountain and had a blast exploring the town below. Here are some spots worth checking out:
Photo Cred: Unsplash K. Mitch Hodge
Bath Abbey
The Yellow Shop- vintage
The Bell Inn- live music
Thermae Bath Spa
Royal Victoria Park
Fashion Museum Bath
Walk along the Canals- very Netherlands inspired
Make sure to make a stop at Stonehenge, close to Bath. We were surprised when we rolled up on it and were able to see it from the highway. Unfortunately, we got there at the same time as an all the day trippers from London and damn was it busy. Check out the museum with old artifacts and the stories of why this place was built so long ago. Do you think it was ancient engineering for spiritual rituals or it was… something else?! Do you wanna believe?!
From Stonehenge, the drive back to London is 1 hour 45 minutes on average. We stayed one more night in town before our flight out the next morning. Check out these other ideas I have saved for my next trip to London.
Peggy Porschen Cakes
West Mersea Beach
MR. Fogg’s House of Botanicals
Stay at Artist Residence
Olivia Von Halle Storefront
What to Pack
10/10 I regret I did not get my 65L pack earlier. The streets and country back roads are unforgiving to bags with wheels. So make sure to pack in duffles or bags that are easily carried up steep narrow spaces/stairs. Bring an umbrella and wellies (don’t wear with wool socks or you’ll get fungus toes), loads of layers, and a waterproof trench be prepared for any and all weather.
I know I will be back to the UK, either on a band trip or to visit the coastal town of West Mersea. And encourage you to jump the pond to explore the motherland. Make sure to stay tuned for part two of this road trip where we ferried to Ireland. Coming soon! I hope this travel guide has helped you pick the Best Road Trip Stops in the United Kingdom. Where are other places we should check out next time?! Comment your recs below.
