Travel journalists give trip advice for a living—yammer, yammer–so it’s refreshing to have real tips from real people.
Lee Ann and Bill Hieber of Cincinnati have traveled to the Continent before, but this was their first trip to England and Scotland. They offer a few tested tips:
- Restrict yourself to one medium-sized suitcase per person, on wheels! Much of the UK is not handicap-accessible in the way we’re accustomed to, and you want to be able to maneuver your own bag up and down stairs, on public transportation and along city streets if necessary. Just pack what you really need!
- Take the Underground (London’s subway) to/from Heathrow Airport; a cab is prohibitively expensive. The Piccadilly line of the Underground goes directly to/from Heathrow for £4/$6.50 per person, one way. It took us about 50 minutes from Piccadilly station to the airport, so allow enough time. The Gatwick Express train is a little more expensive than the Underground, but the quickest transportation to/from Gatwick Airport.
Bill Hieber, left, catching up with a fraternity brother in London over a pint. Lee Ann Hieber photo
- Stay in bed-and-breakfasts whenever possible. We chose to plan our itinerary ahead of time and made all our reservations via the internet prior to leaving the U.S. Just “Google” bed and breakfasts in the given location and you’ll get all kinds of information. Not only are these generally less expensive than hotels, but it gives you a chance to interact with the owners and other travelers in a less formal setting. Sometimes in B&B’s the price is “per person” rather than “per room,” so be sure to check that out before making a reservation.
- Get a good guide book and read about each destination right before you arrive there—we like Rick Steves. That way, the information is fresh in your mind. We found so many “free” or “near free” sights and activities that we would never have found on our own. A good guide book is invaluable!
- You just about have to rent a car if you want to get out of the cities and into the countryside. Just keep repeating to yourself, “Stay on the left, stay on the left!” When driving in a roundabout, if you get off at the wrong exit you can usually just go a short way, turn around, go back into the roundabout and correct your mistake. You don’t want to drive in the cities! We arranged to pick up our car at Heathrow after leaving London and turned it in when we arrived in Edinburgh. The cities all have fantastic public transportation.
