This week, I’m continuing my England series with one of my favorite topics – road trips! During our recent three-week stay in England, we managed to work our way to most major areas of the country. Now I want to share our itinerary – and some new ideas! – with you so you can plan your own UK road trip.
Our trip wasn’t perfect and it might not match exactly what you need – feel free to change any components, add days here, change transportation there. This UK road trip itinerary is just a guide to get you started!
UK Road Trip Starting Point
Whichever starting city you choose, make sure to factor in some time at the beginning to adjust to any time changes or cultural-pace differences. No one wants you stepping off a long-distance flight and immediately picking up a rental car. Do yourself (and everyone!) a favor and wait at least a day before heading out of the starting city. Ideally you will be leaving from a city you want to explore anyways, so give yourself that time to explore before heading out!
The starting point is up to you but for this blog post, I’m going to choose two major cities – either London or Edinburgh. My ideal plan would be to start in one and end in another, but choosing to make your route circular is totally possible – you’ll just need to throw in a quick flight or train ride to get back to your starting point. London and Edinburgh are major hubs, making them both easy starting points.
Some quick tips on renting a car in the UK:
There are some pretty general tips on renting a car anywhere – fully inspect the car before leaving the lot, check with your credit card company for existing car rental insurance, make sure you can legally drive in the destination country – but there are also some things that are unique to renting a car in the UK.
- The obvious – you’ll be driving on the left side of the road. Take some time to look up videos or driving simulations to get yourself in the right mindspace before you arrive.
- The road rules may be different – this is a biggie and one that I suspect is easy to overlook if you’re booking things in a hurry. Take some time to look into the most important road signs and markings so once you’re on the road, you’re prepared.
- If you’re going with your credit card insurance, make sure you have coverage/protection for tires. It’s unbelievably easy to get a flat tire in the UK thanks to the small roads in the countryside – trust me, we’ve popped a tire in the middle of nowhere in Scotland because of rocks lining the edge of the road.
- If you’re going into the countryside, pre-check your route for garages and gas stations – it’s better to flag them in Google Maps than to be broken down in the countryside with no clue where to go.
- Check if your car rental is an automatic or manual transmission before booking – the majority of cars in Europe appear to be manual transmission and if you’re an American, chances are you haven’t been taught how to drive stick. If that’s you (and me too, that’s ok!), make that clear in your search when booking.
My Ideal Route for a UK Road Trip
Starting in London (or flip it and do the reverse route) – you’ll want to savor a few days in the big city. Get acclimated to any time difference, do some shopping, visit the sites before moving to our first stop. To save the most money on your road trip, plan out where you can rely on public transport and where you absolutely have to have a car – most places in the UK are accessible without a car but some areas like the Cotswolds are more enjoyable when you can drive yourself.
- Cantebury
- Dover
- Rye
- Brighton
- Bath
- Stow-on-the-Wold, the Cotswolds
- Bakewell, the Peak District
- Skipton, Yorkshire Dales
- Ullswater, the Lake District
- Glasgow, Scotland
- Edinburgh, Scotland
Stop 1. Canterbury
A cathedral city in southeast England, Canterbury is the quintessential medieval town in England you’ve always wanted to visit. The setting of “Canterbury Tales”, you’ll find cobble stone streets and medieval walls. There’s lots to entertain in Canterbury, including the Canterbury Cathedral, Howletts Wild Animal Park, St. Augustine’s Abbey and more. The city feels like stepping back in time and it’s a wonderful way to start your road trip through the countryside.
Canterbury is a roughly 1.5 hour train ride from London, a direct line on the Southeastern line from London Bridge station.
Stop 2. Dover
From Canterbury, it’s only natural to swing down to Dover to view the famous White Cliffs of Dover. The Southeastern line will take you to Dover Priory in 30 minutes. From the station, you are in walking distance to Dover Castle and the White Cliffs National Trust. Dover is a popular stop but it’s also a port city, so you can expect a more industrial feel than other places on our itinerary.
Want to skip Canterbury and head straight to Dover? You’ll find routes via the underground and Southeastern directly from London. If you have a car, consider driving over to the coastal city of Deal for adorable settings (just look at the local Airbnb listings!) and a less industrial feel than Dover.
Stop 3. Brighton
Brighton is a very popular location on the southern coast of England and a fun stop (especially for families) on road trips. Between Dover and Brighton, you’ll pass through some really beautiful areas in Sussex. If you have time and a car, consider going for a hike among the South Downs.
The Seven Sisters are another set of white cliffs in the South Downs which you may recognize from a number of movies – we did some really easy but magnificent walks around here (with a toddler in tow too). The National Trust building at the Seven Sisters sells packaged sandwiches and a wide array of drinks – the perfect picnic plan on your way to Brighton.
Without a car, you can get to Brighton by taking the train to Ashford International Station, and then change again at Hampden Park in Eastbourne. If you haven’t picked up a car yet, Brighton is a good place to do it because you’ll have a few more options than other smaller towns.
Stop 4. Bath
From Brighton, it’s a 3 hour drive to Bath, a major arts city with lots of history. On your way there, take a short detour over to Stonehenge – or Stourhead for those 2005 Pride and Prejudice fans. The drive between Brighton and Bath isn’t bad – you’ll be mostly on A36 which isn’t a small country road but also isn’t one of the large highways. Expect a lot of roundabouts and don’t stress – once you’ve been driving for a bit, it will feel really natural driving in the UK.
Bath is a busy city and there’s a lot to see. I would recommend at least two days here – if you want to get a little outside the city, you can always pop over to Cheddar Gorge which is outside of Bath. This is a great outdoorsy spot for nice hikes and beautiful photos.
Stop 5. Stow-on-the-Wold
The city of Bath is a natural stepping stone to the Cotswolds. It’s up to you how much time you want to spend here. Personally, I would save more time for other regions of England, but it could take you a couple of days to see all the adorable villages here. King Charles’s long-term residence, Highgrove, is here and hosts garden walks. Bibury is a great stop if you’re looking for a picturesque village. There are lots of walks, and castles like Sudbury Castle – which is a fantastic stop with kids.
Feel free to sub in whichever Cotswold village you want to visit here – Stow-on-the-Wold and Bourton-on-the-Water are the more touristy villages and you’ll find a lot of charm outside of them. There’s a bus that can take you through the Cotswolds but it’s not the fastest and you’ll have to switch routes to see everything.
Personally, I say choose somewhere to stay that’s close to what you want to get out of this area. Do you want to stay in a quaint village where you can visit the pub or grab afternoon tea along a canal? Or do you prefer countryside walks on the outskirts? You can’t go wrong if you choose a location based on your activity preference.
Stop 6. Bakewell
On our recent road trip across England, we went from the Cotswolds to the Peak District. In hindsight, I wish I could go back and add more days in the Peak District. This area is so lovely and there are so many walks and hikes we missed out on – it makes me want to go back!
Bakewell is a nice village central to a lot of sights to see – you’ll be close to Chatsworth House and the town of Matlock – the latter of which is a fun destination for young children! Actually, both are great for children – my 2 year old loved the farm animals at Chatsworth House – it was one of the highlights of our trip!
If you’re a Jane Austen fan, you can’t miss the Peak District – besides Chatsworth House, you’ll also find the 1995 version of Pemberley at Lyme Park. It’s not a difficult drive between the two if you want to just have a Pemberley travel day. Both houses are unique and stunning in their own right – and you’ll be blown away by rolling mist around Chatsworth House and hordes of Red Deer running to greet you on the Lyme estate.
Stop 7. Windermere
From the Peak District, drive on up to the Lake District for a few days. The easiest place to reach is most likely Windermere if you’re coming from the Peak District. There’s a bus route that can take you through the Lake District, so it’s possible to base in Windermere and still visit the other lakes in the district. You could easily spend 3-4 days here if you want to visit the different lakes and get some hiking in.
The Lake District is one of the country’s most beautiful natural areas and one you definitely want to include on your itinerary. From here, you can choose to swoop down through the Yorkshire Dales and over to York or you can continue North up through Carlisle and make your way to Glasgow.
Stop 8. Skipton
For our road trip, we ended up basing ourselves in the area of Skipton. The Yorkshire Dales are so underrated and worth a visit if it makes sense for your itinerary. There’s a lot to see near Skipton – the Brimham Rocks being one you shouldn’t miss out on! There’s also Bolton Abbey, Malham Cove, and Janet’s Foss – popular film locations you may recognize.
There are a lot of villages around Skipton that will give you great countryside options for accommodations. You’ll find some of the most quaint and bucolic villages in this area. Personally, I felt like I got more of the authentic English countryside feel from the Yorkshire Dales than the Cotswolds, if that is what you’re looking for.
Stop 9. York
From Skipton, I would make my way over towards York and the North York Moors. York is a busy city with lots to do, feel free to stay a few days here or just one day. This is a good place to get some shopping done and to grab some ice cream in the abbey gardens while waiting for your canal boat trip through the city. Walk the city walls, visit the transportation museum (a hit with a two year old!), and walk through the York Cathedral.
If you want to minimize the days you’re driving, I would recommend leaving your car behind around Skipton if possible (or drive into Leeds to drop it off) and then take the train to York. There’s plenty of transportation options from this point where a car isn’t necessary.
Stop 10. Edinburgh
From York, my ideal trip would end with taking the 2.5 hour train from York to Edinburgh, Scotland. Remember, you can always flip the itinerary and start in Edinburgh too if you prefer. I find it better to do a one-way road trip instead of circling back to London because circling back seems unnecessary. But this is your itinerary – you adjust as you need. Taking the train from York to London is easily doable if you’re flying back from London.
I loved Edinburgh so much when we went for our honeymoon, so ending our road trip there makes the most sense to me. Don’t miss out on a walk to the top of Arthur’s Seat, visit Edinburgh Castle, and wander through street markets before heading home.
UK Road Trip Must-See Stops
Now that I’ve outlined a route for an English countryside road trip route, here are some additional ideas for extra stops you can add to your itinerary. These are a little out of the way but these are stops I wouldn’t want to miss!
- Dorset/Cornwall – if you’re able, add an extra two days and visit Land’s End or Lyme Regis
- Forest of Dean – visit Puzzlewood from the Cotswolds – easy and fun for the family
- Snowdonia, Wales – a little further but you can’t miss if you want to check Wales off your list
- Robin Hood’s Bay – take the steam train through the North York Moors to Whitby, and then pop over to Robin Hood’s Bay for a picturesque seaside lunch
More travel ideas in the UK:
The Best Places to Stay with Kids in England