road trip routes to Edinburgh

[Pappa Lurve]

Right, PH massive....

An old mate of my fathers is coming back to england for a visit after 50 odd years in oz. He emailed me the below. Suggestions please! They are great fun and very active couple but this is more a nice pretty drive or interesting places more than a hoon. Think more the Rolls end of the driving market as oppose to the ariel atom!

Im clueless so any ideas would be a massive help.

To leave London on 31st July and spend one night in Bath then onto Cotswolds and I want to stay near Gloucester where I have a n old Friend. We need to be in Edinburgh by 9th August

I would like to get to York and the lake district  visiting Stonehenge on the way. I am really looking for suggestions...

Mods, if this is the wrong forum, please move it and accept my apologies!

[Davie]

Are they coming back or is this one way? Not in a macabre sense of the word...

London > Stonehenge > Bath > Lakes > A7 to Edinburgh > A68 south > York > London

Plenty to see and do on that route.

[blearyeyedboy]

You might realise this already but the first thing is that Stonehenge isn't on your way- you have to drive southeast out of Bath to get there. It's just north of Salisbury.

That said, it's not far away from Bath and it's a scenic enough drive. Go south east on the A36 out of Bath, which will get you most of the way before you take the A303 towards Andover. (Stonehenge is just off the A303.)

If you're heading back to the Cotswolds, save yourself a detour and go back via the A338/A348 through Marlborough, over the M4 (bypassing Swindon) and taking the A419 back towards Cirencester. That'll get you back on track for the Cotswolds.

If you're looking for decent Cotswolds places, I would strongly recommend taking the A429 out of Cirencester, which will take you through Stow-on-the-Wold, Bourton-on-the-Water and similarly picturesque Cotswold places. Keep going up that road and you'll get to Stratford on Avon with all its Shakespeare connotations, if your guest(s) are looking for some English heritage? The other advantage of Stratford on Avon is that it's near the M40 just south of Birmingham and you can use the motorway network to make some miles to get further north to the Peak District/Lake District on your way up North as you go.

That'd be enough to fill two days of looking around though, easily. Beware of squeezing too much in if you've only got limited time, or it can easily turn into looking at Stonehenge for 2 minutes, driving furiously, looking at a pretty village for 2 minutes, driving furiously... etc.

Edited by blearyeyedboy on Wednesday 2nd April 18:13

[Pappa Lurve]

Dave - they wont be coming back... well, not in a car and hopefully not in a hearse! Thank you for the suggestion but you made me laugh and spill my coffee, so thanks minus a coffee :-p

Any more suggestions?

Also nice hotels, restaurants, things to see etc. They are not wedded to only staying in the top hotels etc, more interesting places but they are also not terribly worried about costs so anything from free upwards is cool.

Thanks

[lamboman100]

Via Michelin's "discovery route" planner is yer friend:

http://www.viamichelin.co.uk/web/Routes

Something like:

London
Stonehenge
Cheddar Gorge (caves)
Bath
Cotswolds / Ross-on-Wye
Snowdonia
Lakes
Glencoe / Ben Nevis
Edinburgh
London

[blearyeyedboy]

I can really recommend this unusual place in the Cotswolds: (Mods- I've got no affiliation to this hotel)

http://www.threewayshousehotel.com

[ImpossiblyDaft]

Easiest way of slotting in Stonehenge would be before going to Bath, rather than after; go M3, A303, Stonehenge, A36.

[Pappa Lurve]

Many thanks chaps! I'll email him all that tonight to see what he thinks and try to focus it a bit if need be. My late father and he grew up together so I would like what will probably be his last ever time in the uk to be something he and his wife will really enjoy.

Keep ideas coming please and there is a prize for the best idea.... probably.... well, a free beer and I'll even drink it for the winner as that the kind of top chap I am!!!

[Mastodon2]

Leaving London on the 31st, two nights in hotels down south, to be in Edinburgh by the 9th? I know you said more Rolls Royce than Ariel Atom, but that is a slow trip.