How to Plan a Route in the United Kingdom

Traveling in the United Kingdom is an intensely unique, refreshing and surprising experience. You get to experience a little bit of everything as you meander through the three countries that compose the U.K. Scotland is wild and rugged, Wales ethereal and charming and England is enchanting and charismatic. All feature a juxtaposition of old-world charm and modern advances, providing a feast for the senses for the world wanderer. To experience all of the unique pieces that make up the United Kingdom, it is best to plan a route before embarking on your journey.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Planning your Journey

Things You’ll Need:

Map Colored marker Internet access
Map
Colored marker
Internet access

Step 1

Buy or print out a good, comprehensive map of the U.K. Using a red (or colored) marker, circle the destinations you are interested in visiting.

Step 2

Choose a logical geographical order for where to go first, second, third and so on and draw a line between them. The easiest way is to go from north to south or south to north. For example, you could start in Edinburgh and head south to Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff, Bristol, London and end in Brighton.

Step 3

Once your destinations are chosen, choose your mode of transportation. Public transportation is cheap and easily accessible throughout Britain. Trains connect all of the bigger towns and cities and buses reach the smaller towns and villages. Alternatively, hire, or rent, a car.

Step 4

Plan your route. There are hundreds, if not thousands of websites that have journey or route planners, where you can enter your starting and ending point and up pops the way to get there (bus, train, car) and the route it will take. If you want to go straight to the source, plan your route at the National Rail (train) or National Express (bus) websites.

Step 5

Book your tickets. Tickets for trains and buses on National Rail in the United Kingdom are cheaper if you book in advance by at least a week. The farther out you book, the less they generally cost. They are also cheaper if your dates and times are flexible.

Tips & Warnings

Traveling in the United Kingdom is fun. Don't forget to experience the journey, rather than just try to make it to your destination. Meet people, see sights and enjoy the ride.

Beware of pickpockets in big cities like London.

Resources

Article Written By Christina McDonald-Legg

Christina McDonald-Legg has been writing about health, wellness and travel since 1999. Her articles have appeared in "Colures Magazine" (London), "The Sunday Times" (Dublin), "The Connacht Tribune" (Galway) and "The Seattle Post-Intelligencer," and been featured online by the U.K. Department of Health. McDonald-Legg holds a Master of Arts in journalism from the National University of Ireland.

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