 Hi Guys. Need some suggestions, please. We should be in Greece right now but due to serious health problems I'm not allowed to leave the UK at the moment. We have one week spare from our holiday allowance when we are allowed to travel within the UK - week commencing next Saturday. We don't fancy a bucket & spade week at (say) Filey (no kids) and can't manage camping or a walking holiday (still a bit poorly). Nor could we stand anywhere where we would be surrounded by Other People's Children. We fancy staying north of the Danelaw and I need to avoid midge bites. We thought a jaunt on public transport, travelling fairly light, would be quite jolly with some budget accommodation on the nights. A train All-Line Rover would be £432 each for a week (ouch) but we wanna stay northish and not spend owt lke that for transport alone; it may be ages before we get the insurance money back for our Greek holiday. There are other cheaper Train Rover tickets for smaller geographical areas but what we need are suggestions of a possible itinerary that would be jolly but not slot me into midge hell. Any bright ideas of a route? Bit of a broad one.... TIA
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Hello NPC sorry to hear your tales of woe. Get yourselves to Aberdeen and take the ferry to Shetland, then bus and ferry hop around the islands. ( I don't know if they have midges up there) www.northlinkferries.co.uk
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| Edited: 02/08/10 13:08 |
I was thinking of a week pottering around on trains; travelling light and enjoying the view through the windows as much as the destinations...but you've made me think in a boat-y way now, Mick. Not sure I fancy the cost and time involved in getting up to Aberdeen...however, I bet CalMac do Rover tickets round the Western Isles...just got to brave thoughts of those midges (I'm allergic to their bites and sometimes need 'tibiotics) and then would there be any accommodation left? Western Isles etc: are they very popular in summer?...I was thinking of (say) Carlisle (end of Settle-Carlisle line) being less busy. And so on.
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The only trouble with trains is the cost unless you book months in advance. BUT you could do a nice loop of northern England. Are you in Yorkshire? Up to Newcastle, follow Hadrians Wall, down the west coast to Lancaster then home.
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Mick, the cost of single tickets is scary, but the week-rover tickets are a pushover - you just can't use them before 08.45 in the morning - if if not commuting, who'd want to? Freedom of North East - 7 days £87 - click on area map to see extent. Freedom of Noth West 7 days £70 each North country rover £72 but more restricted as can only travel on 4 days. Highland Rover £74: can only travel on 4 days but includes: unlimited travel on the following services: - Rail - ScotRail: Glasgow - Oban / Fort William / Mallaig, Inverness - Lyle of Lochalsh, Inverness - Wick / Thurso, Inverness - Aberdeen, Inverness - Aberdeen
- Ferry - Caledonian MacBrayne: Oban - Mull, Mallaig - Skye
- Coach - Scottish Citylink: Oban / Fort William - Inverness
- Coach - Stagecoach in Inverness: Thurso - Scrabster
- Coach - Bowmans Coaches: services on the Isle of Mull, (NOT valid on scheduled Bowmans Tours)
....and so on. Anyone tried any of these?? TIA
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 Hi, the classic train route in the highlands is- (I did it years ago whilst I still had a student rail card!!) - Glasgow to Mallaig by train, ferry to Sleat on Skye, bus to Broadford /option then to do more in Skye -try the bus to Portree and on to Floddigarry at the top of Skye, (where there is a good bunkhouse) /then back on route -bus from Broadford to Kyle of Lochalsh (lots of bunkhouses at Kyleakin on the Skye side of the bridge), train to Inverness and from there to Edinburgh etc.
Lots of fantastic scenery to ogle from the train and bus and no midge exposure if you don't want.
Yes, anywhere in the highlands and islands is busy in July and August it's when most folks make their living!! -but it's still very lovely to look at!!
I hope you have a good trip.
Cathy
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I used to do Leeds-Manchester and York-Edinburgh by train a lot. Both gorgeous views. If you go to Newcastle you can then get onto the bus that runs along near Hadrian's wall. Can you handle a narrow boat? Caledonian canal for example.
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Hi Cathy, thanks for your suggestions but as mentioned, I'm not on top form so bunkhouses are not a good idea at the mo. I know I said "budget accommodation" but I meant cheap B&Bs as opposed to 4-star hotels,sorry. DMM - ta for your input. Bob had a quick gander at boats on various canals but whitened visibly at the cost for the 2 of us. I was thinking of Carlisle via Ribblehead viaduct (it's included in at least one of those rovers above, thence to Carlisle (castle etc if we can get accommodation) then some way to track past Hadrian's Wall where we can hop on and off..then? Not a clue. A BIG problem I guess is finding B&Bs in the busiest time of year in a few days' time!
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 Why not try trains/buses around Scotland or Lake District, try a web site like 'lastminiterooms' or the local Tourist Information Office, the local TIO's have usually got up to date info. on availabilty of places to stay and may even be able to book them for you. The TIO's here, N. Ireland, have a computer system that can book you any sort of accommadation you want, from B&B's, YH's to 4/5* hotels. Might be the same in England/Scotland, worth checking.
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Hi Husk, I know that going back years I've turned up in random places, gone to the TIC and got them to find accommodation in the past but the middle of the school hols may be trickier. Thanks for reminding me of this option.
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Your welcome. Hope your better soon.  Paul
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Feeling a wee bit rough again this morrow so island-hopping may be not such a good idea ATM. Soooo, train hopper north of Leeds....Settle-Carlisle is a must...day/night in Carlisle...York at some point for a night - it's so close to home that we usually pop in for a coffee but we've always fancied spending a night there. Anyone know how close the train track over the northern Pennines is to Hadrian's Wall? Near enough to hop on and off and potter without route marching?
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| Edited: 03/08/10 11:38 |
 You can walk from some of the stations to the Wall, but it's not always 'pottering'; you'd be better off using the AD122 bus. You can do quite a nice walk from Housesteads fort to the Peel Gap and the pub at Once Brewed where they have an original single / dual play pub table top Space Invaders machine, one of the absolute highlights of Hadrian's Wall. You can always hire me as a consultant guide 
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www.hadrians-wall.org they will send you all you need to know.
That's a fab site - I've found a great B&B on the wall with a pub opposite for £25 pppn. Need to get organised....
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You can walk from some of the stations to the Wall, but it's not always 'pottering'; you'd be better off using the AD122 bus. You can do quite a nice walk from Housesteads fort to the Peel Gap and the pub at Once Brewed where they have an original single / dual play pub table top Space Invaders machine, one of the absolute highlights of Hadrian's Wall. You can always hire me as a consultant guide
I'm sure I couldn't afford you, Kate
But seriously, once I'm better I would so *love* to walk the whole thing. It's on my ever-growing to-do list.
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I'm sure I couldn't afford you, Kate
No, I'm sure you couldn't I would so *love* to walk the whole thing. Yeah, me too. Though it would be a true busman's holiday!
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Aye, I heard you were not a Cheap(s)Kate!
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