An Autumn Roadtrip through the UK
Make the most out of your fall break by experiencing the best of the United Kingdom, which features 30 UNESCO sights as well as over 600 castles.
Plan ahead
Get excited for your future adventure by doing some research on the beautiful places you want to see in the UK. Look into Pinterest, travel articles, travel books (my personal favorite for this trip is Lonely Planet Great Britain), purchase real paper maps, and consider getting a rental WiFi hotspot. I cannot recommend enough Lonely Planet's guide to Great Britain and have to suggest getting a rental WiFi hotspot to use your phone while avoiding international charges. To book a WiFi hotspot, check out British Adventure. You can pay online and they will deliver to your hotel or Airbnb. This is helpful when the paper maps just aren't working out and a little help from the GPS is needed. Once you know the monuments and places you want to see, start connecting the dots with a map and set your road trip plan.
Stalk Airfare
Once you know when you'd like to go, stalk airfare. Yes, I said stalk airfare. Put an alert on your Skyscanner account for the city you want to fly into to see all the deals. Coming from Europe has its advantages: EasyJet, Ryanair, and Vueling exist are discount airlines that fly through many major European cities. I paid 70£ round trip Paris to Bristol with EasyJet. Yes, that means packing only essentials and making sure every inch of space in your luggage is used, but it gets you there and back. I left Paris at sunset and arrived during sunset in Bristol making every packing hassle worth it. Travel blogs will also help you find airfare deals and will keep you updated if you sign up for email alerts. Some of the best travel blogs out there are Travel + Leisure, Airfare Spot, and The Points Guy.
Rent a car
Winding through the highlands in Scotland is breathtaking, trust me. Renting a car is not the cheapest option, but it much more convenient and for a road trip it is a no-brainer. Renting a car gives you the freedom to get around on our own and will allow you to discover small towns, local cuisine, or travel to the beat of your own drum. We were able to find small, hidden gems we would have never been able to by foot. We rented a car through Enterprise at the Bristol airport that was very well-priced.
Lodging
At the end of a long day of driving, few things are better than cooking a meal in a real kitchen before sinking into a comfy bed with sounds of the river next to you. Staying in an Airbnb gave us the option to save some money by cooking ourselves and gave us the feeling of a real home at the end of each day. For those who enjoy meeting new people, it is a fantastic way to meet locals and get their take on the area. Each Airbnb we stayed in cost around 25£ per night making it the most economical option. For those who prefer hotels to home stays: Booking, Priceline, and Kayak are great resources as well.
Image Credit: Lillian Wagner
Visit Castles
All the castles we visited were mind blowing in their own ways. Some were in complete ruins, others in perfectly livable condition. Our favorite castles included Raglan in Southeast Wales, Inveraray in the Scottish Highlands and Flint in Northeast Wales. Some castles charge a fee of around 8£ to get in, but the fee provides you with a guide of the history specific to each room. Print off a simple castle map before you leave and take it with you to ensure you get to all of the best sights and keep an eye out for other castles when you are out, even if it is just to take some photos and hit the road again.
Take your Student ID card
Many places visited offered student discounts for admission. These savings ranged from 1£ to 4£ on any given place castle or tourist sight. Some well-known places that offered student discounts were Stonehenge, Inveraray, and Leeds Castle.
Be Open & Go With the Flow
No matter how hard you try, something may go wrong. We planned to go on a ferry to go to the Isle of Arran and back in a day, yet when we got to the ferry port, there were no return tickets for that day. We ended up opening a paper map (which barely fit in the rental car) and found a different place to go. We looked it up in our travel guide, and went for it and honestly, it was one of the best day trips of the entire trip. When you go with the flow, you will never regret it. It takes away the stress and lets you enjoy every moment, even the ones that weren't in the agenda.
Treat Yourself
For an amazing ending to the trip, Leeds Castle provides lodging, food and tours of the beautiful castle in Maidstone, England. The staff are extremely helpful, the rooms in the converted stables are a great size for the price and the included breakfast is delicious. Spend the evening at the Castle View Restaurant trying a scotch egg, then take a bath with a glass of wine in the luxurious bathroom. After a good night's sleep wake up and go to breakfast, enjoying the morning view of the castle while filling up on the delicious buffet and made to order hot dishes. The castle is free to visit and opens at 10:30, so don't miss out on exploring the grounds where you have been staying. Head to the airport relaxed and full and have a relaxing trip back home.
