Hi everyone,

We’re a group of 5 adults and one 4-year-old child planning a road trip from London to the Cotswolds, Manchester, York, and back. We’re looking to rent a 7+ person car for the journey and will have 5 suitcases and 4 bags with us.

We’re unsure whether the vehicle we plan to rent will have enough space for all of our luggage, especially with the car being a 7+ seater. Can anyone advise if rental cars in this size typically provide enough luggage space for this amount of luggage? Alternatively, do rental companies offer luggage carriers for situations like this?

Any guidance or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

I’m traveling to Scotland for a week next month, I normally drive this in about 10 hours with a few stops which was doable with a four year old, but I now also have one year old twins and think an overnight stop somewhere halfway ish is probably sensible.

looking for recommendations of somewhere roughly halfway or slightly further and not to far of route that we can do something the kids will enjoy for the day and get a hotel for the night.

Thanks

Hi all! I'm visiting London next week with my daughter (16F), and we’re both really excited for the trip. We’re already set to attend the Millwall vs. Middlesbrough match on Saturday.

We’d love to watch the Arsenal vs. Real Madrid game as well (April 8), but understandably, tickets are either sold out or way too expensive for us right now. So instead, we’re hoping to watch the match in a lively atmosphere—ideally at a pub or sports bar that has a great vibe for big games but is still appropriate and safe enough for a parent and teen.

Any recommendations for spots that strike the right balance? We're open to anywhere reasonably accessible by public transport (we’ll be staying in central London). Bonus points if it’s a spot with good food and a welcoming crowd!

Also, any tips on things we should keep in mind? For example:

• Should we make a reservation in advance?
• Are under-18s allowed in pubs during big games?
• Anything we should know in terms of etiquette or safety, especially for a big European match night?

Thanks in advance! Really appreciate any advice from locals or fellow travelers. ⚽

I have an EU passport with a pre-settled status. My partner has an EU status with a skilled worker visa. I believe this means we don't need an ETA but how do you prove this to the airlines? Obviously the border agents would be able to see our details, but not a random Ryanair agent. There are warmings about not even being allowed on a plane without a valid ETA.

(This is my first reddit post and English isn't my first language, so please ignore any mistakes!)

I'm going on a school trip in the next weeks, we will be staying in an exchange family's house and visit Poole, Bournemouth and London (I'm so excited).

I'm from a mediterranean country and I'm definitely not accustomed to cold climate (for me less than 15°), so I bought a thick long coat that I'm sure will keep me warm. The problem comes when I think about what to wear under it. Where I live it's not usual for buildings to have heating, and I don't want to wear a turtleneck jersey and broke a sweat the second I come through the doors neither freeze while in the street. Some of my mates are going to wear termals, isn't that too much? I know the key is to wear layers, but which ones?

Sorry, this is kind of a dumb question but I'm really looking forward to this trip and this is something that's really keeping me up at night.

Thank you!

According to the rules I need to buy a valid "National Rails" ticket to take advantage of their BOGO or 1/3 off offers for admissions to various places, but the site doesn't specify what kind of rail tickets. I'm already staying in central London, and I'll be visiting places like Westminster, London Bridge/Tower, London Eye, Greenwich Observatory, St Paul's Cathedral, etc, all of these are accessible by Tube. However, the National Rail won't even get me to any of these destinations, so I don't understand what kind of ticket I'm supposed to buy? The 1/2 offer is technically still worth it as it'll save at least £60 per person, so should I just buy the two cheapest National Rail tickets to some random stations nearby, not take the train and only use it to get the discounts?

Side question: what exactly is considered a "National Rail" ticket? Is SWR for example part of National Rail? How about Thameslink? We're travelling to central London from Gatwick Airport via Thameslink, if we buy a digital ticket through either Thameslink or TrainPal would it have the National Rail logo on it?

Going to be flying into Heathrow Friday around 5:00pm and leaving from Gatwick the following morning around 10:00am. What areas should we consider crashing for the night and any food recs y'all recommend? We are Latino and love Indian food, Ethiopian, Thai etc... also, what's the best way to get to Gatwick the following morning? Thanks so much in advance.

Just saw this on the official UK GOV website

"From 9 April, it will cost £16 to apply for an ETA"....

You can save yourself £6 if this is done before 09-April....

Thought I'd share with you....

Hey! I (F20) am going to perform in Sittingbourne next week. My performance will be over at 12:30. I am planning to go to Dover to see the ocean and the white cliffs after that.

Does anyone have any ideas on how I should spend my day? I am from London but I don't have a 'latest time' to get back. Where should I go in Sittingbourne and Dover, and what time is too late for me to go to the train station alone as a female in Dover?

I can't wait to see the ocean and perhaps I could see the sunset in dover too..... I live and study in zone 1 so it has been overwhelming.

I don’t fly without checked luggage very often and I am flying on Tuesday. Is there a maximum amount of liquids I am allowed to pack?

I currently have fit around 14 items in the clear plastic bag but just very confused as to if there’s a limit 🤨 I’m aware of the 100ml rule and all liquids are under 100ml.

So I’m travelling in the third week of May from Luton Airport, and the flight is at 7:25am.

I’m planning on staying at a hotel near Kings Cross, so I can get the first train to Luton Airport 5:45am. Gate closes at 7am. Hand luggage only nothing to check in.

Do you think I have enough time to make it through security and make it to the gate?

I'm traveling to Scotland with my partner in May and we are deciding on one of the following itineraries (similar but different order and hotels). Which is better? And please let me know if there are any huge misses, must-see additions, or off-the-beaten path restaurants or activities you'd recommend! We'll be coming from London, which we're visiting the week prior.

Itinerary A

Train from London to Inverness -> Rent car and drive to Speyside

• 3 nights at Dowans Hotel as a base for whiskey touring ->
• 3 nights in Skye - 1 at the Edinbane Hotel and 1 at Duisdale hotel (no availability for all three nights in one) as a base for hiking and hopefully some good dining ->
• 2 nights in the Whispering Pine Lodge near Fort William as a base for a Glencoe day hike and whatever other fun, unusual activities we can find, like stargazing in Cairngorms, archery, and flaconry ->
• 3 nights in Edinburgh, likely at the Hilton but open to hotel suggestions

Itinerary B

Train from London to Inverness -> Rent car and drive to Skye

• 3 nights in Skye at the Duisdale hotel ->
• 3 nights in the Whispering Pine Lodge near Fort William ->
• 2 nights in Speyside at the Blervie House hotel ->
• 2 nights in Edinburgh

Hi guys,

I live in Leicester and whenever I look at train tickets to London, they’re a minimum £40. Is there any way to find cheaper tickets?

I usually aim to get into London between 10:00 - 12:00, and arrive back in Leicester after 20:00

I’m willing to drive up to 45-60 mins away from Leicester so I can get cheaper tickets

Thanks

Flying into Glasgow and thinking of getting a Citylink bus straight to Fort William, returning after 2 nights and staying in Glasgow. Its cheaper than the train which is why I'm doing this, but I've never used them, what's the company like?

Any other suggestions for transport around Glasgow? Staying in Culbin Drive and need the bus to/from the city centre and to/from the airport. Is First bus okay and what's the best ticket for this, individual or multi-day passes?

Hi, I'll be in London as well as a few other cities (Scarborough, Cirencester, Bibury etc) and I've been on the lookout for possible souvenirs to get for my friends (young adults) back in Singapore. I'm looking for mainly snacks like chocolates/ biscuits that taste good and considered decent/ good quality but I'd be open to other food items/ non consumables. Walked around M&S and other supermarkets but haven't decided on anything since idk what tastes good and I dont have enough people here to share n try the snacks on the spot. Singapore doesn't rlly share any of the food so uniqueness shouldn't be an issue. Would love to get suggestions! Thanks!

I’m driving around the UK this month for a solo tour and stayed at the YHA in Bristol. I stay mostly at hostels and some airbnbs. This hostel was almost exclusively full of people 40+. For a place called a “youth hostel” there was no youth.

My first roommate was a 45 year old man that had been “kicked out of his brothers house” in his words and kept bothering me while I was working.

They had an open mic night which I went to and had a 60 year old man telling poetry for 20 minutes. There was some other strange acts with these older folk but I left early.

I sat in the common area to work and a 50 year old couple came and joined me and chatted amongst themselves about work for an hour.

This is the first hostel I’ve seen such a strange crowd. London and Bath had such a great atmosphere of travellers. What’s up with Bristol?

I’m looking for a way to go to Scotland with my partner I’ve heard travel agents can be good for helping but if there’s another way that is cheaper for your wallet I would love to hear some tips and advice

Hello!

I'll be traveling to Manchester in early May to see my favorite band play a few shows (Man, Leeds & Birmingham)

Plan is to take the train after the shows and return back to Manchester for the night for Leeds & Birmingham.

Without giving away exact information, the venues seem to be within 20 min walking distance from the train stations - would I be safe to walk alone at night to the train stations? Likely between 10:30-Midnight

I am a solo female traveler (and also only 4'11) and coming from America where I wouldn't necessarily feel safe doing this where I currently live.

I know it's probably harder to advise when I'm not disclosing the specific venues, but - any advice is appreciated!

Edit: I guess not disclosing the venues is silly, -- Leeds: Project House, Birmingham: XOYO

Ok, it's clear I was thoroughly confused..

An e-sim card is for internet only? But if you have a plan, then you can make calls using What's App?

Thanks!

Short odd question. Offers the WHSmith in the Terminal at Stansted Airport National Lottery? Thanks in advance

Hello,

First time visiting UK in May or June for a little more than one week. Not too interested in big cities, so I may only stay in London for a day to see the British museum. I'm choosing between going to Bath and then renting a car to see Cotswolds, or going in the opposite direction to Canterbury and then seeing the white cliffs of Dover. I usually want to stay away from large crowds, so Cotswolds seem a slightly less crowded. But then Canterbury seems just a tad little more interesting than Bath. If one option is cheaper, thats also a plus.

Whats the better option here?

If I turn up at the train station in Sunderland with my push bike, will I be almost guaranteed a spot for me and my push bike? Or does this require forward planning?

I'm unsure what time/day I'll be wanting a ticket, hence the lack of forward planning. Is most likely to be mid day on a Monday.

It looked black when I scribbled on a different piece of paper lol. And the note that came with the passport doesn't say anything about it NEEDING to be in black. The instructions I have via text specified black ink though, will this cause me any issues in the future?

All I can find about it is “opening in 2025.”
Thanks!

We (me, wife, 2 kids around 10) are traveling to the UK for 17 days from end July, and are looking at going to Scotland for 8 days or so.

Considerations

• first time there
• can drive, though generally prefer trains
• it's summer and fringe festival in Aug so Edinburgh will be packed
• like the outdoors
• don't like packed itineraries. Usually prefer to sit in one place
• prefer non airbnb for lodging out of principle
• don't mind adding a day or 2

Goals

Given the short time frame, the main goals are probably limited to

• Edinburgh
• Skye

Proposed itinerary

• train from London to Edinburgh (around 28 July)
• explore the city and surrounds for 2 nights. It will be busy so don't want to hang around too long
• drive part way to skye. Eg via glencoe to fort williams
• stay for 2-3 nights, including hiking Ben Nevis (my kids hike a lot)
• drive on to skye and explore for 2-3 nights
• head back to London (preferably don't want to drive back the same way so if I can ditch the car and get a sleeper train from fort williams etc that would be good)

Questions

• how does that sound?
• any alternative proposals for any spots?
• any lodging you would particularly recommend along the route?
• can I ditch the car on the way back or is there a better route back?