A Perfect Itinerary for Highlights of Great Britain

I write a travel column for several magazines and one editor asked me to write an article with the five perfect itineraries for a one week trip in the countries I specialize in, namely the British Isles, France, Australia, New Zealand and Italy.

I will share a favorite of mine from my homeland, and a route which I repeat every year to see family and friends. 

Many people go to Great Britain but miss what I consider the highlights of the country. These are my recommendations for a good overview of the land, London, Chester and Edinburgh. It has been said “When a man is tired of London he is tired of life.” London is a wonderful city with much to see. The selection of hotels is overwhelming but I always tell my clients which are my favorites, and why. You can’t go wrong with the Milestone, Goring, Stafford, etc. Now that the museums and art galleries are free, you can spend a day just reviewing specific exhibits. I always spend a day at the antique markets and love Wednesday at Camden.

A night at the theater is a must.  If you are there at the right season, the opera, ballet or one of the four symphony orchestras is a thrill to attend. All tours are private, as well as transfers (a private car meets you at the airport) to each hotel.   

I suggest you begin your trip with a transfer from Heathrow airport to your hotel.  I love the Milestone because it's opposite a park, and two nights there is sheer luxury. Take a half-day tour of London, followed up by dinner at Incognito Restaurant in the theater district and then a show at one of the 74 theatres in the West End. Include an all-day tour of Bath, Stonehenge and Salisbury before transferring the next morning to Euston Station for the train ride north to Chester.

Allow two nights at the Grosvenor Hotel in the center of this lovely Roman, walled city. Take a private city tour, then wander thru the medieval shopping district with its lovely Tudor architecture.  Blocked off from traffic, this offers the best shopping in the British Isles, antiques, fashion and lovely quaint tea shops and pubs. Allow time for an all-day tour to one of the top gardens in the land, Bodnant Gardens in Conway, North Wales. You can view the Welsh countryside en route including a lovely village where my grandparents had a cottage, Betws-y-Coed. Then stop at Caernarvon Castle and end the day with dinner at Weingartens or the Grosvenor Grill.

Arrange another transfer to the train station and head north thru the Lake District to Edinburgh for two nights at the Scotsman Hotel in the centre of the city. Take a half day tour and then enjoy a Gaelic dinner show at the Prestonfield Hotel. You can enjoy highland dancing and have a traditional Scottish meal. It is a lovely city to explore.

I went to graduate school here and know it well. Gift shopping is excellent at Edinburgh Castle or the Holyrood Palace. Visit Geoffreys at the entrance to the castle and see how the tartans are made. Great shop for cashmere and gifts.   Have lunch at Jenners on Princes Street, the oldest department store in the world. Then, relax on a lovely day trip to Loch Lomond, Stirling, and the Trossachs. Your last night should be spent in a castle. One I love is Borthwick.   

The entire trip is by train and all the tours by car with your own driver. This eliminates the stress of driving on the left side of the street and paying $9 a gallon for petrol. First class on the train is worth it.  Meals are included and you travel in comfort. I suggest flying from Edinburgh back to Heathrow airport. 

This itinerary will allow you to see the highlights of London and the south, the best of North Wales,  the nicest town in Cheshire and then best of all, Scotland with Edinburgh and its surrounding highlands.

I've been home 144 times since I married my U.S. Marine Colonel.

Maureen Jones is President of All Horizons Travel at 160 Main Street in Los Altos.  Members of her staff are experts in business travel, cruises and all types of leisure.