need advice for travel in the UK

You're so right there Ian.

There are some great scenic routes - in England the Settle-Carlisle Line is outstanding. Up in here in Scotland the famous West Highland Line which is listed at the top of world train journeys. In Ulster the Belfast-Londonderry is a nice run. Don't know much about Wales I am afraid! The US is a big place and unfortunately Amtrak although with longer distances doesn't fare so well I think as a national rail service as we would regard such here.

With train travel at it's highest since the post-war years I think most visitors to GB will be reasonably happy with the rail service.
 
Some of the replies that you have received make the UK sound quite horrific!
It is not! My country boasts some of the best scenery in the world, and only the major town and cities are overcrowded.

Enjoy yourselves!

Ian

Having lived in both places I would agree with you but expectations can be different.

Tony from the UK came to visit and I met him at the bus stop and together we gently strolled the 100 yards to my home. We were passed by two cars going in opposite directions. He expressed disbelief when I told him the local residents were complaining about traffic volumes and wanted the city to do something about them.

A fellow Canadian worker decided to take a year off and tour the world. He landed in London in early May and sent us a post card saying he'd never seen so many people or so many tourists in one place in his entire life. After wandering round Europe he went back to London in August for a couple of weeks before catching a flight into Asia. His postcard said there were now at least twice as many people and tourists as he'd seen in May.

Rush hour in Ottawa sort of lasts between 7:30 and 8 am, the traffic slows to 80 kms per hour instead of the 100-110 kms per hour it normally travels at. Tales of rush hours starting at 6:30 and going on to 10 am are met with disbelief as are average speeds in the UK rush hour. As is the idea that you could get stuck in a traffic jam on London's back streets at 2:30 am on a Wednesday morning which happened to me some years ago.

When Dad came over to visit we rented a car. The were two highlights of his visit, the first which he really couldn't get over was the fact that he could park outside the store or what ever we were visiting. There was always parking spots. The second was being able to buy gas (petrol) for 25 cents a liter. Two garages were having a price war.

At the moment with the pound falling through the floor its not a bad time to visit. Although I must confess I find the UK tax on air travel across the pond a bit irritating and these days I'm more used to the politeness I meet in Canadian airports, a quality I don't meet so much in the UK airports.

Cheerio John
 
With the day of departure getting closer I must really start packing a bag of sorts. We have been to the UK before but spent most of the time inside the house chatting with relatives in Liverpool. They have since moved to Huddersfield and others live in Cheltenham.all the relatives are on my wifes side of the family untill I discovered my family roots.
My GGgrandfather was married in1866 in the Cheltenham parish church so I will be visiting the church there.
My ancestors are all from Northampton,most were architech's and scholars and are still very well known. I have recieved a lot of old photos ,architchural documents,info on paintings ,copies of school exercises with some amazing handwriting etc from the county records office and also the Guildhall. Another relative was mayor in 1860 so i have been invited by the present mayor to have coffee( yeh,I was surprised I thought it would be tea) and a tour of the guildhall to see old records etc. I do have living relatives on my side of the family in the UK that Im still tracking down,
so this trip will be allowing me some time to actually see some of the country more then the last trip did. have toured Ireland with brother in law a few years ago and that was interesting,especially his driving.

Will be staying here [URL="http://www.clontarfcastle.ie/profile/ on our last night in the UK. Thought it would be appropriate. Must go so thanks to all for the info and the thoughts.
Take care The Greywolf
 
I woud have absolutely recommended a RailPass (having used one every summer for the last ten years, had a blast and saved a fortune) but I guess it's too late. I hope you have a great trip.
I've only ever had one bad experience on British Rail, where I missed a connection at Lancaster due to the Virgin train being late. The station master bundled me into a taxi to Bentham that must have cost a fortune, of course he was delighted to do so because he could stick the bill to Virgin!
Mick Berg.
 
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An update for those that gave advice on travel in the UK
Well, have been here for 6 days now and as someone said the sites to see are endless and very interesting.Have been very fortunate,relatives have driven us from city to city so tomorrow its a trip on a bus(coach) then one train trip from Huddersfield to Liverpool. So will be able to experience both methods of transport.
The visit to the Guildhall in Northampton and the visit with the Mayor, her sargent and the aide was quite something. Went down into the basement or whatever its called, but that is where the old dungeons are,cells and the tunnels etc where the prisoners were brought in ,and the judges quarters and where he would have entered the court. Some of it has changed or is blocked off now. |Items stored down there are old furniture from 200 years ago, old clothing and judges robes etc. Got to sit in the original chair that my ancestor would have sat in while conducting the business of a mayor in 1860.
An awesome trip so far. My only comment would be where are the englishmen, there are so many foriegn speaking people here it seems the English are becoming a minority.The English people we have met are very friendly and courteous.

Thats all for now
the Greywolf.
 
My only comment would be where are the englishmen, there are so many foriegn speaking people here it seems the English are becoming a minority.The English people we have met are very friendly and courteous.

Thats all for now
the Greywolf.

SHHH. You are not allowed to say things like that.;)

Every Englishman left will agree most heartedly with your comment, but it appears not to be politically correct to mention it.:(
 
A good point,I will bite my tongue in future. Other then that, I am enjoying England.I was in a model train shop in the Cotswold,Bourton -on-the River.Hope I spelled that correctly.They had an display of a model railroad but I thought the price to see it was too high so I did not go in but they had a lot of model train stuff for sale. A very nice area. Oh yeh,the ice cream is good.
The Greywolf
 
You've brought the nice weather with you anyway Don, there are lots of English around, but, we don't come out in the sunshine, it's too hot....:)

Always tell people you're from Canada, probably not politically correct, but, you'll get a better response, my Uncle always does....;)

Have a great vacation, and I hope you've brought an umbrella with you as it's forecast to snow next week......:hehe:

Cheerz. ex-railwayman.
 
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My only comment would be where are the englishmen, there are so many foriegn speaking people here it seems the English are becoming a minority
Perhaps the Celts felt the same about the English when they pinched the country. Then there were the Danes and the Normans.

Glad you're enjoying your stay
. Hope the first nations will let you back in when you go home. ;)
 
Perhaps the Celts felt the same about the English when they pinched the country. Then there were the Danes and the Normans.

Glad you're enjoying your stay. Hope the first nations will let you back in when you go home. ;)

We still feel that way but that's more to do with the English media than the people. Hehe. I have a cheek even saying that having been born in Bucks.
 
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