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Independent Travel - Planning Tips - Day Trips - Trains - Bus Tours - Hotels - Victoria.St

Is Independent Travel for You?

• Imagine a vacation during which you see and do everything that you want  ...not what a tour company thinks may interest you.  That extremely rewarding experience is what 'independent travel' is all about.  However, it is not necessarily everyone's cup of tea.

• If this is your first vacation in Britain, a few days on your own in London plus a group bus tour of England, Scotland and Wales may be just the ticket.  Some folks simply want an 'overview' of a lot of the country rather than an 'in-depth' experience of selected venues.  And, if the tour bus stops at places that turn out to be very interesting to them, so much the better.

• Others may find that pre-packaged tours offer a 'potpourri' rather than an emphasis on their particular combination of interests in - for example - architecture, cathedrals, gardens, great country houses, history or even railways.

• Planning an 'independent' holiday assumes having the necessary time, personal interest, information resources and willingness to get all of the details right.  Time, interest and detail-mindedness are up to the individual.  As far as information resources, the internet can now provide virtually all that is needed.

• Our web site has been designed to help with ideas for places to visit based on our itineraries.  Along the way, you will find tips and suggestions based on our experiences.

• But first, there is a question that needs to be asked...

Self-Drive - Option or Not an Option?

• If you have decided to tour on your own (for several weeks or just a day or two before or after a group bus tour), the decision becomes whether or not to rent a car and self-drive on-the-left.

• For North Americans on their first trip to Britain, we would strongly suggest that self-drive is not an option.  Even if you have had experience driving on-the-left in other countries, it will likely take a while to adjust to the road system, traffic signs and, also, the mind set of the British driver.

• We did not even consider the self-drive option until our third holiday in England when we hired a car for only one day.  That 'get your feet wet' and 'see if you like driving over here' 54-mile trip to see Sudeley and Eastnor Castles (of The Pallisers fame) began and ended in Cheltenham.

• Others might feel that, if the decision has been made to rent a car, one might as well plan on driving for several days or more.  That is the 'in for a penny, in for a pound' theory. 

• The bottom line:  whether or not you self-drive in Britain is a choice that only you can make.  We asked a friend who had just returned from a vacation in Britain if he would consider self-driving.  His answer was an emphatic 'No.'

• This is a case of knowing and accepting one's own limits.  Some will find that the adjustment to the British way of driving is simply too great a leap for them to make.

• Self-driving does open up limitless possibilities for visiting places otherwise not readily accessible by public transport.  However, you do not need to rent a car in order to experience rewarding, independent travel.

• Itineraries such as our 'Modular Four-City Tour' can be a basis for planning your own very enjoyable vacation.

• Combining your own 'modules' with a pre-packaged group bus tour can go a long way toward giving the non-driver the best of both worlds.

• If you have decided to drive on-the-left or are looking for more information to help with your decision, suggest having a look at our 'Driving in Britain' pages.

Copyright © 1999 - 2005  J. C. Nash. All worldwide rights reserved.
Last modified: Thursday, 27 October 2005.