Great Britain

Best and worst sights, experiences and destinations:

Best: 1. York as a whole. 2. Edinburgh Castle. 3. Edinburgh Literary Tour. 4. London Docklands Museum
Why: York has so much to see and do and so conveniently located, and the signs make it easy to get everywhere. We spent 5 hours at Edinburgh Castle. We never expected there would be that much to see. The Edinburgh Literary Walk was a fabulous first night in town. It set the scene for the rest of our time there. And the London Docklands Museum, which we discovered from other guides, was amazing. A truly fascinating museum in a beautiful part of town.

Matt L. in Arlington, VA USA 10/21/2009

Best: Mad Max Tours--Cotswolds and Stonehenge
Why: They were just as described--friendly, small, informative.

Worst: The Fashion Museum
Why: Very small. Could have done so much more with it. When we were there, they did have a good temporary exhibit on the Supremes' fashion, which included information on the Civil Rights era.

Nancy in Columbus, OH USA 09/13/2009

Best: The Roman Baths
Why: We went at night, as suggested, and it was beautiful. Amazingly well done museum and audio with it.

Worst: The Thermae Bath Spa
Why: Rick's write-up was right on point; way overpriced for what it was. Also, the steam room was so heavily perfumed with mint scents that it made my daughter's and my eyes burn, so we didn't do that part of it, which left the two pools. Also, surprised that there was no hot tub available.

Nancy in Columbus, OH USA 09/13/2009

Best: Parkfield Guest House in Keswick
Why: Delightful, close to town activities and hosts John and Susan Berry were wonderful. We also attended the annual Beer festival on June 5th and had a wonderful time. The people were so friendly and the entertainment was great.

Worst: Blackpool
Why: Actually, the Beechcliffe was very nice and Ken was very helpful, but the town was a bit sad. We walked onto one of the piers and I went on the Carousel and they were playing all WWI songs! We were there June 3rd and it was practically deserted, plus when we met Brittish folks in the Pubs and they talked to us about our itinerary, when we said that we were going to Blackpool, they all tried to talk us out of it! It was very funny.

Jan and Greg Wieboldt in Ormond Beach, FL USA 09/12/2009

Best: Verger tour of Westminster Abbey
Why: As earlier commenters have said, Benjamin the verger is the best tourguide we ever have had, anywhere.

Worst: york castle museum
Why: My husband and I thought the museum not nearly as extraordinary as the guide says, and would not recommend it if someone has limited time in York.

nancy nathan in bethesda, md USA 09/08/2009

Best: Military Tattoo in Edinburgh
Why: It was stirring - the music, the tartans waving in the wind - a great experience among many.

Worst: The above search for Budget rental car at Heathrow.
Why: Wasted valuable time, needlessly.

Nancy Holler in Auburn, ME USA 09/07/2009

Best: Mary Arden's House, Stratford-upon-Avon
Why: Our kids were captivated by the falconry demonstrations, adults also enjoyed learning/talking with Tudor period interpreters. Good bring-your-own picnic spot.

Mark H. in Seattle, WA USA 09/04/2009

Best: Bath and Mad Max Tours
Why: Bath is incredible. Took a half day Stonhenge/Lacock tour with Mad Max. Chris was an informative, delightful guide. The next day we went "romping" through the Cotswalds with Charles. He too made the trip memorable.

Cathy M in Erie, CO USA 08/27/2009

Best: Impossible to say
Why: We loved everything we did and everything you recommended except below but the day trip to the Highlands and Loch Ness is a MUST do if you won't have enough time to explore the whole country.The beauty of this country is awesome.

Worst: Kensington Palace
Why: This is very disappointing if you are expecting a lot of Princess Diana information/memorabilia since this is where she lived. and the Debutante exhibit goes on too long and just isn't worth the time when there is so much to do and see in London. Although the gardens outside the Palace are beautiful as is the walk through the park where there are wonderful public spaces in Diana's memory (fountain and playground). Along these lines, Harrod's is something to see since it is a London landmark however it is over the top, overpriced and we found the Princess Diana memorials tacky and in very poor taste. It was upsetting- the store is a spectacle. Clearly, I have very mixed feelings here. It is "London" but it is also a rip-off and to see this man trying to capitalize on the tragic death of his son and Princess Diana is horrifying.

Pam Davis in Chicago, Il USA 08/08/2009

Best: Bath - MadMax tour
Why: Great one day tour to Stonehenge and the Cotwolds. Great tour guide Charles! A great way to see a number of sites in one day.

Worst: Bath Fashion Museum
Why: Not worth the entry price to see so little.

Kendra K in Denver, CO USA 06/06/2009

Best: Everything we saw
Why: So much to do, and everything was interesting

Worst: Blenheim Palace
Why: Couldn't see as was being used for film shoot. Other people were upset they paid full price without being told they would be restricted so much. TI did not even know.

Bev Terry in Shelby Township, MI USA 06/03/2009

Best: Hampton Court Palace
Why: Hampton Court Palace is the single best single site I saw in the country. Through the use of an amazing set of audio guides, costumed actors, and well informed staff, they bring the palace and history to life.

Other sites emphasize listing the years things were built and other such facts which quite quickly become boring, as they're disconnected from anything vibrant. The audio guide tour starts you through Henry VIII's original kitchens, which have been outfitted with recently made equipment in exactly the right techniques, filled with food (some real some fake), the fireplaces are blazing and they actually cook food on the spit (on holiday weekends). They make it feel like a working kitchen.

Then you tour Henry's apartments where they're recreating his final marriage to Katheryn Parr. You're guided through and given the experience of a courtier attending the wedding.

It's all in this style, which is very enlivening and interesting. They have a short presentation where they take one of his tapestries, with the dull and changed colors typical of old tapestries, and shine a computer projection onto it to show what it originally looked like, then the projection highlights bits of it to describe the action very clearly.

It goes on like this. Don't underestimate how long it all takes. To see it all will take at least 4-6 hours, and that's not including the gardens.

(Note: similarly positive experiences at the Beamish, Edinburgh Castle, and the Tower of London)

Worst: Public Transport in North Wales
Why: You should take a serious reassessment of getting around in North Wales. It requires a lot more patience, and is much more limiting, than what you describe.

I don't think than Conwy makes a good base. It isn't on the Sherpa lines, and it is a 15-20 minute walk from the north-south train line. Reasonable for access to Caernarfon.

I stayed at Betws-y-Coed which is halfway down the north-south train to Blaenau, on the basis that the Sherpa map showed three Sherpa lines coming to Betws. It's out of date, yet still on the website. There's really only 2, and combined they run hourly to Pen-y-Pass. There they make untimed connections to the other Sherpa buses. Also the Sherpa buses to Betws stop service before 5PM. Getting to Caernarfon is a bit of a feat typically requiring two connections.

I'm not sure that there is a great solution to this problem. Maybe 2 nights at Conwy and then two nights in Betws?

traveline was critical for my time up here. The TI in Betws was not much help except that they had the complete timetable for all regional trains and buses, which is a must if you don't have traveline access on your phone via the Internet.

Ethan Solomita in San Francisco, CA USA 05/30/2009

Best: York's Medieval Wall
Why: Not only chraming to walk, but a way of getting around the city efficiently. The Richard III Meuseum on the wall was kitschy and we did not go in, as scored of English school children were doing so, but we loved the daily scoreboard tallying visitors' voted on who really killed the princes in the tower. The day we were there, Richard III came in second the day before; Henry Tudor was #1, followed by Shakespeare, Gordon Brown, Simon Cowell and Sarah Palin.

Worst: Lighthouse GLASGOW
Why: It really isn't awful, but if you take the Glasgow School of Art tour, you can skip this.

Carla White in San Francisco, CA USA 04/05/2009

Best: Glasgow School of Art GLASGOW
Why: Well worth making an advance reservation, the home of British Art Nouveau. Great student guide, Lisa, in the ceramics program, which is, sadly, closing down. This was a high point of our trip.

Carla White in San Francisco, USA 04/05/2009

Best: Durham Cathedral evensong
Why: OK, the singing was lovely. If you go, DO NOT sit in the choir. Sit in the front of the nave. Go early. Otherwise you will miss the show: one of the priests or other staff stands under the tower and manually rings the bells, using long (of course they're long, Carla)striped velvet ropes for 15 minutes before evensong begins! He changes arms, shakes out the tired one; what fun!

Carla White in San Francisco, CA USA 04/05/2009

Best: Edinburgh
Why: We only had a day here, but we wish we had had several more. The layout of the old city, with the courtyards and closes, was straight out of a medieval story. The people were very friendly, especially the cab drivers, who almost talked our ears off. We were able to get to Edinburgh Castle and Cadenhead's Whisky shop, both of which were very enjoyable.

Worst: Vinopolis, London
Why: We know a little bit about wine, and we learned some stuff, but it was really pretty elementary. It seemed to be way overpriced for what we got; we have could probably gotten the same education at a wine shop for much less.

Shane Day in Seattle, WA USA 10/13/2008

Best: Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's Cathedral and St. Martin-in-the-Fields
Why: Each one is different and all are very beautiful.

Worst: British Museum
Why: Not much about Britain - mainly a display of British plunder from other continents. Go the Museum of London instead - much more informative and better for kids.

Isabelle Jankovic in Calgary, AB Canada 10/13/2008

Best: Royal Yacht Britannia, Edinburgh
Why: It was as described in the book, and just one of those things you want to see.

Ron in DeWitt, MI USA 10/10/2008

Best: York
Why: York is the easiest city to see in England. London was busy and unfriendly at times. In York, one feels welcome and the pace is slower of course. Strolling the streets of York, you can almost feel transported back in time. Just lovely. Jorvik is worth the visit if you like Disney-type dark rides. It's informative though a bit campy. I've been on it twice and it's still entertaining. So much to see in York and in Yorkshire. Castle Howard definitely worth a visit for the museum quality art and sculptures. And the moors will take your breath away. Whitby is like going to the shore...small boardwalk, rock candy, and abbey ruins.

Worst: Harrod's
Why: Mr. Fayed has turned Harrod's into an Egyptian memorial to himself. And it has become a creepy homage to the deceased Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed. I always liked Princess Diana but felt quite uncomfortable with how he has portrayed them.

Robyn Zicker in Forest Hill, MD USA 10/10/2008

Best: York
Why: Until reading Great Britain 2008, we had no intention of travelling to York. We are so glad we did. My husband loved the National Railway Museum, and we both enjoyed the Minster and evensong.

Worst: Kensington Palace, London
Why: Most of the rooms were only partially furnished, and the audioguide repeatedly said things like "the tapestries are not original, but are thought to be similar to...". Also, the Last Debutantes exhibition currently on was a complete waste of time. It was spread over several rooms, quite disorganized and overall very tacky. Not worth admission price. Outside, and for free, The Sunken Garden and surrounding parkland was beautiful. Unfortantely, we were too late to try to Orangery.

Pat Best in Kingston, ON Canada 10/04/2008

Worst: Urquart Castle, Loch Ness, Scotland
Why: Far too expensive just to roam around on ruins. Take your photos from the car park and keep going to Eilean Donan Castle--restored, furnished, and a beauty to look at it. Also at Urquart Castle you will not be allowed to use the restrooms in the visitor's center unless you've paid for a ticket to see the ruins.

Linda in Aiken, SC USA 09/16/2008

Best: Royal Yacht Britannia, Edinburgh
Why: It was different than looking at another castle or museum and it related to modern times.

Mark Walker in Turlock, CA USA 08/30/2008

Best: Blackpool and the Parliament tour
Why: Our host the night before tried to talk us out of Blackpool, but it was DELIGHTFUL!

the Parliament was fascinating if you're into politics at all.

Worst: Auld Reekies tours in Edinburgh
Why: What a scam! It's NOT underground, it's just four empty rooms and a few lame ghost stories, already told on the sign on the Royal Mile.

Susan Armstrong in St. Paul, MN USA 08/24/2008

Best: Iona (for a two day stay)
Why:

it is a magical, peaceful place which merits time to experience...we walked for hours, exploring both ends of the island and the breathtaking views as well as the golf course with a phenomenal view, populated heavily by sheep!

Worst: Urquhart Castle, Loch Ness, Scotland
Why: we did like the Jacobite tour on the boat but once we reached the castle, it was overrun with tourists, tour buses and a complete nightmare!

Susan in Seattle, WA USA 07/26/2008

Best: Three Abbey Green,Bath
Why: Sue and Derek were so helpful in giving us information about the area, food recommendations and even helped us out of a jam by holding onto some bags for us till the next day-really nice people.

Jerry KY USA 07/17/2008

Best: Best All wonderful experiences
Why: LONDON The Falcon Hotel (Freddie) 11 Norfolk Square Paddington North Hyde Park London W2 1RU England Tel: +44 (1) 7723 8603 Fax: +44 (0) 20 7402 7009 Web: www.falcon-hotel.com Email: Info@falcon-hotel.com Clean hotel, friendly staff, willing to help with any questions. Good English Breakfast. It is an old historic building. Hotel offers a rate break for multiple nights of lodging. (Great location). Hotel is located two blocks from Paddington Train Station and Underground. Within walking distance to North side of Hyde Park. Internet access at front desk. Luggage storage on day of departure. Lots of stairs. Some rooms have toilet down a flight of stairs. Some rooms, ensuite. (WONDERFUL LOCATION, FRIENDLY AND HELPFUL STAFF)

BROADWAY, (COTSWOLDS) The Crown and Trumpet (Scott Andrew) Church Street, Broadway, Worcestershire WR 12 & AE Email: ascot@cotswoldholidays.co.uk or the crowninn@ic24.com Tel: 01386 853202 Just off the main street of Broadway. Great pub/hotel with entertainment and great charm. Friendly and helpful Robin and Scott. Good English Breakfast. Great location to tour the small villages in the Cotswolds.

NORTH WALES - LLANGOLLEN (B&B is about 5 miles from Llangollen) Glencoed B&B (Derek and Rosemary Hughes) (400+ year old home) Cross Street, Pentre, Chirk, Wrexham LL14 5AN Llangollen (01691 778148) Off the main highway down a country driveway situated near the canal. Email: glencoed@croeso.net Call for directions. Home is located near Froncysylite. (10 minute walk from B&B on canal to Pontcysylite Aquaduct.) Near Derek is full of historic information. Derek offers tours of the area. Good English breakfast. Rooms are clean and well taken care of. One room has own private sitting area, private bath on ground floor while bedroom is up narrow stairs. It was a wonderful experience. (The canal runs behind the B&B.) Within a 15 minute walking distance to Telford Inn for dinner. WONDERFUL LOCATION!! About 5 miles from Llangollen and close to Chirk Castle, Valle Crucis and Erddig.

BATH, ENGLAND Woodville House B&B (Anne Toalster) (Listed in ETBD Great Britain 2008 Guidebook) – Wonderful Hostess and location. 4 Marlborough Lane, Bath, BA1 2NQ Tel: (01225 319335) Email: annetoalster@freenet.co.uk / annetoalster@btinternet.com Close to Royal Crescent and City Centre. (About a 15 minute walk to center of Bath). One room has view of Bath Abbey. Wonderful hostess. Shared bath. Good breakfast of meat, cheese, hardboiled eggs, fresh fruit, cereal, yogurts, (proper) coffee, tea.

NORTH WALES - BETWS-Y-COED The Fairhaven Guesthouse and Winifreds Tearoom (Simon and Sharon Ward) Holyhead Road Betws-y-Coed Conwy LL42 OAY UK Tel: 01690 710307 Mobile 07748404357 www.fairhaven-snowdonia.co.uk Email: Fairhaven.ward@btinternet.com Location: Right on the main road going through Betws-y-coed. Close to town. Parking in free public lot about a 5 minute walk from the B&B. You can park along the road to unload luggage. The Fairhaven also has a café and afternoon tea. Great hosts. Willing to provide breakfast items for early departure. Great location for touring the area.

DILWYN, HEREFORDSHIRE HR4 8JJ (South of Leominster off A4112 – near Weobley) Off A49 Sollars Barn B&B (Mrs. Jean Anthony) Dilywn, Herefordshire HR4 8JJ Tel: (Pembridge) 01544 388260 NO WEBSITE. We found this lovely B&B at 5:30 pm along a “B” road (A4112), (we did not have reservations for one day). This was a WONDERFUL find. It has a very beautiful garden area, well manicured. Jean is a very gracious hostess. Dilwyn Pub is one mile away. Great food and entertainment. One double and two twin rooms en-suite. GREAT experience!

Worst: none
Why: all the B&B's listed above were all good experiences.

Bonnie in Tigard, or USA 07/11/2008

Best: Driving tour of Stonehenge, Avebury, and Glastonbury
Why: It have us the ability and confidence to drive for one day and experience these sights on our own, without a tour bus. We'll always remember the thrill and accomplishment of this day trip.

Worst: Windsor Castle
Why: Not a criticism of the book, but of the site--it was overpriced, I think.

Elizabeth in Minneapolis, MN USA 05/19/2008

Best: Vindolanda and Housesteads
Why: I guess I love the unearthing of new history. To me this was amazing.

Worst: Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace
Why: Totally wierd - bands playing 76 trombones and Born Free?? People marching around all over the place with no reason or rhyme as to why. Too long, hard to see, no advance description of what they were doing or why.

Steve Onustack in Lynnwood, WA USA 05/06/2008

Best: Conwy Wales
Why: The castle, waterfront, and the small town are easy to explore .It is a great walking experience. I loved the little shops. The castle and walking the city walls was awesome.

Veronica in Adams, TN USA 01/29/2008

Best: Edinburgh's Cadies & Witchery Tours
Why: The Ghost Walk focused on history and humor rather than horror. We brought our children (age 9 & 12) and they loved it, as well. It was fun and interesting to hear about real people of the past as we walked upon the streets of Edinburgh.

Lisa Lysack in Liverpool, NY USA 10/17/2007

Best: The British Library
Why: Seeing the Treasures Room was a highlight of our trip, especially for my husband. There was also a special exhibit on religions which was quite good. We had a very nice lunch in the cafe there as well. We wouldn't have known about it except for this book.

Ann Martinez in Pasadena, CA USA 09/12/2007

Best: Hiking the Crags in Edinburgh
Why: A great respite from the hectic Royal Mile with beautiful views of Scotland.

Worst: The Royal Mile in Edinburgh
Why: A little too kitschy. We were there during the August festival invasion and it can be overwhelming if you stay too long. The Royal Mile is pretty much required when you go to Edinburgh, but you should definitely do it in doses.

Aimee in Oakland, CA USA 08/26/2007

Best: Conwy, Wales
Why: It was everything and more that Rick said it was! The Bryn Guest House was my favorite B&B in all of the U.K. What an unbelieveable little town.

Jo in Nokomis, FL USA 08/25/2007

Worst: Jorvik, York
Why: Very touristy - Rick was right!

Kathie Roon in Marysville, WA USA 08/06/2007

Best: Eden Camp, outside of York
Why: Great experience! One of the best museums we have ever visited. Should be a 3 star--must see--in Rick's Book

Worst: Westminster Abbey
Why: Millions of people, some demanding their money back because of the crowds. Not worth the 10 pounds ($20) entry fee! Look at the outside and avoid when crowds are this bad. I felt like a cow in a cattle drive!

Pam in McPherson, KS USA 07/25/2007

Best: Cycling in County Durham
Why: County Durham has numerous off road cycle paths that traverse lovely rolling hills and picturesque English countryside. As bike hire can be a pain, I would suggest checking out Dale Bike Hire (http://www.dalebikehire.co.uk/), who deliver and pick up free of charge (within a 20 mile radius of their shop), have excellent machines, and cater to individuals as well as groups and families.

David in Laramie, WY USA 07/22/2007

Best: London, York and Edinbrough
Why: You did it again. We just returned from 12 days in Great Britain and just like Italy and Spain, our best source of information was Rick Steve's Great Britain. The information re the cities we visited was very accurate. We had a wonderful (although expensive) vacation Thanks to your help.

Joe Myers in SYLVANIA, OH USA 07/10/2007

Best: Cotswolds
Why: We rented the bikes at the Toy Store and biked around the beautiful countryside and absolutely loved it.

Sharon in Pasadena , CA USA 07/01/2007

Best: Holyrood Park
Why: Fantastic views. Very accessible to Dalkeith Road B&B locations.

SUE MURRIAN in KNOXVILLE, TN USA 06/14/2007

Worst: Globe Theater tour
Why: There was really nothing to the tour except being able to enter the theater for a few minutes. For half the price I could have attended an actual performance in the groundling section.

Peter Apanel in Portland, OR USA 06/13/2007

Best: Entire England Trip
Why: We flew into Manchester and rented a car (my wife and I) she did the navigating and I the driving. Went to Blackpool first and stayed at the Robin Hood B&B. The B&B was great, but Blackpool was not that exciting.

From there we went to Keswick and took the back roads thru beautiful countryside. Stopped at Windermere, a very beautiful town to visit.

Once at Keswick we stayed in the B&B (Appletree) that overlooked the lake and the mountains. Great view. From our stay there we went to Lake Buttermere taking the mountain pass there. Beautiful sights, although the road is very narrow. Took the walk around the lake and drove back the Keswick for the evening.

From Keswick we drove to Edinburgh and stayed at another B&B (Priestly Inn)for two nights. Walked to the Royal Mile and Princes Ave and saw the castle as we walked up Princes Ave. It was quite spectacular. Tour of castle was great. Be sure to take a guided tour to get the history. City of the Dead Tour was very interesting and entertaining. If you're into golf, St Andrew's was a fun place to visit.

From Edinburgh we drove to York, with stops at Jedburgh and Durham, where we saw the cathedral. Once in York took a 2.5 hour tour with a great old gent who told us more than enough about the history of the cathedral. Took the trip up the towers and enjoyed the view from above.

From York we went to North Wales, to the town of Conwy. Also stopped in Chester, a great place if you shop. Favorite stop of the trip. We stayed in another B&B (Brin Inn) overlooking the castle and right next to the wall that goes around the city. We visited the Bodnant Gardens that are about 20 minutes from Conwy. The gardens were a spectacular a must see. Went thru another mountain pass over to the castle (the place Prince Philip was crowned) on the coast. From Conwy we drove up to Liverpool and saw the Beatle Museum. That was interesting.

Our entire stay was from Friday morning thru the following week and leaving on Sunday morning. If one spouse can drive well and one is good at navigating, then I recommend renting a car. Very handy and flexible to go and do what you want. You better know where your car is on the road, though, because the streets are narrow.

We left on April 26 and came back on May 6 from Chicago. Our weather in England was perfect, 10 days of sun and no rain, temps in the mid 60's. We booked only our first night and last night ahead of time, the rest we used the book and rang the door bell to stay at all the other B&B's. Worked out great. We would eat breakfast in the morning at the B&B and that would take us thru the day until our dinner at the local pub that envening. We ate simple meals at the pubs but they were plenty good. Cost with the exchange rate would be about $12 plus about $5 for a beer.

On a scale on 1 to 10 our trip was a ten. We packed light, one carry-on each. Took old clothes which we discarded along the way to make room to take things home.

Use ATMs for cash and avoid exchanging in banks. They tell you there is no fee, however, they use a higher exchange rate.

Steve Noffke in Neenah, WI USA 06/03/2007

Best: All of them
Why: We followed Ricks recommendations for towns to base ourselves in for an area. Keswick was a very good place to stay for the Lake District, being a charming little town and not too crowded in May.Conwy was perfect for the North Wales area with a great castle. We liked Stow-in-the-Wold in the Cotswolds.

jenny in San Francisco, Ca USA 05/30/2007

Best: York
Why: We just returned from a three week trip to England and found York to be a wonderfull suprise. It is just full of old Roman buildings, the largest Abbey in England, and a busy, almost Venice like walking town. It needs three nights and two full days to fully get around. The train to London (2 hr) makes getting there very simple.

Jim Punches in Aptos, CA USA 05/24/2007

Best: BATH: walking tour organized by the Mayor's office.
Why: The guide was knowledgeable and charming and the tour was free.

Worst: Mad Max tour to Stonehenge.
Why: We spent 2-1/2 hours on the bus, thirty minutes at Lacock (which we found a waste of time) and only one hour at Stonehenge. Fifteen pounds ($30) each for the trip was too much as the entrance to Stonehenge itself was extra. The driver-guide was pleasant but unhelpful. The commentary on the bus was a prerecorded tape played over the speaker system. We took day trips to Avebury and Wells/Glastonbury on our own, using local transportation, (suggested in your guidebook). These were much nicer experiences (and less expensive).

Judy Cascales in Chula Vista, CA USA 05/21/2007

Best: Enjoyed all the sites that we visited in Edinburgh, Bath and London.
Why: Loads of wonderful historical tours (self-guided and pre-organized) at Edinburgh Castle and the Roman Baths. Loved Westminster Abbey and the Tower.

Worst: Harrods. Mad Max stop at Lacock.
Why: I understand why it's recommended that people stop in and check it out if they have time. The Egyptian-themed escalators are real eye-poppers. The prices are downright laughable and we got out as soon as we could. Mad Max's 20-minute stopover in Lacock didn't seem to include much except a photo op of "Harry Potter's family home." Seemed kind of a waste of time. We wandered around aimlessly for the rest of the allotted time and then got back on the bus.

Susan Saric in Orland Park, IL USA 05/16/2007

Best: Edinburgh
Why: It's just a great city - full of nooks and cranies to explore and not nearly as overwhelming as London. Arthur's Seat has a nice trail that goes about half-way up and then around to the bottom of the Royal Mile that we particularly enjoyed.

Marian in Seattle, WA USA 04/25/2007

Best: Heart of Scotland Loch Ness tour
Why: A high point of our trip. Bill, a great guide, knew when to load on the information and when to back off and let us rest. He was also a very competent, cautious driver. The 14-person van was clean and comfortable. We wouldn't have known which tour to take without this book.

M.Heffron in Exeter, NH USA 04/11/2007

Best: Sir Walter Scott Monument
Why: The views of Edinburgh are breath taking. It is certainly worth the 287-steps to reach the top. And i can't forget the Edinburgh Castle. That sight will never leave my mind.

Roderick Blake in Galveston, Tx USA 04/08/2007

Best: York Minster
Why: Spent a good portion of the trip in there. The windows are spectacular, our host had encyclopedic knowledge and an obvious Love for them. It's a pity that the renovation will block a number of the windows. From hearing evensong to looking at all the nooks and crannies, carved mice and strange wooden people - it offers so much and was a surprise how fascinated I would be by it.

Worst: York Minster's Tower
Why: I am afraid of heights and thought I could manage it, thinking it would all be enclosed stairs winding up to the top. But halfway up, you have to walk outside across a narrow walkway that did me in. If you're the least bit queasy, being at that height in the open air can make a person quail and turn green.

Jemma in Seattle, WA USA 04/02/2007

Best: Edinburgh Castle
Why: Just an excellent destination.

Worst: Mercat walking tour (ghost tour)
Why: Didn't really go into much detail--kinda short.

Heidi Schwartz in Ocean, NJ USA 03/04/2007

Best: Mad Max Tours
Why: A great day of seeing many sights - our family loved it. There were 14 on the bus that day - and our youngest soon made friends with a girl her age. After a few days of driving a rental car, we were glad to let someone else navigate the left side of the road! Our guide was very helpful, friendly and informative. If you go in the winter - it is COLD at Stonehenge, Avebury, etc., so take warm stuff and drink tea at every opportunity!

Beth in Huntsville, AL USA 03/01/2007

Best: Mad Max Tours, day trip from Bath
Why: The day was magic—and, to be clear, it was a cold, rainy day in January!

I took a full-day tour: Laycock, Castle Combe, Avery Stone Circles, Stonehenge, and lunch at a fabulous old pub with a roaring fire and some really good food. The folks at Mad Max clearly love what they do, every place that they take you, and all the places in between. The tour van was small, our guide (whose name I wish I could remember!) filled our journey with lots of fascinating tidbits and details about things that I would have never noticed—-the “signatures” of roof thatchers (it’s a very expensive art these days), medieval roundhouses for drunks (you’ll learn what “blind drunk” really means”), where the first photograph in England was taken. Also, we went to several charming shops—-and, if you see something you like, get it! You won’t find the same lovely things in touristy Bath. If I am back in England, I would gladly take the very same tour with Mad Max—-in a heartbeat! Also, it is possible that the January time of my trip added to the magic—our tour’s intimacy was added to by the wonderful lack of tourists. Advice: Stonehenge: I was unaware that wind and rain could come in four directions—all at the same time! Rain hat, rain coat/jacket, gloves, scarf, umbrella—you should have them all, and they still may not be able to help you.

Mary Munson in Arlington, VA USA 02/23/2007