July 28, 2013 England, Scotland, Wales Tour

Hello to all that will be on this summer tour. We are Bob and Marion Walton from Roanoke, VA and looking forward to our 8th Tauck experience. Would like to hear from others going on the 7/28/13 tour. We would also like to hear about "must see" experiences for our free time from anyone who has already taken this trip.

Comments

  • edited April 2013
    Hello Bob & Marion. We are Don & Donna from Jefferson, Massachusetts and looking forward to our fourth Tauck Tour. We would also like to hear from someone who has been on this trip. We will arrive in Edinburgh on Sunday, July 28th.
  • edited April 2013
    Bob & Marion, we live about 45 minutes SE of Roanoke. We did the England, Scotland, and Wales tour in September 2012. We arrived in Edinburgh a day early. On the morning we arrived, we did the tour of Britannia and had lunch on the queen's yacht. It was leisurely enough to be doable after our overnight flight while also giving us a chance to catch some fresh air and get a preview of earlier days of the royal lifestyle. In the afternoon we spent a bit of time wandering the streets of Edinburgh and popping into a few shops, grabbed an early dinner and turned in early.
    The next morning, we headed to the Roslyn Chapel. If you are a fan of Dan Brown, it is definitely a must see. Even if you aren't, it is an amazing experience to hear the stories and explore the detailed carvings while wandering the chambers. We were able to easily travel by public bus both days.
    (We did find time during our free time in Edinburgh to have lunch in the cafe where JKRowlings worked on Harry Potter...our grandkids were very impressed with that photo and the food was decent. At some point we hit the museum to see the Chessmen ..we could have easily spent days exploring the exhibits.). We really enjoyed Edinburgh and would love to visit again.

    The tour was very informative and we got to experience so many different aspects of the culture...you are going to have a great time. We are looking forward to doing the Best of Ireland Tour in September (2013).
  • Grandcache:
    Thank you so much for your post. You provided just the type information we were seeking. Your info will give us a great starting point to research and formulate our plans! You sound like you might be Smith Mountain Lake folks...perhaps we will cross paths one day. Thank you again for taking the time to post!
    Bob
  • Hello,

    My wife and I are on the 7 July trip. (former residents of N. VA now living in NC)

    Teams passed through Edinburgh during a recent episode of the reality TV show "Amazing Race". One filming location was Craigmillar Castle. It has been called one of the best preserved castles in Scotland and a "romantic ruin" and might be an interesting place to check out if you arrive early and want to get out of the city. Mary Queen of Scots stayed there in 1566 after the murder of her secretary at Holyrood and is supposedly where the follow-on plot that led to the death of her second husband was initiated.

    It is only 3 mi. from downtown and on a bus route. Check my link below or Google it.

    http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g186525-d213425-Reviews-Craigmillar_Castle-Edinburgh_Scotland.html

    craigmillar-castle.jpg
  • RoanokeJRW wrote:
    Hello to all that will be on this summer tour. We are Bob and Marion Walton from Roanoke, VA and looking forward to our 8th Tauck experience. Would like to hear from others going on the 7/28/13 tour. We would also like to hear about "must see" experiences for our free time from anyone who has already taken this trip.

    Hello Bob and Marion, we are Carl and Irene and we live in Washingborough just outside Lincoln in the UK. We are taking this tour in August this year. We have an additional day in London and I have been using this website http://www.londontown.com/ to research things to do to finish off our holiday in style. We have decided that we will take a train to Hampton Court Palace for the day and then we have booked tickets to see A Chorus Line at the Paladium. If you do not have this much spare time then there are lots of other things you can do and see. My advice would be to use the website to find attractions that interest you and then where possible pre book your tickets. PS. Thanks to Grandcache for the Royal Yacht suggestion, I have just booked tickets for this tour while we are in Edinburgh.

    I hope you enjoy your tour in July.

    Carl
  • Hi, Rich and Lin Zolty from Philadelphia..this will be our 12th Tauck Tour....love your part of the world...go to the Homestead at least once a year and visit Winchester often....can't wait to do this one, all of our Tauck experiences have been super!!
  • Thanks to all of you for your suggestions. I've been to the UK twice, but you've given me other ideas. I didn't get to the Royal Yacht before so that sounds like something I'd like. Maybe Craigmiller Castle. Thought I might get a massage at the hotel since I'm arriving a day early. Maybe attend one of the churches Sun morning. This will be my first Tauck experience; my trip isn't until August 2014 and I'm very excited now. I'll be able to float over the Atlantic by next year!
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