How many days do you actually need? What should you budget? And what is the fastest way in from Heathrow? Tracy and Doug answer the 10 questions listeners ask most about visiting London, with the numbers and the reasoning behind each one.

- How many days: why 4 to 5 is the first-timer sweet spot
- When to go: the months we avoid, and why April catches people out
- Getting around: zones, the £8.90 daily cap, Oyster versus contactless
- Heathrow into London: Elizabeth line, Piccadilly line or the 15 minute Express
- UK ETA: £20, two years, and the fake sites charging ten times that
- Dual citizens: what you need to know if you are planning a UK trip
- Budgeting: what to allow per person, and where it really goes
- Food hacks: supermarket meal deals, explained for visitors
- Day trips: Jane Austen's House by train, and Bath from Paddington
- Where to stay: the Tube station rule that beats picking a postcode
- Free London: which major museums and galleries cost nothing
- Where to eat: Roast at Borough Market, Pick & Cheese, Cafe in the Crypt

Plus two new things from us: London Trip Quick Answers, a 30 minute live Zoom where you bring your specific trip questions to Tracy and Doug, and a new bonus episode on the last Thursday of every month covering what is on in London the month ahead.

Got a London question we did not cover? Send it to us on SpeakPipe. Please share this episode with anyone planning a UK trip, and if you enjoy the show a review really helps more travellers find us. We also write a free weekly newsletter, The Great British Trip, available on Substack every Saturday morning.

Still planning your UK or Ireland trip?

Rabbie's small-group tours are a brilliant way to see more without the hassle of driving or planning everything yourself. With departures from cities such as Edinburgh, London and Dublin, it's easy to add a multi-day adventure to your itinerary.

Have a look at their tours and any current offers on their website - Rabbies.com

Support the show

🗺 FREE UK Trip Planning Roadmap - plan your UK trip step by step

⭐️ Need help planning your UK trip? Choose the option that works best for you:

• UK Trip Quick Answers - a 30-minute live Zoom for your UK trip questions.
• Video Reviews (available anytime) - send us your itinerary for detailed feedback.
• 1:1 Consultations - live Zoom session with Doug & Tracy.
• 🚆 Travelling by train? - Get expert help from Doug, our resident rail expert with 25+ years on the UK network.

🎤 Leave us a voice message

➡️ Sponsor our show
➡️ Leave us a tip

Work With Us - Contact info@uktravelplanning.com for brand partnerships and business inquiries.

Disclaimer: Some links are affiliate links. Using them supports the podcast ...

We chat with Graham, a Rabbie's driver-guide in Edinburgh, about what turns a simple day trip into a friendly, personal experience. We break down how small group touring works, from the first meet-up at the bus station to the last stop, with practical tips on choosing a route and packing for Scotland's weather.

• Why a 16 seater bus changes the whole feel of a tour
• What a driver-guide actually does beyond driving
• How the morning meet and greet and check-in works at Edinburgh Bus Station
• Building a relaxed group dynamic without forcing it
• Balancing storytelling, scenery, music and quiet time
• How long you get at stops and why flexibility matters
• Who books these tours: solo travellers, couples, families and return visitors
• Popular routes including Loch Ness, Glencoe, Skye, castles and whisky tours
• Why multi-day tours sell out and which one Graham recommends first
• What to bring: waterproofs, comfy shoes, layers, charger and power bank
• Our best tip: pick the tour that excites you most

Book here and use the code UKTP10 for 10% off.

If you're planning your own UK trip and have a question, do leave us a voice message through SpeakPipe. If you enjoyed this one, please share it with someone who's dreaming of Scotland, and leave us a review on your favourite podcast app.

Still planning your UK or Ireland trip?

Rabbie's small-group tours are a brilliant way to see more without the hassle of driving or planning everything yourself. With departures from cities such as Edinburgh, London and Dublin, it's easy to add a multi-day adventure to your itinerary.

Have a look at their tours and any current offers on their website - Rabbies.com

Support the show

🗺 FREE UK Trip Planning Roadmap - plan your UK trip step by step

⭐️ Need help planning your UK trip? Choose the option that works best for you:

• UK Trip Quick Answers - a 30-minute live Zoom for your UK trip questions.
• Video Reviews (available anytime) - send us your itinerary for detailed feedback.
• 1:1 Consultations - live Zoom session with Doug & Tracy.
• 🚆 Travelling by train? - Get expert help from Doug, our resident rail expert with 25+ years on the UK network.

🎤 Leave us a voice message

➡️ Sponsor our show
➡️ Leave us a tip

Work With Us - Contact info@uktravelplanning.com for brand partnerships and business inquiries.

Disclaimer: Some links are affiliate links. Using them supports the podcast ...

The departure boards are flashing, the station is heaving, and there is still no platform number. If that scene makes your heart race, you are exactly who we made this episode for. With more than 25 years working on the UK railways, Doug joins Tracy to walk through London's mainline stations in plain English, so your first UK rail trip starts with calm, not panic.

• Why London has multiple terminal stations, and how that affects boarding and timing
• Which London stations serve which parts of the UK and Europe, including the Eurostar
• A quick station by station guide to King's Cross, St Pancras, Euston, Paddington, Waterloo, Victoria, Liverpool Street and Marylebone
• How airport links shape your choice of station and where to stay in London
• How to check your train before you leave using National Rail tools and live running info
• How to read departure boards, including final destination and stopping patterns
• Why platform numbers often appear late, and why that is completely normal
• Ticket barriers, using the wider gates with bags, and when to ask staff
• Seat reservations being free, when to reserve, and how unreserved coaches work
• Luggage rules, keeping your bags secure, and what accessibility assistance can cover
• Peak versus off peak basics, and when cheaper tickets are more likely
• Doug's Calm Down Checklist for a smooth, stress-free departure

If this takes some of the mystery out of London's stations, please subscribe, share it with a nervous traveller, and leave a quick review on your favourite podcast app. Want personal help with your trip? You can book Doug for a 30 minute train travel Q&A or a full consultation. And do subscribe to our YouTube channel for Doug's new confidence series.

📝 Show Notes - Episode 212

Still planning your UK or Ireland trip?

Rabbie's small-group tours are a brilliant way to see more without the hassle of driving or planning everything yourself. With departures from cities such as Edinburgh, London and Dublin, it's easy to add a multi-day adventure to your itinerary.

Have a look at their tours and any current offers on their website - Rabbies.com

Support the show

🗺 FREE UK Trip Planning Roadmap - plan your UK trip step by step

⭐️ Need help planning your UK trip? Choose the option that works best for you:

• UK Trip Quick Answers - a 30-minute live Zoom for your UK trip questions.
• Video Reviews (available anytime) - send us your itinerary for detailed feedback.
• 1:1 Consultations - live Zoom session with Doug & Tracy.
• 🚆 Travelling by train? - Get expert help from Doug, our resident rail expert with 25+ years on the UK network.

🎤 Leave us a voice message

➡️ Sponsor our show
➡️ Leave us a tip

Work With Us - Contact info@uktravelplanning.com for brand partnerships and business inquiries.

Disclaimer: Some links are affiliate links. Using them supports the podcast ...

Rochelle talks us through a 41-day UK road trip from Bath to the Scottish Highlands and back to London, sharing what worked, what surprised her, and how planning early made the whole trip calmer. We swap honest notes on UK driving, smart booking tactics, and the tours, meals and accidental stops that turned into lifelong memories.

• Planning a long UK itinerary without trying to do too much
• Leaving Heathrow before the Easter crowds and saving London for the end
• Coping with UK driving as visitors, from narrow lanes to complex roundabouts
• Using phone navigation when the in-car sat nav falls short
• The full route: Salisbury, Bath, the Cotswolds, the Peak District, the Lake District, Northumberland, Skye, Inverness, Pitlochry, Berwick-upon-Tweed, York and London
• Favourite moments: the Old Man of Storr at sunrise, York food finds, a surprise stop at St Abbs
• An accommodation mix including a castle stay and a standout manor hotel
• A laundry strategy for multi-week travel, from washing machines to heated towel rails
• UK food highlights: Sunday roasts, scones, Scotch egg, haggis, black pudding, Irn-Bru and cider
• London experiences: early Tower of London entry, a food and pub walking tour, and meeting fellow listeners
• Discover Real London black cab tours for orientation, photography and a James Bond and Ted Lasso trip to Richmond

If you've enjoyed the show, why not leave us feedback via text or a review on your favourite podcast app? Share it with anyone planning their own UK road trip. We love to hear from you, and you never know, you may receive a shout out in a future episode.

⭐️ Guest - Rochelle C
📝 Show Notes - Episode 211

Still planning your UK or Ireland trip?

Rabbie's small-group tours are a brilliant way to see more without the hassle of driving or planning everything yourself. With departures from cities such as Edinburgh, London and Dublin, it's easy to add a multi-day adventure to your itinerary.

Have a look at their tours and any current offers on their website - Rabbies.com

Support the show

🗺 FREE UK Trip Planning Roadmap - plan your UK trip step by step

⭐️ Need help planning your UK trip? Choose the option that works best for you:

• UK Trip Quick Answers - a 30-minute live Zoom for your UK trip questions.
• Video Reviews (available anytime) - send us your itinerary for detailed feedback.
• 1:1 Consultations - live Zoom session with Doug & Tracy.
• 🚆 Travelling by train? - Get expert help from Doug, our resident rail expert with 25+ years on the UK network.

🎤 Leave us a voice message

➡️ Sponsor our show
➡️ Leave us a tip

Work With Us - Contact info@uktravelplanning.com for brand partnerships and business inquiries.

Disclaimer: Some links are affiliate links. Using them supports the podcast ...

Planning a London trip? In this episode we share the experiences that earned a place on our 2026 favourites list, and how to make each one work for your own itinerary. From food tours and royal palaces to day trips, exhibitions and a night in a real Tudor castle, everything here is something we did ourselves this year.

• Which two London food tours are worth booking (and the historic pubs they take you to)
• How to combine Changing of the Guard, Kensington Palace + afternoon tea at the Orangery in one day
• The best small group day trips from London: Dover, Canterbury, Oxford, Stratford + the Cotswolds
• How to reach Jane Austen's House at Chawton by train and taxi, step by step
• Two walking tours that reveal a Westminster and Soho most visitors never see
• The exhibitions to book now: Queen Elizabeth II - Her Life in Style at the King's Gallery
• Our honest Chelsea Flower Show verdict: timing, crowds and whether it's worth the ticket price
• Where to eat in 2026: Pick and Cheese, Mercato Mayfair + the Sunday roast at Borough Market
• Three gardens for a calm reset from the crowds (two of them free)
• Why Mr Fogg's murder mystery evening is one of London's most fun nights out
• The museums that surprised us, including the Postal Museum's underground Mail Rail
• How Mystery Guides turn an afternoon into a self-guided treasure hunt
• The 500 year old castle near Bristol where you can sleep where Henry VIII did

📝 Show Notes - Episode 210

If you have a question after listening, or a favourite London experience of your own, send us a message via SpeakPipe. If you know anyone planning a trip to London or the UK, share the episode with them, it really helps us. And if you've enjoyed the show, why not leave us feedback via text or a review on your favourite podcast app?

Still planning your UK or Ireland trip?

Rabbie's small-group tours are a brilliant way to see more without the hassle of driving or planning everything yourself. With departures from cities such as Edinburgh, London and Dublin, it's easy to add a multi-day adventure to your itinerary.

Have a look at their tours and any current offers on their website - Rabbies.com

Support the show

🗺 FREE UK Trip Planning Roadmap - plan your UK trip step by step

⭐️ Need help planning your UK trip? Choose the option that works best for you:

• UK Trip Quick Answers - a 30-minute live Zoom for your UK trip questions.
• Video Reviews (available anytime) - send us your itinerary for detailed feedback.
• 1:1 Consultations - live Zoom session with Doug & Tracy.
• 🚆 Travelling by train? - Get expert help from Doug, our resident rail expert with 25+ years on the UK network.

🎤 Leave us a voice message

➡️ Sponsor our show
➡️ Leave us a tip

Work With Us - Contact info@uktravelplanning.com for brand partnerships and business inquiries.

Disclaimer: Some links are affiliate links. Using them supports the podcast ...

Tracy and Doug step back from the destinations to share who they are and ten ways they help you plan a smarter UK trip, from the podcast and websites to consultations, products and a 30,000 strong community. Two Brits who know the UK inside out, now based in Australia, with Doug's near 30 years on the railways behind every train answer.

In this episode:

• The lived experience behind the podcast, and why it shapes the advice
• Why a real person beats a generic AI itinerary or conflicting internet advice
• Where to start when UK trip planning feels overwhelming
• Practical help for UK train travel: tickets, railcards, reservations and routes
• Cutting wasted time and money by fixing geography and removing duplication
• Honest partner recommendations, personally vetted so you can book with confidence
• Visual planning through YouTube, Shorts, Reels and station walk-throughs
• Planners, toolkits and ebooks that save hours of research
• One to one consultations, video itinerary reviews and last minute Q&A sessions
• Facebook communities for reassurance, tips and real traveller experiences

Wherever you are in your planning, pick one resource and start there. Listen to the podcast, read the articles on the website and watch Doug's videos on YouTube.

Know someone planning a UK trip? Please share our resources, websites and podcast with them. And if you've enjoyed the show, send us a SpeakPipe message or leave a review on your favourite podcast app. It really helps. Happy UK Travel Planning!

📝 Show Notes - Episode 209

Still planning your UK or Ireland trip?

Rabbie's small-group tours are a brilliant way to see more without the hassle of driving or planning everything yourself. With departures from cities such as Edinburgh, London and Dublin, it's easy to add a multi-day adventure to your itinerary.

Have a look at their tours and any current offers on their website - Rabbies.com

Support the show

🗺 FREE UK Trip Planning Roadmap - plan your UK trip step by step

⭐️ Need help planning your UK trip? Choose the option that works best for you:

• UK Trip Quick Answers - a 30-minute live Zoom for your UK trip questions.
• Video Reviews (available anytime) - send us your itinerary for detailed feedback.
• 1:1 Consultations - live Zoom session with Doug & Tracy.
• 🚆 Travelling by train? - Get expert help from Doug, our resident rail expert with 25+ years on the UK network.

🎤 Leave us a voice message

➡️ Sponsor our show
➡️ Leave us a tip

Work With Us - Contact info@uktravelplanning.com for brand partnerships and business inquiries.

Disclaimer: Some links are affiliate links. Using them supports the podcast ...

Tracy and Doug take you through the Northern England leg of their recent trip: a route across County Durham, the Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District that blends driving, trains and small group tours. The idea is simple. Copy what worked, skip the stress, and let the small practical tips make the big scenery easier to enjoy.

In this episode:

• Picking up a hire car at Edinburgh Airport quickly via the tram, and why full cover takes the excess worry away
• Beamish Living Museum of the North: pit village life, period shops, the trams and a family history connection
• Planning Haworth around the steep cobbled hill, the right shoes, the car parks and Brontë Parsonage opening days
• A Yorkshire Dales loop taking in Ribblehead Viaduct, Dent station, Hawes and Wensleydale Creamery
• Finding "Darrowby" in Grassington for the All Creatures Great and Small filming locations
• Adding Malham Cove and Bolton Abbey, with a note on parking costs and access
• Switching from car to trains, including the Settle to Carlisle line and a York base right by the station
• Using Mountain Goat small group tours for the Dales and the Ten Lakes Spectacular to skip the driving and parking pressure
• Practical reminders: automatics, driving on the left, passing place etiquette and carrying coins for the loos

Got a question after listening, or planning a trip to the north yourself? Send us a SpeakPipe message, and please share the podcast with anyone planning a UK trip. If you've enjoyed the show, a review on your favourite podcast app really helps. Happy UK Travel Planning!

📝 Show Notes - Episode 208

Still planning your UK or Ireland trip?

Rabbie's small-group tours are a brilliant way to see more without the hassle of driving or planning everything yourself. With departures from cities such as Edinburgh, London and Dublin, it's easy to add a multi-day adventure to your itinerary.

Have a look at their tours and any current offers on their website - Rabbies.com

Support the show

🗺 FREE UK Trip Planning Roadmap - plan your UK trip step by step

⭐️ Need help planning your UK trip? Choose the option that works best for you:

• UK Trip Quick Answers - a 30-minute live Zoom for your UK trip questions.
• Video Reviews (available anytime) - send us your itinerary for detailed feedback.
• 1:1 Consultations - live Zoom session with Doug & Tracy.
• 🚆 Travelling by train? - Get expert help from Doug, our resident rail expert with 25+ years on the UK network.

🎤 Leave us a voice message

➡️ Sponsor our show
➡️ Leave us a tip

Work With Us - Contact info@uktravelplanning.com for brand partnerships and business inquiries.

Disclaimer: Some links are affiliate links. Using them supports the podcast ...

Puffins that waddle right up to you, dolphins pacing the bow, sea eagles overhead and a sea cave so famous it sparked a Mendelssohn symphony. It all sounds like a once in a lifetime trip. We wanted to make it something you can actually plan, even if you are travelling without a car and juggling real-world ferry times, bus links and unpredictable Scottish weather.

We pick up the journey in Oban and talk through a clear Inner Hebrides itinerary built around public transport: ferry over to the Isle of Mull, bus to Tobermory for a few nights, then a full day boat trip to Lunga for puffins and on to Staffa for Fingal's Cave. Along the way we share the unglamorous details that make or break island travel, like when to arrive as a foot passenger, what layers you genuinely need on the water, how popular tours sell out, and why bringing your own food is non-negotiable on some boat days.

From there we cover the wider Mull experience with a guided wildlife tour for golden eagles and white tailed eagles, then travel across to Fionnphort for a day on Iona. We talk about Iona Abbey, the island's distinctive feel, the Book of Kells connection, and how to book ferries in the right order and handle cancellations when they happen.

The trip finishes with a scenic ride to Fort William and an overnight on the Caledonian Sleeper, turning the journey home into part of the adventure. Subscribe, share with a friend planning a UK trip, and a quick review on your favourite podcast app means the world.

📝 Show Notes - Episode 207

Still planning your UK or Ireland trip?

Rabbie's small-group tours are a brilliant way to see more without the hassle of driving or planning everything yourself. With departures from cities such as Edinburgh, London and Dublin, it's easy to add a multi-day adventure to your itinerary.

Have a look at their tours and any current offers on their website - Rabbies.com

Support the show

🗺 FREE UK Trip Planning Roadmap - plan your UK trip step by step

⭐️ Need help planning your UK trip? Choose the option that works best for you:

• UK Trip Quick Answers - a 30-minute live Zoom for your UK trip questions.
• Video Reviews (available anytime) - send us your itinerary for detailed feedback.
• 1:1 Consultations - live Zoom session with Doug & Tracy.
• 🚆 Travelling by train? - Get expert help from Doug, our resident rail expert with 25+ years on the UK network.

🎤 Leave us a voice message

➡️ Sponsor our show
➡️ Leave us a tip

Work With Us - Contact info@uktravelplanning.com for brand partnerships and business inquiries.

Disclaimer: Some links are affiliate links. Using them supports the podcast ...