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Here’s the bad news . . .

Trust me on something: You will get lost. Researching tours for this eBook I have driven over
the same roads several times, yet on my last trip, using the detailed navigation notes I had written,
I still managed to get off course just out of Bury St Edmunds. It was 20 minutes and 10 miles
before I began to realise that nothing looked as it should.

And please don’t think that a GPS will prevent it. It might say “In 300 yards, turn left”. But when
you get to that corner there are two left turns – a hard left and a bear left. Which to take? Ahh,
that is the question and you won’t always get the right answer.

So here’s a combat-hardened veteran’s tips for getting the most out of a road trip in Britain.

1: At least do some planning. You might be one of those free-wheeling souls who just lets the
road take you where it wants, but while that will mean you find some amazing out-of-the-way
attractions you will almost certainly miss things that you would love to have experienced . . . if
only you had known about them.

2: If you don’t have a rough itinerary outline then be aware of the risk of lingering too long in
the early days of the trip. You can easily squander those early days when it feels like there is
plenty of time to do everything. At least have a rough schedule as a time budget to keep you on
track.

3: Here’s a natural fact: You won’t be able to see everything or do everything. Even if you took a
year, you could then take another year and not do anything a second time. Britain is just that rich
in attractions.

4: Less is more. Don’t try (as I did on that first visit) to cram in as much as physically possible. Do
fewer things but take more time to enjoy them.

You can, for instance, rip through one of the great houses in an hour. Even a bit less if you go
hard. But why? You will only come this way once so take the time to let it seep into your on-board
memory circuits. That way, later in life when in quiet or pensive mood, you can let your inner eye
wander, to once again enjoy those moments.

5: Keep it flexible. One of the great things about Britain, especially the cities, is that you will go
round a corner and discover something quite magical and completely unexpected. Take the time
to enjoy it.

6: Allow a “down day” every fourth or fifth day if you are on tour for ten days or more. In other
words, stay at least two nights in one location. It gives the body a chance to rest and recuperate.
It allows for flexibility to accommodate changes of schedule. It is also time to do the dirty laundry.

7: Most first-time visitors to the UK want to do a mix of things – some castles, some cathedrals,
some great houses. A scenic wilderness or two. A few historic sites. And so on.

If you have a particular interest do some research on where you can follow it up.

For instance I am a bit of a World War Two aircraft nut. So along the way I will want to visit the
pick of the aircraft collections.

The Lady Driver on the other hand, while she might idly wander around one such museum, would
be bored witless in the others. So she, being a knitting nut, while I am admiring Spitfires,
Hurricanes, Me109s et al., will go off to the local craft workshops/markets or wool shops.