This epic road trip around Britain hits all the highlights that the UK mainland has to offer. Everything from surfing, hiking, quaint villages and so much more can be packed into an incredible two-week trip.
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Your first stop in the Peak District is only an hours drive from Leeds so there’s no need to rush once you’re on your way. Take the time to get used to the van and enjoy the drive.
From your hub in the Peak District, explore Bakewell, Castleton, Bamford and many more quaint villages. Fill your day with gentle walks or massive hikes through Dovedale and explore the impressive caves at Poole’s Cavern. Scenic drives through the area will take you through Snake Pass, Winnats Pass and Derwent Dam.
After a night in the Peak District it’s time for the long stretch to Cornwall. This is the longest journey of the trip so make sure you have a good playlist and stop to stock up on snacks before you begin the 5 hour drive. We recommend following google maps along the M5 and A30 for the quickest route.
You’re in for a treat once you get to Cornwall. Get yourself some surf lessons down at Fistral Beach, the surfing capital of the UK. After a day catching some waves and chilling on the beach, check out the amazing Eden project. Several plastic domes simulate a variety of climates from all over the world, allowing plants from a wide range of different environments to grow there. After your fill of science, head to the end of Britain and enjoy the stunning cliffs at Land’s End. Spend the evenings pottering around the quaint Cornish towns like Polzeath and Newquay, sampling the local pasties and seafood and stopping for a few pints in cosy pubs.
The journey from Cornwall up to the Cotswolds is quite a long one but also a pretty one. The quickest route would be to go via Exeter, which would take around three and a half hours. If you’re looking for a more exciting way though, we’d recommend taking the A39 up the coast and going via Barnstaple and Minehead, which will take you along a beautiful coastal road and then through the Quantock Hills in Somerset. This will add about an hour and a half to your journey, but it is a much more enjoyable route and Minehead would make a nice pit stop halfway through for lunch.
Next up is the epitome of rural Britain, the Cotswolds! The Cotswolds are famous for vast rolling hills, quaint villages and picture-perfect scenery. Walk along part of the Cotswolds Way, an incredibly scenic trail going over 100 miles along the west of the hills. Stop off in a few cosy country pubs for some traditional English food and a couple of well-earned pints!
Next up is another mammoth trek up to the Lake District. The fastest route would take around 5 hours with no stops, but it wouldn’t be too exciting until the last hour or so of the journey. What we would recommend doing is building in a slight detour through the Peak District and taking a pitstop in Bakewell. It will add about an hour to your trip, but it will make the journey a lot more enjoyable.
Over the next few days, explore all the wonders that the Lake District has to offer. Dedicate a day to hiking, either by tackling England’s tallest mountain, Scafell Pike, or if you fancy more of a climb, make your way up Jack’s Rake on Pavey Ark. Spend another day pottering round some of the beautiful small towns and villages, such as Grasmere and Windermere, and make the most of some of the water sports available on Lake Windermere or Coniston Water.
Next up is a journey north of the border to Fort William. We’d recommend the route that Google Maps takes you and should take you roughly five and a half hours if you don’t stop. The scenery for the first hour and last couple of hours will be a treat and a stop the quaint town of Moffat should break your journey up nicely.
A road trip around Britain wouldn’t be complete without a trip to Scotland, and Fort William has a lot to offer. With a quaint town centre and the old fort overlooking the loch below, there’s a lot to like about the town. The main highlight though is Britain’s tallest mountain, Ben Nevis, and a day hiking up the mountain should be topped off with a generous portion of traditional haggis, neaps, and tatties at the Ben Nevis Inn at the bottom. With your spare day, take a ride along Fort William’s Jacobite railway. Used as the Hogwarts’s Express in Harry Potter, the train passes through some stunning valleys, treating you to some incredible scenery.
Your road trip around Britain will end with a trip back down south into God’s country, the Yorkshire Dales. The trip is long, but pleasant, taking roughly 6 hours, but passing through some beautiful scenery between Fort William and Glasgow. Again, Moffat or Lesmahagow are both pleasant places halfway through your journey so may be a good place for a pitstop. A 40-minute detour coming into the Dales will take you past Malham Cove, which we would definitely recommend taking.
If you didn’t make it to Malham cove on your way into the Dales, make it your first point of call the next day. The stunning limestone cliffs and valley below are not to be missed and are a short walk from the town of Malham. With a bit of left-over time, take a half hour trip down to explore Bolton Abbey, or take a final hike along Ilkley Moor and finish it off with a few pints in the Cow & Calf pub.
If you’re driving to Leeds, then you haven’t got far to go at all. Wake up at a respectable 9am, cook yourself your last English breakfast of the trip, be on the road at 10am and back to drop off the vehicle by the drop-off time.
