# Travel Book for UK **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 14, 2004, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travel-book-for-uk/279834 "2004-12-14T19:40:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e8c25b/32.png) [@Lok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lok)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2004, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travel-book-for-uk/279834/1 "2004-12-14T19:40:09Z")
I am going to Glasgow next August for Worldcon. I am planning on spending about 3 weeks looking around the UK while I am there. What would be a good travel book to use for making plans on what to see and where to go? ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2004, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travel-book-for-uk/279834/2 "2004-12-14T20:05:29Z")
I suppose it all depends what interests you: cities, countryside, culture, history, lazing about,…? We’ve all got plenty of suggestions ourselves of what to do, before you get near Amazon, but it’ll also help find something more relevant than Lonely Planet. ---
**Author:** ![Lok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e8c25b/32.png) [@Lok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lok)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travel-book-for-uk/279834/3 "2004-12-15T06:04:31Z")
All of the above basically. Eclectic tastes and a lot of curiosity mean I want to spend about 3 years looking around, but I can’t get that much vacation. 😃 I enjoy all of the touristy things and finding stuff off the beaten path. Doesn’t narrow it down much I know, that is why I am having a hard time making plans. Lok ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travel-book-for-uk/279834/4 "2004-12-15T07:55:54Z")
OK, well for basic planning-where-to-go, I’d suggest the [Eyewitness](http://www.globecorner.com/t/t17/8992.php) series of guides - they easier to start off with than the in-depth information of Lonely Planet and Rough Guide. As for a few ideas of what to do: well, you’ll be on the doorstep of the Edinburgh Festival, a chance you really shouldn’t turn down. You’re also well positioned to head into the Highlands, for some of the best scenery in Britain. Other than that, there’s pretty much something to explore wherever you go… ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travel-book-for-uk/279834/5 "2004-12-15T11:42:59Z")
If you do want more in-depth info, I would go with Rough Guides over Lonely Planet every time. ---
**Author:** ![Caprese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9a28c/32.png) [@Caprese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caprese)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2004, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travel-book-for-uk/279834/6 "2004-12-15T13:07:52Z")
Though some may find the amount of information overwhelming, I agree with **Colophon** about the Rough Guide. Northwest Scotland is worth your time. Inverewe Gardens is an interesting spot. Agree with **Gorillaman** about the Edinburgh Festival. It’s well worth it. ---
**Author:** ![Lok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e8c25b/32.png) [@Lok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lok)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travel-book-for-uk/279834/7 "2004-12-16T04:34:10Z")
Never heard of the Eyewitness stuff before. Will give them a look. The Worldcon people have mentioned the Edinburgh Festival. Would it work to stay in Glasgow and basically commute to Edinburgh for a few days? That would be one less place to stay I would need to find. And I know that Edinburgh is pretty full during the Festival. Lok ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travel-book-for-uk/279834/8 "2004-12-16T11:42:39Z")
Yep, Edinburgh’s under an hour from Glasgow by train, and they run until about midnight. Plenty of people will be doing the same thing. And getting accomodation in Edinburgh at festival time can be a nightmare. (I took a look at the Worldcon page, and all their advice about this kind of stuff seems pretty good) ---
**Author:** ![fortytwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f9ae1b/32.png) [@fortytwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fortytwo)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travel-book-for-uk/279834/9 "2004-12-16T20:36:17Z")
Don’t forget to take your Babelfish with you for those hard to translate quaint Scottish expressions. ---
**Author:** ![Lok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e8c25b/32.png) [@Lok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lok)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travel-book-for-uk/279834/10 "2004-12-17T06:09:26Z")
Nah, I will just do like I did when I visited Australia. Nod my head and laugh. The guy talking about getting dumped by his girl didn’t care for it, but it mostly worked. 😛 Lok