Since I found my maternal ancestry is ALL UK, I want to visit- England, Ireland, & Scotland. Glastonbury, England is high priority. 5 months ago

I took a wonderful trip to England with my dear friend, Cheryl. We split expenses and I learned a huge amount about traveling abroad from her. She’s a seasoned world traveler, and it really does help to have someone with you who knows the ropes.

We spent almost two weeks in England. Here are a few tips—
don’t rent a car for London, the tube and train systems are fantastic, be sure to catch at least one of the boys choir performances, take at least one day tour to somewhere you wouldn’t have made it to otherwise. Take your time, don’t rush around, it destroys the joy of being there if you are always chasing a schedule. Do stay in at least one or two Landmark Trust properties while you are there. Swarkstone Pavilion and The Bishop’s Wardrobe were highlights of our trip. Register ahead of time to visit Stonehenge before they open to the public or you will not have the chance to walk among the stones.

We also stopped in Paris for just 3 days. What an amazing city! A few tips - do stop for three days if that’s your only option, but you really need at least 3 weeks. Spend the money to eat in some nice sit-down restaurants - it is worth the extra money. The Mona Lisa is famous, but the line is crazy - instead of spending your time in line, wander some of the out of the way areas of the museum, you will be astonished at the masterpieces you find hanging modestly in some nook or corner. I skipped most of the trendy landmarks to visit and spent my time in museums, at concerts, and wandering the Parisian streets - I can see all the famous stuff on tv, and my time was very limited. Check out the Saint Merry Hotel. It’s in a wonderful location and has just tons of character.

Next time I will likely take a city bus tour of each city early in my trip, just to get introduced to a wide range of places and then know where I really want to go back too. 14 months ago

• The Tower of London
• Visit HMS Victory (Portsmouth)
• The Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament 17 months ago

This is more generic. I want to see the history, the culture, the people, and the architecture. I’m sure I’ll have to narrow down specific places eventually but that’s what I have for now. 19 months ago