.Over the past decade of working on cruise ships and traveling, we’ve missed a lot of things. Weddings being one of them. So when our friend Patrick gave us the date for his Cotswolds wedding two years in advance, we penned it into the calendar.
In classic Jeremy and Katie fashion, there was no way we were going to fly all the way to the UK for just a few days. We might as well make a trip out of it! After chewing on a few ideas, we settled on a road trip up to Scotland.
If you’re looking for an affordable hotel in London that is clean and close to public transit, Chiswick Rooms is the perfect spot. The room was itty bitty and the bed was a squeeze for two. But the staff was lovely and it got the job done. Plus, Chiswick itself charming with plenty of great restaurants, shops, and cafes. We plant-sat for a friend who lived in Chiswick a couple years ago, and is an ideal launch point for exploring the city while being out of the main hubbub. (Get the scoop on our 11 days in England as part of a larger 6 week trip HERE.)
We had one full day in London, and it just so happened to coincide with a record breaking heat wave. It was so hot that train lines were down and schools cancelled classes. That wasn’t enough to stop us! We went on a long walk through Hyde Park, up through Knotting Hill, and around to Soho to look at a couple shops. The main event, however, was spending time with Jeremy’s brother-in-law who coincidently was visiting for work. Any good British adventure can really only start in 1 place: a pub. We enjoyed beers, good conversation, and cards for nearly 6 hours.
London has some amazing food, and we admittedly did not seek it out. Yogurts from Marks and Spencer for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch, and then we had pub pizza for dinner. The one exciting stop was Chai Guys for pastries. On our previous trip, we got a passionfruit koign amman that was, dare I say, life changing. It wasn’t on the menu so we got Chai aux raisins instead.
The pastry was buttery and flakey, and the chai soaked raisins added a spicy sweetness. Tasty, but lives in the shadow of the passionfruit koign ammon.
The following morning we picked up our nifty 2026 Toyota C-HR from Hertz and hit the road. We looked at the map, saw Oxford was right on the way, and decided to make a pit stop.
There’s evidence of teaching at Oxford University as early as 1096, and the buildings ooze history. Unfortunately, to get into the key buildings, you had to buy a ticket. Given our 2 hour parking meter time restraint, we just admired it all from the outside. The city of Oxford is also charming in of itself. There’s a buzzing pedestrian street with shops and restaurants in buildings that have stories to tell. I loved Oxford, and would certainly plan to go back to do a proper tour.
From Oxford, we headed up to the Cotswolds. The Cotswolds is a scenic region spanning across 800 spare miles that’s peppered with quaint villages, expansive estates, and beautiful vistas. We stopped at Bourton-on-the-Water, which is considered the “Venice of the Cotswolds” due to the river running through it. It’s the epitome of “quaint” and “charming”. I took no photos… so sorry friends.
We hopped back in the car to head to Quedgeley, where we’d be staying for the next two nights.
Many accommodations in England are centered around a pub, and The Thatch Inn was one such place. The pub was dark, wooded, and cozy, and our room was in a building in the back. England runs cold, and many of the buildings are designed in a way that keeps warmth in. Great for 90% of the year, but not so ideal during a record breaking heat wave. Because another thing about England (and much of Europe), is that many places don’t have AC. Our room was perfectly nice, but it turned into a raging sweat box that was even hotter than it was outside.
The Cotswolds held the main reason for the entire trip: to celebrate the marriage of Patrick and Tom. Patrick was one of my cast mates onboard the Westerdam in 2017, which was one of my most formative phases of life to date. Seeing him marry the love of his life was an event we simply weren’t going to miss!
The wedding was held at Elmore Court, which dates back to the 13th century. It was like a true fairy tale, and every detail was perfect. I didn’t do my due diligence in taking photos, so be sure to click on the link to see that magic of the venue.
We woke up early and immediately hit the road up to Glasgow for the Scotland portion of our UK road trip. I can hear you exclaiming, “Glasgow, not Edinburgh?!” Edinburgh is an awesome city with so much to do, see, and eat. But Jeremy and I have both been there. Glasgow offered the unknown. And there’s nothing I love more than experiencing a new place.
The journey took just under 7 hours accounting for few service station pitstops and a few slowdowns.
We booked a night for the Devoncove Hotel, which ended up being a Best Western. The hotel was cozy, yet updated, and the staff was exceptionally helpful and nice. (I sat in the lobby while Jeremy was on a work call, and the man at reception handled 3 disgruntled customers with astounding patience. Major kudos!) The room and bed were very small, but perfectly functional.
We arrived at 4pm, and hit the streets to explore. Evening one was dedicated to walking through The West End, Botanic Gardens, and Glasgow University. There were so many interesting restaurants and quirky shops, and the university was astounding.
Day two we walked around the city center hub then up to Glasgow Cathedral and the necropolis. I love a cemetery— seeing the way a culture honors the dead is fascinating. This particular one had no shortage of impressive obelisks and statues, and it was situated on a hill that gave sweeping views of Glasgow. From there, we took a bus down to Pollock Country Park which had lovely grounds and a neat museum.
Glasgow has a wide range of food options ranging from classic pub grub to fine dining. The first day we got there we had one of the best meals of the entire trip at Rickshaw & Co. It’s a small plate style spot serving up Bengali and Indian dishes. We tried the bhel puri, the Indian green curry, a chicken tikka wrap, and a veg curry with garlic naan and coco rice. Everything was delicious, and we happened to go during an anniversary special and everything was just under £50.
Day two, we had yogurt for breakfast than got a sandwich from sotto deli and slice of pizza from the neighboring Piatto to share. The sandwich was loaded with a fat piece of chicken and plenty of vodka sauce. The pizza boasted sun dried tomatoes and pesto. What’s not to love?!
We hopped in the car and headed 50km north to Loch Lomond to get a jump start on the journey to Oban.
We stayed at the Queen of the Loch. Like The Thatch Inn, the central focus of this spot was a huge pub. The rooms were in a separate building, and perfectly nice. Unlike the Thatch Inn, the room wasn’t a sweat box thanks to the cool Scottish weather.
This stop was purely to position us well for the next days adventure: a journey up to Oban. We watched Braveheart in preparation of the adventure through the highlands ahead and called it a night.
For dinner, we got a couple yogurts and some fruit from the nearby Lidl. Cheap, healthy, easy.
Glencoe is an area in the Scottish highlands that has been shaped and molded by glaciers and volcanos. The scenery looks like it’s straight from a movie… because it is! The dramatic landscapes have been featured in Skyfall, Braveheart, and Harry Potter, and it’s jaw-dropping. The road slices through jagged mountains that are all coated in greenery that shimmers with an iridescent glow.
It turns out Glencoe is no hidden gem. There were hundreds of other tourists driving down the same road, and snagging parking spots at the popular view points and walks was mission impossible. Had I anticipated the crowds, we would have left way early. Alas… learn from my mistakes.
We did drive down the Skyfall road and we managed to get parking for a couple little walks. We also snagged some highland cow to cone ice cream from Highland Fold Ice Creamy, which was offensively creamy.
As we neared Oban, we also stumbled upon Castle Stalker. Just randomly coming across a 14th century castle is something you don’t get in the USA…
Muthu Alexander Hotel is the type of hotel that is surely haunted. The building is 156 years old, and has a certain old world charm to it. The decor was lovely, but there’s no doubt the creaking floorboards have some stories to tell. The room was nicely decorated and had a big bed as well as an ocean view. My only qualm was the shower didn’t quite get hot enough, which posed problematic to my poor circulation in the 60° weather.
Jeremy and I enjoy Scotch. Isle of Islay was difficult and expensive to get to, but we saw Oban on the map and decided, “Why not plan everything around a distillery we know almost nothing about?” The Oban distillery tour was the big event of our time in Oban, and it didn’t disappoint. The distillery was established in 1794, and the town of Oban developed around it. It’s one of Scotland’s smallest distilleries with just 4 rooms: the mill room, the mash house, the tun room, and the still house (learn about each HERE).
Our guide walked us through every room explaining the process, and she gave us four different drams along the way. It was interesting, fun, and informative, and I was almost convinced to drop £160 on one of the specialty bottles on the way out. We didn’t buy a bottle, but we did enjoy the bar. It had an extensive list of Scottish whiskys for pretty reasonable prices, and we had fun giving a few a try.
Other activities in Oban included walking into the cute shops, checking out the waterfront, and walking up to McCraig’ Tower— a striking circular tower with Colosseum vibes that overlooks the town. Overall, Oban is quaint waterfront town with a storied charm that’s fun to putz about. I will say we were perhaps the only visitors under teh age of 50, if that tells you anything.
Oban is a whisky destination, not a foodie destination. Night one, we got Sunday Roast that left something to be desired. Night two, we got fish and chips on the pier, which was perfectly find because fried food usually tastes good.
The best bite of Oban was the scone with lemon curd from the Oban Chocolate Company. The scone was soft and buttery, and the lemon curd had a sharp bite. I realize we should have tried chocolate form the Oban Chocolate Co. But the baked goods looked so much more enticing!
We hit the road early to get a jumpstart on a huge 306mi journey from Oban to York. To break up the drive, we paid a visit to Stirling Castle.
Stirling Castle was first constructed in the 12th century, and it served as one of the most significant castles in Scotland over the centuries. It was the site of 16 battles, notably ones between the English and Scotts in the Scottish fight for independence. It served as the residence for Scotland’s kinds and queens, notably Mary, Queen of Scots. And it transitioned into being a key military base in the 18th century. (Get a detailed timeline HERE).
It was one of the best historical site experiences I’ve had in a while. Entry was £20.50 (a little less if you get your tickets online ahead of time), and that included access to all the buildings and special exhibits as well as the ability to hop on a free guided tour. The tour guide was phenomenal. He brought the castle to life with a mix of facts and stories, and he told it all with some personality. All around excellent experience, and it’s well worth stopping by.
Also, right before you get to the castle, there’s a farm where you can marvel at highland cows…
We booked one night at the Ibis Styles, which was an easy 15 minute walk from the town center. It was the best hotel of the trip. The room was thoughtfully designed with good lighting and a comfy bed, and the bathroom was super clean with a piping hot shower. 10/10 recommend.
Some of Patrick’s friends recommended York as a pitstop between Scotland and London, and it turned out to be one of the coolest little cities I had never heard of.
York’s story begins in 71AD with the Romans. It was called Eboracum, and it served as the northernmost capital of the Roman Empire. Once the Roman Empire fell, the city became capital of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Northumbria before changing hands again as the Vikings invaded in the 9th century. William the Conquerer took control of it in the 11th century, and York blossomed into a key trading hub.
The main hub of the city is encompassed within a wall. The wall was first constructed in the 1st century by the Romans, but it took quite a beating will all the invasions. In the 13th century, it was reconstructed with stone, which is the foundation for what still exists today. You can walk along the wall around the whole city, which I absolutely loved. I especially got a kick out of seeing new, modern apartment buildings just a stones throw away from a structure that’s over 1,000 years old.
There are countless treasures within the wall. Key sites include the Jorvik Viking Centre, York Minster, the National Railway Museum, and the York Castle. Another can’t miss is The Shambles– a medieval street lined with timber-framed buildings that’s believed to have inspired Diagon Alley from the Harry Potter series. There are hundreds of neat buildings to marvel at, shops, and restaurants. York is truly a gem of a destination that turned out to be a highlight of te entire trip.
York has a stellar food game.
Night one, we stumbled upon Damastique, a Syrian restaurant. We started with a mezze platter featuring 4 dips with bread followed by a huge meat sharing platter with chicken breast, chicken kebab, lamb kebab, and lamb chops. It was absolutely delicious, and I walked out feeling full and satisifed.
The following day, we stopped at Nice to See You for couple treats that were admittedly average at best. But we redeemed oursevles with lunch. We started with the saucisse crepe from KREP Artisan Crêpes & Galettes & Coffee Shop. It had spicy sausage, cheddar, pickled shallots, dill salsa, and black garlic mayo. It was rich and satisfying with a few different types of crunch, and the dill salsa and pickled shallots added pops of freshness to break up the richness. Next we got a beef barbacoa sandwich from Shambles Kitchen. It was totally loaded with smoked beef shin slathered in some magic adobo sauce with cheese, pickles, and mayo to tie it all together. Plus, it came with a sparkler.
There were many more eats in York I would have liked to try. But it’s always good to leave a place knowing there is more to discover.
To finish up our UK road trip, we made the 4 1/2 hour drive from York back to the London the evening before flying back to NYC. It was uneventful, and traffic getting into London wasn’t too horrible.
We stayed at the Ibis London Heathrow because it was the cheapest airport hotel we could find. It was only a mile away from the car rental drop off and there was an airport shuttle. Check and check!
We got in just in time for the England vs Senegal mach for the World Cup. The English mean business about football, and it was a blast sitting in the lobby with a crisp IPA watching the game.
We had a huge foodie day in York, and there weren’t many options around the airport. So we ended up getting chicken sandwiches from KFC, which were exactly what you’d expect.
If you’ve been following The Frugal Foodies for a while, you know we travel quite a bit. Our trips are never shorter than 6 weeks, so this 9 day UK road trip was like being shot out of cannon. We didn’t spend to long in any destination, and we were quite lax with the budget, prioritizing experiences and convenience. I think it was a wild success, and here are some key take aways:
It was a trip for the books! Stay tuned for what comes next… it could be anything!
The Queens Night Market is NYCs most affordable foodie destination. Get the scoop on everything…
What is American Airlines economy class food like on a 7 hour flight from NYC…
There are two competing Greenpoint donut shots: Moe's Doughs and Peter Pan Donuts. We are…
Carroll Gardens is a charming neighborhood in Brooklyn with some stellar Italian food. Get the…
How far does $30 go in Astoria, Queens? We hit the streets on an Astoria…
We set out on a mission to try NYC carrot cake desserts that aren't actually…