UK in December and January: What to Do, Where to Go + Two-Month Trip Report

What happens when the person who has edited nearly 100 episodes of this podcast finally puts all those travel tips to the test on his own UK trip? In this episode, our editor Ryan Fairweather from New Zealand shares highlights from his two-month visit to the UK with his partner Tilly, and reveals how almost every experience on his list came directly from editing the show.

Ryan covers his favourite moments in York and London: the wonderful Old York Tea House, the immersive Jorvik Viking Centre, the theatrical York Ghost Bus Tour, and a self-guided mystery adventure through Stratford-upon-Avon with a Mystery Guide. In London, the V&A, Westminster Abbey, and Churchill War Rooms all exceeded expectations, while an evening at Mr Fogg's Society of Exploration in Covent Garden turned into one of the trip's unexpected highlights.

We also get into food and drink: Sunday roasts, cream teas, the great scone debate, the cheese conveyor belt at Pick and Cheese, Irn-Bru, supermarket meal deals, and the baffling brilliance of frozen mashed potato. Ryan also shares his top practical tip for any international visitor, and talks honestly about what he would do differently next time.

Whether you're planning your first trip to the UK or your fifteenth, this episode is packed with recommendations, real talk and plenty of laughs.

You can find links to all the places and experiences Ryan mentioned, plus some photos from the trip, in the show notes at uktravelplanning.com/episode-196.

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