Britain in 5 Days on a Budget (With Daily Costs)
Five days extends the 4-day plan with the start of an Edinburgh overnight, 4 hours 20 to 4 hours 30 from Kings Cross on LNER, genuinely too far for a same-day round trip so day 5 only covers the arrival and one free evening. The full Edinburgh day and the trip home live in the 6-day version , read that one next if this is a full week.
Book these before you go:
- Cardiff Castle entry : GBP 16.50 adult, skip it and the grounds stay free from Bute Park
- Somewhere to sleep for one Cardiff night : hostel dorms from roughly GBP 10-15
- Somewhere to sleep in Edinburgh : book early, hostel dorms run GBP 15-20 outside August but jump toward GBP 35-50 during the Fringe
| Day | Stop | Travel time from London | Cost per person |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cardiff arrival, free museum, Cardiff Bay | about 2 hours (GWR, Paddington) | ~GBP 29-40 |
| 2 | Cardiff Castle, train home | free from Bute Park, GBP 16.50 inside | ~GBP 16.50-30 |
| 3 | York day trip, National Railway Museum | about 2 hours (LNER, Kings Cross) | ~GBP 25-40 |
| 4 | Liverpool day trip, free museums | 2h15-2h20 (Avanti, Euston) | ~GBP 26-40 |
| 5 | Edinburgh arrival, Royal Mile evening | 4h20-4h30 (LNER, Kings Cross) | ~GBP 41.40+ (train plus hostel) |
Day 1: Cardiff arrival and the free National Museum
GWR runs direct from Paddington to Cardiff Central in about 2 hours, Advance singles from around GBP 29. The National Museum Cardiff is free for its permanent galleries, then a free evening wander round Cardiff Bay.
Day 2: Cardiff Castle, then home
Morning at Cardiff Castle if the GBP 16.50 ticket made the cut, otherwise Bute Park costs nothing. Afternoon train back to Paddington.
Day 3: York and the free National Railway Museum
LNER runs direct from Kings Cross to York in about 2 hours, Advance singles from around GBP 25. The National Railway Museum is free, with York Minster’s exterior and the Shambles free to walk past on the way back.
Day 4: Liverpool’s free National Museums
Avanti West Coast runs direct from Euston to Liverpool Lime Street in about 2 hours 15 to 2 hours 20, Advance singles from around GBP 26. National Museums Liverpool charges nothing at any of its five Albert Dock area sites.
Day 5: Edinburgh, the overnight begins
LNER’s fastest direct trains from Kings Cross to Edinburgh Waverley run 4 hours 20 to 4 hours 30, Advance singles from GBP 41.40 booked three or more weeks ahead, cheaper again the earlier the booking lands inside LNER’s six-month sale window. Plan on a midday departure and an afternoon arrival, there’s no version of this leg that leaves room for a same-day return. Once in Edinburgh, the Royal Mile and a free view of Edinburgh Castle’s floodlit esplanade cost nothing for an evening walk, then check into a hostel for the night.
Why does Edinburgh need its own overnight instead of being added as a day trip?
Because the train alone takes 8.5 hours or more there and back, LNER’s fastest one-way time runs 4 hours 20 to 4 hours 30, which leaves next to nothing of an actual day in the city on a same-day round trip. One overnight turns that dead travel time into an evening and a full following day instead, which is why day 6 exists.
Before you go
Book the Edinburgh leg the furthest ahead of anything on this itinerary, LNER opens East Coast Advance fares up to six months out and the cheapest tickets go first. A UK contactless bank card works on buses in every city here exactly like it does on the Tube.