

Welcome to the UK Travel Planning Podcast
The UK Travel Planning Podcast is full of practical tips and advice to help you plan your dream trip to the UK whether you are visiting England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
With more than 650,000 downloads across 200+ episodes and a 4.9 star rating on Apple Podcasts, it is one of the most popular podcasts for planning a trip to the UK
Travel expert Tracy Collins shares years of knowledge and experience of travelling to, and around, the UK to help you plan your UK itinerary. Listen to special guest interviews full of travel inspiration and practical tips for popular and off the beaten path destinations. Learn more about the best ways to travel around the UK (including by train), about British culture and history and much more!
Tune in and let us help you plan your perfect UK itinerary with all the places and experiences you have been dreaming of.
UK Travel Planning – helping YOU plan YOUR perfect UK trip.
Listen On…
Enjoy the podcast? Have a question? Leave me a voice message!
💬 What Our Listeners Say
💬 Apple Rating Highlight
Rated 4.9★ on Apple Podcasts (160+ reviews) and praised for practical tips, destination guides & train travel insights
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“This is the best UK trip planning podcast I have found! I really enjoyed the information on the trains 🚆.”
— Kathryn Johnson, 🇺🇸 Chicago
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“You have hit the nail on the head! 🛎️ My husband and I will be travelling to England in August… informative & fun.”
— Therese Schumacher, 🇺🇸 USA
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Very helpful! This podcast made planning my UK trip so much easier 🇬🇧📍.”
— gilmour093, 🇺🇸 USA
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“No need for a travel agent when you have this podcast at your disposal! 🎧✈️”
— Cbbnmmmnb, 🇺🇸 USA
RECENT & UPCOMING EPISODES
New to the Podcast? Start Here
If this is your first visit, these episodes are the ones listeners tell us helped them most at the start of their planning:
- Tips for First-Time Visitors to England (Episode 7) covers the essentials before anything else is booked.
- Planning a Trip to London in 2026: What You Really Need to Know (Episode 183) is the current-year London planning companion.
- Top 12 Mistakes First-Time Visitors Make in London (Episode 161) helps you avoid the most common (and expensive) missteps.
- 15 UK Train Travel Mistakes First-Time Travellers Make (Episode 157) does the same for the railways.
- Exploring the UK in 17 Days: Tips and Itineraries (Episode 119) shows what a full UK trip can look like.
- Planning a UK Trip in Spring: Weather, Events and Best Places (Episode 190) is a great example of our seasonal planning episodes.
Planning Your UK Itinerary
Itinerary questions are the ones we hear most, so these episodes walk through real routes and real decisions, including our own trips:
- A 6 Week UK Road Trip: England and Scotland (Episode 211)
- Exploring the UK in 17 Days (Episode 119)
- Scotland Road Trip Itinerary (Episode 30)
- Coasting Around Cornwall: Tales and Tips from our 7 Day Road Trip (Episode 44)
- Driving in the UK: Expert Tips from Tripiamo (Episode 112)
- Packing Light for Your UK Trip (Episode 101)
London Episodes
London is where most UK trips begin, and where most of the questions come from. These are our most-loved London episodes:
- Planning a Trip to London in 2026 (Episode 183)
- Top 10 London Experiences for 2026 (Episode 210)
- London: Tracy’s Favourite Places and Landmarks (Episode 165)
- Getting Around London: An Introduction to Transport Options (Episode 24)
- 10 Easy Day Trips from London by Train (Episode 96)
- The London Pass Itinerary Challenge (Episode 126)
- Navigating London Safely: Essential Tips for Visitors (Episode 148)
- Visiting London: Top Tips for First-Time Visitors (Episode 4)
Planning a London-focused trip? Our sister site London Travel Planning goes deeper on itineraries, areas to stay and day trips.
Travelling Britain by Train
Doug spent more than 25 years working on the UK rail network, and these episodes turn that experience into plain-English answers:
- London to Edinburgh by Train: How to Plan and Make the Most of It (Episode 26)
- 15 UK Train Travel Mistakes First-Time Travellers Make (Episode 157)
- Train Travel in the UK: Expert Answers to Listener Questions (Episode 43)
- Planning Your Perfect UK Rail Itinerary: Twelve Tips (Episode 80)
- Guide to the Caledonian Sleeper Train (Episode 5)
- A First-Timer’s Guide to London’s Main Train Stations (Episode 212)
If train travel is the part of your trip you are least sure about, Doug wrote the Guide to UK Train Travel to take you step by step from booking tickets to boarding with confidence.
Scotland Episodes
From Edinburgh essentials to Highland road trips, these episodes cover the part of the UK so many of our listeners dream about:
- Edinburgh Travel 101: Essential Tips for First-Time Visitors (Episode 58)
- 12 Things to See, Do and Experience in Edinburgh (Episode 205)
- Scotland Road Trip Itinerary (Episode 30)
- Small Group Tours of Scotland: What It Is Really Like on a Rabbie’s Tour (Episode 213)
Days Out and Cities Beyond London
England’s historic cities and countryside reward every day you can give them. A few favourites from the archive:
- Visiting York (Episode 3)
- Best Day Trips from York (Episode 17)
- Bath Travel Guide: Top Sights and Planning Your Visit (Episode 159)
- Essential Tips for Planning Your Perfect Cotswolds Adventure (Episode 115)
ABOUT YOUR HOSTS – TRACY AND DOUG COLLINS


Tracy and Doug Collins are a British couple, originally from Northumberland and Staffordshire in the UK, now sharing everything they know about travelling the country. Tracy is a former history teacher with a lifelong love of British castles, cathedrals, cities and country pubs.
Doug spent over 25 years working on the UK rail network and has travelled every line in the country. Together they have helped thousands of overseas visitors plan their perfect UK trip through this podcast, their websites, and their Facebook community of more than 30,000 travellers.
🇬🇧 Take Your Planning Further 🇬🇧
✅ Free UK Trip Planning Roadmap. Our step-by-step planning framework, delivered by email. Download the free Roadmap
✅ Guide to UK Train Travel. Doug’s step-by-step guide to travelling Britain by train with confidence, including 12 complete UK train itineraries. View the guide
✅ UK Itinerary Planning Consultation. A 60 minute live session with Tracy and Doug to plan or fine-tune your trip. Find out more
Happy UK Travel Planning!









