Further planning...

[starshine]

Hello again!

Okay, we are further along in our planning for our month in Europe this summer, and I thought I'd solicit a bit more feedback at this stage.

As a recap: this isn't really a backpacking trip, because the main reason for the trip is to visit my partner's family in England, but because we have time, we're also doing some travelling around.

So, here's what we've got so far:

June 19th: Fly from Toronto
June 20th: Arrive London
June 20th-June 24th: Surrey (family visit)
June 24th - June 29th: Paris
June 29th-July 1st: ?
July 1st - July 8th: Surrey / London (family and friend time, and partner's birthday)
July 8th - 10th: Edinburgh
July 10th: Rent car
July 10th - 16th: Hiking in Scotland (not sure where yet, but basically hike for the day, drive somewhere, stay overnight, etc.)
July 16th - 23rd: Surrey / London
July 23rd: Fly home

So, I know that it seems sort of like a lot of backtracking, but we do want to split up the time with my partner's family, and we have to be in England on July 2nd for her birthday. Here are my specific questions, in addition to just your thoughts on the itinerary:
1. We have those two days as ? after Paris. Where should we go? We had originally thought Brugges, Brussels, or Amsterdam, but is there somewhere else we should consider? We can also reorganize so that we had an extra day or two for that. We like museums and galleries, but are also definitely into hiking or at least great walks, and are not particularly into partying. Cities would be fine, but so would smaller areas...
2. Should we make a point of seeing Glasgow while we're in Scotland?
3. If any of you have hiked in Scotland, do you have any "must see" areas? Or any tips?
4. Any day trips we should take from the Surrey/London area? We're probably going to Brighton for a day, but any other ideas?

Okay, I think that's all. Also, our start and end dates are somewhat flexible (a day or two either way, and lengthening the trip a bit is also an option), as we haven't yet bought our tickets.

Thanks for any advice!

[madamtrashheap]

starshine, you're on the right track with spending your "spare" days in Belgium, and if you're into art then a day in Brussels to visit the Royal Museum of Fine Arts is a must. You could travel from Paris to Brugges, spend 2 nights there, then spend a day in Brussels before taking the Eurostar back to London before continuing to Surrey.

Glasgow is a great city, especially in the performance sector, but if it's not on your way somewhere then it's not an absolute must-see in Scotland.

As far as day trips from Surrey, you have a lot of choices - you've already identified Brighton, so look at sightseeing in London for the day (make a list of sights that interest you and work out time needed), Bath (and Stonehenge if you have a car), Oxford, Stratford-upon-Avon, Portsmouth/Southhampton (all easy by train) and even Cambridge on the east coast. These are all easily reachable in the south of England, otherwise you're looking at overnight stays if you venture further north or even down to Cornwall/Penzance. No doubt your family will be able to make some suggestions too (Frensham is ringing a bell about a castle), but as you're there in Summer I'd suggest a hike across Box Hill and surrounds (as long as it's not a wet Summer!).

[herrbert]

If you want to take the Eurostar back to London, then Brussels, with a daytrip to Bruges?) is a good combination. If you don't mind flying, you can also consider Amsterdam. (In that case, see if you can get a cheap flight with VLM Airlines from Amsterdam-Schiphol to London City Airport.)

For the hiking bit in Scotland. I would consider Seeing the Ben Nevis (highest peak in the UK) region, in combination with Fort William, but also consider, getting to the Isle of Skye, (There is a bridge to the Isle, but you can also take a ferry from Mallaig) and the area surrounding Torridon, which is often mentioned as having the best panaroma's in the highlands.

I would also give a visit to Glasgow, and when driving North: Loch Lomond, and maybe Sterling.

[crystal]

I like Glasgow but agree it's not a must-see.

I would also recommend using a daytrip (or 2) from London to see Bath, Stonehenge area. That area is fairly accessable to a number of places most of which MTH has already nailed.

For your ?? days after Paris I would recommend Amsterdam - plenty for museums (Van Gogh may suit your interests) and history (Anne Frank's house ect). Don't be put off my it's party reputation. The city is what you make it.