We chat with Jack Wells, founder of Mystery Guides, about turning UK city exploring into a story-led treasure hunt using a physical book, real history and real hidden treasure. Tracy shares her own experience doing the Winchester guide - and why it's one of those travel days that genuinely sticks with you.

• What a Mystery Guide is and how it works on the day
• Why a physical book beats doing it on your phone
• Tracy's first Mystery Guide in Winchester and the shared experience of bumping into others doing it too
• Where you can do Mystery Guides across the UK and how Jack chooses new locations
• How Jack builds each guide from real events, local lore and unsolved mysteries
• Accessibility, what to bring, and how the built-in hints help if you get stuck
• Who these adventures suit best and what new guides are coming next

Exclusive discount: Use code UKTP15 for 15% off at mysteryguides.co.uk

⭐️ Guest - Jack Wells
📝 Show Notes - Episode 197

🎟️ Sponsored by Walks Tours & Devour Tours. Explore London with expert guides, from sightseeing to food tours.

👉 Book London sightseeing tours with Walks
👉 Book London food tours with Devour

Support the show

⭐️ Need help planning your UK trip? Choose the option that works best for you:

• Video Reviews (available anytime) — send us your itinerary for detailed feedback.
• 1:1 Consultations - live Zoom session with Doug & Tracy.

🎤 Leave us a voice message

➡️ Sponsor our show
➡️ Leave us a tip

Work With Us - Contact info@uktravelplanning.com for brand partnerships and business inquiries.

Disclaimer: Some links are affiliate links. Using them supports the podcast at no extra cost. Thank you ❤️

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.

🎟️ Sponsored by Walks Tours & Devour Tours. Explore London with expert guides, from sightseeing to food tours.

👉 Book London sightseeing tours with Walks
👉 Book London food tours with Devour

Support the show

⭐️ Need help planning your UK trip? Choose the option that works best for you:

• Video Reviews (available anytime) — send us your itinerary for detailed feedback.
• 1:1 Consultations - live Zoom session with Doug & Tracy.

🎤 Leave us a voice message

➡️ Sponsor our show
➡️ Leave us a tip

Work With Us - Contact info@uktravelplanning.com for brand partnerships and business inquiries.

Disclaimer: Some links are affiliate links. Using them supports the podcast at no extra cost. Thank you ❤️

Planning a UK trip when standing still hurts, stairs are a gamble, and transport feels unpredictable can be genuinely daunting. In this episode, Laura Dilts shares how she built a London and Scotland itinerary around a back injury, without shrinking the trip down to safe choices or missing the magic.

We talk through the real decisions that make accessible UK travel work: starting early, turning a wish list into an energy-friendly plan, and researching each attraction for seating, step-free routes, and the sections that simply won't work. Laura explains how she handled iconic sights like the London Eye, the Tower of London, and Edinburgh Castle by pacing herself, skipping stair-heavy sections, and speaking up clearly when she needed to sit.

Transport is a big part of the story too. We dig into London's accessibility options, why buses and taxis are worth budgeting for, and why hop-on hop-off buses are underrated for tired legs. Laura also gives an honest account of the UK's Passenger Assistance Service on trains, what the help actually looks like, how luggage is handled, and why flexible tickets can be a lifesaver.

We also cover airport assistance lessons from Edinburgh and Heathrow, including what went wrong during a terminal transfer and how to avoid it next time.

Whether you're planning accessible travel in the UK, travelling with someone who is, or simply want a calmer and more confident approach, this episode is packed with practical takeaways.

You can find our comprehensive guide to accessible travel in the UK, including a free downloadable checklist, in the show notes at uktravelplanning.com/episode-195.

🎟️ Sponsored by Walks Tours & Devour Tours. Explore London with expert guides, from sightseeing to food tours.

👉 Book London sightseeing tours with Walks
👉 Book London food tours with Devour

Support the show

⭐️ Need help planning your UK trip? Choose the option that works best for you:

• Video Reviews (available anytime) — send us your itinerary for detailed feedback.
• 1:1 Consultations - live Zoom session with Doug & Tracy.

🎤 Leave us a voice message

➡️ Sponsor our show
➡️ Leave us a tip

Work With Us - Contact info@uktravelplanning.com for brand partnerships and business inquiries.

Disclaimer: Some links are affiliate links. Using them supports the podcast at no extra cost. Thank you ❤️