I've often imagined myself traveling between little British villages on my dream vacation, a grand tour of stately homes and estates. There may be a convertible involved, and perhaps I'd wear a headscarf. Basically, I'd be Bridget Jones on a minibreak.
This was a dream I was fairly sure would never come true. I feared it would be an overwhelming amount of logistics and too much to see during a one-week vacation.
But I was wrong. I learned it's not too much for one week's traveling — or too hard to pull off — thanks to the team at Visit Britain, who took me on a grand trek between four of Queen Elizabeth's castles. There I was, the one American, on a group that included eight other extremely friendly journalists from Australia, South Africa, Britain, Turkey, Russia, Brazil, China, and Indonesia.
Even if you aren't an Anglophile to the extent that I am — I did, after all, host a video series called The Royal Report — this trip would be great fun. History, design, and architecture buffs will all have plenty to see and learn whether they tour all or just one of Queen Elizbeth's grand homes.
Perhaps the most famous of the Queen's palaces, Elizabeth's London home base, Buckingham Palace, is known for its majestic location at the base of a wide boulevard called The Mall. It's where the changing of the guard occurs daily at 11.30 a.m., a good free show for anyone who doesn’t want to actually enter the palace.
The palace, which contains apartments for the Queen and her husband, Prince Philip, as well as a number of staff offices, is breathtaking to just admire from the outside. You'll see the balcony where royals have waved at major events over the years; it's where Will and Kate shared a memorable kiss on the day of their wedding.
How to do it: Tours are available from the end of July until October. More information can be found on the Buckingham Palace website.
If you go: We stayed at the stately Rubens at the Palace Hotel, directly across the street from the palace. Some rooms offer views of the royal mews, which is pretty fab. A more affordable option is an outpost of the lower-priced chain The Nadler, at their Victoria location.
Windsor Castle is the biggest occupied castle in Europe. It's been the home of Queen Elizabeth's family for generations, and since it's where she spent the bulk of her childhood, it has a special place in her heart. The Queen spends a large portion of every year at the vast, ancient-looking stone castle.
A tour of Windsor Castle is a historical wonder, full of gorgeous paintings, opulent interiors, and generations of weaponry. Make sure to save time for a stroll along Windsor Great Park. Don't be alarmed by the big planes coming in for a landing at nearby Heathrow.
How to do it: The castle is open to visitors — who can see a number of state rooms but no private quarters — year-round at varying hours depending on the season. More information is at the Windsor Castle website.
If you go:The Castle Hotel Windsor, MGallery by Sofitel is a luxury option just across the street from the palace. It's undergone a recent renovation, and features an opulent restaurant. A more budget-friendly option is the Crown and Cushion Inn, a bed and breakfast not far away in the town of Eton.
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3The Second City Pad: The Palace of Holyrood House
Because one big-city castle isn't enough, Queen Elizabeth has another special pad in the Scottish city of Edinburgh. This may be the palace in which she spends the least amount of time, but it's nonetheless a truly special place. It has a gorgeous location at the end of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, which is capped on the other end by the uninhabited Edinburgh Castle.
Holyrood House has been the site of a great deal of official business for the Queen when she's in Scotland. A tour of the state rooms there sheds light on the Queen's doings in Scotland with the storied Order of the Thistle and her various international guests. The surrounding park is a must see, especially on a sunny day.
How to do it: Visiting the Queen's Edinburgh home is among the easiest and most accessible in her portfolio; it's open year-round, with only hours varying. More details can be seen at Holyrood Palace's site.
If you go:The G&V Hotel, formerly the Hotel Missoni, is where we stayed. It has an unbeatable location on the Royal Mile, and is a colorful refuge in what can be a very gray — but gorgeous — city. Another option, which is even closer to the castle, is the simple Holyrood ApartHotel.
It was Queen Elizabeth's great-great grandmother, Queen Victoria, who built the royal family's Summer residence in Scotland, Balmoral, with her husband Prince Albert.
The home is in a relatively remote area, a seclusion which the royals visit for three months each year. There, they can do the hunting, fishing, and entertaining they enjoy away from prying eyes. They also host parties for staff called Ghillies Balls, and of course the men wear kilts. Both Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip love to take their Land Rovers for spins while at Balmoral, too.
How to do it: Owing to the weather and the royal family's use of the home, Balmoral is only open to visitors from March to July of each year. It's possible to tour a number of public rooms, but the royals' rooms are off limits — staff won't even tell you which are the Queen's windows, for good reason. Further information is available at Balmoral's site.
If you go: Balmoral is nestled in a picturesque spot in mountainous Scotland's Cairngorms National Park. It's hard to reach, but worth the visit. We stayed at the lovely Meldrum House Hotel outside of Aberdeen, about an hour-and-half away. It's a luxurious experience, and the drive is breathtaking. But for something closer, Glendavan House is a charming B&B in the town of Ballater, just a few miles away from Balmoral.
