World Travel · Europe · British Isles

UK & Ireland

Familiar in language and institutions, surprising in landscape and depth — London and Edinburgh, the Scottish Highlands, Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way and the castles of Wales.

£20
UK ETA (from Apr 2026)
Non-Schengen
Separate allowance
May–Sep
Best for the Highlands
Self-drive
Best for the wild edges

The British Isles & Ireland

Familiar in language and institutions, consistently surprising in landscape and depth — the natural gateway to Europe for Australian travellers.

London is Europe's most cosmopolitan city and arguably the world's most culturally complete — and its great museums are free. Scotland's Highlands, from Ben Nevis and Glen Coe to Loch Ness and the Isle of Skye, are among Europe's last genuinely wild landscapes. Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way is one of the finest coastal drives on Earth, and Wales adds castles, mountains and a language older than English.

Family-run since 1974, Cooee builds British Isles trips that use London as the opening or closing chapter and then head for the wild edges — the glens, the coast roads and the small towns where the real character lives.

🏴 British Isles highlights
  • London — museums, theatre & markets
  • The Scottish Highlands & the Isle of Skye
  • Edinburgh & the NC500 coastal route
  • Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way & Dublin
  • Wales — Snowdonia & the castles
  • The Cotswolds, Bath & the English countryside

The best of the British Isles

City, Highland, coast and countryside — easy to combine on one trip that feels both familiar and new.

Unmissable British Isles experiences

The moments that define a trip to Britain and Ireland.

Plan your British Isles trip

Ready for the UK & Ireland?

From London's museums to the Highlands and the Wild Atlantic Way, our specialists have driven the routes and will build your trip around you.

Start Planning My Trip Call 0409 661 342

Family-run since 1974 · ATAS Accredited · 50,000+ travellers

UK & Ireland — straight answers

For the UK you now need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before travel — about £20 (raised in April 2026), valid two years, for stays up to six months. Ireland requires nothing in advance for Australians (up to 90 days). Neither counts toward the Schengen 90-day allowance. See our getting there & visas guide.

Most Australia–Europe fares connect through London, so 2–4 nights there costs almost nothing extra in airfares — and it's the ideal cultural decompression: shared language, the British Museum, the National Gallery and the V&A all free, then onward by Eurostar. See our itineraries guide.

Hire a car in Edinburgh or Inverness — the Highlands reward self-drive. Glen Coe, Loch Ness, the Isle of Skye and the NC500 coastal route are the highlights. May to September has the best light and the fewest closures. See our UK travel guide.

Allow 10–14 days to combine London, Scotland and a slice of Ireland comfortably. London deserves 3–4 nights; the Highlands 3–4 days by car; and Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way another 4–5. See our itineraries guide.