KandKsmom

Hi Everyone,

After many years of waiting and dreaming of being able to go to the UK for a trip with my daughter, it is going to happen! Depending on how much I determine this trip to be, we are thinking of either June or August 2015 or 2016. Budget wise, I am planning to have 6K for the two of us. We have already saved enough for plane fare- I am thinking +/-1200 each? Is that about right?

I am hoping that we can stay for two weeks, but that could change depending on the costs. Because my daughter will be working summers and is still in college, June or August will be the months we are targeting. Now for our itinerary. We are initially thinking:

Fly from DC to Heathrow 1 day travel 5 days in London. All of the normal touristy stuff, including a couple of plays, esp at the Globe Theatre! I am looking at staying at summer dorm accommodations at LSE or King's College (Hampstead). Has anyone done this to save $? Is 5 days too much?

Take train from Paddington Station to Moreton in Marsh. Hopefully find an inexpensive cottage to rent for this part of the trip. We love to walk and explore and the Cotwolds are one of the places we cannot wait to see! Suggestions for what town/where to find a neat cottage would be greatly appreciated. I hope I am up to renting a car. We will spend 4 days (incl travel) in the Cotswolds. See Stratford Upon Avon for my Shakespeare fanatical daughter! Warwick Castle too if we can. She wants to experience a castle or two ...is Warwick a good choice?

Now for the tail end of the trip, we are thinking of a couple of things. We could leave Moreton in Marsh by train and go to Oxford , take train to Edinburgh for the last 3 days, flying out of Glasgow.

Or see York for the last three days and train back to London to catch flight home.

I cannot wait to hear what you all think of this initial plan. Are we dividing up our time well, or trying to do too much? Change anything and everything if you think this is not doable or if you have a plan that you have done and worked well for you! Thank you in advance for your help!

janisj

>>Is 5 days too much?

No -- it is actually pretty short for a first visit to London. I'd say 5 days is about the minimum since day 1 will probably be a jet lagged fog.

>>is Warwick a good choice?

Yes, very. But castles are a dime a dozen in England -- they are aloo over the place including the grand daddy, the Tower of London.

Let me throw out some things to consider -- you have a LOT of time to plan.

• I wouldn't take the train to Moreton-in-Marsh -- it is a small town and options for renting cars are limited. I would EITHER 1) go out to Heathrow and pick up your car there. It is a very easy place to get out of and the drive to the Cotswolds couldn't be easier. Plus getting acclimated to 'other side of the car/other side of the road' is easier on major divided roadways than in congested small towns. OR 2) take the train to Oxford and get your car there (though driving out of LHR is easier than driving out of Oxford)

• If you decide on York, I'd consider flying into London and home from Manchester -- that saves having to backtrack to London.

• I'd also think about flipping the order of things a bit. You could fly into Manchester, take the train to York, visit the city for a couple of days, then pick up a car to see more of North Yorkshire, then drive down to the Cotswolds . York to say Chipping Campden or Burford is only about a 3.5 to 4 hour drive. Then drive to LHR, drop the car, and take the tube into London for your last 5 or 6 days. Fly home.

If you opt for Edinburgh -- there are similar ways to arrange the trip conveniently.

KandKsmom

Hi janisj, Thank you. Yes, we have a lot of time, but I was just given the "green light" by hubby for this trip and I am obviously gearing up for it! lol I don't want to try to do too much, but also want to maximize our time there. London and all of its attractions are top priority but the Cotswolds are a close second. I have always heard how wonderful Edinburgh is so I would love to include that, too. I just didn't know if it was too far away for our time constraints. That is why I included York. Maybe we should just keep it to London and the Cotswolds?

I like the idea of taking the rental out of Heathrow. Feeling as comfortable as possible driving is important to me...the driving in itself is going to take a huge leap of faith and step outside the comfort zone!

Thanks again for your help so far!

janisj

>>I just didn't know if it was too far away for our time constraints.

Don't let the distance factor in. The train from London to Edinburgh only takes 2 hours longer than London to York. So either one is doable.

But if you have 2 weeks "on the Ground" I think you can fit it all in. One option might be: Fly into EDI or GLA and spend 3 nights/2.5 days in Edinburgh, Take the train to York and spend 1 night/1.5 days. Pick up a car and drive down to the Cotswolds - spend 3 or 4 nights. Then drive to LHR, drop the car and spend the last 6 or so days in London. Fly home. (or you do it in reverse.)

nytraveler

You have to realize that the UK really isn't that large - and unless you are going to places in the very deep countryside it doesn't take that long to get from one place to another. MiM to Edinburgh is a pleasant days drive and if you start early you can stop and see Hadrian's Wall (I;m a sucker for any Roman ruins).

janisj

>>MiM to Edinburgh is a pleasant days drive and if you start early you can stop and see Hadrian's Wall

Not really. Moreton-in-Marsh to Edinburgh (w/o a detour along the Wall) would take fully 7+ hours straight car time - w/o a single stop - and only then if one stuck to un-scenic Motorways almost all the way. So not at all 'pleasant'. Plus there is no need to even consider such a thing. W/ two weeks you don't need to build in any marathon drives.

europeannovice

I think you should include both York and Edinburgh in your two weeks. York is a lot of fun and there is plenty to do there--York Minster, a walk on the walls, the shambles, the York Castle Museum and the National Railway museum for starters.

London needs more than a week in my opinion but a week at a minimum for a first time visit. So much there--Tower of London, St Paul Cathedral--climb to the top, Westminster Abbey, Cabinet War Rooms, Imperial War Museum, British Museum, Museum of London, Victoria and Albert Museum, the Tate Museums, National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery plus an easy day trip to Hampton Court Palace. A show in the west end and time for shopping.

I don't know if this would work for you but if you want to see Oxford there is the Oxford bus straight from Heathrow to Oxford which is a quite pleasant ride. You would then have to get to Birmingham for a cross country train I think with a switch at Derby to York (explore York) and then another onto Edinburgh. Then you can take the train from Edinburgh back to London and fly back from Heathrow.

historytraveler

You can get a direct train from Oxford to York.

I like janisj's option...fly into EDI or GLA spend time there then train to York. You could then pick up rental and drive to Cotswolds or take train (direct) to Oxford, pick up rental for Cotswolds there, then train or bus back to London. Or do in reverse. It is a bit easier to pick up rental at LHR, but there are a couple of places in Oxford where you can pick up rental and avoid driving in the center of Oxford which you certainly do not want to do. Renting car in York as janisj suggested works well too.

europeannovice

Thanks for the correction historytraveler. I don't want to confuse the OP.

We went from Broadway in the Cotswolds to York and had to drive to Birmingham for a cross country train--then we had to transfer at Derby. There was a problem on one train and we all unloaded and reloaded onto another train. Didn't realize there was a direct train from Oxford to York. Janisj always has good advice and options. I just wanted to point out that there is the Oxford bus that goes direct from Heathrow and it is a really pleasant ride into Oxford without having to take a car at that point.

historytraveler

I have been taking the bus from LHR to Oxford for years and now that I arrive at T5, it's so easy. You are right it's a pleasant trip even after a long flight.

Morgana

I would aim for June rather than August. The schoolchildren finish school mid July until early September so August becomes peak family holiday time.

KandKsmom

You all are so awesome taking time to try to help! After some thought and realizing that I had better not bite off more than I can chew since we are basically traveling "rookies", we have decided to stay in southern England for this trip and forego Edinburgh or York.

We think that we will fly into LHR and do as you all suggested by taking the bus to Oxford. Stay that night and part of the next day before renting a car to drive to the Cotswolds. flannerUK wrote on another thread to go to Hertz in Kidlington.

I was thinking if we want to include time to explore (walk/bike/drive) many of those wonderful villages and have time to see Stratford, Warwick Castle and maybe Bath, we need at least 5 days. I have read (by searching previous threads on fodors) that you all suggest Burford to be a great "home base" for a Cotswold portion. Considering what we want to see, would you still recommend it? Or is there another place I should look into?

So we have 6 days incl Oxford and the Cotswolds. Then we drive the car to Heathrow? to drop it off. Is that doable before going to London for 5-6 days before flying home.

I think my next step is to kind of plot out the first leg...Oxford and the Cotswolds. Suggestions for Cotswolds journeys/places that you really think we should see--even if they aren't the typical touristy spots are welcome. More than anything we would love to just soak up the culture of your wonderful country! Thank you all so much and I hope I didn't take too much of your time worrying about my first plan!

MissPrism

Another recommendation for June. There are fewer crowds, the gardens are at their best and you have the long light evenings.

historytraveler

Just a quick note for now. York and Edinburgh could have been included but I think your plan of spending your time in the Cotswolds and London is probably the best option. We rented a cottage not to far from Burford this past October. I'll check on the name of rental company and get back to you.

Burford is one of my favorite places but with a car almost anywhere in the Cotswolds would work for you. If you plan to do a lot of walking, then easy access to walking paths will be important. There are several Fodorites with considerable expertise on the Cotswolds, flanneruk, janisj and Julia to name just a few. I'm sure they can provide you with valuable information.

Mimar

Can you drive a car with manual transmission/stick shift? If you must have an automatic (much rarer in the UK), you can only be guaranteed that at a larger car rental office. I don't know how large the Hertz at Kidlington is. They may reserve you an automatic but then not have one when you get there.

With your trepidations and with the challenge of driving on the wrong side of the road, I'd go for an automatic. One less thing to think about. Is your daughter a good navigator? Otherwise maybe a GPS (sat nav in the UK). Either your own portable GPS or one in the car.

bilboburgler

do look at staying in the Univesity accomodation and also look at yha.org.uk always good value and often well placed

europeannovice

I am obviously not one of the UK experts--hence the "novice" in my name but attached here is the link of our trip report to Oxford, the Cotswolds, York and Edinburgh a couple of years ago so you can get our perspective on things. We enjoyed Snowshill Manor and Hidcote Gardens among other highlights. The time we traveled it was raining cats and dogs in the area and across the Midlands (heavy flooding in the surrounding areas) so we didn't have ideal weather throughout our stay but we still managed to enjoy it. We had stayed in Broadway and found it to be quite convenient. Enjoy your planning. I find it part of the fun in the overall travel experience.


http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...mer-deluge.cfm

janisj

>>I don't know how large the Hertz at Kidlington is.

Plenty large enough. I've rented from that location a few times (though I always book standard transmissions). But that site is a full service rental location and hold be fine for getting an automatic.

But . . . before you make any firm decisions wait til you know your flight time. If you take the daytime flight out of DC you will arrive the same night. If so, I'd just book a hotel near the airport and the next day pick up your car there (some will even deliver cars to the hotel) then drive up to the Cotswolds. If you do this - you can easily fit Oxford in as a day trip.

If you end up on an overnight flight instead - then yes, I'd take the coach to Oxford and stay the night then pick up a car in Kidlington.

If it was me I'd stay either in or very near Burford - OR - in or very near Chipping Campden. Either place would be a good base for what you want to see/do.

One warning though -- Stratford is an all day excursion (especially if you visit the Church [a 'must'], and Anne Hathaway's and Mary Arden's houses). Warwick takes most of a day and if you include nearby Kenilworth - a full day. Bath would take a very FULL day. Hidcote Manor and Snowshill make a full day. Oxford is a FULL day . . . you can see where I'm going If you also want <i>any time</i> to tour around Cotswold villages - Burford, Stow-on-the-Wold, Bourton-on-the-Water, Lower Slaughter and Stanton at minimum plus several other even prettier places . . . you will need more than 5 days in the area. I'd consider a week in the Cotswolds and a week in London

BigRuss

In August, Edinburgh goes from a small city of 450K residents to an overflowing metropolis jammed with 1.25M+ residents and visitors because it has about 500 festivals (barebones estimate) that travelers all over the world come to see. That means June would probably be a better time to visit if you want to be able to breathe your own air.

If all goes well, I'll be in Edinburgh in June next year so if you see a sizable middle aged man tickling two hobbit-sized nutters who look like his wife and speaks American English, that could be me.

historytraveler

The booking company we used for the Cotswolds is www.manorcottages.co.uk I thought they did an excellent job, although I'm sure there are other good agencies. Have a look at their website to get an idea as to what's available.

FYI the Cotswold Way which is one of Britain's excellent walk ways runs from north of Bath to Chipping Campden. Burford, as I said, is one of my favorite places and there are lovely walks along the Windrush.