Obviously it is possible to get to these places on your own. Whether you do an organised tour depends on how many of you there are. If you are on your own (although you say "we"), and can get the three tours for $300 (which is £161) including admission fees then it looks reasonable. At least then you won't have to queue and will presumably have the services of a tour guide.
The alternative is to take trains to each, which is not a bad alternative. Take a train from London to Oxford and have an overnight stay. Neither Stratford nor Warwick are far from Oxford. Trains can be quite reasonably priced as long as you travel after 10am. The other alternative is to hire a car.
I assume that if you take the organised tour option, then you'd travel from London and back to each destination individually? I would recommend that you take the train and stay locally at each destination.

When I say admission fees, I mean for Warwick Castle!

It's really a question of time, and what you want to do.

By train, it's effortless to get a return ticket to Stratford from London for about £24 (just make sure you travel after 7 am on this journey).

The train goes through Oxford, and although you're not supposed to break the journey, the automatic barriers allow you to get off at Oxford and resume your journey later on (London-Oxford and Oxford-Stratford are both about an hour). Stratford is 8 miles from Warwick, and the castle's about a mile from Warwick station: there aren't too many trains between the two, but there are regular buses, taking on average about half an hour.

Hiring a car would probably use up more time: parking in Oxford's not quite as impossible as everyone thinks, but finding the hideous Westgate car park in the centre (built, BTW, by tearing down houses in what was previously known locally as Paradise - AFTER the Joni Mitchell song came out) will take time, it's not that much easier in Stratford, and parking is quite expensive in all three places. But having a car lets you tootle round the countryside.

It might be possible to cram some sightseeing in all three into a day under your own steam, though you'd be pushing it.Personally I've never seen the charm of Stratford, though it does put on a good play, and I'd organise my time to see an evening performance (the last train back to London is timed to let you see a play).

If anyone really did say Warwick Castle is "best", they clearly don't speak English properly. None of these three places is "best": some may like the theme park that Mme Tussauds has invented at the castle, others might like the town's stunning parish church, yet others might like what goes on at Stratford or the extraordinary collection of living medieval buildings at Oxford. It's all a matter of taste, and no-one on this board can predict yours.

Nor can a tour guide. By taking a tour, you're putting yourself in the hands of someone else's judgement. Worthwhile somewhere difficult or dangerous to get round, like upcountry Cambodia, or if you don't speak the language, or if your mobility is impaired. In central England, for an able-bodied American or Australian, doolally.

I did that on my own. I would do it again since I'm not a tour person. While in Stratford, don't forget to have a tea in a tea house very near Anna Hathaways's place. Having tea and scones there is one of the most memorable experience I ever had.

Speaking as someone who hates tours I would definitly do it on my own. I've been to both Statford and Warwick on my own and they were both easy, I'm sure Oxford is too. I'm planning to go there on my own in March. Trains are so easy and frequent in the UK.

Are you planning to try to all three in one day? And is the price of about $100 for transportation to all three and including Warwick Castle admission? If that's the case then it might be worth it but otherwise I wouldn't think so.

I thought Warwick was a beautiful castle and the fact that Mme Tussauds has set up some wax scenarios throughout it didn't really detract from the beautiful architecture and setting. It was done well. I also loved the town of Warwick. We walked around, went to some antique shops, had tea in a cute little tea shop. Overall I enjoyed it much more than Stratford which I though was very touristy. Between the town and the castle we spent the better part of a day in Warwick. I wouldn't want to try and do two other towns in the same day. You don't say how much time you have in England but if you have a week or so my suggestion would be two seperate day trips, one to Oxford and one to Warwick and spend the day in each. I would only bother with Stratford if you are renting a car, then you could stop briefly between the other two since you'd be in the area.

A note on Oxford. Though you certainly can wander around Oxford on your own and enjoy what you find, if you have limited time and have not researched in detail what you want to see, a GOOD local guide would be very useful. I found much of what was most memorable about Oxford was detail....the bits of history and legend and the little places tucked in off the streets & quite hard to find without knowing of them in advance.

Thanks for all the info. We'll be in England for 7 days. Therefore, I think taking two day trips might be better. We are now thinking of going to Warwick one day and Oxford/Stratford the next. We can't spend the night because our hotel in London is already paid for. Any more suggestions are welcome.

Well they are all certainly a snap to do on your own as trains take you right to them all. But if you're going by rail be sure to buy a Days Out of London Pass, good for two, 4 or 7 days of unlimited rail travel in a larger time frame - a flexipass. Currently the price for this pass in 2nd class is just $44 -meaning you could day trip to Oxford and do another day trip and just pay $44 total for all your train travel with no restrictions on what trains you can take - no time restrictions, any train! Whilst the pass doesn't quite stretch to Stratford or Warwick, it takes you most of the way there (to Banbury) and you buy a supplemental ticket for your ultimate destination before boarding the train. 1st class only costs about $70 on this pass, and first class in Britain is far far nicer than 2nd class, which is OK. If you take Virgin trains in 1st class you usually get a lot of free food and drink in first class! Or if you have 3 or 4 people traveling together you can buy the Days Out of London Party Pass, where the 3rd and 4th person pay just 50% of the pass prices, the first two pay the regular price. Anyway if going by train this pass will save you lots of money. Not sold in UK. Budget Europe (800-441-9413) sells them and their staff is extremely knowledgeable about all the trains and will answer all your questions. You could do Warwick and Stratford on the same day; the Warwick station is a short walk from the castle - one of the finest i've ever seen anywhere! In Stratford the station is close to town center and then you have special buses circulating around the several Shakepeare Trust sights. In both Oxford and Stratford you can take Guide Friday sightseeing double-decker bus for a guided tour; doing it inexpensively plus you make your own schedule so you can have tea in that shop by Ann Hathaway's House. Staying in Oxford makes sense and cuts transportation costs. (Yet even just taking a train to Oxford and back warrants buying a Days Out of London pass; if landing at Gatwick Airport you can also use the pass on trains from there to Kings Cross.)

On your own for sure. All are very walkable and the amount of time you spend in each should be your choice -- not the coach tour's.

As for admissions, definitely buy a 4- day Great British Heritage Pass. It will cost approx $35-$40 (I don't think next year's prices are set yet).

It will cover entrance to Warwick Castle, all of the Shakespeare related properties in Stratford (the birthplace/museum, Anne Hathaway's Cottage, Mary Arden's House, his daughter's home and others). The church (where he is buried) is free -- so for about $35 you will get about $75 worth of admissions just in Warwick and Stratford -- PLUS you'd also be able to visit Blenheim Palace if you have time, and in London at the Tower of London, Kensington Palace and St Paul's or Windsor and Hampton Court Palace.

(If you are planning an visiting all those London sites you should probably get a 7-day pass which will be about $60. It would save you well over $100)

In Oxford, the Tourist Information center runs frequent walking tours that are really great. they mostly cost £4 and take you into a few colleges other sites like the Bodlean. Then you can visit St Mary's church, the covered market, and Christ Church college on your own.

Yes the Great British Heritage Pass will save you tons - good at all five major Shakespeare Stratford sights (about $18 without), Warwick Castle ($15), right there about $33, just $1 less than the cost of a 4-day heritage pass ($35) 7-day $54, 15-day $75, 1 month $102; good at virtually every stately house, castle, palace and National Trust sites all over UK. In London Shakepeare's Globe Theatre/Exhibition is covered, another $13 or so, as is Windsor Castle (about $20) and half off Tower of London (savings of about $7). Also covered Kensington Palace (Princess Di's house, it now hosts an exhibit of her gowns amongst other memorabilia; $15) and St Paul's Cathedral (about $12)or Hampton Court Palace ($18) so easy to save pounds. No equivalent for sale in UK though there are passes like English Heritage, Scottish Heritage, etc. who sell cheaper passes but these do not cover nearly all the things the Great Brit Heritage Pass does. If going in January, ask a Heritage Pass agent if there is a sale going on - last January any GR BR Heritage pass bought in January you got 7 days for the price of 4 and you could use the pass anytime for the next year. The pass also gets you cuts in line at mob scenes like Windsor Castle as you need not buy tickets. Rail Europe sells these passes; I recently bought one from Budget Europe (800-441-9413), a Rail Europe agency. Note that folks just staying in London and not going to places like Windsor Castle, the Globe, St Pauls or the Tower will not find the pass to be a good deal as many other things like the British Museum, most art museums, etc. are free. But with the pass you'll also visit things you wouldn't normally pay for - i visited the Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace with the pass (5 pounds or about $9) and found it delightful - a real stables with horses and royal carriages.

I think everyone agrees that doing it on your own is best. If I were you, I would stick with Oxford and Warwick. One trip each. I think Stratford is a waste of time unless you are going to see a play there. Very touristy. Best to take your time in Oxford.

As for Warwick, it's all a matter of taste but I think Warwick is one of the loveliest castles I've seen in Britain. And my son loves castles so we try to get as many in as we can whenever we go. I first visited before Madame Tussaud's put an exhibit in - I was afraid that would ruin it. Actually, they did a very nice job. You will surely enjoy it.

The only other thing I would suggest is that if you are in London for only 7 days, there is so much to see that you might just want to take one day trip out. It's always hard to cut back on the sights you plan to see but you should assume you will come back for another visit sometime.

I have done this tour with Evans. I recommend it. It's just too easy not to do it this way. The guide was great.
It's also fascinating how they gather the tourists up and get them on the right bus for each destination--
Do not be late for the bus at the stops--they will leave you

I have done this tour (3 in 1 ) with Evans. I recommend it. It's just too easy not to do it this way. The guide was great.
It's also fascinating how they gather the tourists up and get them on the right bus for each destination--
Do not be late for the bus at the stops--they will leave you

janebell: I totally agree w/ you re Warwick. Like you, the first few times I visited Warwick was before the family sold to Mme Tussaud's. I felt very protective of my "personal" medieval castle. (I had bought a car from Donald/Geoff Healey in Warwick and took it back there for servicing so I was in warwick often. I usually visited the castle, Lord Leycester Hospital, ate and did some antiques shopping) I was dismayed to learn Tussaud's was buying it and hated the thought of it becoming a theme park. But they actually made it a better visitors' experience and it isn't schlocky at all (well some of the exhibits in the cellars do tend to the tacky side but they are easily missed). The Edwardisn house party they added to the upstairs family quarters are really wondwerful. I've probably been to Warwick 25 or more times over the years and it is better now than in the "old days".

But as for Stratford - the souvenir shops don't put me off at all. Maybe because I never look for that sort of thing and just don't go inside. But you can visit Anne Hathaway's/Mary Arden's, all the Shakespeare properties in the town, his grave in the church, take the foot ferry across the river, and attend a performance and never set foot in a tourist shop.

And parking isn't so bad -- just park in the car park near the roundabout/bridge where the Banbury and Shipston rds come together. You don't have to drive into the congested town center to find a parking space.