annalynn

The background:
I'm in the middle of planning my 40th birthday trip to the UK. I've been there 6 times before and spent my junior year in college at Sussex. Yet despite my previous trips and my lifelong love of all things Austen, I've never done a lot of the Jane Austen sights in the UK. My husband is not in love with all things Austen, but is coming along on the condition we also add in York. This doesn't fit in terribly well with my planned itinerary, but I'm trying to make the best of it. This has brought me to a basic plan is to see York for a few days, then head down to Austen country before ending up in London.

My questions thus far:

1. What is the best way to get from York to Bath? Perhaps with my aging, my skills are lessening ... but I can't seem to find any good public transportation to get between York and Bath. Presumably this is because the rail lines don't want to go in the same direction as I do, but talk about being highly vexing.

2. Because of my problems listed above, I'm looking into driving this trek, and thus started to expand my research into places to visit. I think I can sell my husband on a visit to Chatsworth as a 'pit stop' between our long day of driving from York to Bath. It seems doable when I plot it on the computer, but has anyone ever been crazy enough to do this? Exactly how insane is this idea? Because, I know, it is insane, but we do enjoy our times driving through Britain. I've thought about spending the night in Bakewell, and taking two days to get from York to Bath. But I hate moving around a lot when traveling, and I already feel like I'm pushing it with York, Bath and London.

In case this matters for your answers... we're traveling in May for two weeks, and we'll be in London in time for the Chelsea Flower Show, which is why I need to end up in London.

PalenQ

have you checked www.nationalrail.co.uk for sample schedules and duration and yes cross-country rail travel can be circuitous and flummoxing to figure out - a quick check gives a total travel time by rail of between 4 and 4.5 hours with a change in either Birmingham or Bristol.

Wa145nzJeffery

Bakewell and Chatsworth are both lovely and well worth a visit. It could be done in a day at a push. It's about 2 hours to drive to Chatsworth and then about 3 and a half to Bath. That is only if there aren't any snarl ups and to do it in a day you'd have to travel during peak times. Personally I'd break my journey and take the time to look around the lovely Peak District for half a day. You'd only lose a morning in Bath doing that and a hotel in Derbyshire will be cheaper than in Bath.

alanRow

Somewhat confused as to "long day of driving". It's only about 4 hours between York and Bath mostly motorway, diverting to Chatsworth adds less than an hour to that.

annalynn

Thanks. I suppose my "long day of driving" is that when I usually see a time estimate for UK driving, I tend to double it. Thus making the estimated 5 hours I saw more like 10 hours.

janisj

I've driven from York via Chatsworth and Hardwicke Hall to Warwick once, and another time the same (York/Chatsworth/Hardwicke Hall) ending up in the Forest of Dean. Sort of comparable to what you are planning. No problems either time -- you'll be fine.

Now, taking several days and visiting other great places along the route would be better. But if you only have a day -- it is totally doable.

Vpicks

There are direct trains between York and Bristol, and from Bristol it is just a short hop across to Bath. HTH.

Vicky
http://postcards-pfte.blogspot.com/
Celebrating the Great British Coastline