10 days in england
 

I'm going to be in London (for the first time) near the end of November. Will the Christmas season be underway yet? Also, how feasible is it to just rent a car and drive around the UK? Can I drive from town to town and expect to find lodging, or do I have to make a lot of advance reservations? I don't want to spend all my time only in London.

The christmas season will be kicking in, with christmas lights being switched on all over the country around that time, and the shops will definitely be in overkill. It is a nice time of year, though (except in terms of weather, unless you like the cold and rain and maybe snow). <BR> <BR>However, in most places in the country there will be vacancies in the hotels. The thing to do if you are not planning on making advance reservations, is probably to get a decent travel book (e.g. Fodors Great Britain) with the telephone number and address of a range of hotels in each area, and also the telephone number of tourist info centres. The tourist info centres tend to be very helpful in accomodation finding. <BR> <BR>Driving in the UK is not always an unadulterated pleasure - avoid rush hours at all costs, especially around the major cities. <BR> <BR>It is good to see you are keen to get around the country though, rather than limiting your visit to London - there is so much to see in some unexpected places.

Melinda, <BR> <BR>If you do decide to rent a car, consider renting it in an outlying city. For example, if you want to explore the Cotswolds, you might want to take the train to Oxford and rent a car there. That will avoid craziness around London. It's hard enough learning to drive on the left without having to contend with lots of traffic at the same time. <BR> <BR>The trains are so good in England that you could easily rely on them and avoid driving altogether. I think that's what I'd do. London has enough to easily fill a week's worth of your 10 days. You could stay there and just take day trips out of the city, or you could take a train to, say, Stratford and stay a few nights. If you like theater, that's a wonderful trip. You could then take (I think) a bus to Warwick Castle and back. <BR> <BR>Someone like Ben Haines will, I'm sure, have good recommendations for you. <BR> <BR>I hope you love London. It will be raw and wet but still wonderful.

Melinda, <BR> <BR>I second the opinion that you do NOT want to drive in London. Driving on the "wrong side" of the road is not that difficult, but driving in London can be a nightmare. <BR>Taking the train to Bath, for example, and renting a car there, would work. <BR> <BR>Also, as someone else mentioned, you can see a lot of the UK using trains, avoiding driving and the high cost of fuel. <BR> <BR>But if you do drive, and you are in the countryside, you should be able to find lodging fairly easily. Just go to the Tourist Information Centres (TIs) located in most medium-sized towns. They operate a booking service for local B&Bs. If you check with the TI in the early afternoon, you should have few problems finding a choice of B&Bs. <BR> <BR>Enjoy your trip! <BR> <BR>David White <BR>www.KidsToLondon.com

My itinerary for Oct is: <BR> <BR>2 Days Edinburgh <BR>2 days York <BR>3 Days (Blenheim/Cotswold/Bath) <BR>3 Days London. <BR> <BR>Save money by calling England to ask for their best rates for train travel. My Edinburgh to York, York to Oxford,Bath to London tickets work out to be only about $108US (exch rate = 1.46). The 4 Day Flexipass is $238US. Even though I won't be able to hop on and off as with a flexipass, I didn't plan to anyway. So saved me and my companion a ton. I am renting a car ($75US / 2 Days) so total is $183. (With 3Day rail &3Day Flexi =$348 from BritRail) <BR> <BR>If interested in checking rates, make sure to call 011/44/345/484950 (# from states) <BR> <BR>Also ask for DayPex RT fares, even if you are only going one way since this can save you a lot. (Call in advance to get better rates.) <BR> <BR>Since you are going in Nov, it will be chillier, so you may want to stay around the London area , instead of my itinerary. <BR> <BR>Also I am flying open jaws (in to edinburgh, out off London) <BR> <BR>Goodluck...

By the end of November, Chrismas shopping will be in full swing. <BR>Loding should not be problem. <BR>As a local I would recommend : <BR>Cambridge <BR>York <BR>Liverpool - also try and take in a match <BR>Edinburgh or Glasgow <BR>Bath <BR>Lincoln and Norwich are also worh seeing. <BR> <BR>Driving around is ok.

Thank you all so much for the information. It is very helpful. I can't wait to get going!

I may be biassed but I think the Christmas lights in Stratford-upon-Avon are the best- much nicer than the Regent Street lights in London. For a really pleasant 3/4 days outside London you could take the train from Paddington station to Oxford. Stay in Oxford and take one of the great walking tours of this ancient University town (good shops and museums). Then take the train from Oxford to Stratford upon Avon - the Royal Shakepeare Theatre and Shakespeare's Birthplace. There will be plenty of accommodation at that time of year. The Tourist Information Centre in the town are v. helpful. You can take the bus to Warwick Castle which has lots to amuse and fascinate. Kenilworth Castle is a very atmospheric ruined castle just 3-4 miles from Warwick.<BR>Enjoy your trip. M

We've done both, the train &amp; rental car &amp; found the train to be a miserable experience. Rushing to the station, dragging heavy luggage, etc, it was just very tiring &amp; nerve-wracking. We fly into Manchester, rent a car at the airport, spend 2 days at a B &amp; B a few blocks from the airport &amp; have a wonderful drive from there on. With a car you can see whatever you want whereas the trains only run through the flattest part of the countryside &amp; the most dismal parts of the charming villages. Don't know if I would try to drive in November though.

The weather may be a bit grim, but it will be much more fun for you. The tourists will have gone home, people will be a lot more relaxed and you will actually get to meet the natives.<BR>Driving is very easy on motorways, but if you have a good roadmap, it's more fun to drive on more minor roads which actually take you through towns and villages. For accommodation, just go to the nearest torist information office and get them to book you in somewhere.<BR>Try and visit some of the smaller cities. Get in the car, follow your nose and have a lovely time.