2 Nights in Bath, 1 Night in Ludlow - Itinerary Details
 

Over the past couple of months, I've finally come up with the perfect itinerary for our England/Scotland trip next June 2017 (all with the help from many of you here on Fodors - thank you!). My husband and I are very excited now that we have a set plan.

We've now been thinking about each portion of our trip in more detail. We got London squared away last week. The next part of our trip is Bath. Here is what we have so far - advice, critique, suggestions, opinions, and recommendations all welcome!

Day 1 (Sunday)
10:30am - Train to Bath
1pm - Arrive at Hotel in Bath
3:30pm - Sunset Tour of Stonehenge Inner Circle, Lacock, and Avebury Stones (not sure yet if this tour will be offered on a Sunday)
10:30pm - Arrive back in Bath
Overnight in Bath

Day 2 (Monday)
9am - Bath Sights: Roman Bath House, Bath Abbey, Walking around town
2pm - River Boat Cruise from Bathampton to Bath with afternoon tea (2 hours)
6pm - Thermae Bath Spa Sunset Package with Dinner
Overnight in Bath

Day 3 (Tuesday)
Early morning B&B check out and pick up rental car at 8am (bring a packed lunch for the drive)
8:30am - 10am: Drive to Chepstow Castle
10am - 11am: Explore Cheptstow Castle
11am - 11:30am: Drive to Tintern Abbey
11:30am - 12:30pm: Explore Tintern Abbey
12:30pm - 3:30pm: Drive to Ludlow (The Old Rectory B&B) - any scenic driving routes?
Relax and enjoy the B&B for the rest of the day, maybe some hiking trails
Overnight in Ludlow

Day 4 (Wednesday)
10am: Ludlow Castle
11am: Stokesay Castle
12pm: Lunch recommendation?
1pm - 4pm: Drive to Manchester (Debdale Park Area) - visiting family
Any scenic driving routes or lookout points from Ludlow to Manchester?


How does the overall itinerary look?

Any scenic driving routes or lookout points from Ludlow to Manchester?>

Ironbridge Gorge is one the way- World Heritage Site - and heritage park.

http://www.ironbridge.org.uk/

Shrewsbury is a sweet town too that could be on the way- but both of those sites are close to Ludlow so you may want to go farther before stopping.

Go to nationalrail.co.uk for train info to Bath - you can get nifty discounts by booking early - check www.seat61.com for good advise on that. discounts come in first class too and may not always be much more than the cheapest Standard (2nd) Class ticket available - if so go first - a world of difference on long-distance trains IME. For general info on British trains check also www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

I realize the Roman baths are highly rated but I would humbly suggest I found it a bit of yawn. What I really thought was awesome was the walk up Bath Abbey. You get to see the back of clock the chimes and then walk out on the roof for outstanding views of Bath. You can even look over at the roof of the spa where you will have your swim.

Well, everyone has different tastes, but I have visited the Roman Baths (not Bath House) twice and enjoyed them both times. I was seriously impressed with the improvement in the museum the second time. I also recommend having coffee or tea in the Pump Room.

Bath Abbey is fine, but to me it pales in comparison to Wells Cathedral, not far off.

But probably not the water in the Pump Room, which Jane Austen said tasted like warmed flatirons.

PalenQ - Thanks, Ironbridge Gorge looks pretty nice on the way to Manchester. But what about staying west through Shrewsbury/Wales/Chester to get to Manchester? Is one route more scenic than the other? We'll make sure to book our train to Bath early, thanks!

Kinloch - As this is our first visit to England, I think the Roman Baths will be a must for this trip. Thanks for the opinion though! We are also planning to visit Bath Abbey.

thursdaysd - I don't think we'll have time for Wells with our already limited time in Bath. Any other recommendations in Bath that we could do on Day 2?

Overall, does the itinerary seems doable? Am I missing any "must-sees" or "must-dos" in Bath? Do you think the amount of driving is manageable?