janis

Jim: None of the rental car agencies are actually on LHR. All are between 2 and 5 miles away and use shuttle buses. So you would not be driving inside the LHR ring road. Most are easy or semi-easy to get to. You have some options - but wait until you find out where your agency is. If the agency is north or west of LHR just take a cab to Windsor - or the agency might even drop you there. Or take the shuttle bus to LHR and then either a bus or a cab to Windsor. If Windsor is your final destination, dropping the car at the airport will be much less complicated than dropping it at Salisbury. If you decide to go into London instead I would still drop it at LHR.<BR><BR>About you flight connection - sometimes the early morning flights actually arrive EARLY since they have the jet stream pushing them. Of course there are no guarantees - it may be delayed 2 hours on the ground in the States?! A couple of times I have booked a flight from LHR to Scotland w/ a 4 or 5 hour layover and ended up making an earlier flight. But this only works if you have only carry on's and no checked bags.<BR><BR>If you decide on the later flight and land early you can try to get on the earlier flight. If not, there is plenty to keep you busy for the approx 4 free hours you would have.

Jim

Thanks Janis. Good idea about just planning on the later flight, and then trying to get on the early one if possible. This shouldn't be a problem as long as there are seats on the earlier one (and we make it on time, of course). We'll be flying different airlines, so bags will not be checked through.<BR><BR>My next question is about where to pick up the rental car. We're picking it up in Edinburgh, but on Monday (which is actually 2 days after we arrive; no need to have car for stay in Edinburgh). Are we better off at the airport location, or a downtown location? I would tend to favor airport because I won't have to drive in Edinburgh, but then I have to go out to the airport to get it, which might be inconvenient.

Jim

Also (sorry for the constant questions), which village in the Cotswolds would you recommend us to stay over? We were thinking that Chipping Camden (sp?) or Broadway might be good, since we're coming down from Stratford, but that Bibury or Painswick might be a little less crowded. We will of course explore many of the towns in the area, but just wondering whether any one is preferable for staying over?

janis

Definitely pick the car up at Edinburgh airport. Driving in the city can be a nightmare and the airport is right on the motorway system to get you on your way easily.<BR><BR>As for your Cotswold stay - all four of those towns/villages are wonderful. Of the 4, Broadway and Bibury would be the most crowded. Poor little Bibury is overrun by day trippers and the traffic/parking situation can be really bad. Broadway would have the priciest accomodations<BR><BR>Chipping Campden is lovely, as is Painswick. Either one would be fine, or try Stow-on-the-Wold or Burford<BR><BR>

Keith

Jim, I'd agree with Janis and go with renting the car at the airport. There's a pretty good bus service from the City Centre (opposite the taxi entrance to Waverley station) which only takes about 15 - 20 minutes.<BR><BR>I'm not sure how big your party is, biut if there's only two of you here's a tip. Apparently, if you book one of the smallest ones on the Hertz website, you will automatically get an upgrade as they don't have the smallest size car there. I got lucky once and booked the smallest and cheapest one, and ended up with one two sizes bigger (booked a Fiat Seicento, got a Ford Focus!)

Jim

Another question re: day in the Cotswolds. We will be coming from Stratford. In the morning we plan to visit Warwick, and then plan to drive down to the Cotswolds. Are we better off staying at a town in the northern cotswolds (such as Chipping Camden), checking in, and then driving around to explore some other towns such as Broadway, Bourton on Water and Upper Slaughter/Lower Slaughter before returning to Chipping Camden? Or are we better off exploring those towns on the way south and then staying at a town further south from Chipping Camden (Painswick perhaps?)? Our next stop after Cotswolds will be Bath, so it might make sense to stay somewhere to the south, but we hear Chipping Campden is so lovely.

janis

Actually, Jim, It probably makes little difference. Warwick takes a while to see so you are not likely to get away until well after lunch.<BR><BR>But the area you will travel through is very compact - Chipping Campden to Painswick is only about 25± miles. So either would be a great place to stop over. Chipping Campden is a little more convenient to many of the villages you want to see.<BR>

Jim

Thanks Janis. Would you suggest booking ahead for Chipping Campden on a weekday in September?

Anne

Dear Jim: I'm joining this thread a little late to affect your plans, but just to let you know -- it IS possible to see a great deal of Britain in two weeks, but that's all you'll end up doing -- seeing it (as you drive past!) That being said, we did it years ago, and managed to cram in the following: London (2 days in the city, commuting from family in Surrey). In two days, we saw St. Paul's, St. Bride's, Oxford Street, The Tower, Westminster, Tower Bridge, Downing Street, Horse Guards, Fleet Street and took in a play in the West End. Then, Sissinghurst and Canterbury (day trip from Surrey), then a quick look-round and night in Bath (with a lunch break outside Windsor Castle along the way, and an attempt to find Avebury -- we didn't, but did see the giant men drawn in the turf) and took a drive 'round the Cotswolds (Castle Combe is lovely). Then (if I remember correctly), a night in Stratford (including seeing Anne Hathaway's cottage and Shakespeare's supposed grave). The next day we saw Warwick Castle (neat!) and nipped a corner of North Wales on the way to Chester. (The Cotswolds may have been the Bath night or the Stratford night; I don't remember) One night in Chester, then up the motorway to the Lakes. A nice drive around that area (pre-planned, on the "white roads") and a night just outside the area, near the motorway. Then, up through the borders to Edinburgh. Dinner there, a morning spend dashing about on the Royal Mile, with brief stops at the Castle and Greyfriars Church, and afternoon tea with the Queen (really!) at Holyrood (actually, at one of her scheduled garden parties, along with about 5,000 other loyal subjects!). Then drove up to Perth, and spent a few nights there with family, making a day trip to Aberdeen via Braemar and Balmoral, and another night spent with family in Inverness. We then drove from Perth all the way down to Cambridge (a very long haul!), spent one night there, looked around a bit and went on to family near Ipswich for lunch, then back to Surrey for one last night before flying home. Had a flying car tour of London that last night, and saw a few things (again, from the outside!) that we had missed earlier. As I said, we saw the outside of a great many things, but enough to know what we want to see on our return (whenever that may be!), and enough in enough depth to have had a memorable, enjoyable time. Good luck and have a great trip!

janis

Jim: You can book ahead of course - but it really isn't necessary. What I would do is while in Stratford or Warwick drop into the Toutist Information Center - both towns have convenient TICs - in Warwick it is on the High street near the castle and in Stratford near the river and the largest parking lot. Tell them what you are looking for in/near Chipping Campden and then go sightseeing. The TIC will contact the Chipping Campden TIC and reserve a place for you. In hour or two go back to the TIC and they will give you the booking slip and directions to get to the B&B.<BR><BR>This way you are not wasting valuable free time tracking down a B&B. And this also gives you flexibility in case you decide to stay in some other area - the TIC can book you a place anywhere..

Fredwyn

Dear Jim, I don't know what your budget is but an excellent BandB in Bath is Dorian House (you can fin it on the web) It is full of lovely furniture and the breakfast is excellent! We stayed there this year and intend to go back. I live in London now but I hope when you come to england next time you will go to Cornwall!! I'm sorry some people have given you a hard time. I hope you have an excellent holiday. Most of the natives are very friendly!