Elizabeth

We will be arriving at LHR from SFO, renting a car & beginning a 5 day drive down to Stonehenge & back up through the Cotswolds into Yorkshire.... For our first day I am thinking we might pick up our car & drive to Winchester to stop there for the day. I know it is only about 70 miles from the airport, but since we will have just had a long flight I thought this might be wise. Would anyone suggest a different stopping place -- or should we plan on going further?? Also, where is Stow on the Wold?? (I obviously haven't gotten a good road map yet, but I will!) Thank you for any advice.

Jan

Elizabeth, I feel that staying for your first night in Winchester or perhaps Salisbury,(it is nearer to Stonehenge),would be wise. I've been to America many times and always feel very tired on arriving home especially after an overnight flight. As for Stow in the Wold here is a web site that gives some information about the town and also maps of the town and the Cotswolds:- <BR>http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homep...etype/town.htm

Bob C

First thing you need to do is buy some good Michelin maps. Maps #402, #403 and #404 cover the areas you talked about. Also buy the Michelin Green guide to England. These will help you map out a plan. Stow on the Wold is in the Cotswolds.

Lori

We fly from the west coast to LHR and think it is a very good idea not to go very far with the rental car that first day (we usually stay close to the a/p and start out the next day). The flight is long, you are somewhat disoriented (even if you think you are not) and driving on the left can be nervewracking if you are not used to it. Driving and jet lag don't mix! Hertz told us most (about 90%)of the accidents reported to them happen within a few miles of the a/p and involve people just getting off a flight and getting mixed up. <BR> <BR>You need to get some good road maps and plan your route. Frankly, I would not even drive 70 miles with jet lag, particularly in an area unknown to me. <BR>Stay overnight at an airport hotel and start out fresh in the a.m. after a good breakfast! <BR> <BR>I am sure many people will think I'm a wimp for not wanting to drive with jet lag but that's just my personal feelings.

kk

Elizabeth, here is a slightly different suggestion. Why not take the train to Salisbury and comfortably watch the English countryside go by. Spend your first night there in a hotel near the cathedral and look around as much as you have energy for. Then, the next morning rent a car in Salisbury that can be returned at Heathrow at the end of your visit. <BR>We did that last year, training to Oxford. We saved ourselves a day of car rental and found that we needed all our wits about us the day we went out on the roads the first time in England. I think you want to be really alert for that. Until you get used to it, it can be confusing driving on the left side.

Elizabeth

Thank you everyone for the good comments & advice. Maybe taking a train at first from LHR is a better idea... Is there a website for the train system? Is it easily accessible from LHR?? <BR>Jan: Thanks for the great website! <BR>Elizabeth

Tracey

I heartily agree with taking the train from Heathrow to your destination, then renting the car the next day. We did that in Canterbury and it was the best way to do it. Our flight was delayed so we were even more jet-lagged and driving on the left can be VERY disorienting! But I did adapt to it very quickly. I drove around England for three weeks, even in the outskirts of London and took the car back to Gatwick. After surviving the four lane roundabouts around Gatwick, I was ever so glad I did not attempt to pick up our car at the airport! Now that I am going back a second time, I feel much more confident and comfortable with driving directly from the airport. <BR>Although I like the Michelen maps, I like the Travelmaster Ordnance Survey maps even better. I found it easier to match the towns on the (often hard to find) signs with the ones on the map. You can find the maps in specailty map stores or map sites on-line. Have fun... it was a blast!

Ann

I live in Winchester and regularly drive to and from Heathrow. Motorway all the way but very busy at times. The journey to Salisbury is much less straightforward by car. <BR> <BR>You can find route planners at www.theaa.co.uk under Travelwatch or www.rac.co.uk under My Journey. <BR> <BR>Alternatively if you decide to go by train, you can find timetable details at www.railtrack.co.uk. You will have to change trains, there is no direct route from Heathrow to Salisbury or Winchester. <BR> <BR>Winchester is wonderful! (So is Salisbury but I am prjudiced!) <BR> <BR>

Elizabeth

Thank you so much Ann! We really wanted to have Winchester as our starting point. I can't wait to explore the town. By the way, can you recommend a nice place for us to spend our first night in England there?? <BR>Elizabeth

Bob

One thought on car rental in England. It is worth the extra money to request an automatic transmission car. If you get a normal five speed you will be shifting with your left hand and pulling the stick towards you, not away from you. It gets a little sticky when you are in a city and having to downshift and stay on the left. I did this my last trip and enjoyed driving a whole lot more than my other trips with a stick shift. Just a thought......

Jan

The train is easily accessable from Heathrow, only problem is it arrives at Paddington and you will need to go to Waterloo to catch a train to either Winchester or Salisbury. Other options include National Express coaches from LHR to Winchester or you could prebook a taxi. This is not as expensive as it may sound, lots of companies specialise in 'airport runs'.Last summer we paid £80 return to London Gatwick which is a longer journey than to LHR, so if you are a couple or a goup that could make sense. As for where to stay in Winchester check out the web site:-http://www.winchester.gov.uk/<BR>The Wykham Arms is often recommended if you do a search on this forum you may find some past posts on the subject. I don't know how long you will have in Winchester but something else that has had favourable reports on this forum are the guided tours round the cathederal, check out on their web site, hope you enjoy our little corner of England!

Jan

Re the taxi I should have said that I live about 8 miles from Winchester so the cost would be simular!

Ann

I would agree with Jan that you might try the Wykham Arms in Winchester. It's a very old English pub - low ceilings, beams and almost next door to the college, founded 1382. You will be able to absorb history while you sleep. You will be within walking distance of the cathedral and almost next to St Lawrence church which makes an arch over the (very narrow) road. If the weather is good you can stroll through the water meadows to the Hospital of St Cross founded 1130 where you can ask for "Wayfarer's Dole". Try also http://www.cityofwinchester.co.uk/ for more information, though it's currently undergoing change. Unfortunately winchester College's site is down at the moment too.<BR><BR>If you want to try the taxi option, do remember to arrange a pre-booking taxi. Black cabs hired on the spot will cost something like double.<BR><BR>I hope you have a lovely time.

Sean

Hope this isn't too late for you. <BR> <BR>A bit more advice from a Londoner... <BR> <BR>Forget Michellin. By far the best maps to buy when travelling anywhere in the UK are Ordnance Survey (Known colloquelly as O.S. maps). Actually, in my experience anyway (although i'm a Londoner, i have travelled), they are possibly the best you will find anywhere in the world. <BR> <BR>Be careful of UK trains at the moment. There have been a few problems with the UK rail network and long delays are still being experienced. Hopefully this will get sorted soon but do be aware of this... <BR> <BR>I've stayed in the Wykham arms and it is indeed a top place, especially if you like the idea of an old English Inn. Winchester is also, er.. 'way cool'. Now, if you do like inns, i would suggest that once you are here inna England, you get a copy of a book called The Good Pub Guide. This is invaluable as it lists loads of great pubs and inns. A lot of these have rooms and the book tells you all you need to know. It features recomendations from readers etc. Well anyway, i sue it all the time... <BR> <BR>Now... if you need to get to Waterloo from Heathrow there is the 'Heathrow Express' train - this IS working ok as far as i know and i think costs you £5 each one way to Paddington. <BR> <BR>Getting to Waterloo from Paddington isn't too hard and will cost you under £4 each. The best way to do this is by Tube (What you chaps call the subway!). The tube network means there are several routes but i'd say from Paddington get the Circle line to Westminster (which incidentally has just had some amazing architectral work done and has to be seen!). From Westminster, take the Jubilee line south for one stop to Waterloo. <BR> <BR>Just check out that the line to Winchester is ok - it probably is as this is a main commuter line but just be aware that there are problems!!... Anyway, the whole trip from Heathrow to Waterloo should easily take less than one hour and as i say, will cost you a whole lot less than a taxi. Save your loot for a nice pint of beer at the Wykham Arms or if you have the time, have lunch in London - i can recommend several nice places if you want!! <BR> <BR>Word from the Mothership <BR>Peace Love and Inity <BR>Sean

Sean

Actually, what am i saying???? <BR> <BR>Listen, you can get the tube from Heathrow all the way to Waterloo. This means the trip will cost you under £4 each!! <BR> <BR>Even more beer money!!! <BR> <BR>Take the Piccadilly line from Heathrow (each heathrow terminal has a Piccadilly line station) and change at Green Park. At Green Park change on to the south bound Jubilee line for two stops. The first stop is Westminster and the second - Waterloo. The journey will still be under one hour... <BR> <BR>Actually, Green Park is on the famous Piccadilly itself. You could nip out there enroute and walk to Piccadilly Circus in about 5 minutes. From there you are a couple of minutes from Soho, Covent Garden etc.. for a nice lunch...? <BR> <BR>Just a thought... hey, i am a Londoner after all!!! <BR> <BR>Sorry about the lapse of memory regarding the tube!! <BR> <BR>Sean <BR>P.S. the Good Pub Guide is by a chap called allasdair Aird it's available in most book shops over here - try W.H. Smiths at Heathrow Airport or Waterloo station. Smiths also sell O.S. Maps - and it's about 10-12 of our English Pounds...

Elizabeth

Sean- <BR>Thanks for all the great advice! I didn't realize that we could go from LHR to Waterloo -- that's probably what we will do. I am writing down your directions to take with us. <BR>Elizabeth

Elizabeth

Also ~~ the O.S. map sounds great. I still need to buy one. Do you happen to know where you can get them on-line??

Kat

Reprising my 1998 post on this topic: <BR> <BR>Author: Kat ([email protected]) <BR> Date: 9/16/1998, 2:11 pm ET <BR> <BR> Message: Tips on Driving in the U.K. <BR> <BR> Last month I posted a message requesting help in locating driving maps for the <BR> U.K. Forum contributors were generous with their responses, once again <BR> demonstrating a lot of savvy. As a result, my perambulations by car throughout <BR> the U.K. were rather smoother than they might have been. Perhaps Forum <BR> readers will be interested in these Tips on Driving in the U.K. <BR> <BR> Tip #1 <BR> Stay Left <BR> One of the responses I received to my map request beat me to Tip #1 which is: <BR> "It is the job of the navigator to constantly mutter (yelling when needed), 'stay <BR> left!'" <BR> Corollary to Tip #1 <BR> The navigator must alternate "stay left!" chants, with regular agitated squeals of <BR> "Don't hit the curb/wall/hedge/parked car!!!" <BR> <BR> Tip #2 <BR> Avoid 'B' Roads <BR> 'B' roads in U.K. are described charitably and with some overstatement as <BR> 'secondary roads.' Indeed. 'B' roads are VERY narrow. The first 150 times you <BR> meet a truck or bus bearing down on you at 70 miles an hour will cause cardiac <BR> paralysis; at the 151st time, you just close your eyes and grit your teeth. <BR> <BR> Tip #3 <BR> The Primacy of Automatic Transmission <BR> Do not fail to rent a car with automatic transmission. Natives usually drive a <BR> stick-shift and most rental firms require reservations well in advance for an <BR> automatic. And, you really do want an automatic. I drive a stick at home; I even <BR> drive a stick in San Francisco . . . and there's no way I could have managed <BR> driving a car with the stick-shift on the driver's LEFT side. All, mind you, at the <BR> same time one is trying to stay left, not hit the curb / wall / parked car and <BR> negotiate round'abouts, which leads to the next tip. <BR> <BR> Tip #4 <BR> Approach Round Abouts Slowly and Be Prepared to Stop Instantly <BR> Round Abouts are an interesting traffic control device invented (apparently) to <BR> save money on traffic lights and stop signs. In the U.K., it is believed Round <BR> Abouts keep traffic moving smartly because they obviate the need for a car to <BR> stop when making turns at an intersection. The first time you meet a Round <BR> About three things will happen: 1. You will be paralyzed. 2. when motion is <BR> recovered, you will go 'round and 'round the Round About a half dozen times <BR> before figuring out how to get off. 3. You then will get off on the wrong road. <BR> <BR> Tip #5 <BR> You must have a navigator. <BR> Although Jim and I never once got lost (a veritable miracle) it is abundantly clear <BR> I could not have managed the driving AND the navigating. A navigator also is <BR> needed to bolster driver morale. So, the dialog within the car sounds something <BR> like this: <BR> <BR> Navigator: "Stay left, DON'T hit the parked car, there's a Round About coming <BR> up, you're going to go three-quarters around and head off on the A273, DON'T <BR> hit that car, you're doing fine, you're doing great, STAY LEFT, you're great, <BR> doing fine, NOOOOOOO, don't hit the wall, doing fine." <BR> <BR> Driver: "oh geez, I AM LEFT, oh geez, I either hit the wall or that truck, oh geez, <BR> how can they drive this fast, please pass me another valium, oh geez.

Jean

We flew in from Seattle to LHR, picked up our rental car (believe we arranged it through Budget here in the States), where we received a beautiful atlas type mapbook of all the road systems, which was very easy to follow. Then my husband practiced driving in the parking lot for 30 minutes. And, oh, yes...an automatic is an ABSOLUTE MUST! <BR> <BR>We finally got on the road (what we call a freeway here) and that part was easy, but you absolutely must have your navigator constantly reminding you of what to do. <BR> <BR>Best advice we received and followed wass that when you come to a roundabout, it is quite all right to go around 20 times if you need to, until you know for sure which road you need, and to be able to get into the correct lane. With this in mind, we only once got on the incorrect road. <BR> <BR>Going through the Cotswalds was fun--even on those narrow, roads. <BR> <BR>Enjoy! <BR>Jean

Sean

Hello Elizabeth. <BR> <BR>No problem, glad to help!! London is my 'manor', i love it and am keen to share it so anything you want to know.. well, just email me direct if you want. Check out my address on the original message... <BR> <BR>By the way, if you are going by tube to Waterloo and want to nip out in London, the ticket to ask for is an 'all zone travel pass'. This gives unlimited travel on the tube (and london buses) for the whole day. A pass currently costs just under five quid (oh, we tend to call pounds quids over here - all very confusing eh?)... <BR> <BR>Now, O.S. maps online... hmmm, well try their website as it seems to be quite extensive.. www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/ <BR> <BR>Mind you, I've just checked it out...it will tell you all about their specialised maps and all about the O.S. which is very enlightning but i didn't see the road atlas that i recommend so i called their help number for you. <BR> <BR>Apparently, they don't sell it on line as that site is more geared up for their really detailed hiking maps and stuff (they really are phenominally good by the way!)... <BR> <BR>O.S. used to be owned by the government you see and the maps were originally made for the armed forces so you can imagine how and why they are so detailed and accurate. Seems we can be good when it's for all the wrong reasons!! <BR> <BR>Hang on, i'll try Smiths. Ahah!! Go to www.whsmith.co.uk and then search for 'Ordnance Survey Road Atlas of Great Britain'. It's actually on special offer and you can get it for 6.99!! Plus 2 quid post etc. This is because they are selling off last year's ones but that really will be fine, there aren't really that many differences in one year!!! Anyway, this will cover the whole of Britain and is EXACTLY what you need when travelling the UK. <BR> <BR>The one in my car right now is 2-3 years out of date and i still regularly use it!! I would never be without one. <BR> <BR>Michelle and i are off to North Devon by way of Glastonbury the weekend after next and that is the map i shall be using so my money is where my mouth is!!! <BR> <BR>Word from the mothership <BR>Peace, love and Inity <BR>Sean