Hi all. My family and I will be traveling to England this August. Myself, my husband, and our three children, ages 15, 11 and 9. We will spend the first few days of the trip in Bath, enjoying that city and daytripping to Stonehenge, Glastonbury, etc. We will spend the last few days of the trip in London. We have 5 days in the middle of the trip that I can't decide what to do with! There are so many wonderful choices that I am overwhelmed. Here is some helpful information:

we would love to minimize travel by car -- we love train travel and my husband is nervous about driving on the left, and I have heard that traffic in August will be horrendous;

we would like to base ourselves in one spot and see sites around from there;

we love to spend time outdoors, whether hiking of clambering about on castles or walking in great house gardens or walking along the coast or wandering among abbey ruins;

our group has literary interests -- Shakespeare and Bronte, but also Dahl, Lewis, Tolkein, and of course Rowling -- and historical interests;

I know that August is the most crowded time to travel, but we have no choice -- it is our children's vacation and the only time we can go -- so please no comments about how we shouldn't travel then! -- but would love advice about ways to avoid the most crowded areas;

areas we are considering -- Yorkshire, Peak District, Wales, staying in the Midlands and simply seeing more there.

Thanks for any and all positive advice!

Just some random thoughts -- not re a specific itinerary but just things you might want to chew over.

"<i>I have heard that traffic in August will be horrendous</i>"

Not really true (except for on the August Bank holiday -- which is the last weekend)

"<i>we love to spend time outdoors, whether hiking of clambering about on castles or walking in great house gardens or walking along the coast or wandering among abbey ruins;</i>"

To get out and about in rural areas (where most Gardens, stately homes and abbeys are) a car is by far the easiest/most efficient way to travel. As long as you stay out of the centers of cities/major towns -- the driving isn't hard at all.

"<i>Shakespeare and Bronte, but also Dahl, Lewis, Tolkein, and of course Rowling</i>"

Literary interests are a terrific way to organize a trip -- but the ones you listed are are spread ove just about every corner of the country.

"<i>would love advice about ways to avoid the most crowded areas;</i>"

The only place you really need to totally avoid in August to get away from crowds would be Edinburgh which get massively full for the tattoo and festivals. And any popular scenic area --the Lake District, Devon/Cornwall, etc will be busier than normal. But otherwise you really can organize a nice visit in August.

"<i>areas we are considering -- Yorkshire, Peak District, Wales, staying in the Midlands and simply seeing more there.</i>"

That is a bit confusing -- nowhere do you mention being in the midlands so not sure about the 'staying there and seeing more'.

Thank you for your thoughts. I know that our interests are spread all over -- that is why I need help! We will choose an area and concentrate on our interests in those areas. I am trying to determine which area to focus on, and there are so many choices! I would love advice on which of these areas might be best in August with children. For example, I have heard that the Peak is extremely crowded -- is that true? Here in the States, folks say that Yellowstone National Park is crowded in summer, but few get out of their cars, so, if you park and hike, the crowds are not an issue. Thanks again for any help and advice narrowing down our wonderful choices.

You might want to schedule your middle days in the Cotswolds, which would be relatively handy for Stratford-on-Avon and Oxford.

On your way to the Cotswolds, you could visit Lacock. It's near Bath; the Abbey was used for at least a couple of Harry Potter films, and the town has been used in many films and TV series - Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Cranford, etc.

Both Lewis and Tolkien lived and taught in Oxford, and Christ Church College is another Harry Potter filming site. Have lunch at the Eagle and Child, where the Inklings met, and just enjoy the town. Tolkien and his wife are buried in Wolvercote Cemetery.

You can read more about our UK trip, if you like, by clicking my screen name and looking at my trip report.

Lee Ann

ElendilPickle, thanks so much for the advice, and for your trip report, which I loved and which was very inspirational. We love Jane Austen and all of the movies, and had considered the Peak District for that reason, and I enjoyed especially your comparison of Blenheim and Chatsworth. And your info about the hostels was helpful -- I am considering using several and have heard good reviews of the ones in Stratford and the Peak, and it is good to hear a firsthand account. Thanks again!

Those of us who live in the north of England find ourselves a bit bemused by the impression so often conveyed that there is nothing worth seeing north of Cambridge!
At least give Yorkshire a thought. York was for many centuries England's second city and antiquities abound as well as York Minster, one of England's finest cathedrals.
Then there ae two national parks and proximity to another two. Have a google on Skipton or York

Prettiest near London Oxford,Cotswolds,Bath for me

Otel.com Booking.com Londontown.com good values

With a car have based in Bath that worked very well.

Oxford would work well also nice spires but

not as beautiful as Bath.

The Cotswolds are to die for spend plenty of time there.

Far prettier than anything in the north for me.

Do book ahead will be peak tourist season.

Happy Planning,

www.pembrokeshirecoastpath.com

Wales is close coast castles are beautiful

tonnes of neat history if you have time left.

train possible but car would work best

in Cotswolds and Wales.

Have rented/drivien in August not bad at all

on rural roads as long as you remember to hug

the left shoulder... took me a day or so to get

used to that.

David, you mean those LUCKY enough to live in the North of England?? And nowhere as pretty as the Cotswolds in the north - what a sweeping statement!!!
I'm fortunate enough to live in the Yorkshire Dales and I also think this is one of the loveliest (and prettiest) places I know.
Yorkshire would work well for this trip, but the tourist destination tends to be North Yorkshire as this is where York, the Yorkshire Dales, North York Moors national parks are. The 'Bronte' link is West Yorkshire but with a car that's easily reachable if you were staying somewhere like York.
Other major 'must sees' easily visited by York (apart from the city itself which is beautiful and has much for all ages) are -
Castle Howard
Fountains Abbey
Whitby and Robin Hood's Bay (get your younger children to read the Whitby Witches by Robin Jarvis before they visit)
Rievaulx Abbey
Eden Camp (if it rains)
North York Moors Railway
You wouldn't need a car in York itself, but having one to go exploring makes so much sense.
I would try and get booked up as soon as possible. If you didn't want to stay in a city then a much smaller (and very pretty!!) place like Helmsley might be suitable.

Another vote for go North Young OP. I'd base in York as it is more tourist orientated (than say Leeds) and I'd book soon. I'd also look at the York tourist info to find out what is on, for example there is a steam railway that goes through the North York Moors and the August trips will be booking up now. You can do a daytime trip or a eveing meal trip which in my mind is lovely

I think you really need to decide whether you will rent a car or not. It'll make some difference in where best to go. York has enough to keep a family busy for a couple of days, and the area is easy to get around with a car. York also offers access to places via train/bus if a car is completely out of the picture.

You could spend a couple of days in Oxford and then train to York for a few days exploring York then possibly rent a car for sites further afield. By then your husband may be more willing to drive and if not you can still utilize public transportation.

Thank you, everyone, for your wonderful comments. Those of you advocating York and Yorkshire, is there a small town in the area where we can base overselves? After Bath, and before London, we would love to be in a smaller, quieter, slower environment for a few days. And what is the train travel time between Bath and York? Perhaps we could train there, rent a car for a few days, and train back to London. Thanks again!

Train time between Bath and York is approx 4 1/2 hours, you'd have at least one change to make

York is so wonderful but a long way from Bath if you have limited time.I would suggest Windsor(going there myself in Sept)as a base as it has the fantastic Windsor castle, Eton and lots more eg Legoland for your children.
Even so it is a quieter place as you indicated you wanted.
An easy return train trip from Windsor to Oxford, which holds masses of delights for all the family, would take in a day,may even need a return trip depending on your interests. Oxford is larger and busier then Windsor otherwise I'd suggest it.
A beautiful Thames walk map can be obtained on the net or from the information office when you arrive in Windsor.Marked on it are many lovely places to stop and explore and/or have those needed refreshments.
Within very easy reach by public transport are some interesting gardens and grand homes to visit.
and of course it is very close to London so that makes your last section of the holiday less stressful as it is a short train trip Windsor to London.
I clicked into Windsor information and here they give you masses of things to do and see. They even sent me a holiday pack...and I live in Australia! how generous is that.
Wherever you go you don't need to travel great distances to be delighted...so much to see in a close area.
moonrise

In response to your question, Yorkshire covers a huge swathe of Northern England and there's any amount of smaller towns that would be suitable, quieter bases for you. I already mentioned Helmsley above, but any other suggestions would really depend on whether you have a car or not. Rural North Yorkshire is not well served by public transport.

I am sorry, Morgana, I missed the Helmsley reference. I will look at it right now! And thanks, moonrise, for the suggestions of sticking close to London. We will definitely see Oxford, and I will look into Windsor, as well. So much to do, so little time! I wish we had the whole summer to see the country, and even then I would feel rushed!

You have a lot of good options and as other poster indicate, the car vs train decision may influence the itin. I'm an American living outside of London (Ascot) and it was a bit stressful the first few days driving and navigating the roundabouts but certainly manageable. One thing to mention as you plan your travel was that I was rather surprised when I moved here by the cost of train tickets IF not booked in advance so if you do decide to primarily travel by train, be sure to look into advance fares, or Britrail passes, or discount cards as for a family of 5, the train tickets are really expensive unless you plan ahead. For example, a one way ticket from Bath to Windsor can be £12 on an advance fare but £62 if you buy on/near the day of travel.
I love Bath and take relatives there frequently, always a favorite place for them and IMO, certainly don't view it as large or too busy (other than parking which can be a nightmare). Windsor is also nice (can be busy due to the castle)and you can take boat trips on the Thames (and yes, visit Legoland - we have annual passes). There are many great day trip locations just around London as well that your kids would like.
Good luck planning!

You might have a look at the <I>Family and Friends </I> rail card as it does offer very good savings. www.nationalrail.co.uk

I don't think Britrail would be a good option for you since you really don't have that many train trips.

Oxford to York takes about 3 1/2 hours without changes if you select the right train. The tickets are expensive if not purchasing advanced tickets and/or using a family & friends rail card.

Thanks, everyone, for your advice and information thus far. I am reconsidering traveling to York/Yorkshire, given out time constraints, our desire to travel at a slow pace, and folks' comments about train travel, etc. The Peak District appears to be closer to Bath and London and has much of what we are looking for -- beautiful scenery, literary connections, castles, great houses, etc. And it looks like we may have to rent a car for at least a portion of our trip, so that gives us more flexibility. Does anyone have recommendations for travel, accommodations, etc. in the Peak? And am I crazy to go there in August? I have read that it is the most popular park in Europe!

We stayed at the Hartington Hall YHA hostel. They have some nice family rooms, good food, local ales and cider, and it's handy for visiting Bakewell, Chatsworth and Haddon Hall or just for walking.

Lee Ann