Hi, again. I hope someone can help me decide how best to use our very limited time in the U.K. We start in London, then go to Bath. I am trying to decide whether to get our van (7 of us traveling, ages 74 to 10) at Gatwick Airport and take the M3 to Stonehenge on the way to Bath, OR <BR>to skip Stonehenge, get the M4 from near Heathrow, go straight to Bath in time to see the city the same day, then spend a day trip going to Wales. Reason would be family connections (weak & obscure though they are!) <BR>to Wales, possibly interesting castles (tell me, please!). In other words, is a day trip from Bath to Wales a good idea or crazy? I can see we'd go through Bristol on the M4. <BR>How long would this take? <BR> <BR>Our accomodations ares set - Elgin Villa Inn - 2 nights in Bath. Should we skip Wales and spend the time in Stonehenge on the way, then enjoy Bath the second (only full) day, or squeeze in Wales? <BR>Thanks! <BR>Donna

Donna, you can probably drive Bath to Cardiff in about 2 1/2 hours depending on time of day and traffic. You will go through Bristol. Cardiff is nice, but the castle is a bit touristy but the art museum is good. They were renovating the old harbor area last year when we were there and it promises to be nice when finished. There is a Museum of Welsh Life which gives you an impression of Welsh history. Also, in Cardiff I would recommend taking the Guide Friday bus so you won't worry about where to put your car. From Cardiff, if you push you could get as far as Abergavenny which is pretty little Welsh town. Nearby is the White Castle, and not too far away is Raglan Castle, which was one of the highlights for us. There are a lot of other things to see near Bath such as the Cotswolds (Cheltenham), Salisbury, Stonehenge (although I wouldn't go out of my way for this) and Oxford. The wonderful Welsh castles (with the exception of Raglan) are farther up in North Wales. I think I would go the Heathrow to Bath to either Wales or Cotswolds but know that the M4 is very crowded at peak times. Enjoy!

If you haven't seen Stonehenge, then I would certainly see it. It doesn't take long. I would also stop at Avebury to see a similar, yet totally different stone ring

I agree, if you haven't seen Stonehenge, don't skip it. If you can late in the when the tour buses have left for the day. We had the place all to ourselves on a misty afternoon about 5:00pm. I don't think you will have any problems doing Bath to Wales. The Folk Museum is good, but needs a half a day. The Cardiff Castle was interesing, but "newish", in that it has been throughly modernized, compared to many other castles that are "old" . You may want to stop at the large, moated castle just to the north (Caerphill,, I think) of Cardiff. And we really enjoyed Tinturn Abbey. Even in ruins, I felt like I was in a very special place. It was one of my favorite spots. There's a smaller, but good castle at Chepstow, near Tinturn.

Hi Donna, <BR> <BR>I live in Newport (about 25mins from Cardiff), it would probably take me about 45mins to get to Bath assuming good traffic, so about 1h10mins from Cardiff. Traffic should not be too bad unless you are travelling on a Bank Holiday or a Friday afternoon in summer. Although the M4 (motorway) does go past Bristol you do not have to travel anywhere near the centre. <BR> <BR>I would second the Tintern Abbey vote, you could possibly take a walk up into the woods overlooking the abbey where Wordsworth wrote his famous poem. Although I'm not sure how well your 74 year old would handle the walk. Tintern is about 15 minutes from Chepstow, and in the middle of the Wye valley, a very pretty area. <BR> <BR>Raglan castle is also worth seeing, quite easy to get to, about 25 mins from Newport. <BR> <BR>St.Fagans museum of Welsh History is just outside Cardiff. Strangely I have never been there even though its just down the road, but I am told it is very interesting. <BR> <BR>Email me if you have any specific questions on the area. <BR> <BR>Have a good time. <BR> <BR>Cheers <BR> <BR>Steve

Hi, <BR>I'm from Cardiff, so I would certainly say that you should take time out on your trip to visit Wales. But, I don't think you should miss Stonehenge and Avebury. One day in Bath is enough, you should visit the Roman Baths and the Abbey. I'd also recommend the cheese shop - I think its near the St.Francis Hotel - there's a little coffee shop upstairs and they do breakfast. Cardiff is worth a visit and you should certainly go to the St. Fagans Museum of Welsh Life. If your only going to see one castle, then you should go to Caerphilly - a twenty minute drive north from Cardiff. A good pub between Carphilly and Cardiff is the Traveller's Rest - they do meals all day. I'd second the recommendation for Tintern Abbey, although it's a ruin, the setting and atmosphere is special. The Wye valley is beautiful. Bath to Cardiff is no more than a hour and a half - motorway all the way and you don't need to go into Bristol, the M4 skirts to the north of the city. Feel free to email me if you have any questions on South Wales <BR> <BR>Steve