Bath UK or another option? Jan 07
Nov 28th, 2006, 02:08 AM
#1
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Bath UK or another option? Jan 07
We will be arriving in London on 31 Dec and plan to pick up a hire car to travel towards Devon where our daughter is living.
We thought of stopping the night in Bath (we have seen it in July 06-but our son hasn't)then travelling on to Tavistock the next day after seeing some of the sights. Is there another option than Bath that is interesting and easy to access on the way?
We enjoyed Bath and don't mind going back but we wondered if there was another just as interesting city or area to visit either on the way to Devon or on the way back to London? What will the roads be like at that time of the year? We are from Aust and not used to icy or snow conditions. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
We thought of stopping the night in Bath (we have seen it in July 06-but our son hasn't)then travelling on to Tavistock the next day after seeing some of the sights. Is there another option than Bath that is interesting and easy to access on the way?
We enjoyed Bath and don't mind going back but we wondered if there was another just as interesting city or area to visit either on the way to Devon or on the way back to London? What will the roads be like at that time of the year? We are from Aust and not used to icy or snow conditions. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Nov 28th, 2006, 03:15 AM
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Main problem number 1 is that you want a room on New Years Eve. It'll be both expensive & may require you to book anything up to 3 nights
Main problem number 2 is that if you want to eat anywhere decent you'll have to book in advance - plus it'll be expensive
Main problem number 3 is that as it's NYE (and a Sunday) most places will be closing early (even car hire)
Main problem number 4 is that you need to find out what is open on New Years Day in Bath - it's a public holiday
Main problem number 5 - you've just done a 24 hour flight and you wish to drive. Even on NYE I'd call that "silly" to say the least.
I think you might want to reconsider your plans
Main problem number 2 is that if you want to eat anywhere decent you'll have to book in advance - plus it'll be expensive
Main problem number 3 is that as it's NYE (and a Sunday) most places will be closing early (even car hire)
Main problem number 4 is that you need to find out what is open on New Years Day in Bath - it's a public holiday
Main problem number 5 - you've just done a 24 hour flight and you wish to drive. Even on NYE I'd call that "silly" to say the least.
I think you might want to reconsider your plans
Nov 28th, 2006, 11:36 AM
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Thanks for your reply alanrowe - hadn't fully considered all that but will now - we are actually flying from San Francisco (10 hr flight after 6 days there) so we don't think we will be so tired but we take your point.
Maybe we should stay at Heathrow or somewhere close for the night and go on the next day - any suggestions? We will check out what will be open - any other positive suggestions as to where to go instead of Bath???
Maybe we should stay at Heathrow or somewhere close for the night and go on the next day - any suggestions? We will check out what will be open - any other positive suggestions as to where to go instead of Bath???
Nov 28th, 2006, 01:01 PM
#4
I agree with the suggestion that you should pause before setting off - how long do you have in all?
If you are on a tight schedule, you may want to try to find a car -hire place that opens on New year's Day, but you may find yourselves restricted. pick up on 2nd Jan would probably be easier.
Once you've got your car, Bath is a great idea - very lively and lots to see what ever the weather. Alternatively if you want a big city, Bristol is hard to beat, and it's sort of on the way.
If you don't mind travelling further in a day, Exeter is a lovely place with lots of history and shops.
i would start booking now if i were you - hotels will book up fast at this time of year.
Good luck!
If you are on a tight schedule, you may want to try to find a car -hire place that opens on New year's Day, but you may find yourselves restricted. pick up on 2nd Jan would probably be easier.
Once you've got your car, Bath is a great idea - very lively and lots to see what ever the weather. Alternatively if you want a big city, Bristol is hard to beat, and it's sort of on the way.
If you don't mind travelling further in a day, Exeter is a lovely place with lots of history and shops.
i would start booking now if i were you - hotels will book up fast at this time of year.
Good luck!
Nov 28th, 2006, 01:36 PM
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If you can get a room, I would stay in London, or possibly Windsor (near LHR). I doubt very much will be open on New Year's Day in Bath and it would be pretty daunting trying to find somewhere good to eat etc. at the last minute.
As mentioned, check the car hire opening hours. They are more likely to be open on New Year's Eve than New Year's Day, but as New Year's Eve is also a Sunday, I would double check.
Good luck,
Carolena
As mentioned, check the car hire opening hours. They are more likely to be open on New Year's Eve than New Year's Day, but as New Year's Eve is also a Sunday, I would double check.
Good luck,
Carolena
Nov 28th, 2006, 10:01 PM
#6
Anyplace decent (and I mean <u>anyplace</u
will have a multiple night requirement and is semi-likely to be already booked up.
And do not think of just a 10 hr flight from SFO. You will go through 8 time zones plus all the advance check in etc you are still likely to be awake nearly 24 hours by the time you get to the car rental agency.
I think this plan is a non-starter. I've landed at LHR twice on New Year's Day -- once my friend had to come in NYE because she couldn't get on the sam flight. So we booked he a room that night to wait for me to come in the next day and pick up the car. Well - long story short -- the ONLY place we could find for her willing to book for just 1 night (w/ a full 2 month lead time) was a down market-ish B&B about 6 miles from LHR.
Think about 2 nights in Windsor or London w/o a car and then driving down towards Devon after the holiday.
OR - probably even better, take the train to meet your daughter in the SW and pick up a car after you've been there a day or two.
will have a multiple night requirement and is semi-likely to be already booked up.And do not think of just a 10 hr flight from SFO. You will go through 8 time zones plus all the advance check in etc you are still likely to be awake nearly 24 hours by the time you get to the car rental agency.
I think this plan is a non-starter. I've landed at LHR twice on New Year's Day -- once my friend had to come in NYE because she couldn't get on the sam flight. So we booked he a room that night to wait for me to come in the next day and pick up the car. Well - long story short -- the ONLY place we could find for her willing to book for just 1 night (w/ a full 2 month lead time) was a down market-ish B&B about 6 miles from LHR.
Think about 2 nights in Windsor or London w/o a car and then driving down towards Devon after the holiday.
OR - probably even better, take the train to meet your daughter in the SW and pick up a car after you've been there a day or two.
Nov 29th, 2006, 03:33 AM
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Well, you could stay overnight here in Maidenhead, as it's fairly close to LHR and will also put just a bit closer to heading on your way West. You could stay at the newly renovated, moderately priced Holiday Inn (which does NOT require a multi-night stay) or the 5-star Fredrick's Hotel (which I think is vastly over-rated esp. for the prices it charges).
For NYE dinner, Forenza, probably the best restaurant in MH, but surprisingly reasonable in cost, is hosting a very nice dinner with music and dancing. As it's a new restaurant, it's rep isn't fully established (though everyone who goes there raves about it), so tables are still available. Very friendly, congenial Italian family run the place. I've got the NYE dinner menu downstairs, will post it later.
For NYE dinner, Forenza, probably the best restaurant in MH, but surprisingly reasonable in cost, is hosting a very nice dinner with music and dancing. As it's a new restaurant, it's rep isn't fully established (though everyone who goes there raves about it), so tables are still available. Very friendly, congenial Italian family run the place. I've got the NYE dinner menu downstairs, will post it later.
Nov 29th, 2006, 04:49 AM
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FYI, Doubles at the HI Maidenhead/Windsor are £76 for NYE. Not a memorable hotel experience, but the rooms were all renovated last year and are clean and comfortable. If you will have a car, easy access to the highway. There's a convenience store with a Costa Coffee a 2 minute walk from the hotel so you can stock up on snacks, etc. If you want to stretch your legs, it's a 10-15 minute walk to Ockwells Park (an open greenspace with paths on land that was once owned by the Eleanor of Aquitaine's favorite cook) and Ockwells Manor, an Elizabethan manor home that was used in the movie Beau Brummell starring Elizabeth Taylor.
If you want to have a formal NYE dinner at Forenza, the menus is as follows:
Prosecco; cold salad of calamari and pan seared king scallops w/julienne of veggies; homemade tagliatelle with mountain thyme, porcini, parmesan cheese; sanguinello sorbet; main course of black angus steak with peppercorn sauce, sauteed spinach and carmelized quice or monkfish and red mullet fillet with pesto dressing, crab and smoked salmon parfait; veggies and potatoes; choice of desserts; coffee or tea. Music (for dancing). £75 pp (includes tip)
Of course, if that's too much after a grueling flight, there are several run of the mill restaurants in town--the Jasmine chinese restaurant is actually pretty decent. Or you could get a casual bite to eat in the hotel.
The train ride from MH to Bath takes 1.5 hours with easy train change in Reading. The MH train station is about 1 mile from the HI hotel...about a £4 cab ride.
If you want to have a formal NYE dinner at Forenza, the menus is as follows:
Prosecco; cold salad of calamari and pan seared king scallops w/julienne of veggies; homemade tagliatelle with mountain thyme, porcini, parmesan cheese; sanguinello sorbet; main course of black angus steak with peppercorn sauce, sauteed spinach and carmelized quice or monkfish and red mullet fillet with pesto dressing, crab and smoked salmon parfait; veggies and potatoes; choice of desserts; coffee or tea. Music (for dancing). £75 pp (includes tip)
Of course, if that's too much after a grueling flight, there are several run of the mill restaurants in town--the Jasmine chinese restaurant is actually pretty decent. Or you could get a casual bite to eat in the hotel.
The train ride from MH to Bath takes 1.5 hours with easy train change in Reading. The MH train station is about 1 mile from the HI hotel...about a £4 cab ride.
Nov 29th, 2006, 04:59 AM
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Another option is to head up to Marlow, a pretty town on the Thames, and stay at the Crowne Plaza (and yes, they DO have reasonably priced rooms available just for the night). You could have a fun and relaxing NYE dinner at the congenial Marlow Donkey gastropub (we are going there for Christmas Day lunch). The MD used to be a rather "rough" pub (as our Marlow-based BT technician told us yesterday) that got sick of that whole scene and reinvented itself earlier this year with a great deal of success. Warm, welcoming staff, very good, not expensive food, nice lounge with fireplace. Marlow would be a perfect, attractive place to get over your jet lag and enjoy a nice stroll.
Nov 29th, 2006, 12:07 PM
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I wouldn't completely discount your plans for Bath yet.
I think you would be able to find accommodation in Bath for one night - for example, I just checked the Holiday Inn Express and it has available rooms. The HI express is a short walk from the centre of Bath - maybe 20 minutes by the river and through Green Park station (I have stayed there before and it was fine, and I don't mind a short walk into town). A good thing about this hotel is that it has plenty of parking (sometimes unusual for Bath!)
On New Years Day you will certainly find pubs and restaurants open in Bath. For NYE though, you would definitely have to book ahead for an evening dinner (as you would anywhere on NYE).
As for the weather, who can say?! It could be icy and snowy, but its more likely that it won't be.
I think you would be able to find accommodation in Bath for one night - for example, I just checked the Holiday Inn Express and it has available rooms. The HI express is a short walk from the centre of Bath - maybe 20 minutes by the river and through Green Park station (I have stayed there before and it was fine, and I don't mind a short walk into town). A good thing about this hotel is that it has plenty of parking (sometimes unusual for Bath!)
On New Years Day you will certainly find pubs and restaurants open in Bath. For NYE though, you would definitely have to book ahead for an evening dinner (as you would anywhere on NYE).
As for the weather, who can say?! It could be icy and snowy, but its more likely that it won't be.
Nov 29th, 2006, 12:56 PM
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Thank you everyone for your many and varied opinions - we have checked and YES we CAN pick up our hire car on Sunday 31st Dec from Avis - 24 hour/7days service. So if you could let us know of any good B&B's within about an hour of LHR we could go there and spend the night and have a good breakfast before heading off to Devon.
Does that sound better??? We are wanting to get to Devon fairly soon after arriving as we are going for our daughters wedding - (Jan 13) and we want to spend a couple of weeks with them beforehand. We were over in June/July for their engagement so we are familiar with things just not the weather at that time of the year.
Maidenhead sounds good - we will check into that. Keep the suggestions coming.
Does that sound better??? We are wanting to get to Devon fairly soon after arriving as we are going for our daughters wedding - (Jan 13) and we want to spend a couple of weeks with them beforehand. We were over in June/July for their engagement so we are familiar with things just not the weather at that time of the year.
Maidenhead sounds good - we will check into that. Keep the suggestions coming.
Nov 29th, 2006, 01:34 PM
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All the above cautions are well put. I would take the Heathrow - Oxford bus after securing lodgings there. Takes no longer than going onto London. Students and such are mostly out of town on break, you have a good chance at finding lodgings, and after a day or two when things (including yourselves) return to normal, you are already on the correct side of London to get wheels and drive west.
http://www.oxfordbus.co.uk/heathrow.html
http://www.oxfordbus.co.uk/heathrow.html
Nov 29th, 2006, 02:11 PM
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Personally, I would lean toward Marlow over Maidenhead, although I guess MH is a little more convenient for heading to Devon. By the way, if you check out B&Bs in Marlow, avoid the Chequers pub/B&B on Marlow's High Street. Great location, but hardly anyone has a good word to say about it.
The Crowne Plaza in Marlow has doubles with breakfast for £114 on NYE.
Maidenhead doesn't have any B&Bs that I'd recommend. There used to be a very nice little one called the Beehive, but it was sold and is not currently operating as a B&B.
FYI, Forenza, the restaurant I referenced above, has a web site. It's still mostly under construction but you can see the menus. Their £10 2-course lunch menus is one of the best values in the region...the food is excellent. I eat there at least once a week.
http://www.forenza.co.uk/menus/luncheon_menu.html
I'll be in Bath tomorrow, if I happen to pass by any little inns/B&Bs that look promising (with parking), I'll see what they've got open for NYE.
One place you should check out in the Bath area is Bradford-on-Avon. Very nice place, lots of B&Bs and might have just what you're looking for. One example:
http://visitbath.co.uk/site/where-to...armhouse-p5531
I'm sure one of the pubs/restaurants in BoA will be open for NYE. If you don't pick up your car on the 31st, BoA is a short train hop from Bath.
The Crowne Plaza in Marlow has doubles with breakfast for £114 on NYE.
Maidenhead doesn't have any B&Bs that I'd recommend. There used to be a very nice little one called the Beehive, but it was sold and is not currently operating as a B&B.
FYI, Forenza, the restaurant I referenced above, has a web site. It's still mostly under construction but you can see the menus. Their £10 2-course lunch menus is one of the best values in the region...the food is excellent. I eat there at least once a week.
http://www.forenza.co.uk/menus/luncheon_menu.html
I'll be in Bath tomorrow, if I happen to pass by any little inns/B&Bs that look promising (with parking), I'll see what they've got open for NYE.
One place you should check out in the Bath area is Bradford-on-Avon. Very nice place, lots of B&Bs and might have just what you're looking for. One example:
http://visitbath.co.uk/site/where-to...armhouse-p5531
I'm sure one of the pubs/restaurants in BoA will be open for NYE. If you don't pick up your car on the 31st, BoA is a short train hop from Bath.
Nov 30th, 2006, 12:56 AM
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I agree with BTilke - Marlow is a better option than Maidenhead (But I am biased as I work in Maidenhead so it wouldn't be my first option for a break away!) Another option would be to consider Dukey's suggestion of Salisbury. Salisbury is a lovely cathedral city.
Are you going to North or South Devon? Marlow is more on the way to North Devon (if taking the M4/M5 route) whereas Salisbury is a better option enroute to South Devon (M3/A303 route).
Are you going to North or South Devon? Marlow is more on the way to North Devon (if taking the M4/M5 route) whereas Salisbury is a better option enroute to South Devon (M3/A303 route).
