VonVan

Before I was able to, I also dreamed of traveling to England.
I can assure you my dreams were of London and I would have been bitterly disappointed if someone arranged a
trip to see countryside, quiet towns, sheep.

hetismij2

St Albans is a city, not a town. It also has Verulamium.
https://www.stalbansmuseums.org.uk/v...ulamium-museum

I think perhaps you should consider three bases in three different areas for the three weeks, so they can have a real taste of the country(ries). No reason to stick just to England after all. Are they willing to drive in the UK?

For our 40th anniversary we bought a campervan, and travelled through parts of Europe, though not as many as I would have liked but that's another story. DH was 67 when we did that. Before that we did a few road trips in the US, and I admit we mostly avoided the cities except as a place to fly in and out of, but then we don't like cities much, or city trips, and rarely visit Amsterdam, even when it was on our doorstep before our move north.

As for people in York being rude I shall have to tell my brother, SIL nephews niece and my cousins to improve their manners.

TDudette

How about Windsor? We were there on a bus tour from London so I can't say about transportation by train. Too touristy?

Gardyloo

I also thought about Windsor. It has the advantages of having a castle (duh) as well as lovely parks and historic buildings - Eton etc. and has good transport links to central London. It's also very convenient to Heathrow, and might be a good base for first time visitors and flyers (who may also be first time jet lag victims.) Yes, it's very touristy (especially in August/September, when they're coming) but might be a decent idea for a few nights. I'm always mindful of the need for first timers to get used to looking to the right when stepping into the street, things like that.

After a few days in Windsor, they might be ready to travel to a second base. I do like Cambridge but was also thinking about Warwick. Grand big castle, not too touristy, and easy access to lots of interesting places close by - Stratford for RSC performances, shopping and strolling through Leamington Spa, lots of parks and museums, but also a walkable commercial area.

Then maybe back to Richmond for a "London village" experience before heading home. I'd keep London proper at the end, in order for them to acclimate to Britain a little. Of course if Richmond is a focus, mandatory viewing of Ted Lasso should probably be a prerequisite.

KTtravel

I know you weren't asking about tours but have you considered something like a combination of a Rick Steves-type tour and a village stay? I am assuming your parents would not be comfortable renting a car and driving on the other side of the road. A low-key tour might be a great way to help your parents feel more comfortable doing some sight-seeing and increase their confidence in getting out and about.

balthy

One of the OPs criteria is affordable rental homes. Richmond/Kew are in a very expensive part of Greater London, everyone’s definition of affordable differs of course so this might or might not come in within the OPs budget.

joto

What about Stratford upon Avon? Trains to London, plenty to do, short trip to Warwick, trains to Birmingham, and I think there are companies in Stratford that would do day trips to other places, like the Cotswolds. They could maybe split their trip between Stratford and London, as three weeks in one place could get a little boring.

lavandula

I am all for Cambridge (spent three months living there in the 90s) and then Richmond. Lots to do in Cambridge, and it's small enough to be walkable, big enough to keep you busy. Plus you can take an excursion to Ely from there. Richmond is just pretty, and not far from Hampton Court Palace. I though we went there by boat, but just having a quick look now, I see the boat takes 2 hours to HCP. I also remember some nice shops in Richmond. All this was some time ago, but I think the flavour of those two towns would not have changed much.

Lavandula

Trophywife007

Such an interesting thread and I love the thought of staying 3 weeks in smaller towns combined with less visited cities -- love the York idea for example -- but for a first trip, London deserves a few nights.

Towns with great connections are fine but who wants to spend, what, an hour(?) on a train each way several days just to see the sights that would be on their doorstep (by comparison) when staying in town? I know I'll probably be brought up short on this thought soon enough, but I think you're selling mom and pop's sense of adventure short.

Sassafrass

You are not the only one thinking this. It is always fun to meet people who at home are quiet homebodies and see them dancing in Plaza Mayor at midnight. Travel sometimes brings people to life.