Day Trips from Gloucester
 

My husband and elderly mother and I will be spending a week in a cottage in Gloucester. We already plan a trip to Bath, possibly the Iron Bridge and Oxford. Any ideas for other day trips probably via train/bus (?) due to cost of gas. We do not need to be in places where there are droves of other tourists. Has anyone out there ever stayed in Gloucester? We chose it because of the cottage. Thanks ahead of time for any responses.:):)

Jodi, <BR> <BR>Lucky you! Although I have not stayed in Gloucester, I have just a couple of suggestions for daytrips within easy reach: <BR> <BR>1. Malvern Hills -- not a big tourist spot, but really very, very beautiful. If you're a walker at all you'll enjoy going out on the hills; the cluster of villages makes a nice visit too. The NY Times travel section had an article on the Malverns just a couple of weeks back that you might want to track down. I don't know about train connections from Gloucester, but there is a station at Great Malvern. <BR> <BR>2. Cheltenham -- has some similarities to Bath in that both were spa towns. Cheltenham is a little less architecturally gifted but still well worth a visit. We enjoyed the gardens in town, as well as the old Pump Room; I especially recommend the Cheltenham Museum, which has a variety of excellent art, history, and cultural exhibits. You could spend a half-day in Cheltenham and then visit some of the nearby Cotswold villages, such as Winchcombe. You probably also want to devote some time to the Cotswolds in their own right. <BR> <BR>Just a note about the Ironbridge Gorge -- we went there in April from our cottage near Worcester. It was a long, fairly arduous trip due to road construction and lots of traffic -- maybe you'll have a better trip by train. If you have any questions, feel free to email me. Enjoy!

Hi Jodi, <BR> <BR>Gloucester is surrounded by several attractive places, however having a car does give you a lot more convenience and flexibility than relying on public transport. (But yes, gas/petrol is expensive in the UK!) <BR> <BR>Bath is well worth a visit and easy to get to by train from Gloucester. The Cotswolds are very pretty with lots of attractive villages, lovely countryside and good country pubs - but public transport in the Cotswolds is very limited. Other suggestions - Avebury in Wiltshire (fascinating stone circle); Ross on Wye and the Forest of Dean, (both near the Welsh border) and Stratford upon Avon is accessible from Gloucester too. <BR> <BR>In Gloucester itself, don't miss the Cathedral - as well as the Undercroft restaurant in the Cathedral which is a good place for lunch. For traditinal english fish and chips, try Ye Olde Fish Shoppe (yes its really called that!) which is on Hare Lane. Tewkesbury is another place near Gloucester, which is worth a visit. <BR> <BR>Hope this helps! <BR> <BR>Mark. <BR> <BR>Mark Southgate. <BR>www.OneClickTravel.com <BR>=======================

I would encourage you to hire a car. Although fuel is expensive (though not slightly less bad considering the small distances in the UK), public transport costs can add up, especially with 3 of you.In addition, there is plenty of fantastic countryside and small towns near where you are staying which you can only be easily accessed with a car. Places you could visit within 30 miles of Gloucester include the Forest of Dean, The Wye Valley and the Cotswolds -all lovely countryside. Sights include Berkeley Castle, Chepstow Castle (both well preserved with bags of history) and Slimbridge (large nature reserve for wildfowl). Towns worth visiting include Hereford (cathedral and architecture), Worcester (likewise), Bristol (Georgian Architecture, Maritime History and Clifton Suspension Bridge), Cirencester (Roman History and Antiques) as well as the more obvious sights of Bath and Oxford. <BR>Ironbridge will be very difficult to access by public transport (no train station so you would have to get a train to Telford, which involves changing once, and then get a taxi - this would work out at around 2 1/2 hours each way and a total of sbout £80 for the group for the whole journey) and although Ironbridge is very pretty you will probably be better off staying near Gloucester as there is so much to see in that area. <BR>Gloucester is not the most beautiful town in England (the post-war town planners did their best) but the Cathedral and surrounding buildings are impressive. I hope you enjoy your trip.

I agree with renting the car. Think you could also get into Wales a bit and visit Tintern Abbey, Raglan Castle, and Hay-on-Wye which is famous for its secondhand bookstores. This whole area is loaded with charming little pubs for lunches. In Oxford, Bath and Cardiff (if you wanted to go that far into Wales) there are double deck "Guide Friday" buses which would allow you to park your car (at the RR station preferably) and take the bus, getting off wherever you want. Would save your elderly mother a lot of walking but would let her see the sights. If you go to Bath, make a lunch reservation at the Pump Room--I'm sure she'd love it. Rent the smallest car that will fit the three of you and you won't use a lot of gas. Gloucester is very nice with a gorgeous cathedral. Haven't stayed there but it's the gateway into Wales and has lots of history.

A few things to add. Cheltenham and Bath are both good shopping towns. Cheltenham and Gloucester are virtually one town. If you plump for the Cotswolds, I would suggest Lower Slaughter is the "picture postcard" village to see (although there is plenty of competition), Bourton-on-the-Water is the tourist "capital", and Chipping Campden is the nicest town (Broadway is nice too). The Cotswold villages are among the most sought after and expensive housing stock in the UK, and I love them. However, some think them a little snobbish! Doing it by public transport would be a miracle! You may find a Tour based out of either Gloucester or Cheltenham. <BR> <BR>A note on Bath, it can be crowded in February, let alone in the summer, but, if you're lucky, and the scantily clad buskers outside the Pump Room are performing, I think you will have a chuckle. Not all the British are as repressed as you might think!

Thank you so much to all you nice people who responded to my query. We have already made arrangements to rent a car for our week headquartered in Gloucester. Your responses convinced us of that decision. When we finish our first week (which will be spent in London) we will take the train to Oxoford and pick up our car there and then bravely drive on to Gloucester. I will be the navigator. I am really beginning to get excited about this upcoming adventure as it will be our first trip to England. Again, thanks for the input.:):)

When taking the train, don't forget to get a return ticket to make it cheaper, that is, if you are returning to London from Oxford. <BR>Travelling on Friday and on Public Holidays is 1/3 more expensive than on other days. <BR>www.thetrainline.com can give you advice and book you tickets, but you don't always have to book ahead for the shorter journeys.