europeannovice

Okay Southeast first. Janisj had already supplied me with some great groupings. However, I am trying to cut down on the total number of days needed if I can combine a few more things sensibly.

Does this combo work in one day or is it too much to accomplish in a single day?

Sissinghurst
Bodiam
Battle
Rye

London Questions
Has anyone been to the Charles Dickens House in London? Is that worth doing?

How much time needed for the Wallace Collection?

texasbookworm

Coming from Dover, we drove to Rye and spent (NOT ENOUGH TIME) less than half an hour on a very short leg stretching walk. Then we went to Bodiam Castle and spent several hours and had a blast. Then we drove on to Battle, had trouble finding a parking spot but did, walked to the Abbey and spent an hour or so. Then we drove on to LHR area hotel, checked in about 4 pm, and returned car and got back to hotel and ate dinner. So those 3 are doable, but barely, in a long day--but I don't know where you are coming from or needing to end up. Don't skip Bodiam!! I'd love to go back to Rye. Battle is quite important and interesting. So don't know how to fit all 4 into 1 day.

janisj

The main problem is Sissinghurst. Definitely not to be missed but they do timed tickets and depending on your interest in gardens/flowers you could easily spend 3+ hours there. Some spend half a day. Bodiam is really lovely but can be done in an hour (more is better of course, but an hour isn't particularly rushed). Remind us, where are you staying for this part of the trip? That will also make a difference. Of the four, if one needs to be trimmed, I'd drop Battle.

It has been years since I've been to the Dickens Museum so don't know if there have been changes. It is interesting for sure but I wouldn't call it a 'must'.

Plan a couple of hours at the Wallace Collection - more if you eat in their lovely outdoor restaurant.

europeannovice

For that part of the trip we plan on staying in or near Tunbridge Wells or Tonbridge.

Trying to split the time properly between London (want to visit some things we didn't get to the first time around), Canterbury and its surrounds, and then the remainder for the rest of Kent/Southeast. Bodiam and Sissinghurst are on my "must see" lists and Rye and Battle are right now on my great if I can get there list. I did read really nice things about Rye and since Battle is nearby....but not sure if I should plan an extra day for that and take away a day from London then to do it. Decisions Decisions. Thanks always for your great advice.

carolyn

I agree. The Dickens Museum is nice, but it isn't among the top things-to-do-in-London. I'm an English major who did a "major" paper on Dickens, so I felt compelled to go to the museum; and my niece, a high school English teacher, went with me. We didn't spend a great deal of time there.

braaiseason

Hi

I used to live around Tunbridge Wells & now live near Tenterden so I know the area quite well & weekly go to either Rye, Battle & TW. From TW it's going to take a good hour to drive to Sissinghurst getting out of TW is a pain depending on where you are staying there. From Tonbridge again about 1 hour. Sissinghurst to Bodiam is at least 45 mins, or Sissinghurst to Rye is about the same. Bodiam to Battle is about 20 mins drive.

It is doable bit of a rush though, Sissinghurst Gardens opens 11am, Rye, Bodiam then Battle, if you have to drop one then for time reasons only drop Rye.

Hooameye

If you're interested in Dickens and are driving by Portsmouth, there is the Charles Dickens birthplace museum, just off the M275 motorway into Portsmouth.

MmePerdu

I cannot comment on how much time one would need for any given site. I would again encourage you to yes, group your targets but not make decisions about how long you "need" for any particular place. Group them by proximity but also in order of probable decending interest. Ones you may live without seeing last on the day's list. On any given day if you first visit the place that you imagine you'll need most time seeing then if you underestimate you can stay, if you overestimate you can move on. The beauty of using your rental car is you can do exactly what you like at any given moment. It would seem to go without saying but maybe it's not as obvious as I imagine. Or maybe just my way of doing things and not necessarily applicable to another's way of thinking?

At first I thought this trip was on your own but you recently mentioned that there will be 2? others along. This might argue for actually being able to squeeze more in as I find when I have a companion along and they aren't interested I tend to move along sooner. All is at this point speculation, of course, and I'd just urge you to group things in such a way as to enable you to abandon the last 1 or 2 on the day's itinerary if you're moved to linger somewhere. I believe it's almost always a mistake to leave a place prematurely in hopes that the next will be better or at least as good. One cannot see everything and it'll feel like nothing if it becomes a rush.

europeannovice

We are actually three of us--me, my DH and DS who is a teenager so trying to mix some things he may find interesting like the docklands and Battle and castles along with the gardens and stately homes.

The hard part for me is determining which is the "A" list place for a given day--one that we definitely want to see and spend as much time in as we are interested vs. the "B" list--nice if we can get there.

I'll have to see if Portsmouth is an area we will be able to cover or not. Thanks about the Dickens site. The Dickens World in Chatham--is that too silly? Has anyone been? It got a lot of negative reviews but recently revamped their program and I was wondering if anyone went to the new set up?