England ,first time in March
 

We are going to England for the first time, and could use some help with our travel plans. We will be staying in Hever, Kent. Is Hever convient to sight-seeing? We want to go into London at least twice, how long is the trip from Hever? What are the best cities to see from that area? We are going to get a rail-pass, so we can travel anywhere in the southeast of England, Is this a good decision or not? Would it be better to go into London, and take tours from there? I would appreciate any help you can give us, as we are gettint a bit confused from reading all the tour books.<BR><BR><BR><BR><BR>

There are trains from Hever to London, apparently every hour, taking about an hour.<BR><BR>For information on local sights, try<BR><BR>www.hevercastle.co.uk/<BR><BR>www.heartofkent.org.uk/PlacestoVisit<BR><BR>www.kenttourism.co.uk<BR><BR>

From Hever to London by train shouldn't be over an hour. Getting a rail pass is a good idea if you plan to travel around a lot, which it appears you will do. There's no particular reason why you need to stay in London if you are going to do a lot of day-tripping; but again your own preference for staying in the city versus a small town will be the important factor.<BR><BR>Train travel in England is very convenient, so you can plan to go almost anywhere in the southern part of the country in just a couple of hours, perhaps a bit more if you go as far as Wales. My advice would be that if you really want to enjoy London, you should plan to stay in London for at least a couple of days, either at the beginning of your trip or at the end. For the rest of the time, head for outlying districts such as Kent or others, and make your day trips from there.

If you are going to London by train, you might want to supplement your ticket with a Visitor's tube pass (unlimited travel) Check the London transport website - you can purchase them via the internet before you leave home, validate at the train station when you get to London and are ready to use them.

What sights are you interested in visiting? There's plenty to see but keep in mind that many of the stately homes, castles, and gardens have limited hours in March. Many don't open to the public until late March/early April. Check ahead so you're not disappointed.<BR><BR>I think getting a rail pass depends on how long you'll be visiting. If you're going to be there for a couple of weeks or more and have the time to leisurely travel about, then a rail pass makes sense. There was a wonderful thread recently (think it was called Kent Countryside via rail or something like that) which had lots of great info. Otherwise, (except for the trip in/out of London) I'd consider renting a car to get to the places you want to see. That will give you maximum flexibility.

Which pass are you buying? There is a pass called &quot;Days out of London&quot; which covers the area on this map which is fine for preliminary planning -<BR>http://britrail.net/fenetre_mapSoutheastPass <BR><BR>Hever is on the line to Uckfield and it appears it would require changes to get almost anywhere which means you would waste a lot of time. Had you thought about renting a car? You'd be wonderfully positioned to make day trips to Canterbury and Brighton and places between. If you avoid the weekends, driving shouldn't be bad.<BR><BR>We have been using &quot;Daytrips London&quot; by Earl Steinbicker since we found it in 1995 and will use it again in March for about the 5th time. There are some excellent comments at: <BR>http://www.anybook4less.com/detail/0803893671.html<BR><BR>Good luck.<BR><BR><BR>