England - Stratford/Warwick Castle 1 day? Bath/Stonehenge 2 days?
Jul 24th, 2004, 05:05 AM
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England - Stratford/Warwick Castle 1 day? Bath/Stonehenge 2 days?
For our September trip to England we hope to stay with a friend in Birmingham. Our host has a car, so can we "do" Stratford and Warwick Castle in one day?
Also we want to make an overnight excursion from Birmingham to Bath, probably by bus or train. Would a day and a half in Bath, then 1/2 day at Stonehenge be enough? I assume there's a bus from Bath to Salisbury but haven't checked yet.
Fodorites' expert opinions on this plan would be welcome!
If you have any B&B recommendations for the Bath/Stonehenge trip, let me know. We'd like to keep it around 50-60 GBP per night for a double.
Thanks,
Karen
Also we want to make an overnight excursion from Birmingham to Bath, probably by bus or train. Would a day and a half in Bath, then 1/2 day at Stonehenge be enough? I assume there's a bus from Bath to Salisbury but haven't checked yet.
Fodorites' expert opinions on this plan would be welcome!
If you have any B&B recommendations for the Bath/Stonehenge trip, let me know. We'd like to keep it around 50-60 GBP per night for a double.
Thanks,
Karen
Jul 24th, 2004, 05:12 AM
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Both those excursions sound do-able, though the Stratford/Warwick day will be quite full.
Very few people feel moved to spend more than an hour at Stonehenge; there's a bus to the site from Salisbury.
In Bath, we enjoyed the Sydney Gardens hotel, which offers free parking, a lovely parkside location about 5 - 10 minutes' walk from mid-Bath. Not sure about current prices, but they offer a wonderful breakfast.
Very few people feel moved to spend more than an hour at Stonehenge; there's a bus to the site from Salisbury.
In Bath, we enjoyed the Sydney Gardens hotel, which offers free parking, a lovely parkside location about 5 - 10 minutes' walk from mid-Bath. Not sure about current prices, but they offer a wonderful breakfast.
Jul 24th, 2004, 05:54 AM
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Karen - You can do a half-day (£12.50) or full-day (22.50) minibus excursion* from Bath to Stonehenge.
www.scarpertours.com
www.madmaxtours.com
*Entrance to Stonehenge is extra.
If you prefer to go independantly you can reach Salisbury by train or bus from Bath (- train is quicker).
There is a bus from Salisbury to Stonehenge.
Hope this helps ...
Steve
www.scarpertours.com
www.madmaxtours.com
*Entrance to Stonehenge is extra.
If you prefer to go independantly you can reach Salisbury by train or bus from Bath (- train is quicker).
There is a bus from Salisbury to Stonehenge.
Hope this helps ...
Steve
Jul 24th, 2004, 06:43 AM
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Here is my experiences:
A day and a half in Bath is quite doable-don't try less. Bath is a lot of fun at night. (Comedy walks etc) It is just a beautiful place in general and not to be missed.
Warwick (IMO) is the same...I think most people make a mistake and spend their whole day in the castle. The town of Warwick itself is LOVELY and there are really cute shops and places to explore. (like a teddy and doll museum) These places close early, so if you spend all day at the castle (like I did my 1st time) you will miss out. (the doll museum was closing just as I got there!
...but I went again!!) Also, Warwick was the 1st place I ever had fish and chips! (and it was the BEST I ever had) There is an awesome place near the train station. (Fish as big as my arm!)
In Birmingham, DO go to Cabury World. I didn't think it was just for kids at all. I LOVED it...and LOTS of full size free samples. (and a chance to buy a bag of really cheap "mistakes" - chocolate with very SLIGHT imperfections that they can't sell.
You do have to go to Stonehenge, every one does...but it isn't as impressive as it might have been (especially with it walled off) and I can't imagine more than an hour there. (That is just me though.)
I hope I helped a little.
A day and a half in Bath is quite doable-don't try less. Bath is a lot of fun at night. (Comedy walks etc) It is just a beautiful place in general and not to be missed.
Warwick (IMO) is the same...I think most people make a mistake and spend their whole day in the castle. The town of Warwick itself is LOVELY and there are really cute shops and places to explore. (like a teddy and doll museum) These places close early, so if you spend all day at the castle (like I did my 1st time) you will miss out. (the doll museum was closing just as I got there!
...but I went again!!) Also, Warwick was the 1st place I ever had fish and chips! (and it was the BEST I ever had) There is an awesome place near the train station. (Fish as big as my arm!)In Birmingham, DO go to Cabury World. I didn't think it was just for kids at all. I LOVED it...and LOTS of full size free samples. (and a chance to buy a bag of really cheap "mistakes" - chocolate with very SLIGHT imperfections that they can't sell.
You do have to go to Stonehenge, every one does...but it isn't as impressive as it might have been (especially with it walled off) and I can't imagine more than an hour there. (That is just me though.)
I hope I helped a little.
Jul 24th, 2004, 06:57 AM
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We drove to Warwick Castle in the morning and toured both it and the town. Warwick Castle has an excellent website, by the way. (Google it) We thought it was a fascinating place. The grounds of the Castle are lovely. From the ramparts you can look at countryside that is unmarred by telephone poles and you can imagine yourself in another century! We walked into town afterwards. I wish we had found that fish and chip place FromAtlanta ate at! We poked our nose into an old stone church that was very beautiful. I can't remember the name but if you do go into town it oughtn't be hard to find.
We visited Stratford on our way back to London to eat an early dinner. It's not that far from Warwick so you could do it if you wanted. I was disappointed in Stratford. I was envisioning a sweet little Cotswolds village (don't ask why) and it's a bustling town full of traffic and tourists.
We visited Stratford on our way back to London to eat an early dinner. It's not that far from Warwick so you could do it if you wanted. I was disappointed in Stratford. I was envisioning a sweet little Cotswolds village (don't ask why) and it's a bustling town full of traffic and tourists.
Jul 24th, 2004, 07:20 AM
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Probably you expected Stratford to look like those well-preserved Cotswold villages because the individual photos of hre various Shakespeare-associated properties do look that way! Most would be much less photogenic if shown in their full context.
Jul 24th, 2004, 09:07 AM
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I forgot to mention B&Bs for Bath! In my own research, I found these that look really nice! You can Google for the websites (I am sorry, I don't have them anymore because I decided on Koryu already. -There are no pics of that B&B, but they emailed me w/ a lovely discription...the others seem very luxurious and very well priced - just too much for me since I'll be going solo.)
Koryu (Japanese) B&B
Lavendar House
Beckford House
Oldfields Hotel
Koryu (Japanese) B&B
Lavendar House
Beckford House
Oldfields Hotel
Jul 24th, 2004, 10:29 AM
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Just be prepared to be disappointed in the time you spend in Stratford. They have ruined this town with shops and parking garages. It is not quaint and if not for Shakespere it would not even be on anyone's radar to see. If you gotta go, you gotta go....but you will not take many pictures.
Jul 24th, 2004, 10:45 AM
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If not for Shakespeare, it would probably still be quaint!
Yes, over the past 400 years there has been quite a buildup of industries around their most famous son, but one must look past the unwanted extras in order to see the very interesting places that have, astonishingly, survived. Sometimes it's interesting to see a place that's been allowed to evolve, rather than being artifically subsidized and frozen in time like those preserved Costwolds villages.
Yes, over the past 400 years there has been quite a buildup of industries around their most famous son, but one must look past the unwanted extras in order to see the very interesting places that have, astonishingly, survived. Sometimes it's interesting to see a place that's been allowed to evolve, rather than being artifically subsidized and frozen in time like those preserved Costwolds villages.
Jul 24th, 2004, 11:04 AM
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I agree, Anonymous. Stratford gets a bad rap, I think, because so many people go there and it is now seen as pedestrian. I skipped Stratford my first three times in England because I heard so many disparaging remarks about how touristy it is. When I finally went, in the height of the summer tourist season last year, I loved it.
It is bustling and there are lots of tourists, but I found much of it beautiful, especially along the river. We walked along the far side of the river, then took an old ferry on a chain back to the town side - it was really pretty. And the Shakespeare properties are incredible.
If you can fit in a play, that makes the trip perfect. I saw Taming of the Shrew, then returned another day and saw Richard III last summer. Both were fantastic.
I'd give it half a day, at least. We did Warwick Castle in half a day as well. I would have liked a little more time there, but it sufficed.
On one of my three visits to Stratford last summer, I side-tripped to Kenilworth Castle. That was my favorite place of the three - but then I'm a sucker for medieval ruins.
I think one and half days in Bath, then a half day for Stonehenge is perfect. I was really impressed with Stonehenge, even from afar. But an hour is about all you need there. Everyone I know loved Salisbury Cathedral, I found it cold and a bit boring. But what do I know?!
It is bustling and there are lots of tourists, but I found much of it beautiful, especially along the river. We walked along the far side of the river, then took an old ferry on a chain back to the town side - it was really pretty. And the Shakespeare properties are incredible.
If you can fit in a play, that makes the trip perfect. I saw Taming of the Shrew, then returned another day and saw Richard III last summer. Both were fantastic.
I'd give it half a day, at least. We did Warwick Castle in half a day as well. I would have liked a little more time there, but it sufficed.
On one of my three visits to Stratford last summer, I side-tripped to Kenilworth Castle. That was my favorite place of the three - but then I'm a sucker for medieval ruins.
I think one and half days in Bath, then a half day for Stonehenge is perfect. I was really impressed with Stonehenge, even from afar. But an hour is about all you need there. Everyone I know loved Salisbury Cathedral, I found it cold and a bit boring. But what do I know?!
Jul 24th, 2004, 11:39 AM
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<i>"You do have to go to Stonehenge, every one does...but it isn't as impressive as it might have been (especially with it walled off) and I can't imagine more than an hour there. (That is just me though.:</i>
Unless it's changed since the last time I visited Stonehenge (about 2 years ago) it's not "walled off." I would call it roped off. There is a chain rope surrounding the grouping of stones - about three feet off the ground. You can't walk among the stones, but the chain does not obstruct the view.
But I agree on the time. Unless you really have an interest, you'll only spend about an hour. And take the audio tour so you get some history and background and it's not just a pile of rocks.
Unless it's changed since the last time I visited Stonehenge (about 2 years ago) it's not "walled off." I would call it roped off. There is a chain rope surrounding the grouping of stones - about three feet off the ground. You can't walk among the stones, but the chain does not obstruct the view.
But I agree on the time. Unless you really have an interest, you'll only spend about an hour. And take the audio tour so you get some history and background and it's not just a pile of rocks.
Jul 24th, 2004, 11:56 AM
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kayb95, you are right. I meant chained off. It just seemed so impersonal ... and the reason it is chained off is because vandals have damaged it. (There are quite a few stones missing etc.) ... But I would never want to talk someone out of going based on MY opinion. Actually (like I already said) it is a right of passage. I just wasn't awe inspired like I had hoped to be. (But that's me)
EricaS, good point about seeing a play in Stratford. I am a theatre NUT! ... but if one was going to skip Stratford, a play at the Globe theatre in London is AWESOME. When I was there in 1997, they were holding a ONE NIGHT ONLY production of "As You Like It" It was to be performed EXACTLY like it was in Shakespear's day... and I got to be a groundling. I was in theatre nut heaven!!!
EricaS, good point about seeing a play in Stratford. I am a theatre NUT! ... but if one was going to skip Stratford, a play at the Globe theatre in London is AWESOME. When I was there in 1997, they were holding a ONE NIGHT ONLY production of "As You Like It" It was to be performed EXACTLY like it was in Shakespear's day... and I got to be a groundling. I was in theatre nut heaven!!!
