How do you get to Hampton Court Palace? The official website says to take the train from Waterloo to Hampton Court, but I also read somewhere that it is in the #6 London zone. Where can I buy tickets and do I need to purchase them in advance? Do I have to purchase train tickets for specific times or can you go out, stay as long as it takes and return when your ready? Also, about the Historical Royal Palace memberships should I purchase this online or should I wait and get after we arrive in town?

Thanks

the website is correct - you take the train -- and it IS in zone 6.

London Transport zones include tube, buses and trains w/i each zone

There is no need to pre-purchase either the train tix or Historical Palaces membership.

Hampton Court Palace is wonderful!!!! You'll buy the ticket when you get to the train station.

We also purchased the Royal Palaces membership there. It is no problem to do it upon arrival. Remember that you get the membership room at HC if you need to sit down. We have our photos of HC at www.neesie.org. It didn't seem like anyone knew about the memberships when I asked prior to our trip in September, but they are really good deals (and come with a nice book). We paid about $100 US for the two of us (total, not per each of us). I plan to use mine again in April.

Canon, see if there is a 2for1 on Hampton Court, I think we used this on one trip. www.london2for1.com. Did you decide against Leeds Castle?

We did decide not to do Leeds Castle after reading the posts about it. Sounds like Hampton Court Palace has more positive feedback.

For now, we are thinking Stonehenge and Bath for sure. Just not sure whether to do History and Mystery (Stonehenge and 2 hrs in Bath) to get them both in one day or make 2 full day tours of Stones and Bones (SH and Avebury) & Culture Vulture (3 Hrs in Bath and South Coltswold). I'm thinking 2 full days may be too much because we are still planning a full day to Paris too. We will only have 7 full days.

I think that Bath deserves a full day and is more interesting than the other destinations you mention with those tours, but that is just my opinion. Hampton Court is very nice.

Canon - you only have 7 days so you have to make some hard choices. You simply don't have time for everything. IMHO if you are only going to spend 2 hours (or 3 hours) in Bath it isn't even worth going. Just seing a basics of the Roman Baths takes at least an hour. It is such a lovely city - taking a coach all the way from Lond to merely have a couple of hours is just a total waste.

Same for the Cotswolds - driving through for 2 or 3 hours is NOT seeing the Cotswolds.

Since you are already leaving London for a day in Paris you really don't have time for all these other days trips too. If you simply MUST - then just take the train to Bath on your own and spend the day there. You will see a lot more and it will cost a fraction of the guided tours . . . . .

I agree with Janis. Our first trip we had 7 days and went on two escorted tours separated by a day apart to Stonehenge/Bath and Stratford/Oxford and it was a killer of a trip. We saw a lot that trip but went home needing a vacation! I've since been back to Bath on my own and it really is a lovely city that you can spend a whole day in.
Bottom line, you can't do it all in 7 days and have to save something for the next trip.
We'll be in Venice for two days this trip and already I wish we were staying in England instead as there is so much I still want to see.

Forgot to mention I don't agree that Bath isn't worth going if you only have 2 or 3 hours. I was still glad we went on the bus tour and we liked it enough to go back again.
Now, I didn't get near enough time in Stratford and waaaaay to much in Oxford.
Another tour I could do again was the Highgate Cemetery tour of the west cemetery. Very beautiful and you can take the tube.