Help in decicing between Dartmoor / Exmoor, Cotswolds and London
Jul 22nd, 2006, 01:03 AM
#1
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Help in decicing between Dartmoor / Exmoor, Cotswolds and London
[Have wrongly posted in the US forum by mistake, hence repeating here. 
]
Hi – After visiting Scotland, we have 7 days before we leave for home. We have plans for 4 days in London. For the balance 3 days need help in deciding between visiting either Dartmoor or Exmoor National Park, visiting the Costwolds area [both by renting a car and driving around] or staying back in London itself. In London we plan the following [yet in no particular order]: Tower of London, Westminister, St. Paul Cathedral, Tate, British Museum, Change of Guards, Covent Garden, Trafalgar Sq., Picadally Circus, Theatre on a couple of the nights.
Pls help with suggestions on balance 3 days. We would like to focus this portion on history. thanks in advance.
]Hi – After visiting Scotland, we have 7 days before we leave for home. We have plans for 4 days in London. For the balance 3 days need help in deciding between visiting either Dartmoor or Exmoor National Park, visiting the Costwolds area [both by renting a car and driving around] or staying back in London itself. In London we plan the following [yet in no particular order]: Tower of London, Westminister, St. Paul Cathedral, Tate, British Museum, Change of Guards, Covent Garden, Trafalgar Sq., Picadally Circus, Theatre on a couple of the nights.
Pls help with suggestions on balance 3 days. We would like to focus this portion on history. thanks in advance.
Jul 22nd, 2006, 05:01 AM
#3
I Love the Cotswolds and Devon. And three days is enough for a good intro to either one. However - from your London list I'll assume you have not been there before. Right? If so, you could easily spend the full time in London. If you were just doing big cities I'd say go to the country for sure - but you will have been in really rural parts of Scotland, so 7 days in London would be a good compliment.
Now - if you do decide to head out - flip a coin - both are terrific. The logistics for the Cotswolds are a bit easier. If you do decide on Devon/Dartmoor, consider taking a train from London to Exeter and picking up your rental car there. Then after your 2 or 3 days exploring, drop the car and take the train back to London to fly home. That will save a loooong drive out/back.
OR - just to muddy the waters even more -- London is worth much more than a few days. You could drop London entirely and leave it for another visit. Take the train down from Scotland to either Oxford (for the Cotswolds) or Exeter (for Dartmoor), or fly from Scotland to Bristol for either one. Pick up a car and spend your full week exploring the Cotswolds/Bath or Devon/Dorset.
Now - if you do decide to head out - flip a coin - both are terrific. The logistics for the Cotswolds are a bit easier. If you do decide on Devon/Dartmoor, consider taking a train from London to Exeter and picking up your rental car there. Then after your 2 or 3 days exploring, drop the car and take the train back to London to fly home. That will save a loooong drive out/back.
OR - just to muddy the waters even more -- London is worth much more than a few days. You could drop London entirely and leave it for another visit. Take the train down from Scotland to either Oxford (for the Cotswolds) or Exeter (for Dartmoor), or fly from Scotland to Bristol for either one. Pick up a car and spend your full week exploring the Cotswolds/Bath or Devon/Dorset.
Jul 22nd, 2006, 09:01 AM
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TuckH - thanks for the suggestion on costwolds and kent
Janisj - thanks for your response. dont think we will have a chance to see london [or UK] again. so we have to keep london for the 4 days. the confusion we face is if we cover the "best of London" in the 4 days, should we just stay in London or venture away. Some write up on Costwolds at times suggests its a little "overvisited" - however there are several that are all for it.
There is not much written on the Devon / dartmoor / exmoor areas [in comparision with Costwolds]though
As you can figure out - we are still undecided...
Janisj - thanks for your response. dont think we will have a chance to see london [or UK] again. so we have to keep london for the 4 days. the confusion we face is if we cover the "best of London" in the 4 days, should we just stay in London or venture away. Some write up on Costwolds at times suggests its a little "overvisited" - however there are several that are all for it.
There is not much written on the Devon / dartmoor / exmoor areas [in comparision with Costwolds]though
As you can figure out - we are still undecided...
Jul 22nd, 2006, 09:29 AM
#6
If is true that you don't ever plan on getting back to London (but are you sure? London is an easy place to get to for a week any time) - anyway, in that case, I'd recommend spending the full week in London.
You willl have seen a lot of wide open countryside up in Scotland. Even a week is too short for London - but a week is a heck of a lot better than 4 days. W/ just 4 days you will simply be rushing about to see a few of the major sites. W/ a week you can slow down a bit, see more, and enjoy it more.
I am usually the LAST person to say skip Devon or the Cotswolds - but in your case it will be less hectic and you will see a lot more if you just stick to London.
And if you really wanted, you could take one day trip by train out to Bath, or to Brighton, or Oxford, etc. and be back in London by dinner time.
You willl have seen a lot of wide open countryside up in Scotland. Even a week is too short for London - but a week is a heck of a lot better than 4 days. W/ just 4 days you will simply be rushing about to see a few of the major sites. W/ a week you can slow down a bit, see more, and enjoy it more.
I am usually the LAST person to say skip Devon or the Cotswolds - but in your case it will be less hectic and you will see a lot more if you just stick to London.
And if you really wanted, you could take one day trip by train out to Bath, or to Brighton, or Oxford, etc. and be back in London by dinner time.
Jul 22nd, 2006, 02:44 PM
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I hate responses that suggest doing something completely different to the OP's ideas, but that's what I'm going to do.
In my opinion the Cotswolds are nice enough but are well visited (just look at the number of references to them in these boards). Dartmoor has its own attraction but does involve a fair bit of travel from London. Exmoor I do not know well but when I have been there I have not been over-impressed, although the coast nearby is good.
You don't tell us where you will be in Scotland or if your dates in Scotland and London are fixed so my thoughts may be impossible, but how about daring to be different?
Consider driving from Scotland into Northumberland (Roman stuff), into the North Pennines via Alston/Teesdale (old lead mining), then on to the north end of the Yorkshire Dales (castles/abbeys) to drop the car at York, say, for the train to London.
This will get you into some of the quietest, emptiest areas of England which (for my money) have some of the best landscape in the country.
In my opinion the Cotswolds are nice enough but are well visited (just look at the number of references to them in these boards). Dartmoor has its own attraction but does involve a fair bit of travel from London. Exmoor I do not know well but when I have been there I have not been over-impressed, although the coast nearby is good.
You don't tell us where you will be in Scotland or if your dates in Scotland and London are fixed so my thoughts may be impossible, but how about daring to be different?
Consider driving from Scotland into Northumberland (Roman stuff), into the North Pennines via Alston/Teesdale (old lead mining), then on to the north end of the Yorkshire Dales (castles/abbeys) to drop the car at York, say, for the train to London.
This will get you into some of the quietest, emptiest areas of England which (for my money) have some of the best landscape in the country.
Jul 22nd, 2006, 09:37 PM
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Hi Janisj and wasleys - We fly from Inverness to London on August 26 and fly back home on Sep. 2. But have hotel booked in London via Priceline for 4 nights [Aug. 26-30]. Wish I had written before the London hotel booking to be able to do the drive from Scotland to Yorkshire.
Janisj - Its that we wont be able to make a repeat trip to the same country for vacation [at least in the next few years ] - One friend's vacation ends on the 30th - hence we need to do the "must see itinerary" in the 4 days.
Oxford seems interesting, any other location we can combine with Oxford or any other ideas.
Your responses are greatly appreciated.
Janisj - Its that we wont be able to make a repeat trip to the same country for vacation [at least in the next few years
] - One friend's vacation ends on the 30th - hence we need to do the "must see itinerary" in the 4 days.Oxford seems interesting, any other location we can combine with Oxford or any other ideas.
Your responses are greatly appreciated.
Jul 22nd, 2006, 10:12 PM
#10
Serenity7: Here's an idea since you have a room up to the 30th (BTW which airport are you flying out of? That could might affect my recommendation)
On the morning of the 30th take the train to Oxford and spend until mid/late afternoon touring around the city. The Oxford Tourist Information Center offers several very good, inexpensiive walking tours every day. Then pick up a rental car and head west into the Cotswolds. In your situation I'd stay in Burford or maybe Stow-on-the-Wold. Book a B&B for 2 nights - Aug 30-31. Wed night have a nice pub dinner and walk around whichever village you stay in. Then you will have all day thurs and 1/2 of the day Fri to drive around the Cotswolds. Drop your car back in Oxford Friday afternoon and take the train back into London for friday night before flying home on Sat.
Alternatively - if you are flying out of LHR, you could spend Fri night either in Windsor or at a Heathrow hotel. You can get really good deals on Priceline for LHR. in that case - pick up the car in Oxford on Wed and drop it at LHR Friday night.
OR - - -if you just want to do a day trip to Oxford you can do it easily by train from London. In that case - I'd just put in another Priceline bid for a London hotel for Aug 30 - Sep 2. You might have to move to a different hotel but it would still be a bargain rate.
On the morning of the 30th take the train to Oxford and spend until mid/late afternoon touring around the city. The Oxford Tourist Information Center offers several very good, inexpensiive walking tours every day. Then pick up a rental car and head west into the Cotswolds. In your situation I'd stay in Burford or maybe Stow-on-the-Wold. Book a B&B for 2 nights - Aug 30-31. Wed night have a nice pub dinner and walk around whichever village you stay in. Then you will have all day thurs and 1/2 of the day Fri to drive around the Cotswolds. Drop your car back in Oxford Friday afternoon and take the train back into London for friday night before flying home on Sat.
Alternatively - if you are flying out of LHR, you could spend Fri night either in Windsor or at a Heathrow hotel. You can get really good deals on Priceline for LHR. in that case - pick up the car in Oxford on Wed and drop it at LHR Friday night.
OR - - -if you just want to do a day trip to Oxford you can do it easily by train from London. In that case - I'd just put in another Priceline bid for a London hotel for Aug 30 - Sep 2. You might have to move to a different hotel but it would still be a bargain rate.
Jul 23rd, 2006, 03:27 AM
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Hi Janisj - really apprecite ur ideas. We are flying out from Heathrow [BMI].
I'm quite liking your idea about renting a car at Oxford and dropping it at LHR and visit Windsor on Friday afternoon. But i need to discuss with my friends.
Also, from on of your earlier posts [2005] im looking at staying options [Abbey Court-which seems real nice and fits our budget too] - if we decide on continuing in London.
The problem with priceline is that it allows 2 people per room and in the last 3 days we are 3 of us and would like to economise with a triple acco. Another comment on priceline [not related to the above] as i am from India, we had to use the Singapore site to book and priceline charged us Sing $ 16.5 per booking [US$ 10-11] and the local credit card company [citibank] has given us a really really bad exchange rate - making the entire exercise with Priceline pretty disappointing for me. I'd rather just reserve using the credit card and settly by TCs or cash.
I'm quite liking your idea about renting a car at Oxford and dropping it at LHR and visit Windsor on Friday afternoon. But i need to discuss with my friends.
Also, from on of your earlier posts [2005] im looking at staying options [Abbey Court-which seems real nice and fits our budget too] - if we decide on continuing in London.
The problem with priceline is that it allows 2 people per room and in the last 3 days we are 3 of us and would like to economise with a triple acco. Another comment on priceline [not related to the above] as i am from India, we had to use the Singapore site to book and priceline charged us Sing $ 16.5 per booking [US$ 10-11] and the local credit card company [citibank] has given us a really really bad exchange rate - making the entire exercise with Priceline pretty disappointing for me. I'd rather just reserve using the credit card and settly by TCs or cash.
