We booked airfare for a two week trip to England. The second week we are spending in London since I got tickets to the Chelsea Flower Show (yes I know it will be a crush). We are planning on spending the first week in the countryside following part of the Fodor's itinerary on Heritage Gardens and Stately Homes (http://www.fodors.com/world/europe/i...ately-homes-6/) We won't make it to the Peaks district we know! We will be renting a car for this week.

My questions are where to start? I would like to find a place with easy public transportation from Heathrow for the first night. I was thinking of Oxford but would appreciate other suggestions. My thought is that we could pick up the car from there.

Since my DH has trouble sleeping in new places I would like to set up two bases and do day trips from there. What would be a good place for the Cotwolds/Salsbury days? Then for the Royal Tunbridge Wells visits?

If we rent a car in Oxford where can we return it on our way into London?

I am sure I will have a million more questions but thanks for your help on these. Ta!

Oxford, Windsor, Salisbury all good. Use http://www.traveline.info/ to sort out your options.

Thanks for the link.

Salisbury has car rental reasonably close to the station and while the town itself is uninspiring the cathedral and old Sarum are well worth half a day between them and Stonehenge is close by.

Windsor -- if you haven't been before. A seven mile cab or bus ride and then easy access to the motorways the next day.

Oxford is easy w/ an express coach -- but then you'd have to take a taxi to wherever you are staying. Driving IN Oxford is a pain, but if you can arrange to collect your car up near the airport the next morning you won't be driving in the city center and get on the road very easily.

Then for the Royal Tunbridge Wells visits?>

Royal Tunbridge Wells itself is IME one of the nicest towns in SE England-why look elsewhere?

Thanks PalenQ. Is there a place between there and London to drop off a rental car and pick up a train?

The best place to drop a car would be Gatwick . . .

OOPS -- need clarification -- Gatwick would be the best drop off from Tunbridge Wells.

If you are dropping it from Oxford -- either Oxford (though driving in Oxford is bear) or at Heathrow.

Thanks PalenQ. Is there a place between there and London to drop off a rental car and pick up a train?

Why not drop at Tunbridge Wells, on a main train line to London? Or drive towards London and say at Rochester - but janis' idea of Gatwick would work if those other cities did not have drop places for you. If they did though it would be quicker than driving to Gatwick and then having to take a long train ride to London.

Don't get Tonbridge mixed up with Tunbridge Wells - Tonbridge has the tony private famous school of the same name and is right next door to Tunbridge Wels.

>>Why not drop at Tunbridge Wells,<<

And which rental agency would that be? Enterprise is the only national chain that I know of and AFAIK that location doesn't do one way rentals (though that may have changed).

Gatwick is the nearest place w/ multiple brands - Maidstone is also a possibility but LGW is much easier/straightforward.

I love that you are going to the flower show. Watch this movie if you have not already.

http://marymary.ie/film-dare-to-be-wild

We have an itinerary worked out:
First night- Oxford
2 nights- Stratford-on-Avon
2 nights- Salisbury
2 nights- Royal Tunbridge Wells
7 nights- London

I am looking for places to stay in the last two locations. We plan to rent a car at Heathrow and return it to Gatwick but need to investigate that.

Collecting a LHR and dropping at LGW is good for this itinerary -- but collecting in Oxford and dropping at LGW is even better. You'd take the express coach to Oxford, stay there car-less, then pick up the car (easiest place is north of town near the airport)

Be sure to visit RHS Wisley - probably the day you drive from Salisbury to Tunbridge Wells is the best place to fit it in. But another possibility is to drive from T. Wells to Wisley and then drop the car at LHR.