London, Bath, Chipping Campden, Stow-on-the-Wold, Oxford trek
Mar 17th, 2018, 05:55 PM
#1
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London, Bath, Chipping Campden, Stow-on-the-Wold, Oxford trek
Hello all,
My husband and I are planning a trip to London for a family event and will arrive from the US on Wed, July 4th. We have never been to England, so we are staying long enough to make it a worthy trip. We fly home on the evening of Sat, July 14th (out of London). Our current plan is to stay in London until Monday, 7/9, at which time we will take the train to Bath. We have booked a room for 2 nights in Bath. One of the highlights of the entire trip will be seeing Henry V while there! On Wed 7/11, we plan to rent a car and strike out for Chipping Campden. If we can find accommodations (having some problems with that), we want to stay the night and then head to Stow-on-the-Wold the next day, 7/12. We were then going to stay the night in Stow, and head to Oxford for Fri, 7/13, spend the night there, and then back to London Sat morning.
I know that Rick Steves and some posters here have recommended starting such a trip in Bath and finishing up in London, but that is not possible due to our family commitments. And since we have already purchased tickets to Henry V, I think our Bath dates are set as well. I'm hoping to get some feedback on whether this seems feasible? I feel a little uncertain about those last 3 days traveling to Cotswold and Oxford before heading back to London.
Any help is greatly appreciated!!!!
Thanks,
Anne
My husband and I are planning a trip to London for a family event and will arrive from the US on Wed, July 4th. We have never been to England, so we are staying long enough to make it a worthy trip. We fly home on the evening of Sat, July 14th (out of London). Our current plan is to stay in London until Monday, 7/9, at which time we will take the train to Bath. We have booked a room for 2 nights in Bath. One of the highlights of the entire trip will be seeing Henry V while there! On Wed 7/11, we plan to rent a car and strike out for Chipping Campden. If we can find accommodations (having some problems with that), we want to stay the night and then head to Stow-on-the-Wold the next day, 7/12. We were then going to stay the night in Stow, and head to Oxford for Fri, 7/13, spend the night there, and then back to London Sat morning.
I know that Rick Steves and some posters here have recommended starting such a trip in Bath and finishing up in London, but that is not possible due to our family commitments. And since we have already purchased tickets to Henry V, I think our Bath dates are set as well. I'm hoping to get some feedback on whether this seems feasible? I feel a little uncertain about those last 3 days traveling to Cotswold and Oxford before heading back to London.
Any help is greatly appreciated!!!!
Thanks,
Anne
Mar 17th, 2018, 06:29 PM
#2
I'm not sure what you're asking regarding feasibility. The area you're planning to visit after Bath is quite a small area of the Cotswolds. I suggest you stay both nights in one location and visit some of the many attractions of the area without the bother of moving just a few miles. Drop the car outside Oxford, maybe the airport, enjoy the town and take the train back to London.
Mar 17th, 2018, 07:05 PM
#4
There is no reason at all to move point to point in the Cotswolds/Oxford. Pick ONE location -- say Burford or Stow-on-the-Wold and use it for a base for the whole region.
Your flight out is in the evening - what time? That would dictate what you can see/do on the 14th. If it is late enough, you could do the Cotswolds and 11-13 and then Oxford on the 14th before dropping the car at LHR.
Your flight out is in the evening - what time? That would dictate what you can see/do on the 14th. If it is late enough, you could do the Cotswolds and 11-13 and then Oxford on the 14th before dropping the car at LHR.
Mar 17th, 2018, 07:33 PM
#5
I find dropping a car easier at Oxford, rather than (for me) the confusion of Heathrow. Some do it routinely, I did once and have avoided it since. Though it may take longer, I find the train less stressful, one of many subjective choices we make traveling, right for one may be less right for another.
Mar 17th, 2018, 07:45 PM
#6
The problem is there is no train from Oxford to LHR -- but there is an express coach. So that is an option for sure. Otherwise it means a train to Reading and bus to the airport or train to Paddington and another train back out to LHR.
All the rental companies are located together on the Bath Road/A4 so it is usually pretty easy.
All the rental companies are located together on the Bath Road/A4 so it is usually pretty easy.
Mar 18th, 2018, 07:40 AM
#7
Burford is very pretty but gets very busy in school hols. The good news is that I think you just miss them! [most schools will break up round about July 20th]. Stow is on a main road and therefore is less desirable IMO.
I deffo like JJ's idea of returning the car to Oxford and getting the coach [bus] to LHR.
I deffo like JJ's idea of returning the car to Oxford and getting the coach [bus] to LHR.
Mar 18th, 2018, 03:28 PM
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https://www.character-cottages.co.uk...illers-cottage
No idea of availability for your dates, but this is where we stayed last summer in Chipping Campden. We absolutely fell in love with the cottage, as well as the entire Cotswolds. We hiked along the Cotswold Way two of our days there, which was a wonderful experience. Gentle meadows and fields, pathways past sheep grazing, forests, and old medieval towers and monuments and lovely villages.
The other days we drove around and visited the many charming villages. Nothing is a long way away. We were there in mid-July and the English gardens were in all their glory. Beautiful!
It was wrenching to leave Chipping Campden when it was time to go. I felt as if I had found the home I should have been born to.
No idea of availability for your dates, but this is where we stayed last summer in Chipping Campden. We absolutely fell in love with the cottage, as well as the entire Cotswolds. We hiked along the Cotswold Way two of our days there, which was a wonderful experience. Gentle meadows and fields, pathways past sheep grazing, forests, and old medieval towers and monuments and lovely villages.
The other days we drove around and visited the many charming villages. Nothing is a long way away. We were there in mid-July and the English gardens were in all their glory. Beautiful!
It was wrenching to leave Chipping Campden when it was time to go. I felt as if I had found the home I should have been born to.
May 10th, 2018, 06:41 PM
#11
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Thanks so much, everyone! We have booked both nights in Chipping Campden, and plan on dropping the car off in Oxford and take the train back to London.
Your suggestions were a great help!
Your suggestions were a great help!
Last edited by anneandmatt624; May 10th, 2018 at 06:44 PM.
May 10th, 2018, 08:04 PM
#12
>>and plan on dropping the car off in Oxford and take the train back to London.<<
Please clarify: Are you going to stay in London after Chipping Campden . . . or . . . are you actually going to LHR? I thought you were flying out the 14TH.
If so -- driving into central Oxford (a royal pain at he best of times), taking a train in to London with your luggage in tow, then heading out to the airport makes no sense. EITHER (1) keep the car and drop it at LHR or (2) drop the car in Oxford and take the express coach right to the airport. I would pick option 1 because LHR is just about the easiest place in the country to drop a rental car.
Please clarify: Are you going to stay in London after Chipping Campden . . . or . . . are you actually going to LHR? I thought you were flying out the 14TH.
If so -- driving into central Oxford (a royal pain at he best of times), taking a train in to London with your luggage in tow, then heading out to the airport makes no sense. EITHER (1) keep the car and drop it at LHR or (2) drop the car in Oxford and take the express coach right to the airport. I would pick option 1 because LHR is just about the easiest place in the country to drop a rental car.
May 19th, 2018, 08:19 AM
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Hi Anne!
I'm just chiming in because our plans are so similar. This is our second visit to London and will be the first venture beyond London. We are also departing the US on July 3, arriving 10:30ish on July 4. We will take the train to London and stay there until the 10th. We then meet up with another couple, travel back to LHR, pick up a car and drive to Oxford and Blenheim Palace. We will depart in time to arrive in Stow in the Wold by 5pm. We will spend 3 nights in Stow in the Wold before driving back to LHR to drop the car and fly our on July 13th at 4pm.
I had hoped to encompass Bath to Chipping Camden but decided to focus our time in the northern Cotswolds. I thought about doing as one poster suggested and traveling to Oxford and renting a car there but I have already purchased our HEX tickets for the 10th.
Perhaps we will cross paths in the Cotswolds! Enjoy your trip.
I'm just chiming in because our plans are so similar. This is our second visit to London and will be the first venture beyond London. We are also departing the US on July 3, arriving 10:30ish on July 4. We will take the train to London and stay there until the 10th. We then meet up with another couple, travel back to LHR, pick up a car and drive to Oxford and Blenheim Palace. We will depart in time to arrive in Stow in the Wold by 5pm. We will spend 3 nights in Stow in the Wold before driving back to LHR to drop the car and fly our on July 13th at 4pm.
I had hoped to encompass Bath to Chipping Camden but decided to focus our time in the northern Cotswolds. I thought about doing as one poster suggested and traveling to Oxford and renting a car there but I have already purchased our HEX tickets for the 10th.
Perhaps we will cross paths in the Cotswolds! Enjoy your trip.
May 19th, 2018, 08:56 AM
#14
>>but I have already purchased our HEX tickets for the 10th. <<
Just a quick note for others planning on collecting a car at LHR - too late for jmsvss since they've already purchased HEX tickets. That is a complicated plan. First getting to Paddington (unless one is staying right there), then the train, then the schlepp to the terminal and out to the bus area, and waiting for a rental car shuttle. A pre-booked car service door-to-door from hotel to car rental would be cheaper* , much easier and, depending on were one is starting from in central London, probably faster.
* Cheaper . . . unless the HEX tickets are 2for1 - then it could be a wash. But if the trip started with a taxi to Paddington then the car service would be much cheaper all in.
Just a quick note for others planning on collecting a car at LHR - too late for jmsvss since they've already purchased HEX tickets. That is a complicated plan. First getting to Paddington (unless one is staying right there), then the train, then the schlepp to the terminal and out to the bus area, and waiting for a rental car shuttle. A pre-booked car service door-to-door from hotel to car rental would be cheaper* , much easier and, depending on were one is starting from in central London, probably faster.
* Cheaper . . . unless the HEX tickets are 2for1 - then it could be a wash. But if the trip started with a taxi to Paddington then the car service would be much cheaper all in.
