London day trips (Cotswolds and Hampton Court), please comment
 

My girlfriends and I are spending 10 days in London (renting a flat in Notting Hill). We will be there from June 22 to July 2. We have decided on 2 to 3 day trips.

We are pretty sure about Hampton Court. On a nice day we are thinking of taking a Thames River cruise and spending a while. A friend commented that we might also catch the train to Richmond afterwards. Originally, I had thought this might be a sort of half day trip, but advice from others suggests it will be an all day affair. Do you recommend going to Richmond as well? Any tips or advice about Hampton Court?

We were also thinking of Oxford and Bath. Several people have tried to steer me clear of Oxford. The Cotswolds have been recommended over and over. I shied away at first because I read here and elsewhere that it is difficult (impossible?) to see the Cotswolds with out a car. Renting a car is NOT an option for us. So, I did a bit of research and found that a train from London goes to Morton-In-Marsh (not one of the more appealing towns from what I read) but I also found a 30 mile biking path from this town that sounds really appealing: http://www.cotswold.gov.uk/media/for...ING/guide1.pdf On a nice day this seems like it could be really pleasant. Any comments? Any other recommendations?

My only concern is that both day trips are pretty dependent on good weather. Our schedule is pretty loose (except for one day we are doing afternoon tea and seeing Mary Poppins) so we can try and wait for good weather. Are there any day trips that others might recommend for not so nice weather days?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Chandra

How much fun to be in England with a group of friends. I'm not sure why you have been 'put off' Oxford. I love it. The time and year and the number of tourists you will, literally, bump into to are negatives. But it's still Oxford with great walks, punting on the river, the gorgeous Botanic Garden, the colleges, the Ashmolean, great, great pubs etc. The best time to visit, of course, is when full-time classes are in session - because it seems more Oxford Oxford and less tourist Oxford, but I wouldn't miss it any time of year.

Bath is also nice. Good place for walking about. Don't miss the Costume Museum and, of course, the Baths. Great place for people-watching as well.

Moreton-on-Marsh isn't so bad, it's more functional than some of the other Cotswold towns, but still attractive. I don't know anything about the biking trail, although I know you can hike along the Cotswold Way.

Had you thought of training to Stratford? There's lots to see there, including the theatre, river, pubs, antique shops and Shakespeare properties. You can also get the bus to Warwick. Again, the time of year means you'll be in the company of lots of tourists, but that's true of most parts of England in June-July.

I think cruising to Hampton Court sounds wonderful. You can pretend you're Henry the VIII's next batch of wives on way to see him!

Have fun.

When I posted here for advice about day trips from London, I received many favorable replies about Oxford. http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34761331

After reading the replies, if we had done a day trip, we would have done Oxford rather than one of the other choices. Since we only had 6 days, we were not able to fit in a day trip at all, as it turned out.

I can't understand why people have put you off Oxford either (though for a day trip it's probably not as nice as Cambridge). Rather than us all telling you "it's great", it might help if you shared these acquaintances' strange prejudices with the rest of us. So we can put you right.

How practical are your cycle trip plans? It's not a 30 mile cycle path (I doubt we've got 30 miles of cycle path in the whole country): it's a 42 mile bike ride along ordinary roads from Moreton station, though all but the 12 mile return leg betwen Moreton and Ch Campden is on roads that are usually very quiet.

If you get a train arriving at Moreton before 1119, it's £46 return. Only trains arriving at or after that qualify for the £28 price. Will the hire shop still be open when you get back? Contrary to what many web sites say, Country Lanes no longer operates from Moreton, and the only hire shop in Moreton I know of is BD Jeffrey.

Thanks so much for the replies so far! I am really excited about Hampton Court! After doing research about the Cotswolds, I've been getting really excited about that as well! I just pray we have good weather days to make these trips!

I should have clarified. I've not been turned off of Oxford, but a few friends (no one here) just told me a few things (nothing bad) that made me think it wasn't quite the thing we were looking for on this trip. I still think it sounds like a wonderful place and I haven't totally ruled it out. I just thought that since we are going to be in such a huge city for 10 days it might be nice for our day trips to be to more country-like settings. Does that make sense? There is so much to see in and do in and around London that you have to use some sort of process to narrow things down :) This is first and foremost a girls trip and time for us to bond and relax a bit. I certainly hope this will not be my last trip to the UK and places like Oxford, Bath, Stratford are on the short list of places to see next time.

Can anyone comment on adding Richmond to Hampton Court?

What about good day trips for not so nice weather? Maybe Oxford and/or Bath could work for that?

Thanks so much!

Chandra :)

CotswoldScouser: We must have been typing at the same time! I appreciate your information. Very helpful. I certainly was not aware of the train fare issue and had not thought about the bike rental closing before we could return the bikes. Good information! I did know that this wasn't actually a bike path, but didn't word it very well in my original post. I'm not a huge fan of biking in a lot of traffic, but perhaps during a weekday this wouldn't be much of a problem? Do you perhaps have an alternative suggestion of a way to see the Cotswolds? This was just my first attempt :) I really like the idea of biking, but I am not tied to it if it is not practical. Thanks so much!

I think it would be a nice idea to head to Richmond after Hampton Court - if you arrive there in the late afternoon you'll find some good shopping opportunities and you can visit some bars/restaurants by the river for supper and a few drinks before heading back into town. I'm a big fan of Richmond, particularly in summer.

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I doubt we've got 30 miles of cycle path in the whole country
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i agree that we don't have 30 miles... we have over 20,000 miles of bridleway and canal towpaths. all usable by the fat tire brigade.

moreton really is not all that bad...i once had to book my partner's b&b birthday weekend there because all of the "nicer" cotswold villages were booked (last minute planner). it exceeded our (somewhat low) expectations.

however, if you are not able to seek out the more quaint (no comments please) corners of the cotwolds with a car, then i would question whether it is worth the trip. unfortunately, i am no expert on train travel to remote villages as i always use a car in the countryside, but maybe we can get more ideas for you.

is it a trip to the cotwolds if you stay in moreton? i don't really think so. with only a day, you won't really be able to do much. i don't know the possibilities for walking right from moreton (cotwolds has plenty of walking possibilities...but again..the car thing). you might be better off finding a destination that is accessable from the train and plan a day walk on the many lovely footpaths that england offers.

for example, you can take the train to eastbourne and walk along the seven sisters (lovely white coastal cliffs) to the cuckmere river and back. the walk is breathtaking..you have the greenest grass, the white cliffs and the sea. if you wanted to stay overnight, you could then take public transport to brighton after the walk and stay overnight there. brighton is a great city. if not, just return to london from eastbourne after your walk.

Hi
How about a day in York?
There's loads about this beautiful, ancient city on here if you do a quick search.
Briefly, there are regular trains that go from Kings Cross to York in less than 2 hours. The GNER service is very good (we live in Yorkshire and my husband commutes into central London reguarly for work with no problem).
York itself is very compact - you can walk out of the station and into the city in minutes. And there's loads to do, whether it is raining or sunny.
This website is a good starting point.
www.york-tourism.co.uk
There's even a York Eye you can ride on.
M

I just want to put in another plug for Oxford. Did you know you can take a coach there, not the train? There are two 24-hour coach services from London to Oxford, leaving from Marble Arch, if memory serves. I think you'll find plenty of small town/country feel in Oxford. Along with the colleges and museums, be sure to walk along the river or take a boat cruise. It's a lovely town.

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you'll find plenty of small town/country feel in Oxford.
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it really depends what you are looking for. the advantage of oxford (along with its attractions) is that it is easy to get to, as mersey states.

i know that mersey is not saying that it is a village but i somewhat disagree that you will find it much of a slower pace than london. oxford is a decent sized city and walking most streets in oxford is similar to walking down the average london street. therefore, if you are looking for a change of pace from london or you want to see some countryside, i don't recommend oxford. in fact, many of london's "villages" have a more relaxed feel than much of oxford (eg hampstead, greenwich, and even most of kensington).

btw, my previous post crossed the OPs post where she confirmed she wanted countryside. therefore, i withdraw my suggestion of adding brighton to a seaside walk but the seaside walk itself would provide a generous share of countryside (sheep, etc).

You've received lots of good info - Your final decisions may be semi-last minute to see what the weather is like.

One thing about Hampton Court Palace/river/Richmond and so on -- Taking the boat TO HCP is not as good as taking the boat back FROM HCP. Reasons being 1) the trip up river (against the current) takes much longer the the trip down river. At some times depending on tide/current it can be an hour longer up river than down. And 2) - taking the boat to the palace means you won't be there until early afternoon when it gets most crowded.

I would take the train to HCP in the a.m., visit the Palace and then either take the boat back to London - OR - travel down to Richmond and then take the boat from there. Doing it this way will gain you at least an hour's free time for strolling, pubbing, sightseeing.

A day trip to the Cotswolds isn't my favorite (I LOVE the area and lived nearby for 5 years). The Cotswolds is an area that sort of demands slow travel, village strolls, country walks etc. A car and a couple of days would be MUCH better.

So I might go someplace else for a "countryside fix" - walkingaround's suggestion of Eastbourne and a seaside day would be one great choice.

Regarding Hampton Court and Richmond, London Walks has scheduled one of their Explorer Days there for June 24th. Although I think it is Richmond first and then Hampton Court (which is opposite to janisj's suggestion).

http://london.walks.com/

Wonderful advice everyone!!! I have cut and pasted quite a few of your comments in an email to my girlfriends so we can come to a consensus. I am absolutely sold on Hampton Court. Not sure about Cotswolds or giving Oxford and Bath the boot. And I am going to look into Eastbourne and York. Thanks so much! I am still open to more advice!!

just a clarification...i am not recommending the town of eastbourne itself (although there is nothing particularly wrong with it) i am recommending the walk west of the town to the cuckmere river.

if you look up eastbourne, you may not get a great impression...it's just a starting point for the walk.

this will give you a good idea of what it looks like:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:S...rs.30.4.05.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Seven_Sisters.jpg

The boat from Hampton Court stops at Richmond so you can get off there for a break if you want. Or you can get a bus to Richmond instead of a train if you want.

I went to HC for a friend's birthday on Saturday and we had a lovely day. I'd allow a day and relax. We went from Richmond to HC and back by bus and it's a nice little drive with plenty to look at.(we did want to go up by boat but they aren't running from Richmond till next week and it seemed silly to get off the bus halfway and get on a boat).

We then spent a good two hours sitting in the Tiltyard with a picnic and a few bottles of wine, relaxing in the sun and chatting. Then we went round the palace itself, visited the formal gardens, walked round the lake, walked through the wilder gardens to admire the daffodils, then got lost in the maze. We came out of HC and went into a hotel restaurant/bar just opposite and sat right out on the very river edge for a couple of drinks, watching the world float by. Then back to Richmond at which point I headed for home but some of the others went out for the evening.

Just a couple of comments:

Someone mentioned the London Walks Explorer Days that does Richmond and Hampton Court. I did this several yeras ago and we took the train t Richmond, saw a couple of sights,picked up some sandwiches to eat on the boat and they traveled by boat to Hampton Court. There we had a breif tour and were then on our own to return to london whenever. I don't know if this is still their itinerary, but I thought it wa great. It is a full day.

As for Oxford, I'm a real fan and the Carfax area where all the coleges are located is certainly not like any London street.

For a full day trip you could take the bus as mentioned , explore Oxford a bit then catch a bus to Burford(a 30 minute trip) for a look at a Cotswold village. Burford is actually one of my favorites as it doesn't get as over run with tourists as some others.

This would require a full day, but still doable. The bus to/frm Oxford runs every 10/15 minutes. The bus to Burford less frequent but I believe there a several a day.

I am thinking of the Oxford/Cotswold Explorer day now. I'm not huge on organized tours, but I've read good things about this one and it sort of kills 2 birds with one stone. I will also look into the Hampton Court/Richmond Explorer Day. We had originally thought of doing one day trip on our own and another with London Walks. We'll see. Also, since we have 10 days in London, we may even do 3 day trips...After looking at the Seven Sisters pictures, the seaside is looking very appealing....

We love Hampton Court at the end of March Would recommend you take the train out there. Was a great day trip!
Have a wonderful time!

You might want to add Blenheim Palace to the day you go to Oxford. Churchill spent much of his childhood there, and if the weather is nice out you will love walking around the grounds. Some of the most impressive landscaping I've ever seen.