London side trip - Cornwall/Wales or Lake District?
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 11
London side trip - Cornwall/Wales or Lake District?
We're taking our first trip to England this September. We fly into London and have two weeks and a day. Planning to spend week 1 in London; in week 2 we want to visit Bath and possibly Cambridge, where we have a close friend. We're told we should see the Lake District - which does look lovely, if faraway. But from Bath we're also rather close to Cornwall and Wales.
Can we manage all of the above? Or should we split week 2 between Bath and Cambridge and see whatever's nearby? Or skip Cambridge and drag our friend to the Lake District?! Any ideas? We're unlikely to return to the U.K. in the near future...
Can we manage all of the above? Or should we split week 2 between Bath and Cambridge and see whatever's nearby? Or skip Cambridge and drag our friend to the Lake District?! Any ideas? We're unlikely to return to the U.K. in the near future...
#2
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 65,385
You are ALL over the map. Bath to Cambridge is a loooong slog. It would make MUCH more sense to visit your Cambridge friend from your base in London. Cambridge is a very easy day trip from London by train. So take one day and go up to Cambridge.
Then - Bath is a long way from the Lakes, is fairly close to South Wales, and is a fair distance from Cornwall. Bath to Cornwall is an OK drive - but Cornwall back to Heathrow or Gatwick is a very long ways.
Do you plan on touring by train, or renting a car? That would make a difference re what is doable.
Then - Bath is a long way from the Lakes, is fairly close to South Wales, and is a fair distance from Cornwall. Bath to Cornwall is an OK drive - but Cornwall back to Heathrow or Gatwick is a very long ways.
Do you plan on touring by train, or renting a car? That would make a difference re what is doable.
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 11
Right. I was being greedy about our London week because we're paying so bloody much to stay in the city! But you're right it would be worse time wise and money wise to travel from Cambridge to Bath etc.
We could simply plan the trip so we do Cambridge first - spend a day or two there, then the week in London, then Bath and surrounding. (We haven't nailed down our London dates).
I'm still wondering about the destinations themselves. If we have eight days total to spend away from London, does it make most sense to do a day or so in Cambridge and visit Bath/Cotswolds with maybe a trip to Cornwall and/or Wales - and forget Lakes? Or are we better to split the week between Bath and the Lake District, and forget Cambridge?
We could simply plan the trip so we do Cambridge first - spend a day or two there, then the week in London, then Bath and surrounding. (We haven't nailed down our London dates).
I'm still wondering about the destinations themselves. If we have eight days total to spend away from London, does it make most sense to do a day or so in Cambridge and visit Bath/Cotswolds with maybe a trip to Cornwall and/or Wales - and forget Lakes? Or are we better to split the week between Bath and the Lake District, and forget Cambridge?
#5
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 65,385
Yes - a night/2 days in Cambridge and then into London would be a good option.
Now about your other questions. -train to Bath then rent a car in Bath- You do not need a car IN Bath, but to see the Cotswolds and/or much of anything in Cornwall you would want a car.
It sounds like you have 6 days for other than Cambridge. If so, one option would be to rent a car in London or at Heathrow, drive up to the Cotswolds for 2 days/nights, down to Bath for 1 day/night, down into Devon/Cornwall for 2 day/nights, and then spend the last day/night back nearer you departure airport (either LHR or LGW). Someplace like Salisbury or Winchester.
Or of you are flying out of LHR - you could do it in reverse. Pick up the car at LHR, drive down to the Dorset coast for 1 day/night, Cornwall/Devon 2 days/nights, Bath 1.5 day/night, the Cotswolds 2 days/nights, where you will be w/i an hour or so of LHR.
That is a lot of driving and I personally would not try to cover that much ground so quickly - but I've lived there and go back all the time so don't have the urge to have to see everything every trip.
Now about your other questions. -train to Bath then rent a car in Bath- You do not need a car IN Bath, but to see the Cotswolds and/or much of anything in Cornwall you would want a car.
It sounds like you have 6 days for other than Cambridge. If so, one option would be to rent a car in London or at Heathrow, drive up to the Cotswolds for 2 days/nights, down to Bath for 1 day/night, down into Devon/Cornwall for 2 day/nights, and then spend the last day/night back nearer you departure airport (either LHR or LGW). Someplace like Salisbury or Winchester.
Or of you are flying out of LHR - you could do it in reverse. Pick up the car at LHR, drive down to the Dorset coast for 1 day/night, Cornwall/Devon 2 days/nights, Bath 1.5 day/night, the Cotswolds 2 days/nights, where you will be w/i an hour or so of LHR.
That is a lot of driving and I personally would not try to cover that much ground so quickly - but I've lived there and go back all the time so don't have the urge to have to see everything every trip.
