We're traveling with our 13-year-old son, who is a good traveler and enjoys walking and seeing new things, but we still want to make sure that our trip to England offers the right balance for him. We're trying to decide whether to spend more time in Devon or the Cotswolds. Which has the most to offer for a teenage boy? Also, we're looking for a family-friendly hotel in the Cotswolds that's close to a village for walking in the evenings to restaurants/pubs and offers a choice of larger rooms. Thank you!

Both are very attractive but Dorset will probably be less crowded,
If your son is like most 13 year old boys, he'll appreciate the Cerne Abbas giant.

Hmmmm...that's a toughy to answer. I think it all depends on *what* he enjoys doing, besides walking and doing new things!

There are incredible walks all through the Cotswolds, as I'm sure there is in any area. I was in Cornwall this past October for a week and did make it to an area in Devon, but, just for a few hours, so, I'm afraid, I'm not much help in that area!

When you say *longer*...how much time are we talking? Have you thought about renting a place instead of staying in a family friendly hotel. Many places offer short stays, if you're not going to be in a particular area long. And, there are places to rent all over the place..from away from it all, to right in the middle of it all!!! Some of these places are even like mini resorts with full use of all the facilities!!!! And best of all, the extra room!!!! You're not all confined to one room!!!

You could spend a month in either area and not see everything so there is no "best" answer. But you have left off an important bit of info -- how much time are you trying to divide up. A week, 2 weeks, a few days?????

Well, we have nine nights to divide up between the two places. Our son is also into reading fantasy novels (castles would be good), loves animals, likes anything strange or unusual so we're planning to take in Avebury and the Costume Museum in Bath. I haven't had a lot of luck finding short-term rentals(three to five days) for July, which is when we're going. We'd prefer a rental, but I just don't know if that will be possible with the amount of time we have and the season. Any ideas for short-term summer rentals in either place are welcome. Hope this information helps.

Your son may be in his teens, but he's unique. So only you can judge what's the right place for him.

Devon is more sparsely populated, with lots of coastline. So it has lots of small seaside resorts - some a bit elderly, and one or two with a fair bit of life. The Cotswolds is a resort-free area, and "life" rarely extends beyond glorious concerts of medieval music (in the over-educated north-eastern bit) or the cavortings of the junior Windsors and their chums (in the rather posher, but cerebrally challenged, south-western part).

Walks are about a wash. There are far more of them in the Cotswolds, but lots of the Devon ones involve cliffs, which many people would argue trumps practically anything. The Cotswolds, though, involve walking through much denser recorded history, and they have no equivalent of Devon's bleak, ocasionally dangerous (because of the abrupt weather changes) Exmoor and Dartmoor. A self-sufficient 13 year old will have access to far more bookshops (or second hand record stores) near the Cotswolds, and the area's adjacent to far more man-made things, like cathedrals, Roman villas and stately homes. But he's practically guaranteed to bump into almost no-one his own age on holiday in the area. If you're tavelling during a holiday period, he's more likely to find company in Devon.

If the rural idyll starts to pall, the Cotswolds have far quicker escape routes to places like Oxford, Bath or Avebury. Devon's a lot further away from anywhere else, though there's a fair amount of (bracing) water sports as an alternative.

I wrote my post before voyage's second note.

Neither area is awash with castles. Devon has more atmospheric landscape (no-one's ever set a Gothic novel in the Cotswolds to my knowledge), but the Cotswolds are in the middle of England, and handy for a fair number of places. Devon is remote (hence the Gothic novels)

Interested to see which way you jump

Devon! It is less touristed and therefore has an air of authenticity I've never felt in the Cotswolds. Depending on where in Devon you're based, (we've only been to South Devon), we've enjoyed the following: Dartmoor and visiting Houndtor, the medieval village, and Grimspound; Okehampton Castle and Lydford Gorge; the Underground Passage tour in Exeter, and if you get to Exeter be sure to visit the Double Locks pub, the Turf Inn is another favorite, both are worth the trip (we've gotten into pickup Volleyball games at the Double Locks-might be a place for him to talk with people); we love the walk from Newton Ferrers to Noss Mayo at low tide, also the ferry from Newton Ferrers to Wembury; Totnes castle and Berry Pomeroy both have decent castles; and we've made daytrips to Maiden Castle and the Cerne Abbas giant both in Dorset, and to Cornwall to see Cotehele (a great house and wonderful walks on the grounds)and Tintagel. These are just the things I think a 13 year old might enjoy.

I would assume unless you are willing to wait until right before your trip it will be difficult to find a short-term rental, at least from an agency. You might find one being rented independently who would be happy for a reservation.

Hi again....here are some sites that may be of help in the self-catering department!!!

English Country Cottages~
http://www.english-country-cottages...._homepage.html

Rural Retreats~read the tab on their homepage that says *about us*...they pretty much guarantee that there are no set nights. I have not used this one, but, it comes highly recommended on the Slow Travelers site...which is listed below as well.
http://www.ruralretreats.co.uk/

Premier Cottages~this one I have used on many of my trips!!! Great places!!! You rent directly from the owners!!!!
http://www.premiercottages.co.uk/


Stanton Court Cottages~this is an actual group of cottages in the little village of Stanton in the Cotswolds...just about a 5 minute drive from the village of Broadway. Great place to base yourself for a stay in the Cotswolds. We were able to take so many great day trips all over the area from here! Even to Warwick Castle!!! And Bath is just 70 miles!!!
http://www.stantoncourt.co.uk/

Slow Traveler~a good site for people who enjoy renting places and taking their time!! Very informative...lot's of links!
http://www.slowtrav.com/uk/

Good luck!

OK - almost no self catering places rent for less than a week in the summer (except for city flats in London, Edinburgh, etc) And about 90% of the weekey rentals run from Saturday to saturday. So what is your schedule like -- would a Sat/Sat week fit in?

Both areas would warrant a week's stay. But your sone really must see Wareick and Kenilworth Castles which are just north of the Cotswolds.

What I often advise folks to do when they want to rent a cottage but a full week doesn't fit in the schedule - is to go ahead and rent it and eat a night. Even if you have to eat 2 nights a nice cottage can be worth the expense.

So in your case -- arriving on a Saturday, stay in the Cotswolds for 5 or 6 nights and explore all over - there are some castles plus a neat ruined Roman villa at Chedworth and a terrific Cistercian ruin at Hailles Abbey.

Then head to Devon for 3 or 4 nights in a B&B.

You could visit Bath as a day trip from the cotswolds or enroute south to Devon.

If you are starting mid week - just do it in reverse - a few days in Devon and then head to the Cotswolds and the cottage.

WARWICK Castle -- I really hate those typos . . . . . .

We will be staying in a cottage in the cotswolds this June. Renting for a week and staying only 5 days is an option - apts are usually cheap enough to make that doable. We've done that many times. An apt just gives you so much more space.

Here is the agency we use: http://welcome.to/manorcottages

We like this particular agency because they have a service to pick you up at the airport and take you to your cottage, then they deliver a car to your cottage. I don't know if you can then drive the car to Devon at the end of your visit, but you can ask. It is very, very convenient.

The Cotswolds might be a good choice for your 13 year old - Warwick castle is one of my favorite castles in England. My son visited it when he was 9 years old and loved it. Lots of activity in the summer. There is also a Wildlife Park in the cotswolds but I've never visited it - we might this time. I'm not sure what type of animals are there. There is also a place that demonstrates falconry. Lots of hikes (our big draw).

Try to get an apt or B&B in Stow-in-the-Wold or Moreton-in-the-Marsh. They are rather large towns with lots of restaurants and pubs. The small towns are also quite nice but my son found them too quiet. It's good to be able to get out at night and walk around town.

By the way, try to get tickets one night to a Shakespearean play in Stratford. They do an excellent job, of course, and this might be a good intro to Shakespeare for your son. Stratford itself is a bit of a tourist trap - blah.

Devon is beautiful and has a lovely variation of scenery for hiking - cliffside, moors and forests. But as for "sights" it doesn't offer quite as much as the Cotswolds. That is one of the reasons it is less crowded, I am sure. For pure hiking I would probably lean toward Devon but for variety of activities, I would suggest the Cotswolds.

I really appreciate everyone who has taken the time to respond. At this point, I'm a bit on the fence, but leaning toward the Cotswolds for the longer stay. I still like having all the great ideas for Devon, though, which we are visiting for genealogical reasons. I'll start researching the cottage agencies right away to explore the possibilities. Thanks again!