I agree, Meg, Stratford is charming when it's not overrun by tourists. We stayed in a B&B about a half-mile out of town, walked into town along the canal towpath, where we met fishermen and saw houseboats but no tourists (in early August!), enjoyed the historic houses, and were thrilled with the production of Hamlet at the theater. Some places have lots of tourists becuase they're worth visiting!

This is probably one of the most interesting threads I have read on this board in a long time. Loved the variety of opinions. It is these type of posts that make Fodors so special. Thanks all.

To the pro-Stratford people, I will add that I was in Stratford for a whole 3 days this June, and I liked it, although I admit that it is very aggressive as far as all things being tourist-oriented go and I do wonder why it's a top-10 UK attraction. To me it was worth it to do the pilgrimage to see the Shakespeare relics, etc, but if I weren't really keen on literary history I don't know that I'd have enjoyed myself. That said, I would observe that, 1)when I was there, about 80% of the tourists seemed to be English, so Americanization per se is not an outstanding problem; 2)it seems to be a good place to be on Sunday if you're in that area, because a lot of area people seem to go there to picnic and hang out and everything is open; 3)the theater, the church, the Shakespeare birthplace and the Anne Hathaway house are all very attractive and legitimately interesting sites, and the little museum in the visitor's center at the Shakespeare house is quite good by the standards of both author's house and mass tourist attractions, in my opinion. 4)some very good pubs, and even the ones right around the theater seem to be patronized very much by the local people. I didn't have my watch on, but I'm quite sure the Dirty Duck also serves well past 11p, which is an absolute rarity in that part of Britain.

In defence of the Cotswolds, we run a very traditional b&b/inn/restaurant (see website www.eightbellsinn.co.uk) and welcome an extraordinary number of tourists every day/week/month/year! Since Sept.11 the USA contingency has definitely been down, but having said that those Americans who visit all say what a wonderful town Chipping Campden is and in particular, how lovely our 14th century inn is. Often they comment that ours is the best food they have had in the UK! Can't be bad for an area that has had such a trashing by some of your contributors! Come and try it for yourself, I say, we are only 20 mins from Stratford/Warwick and 30 mins from Cheltehham, 1 hr from Oxford which has not had much of a mention but is beautiful with its old universities, and Chipping Campden is the ideal central location to visit all these without having to pack and unpack with kids. An English breakfast sets you up for the day without doubt! COME!

One way to turn a trip to the UK into an even more interesting experience (& it's wonderful enough as it is) is to do a little genealogy & visit the places where your ancestors lived. With today's resources & if you have the time, the info should be relatively easy to locate if you have any english lines. Most of us in the US today, if our families have been here any time at all, have at least 1 or 2. You can't imagine the thrill of standing on the ground or visiting the church or village of your ancestors. Just my 2 cents worth. Others might not find that too thrilling!

Just want to support what Julie has said. We have stayed in Chipping Campden three times - in self catering cottages - and there is a reason we keep coming back. Although it does get hectic during the day - we are usually somewhere else seeing gardens and estates - by the time we would get back in the late afternoon and early evening we virtually had the place to ourself - except for the locals, of course. There are great pubs, a couple of wonderful restaurants, super lanes to wander after dinner and some decent shopping. I can understand why daytrippers have bad feelings about the Cotswolds; but if you have a bit longer don't pass the area by. It is beautiful, perfectly situated for day trips to Oxford, Stratford, Cheltenham, and is not 'twee' as one poster above described it.

I live in UK and have been almost everywhere but the best by far is Highlands of Scotland. Edinburgh,Pitlochry, Loch Ness, Cairngorms and the western Isles. Not so crowded and breathtaking scenery.

I love this thread...and I'm wondering about any further suggestions or opinions with the added criteria of choosing places that are readily accessible by rail or bus?

Hi Marge, I love this thread too! It is very informative. I am an Anglophile, and love the differant perspectives in this thread. <BR> Going to York and environs in March. Thanks for the info. JUdy :-)

May I add Plockton in Scotland to the list - it's on the rail line from Inverness to the Skye Bridge. <BR><BR>Sheltered village in stunning scenery. <BR><BR>

Wow! Love this thread. I am headed to England in the beginning of April and will spend a few of days in the Northern Cotswolds. Is Chipping Campden the best central, quaint and historic place to stay? Best nice hotel?<BR><BR>I can't wait to be in England! Thanks.

You've plenty of posts to choose from and just wanted to add that Bath is a beautiful city, stayed there 2 nights and the Roman baths are beautiful. Your kids would enjoy them. Pity the people that couldn't find them.

We're planning a trip to England next spring. This is one of the best threads I have read on this board to help with the planning. Thank you to everyone who contributed. If anybody else wants to add their "two cents worth", please do so.

going in the spring to England is wonderful...we were there the end of March and the beginning of April...the Lake District was tops on our list...the lambs are tiny then and the daffodils are spectacular...walking around Ambleside and out of town is a worthwhile stop...we also enjoyed Cardiff and the previously mentioned museum of bygone times...Salisbury Cathedral is impressive and the services inside are also...sometime spent walking through graveyards' reading some of the inscriptions was one of my favorite times...that is done anywhere...tea with clotted cream and scones in Devon is memorable...Edinburgh was worth the trip...theatre is excellent and the castle on the hill a lovely sight...as you arrive...history on one side of the street and the Gap etc on the other...it is really cold that time of year so be prepared...have a grand time...thanks to all who have shared on these forums...they have enriched our traveling....

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As an englishman I can only say that every corner of my country has something to offer for those who are prepared to look. But I am not sure the guidebooks are the most help !<BR><BR>I am always amazed at the incredible focus that London has on Fodors and wonder why that more 'out of the way' places are hardly mentioned. I recently met a small party of 'well-heeled' americans who had spent a few days in London and were visting the Weald of Kent (Sissinghurst Garden is a must-well for those who love gardens - could be dull for the kids though) and were then venturing on a canal boat holiday near Milton Keynes! I was truly delighted that they were going to do something a little out of the ordinary and experience a different pace of life. I suspect that most UK visitors want to cram in as much as possible and end up seeing very little and are exhausted from all that jouneying. In Britain a 20 mile journey can take an hour on country lanes or in congested cities. <BR><BR>I suggest to all that thy chose a spot and explore it fully before moving on. You can't see everything in a day, but if you take your time you might see things a little more deeply than some of your fellow travellers. Soak up the atmosphere -aim to get the most out of where you are rather than seeing the most things thay you possibly can. <BR><BR>The Tourist Guide Books tend to be unimaginative and repeat the same views. As someone living in Kent I am always somewhat amazed that the two main &quot;attractions&quot; are considered Canterbury and most perversely of all Dover. Canterbury is a lovely walled city with a fabulous Cathedral, and Dover has a fascinating Castle (but for an accurate synopsis of Dover read Bill Bryson's &quot;Notes from a Small Island&quot;). But what of my home town in the Weald of Kent - hardly a mention. Sisinghurst gets a look in, but equally wonderful and only a few miles distant Great Dixter, Pashley Manor and Merriments gardens hardly get a look in. And so what happens is that he Canterburys and the Cotswolds and the Stratfords become more and more touristy - but the nice thing is that the other hidden gems are not over-run, so maybe I shouldn't complain too loudly!

I am not going to give you a list, just two recomendations.<BR><BR>Don't bother with Stonehenge. Its a waste of time and you can see all you need to see just driving past on the way to Cornwall.<BR><BR>A perfect spot to visit is Polperro in Cornwall. It is a breathtakingly beautiful little harbour. Especially at night when lit up. A stream runs through the village past the houses. There is a hotel in town. You must visit the Blue Peter Inn. Go upstairs and try to get the front window seat and you will have a beautiful view of the harbour. The Three Pilchards Inn also has a friendly atmosphere and a roaring log fire. Quality restaurants will see you don't go hyngry. I go to Cornwall every Christmas and have found it hard to equal the atmosphere in Polperro.<BR><BR>Look at the following link.<BR><BR>http://www.polperro.org/ <BR><BR>Buzzy

What a great thread indeed! Our family of 5 will be there early spring and with our 3-4 days set aside for the countryside, have planned on landing in the Cotswolds for the whole time (Broadway had a high rating from another source as a central landing spot but didn't seem to fare so well here). We don't care for crowds or tours very much and hope to spend time on our own exploring and walking. After reading some of these posts on the Cotswolds, I'd begun to wonder if we'd selected the right spot for this first visit. The other locations just seemed to far to get to with such limited time. The other closest alternatives seem to be Cornwall/Devon or Wales - guess I'll do some more checking. Thanks to all the great opinions out here - it's really interesting to see everyone's different perspectives!

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Topping this great thread.