My wife and I are in the process of planning and scheduling our trip to the U.K.

We plan to fly into LHR and then take the high speed train to York and on to Edinburgh. After that we plan on returning to London and using London as our base for day trips to Oxford, Cambridge, Bath and Windsor.

When we read the Fodors travel guide it recommends a full day in Windsor to see the castle and then the town itself. From what I have read the castle tour is half day. Is there enough to do in Windsor to warrant spending the rest of the day and possibly overnight there ? Also, since we are there should we see Stonehinge ? The idea doesn't really excite me.

I should add that we will have twelve days in the U.K. with a day and one half in York and two and one half days in Edinburgh including time on the train.

Thanks for all of your help

Re Windsor, I thought only the Castle was time-worthy but you could also visit Eton as it's only a few minutes walk across the river.

I absolutely loved Runnymede, but it's not of interest to everyone.

If Stonehenge doesn't excite you, do something that does.
I would go back in a heartbeat.

Rather than taking having to get into Central London to take the train - why dont you fly to Edinburgh from London and then head back to London via York? This would save the hassle of schlepping luggage into central London to catch the train.

As for Stonehenge - it's probably the most underwhelming site I have seen, but I also felt obligated to see it! If it doesnt excite you then definitely do something else!

For Windsor, we find by the time people get out there, have lunch, see the castle, wander town, maybe see Eton that it eats up a good part of the day unless you make quite an early start.

Wow - getting called out in a thread title

I agree w/ jamikins - if you want to head straight up to Edinburgh, I'd fly up to EDI and then take the train back south through York to London. IMO it doesn't make sense to hassle w/ crossing all of London to catch a train when one is already at the airport.

Now, if you wanted to see Windsor on your arrival day, I'd probably still fly up tp EDI. I'd stay that night in a Windsor or LHR hotel, visit Windsor and the next morning fly up to EDI. Either that or wait til you are back in London to do a day trip to Windsor.

Stonehenge is actually an easier visit from central London than from Windsor (unless one is driving).

What jamikins said. If you fly into Heathrow, to get a train to York, you have to get yourself into London, to King's Cross Station. You can take the tube, the Piccadilly line, from the airport directly to King's Cross. Probably that would be the quickest route. But the tube is better with less luggage and at non-commute times. To take advantage of the cheaper train tickets available ahead of time, you'd have to leave a big time buffer to allow for flight delays and time in immigration. Or buy your ticket at the train station just before your departure. That costs more.

All together it's a more productive use of your time, just to fly on to Edinburgh and work your way back south. Especially if you're arriving after a long overnight flight, jetlagged and sleepy.

I agree, pretty much a whole day in Windsor. And skip Stonehenge. I haven't been there yet in I don't know how many trips to Britain.

I'm always amazed when people dis Stonehenge.

I think it's one of the more moving and evocative sights on the planet.

But by all means, if it doesn't interest you, don't go.

There are pro and anti Stonehenge camps. I never try to talk folks out of visiting Stonehenge - some will come away truly amazed/awed - others will be underwhelmed. But if one is going to visit, it is easier from London . . . Unless one is driving.

Let me know if you need any help with the York part of your trip. I'm a local rather than an anglophile, and happy to assist. I live in North Yorkshire and know York very well.
As for Stonehenge - I find it amazing and watch/read anything about it that I can find. But it's horses for courses.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Stonehenge-R.../dp/1861978804

From what I have read the castle tour is half day. Is there enough to do in Windsor to warrant spending the rest of the day and possibly overnight there ?>

Yes Eton and as 29FEB says you can even go to nearby Runnymede - I did Runnymede as a long long walk thru the long Long Park that stretcheds uphill south of the castle for a long long way - the turn left at the huge equestrian statue and out of the park thru a leafy suburban area to the isolated meadow near the Thames that Runnymede lies in - not a whole lot there but a momentous event that occurred there - some markers and if I recall correctly some American things too. There is a bus stop on the main road but I walked onto Staines (I think) and took the train back.

If doing a series of day trips by rail from London, especially long ones like Bath investigate the London Plus railpass that gives you 2, 4 or 7 days of unlimited train travel throughout southeastern England - including to Bath and Bristol and as far north as Stratford and Warwick so since York is beyond that it would not cover the full fare but much of it within it bounds. Plus that pass gives a return train trip by airport expresses to Heathrow, Gatwick or Stansted airports that can be used outside of the pass' actualy validity.
For lots about British trains I always spotlight these IMO fantastic sources - http://www.budgeteuropetravel.com/id11.html; www.ricksteves.com and www.seat61.com - to check railpass prices click on the latter site's commercial link to Rail Europe. Passes are not sold at British stations last I knew as Brits cannot use them. Fully flexible hop on and off at will travel and those tickets like to Bath can be very very expensive - no blackout periods - can leave before 9:30 am - many discounted tickets won't let you leave till after, etc.

wow, janisj gets a name call, well done

It's got to be sensible to fly up from LHR to Edinburgh. York itself requires a sprint or a very long day to get it done in a day, but and it's worth mentioning, seeing anything near York (like some of the wonderful ruined abbeys) needs another day. Follow Morgana's name for some great ideas.

I would spend at least one more day each in Edinburgh and York if you can make that work. And the traveling south after flying to Edinburgh is a very good idea.

The problem with iconic sights such as Stonehenge is that most people have seen so many photos of it that actually being there is a bit of a letdown. Stonehenge was much better before it was roped off, when you could actually walk among the stones. You can still do that at Avebury, another henge in Wiltshire.

The road next to Stonehenge closes permanently later this month. The new visitors center (out of sight of the stones) opens at the end of the year - when everything is completed it will likely be a MUCH better experience than even back before they were roped off.

Stonehdhedge with all its warts and all is still a must visit if in the area - like going to Paris and not visiting Notre-Dame even though IMO it is for France just an average cathedral - which means awesome but so many in other towns are just as awesome or more awesome (Reims; Chartres; Orleans; Strasbourg; Vezelay; Baeyux, etc.

Stonehenge is spine tingling

I think so too, Wrenwood.

I made many, many trips to the UK with no interest in seeing Stonehenge, until my father, who had been stationed in Devon during WWII, encouraged the hub and I to see it while visiting London with him.

Wow. I was mesmerized. I did not expect to feel that way, but something about it was just magical to me.

I can't add much to the good advice other to concur with the idea to start in Edinburgh and work your way south. On the train trip from Edi to York, sit on the left (as the direction the train is going) side of car for a more scenic view.

the nice scenery on the ride to York is yes on the coastal side on the train - a major difference - the nice scenes pretty much end of Newcastle and from there to York and London is ho-hum but still nice as all of Britain to me is nice to see!