Hi all

I will be spend a couple of weeks in early July in London and the south of England with my parents (late 60s).

Here is my plan for now, looking for your suggestions!

London 4 days (we've been here before)
Avebury - 1 day
Bath - 1 day
Cotswold - 2 days
.....input needed here.....
Brighton - 1 day

Any suggestions on places to visit between the Cotswold area and Brighton? We will more than likely rent a car.
Since we are three, it will be a bit tricky to please all....but if I had to rank activities, museums, trekking and churches would not be in the top.

Thank you.
Valeria

Salisbury and Winchester for the old buildings.

Dorset coast for the views, Jurassic coast, Corfe Castle etc

New Forest in particular look at Bucklers Hard and Portsmouth, where UK Navy grew up and could fit in car museum etc

Now what are your interests?

Thanks.
I did look at the Jurassic coast but don't think my parents would enjoy it.
Have been considering driving up to Dover after Avebury as well. It seems it may take up to 3 hours....
I love castles, history, nature....but as I said, it is hard to please all parties!

"<i>considering driving up to Dover after Avebury</i>"

Dover is not 'up' from Avebury -- Dover is 80 miles SE of London -- Avebury is 90 miles west of London. They are not an easy combo -- being about 4 hours apart (plus you'd miss all the wonderful things in between). Instead of zig-zagging back and forth across the country - I might decide if you want to go west (Avebury, Cotswolds, etc) or South (Dover, Brighton, etc).

Avebury won't take a full day -- even adding the Long Barrow, and Silbury Hill you are looking at about 1/2 a day-ish.

So you could do:

• London > Avebury and on to Bath that late afternoon. Stay 2 nights in Bath. Move on to Burford/Stow on the Wold or somewhere else in the Cotswolds for 3 nights.

OR

• London > Brighton to visit the Pavilion etc > into East Sussex. Spend 3 nights and visit places like Rye, Bodiam, Sissinghurst, Hever, maybe one of the excursion railways. Then into eastern Kent for 2 nights for Dover, Deal, Walmer, Canterbury, etc.

If you still want to do it all (Avebury Bath Cotswolds Brighton) - I flip things a bit and first do London > the Cotswolds first (and easy drive from London) and then zig zag your way SE through Bath/Avebury/Brighton. But that is a lot of territory to cover in 5 days.

Since you plan on heading west, why not head down to the coast. The south-west of England has some beautiful coastline. For ideas, see here: http://postcards-pfte.blogspot.com/

Thank you.
Janisj, you are right, I was not very happy with the zig zagging either but was a bit clueless on where to go between Avebury and Brighton while staying on the west and finishing in Brighton.
I will look into your suggestions as well as Vpicks'.
Thank you both.

The south-west of England has some beautiful coastline. For ideas, see here: http://postcards-pfte.blogspot.com/>>

yes we do, but it's a long way to come in 5 days, and get back again. no Avebury and Brighton, if that's what you decide to do.

I like janisj's suggestions.

Just to point out Rye & Bodiam are in East Sussex & Sissinghurst Gardens & Hever castle are in Kent, both of these counties have a lot to offer in terms of history, castles & nature, also consider Penshurst Place, Tunbridge Wells pantiles, Leeds castle nr Maidstone, Scotney castle & Bayham Abbey ruins outskirts of Lamberhurst, Romney Marsh, Rye, Hastings & Battle to name a few :0)

All the above suggestions have merit; there're just too many to pick from, right!?

We LOVED Bodiam Castle. We popped into Rye for a peek and leg-stretch--so...picturesque (Ok, I thought "quaint" first but some here hate that word!) Seeing the battle area at Battle was significant and worth the stop, too.

Don't really "get" Brighton--I have loved Dover much more as a place from which to see the Channel and then there's the amazing castle there, and walks along the top of the Cliffs are two of my favorite memories of England.

Happy planning!

Do you have to end up in Brighton? If not, I'd do Brighton as a daytrip by train from London. Then head by train to Bath. After a day or so there, pick up a car, and work your way back via the Cotswolds and Avebury.

Yes, the car is still under question. It is a matter of cost really, we are three so trains can be expensive.

Regardless, thank you all for your tips.