Michael

For a different Italian restaurant in London: http://irresponsibility.wordpress.co...aurant-review/ which is a sister restaurant to Un Sorriso Integrale in Naples.

alanRow

<i>Note, you can also reach Kew by boat, taking the tube back.</i>

It also takes a LONG time. Better to take the train / Tube to Kew then come back part of the way by boat if the weather is suitable

jamikins

A pub crawl is soooo in the cards! Let us know the dates and we will take care of everything!!

dgassa

Well I see you're planning a trip to England in the Fall. Hey, that's when we wanted to go. With two of us driving on the wrong side of the road at the same time, the Brits better get off the road. Since we're planning on going to some of the same places that you are, perhaps we'll bump into each other. Hope the cars don't get too damaged when it happens.

thursdaysd

"Note, you can also reach Kew by boat, taking the tube back.

It also takes a LONG time. Better to take the train / Tube to Kew then come back part of the way by boat if the weather is suitable"

From the Thames River Boat website:
"Journey time approximately an hour and a half <b>each way</b>"

My emphasis, see also: http://wpsa.co.uk/timetable_new.html

This is a case where the journey is nearly as important as the destination. I get bored very easily on boats and usually avoid them. I wasn't bored on this one.

lincasanova

A friend of mine always started his trips in Bath directly from arrival at Heathrow. Windsor is next to Heathrow so maybe that would be a nice first couple nights, then up to Bath or driving wherever and finish in London?

I always use Priceline bidding in London but I know it's not everyone's cup of tea.

janisj

"<i>Journey time approximately an hour and a half each way</i>"

The relevant word is 'approximately'. The river is tidal so the journeys time can vary by quite a bit -- going in either direction.

The main reason to take the train out (to HCP) or tube (to Kew) and boat back is if you catch the first boat of the day you won't arrive until lunch time or later. It is simply more practical to get to the palace/gardens early, spend as long as you want and then take a leisurely boat ride back.

janisj

mtt: The problem you have is . . . York is fabulous, Oxford is fabulous, Cornwall is fabulous, Kent is fabulous, Bath is fabulous, Hadrian's Wall is fabulous, the Yorkshire Dales are fabulous, Devon is fabulous, the Lake District is fabulous, Dorset is fabulous . . . you get the idea. And that is without even considering Scotland or Wales . . . . which are both totally fabulous.

Every single person you talk to will tell you about a different favorite "Must See". So before listening to everyone (including your best friend) - you and tracy need to sit down and decide exactly how long you have for this trip. Then we can help you whittle it down to <i>your</i> musts . . .

michele_d

Hi Tom,
The B&B we stayed at is http://www.bramleyhouse.co.uk/

The owners were really nice and the breakfasts were great. It is really close to CC so very convenient to run over to the pub for dinner.

carolyn

bettyk, we were at Kew in September. I'll have to try it in April--I love rhododendrons. So far, I've killed three at my house. One is still living.

taconictraveler

Tom: go with Annhig on Hidcote and Kiftsgate garden suggestions. She will love you forever! There are so many wonderful gardens in England, but these two are virtually across the road from each other and so fabulous!

Also, one more vote for automatic. Another vote for Kew.

Much as we loved it, (there was a vegetarian restaurant called "Oat Cuisine.") a vote against York. Do it another trip. I'd rather you take Tracy a little farther west to the borders (of Wales) to Powys Castle gardens. And then she will never leave you, you'll have so many browny points!

Or to go really overvthe top, and save miles, the Oxford Botanical Gardens are fab, and every college at Oxford has a garden, some much better than others: New College gardens are super, and I think I remember Worcester College gardens as another great one.

Frommany trips to England, last one being last year, first one in 1967, and visits to a son who lived in London for 2 years! South Kensington ismy area of choice.

Another suggestion, please make notes of names of towns and villages you run across in the Cotswolds. Knowing (and loving) your trip reports, I am sure you can make hay with names near Chipping Camden, like: Little Inkbarrow, Oddingly, Peopleton, Wyre Piddle, and perennial favorites of mine, like: Upper Slaughter and Lower Slaughter, and Shipton-Under-Wychwood. There are so many more, I can't wait for your trip report!

ParisAmsterdam

I don't think this has been mentioned, but having read and laughed along with your trip reports I feel I should warn you that Leeds Castle is nowhere near Leeds. The one is in Kent south of London and the latter is well north, all the way in Yorkshire.

Sorry if I've just ruined a perfectly good gag! LOL

bardo1

I agree wholeheartedly with janisj's thoughts from on Feb 14, 13 at 8:48pm.

Any way you can just add three weeks to this trip??

It's a classic dilemma, replayed in billions of threads and posts from seemingly every other traveler (especially if a first visit to a country) in the Europe forum...

maitaitom

I also agree with janisj and bardo1.

When I was a kid, one night at a restaurant I asked my parents if I could have ALL the desserts. As an adult, I have realized the error of my ways and rarely have a dessert intake of more than two.

So, upon further review, I will cut down on the million places I would like to see and make a more realistic itinerary. York and The Lakes District and Scotland will have to wait.

It looks like we will have 14 nights that we will split between London and perhaps two bases in the Cotswolds, probably Tetbury and Chipping Campden. I am still leaning on London first (6 or 7 nights) and then the countryside (7 or 8 nights).

I will attempt to analyze what are the best sights to see from CC, and which ones would be easier to visit from Tetbury. Any help on this would be great. Thanks.

Hopefully, this makes more sense. Now, back to my cheesecake.

julia_t

Like jamikins, I'm tagging on to this, and can add a few comments about Tetbury, being a local gal.

Hare & Hounds is very nice and has a good reputation.

Tetbury to Bath is a very easy half hour drive using the park-and-ride car park on the hill above Bath. Buses run from this car park every 10-15 minutes and drop you right in the centre of Bath, around 50m from the Roman Baths. It's not worth driving into the city, especially if you are not sure where you're going. You could see much of what Bath has to offer in one longish day trip.

Tetbury to the northern Cotswolds (via Cirencester) is maybe 45 minutes, and again is an easy drive.

Around Tetbury are some lovely villages (most with pubs - try the Cat and Custard Pot at Shipton Moyne), and as annhig points out, Westonbirt Arboretum is on the doorstep.

Places to see from Tetbury...
Bath
Lacock
Castle Combe
Owlpen Manor
Berkeley Castle
Chavenage House
Highgrove gardens
Gloucester Cathedral
the Slad Valley
Painswick and the Rococo Garden
Cirencester - great church, plus Corinium Museum
Slimbridge Wildfowl Sanctuary
Hetty Pegler's Tump
Woodchester Mansion

...just a few ideas to get you started!

Have fun planning, come back with any questions, and maybe we can have a gtg when you are here!

maitaitom

julia_t, what do we see on the 2nd day?
That should keep us busy. Fantastic. Great info. Thanks.
Pick a pub...we'll be there.

Gwendolynn

If you're in Bath it's not too far to Wells and its beautiful cathedral. Somehow, we managed to visit Wells twice during various trips to England.

York's cathedral is magnificent... and not too far from Castle Howard (of Brideshead fame...)
but it is quite far from your initial interest. Also, if you go to York you should go to Lincoln....
the list goes on and on -

annhig

yes, Wells is lovely - and it makes a great base to stay in, as we did for a long weekend last year.

however i'm not sure that it works with Julia's suggestion to do Bath as a day trip by park and ride - you'd really need the whole day for Bath, and of course Wells is quite a bit further south of Bath.

michele_d

We really enjoyed our stay in Wells. Our B&B was right on the green opposite the cathedral. Great view across the green from the breakfast room. The cathedral was beautiful inside. Wells is a lovely town. Quick drive over to Bath for a day trip if you wanted to do that also.

indy_dad

Not sure if it fits the revised plan or not, but here are some photos of our Bath/Stonehenge/Wells/Glastonbury/Cheddar/Avebury trip.

http://ukfrey.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08...tonehenge.html

Good luck with the planning.