Barbara_in_FL

I'm starting to plan a trip to England for the first two weeks of this coming June. (I would prefer to go a little earlier but it's not going to be possible.) I will be traveling with my aunt, who is 68. She is an experienced traveler but has some mobility issues, so we will be doing less outdoors than I would normally do and will have to be somewhat careful not to overdo walking. (I don't want to overstate it. She has old injuries from a car accident and a lot of hardware in her ankles - she gets around just fine, we're just not going to be going on any hikes.)

The two focal points of the trip will be London and Dorset. London because it's London. I was there once about 35 years ago, on my very first trip abroad, and the whole thing is a blur. So we really are starting on a blank slate there. I'm thinking we need to give it five days. I'm not worried about figuring out what to see while we're there. Then Dorset, because this is partly a "roots" trip and that's where her family originated. But it's also an area of the country with lots that appeals to both of us - a good mix of scenery, history, old houses/castles, and the whole Jurassic coast thing. I think we can easily spend four days there. I'm looking at Bridport, again because of family roots. So...allowing a day for arrival and departure, that leaves 2-3 days somewhere else.

Bath is high on my list. From the things I've read I think we could spend a couple of days there. Does that sound reasonable? And are there any good stops between London and Bath, or London and Bridport, that we might incorporate into our driving days? I know Bath and Bridport aren't that far apart. Should we try to strike out a little further? Thoughts welcome. She had mentioned seeing Oxford and/or Cambridge. Cambridge seems like it would be pretty out of our way, but perhaps Oxford. I looked at driving directions on the AA website and it seemed to me that we could leave Bath and return to London via Oxford - we could spend half a day sightseeing there and then continue on to London.

I'm thinking we'll rent a car when we leave London, but we certainly don't need one while we're there. Would it be feasible to get out to the airport the day we leave London and get a car there, then drop it off there when we return? Or are there car rental places more centrally located? I would like to minimize driving in traffic. I've done the opposite-side-of-the road thing and I'm OK with that in general.

I am a bit apprehensive about traveling in high season - I just feel that we have to nail down accommodation pretty early. We would rather stay in self-catering or B&Bs if possible, and avoiding stairs is preferable. It seems to me from looking at various apartment/cottage rental sites that there will be some options for less than a full week, but I'm sure they fill up quickly at that time of year.

Thanks for any suggestions.

janisj

Just some quick comments >>I am a bit apprehensive about traveling in high season <<

June is definitely not high season. There are bank holidays in May and schools get out in July so June is a perfect time to avid the bad crowds.

You do not need or want a car in either Oxford or Bath so I''d maybe look at something like London - then Oxford by train or express bus - then Bath by train ,then collect a car when leaving Bath to tour Dorset and drop it at LHR before flying home. OR Train to Oxford, then collect a car when laving and do a day or two in the Cotswolds then Bath / Dorset / back to LHR.

thursdaysd

schnauzer

thursdaysd

Gardyloo

Given your screen name, I'm going to take a shot at guessing you're in Florida. Am I right?

I'm going to come up with a rather different idea, just for you to consider. What if you flew into Heathrow, but instead of heading right into central London with all its congestion and hustle, caught the direct bus from the airport to Bath? National Express (the big national bus company) runs numerous buses daily from Heathrow (not central London) to Bath, with the trip taking 2h 15m. https://www.rome2rio.com/map/Heathrow-England/Bath . You would basically end up in Bath in just a little more time than you would in central London, but there the similarities end.

Bath is eminently walkable, full of history and beautiful places, with affordable hotels and good restaurants. Use the first couple of days in Bath to get over jetlag, to get your body clocks adjusted, to learn how to look right before stepping into the street, and to get a feel for being in England. Walk around, take naps if necessary, and not feel like your under some kind of "get it done" time frame. I would get a modern hotel for the first couple of nights (one with a lift/elevator) and save the quaint for later.

THEN get a car and explore Dorset or any of the areas you want to see before heading to London. Drop the car at Heathrow, then head into the city. But this way, you'll have been seasoned by time in the countryside, and (hopefully) your energy will be higher compared to feeling like zombies after an overnight flight and big time change.

Just a suggestion, anyway.

thursdaysd

Great idea, Gardyloo. I recommend these apartments in Bath, although they would need a "superior" to get twin beds: https://www.sacoapartments.com/servi...jamess-parade/ Otherwise I'd go for the Premier Inn - used them for the first time on my last trip (my knees gave out) and was pleasantly surprised.

janisj

OR . . . a variation on Gardyloo's idea: Express coach from LHR to Oxford, then after a couple of nights there either train to Bath or collect a car and a couple of days in the Cotswolds, then Bath, Dorset, drop car at LHR and finish up with several days in London

Barbara_in_FL

Thanks! I really like the idea of going right to either Oxford or Bath, and saving London for the end. I'm going to run that past my aunt to see how she feels about it. I am fine with using buses/trains as much as possible as well. Thursdaysd, I definitely want to go to Lyme Regis, thank you. I'm sure I'll be back with more questions.

Barbara_in_FL

An update and another question. Right now we are looking at going straight to Bath when we arrive on June 10th and spending three nights there. Then we will rent a car and head to the Bridport area, arriving the evening of June 13th. We want four or five full days in London, and we leave on the 23rd. We can't decide between (a) leaving Bridport on the 17th, stopping somewhere for the night, leaving the car at Heathrow and heading into London on the morning of the 18th; (b) staying in Bridport through the night of the 17th, driving to Heathrow on the morning of the 18th, and heading into London; or (c) arriving in London the night of the 17th. It doesn't seem like this should be taking a lot of mental energy. Thoughts?

janisj

There is no reason to break the drive from Bridprt to LHR unless you simply want to. It is about a 2.5-3 hour drive. Both dates are mid week so the traffic won't be much of an issue. So just decide if you want to be in London the afternoon of the 17th or the afternoon of the 18th.

Barbara_in_FL

Thanks janisj!