go_laura

Hello,

Due to some unexpected health issues I'm much later than usual in planning an upcoming, mid-Sept. trip, which is making me a bit nervous. We'd just gotten plane tix when life threw a couple curve balls. Seems to be the story last couple of trips! In any case, now looking for any help available learning about public transport options to get from one base to the other for the following itinerary (and open to hearing thoughts on the itinerary itself, too).

[Five notes:: 1) our last trip to U.K. 8 yrs ago, we spent our entire 10 days in London, which was wonderful and although we're sure we could spend a year there and still not have explored it all, we don't get across the ocean all that often so we really want to see a couple other areas too, this time. 2) We have an old friend in Fairford we'd like to see and it's best if at all possible for that part of the trip to include a weekend day when he'll have more time available, 3) if we'd planned better perhaps we wouldn't have flown into Heathrow but it's too late to change that now without major expense. 4) We've enjoyed many trips with public transport that others have felt not worth doing without a car, so we're confident that if we can just figure out how to get to our bases, we'll figure out how to enjoy ourselves once there even when most people prefer having a car 5) It's not possible for us to drive this trip, so that's not a changeable factor.

Thurs. Sept. 14, arrive Heathrow 9AM (if all goes well!): would like to immediately head to Cotswolds, ideally a town/village within a half hr ride of Fairford, where the old friend lives. Burford perhaps? Can we do this by public transport? We're not averse to doing Lyfft or Uber to get from a main area on a rail or bus route, to a smaller village, or hiring a driver, if needed and that exists in those areas.

Stay Thurs, Fri, and Sat. nights. Friend will likely show us around Cotswolds on Sat., so depending on our energy levels, perhaps on Fri. we'll do a public transport day trip to either Oxford or Bath. If tired, we'll just stay hanging out in village. Or, stay in Oxford or Bath instead of a village? I like the small village idea as we're likely to be tired upon arrival and it sounds relaxing to just sit outside and watch some sheep and the world go by, plus that sounds more like getting a real taste of Cotswolds. But perhaps we'll only be able to easily get from one place to another, by staying somewhere larger.

Sunday Sept. 17, would love any help available to figure out best way to transport to North Wales, looking at either Bettelgert, Betwys y Coed, or Conwy as base. Alternatively, mid west coast Wales, if easier. Stay 3 nights.

Wed., Sept. 20th, train transport back to London. Stay 4 nights. Take in a show or two in London. If at all possible take in a football game. Again depending on mood, maybe a day trip Friday to either Greenwich or Canterbury (didn't go to either last trip), or instead to Cambridge if we never made it to Oxford - or if tired of travel maybe just stay and hang in London.

Sunday, Sept. 24, dh heads back to Phila. U.S. from Heathrow, I train to Birmingham for a work related event the next 5 days.

I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed by the train/bus transport arrangements part of the trip and would appreciate very much suggestions, links, etc.
Thanks in advance for any help!

thursdaysd

There is a discussion of transport options for getting to the Cotswolds here:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-cotswolds.cfm

Your best options from LHR are probably Oxford, Cirencester or Cheltenham.

For maps of the UK rail system see:

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/statio...ions/maps.aspx

Conwy is a request stop on the Birmingham to Holyhead line. I visited Conwy by public transport last year, click on my name for the TR for that trip.

There are a few trains to Betwys y Coed but none to Bettelgert and Conwy would make a better base. Do you know about the Welsh steam railways? Good for day trips, not so much for transport in season.

http://www.visitwales.com/things-to-...eritage/trains

PalenQ

Conwy would be my choice of North Wales base - old walled small town on main rail line and kind of on the sea.

I took the steam train up Mt Snowdon - went first to Caernarfon and castle where Princes of Wales are crowned - nice town -bus to nearby Snowdon base and steam train up to summit. There is also a steam train on some days from Caernarfon to the Mount Snowdon Railway.

A more interesting steam train to me was the Ffestiniog steam train (which calls itself the oldest operating railway company in the world) up to the old slate town of Ffestiniog - catch it by taking the Conwy Valley scenic regular railway to Balenau its terminus

http://www.festrail.co.uk/timetable-fr.htm

From Conwy I suggest taking trains to Bangor then bus to Beaumarais Castle - a largely ruined with intact ramparts right on the coast.

The Great Orme Tramway is just a hop, step and a long jump from Conwy -it's Britain's only cable-drawn tram and goes up top the Great Orme -views extend miles and a national park or such up top. Easy walk down to Llandudno - once one of Britain's nicest seaside resorts and still a nice old Victorian town with a nice shopping area - trains go there from Conwy.

For lots on British trains check www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.ricksteves.com and www.seat61.com. Investigate BritRail Passes if wanting to hop on any train anytime and especially if wanting first class - which to me is much more comfy than 2nd class.

Also investigate passes for North Wales only: http://ukbytrain.com/north-wales-rover/

Or all of Wales: https://www.arrivatrainswales.co.uk/ExploreWalesPass/

If not wanting fully flexible tickets which let you hop any UK regular train check www.nationalrail.co.uk for discounted tickets.

I've taken a zillion UK trips by rail and love it - with buses can go about anywhere. Even though several steps below the Continent in comfort -especially in Standard Class - they are frequent and in 1st class really neat - free refereshments and food on many long-distance trains.

thursdaysd

The Prince of Wales was NOT crowned!!!

Coronations are for monarchs. The ceremony at Caernarfon was an investiture.

janisj

>>2) We have an old friend in Fairford we'd like to see and it's best if at all possible for that part of the trip to include a weekend day when he'll have more time available,<<

Fairford is near Burford and not too far from Cirencester and Swindon. I would contact a local Fairford taxi company like http://www.sirencars.com/fairford-taxi/ And get quotes for <B>1)</B> picking you up at LHR, and </B>2)</B> picking you up in say Oxford or Swindon (You could take an express coach to Oxford, or the coach to Reading/train to Swindon) . Neither option would be complicated

> if we'd planned better perhaps we wouldn't have flown into Heathrow but it's too late to change that now without major expense.<<

LHR is by far the easiest place to fly into for your plans so not to worry.

Conwy is not a problem re trains . . .

PalenQ

You know I thought about that thinking it was not what it was called - thanks for correcting. Where are Princesses of Wales invested?

janisj

sorry re the emoticon. Should have been >> 3) if we'd planned better . . .<<

tipsygus

PalenQ Princesses are not invested they are the wife of the Prince of Wales, the Monarch's eldest son, the eldest daughter(if there is more than one) is The Princess Royal,

PalenQ

Conwy is not a problem re trains . . .>

Unless you're in a hotel that is along the tracks on each end of the tunnel they run thru in Conwy!

historytraveler

And, while the castle is wonderful, the town of Caernarfon is not.Agree that the easiest way to get to Fairford and/ or Buford is via pre- arranged taxi. Or, bus to O

historytraveler

Well what happened ? To continue, bus from LHR to Oxford which is easy to do , maybe spend a night there then taxi to Burford or Fairford. While there are buses running in through out the Cotswolds, they are not always easy to get from one point to another. For example, I'm not sure how easy it'd be to get from Fairford to either Bath or Oxford. A number of places you mention are smaller towns or villages where there are no train stations and buses can be complicated. If using public transportation it's usually to stay in a larger place. BTW (my own prejudice ) I would stick with regular taxi service and avoid Uber and Lyfft.

Conwy is the best option for Wales if using public transportation.

thursdaysd

The eldest or only daughter of the monarch may be made the Princess Royal, but it is no more automatic than the investiture of the eldest son as Prince of Wales.

PalenQ

The thing I enjoyed about taking buses from Bangor - a busy but blah regional town - to Beaumarais and from Caernarferon to Snowdon train was that many folks on the bus were speaking Celtic and the driver to them too - was rather surprised by that.

If your adventuresome try walking down the various footpaths from Snowdon -the easiest parallels the railway down on a rather busy broad walkway - I took the Pyg Path down 3.25 miles to the Pen y Pas youth hostel to catch buses to Betwys Coed for trains to Conwy and Llandudno where I was staying.

The path was marked 'easy' and it was at first but somehow I got off it and ended up literally scrambling, sometimes on my rear end from boulder to boulder down a cascade of large rocks to a lake I saw in the distance - where I could see the nice path I somehow got off. But if a rambler take the train up and 'walk' down to Pen y Pas and bus/train back to Conwy. Maybe do some research and have a detailed map before setting out.

http://www.mountainwalk.co.uk/minersandpyg.html

thursdaysd

"were speaking Celtic"

No, they were speaking Welsh. There is no one Celtic language, there are six living Celtic languages: Irish Gaelic, Scottish Gaelic, Manx, Welsh, Breton and Cornish (surprised to see Cornish is still "living"). You are not doing very well on your facts today, PQ.

And why were you surprised that people on a Welsh bus were speaking Welsh? If you had watched the recent UK election returns (which were available over the net on the BBC) you would have seen that in Wales they were reported in both Welsh and English.

janisj

Just more goofy misinformation.

PalenQ

And why were you surprised that people on a Welsh bus were speaking Welsh?>

Because I did not watch the recent UK election returns on the net from BBC- why was I surprised - because in Scotland I rarely heard anyone speaking 'Scottish' or Scots Gaelic or whatever it's officially called. And few in Ireland speak "Irish" which I dare to call Gaelic except in remote west coast areas.

And in other parts of Wales I've been to never heard it much and in Lladudno where I stayed a week never heard it - like in pubs, etc.

Anyway I was naive and un-wordly to be surprised by Welsh speaking Welsh and it was a cool thing to hear.

Cheers!

janisj

PQ! What has it got to do with the elections? They have always spoken WELSH in Wales. What do you think all those place names are???

Aberystwyth, Llandudno, Caernarfon, Merthyr Tydfil, Llangollen etc etc etc -- ALL Welsh.

PalenQ

And Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysilio gogogoch!

flanneruk

"And Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysilio gogogoch!"

The village has almost always been known as Llanfair Pwllgwyngyll.

The monstro name was invented as a publicity stunt in the 1860s when the railway arrived. There's not a scrap of evidence anyone's ever actually spoken the word in a real conversation.

go_laura

Wow, I go to sleep and wake up to 18 replies! Thank you all so much, this is a wealth of information and tips here. I'll consider all and report back!