Where to overnight between the Cotswolds and Surrey
 

I'm traveling solo from Moreton-on-Marsh on June 5 to the British Wildlife Center for a photography event. I have to be at the Wildlife Center in Lingfield, Surrey at 2pm on June 6.

Where should I stay? I thought about Reading.

Should I get a car or take the train? If I take the train I have to get a taxi to the Wildlife Center.

Just as an FYI, I have the whole next day (June 7) to get back to Heathrow to spend the night before my flight on June 8. So I can do some additional sight seeing.

Any help would be very great. Thanks!

You'll almost certainly get better answers by getting this Q moved to the Europe forum.

I certainly wouldn't stay in Reading. Dull as ditchwater, with even less evidence of life. The simplest thing, tbh, would be to stay both nights in London and sightsee from there. The instant immediate alternatives would be to get off the train at Oxford and stay there or stay on the train from MiM to Slough (poss the only place in Britain duller than Reading), change for Windsor and stay there.

Without a car, using Lingfield as a base for the second night is really quite challenging

Ditto everything flanner says re Reading, Slough, etc. If it was me - I'd stay car-less in London June 5, 6 and 7. Trains in less than 1 hour to Lingfield from either St Pancras or Victoria with no changes.

Then it is easy to get from anywhere in London to LHR and no need to 'waste' a night staying at LHR. . That would be by far the easiest

Thanks for the info. I didn't mention that I have been to London many times before and will be in London the two weeks prior on business. That said I was looking for a change of scenery as well as less expensive lodgings. Thanks.

If it were me I’d rent a car and drive from MiM to Lingfield on 6th June, drop the car off at LHR on the 8th June, find somewhere to stay for those 2 nights. Since you’ve been to London already, you could stay somewhere like Great Fosters Hotel (depending on budget, good location for access to Windsor, Heathrow, not far from Hampton Court and plenty of free parking).

If you don't want to stay in London -- then a rental car is really your best/only practical option. You could stay in/near Hever, Tonbridge, Royal Tunbridge Wells. Hever would be great since it is 7 or 8 miles from Lingfield - and you'd be convenient to Hever Castle, Penshurst Place and Chartwell if you haven't visited them before.

if you want a nice village to stay in, the prettiest in the area by far is Chiddingstone, which has a very nice pub with rooms:

https://www.castleinnchiddingstone.co.uk

otherwise Tunbridge Wells is the best large town, though Sevenoaks is ok, and if you are happy just to hang around a pub at night, there are plenty offering rooms in the area.

I don't remember there being anything to write home about at Lingfield [apart from the Race Course] and East Grinstead is just a dormitory town that kept its railway because Dr Beeching went to live there after he sold the house I used to live in. [my one and only claim to fame]. Tonbridge is a bit of a dump, or was 20 years ago and I can't imagine it's improved since.

Another option for overnight in this area is the Leicester Arms in Penshurst. It's close to Chiddingstone, Hever Castle and,of course, Penshurst Place is almost next door. An option if the pub in Chiddingstone doesn't work out for you. BTW, booking.com has recently reduced their rates at Leicester Arms.

Good idea, history traveller. I didn't think of that one.