Near the end of our 13 day trip to England next August, we will leave York early and drive south, spending the night somewhere north of Canterbury.

In between York and ??? (wherever we decide to stop for the night), we will visit Lincoln for several hours, but we want to leave Lincoln in the early afternoon and get much further down the road before stopping for the night.

The next day we plan to MAYBE BRIEFLY stop at Canterbury Cathedral but definitely be in Dover by noon, where we are staying in a B&B.

We’re looking for suggestions of where to stay near the M11--somewhere south of Cambridge, somewhere easy to get to and then back on highway the next day, somewhere to arrive at before dark (which is about 8:30), somewhere that would allow us to reach Canterbury Cathedral by about 9:30 the next morning. We just need a decent room for 3 adults.

Bishop Stortford area might fit the bill; there’s a Best Western there. Or somewhere further south?

I haven't been there, but I've been told that the Tabard Inn, a tavern in Southwark, near London has reasonable accommodations.

Ira,
I'm reviewing my lecture on satire/irony/sarcasm before class today and may be reading some unintended meaning into your post--but are you serious? Why would we go to London? Am I missing some joke or something?

You've not specified days you'll be travelling, but if it's monday to friday the biggest problem you'll have is that, in order to get to Canterbury for 9.30, you'll have to leave your overnight pretty early because the M11 southbound, M25 clockwise, and Dartford Crossing (QE Bridge which forms part od the M25) will all be an absolute mare with commuter traffic and the M2/A2 coast bound to Canterbury isn't going to be a bundle of laughs either.

You might be better off and pushing on the previous evening and driving the extra hour down to Canterbury (outside of rush "hour" - 7.00am - 9.30am and 4.30pm to 7.30pm I reckon on taking an hour from Canterbury city centre to the M25/M11 junction - and I do the journey regularly).

If you're set at stopping somewhere Saffron Walden is a <i>very</i> nice little town with some decent hostelries and restaurants. But you're journey the next morning could be two and a half hours, much of it spent in queueing traffic.

If, on the otherhand, it's a weekend you're enquiring about then please disregard my witterings above. Any of Saffron Walden, Thaxted, Bishops Stortford would fit the bill. Me? I'd go for Saffron Walden.

Dr D.

"Am I missing some joke or something?"


!!!!

What's taught in Texas if a bookworm travelling to Canterbury has to ask?

HINT:

Bifil that in that seson, on a day,
In Southwerk at the Tabard as I lay,
Redy to wenden on my pilgrymage

As Frankie would have said "Ah, the prologue"!

Just to confuse the poor folks living overseas.

Try the Alastair Sawday website for a nice B&B in your chosen area.

Ira and flanner--ok, egg on my face. I did miss the joke. Got in a hurry and concentrated on the facts, just the facts, maam. Had on my serious hat.

So Ha. I get it. (I'd better--I teach the thing, starting with the Prologue, next semester!)

(We'll have already made a swing past the "Tabard" [George] when in London earlier on the trip, so won't want to go back)

OK, so back to more mundane things--about that pesky rooming question: maybe we'll rethink this day; would rather on this trip be in Dover by noon than stop in Canterbury, so maybe we'll just pick somewhere pretty far south and then tackle the traffic later in the morning and just be in Dover when we want.

The theoretical journey time from Lincoln to Canterbury is 3 and 1/2 hours (via the A1)...obviously going anywhere near the M25 in rush hour will lengthen that somewhat....but you might just want to leave Lincoln at 2 and bite the bullet, being in Canterbury for about 6 or a bit later and stay there

I agree with Alihutch, long day but just drive to Canterbury and find a B&B or hotel and relax and have a nice meal. You can then visit a wonderful Cathedral the next morning before your journey to Dover.