Kimberly

We will be going to London/Paris in May, 2001. We also want to see Windsor and Bath. Can anyone recommend a place to stay in Windsor, as I'm told it is a charming place? Also, has anyone visited Glastonbury (which is supposedly King Arthur's home)?

ron

I thought Glastonbury was well worth a half day when we were there a few years ago. The abbey ruins are impressive, whether or not you believe that it is Arthur and Guinevere's grave that you are looking at, the climb to the top of Glastonbury Tor was worth the exercise for the view, whether or not you believe it to be Avalon, the Chalice Well gardens are interesting, whether or not you believe that Joseph of Aremethia brought Jesus there as a child and the connexion with the Holy Grail. There are astrological attractions around Glastonbury as well and the village is full of new age commune type people, neither of which I can relate to, but if that interests you, could be a reason to visit for more than half a day. Wells Cathedral is about 10 miles away from Glastonbury and is a "must see" in my books.

Angela

Kimberly, <BR>Windsor would be so worth a visit. It is a beautiful town, the castle (you can usually have a tour of the State rooms, Queen Marys Dolls House, the wonderful shops, cafes, the railway museum. "Eton" the famous public school is nearby as is Windsor great park a beautiful place to wander.The river Thames is particularly pretty around the Royal borough (ie Windsor and Maidenhead).... and of course Legoland! It is easily "doable" for a daytrip from London. I was born in Maidenhead on the Thames and almost next to Windsor, so sorry but I haven't ever needed a hotel. But I just wanted to say it is well worth a visit. Also this gets it back to the top. <BR>Angela

Gina

I also highly recommend Glastonbury. It's a very appealing little town, and Ron sums up its charms very well. Wells Cathedral is indeed a don't-miss, and can be done easily as part of an excursion to Glastonbury. I'd budget a day for the two, which should allow time for visits to the Cathedral, the Tor, Glastonbury Abbey, the Chalice Well (bring home a bottle of well water as a souvenir), and to wander around the streets of both towns.

Angela

ps I have a recommendation for a Windsor hotel -: The Oakley Court Hotel, a large manor house in lovely grounds by the Thames. It is located on the A308 a couple of miles from Windsor in the direction of Maidenhead.

David White

Kimberly, <BR> <BR>Windsor is a great day trip--only about 30 minutes by train from central London. As others have pointed out, the castle is a highlight, but the little town of Eton across the Thames is worth a stroll. <BR> <BR>It takes about an hour and 40 minutes to get by train from London to Bath. The combination of the journey time, and the larger size of the town, makes Bath a good overnight trip (although you could see much of it in a day). This is a great city to stroll and look at the architecture and the Roman baths exhibit is also worthwhile. <BR> <BR>If you rented a car and drove to Bath, you could also tour the Cotswolds countryside nearby. There are also some coach bus trips from London to Bath--if this is something you would consider doing. <BR> <BR>To my knowledge, there's no rail connection to Glastonbury. Its about 30 winding miles from Bath by road--maybe 50 minutes to an hour by car. We enjoyed Glastonbury, with its ruined abbey and the legendary Tor. I would not necessarily make a special trip here, however. (I guess there are just so many ruined abbeys and alleged King Arthur sites to choose from, that Glastonbury does not stand out for me). FYI, stay away from this town during the annual summer rock festival, usually held in June...its a zoo. <BR> <BR>If you are in the area, I also give very high marks to the cathedral in Wells. <BR> <BR>For info on rail travel: <BR> http://www.rail.co.uk <BR> <BR>Hope this information helps <BR> <BR> <BR>Regards, <BR> <BR>David White <BR>LET'S TAKE THE KIDS TO LONDON <BR> <BR>http://www.KidsToLondon.com <BR>[email protected]

Thyra

Kimberly, I have been to Glastonbury several times over the years and it's always fun, though the past few years the center of town has been inundated with various New Age shops and rock and rollers, not that it's a bad thing by any means. The Tor is really worth the hike and there are a great many B & B's up there that are resonable. Windsor is my favorite place to stay outside of London, and again, there are many reasonably priced B & B's we've never had trouble finding a place to stay in either Glastonbury or Windsor. PS a friendly warning to David, you may want to consider taking the www.kidstolondon thing off your postings. There are many on Fodor's who will get pretty pissed off at anything that smacks of advertising. You gave great advice but if you don't want to get nailed then I'd take it off. If you are trying to get business then shame on you.