Kendra

I'm trying to plan a trip to England with my family. We will arrive at Gatwick and will then be renting a cottage on Dartmoor for a week. Since we'll be exhausted when we first arrive, I was thinking of driving to Windsor and spending the first night there and then seeing the castle the next day before we drive to Dartmoor. Does anyone have any comments about the city of Windsor and their impressions of the Castle? Any recommendations on moderately priced B&Bs in Windsor? Thanks for your help!!

elaine

Kendra <BR>Speaking from experience, it is challenging, to say the least, to get off a plane, exhausted as you say, with reflexes perhaps not at peak efficiency, and then pick up a rented car and drive immediately to an unfamiliar location, particularly if you have not driven on the left side of the road before and have not before experienced the thrill of motorways and roundabouts <BR>(traffic circles). If you've driven there before and/or feel confident, ignore what I've just said.

Thyra

Kendra, my husband and I have done exactly that 3 times. Picked up a car and driven to Windsor and stayed in a bed and breakfast then visited the castle. I think it is a wonderful idea especially as you don't have to go into London proper and it's much easier to navigate through Windsor, however the previous poster was correct it's not the easiest thing in the world to hop off an international flight and then into a car. The first time we did this we ended up getting so confused we went around the same round about like 12 times, much to the chagrin of the locals!!! It does get better though and now we just breeze in. If you are familiar with driving in England, and have a good navigator you will fare very well. I can't say enough about Windsor, I love spending my first night there then getting up early and strolling along the "Long Walk" then I know I am in England. Have a nice trip

ann

Kendra, I would do this, too! Windsor is a wonderful place to visit, although of course the highlight is the castle. I just got off a plane at Heathrow and drove to Suffolk by myself recently, having never driven in the UK, so it is doable! It helped me to repeat to myself several times a day during the week prior to the trip, "Look right!" Had no problems, so maybe the power of suggestion worked! Good luck... sorry I can't help with a B&B.

Lori

It depends where you are flying from whether or not it is wise to hop in a car and start driving. We have found that the trip from the west coast is a killer and our reflexes, etc. are not up to par (even if we think they are) upon arrival. The times we've rented a car we stayed at an airport hotel the first day to minimize the chance of an auto accident! The one time we did drive some distance was scarey and we decided it wasn't the smartest thing in the world to do under the circumstances. That said, Windsor is a tourist town, and can be quite crowded so be prepared! <BR>It's quite close to Heathrow (about 15 minutes) but I'm not sure of the mileage from Gatwick. Hotels can be a bit pricey (because it's a tourist town) but I'm not sure about B&B's (I imagine they are a bit pricey too!). There is a hotel called The Christopher (not Christopher Wren which is in Windsor) but in Eton, right on the border so to speak of the two towns. We've not stayed there but we know someone who did and they enjoyed it. It's part of the Best Western affiliated hotels incidentally so you get info from them. It's about 100 poounds a night I believe and was once an old coaching inn.

Prue

I can't help with any B & B's or the driving, but we visited Windsor Castle in October last year and thought it was wonderful. It has been extensively revamped since the fire, and this has enhanced the beauty of it all. There is also a large collection of china, silverware etc., plus the Dolls House. It is definitely worth a visit.

Kendra

Thanks for the advice! Thyra, would you recommend any of the B&Bs you have stayed at in Windsor? <BR>

Thyra

Kendra, tonight when I go home I will search though the chaos that passes for my travel notes. We usually go to tourist info and just book through them. However we did stay at one B & B in particular that had a delightful hostess and was very reasonable. I will search tonight do you have to have an en suite? Or can you manage a bathroom down the hall?

Linda

Hi Kendra! While you're in Windsor enjoying all it and its castle have to offer, make sure you walk across the bridge into Eton. It's kind of fun to see the students from Eton College dressed in their "uniforms" of long tails from the 1800's. A beautiful little town to stroll thru while you're in the area. Just a thought! You will have a grand time!!

Ivan

There are two B & Bs listed in 'The Good B&B Guide', Beaumount Lodge and Lanton Hall. Both have only three or four rooms(en suite), cost around £50 - £70 per room per night. <BR> <BR>If it gets too crowded in the town centre, take a walk along the river Thames(on Eton side), pretty scenery and not a single tourist in sight, just don't walk too far, you may end up somewhere in Oxfordshire. You can also have a pleasant walk along the river on Windsor side(don't cross the bridge, the right hand side of the bridge if you stand facing the bridge). <BR> <BR>The drive between Gatwick and Windsor is about 2 1/2 hours if you travel during off-peak hours, otherwise it will take considerably longer. The rental cars in UK are mainly manual (stick), the rental of automatic car costs slightly more. Something you should consider if you haven't driven manual car before. <BR> <BR>Have a good trip.

Dawn

Ivan, <BR>Are you sure Gatwick is 2+ hours from Windsor? That dosen't sound right to me. Isn't Gatwick out in the suburbs of London?

A Local

To drive from Gatwick to Windsor is fairly straightforward: up the M23 and round the M25. Should take about 1 hour, maybe 1/2 hour longer in heavy traffic or if you're unfamiliar with the route. <BR> <BR>One thing to bear in mind is that flights from the US generally arrive in the early morning - right in the middle of the rush hour which can be very stressful indeed on our overcrowded motorways!

ivan

Dawn, <BR>yes, I am sure 'cos I'd live not too far away from Windsor a few years back. <BR> <BR>A.Local, <BR>I am a slow and careful driver that's how long it took me to get to Gatwick from Windsor. Unless you are a boy racer or you travel very early in the morning, I doubt anyone can do it in the time you mentioned. Anyway, it is always advisable to give yourself plenty of time while travelling on three busy motorways, you can't really anticipate any delays that might be on these motorways. <BR>

Dawn

Just wondering. Last year my husband and I got lost on the M25, bigtime for 2 hours. We were staying at a hotel at Heathrow, and wanted to get out a bit, boyt did we. We kept passing signs to Gatwick, so I thought it was only about 45 minutes or so from Heathrow. At the end of the 2 hours we were almost divorced.

Hardly a boy racer

Hey Ivan, take your milk float in for a tune-up - it might get into double figures...!