travelin_trish

Thanks so much FoFoBT for the rec of Granny Anne's. The family room is available the night we need and is a great option for us. I read on their TripAdvisor reviews that they provide gluten-free rolls at breakfast if requested, a definite plus for gluten=free me.

Question--if our next step is Oxford, and then Salibury/Wiltshire/Avebury the day after that, does Marlow made any sense as a place to base for three days? We'd prefer not to move each night.

FoFoBT

No, not really. Marlow isn't on a main line, it's a "side route" - you'd have to go into Maidenhead then change to a train there to Oxford. To get to Salisbury, you'd again have to go to Maidenhead, then change again at Reading (at least, that's what I did last time I went to Salisbury).
And at night, the trains to Marlow are not frequent. It's a lovely town, but not suitable as a base for your itinerary.

travelin_trish

FoFoBT: We're planning to have a car for those days. Does that make any difference? If not, where does it make more sense to base? After Avebury, we go to Glastonbury/Bath, then Cardiff.

PalenQ

Don't forget Wells when in the Glastonbury area - and its great cathedral in such a small town.

travelin_trish

Thanks, yes, we'll plan to add the cathedral in Wells.

FoFoBT

No, having a car doesn't make a big difference. I still think Marlow makes a good first night - it's a perfect start to your trip and lets you get over jet lag, then head up to Oxford by train, sightsee there and pick up your car.

Bradford on Avon might be a good multi-night base after you visit Oxford. You could easily visit Bath, Glastonbury and Avebury from there. http://www.cotswolds.info/places/bradford-on-avon.shtml

travelin_trish

FoFoBT - thanks for the Bradford on Avon suggestion. How does this itinerary sound for the area?

Mon Arrive Heathrow early am. Public transport to Marlow. Boat trip to Windsor/Eton. See Changing of Guard. Stay over in Marlow.

Tues - Train? to Oxford in early a.m. Christ Church tour/Library/Magdeline Chapel; pick up car; drive past Stonehenge in evening on way to Bradford-on-Avon.

Weds - Devizes museum a.m./Salisbury Cathedral- look see/Avebury, with most of the time at Avebury. Overnight in Bradford-on-Avon.

Thurs - Glastonbury a.m.; Wells Cathedral in pm. Drive to Cardiff for dinner/overnight. Llandaff Ghost tour (for DD)

Friday - St Fagen's museum most of day. Dinner with relatives in Rhonnda valley. Overnight?? (somewhere on way on way to Shrewsbury?)

Saturday - Shrewsbury for festival; settle into week rental cottage near Church Stretton in late p.m.

Reasonable?? Thanks for any tweaking.

janisj

Only time for a very quick comment -- your Tues/Wed are a lot of zigging/zagging all over the place.

>>Tues - Train? to Oxford in early a.m. Christ Church tour/Library/Magdeline Chapel; pick up car; drive past Stonehenge in evening on way to Bradford-on-Avon.

Weds - Devizes museum a.m./Salisbury Cathedral- look see/Avebury, with most of the time at Avebury. Overnight in Bradford-on-Avon.<<

Stonehenge/Avebury/Salisbury are all in the same general area. And especially Stonehenge/Salisbury. It doesn't make sense to go back and forth like that. You can easily do Avebury, Stonehenge/Salisbury/Devizes on one day in a loop starting/ending in Bradford-uon-Avon. I'd just spend more time in Oxford on Tues. and then drive straight through to Bradford . . .

travelin_trish

Thanks, Janisj. For some reason I had Stonehenge on the way west, but that's not so. Your rec makes so much more sense, and since we really don't want to shortchange Oxford, even more so.

Will add Stonehenge to Weds itinerary.

travelin_trish

Just booked two nights at Beeches Farmhouse in Bradford-on-Avon--they had a reasonably priced family room. Town looks lovely so hope we'll have time to enjoy it!

FoFoBT

Hi Trish, I can only speak to your first day.

The Marlow boat to Windsor leaves at 9:30 am - are you sure you will be off the plane, through passport control, checked into the B&B and at the boat dock by 9:15 latest? Even if you do make it, don't take the boat back - either take the train (Windsor & Eton Central to Slough - that's a 6 minute ride - Slough to Maidenhead, then Maidenhead to Marlow) OR ask the B&B to arrange for a car services to pick you up in Windsor and take you straight back to Marlow.

However, given that your proposed activities for Monday are so focused on Windsor, perhaps you should stay there after all. There is a TraveLodge right in the heart of Windsor - it's a new(ish) hotel. Has family rooms. http://www2.travelodge.co.uk/search_...p?hotel_id=329
I think you can pick up gluten-free bread at the nearby Waitrose.