Hi, Fodorites!

This is my first international trip since pandemic…so I’m oddly nervous. I know I’ll have an amazing time, I know I love London, I’m just feeling odd.

Celebrating my fortieth, with one of my bucket list items: RHS Chelsea flower show. So excited!

I’ve a general list of ideas but I’m not sure how if it’s realistic, or if there are other possibilities. As always, food recs are absolutely welcome! I’m always fond of afternoon tea in particular.

May 12th afternoon—land at Heathrow (probably). I want to nail down some details before I buy my tickets, but right now, that’s the plan. I’d like a budget but nice hotel—as some of you might remember, I tend to go for hostels, but I need nice/convenient lodging when jet legged. Right now, I’m looking at premier, particularly the hub locations, but I’m open to anything that is near a tube stop, has a great food option nearby, and somewhere I can walk around. I am a hot mess when jet lagged and so I’m thinking 2 nights at this lodging.

May 13th—something brainless. And I do mean brainless. I’m thinking a day trip to Warner brothers and a visit to aire ancient baths, but I’m really open to anything…so if you have any great experiences, please share! I’ve considered going to a museum, because that’s my great love in London, but I’m not sure I’ll be in a condition to do so.

14th—move lodging. I haven’t really decided where. And this is partly the issue!

should I: (14th-18th, so 3-ish days)

1) set off on an adventure and move every day

or

2) move to another place in London and do day trips

potential adventures—not quite “bucket list” but more “if I went back to UK” things—would prefer to fit in as much as possible—

Way on Rye—have wanted to visit here for YEARs. I do realize it’s out of the way, but I’d like to make it work.

Cotswolds—I don’t want to rent a car, so it would have to be transit— I’m not really sure where. But I’m thinking…I know, dorky—quaint, walkable, history, antique shopping. Tetbury is currently top of the list but willing to alter or change—I’m having a particularly hard time figuring out transit connections. I think it would be fun to stay in a b&b or pub for two nights…open to suggestions, though.

Oxford: mostly just because I’d like to go to the Ashmolean.

Palaces, house museums, abbey ruins—I’m not sure which would be practical. I like interesting collections and gardens and water features. On both of my previous trips, I just had so much in London that I wanted to see, I didn’t make it to Windsor, Blenheim, Hampton Court, etc. This is fairly low hanging fruit, so I’m interested in people’s experiences. Was there anywhere you loved? Please tell me! I enjoy national trust properties, and my previous trips have been in the winter, so I’m open to anything along those lines.

related to the above—I love house museums, so anything that stands out, please share! Waddesdon Manor was added to my list today…the trouble with the UK is that there are SO many interesting places. V&A wedgewood also intrigues me. I love specialty museums so feel free to share your favorites!

Bekonscot miniature village—read entirely too much Borrowers as a kid, and also, the miniature villages have always been closed in the winter. So this is my chance!

I have not been to Stratford upon avon or Canterbury, so if Way on Rye is completely impractical, I’m willing to consider shifting directions. The goal for the 14th-18th is just to get a bit of non-London flavor. I have been to Edinburgh, Brighton, York, so those are off the list for this trip.

Then:

head back to London on the 19th—Chelsea garden show is May 20-25.

Has anyone been? Do you have any tips, any recommendations of can’t misses?

The mouse always loves food recs. And afternoon tea recs! My favorites so far have been Brown’s hotel and the Ampersand. Considering Peter Pan at the Aqua Shard—has anyone done that?

other than the Garden show: will go to the special exhibit at the British Library, the Kew, and probably the British Museum, National Gallery, or V&A, none of which I can resist.

how much time do I need for the Kew? Realistically?

Probably flying home on the 26th—work on 28th!

Thank you so much! I’m so excited about another trip!

I'm just heading to dinner so it will be later tonight before I can digest your whole thread. Just two quick initial Comments. 1) Premier Inns and HUB's are fine. Modern, clean -- rates are VERY date specific, especially for the ones in central London.

and 2) I'd never (ever) try to combine visiting the Warner Bros. studio the same day as a spa down by the river -- just doesn't work. One or the other. The spa is close to both the Benjamin Franklin House and the Courtauld Gallery/Somerset House so either would make a nice two-fer with a spa day.

More later ...

OK -- I'm sort of spinning reading this

Random comments:
I don't understand the wish to move hotel every day or even just multiple times. Means a lot of checking out/in and waiting around for check in time etc.

Not sure what 'Way on Rye' is. Do you men Hay on Wye??

Windsor, Oxford and Canterbury are all easy day trips from London by train.

Is renting a car completely off the table?? I ask because LHR (the best place to collect and drop a car) > Beaconsfield (the min. village) > Waddesdon > Stratford-upon-Avon > the Cotswolds (there is another miniature village in Bourton-on-the-Water) > and back to LHR is 5-ish hours total drive time - plus time driving around the Cotswolds. This could easily be done in 3 or 4 days with a car. Trying this by public transport would be very complicated and take much longer.

I personally would not break up my London time into multiple stays. If you'd consider driving a few days you could fly into LHR, take a bus or taxi to Windsor and stay 1 or 2 nights. Then pick up a car and drive out to the Cotswolds, stay 2 or 3 nights, then up to Stratford, stay one night, then Waddedson > Beaconsfield (not 100% necessary if you visit the village in B-o-t-W) drop the car at LHR in the early evening, take public transport into London, -- staying the rest of your time in ONE hotel. Fly home

I've been to Chelsea several times. I attend on Member days which are insanely crowded. Public days will be insanely crowded. Wear VERY comfortable shoes. The crowds start to thin out a bit after about 3:30 or 4 PM so pace yourself and don't try to see everything up front. The queues for food can stretch forever so maybe try booking one of the sit down restaurants.

. . . Kew Gardens can take as long as you want. Including transit out and back (on the District tube line) plan on at least half a day. There are cafes on site.

Oh, I’m spinning too, janisj. 🤣 I think that’s the main issue. I’ve been trying to work this out in my head all week. I’d actually intended to go to Spain, but the time that I could get off from work coincided with the flower show, and two weeks didn’t seem long enough for Spain…so I pivoted.

I’d also prefer to not change lodging. I’m just doing what I always do and the list exponentially expands. The more I research, the worse it gets. So I thought…hmm, might be time to take it to the trusty Fodorites!

yes, it’s Hay-on-Wye—sorry, I’m wiped out tonight—and no, I really don’t want to rent a car. My current job involves so much commuting that I just want to be a non-driver for my vacation. I could easily entertain myself in London the whole time, but I really enjoyed the more rural areas on my last trip as well.

figured on the comfy shoes. Very nervous about the crowds. I never had an issue before the pandemic, and now that’s not the case. But I figured if worse comes to worse, I can scamper away and find a museum to enjoy instead.

Premier inn are not hostels and why clean and quiet are a bit sterile. You might prefer https://www.yha.org.uk/ which are cheaper and more hostely. In Oxford you might like https://www.universityrooms.com/en-GB/ for a more people contact sort of place.

thanks for the recs, bilbo! I do like yha!

just to clarify—my preference is certainly a hostel, but I choose to spend the first day or two in a hotel when jet lag is involved. Premier is currently cheaper than the hostel private rooms I’ve seen so far.

Premier Inn rates vary quite a LOT between locations and dates. PI County Hall can easily be £200+ a night in high season, whereas PI Kings Cross might be £100 or £110 for the same nights.

Hay on Wye - I am assuming that you want to go to browse the bookshops.
I'm a life long reader, and also work as a Librarian at our community owned library in North Yorkshire. I've been to Hay a couple of times, and both times I was really disappointed!
Whilst I would never want to tell anyone to not go anywhere, I wouldn't get too hung up about visiting.

If you want to browse second hand books I can recommend the following -
Charity shops in any town - they very often have a good and inexpensive selection
Many National Trust properties have a second hand bookshop on site
Local libraries in any town - pop in and you often find a second hand selection (old library books selling for a pound or two)
Our local Tesco supermarket has an excellent 'swap shelf' so keep a look out when you are in a supermarket.


Bekonscot has strong links with Enid Blyton in case you read her books when young.

Thank you, Morgana. I will trust a felllow bookworm’s judgement!

That’s very helpful, striking that off my list. And yes! Certainly read Enid Blyton as a child.

Hay on Wye may or may not excite you on the bookshop front but it is set in spectacular scenery, in my view way better than the Cotswolds. The whole area along the England/Wales birder is full of interesting and atmospheric small towns and you could happily spend a few days pottering between them. There is a railway line from Newport in South Wales up through Hereford and on to Shrewsbury which goes through the likes of Ludlow, Leominster and Church Stretton. You get a bus from Hereford to Hay-on-Wye. Other small places to be recommended are Clun, Presteigne, Knighton and Bishop's Castle, although all are served by only sporadic buses.

I went to the Chelsea Flower Show about 10 years ago and vowed I would never go back. I found it full of people who had dressed up to be seen and not see and the gardens to be more about landscaping and architecture as planting and it was hugely crowded.

Then last year my wife and I got the opportunity to volunteer at a show garden done in liaison with the charity WaterAid with which we are involved. We did some shifts over two days and thoroughly enjoyed the experience, meeting people from all over the world who were genuinely interested.

HI, Marvelous Mouse.

I'll be in the Cotswolds and London this May, as well. Sounds like you and I share similar interests.

RE: London Hubs by Premier Inn
I've stayed in "bigger" rooms at the hubs in Goodge Street, and Westminster Abbey, and "standard" rooms at Covent Garden. As a solo traveller, they've all been wonderful and extremely quiet. Very easy connections to LHR. I have the hub in Marylebone booked for May to try a different area of the city. I do miss having a kettle or frig, but the free coffee in the lounge is a nice perk. I've never NOT had a window, but I understand some rooms in hubs are windowless--which I wouldn't like.

RE: Stately Homes/Specialty Museums
Syon House is an incredible house, near London. Phenomenal history, architecture and furnishings, and the docents were fantastic the day I visited. A pretty conservatory, too, which are a favorite of mine. There's a garden center on site, and I went on a weekend where I could buy some pastries and picnic on the front lawn. (The garden center has a nice collection of cute sheds, which had me dreaming of a She-Shed and tiny house living.)

Also, if interested in more upper-middle class Victorian history, look at Carlyle's house in Chelsea. Wonderfully preserved, and a National Trust property.

Also, Ham House was a wonderful visit, too.

RE: Cotswolds by bus/rail
My POV is one as a tourist with a primary interest in the country walks, as opposed to enjoying the cottages and cafes of a village. That said, if you are hiking, or of a slow travel mindset, and not wanting to check off several sites, then the Cotswolds by public transport is definitely doable, and from what I've read, the local population would much prefer you NOT drive and park in their villages. Sundays are hard, though. A simple travel plan that comes to mind is the easy connection from London to Moreton-in-Marsh (MiM). You can either stay in MiM, or (if not a Sunday) take a bus onward to an inn in Chipping Campden or Broadway. I stayed at the Bell Inn in MiM years back, and loved my room and the history there (with a connection to Tolkien). If you're able, a hike to Sezincote House is wonderful, and you can do a loop to include the Batsford Arboretum.

My next trip will be hiking in the Cotswolds, basing in Cheltenham, and I can't wait. No rental car, as I much prefer daydreaming from a bus window on vacation.
https://explorethecotswolds.com/cots...lic-transport/
Also, The Robin could be a way to see that most lovely of villages, Snowshill, and if you can do the hike, nearby Stanton--which is also wonderful. I'm curious if I might use this Robin bus at some point. I just learned of it: https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/therobin/

Also, if you don't like hiking, then there are several small group tours that leave from the MiM rail station to visit other villages. On a rainy day, I'd taken the Secret Cottage tour years back, but sadly, I believe they've stopped operating. The proprietors and the people I met made for a lovely day.

RE: Kew & Chiswick House
For Kew, I devoted a full day. Be sure to see the Marianne North gallery if you have an interest in botanical history. Also, in the realm of garden design, Chiswick House and Garden is historically important. This is where the Duke of Devonshire employed Joseph Paxton, who then sent him north to the gardens of Chatsworth House. David Jacques wrote of its history if you want to do a little reading beforehand. Maybe ask your library to purchase it if they don't have it.
RE: Other ideas...

• This year, I'm thinking of the Royal Windsor Horse Show, which will be on while you're there. I've never been, and have to do a bit more research to decide, but I'd seen a dressage equestrian at Versailles last year, and was amazed at how beautiful that sport is. And as I'm an historical writer, I'm also very interested in the history of the horse, as well.
• Donmar Warehouse announced a Patrick Marber play, Dealer's Choice, which looks interesting. I've seen several productions there, and they're fantastic.
• Daunt Bookstore in Marylebone. A very pretty bookshop to research book ideas, and their canvas totes have become trendy. My 15-year-old bag then suddenly became fashionable! The high street is also very nice.

Have fun planning!

Big ditto re Daunt Books!

re the Cotswolds -- glad ChgoGal posted. She is a big advocate for the Cotswolds w/o a car. What you might consider is basing in either Moreton-in-Marsh (direct train) or Chipping Campden (train + bus or taxi). Then you could take taxis (or infrequent buses) to places like Hidcote Manor Garden (fabulous), Snowshill and Sezincote.

Waddesdon is a WONDERFUL property, but a slog to visit w/o a car. Train to Aylesbury, taxi or bus to the property. If the bus, the nearest bus stop is about a mile from the car park where you can catch a shuttle to nearer the house. Not sure if taxis are allowed to drive into the property and drop one at the car park but I think they might be.

Hi, mm,

We almost always stay at the Celtic Hotel in Bloomsbury. Family run under the watchful eye of Mrs. Marazzi, it's clean and homey, three old townhouses combined. People come back year after year, young and old. Breakfast is included, cooked to order.

It's right off Russell Square, easy walk to the British museum, Trafalgar Square and the museums there, Covent Garden. Bus lines run nearby, and it's a block from Russell Square tube stop, Piccadilly line from LHR.

Rooms with a sink only or also a shower and en suite rooms. I never had a problem finding a clean bathroom when staying the first kinds.

My ensuite room 26 at the Celtic, overlooking the garden, £115/night including breakfast.

Ive been to the Chelsea Garden show - it s a lot of walking and we found it difficult to find somewhere to sit down. Defintely book somewhere to eat if you can. We were glad we went but of course expect crowds. its a once in a lifetime and I wouldn't go back . Not like kew gardens which I would go back to