Hi All,

Unfortunately, my husband and I had to cancel our Christmas trip to London and Amsterdam due to some family health issues. It is very disappointing, but I am moving forward and onto the next escapade.

I have mentioned that our 25-year old daughter moved to London this past summer. Our 29-year old daughter and I are going to visit her March and do a bit of a Tudor travel trip. The girls put together the following itinerary that I would love your feedback on. Thank you!

March 2026
6 nightsDay 1: Arrive London mid-afternoon; stay with daughter in Holborn

Day 2: Tower of London and Greenwich

• Palace of Placentia, a key royal residence where Henry VIII, Mary I, and Elizabeth I were born, but the palace itself is gone, replaced by the Old Royal Naval College
• Royal Museums Greenwich

Day 3: Day trip to Hampton Court Palace

Day 4: Day trip to Hever Castle

• Capturing A Queen: The Image of Anne Boleyn Exhibit
• https://www.hevercastle.co.uk/whats-...uring-a-queen/

Day 5: Two nights in the Cotswolds - would love input as to how to approach the Cotswolds (i.e., enjoy a couple of villages and a walk or seek out castles, particularly those tied to the Tudors.)

• Pick up rental car/Drive from daughter's flat in Holborn.
• We originally were going to stay in Kingham or Stow-on-the-Wold and do the walk between the two, stopping at Daylesford Organics.
• I found this link to the history of the Tudors in specific Cotswolds villages and castles.
  • Tudor Travel Guide: https://thetudortravelguide.com/a-lo...the-cotswolds/
  • Sudeley Castle & Gardens
  • Berkeley Castle
    • https://www.berkeley-castle.com

Day 6: Drive back to London

• Windsor Castle
• Return car; back to daughter's flat

Day 7: Depart for another European destination for solo travel

Thanks everyone!

There's a lot to see at both The Tower and Greenwich. I think trying to do both on one day could be very tiring and rushed.

You mentioned two nights in the Cotswolds, giving you one full day, but your day by day plan doesn't allow for that.

I have a lot on the plate today but hopefully U'll get a chance to look more deeply at your plans later. Just some general thoughts:

You are wanting to pick up a car in central London on a Sunday -- most agencies in town have shorter hours on weekends or are closed entirely I might rearrange things to do you Cotswolds trek another time.

Windsor is close to half a day's worth - at least 4 hours plus travel time so you'll not have much time once you get out to the Cotswolds.

In March you might get lucky and have lovely weather but just as likely it will be coming down in buckets or blowing rain sidewise. You will need alternative plans if the weather goes pear shaped.

Kingham is certainly OK (two terrific 'destination' restaurants) but it is not scenic nor actually in the Cotswolds - sort os Cotswold-adjacent.

Both Kingham and Stow on the Wold are a long way from Berkeley Castle - close to a 2 hour drive.

March, like Janisj says, you need a back up plan for each outdoor day

I would want a full day for Greenwich and the Tower is at least 4 hours.

To make some time up I would look to incorporate your Hever Castle trip into a night or two down in Sussex/Kent. At least as pretty as the Cotswolds, nearer London and quite a bit quieter.

Given your interest in Tudor history I would take a look at staying in one of the cottages at Sudeley Castle. We took the kid there when they were over from Australia a few years ago and loved our few days there. Sudeley was home to Katherine Parr, Henry VIII's last wife, Winchcombe itself is a nice enough village, not as quaint as the typical Cotswolds villages but easy to get to from London (straight up the A/M40) and pretty easy to visit place like Stow. I very much doubt you will encounter much traffic or many crowds in March. Several footpaths/walks converge on Winchcombe so plant of options and there are some nice restaurants and pubs there.

Renting a car in central London will likely add significant time to your journey out to the Cotswolds just because of the traffic . Perhaps consider getting the tube form Holborn to West or NorthWest London and picking top a car there. If leaving from LHR, it may even be worth picking up and dropping off there.

I would much rather have a root canal than to drive in any part of London. Your trip is so short and you can easily fill your time in and around London. Believe me, you will not run out of things to do in the time you have.

FWIW, I've driven in the UK several times. Driving through the countryside is a pleasure. I just don't want to drive in London.

Actually, driving out of London on a Sunday morning wouldn't be too bad - the biggest problems would be finding a location one could collect a car early on a Sunday, and Sunday being the busiest day at Windsor it would be more crowded than some other days. The drive BACK into London on a weekday on the other hand could be truly awful.

I truly love the Cotswolds (even with all the Beckham-ization/Soho House-ification and Jeremy Clarkson mania going on) having lived nearby for almost 5 years. But you have such a short trip - really only five usable days. I'd personally forget the idea entirely. Your daughter does live there so you most likely will have other chances to visit her (and at better times of year weather-wise). There is sooooo much to see and do in London and with days/partial days at Greenwich, Hampton Court Palace, Windsor and the Tower you have very little time even for just 'London'.

Another option for an overnight (instead of Cotswolds and giving more time in London) would be an overnight at Hever Castle. They have rooms and if you stay you can access the gardens in the morning before they open, which is nice. There is a good pub close by for dinner. I think if you stay overnight, castle admission is included.

You have found some good resources.

Two travel guides we enjoyed. Now both of course quite dated and available only as used copies but may have some inspiration.

https://a.co/d/3LSf5UH The Amateur Historian's Guide to Medieval & Tudor London
https://a.co/d/hMT70P1 The Amateur Historians' Guide to Medieval and Tudor England: Day Trips South of London - Dover, Canterbury, Rochester

Enjoy the planning!

Thank you everyone! Amazing insight!

We have been to London and plan on many more trips there with our youngest living there (for a few years at least.)

We could take the train out to Moreton-in-Marsh and rent a car there for the two nights. Or, perhaps LHR. What do you think about that to beat the traffic?

Thank you Laurie Ann for the book suggestions.

@Catch23, I think we would love to see Sudeley. I will look at rooms there!

No matter what car arrangements you make, you are trying to squeeze a 10 day trip into five days. Hever, Greenwich, the Tower of London, Windsor, Hampton Court Palace. and two days in the Cotswolds, That is simply not a 5 day itinerary. Taking a train to M-i-M doesn't help anything really. You'd have to get to Paddington, take the train, 1.5 to 2 hours depending on the service, rent from a local taxi/car company in M-i-M then return the car and 90+ minutes back to Paddington (and you wouldn't be able to stop over in Windsor so that would add yet another day trip from London)

Collecting a car at LHR is OK -- however from Holborn to LHR count on about an hour by public transport - and then you'd need to catch a shuttle to the (just) off-airport rental depot.

Why does everything have to be on THIS trip when you'll be visiting her additional times in the future/??

It's good to know that you've been to London and I think you're very fortunate to be going back again and again. I think it makes more sense to save the Cotwalds for a longer trip, at a nicer time of year. In the likely event of bad weather, there are countless indoor things to do in London. Please reconsider your plan.

Windsor on Sunday is not the best day to visit as St Georges Chapel is only open for worship, not for touring. The Castle itself is quite large and it does take a fair amount of time. We took the train from Waterloo and spent a half day there. it is an easy walk from the train and the town itself is quite nice, with lots of cute restaurants and cafes.

I'd skip the Cotswolds and give it more time on another trip. We did like our day trip to Greenwich, where we enjoyed The Old Royal Naval College and The Queen's House. I would probably only go if it is a nice day, because the boat trip on the Thames was half the fun.

Thanks all! This does seem busy ... We will do some rethinking.

Hi all,

We've rearranged some activities and are still planning to head to Stow-on-the-Wold for a few nights in early March. I just learned that both Sudeley Castle and Berkeley Castle are closed in later in the month. Does anyone know of any other "Tudor" landmarks in the Cotswolds.

I have Northleach Church of St Peter and St Paul and/or Gloucester Cathedral as two ideas.

Does anyone know of anything else?

Thank you!

If you have access to a car Raglan castle is just over an hour's drive away.

https://cadw.gov.wales/visit/places-...or-information

https://thetudortravelguide.com/a-lo...the-cotswolds/