Hi - my niece is going with her family to Europe on a tour and will be in London a few days in very early July. They (6 of them) would like to see some of the countryside but have only one free day (how sad!) Their idea was to rent a car and drive our into the country. I said they should not pick up a rental car in London and try to drive out and back . I'm too familiar with the traffic, ETC) My thought is that even though maybe more expensive, it would be best to hire a driver and car and/OR perhaps take a train out of the city to begin that somewhere else. I am familiar with the area west of London, but have no idea about guides and a car. Does someone have suggestions? I don't want them hassling about driving on the left and trying to see any of the countryside in only one day.. Thanks for any help you can give me to pass on to them.
Posted by
Camano Island, WA, usa
1446 posts
Take train to Oxford and bus to Woodstock to see Blenheim Place. Take Train to Brighton to see the Pavilion and Beach. Rent bikes and go on Thames Bike Path. Go to Hampton Court by the Thames boat one way and train back. Look at National Trust online site for ideas on Days Out from London. Look into discount train tickets. We drove a car that we picked up at Heathrow which puts you out on the Beltway so you can avoid London traffic.
Posted by
Charlotte, NC, USA
3428 posts
We always enjoy Windsor. One summer we wandered over to Eaton. Near the bridge crossing, you could catch a boat and take a cruise along the Thames. It lasted over an hour and we got to see some of the country side. You also get to see the 'back side' of Windsor Castle. Easy to get to Windsor from Paddington Station in London.
Same with Bath. We took the train from Paddington to sight see for the day. There are boats that do cruises. You catch them near the bridge and the 'falls'. They take you out for about 45 min. then come back. Bath itself makes for nice site seeing, too.
Posted by
Long Beach, California, USA
3391 posts
I agree with the first poster about taking the train up to Oxford and driving around Oxfordshire. It's quintessential English countryside and a nice day trip out of the city. I have used Enterprise rental car in Oxford several times and had a great experience. One of the nice things about renting with them is that they will bring the car to you. All you have to do is drop the agent who delivers your car to you, back to the agency and then off you go! Their location is outside of the center of the city making it easier to get used to driving in England in a not-congested area! It's also slightly west of the city so you are heading out in a beautiful direction for seeing this part of rural England. The Cotswolds are out in that direction and easily visited if you take a loop out through Oxfordshire, through some of the cute towns in the Costwolds, and then back towards Oxford. Bourton-on-the-Water and Stow-on-the-Wold are a couple of nice little places to take a spin through.
Posted by
Rocky Mount, VA
266 posts
Taking the train to Oxford and renting a car there would give them more convenient access to the countryside: Woodstock and the Cotswolds. It's much easier getting out of the car rental places at Oxford than London.
They could also take a train to Oxford and rent bikes there to bike around the countryside or along the footpaths along the Thames (known as the Isis in Oxford). From Oxford to Binsey along the river is nice; there are several good pubs along the way in either direction from Oxford.
Back in the 1980's, I biked to Blenheim in Woodstock and back from Oxford. It's mostly flat and about a 45 - 60 minute trip. There was plenty of time to enjoy the scenery and tour Blenheim.
Posted by
Kingston, Surrey
239 posts
Try something a little different and get a train to Dorking (Victoria or Waterloo) or to Westhumble (Victoria) and go out into the Surrey Hills. You can walk up Box Hill easily from either of them, the scene of the Olympic cycling in 2012 and the picnic in Jane Austin's Emma, or go offbehind Denbigh's vinyard onto the North Downs. Go to South Holmwood and there's a really nice walk up to Leith Hill, thehighest point in SE England. At 924ft it isn't very high, but there are great views and there's a little National Trust cafe in the tower.
Posted by
OP
43 posts
Thank you all for your suggestions. It's given us ideas to check out. I love this forum! Julia