Itinerary Suggestions

Will you have a car?

It's easy and quick to take the train from Bath to Salisbury. It takes about an hour and can be done as a daytrip. It would make sense to rent a car in Bath to see the Cotswolds. I've stayed in Moreton-in-Marsh a few times and taken the bus to other Cotswold towns. With a car I would look at where the parking is best/easiest. The towns are all nice. Some are hillier than others. Stow is interesting and would be a good place to sleep.

Thanks for the responses Sharon and Swan. We were hoping to avoid driving ourselves, as two of us are very nervous about driving on the opposite side of the road from what we are used to. I know that is likely our best bet, but if anyone has suggestions for alternate transportation, that would be greatly appreciated.

I have always rented a car while in the UK....and driving in the UK (though on the other side of the road) is really not all that bad, especially if you have a car with an automatic transmission. You get used to it quite quickly. With all the round-abouts, if you miss a turnoff you just go around again and get it the next time it comes up. However, I would not recommend a car in London, but it is almost a must for the Cotswolds. If you go to the Cotswolds consider a B&B in Chipping Camden...Driving in Bath is quite easy as well...Salisbury is bit congested if you have a car but it is certainly manageable and a car would be great to have if you re going to visit Stonehenge. Oxford, Salisbury and York are all great places to visit. However, Oxford and Salisbury are much closer to London than York and would be convenient for your trip to Bath. Driving to York takes quite a while and is in a completely different direction from Oxford, Salisbury, the Cotswolds and Bath. With the number of days you have, I would save York for "next time."

I don't have any suggestions since we always have a car - never took public transportation. We like the flexibility a car gives us. But, I agree with Raf - I would save York for your next trip.

I have to agree about the car... if you definitely do not think you can drive there, then by all means try for public transportation, but if you are on the fence about it... give it a chance. I always have an automatic, so I am a bit of a wimp about it....but it doesn't cost a whole lot more and makes it easier. Once you do it you will likely wonder why you worried about it so much. It really does come pretty easy after a short bit.

I would rule out York on this trip...it's about a 4 hour drive north of London. If you do go and you have a car, use one of the remote parking lots on the edge of town that is set up for commuters and ride the bus in. Super easy and cheap! Fountains Abbey is also close to York and is a nice thing to pair with seeing the city.
Other than that I would choose Oxford over York and Salisbury (personal opinion of course!). It's a very walkable town with a compact center where most of the colleges and other sights are. You can tour and/or visit many of the colleges as well as the Bodleian Library, many beautiful churches, and beautiful gardens and parks. Since it is a college town there are great pubs and bookstores as well. This past summer we stayed at the Lakeview Guesthouse which is on the main street leading into town from the south. About a 10 minute walk to central Oxford. They have offstreet parking if you get there on the early rather than later side - limited spaces. If you are going to Oxford in the summer, one fun option is to stay in one of the colleges. Most of them rent out rooms in the summer to have an income from what otherwise would be empty space. The rooms aren't that great (they're basically dorm rooms) but at many of them you get to eat in their beautiful dining hall, which is really a great experience! It isn't a cheap option but it's pretty fun.