We recently returned from a family trip to England...and we are eager to return... So another trip to this lovely country is in the works for July 2017...We are a family of three (mom plus two daughters who will be 12 and 16)... We will not be renting a car and wish to now visit western England (Cotswolds, Bath, Oxford, Wales, ?)... Would like to hear about smaller cities/villages to make as a home base for visiting the area using only public transport... This past August we stayed in Arundel at a self catered home for two weeks and used it as our base for visiting southern England, then finishing in London for last week...would like to plan a similar type of vacation for our next trip to Western England or Wales if possible? Does anyone have suggestions for a small town to use as a home base with self catering and good public transport links? I see Bath is mentioned often..,we may be flying into Gatwick though and want direct rail to our home base from this airport ...
Posted by
Tunbridge Wells
6113 posts
Your plan may need some rethinking. You cannot head anywhere west on a train directly from Gatwick, as you can only get as far as Reading Station, where you would have to change.
The places that you have identified are more than a hundred miles apart e.g. Oxford and Wales (presumably Cardiff?), so will take time to cover from just one base. You are in danger of spending the whole time on a train/bus, even if you have two centres.
The trouble with rural England these days is that it isn't well served by public transport and the situation is worse in rural Wales. You holiday would be so enhanced if you would hire a car for part of your time here - your time in the Cotswolds in particular. Cheltenham is as good a base as I can think of for all that you state that you want to visit and is close to the Cotswolds, but it isn't a quick train ride from Gatwick - 3.5/4 hours.
Bath is a tourist hot spot (not a small town) and the second most expensive accommodation after London. Its attractions can fill a few days, but it isn't that easy top reach the other places on your itinerary.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
34010 posts
As Jennifer says, villages are mostly car-only now. Many of the most scenic may only have one bus a week or sometimes twice a week.
If you want easy frequent transport you need a larger town. Especially in Wales.
Posted by
Kingston, Surrey
239 posts
You could base yourselves in one or two National Parks, using the train to get between them. The parks tend to have good buses to get around them--not a big-city service so you need to plan a bit, but decent all the same. The Lake District, The Dales and Snowdonia are particulalry well served, and the North York Moors and Dartmoor not bad.
Posted by
96 posts
I would suggest starting off with a week in Oxford. There is hourly direct bus service to Oxford ( takes about 2 hours ). You can google National Express or Oxford Bus Company for details.
It would easy to find a week or even two worth of things to do in and around Oxford - museums, colleges, punting, theatre and music plus within 1.5 hours by public transport - Blenheim Palace and Bladon, Stratford-upon-Avon ( walk about the town and see a play in the afternoon ), Cotswolds by train to Moreton-in-Marsh or by several local buses, and even Windsor Castle and Eton by train changing at Slough. There are bike shops in Oxford and, if you were feeling adventurous could for a ride in the countryside ( most local train services carry bikes outside of peak hours if you find cycling in the town to be intimidating).
I agree with the previous poster that you can't get far from Gatwick without changing trains and that there are few villages with good transportation links for a week of day trips.
While not in the west -
York is a small city loaded with history and several easy day trips.
Conwy in North Wales is a village that makes an excellent base for visiting castles and hiking in the mountains.
I am also a big fan of the Peak District and would suggest Bakewell as a village with lots to do and see.
Hope this gives you a few ideas to work on.
Posted by
OP
39 posts
Thanks for your replies everyone... Much appreciated... Oxford would be lovely indeed and is likely a must see for my eldest daughter the Harry Potter enthusiast... It does sound as if there would be much to do for at least a week, and had forgotten that Stratford is also within reach... I do like the idea of renting bikes too which would get us into the countryside a bit without auto... We do want to keep our daily commutes to three hours each way (two hours is ideal) or my kids will go on strike I'm sure...given everyone's comments, I might consider flying into Heathrow too ...I find gatwick a bit easier to handle and there are now direct flights from our city (Winnipeg, Canada) to England but since we're planning to go more west it seems that Heathrow might be better for getting to Bath/Oxford etc and so worth the transfer in Toronto...I take it flying into Heathrow would be best?...Any further suggestions for self catered accommodations in Oxford or Bath or area? I find that having a mini kitchen keeps costs down a bit and allows for some flexibility, and have heard that both cities can be dear...