Bath, Stonehenge and Cotswolds

You want to leave London for Bath on the afternoon of the 4th day. What time and how are you travelling? You won't see much of Bath in a late afternoon/early evening and considering you want to see The Cotswolds AND Stonehenge the following morning you won't see anything of Bath.

Getting a glimpse of The Cotswolds is easy, you can drive through the Big Three in less than an hour without making any stops but what is it that interests you about The Cotswolds?

Stonehenge is in the opposite direction of The Cotswolds from Bath so you'll be making a big journey. The queues for Stonehenge after 11 am become quite long, particularly in the summer and it could take some time before you actually get to the stones, waiting for entry, working your way through the visitor centre and then waiting for the shuttle to the stones could take an hour or more. Sure, you could walk around the stones in a couple of minutes then get back on the bus as I've seen people do but what's the point? Do you want to see Stonehenge because it interests you or because it's a "must see"?

What time does your flight to Paris leave? I would not want to do such an itinerary in such a small amount of time and particularly when I have a flight to catch later that day.

I'm happy to stand corrected but it would appear that you have succumbed to the "must do" itinerary that many tourists follow of Bath, The Cotswolds and Stonehenge, not because there is a genuine interest in seeing all those sights but because everyone else goes there. That's not to say that they don't deserve such attention, I like Bath, I love the Roman Baths and The Cotswold villages are attractive however they're not unique and many similar villages can be found throughout the country and I think there are far better scenic areas around. Finally Stonehenge is spectacular but I feel that you need to have at least an interest in Neolithic history to really appreciate it. I've seen people who have been completely underwhelmed by the stones and walked away questioning why they bothered.

What are the age ranges in the family? What do they want to do? What are the places and sights that everyone has identified as being somewhere that they really want to visit?

JC, those are really helpful questions. The OP may want to know that there is a half day Mad Max Tour(only on certain days) to Avebury and Lacock from Bath which might check the Stonehenge/Cotswold type boxes.

Thank you for the reply. In my excitement to plan out something different than originally expected I did not think it through. My GOAL which may not be reality (hoping for ideas) would be to spend Tues-Thurs in London to hit the must see's my 12 yrs old son has on his travel bucket list. Rent a car and on Friday AM explore Windsor Castle. From there head off to explore Stonehenge because how can one be so close to one of the wonders/mysteries of the world and not explore? Spend the night perhaps I Amesbury or head over to Bath and sleep there. The next day (Sat) explore the Roman Bath's (hubby's list of must see) and what the city may offer. The morning after (Sun) without rushing out, drive through Cotswolds (because I think they are adorable but I'm open to suggestions) and then drive back to drop off the vehicle. On Sunday late evening, jump on the Eurostar and head over to Paris where we are scheduled to explore from Mon-Thursday.

It would satisfy my son's (10 / 12 yrs old) to stay in London from Tues-Sun but I'd like to expand our options. I would add that my 10 / 12 yr old LOVE to explore and do not complain about getting up early or moving from place to place. It would be our first time London/Paris. Last year we went to Spain/Rome and I find the travel between cities may have been easier to explore.

I'd ask that those who have traveled more often to these areas, am I pushing the envelope of exploration? Would day trips be easier to consider? I appreciate suggestions/ideas.

Yes, you are pushing the envelope. It sounds like your overall approach is "bucket list"--check off a box to say that you've been to each destination. That is very much counter to the Rick Steves philosophy of travel so I doubt you will find very much support from this forum.

Is it humanly possible to hit all the points on your list in your allotted time? Yes. Will it be an enjoyable and fulfilling experience? No.

You won't see much of the Cotswolds since Bath is just south of the Cotswolds and the opposite direction from Stonehenge. We spend six nights in the Cotswolds as well as three in Bath. We took day trips to key places from Chipping Campden.

I suggest taking in Bath, Stonehenge, Salisbury, perhaps Avebury for stone circle and perhaps Windsor Castle.

I would suggest day trips out of London and take tours. Why? Because the tours can cover more ground in one day than you can.

At Stonehenge, with a tour, you won't have to wait in line to buy tickets. They will be bought for you and it won't take more than a few minutes.

In the Cotswolds, the tours know where to go and don''t have to worry about parking.

If you had more time, then driving yourself would be a good idea. But with a short amount of time, leave it to someone else.

Mad Max tours are a great idea out of Bath but you can also take tours out of London. One company to look at is London Walks as they occassionally have day trips out of London.

Personally, however, I think you are biting off more than you can chew thinking you can see Bath, Stonehenge and the Cotswolds in two days. Actualy less than two days. And let's not even mention Windsor Castle.

thank you everyone. your feedback is greatly appreciated!

Your revised, more detailed itinerary seems more doable. Friday appears rushed and doesn't give much time for Windsor Castle. It'll have to be an early start to pick up the car, drive and park somewhere near the castle, spend a few hours, grab some lunch and then head off to Stonehenge. Be aware that the roads around Stonehenge and Salisbury can get very congested, particularly on a Friday afternoon. The journey from Windsor to Stonehenge could take up to two hours.

I don't envisage your visit to Stonehenge will be particularly long, you don't come across as a family of Druids, so I would advocate an overnight stay in Bath. Definitely visit the Roman Baths and spend some time exploring Bath.

Diverting through The Cotswolds during the return journey to London on the Sunday is well within the scope timewise. Will you be returning the car to one of the rental agencies at St. Pancras? This will make things a lot easier and less rushed and if you have time perhaps make a reservation and splash out on dinner at The Gilbert Scott www.thegilbertscott.com/#welcome.

Sounds like you'll be driving around with all your travel gear. Be sure there is nothing visible in the car when you park it. Don't wait until you get to the parking lot to put things in the trunk. It might be overkill, but I'd have all my electronic gear (phones, tablets, laptops) with me rather than in the trunk--but I don't know anything about tote-bag restrictions at the sites you want to visit.