Best of Britain in 14 days

Is there a reason you want to spend so much time in Windsor? It's only an hour by train from London. Most just make it a day trip. The tour itself doesn't give you much time in London.

From Windsor to Heathrow the easiest way is by taxi.

Never taken one of the tours, but I suspect most would recommend adding a night or two on the front end. That allows you to recover a bit from the flight and relax, before you get into the regimen of the trip. It would not be fun to drag through the first few days of a tour itinerary.

I basically use the same concept traveling on my own, my arrival city is usually something low key, not too many things to see, lots of time to be in the outdoors.

Hi,
Coming from Vancouver, I would book the stay in Windsor before the tour, so that you can adjust to the time difference and make the most of the tour.

After a long flight, a taxi or other private hire vehicle (not sure about Uber's current status in London, but other apps like Bolt and Freenow operate) will be worth it, Windsor is close and it will be cheaper than going to central London. Maybe 25-45 pounds depending on which terminal you arrive at (they are very far apart!).
Otherwise, I know that there are buses but I do not have the details, and it depends on your arrival terminal.

Windsor is a lovely place to recover from jet lag. I have stayed at a B & B there and they recommended Windsor Cars for a pickup from Heathrow. It was reasonable, the car was immaculate and the service was great. I love to walk by the Thames and watch the kids feed the swans. Be sure to walk across the bridge to visit Eton.

Thanks for the tips, yes I think I will start off in Windsor. A cab ride seems the fastest instead of a long bus ride.

Are you taking the RS 14 Days Best of England tour? It begins in Bath not Windsor although I think Windsor is close to Bath.

I think Windsor is close to Bath.

not very, I'm afraid. About 100 miles and just under 2 hours by train.

Bath is approximately 100 miles from Heathrow. There is an airport shuttle from Heathrow to Bath for 15 pounds. I would add a day to decompress in Bath before the tour. I would add more time in London and then train to spend the day and night in Windsor before your flight home. Take a taxi or ride share to airport then.

Spent two outstanding nights in Windsor at the Macdonald Windsor Hotel. Taxi or private car to/from Heathrow is fastest (about 15 minutes). Used the train another time just for the adventure (approximately an hour).

Is 2 nights your max that you can add?

I’d definitely agree with arriving to Bath at least the night before your tour starts both to allow for any travel hiccups and to give yourself time to adjust to jet lag. I think on nearly every one of my 11 tours someone has arrived late or the day after the tour started.

I personally would do 2 nights, giving yourself an extra day and a half in Bath. I love Bath and find there is a lot to do and see that is not covered by the tour.

I’d want to add time in London at the end too, though!

Thanks very much for your suggestions, they help a great deal. :)

Best of England in 14 Days tour begins in Bath.
https://www.ricksteves.com/tours/england-scotland/england

My opinion is that it is best to go on and get to Bath. We love Windsor, but the journey to Bath from there by train calls for a change of train, and is far more trouble to do than just going to Bath on your day of arrival.
Fast, easy, cheap journey by bus from Heathrow to Bath is what I would advise.
The bus is cheap. You can just walk up and buy a ticket. We paid 6 pounds each.
Train tickets bought on the day of travel from Windsor to Bath would be expensive.

When we took this tour two years ago, we took the bus (coach) from Heathrow Terminal 5 bus station to Bath. Just walk down the hallway in the terminal, signs will point the way to the bus station within the building. Buy a ticket (or two) at the window, walk through the sliding double doors, take a seat on one of the benches outside. Ask when you buy your ticket what time the next bus will depart, and watch for it to pull into the stalls.

The buses don't wait forever, and the bus driver will not yell out "Bus to Bath" or anything. It will say "Bath" on the header board on the front of the bus. The driver will help you with your bags and put them in a storage bin under the bus if you'd like. Then it's quickly pulling out and heading for Bath.

The buses are clean, brand new, with comfy seats and WiFi. We loved our bus ride to Bath. Because you're sitting up high on the bus, you have a good view over hedgerows, and can enjoy scenery and cute villages.

We arrived in Bath two days before our tour began, but one day ahead would be enough. Bath is an excellent place to rest up from jet lag and get back on schedule so you will be ready for your group meet-up on Day 1 of the tour. The meet-up will be held in the evening at your tour hotel, then the group will go for a dinner together as a group.
The next day begins with a walk around Bath.

Save Windsor for the end of your trip. A night or two in Windsor before your flight out is what we did. Taxi from Windsor to Heathrow was 20 pounds even. No need to tip the driver. The taxi will deliver you right to the door of your terminal.

And no, Windsor and Bath are not close to one another.

You are in for a real treat. The Best of England in 14 Days tour is great!

I appreciate the time you took in giving me all the details to make things easier. There are always a lot of questions when travelling to a new destination. Thanks so much!

If you arrive in Bath before your tour begins, there is lots to do there.
The tour will not go in Bath Abbey, so that is something you could do on your extra day, if it interests you.
The downtown area has lots of cafes and shops, so a stroll through that area would be interesting. A walk over Pulteney Bridge would be lovely. There is a double-decker tour bus that leaves from the front of the Tourist Information office, doing a loop around the city. The guide onboard gives information about the historic buildings, squares, and parks you are passing.

Bath has many good restaurants. One you could try is The Scallop Shell, 22 Monmouth Place, Bath. Best fish and chips I've ever had in England.

On the south side of Bath Abbey is The Real Italian Pizza cafe, and it is fabulous. Besides great pizza, they have homemade lasagna, spaghetti, and calzones.

Sally Lunn's Historic Eating House at 4 N. Parade Passage (in Bath's oldest house--1483) is home of the famous Sally Lunn Bun (a semi-sweet bread) and tearoom. Lunches, afternoon tea, salads, sandwiches, and cakes.

Enjoy Bath! One of my favorite places in England!

You’re a tremendous help Rebecca, I’ll look up that eatery for sure, I’m looking forward to some really good fish & chips. ;)

You're welcome! Glad to help.
I did edit to add more restaurants for Bath.

You asked about hotels in Windsor. The Macdonald Windsor Hotel, as mentioned by someone above, would be my suggestion also. Comfy rooms, great location.
Windsor is another place where you will be spoiled by a great selection of restaurants.
If you want me to suggest some, I will.

Be sure and see Windsor Castle!

Please do recommend some for me and yes, I am definitely going to Windsor Castle. Thanks for the hotel tip.

Bill's Windsor Restaurant, 64-67 Windsor Royal Station, Jubilee Arch--Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Sandwiches, salads, really good hamburgers, plate lunches. Great tasty food.
Dinner specials. Casual but reservations needed.
https://bills-website.co.uk/restaurants/windsor/menus

Nandos, 10 Thames Street, right across the street from Windsor Castle's Henry VIII Gate. Roast chicken, french fries, salad. It's Prince Harry's favorite restaurant in Windsor. It's a chain restaurant; you can find them all over England, but yes, he's been seen at the one in Windsor many times (but that was years ago). Inexpensive, casual, eat in or take out.

Yangtze Chinese, 36-37 Thames St., excellent food; take-away available. Vegetarian/vegan options.

The Horse and Groom Pub, 4 Castle Hill; good pub food and a Sunday roast dinner.

The Boatman Riverfront Pub, 10 Thameside. Good burgers, pub food. By the river.

If you like French cuisine, Cote Windsor, across the bridge 71-72 High Street, Eton. More expensive than others listed. Not my pick of the bunch. Water view by the river.

If you like Indian food, let me know and I will post 2 for you to choose from. Some people like it, some don't.

You will enjoy walking around Windsor. Super nice little town; cobblestone streets; buildings from the Tudor period, Georgian period, and more. The walk across the bridge to Eton is lovely. Enjoy the swans on the River Thames.
There is a boat dock from which you can take a short boat ride, on Barry Avenue is the dock. Look for French Brothers boats.

Cheers, and have a great trip!

Another vote for the Scallop Shell restaurant in Bath, it has the best Fish and Chips in England.

Also, liked the Brooks Guesthouse nearby.

The Brooks Guesthouse is where we are staying for the first hotel of the tour and I will get there a couple days ahead of time. I appreciate very much all these little details for food and sights to see, I am making notes….;)

‘it has the best Fish and Chips in England.’

Hmm. I’m not sure about that! A hotly debated subject you’ve started there!

I happen to think that the best F&C is in my previous village

Britishblend, to get to The Brooks Guesthouse from the bus station/train station (same station) take the Number 4 Bath city bus. It will pull into the stalls right next to the bus you've just come in on.
Pay the driver for your ticket. No need to go into the station to buy that.
It will take you through downtown, then along Monmouth Place, which turns into Bristol Road. Tell the driver you wish to get off the bus at the Nile Street bus stop, near the Royal Crescent, and he will tell you when you are getting to it.

You will travel past The Scallop Shell restaurant on the right side (large picture windows facing the street), then a road will come in from the right (Queen Square Place), then it will be time to get off the bus.
Cross the street, continue walking out of town approx. one block, then you will be right in front of The Brooks Guest House.

That's the easy way, so you don't have to walk all the way from the bus station/train station. After you drop your bags in your room, rest a couple of minutes, you can set out to explore Bath. Brooks Guest House has a rack of maps in the living room/lobby, so having one of those in hand will help. The lady who checked us in was very helpful, making suggestions and answering our questions about restaurants and cafes.

Best wishes to you. Have a great trip!

Rebecca thank you, I just did a screen grab to keep your detailed instructions. They help a lot coming from someone who’s already been there.

Another vote for Bath before, Windsor after. (You can prebook National Express bus ("coach") ticket LHR-Bath online, which worked out for me in Aug 2019. Depending on time of your trip, tourist demand, C***d situation and their refund policy, you might consider...)

Another thumbs up for Scallop Shell (group F&C dinner in Keswick was good, but I thought SS was better :-)

You can also get taxi at Bath train station (few steps walk from bus station) for reasonable fare (I paid 8 pounds inc tip) to Brooks. (Members of my group took Uber, but their drivers couldn't find the B&B and dropped them off "nearby"!?)

Brooks afternoon tea (order 1 day in advance) was generous and a great value (compared to other options in town, and I researched a bunch :-D

If you like Rebecca's details, she has a great trip report (11/18). I referred to it extensively before I went in 2019, thanks Rebecca!

Enjoy!!

Best chippie in the country? Contentious at best and a great way of setting Brits at each other’s throat! So I will say just this, that anyone driving through Yorkshire en route to either the Dales or even the Lake District could do worse than call at The Wetherby Whaler at Guiseley, on the A65 (the road to the Dales and Lakes from Leeds/Bradford conurbation).

This is the site of the original Harry Ramsden’s (such a shame what happened to that company in my view) and it was rescued by the local Wetherby Whaler chain when Ramsden’s totally lost sight of their roots in the pursuit of selling pale imitation fish and chips in airports around the world and were about to abandon/flog off their original home.

Now restored to its original glory it has both a takeaway and it’s original sit down restaurant with chandeliers! And back to proper fish and chips. For those who really want to clog their arteries at the one sitting there’s usually a choice of sponge pudding for dessert as well!

Ian

Rebecca, how do I access the trip report mentioned that you made (11/18) please…

I'm spoiled. I love our fish and chips in the pacific nw....

"on the A65 (the road to the Dales and Lakes from Leeds/Bradford conurbation). "
OK! I thought I knew a lot of travel/road terms. But what the heck is a conurbation??

con - together
urbation - areas with urban-ness- (vs rural)

Like Los Angeles, cities or towns growing together so that natural boundaries aren't visible.

Often, as in Leeds Bradford, or Brighton and Hove, where some community or government duties are shared.

Britishblend, here it is:
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/trip-report-rick-steves-best-of-england-in-14-days

SQ, thanks for the kind words and for liking my trip report.

Thank you Nigel!
I have now a new +3 syllable word to use in my daily life - that I actually know the meaning of :-)

Thanks Nigel, couldn’t have put it better myself! As an illustration, I have a Leeds postcode (zip code for US readers!) but pay my taxes to Bradford, because the two cities crash into one another.

Why is it called Best of England when it includes Wales and misses great swathes of England?

Britishblend (Linda), If you decide to ride the local Bath bus (#4) to your hotel, do ask the driver when you get on if this bus goes along Monmouth Place to Bristol Road.
This is just to be certain that the route has not changed since I rode that bus. Many things have changed during the pandemic. Just to be sure. There is a Number 4, but also a Number 4a and 4b now, I see on the Google map.

Have a great trip!

One more Bath comment, and then I'll shut up.
On your free days in Bath before the tour begins, you may wish to do a tour of the Cotswolds.
Have a look at Trip #2 here:
https://www.madmaxtours.co.uk/all-tours/tour-2-the-heart-of-the-cotswolds
https://www.madmaxtours.co.uk/

You do not need to go on #3 Wells & Glastonbury, because your RS tour will go there.

Your Rick Steves tour will stay in one town in the Cotswolds, and go to two others. But there are villages on this Mad Max tour that RS tour does not cover. Mad Max tour goes to Bourton-On-The-Water, a lovely village with a small river running through it, and several others.

The meet-up location for Mad Max tours is near Bath Abbey, early morning.
Their website says "We meet outside Abbey Hotel, 1 North Parade, Bath".
Reservations are made in advance via their website.

Rebecca I wasn’t quoting you I was quoting geo from 2 message before my reply who did say that it was the best fish and chips in England. Guaranteed to start a riot!

Oh, OK, thanks for clarifying that!
No, we do not want to start a riot over fish and chips, LOL!