Blenheim Palace and South Wales

Are you driving or using the trains?

We did all three of these places back in October 2017.

Blenheim Palace will take you about three hours to see, perhaps 2 1/2. Then you must drive to Cardiff. We drove to Cardiff from Bath and stopped at Tintern Abbey and Raglan Castle prior to arriving in Cardiff, but if you don't stop that drive would be about 2 hours. Your drive would likely eat up the remainder of the day. You can see Caerphilly Castle in half a day and Cardiff Castle in the other half. Take the train from downtown Cardiff to Caerphilly.

I don't see how you can make it to Hereford by 4:30 unless you can arrive at Blenheim early and somehow arrive in Cardiff in time to see the castle that is in the downtown area.

We stayed in a small, older hotel in the downtown, The Sandringham Hotel. It had parking in a high-rise garage 3 blocks from the hotel.

I suggest that you use mapquest or a route guide to map out your travels and determine how long your drives will take.

Blenheim Palace opens their grounds at 9, but the Palace doesn't open until 10:30; you need several hours there, and if you are taking the train you need to catch a bus to the Palace. And one back. That adds more time.

Since you ask about luggage it sounds like you are relying on trains and buses?

Trains between Oxford and Cardiff Central take 2 hours plus or minus, with at least one change, usually at Didcot Parkway which is south of Oxford.

Between Cardiff Central and Caerphilly stations there are 4 trains an hour, 15 minutes apart, for only a 20 minute journey.

Cardiff Central to Hereford is right about an hour.

Or Hereford from Oxford is 2:15 with no changes or 2:45 with one or two changes, depending on time of the day.

Cardiff Castle grounds open, like Blenheim Palace, at 9, but the first tour of the buildings isn't until 10:00. Caerphilly Castle opens at 9:30, but is closed this weekend, including Friday through Sunday. Different hours at different times of the year.

All 3 of the places close between 5 and 6.

So with the travel times and opening hours you may be able to answer your question.

I don't think that visiting in any particular order is better - would you rather have your overnight in Cardiff or Oxford?

Thanks everyone! This is really helpful. Although I feel like driving would be so much easier, neither of us feel comfortable driving on the left side, so I think we're going to have to rely on trains, which is why I'm worried about what we're going to do with our luggage. I think I've come to the realization that we probably can't fit it all in. Would people recommend doing Blenheim/Oxford/Cotswolds
or Cardiff/Caerphilly?

Well I am highly biased, having grown up in the Cotswolds, but that's the way I'd go. But, you see, that's me. I'd rather a pretty village or town, and the spires and colleges of Oxford than a couple of castles.

But if you want castles, villages of honeyed stone and well cut lawns won't compete.

It is really what you prefer, not what we prefer.

When you get to Hereford don't miss the chained library.

Oh, and for what it is worth - which is nothing - I visited Blenheim once, about 20 years ago, and have had no interest in returning, even though my business was about 5 miles down the road and I have driven past through Woodstock countless times.

I'm not sure I have a strong preference - I love the countryside as well as castles. I unfortunately have a very limited time, so I've already determined I'll be returning for another trip, so anything I don't see this time, I'll make sure I visit next time! For Cotswolds - are there specific towns you would recommend visiting, including anything specific to see within those towns? If we do Cotswolds, we'd most likely take an Uber to several different towns, or maybe hire a driver for an afternoon. Are there "downtown" areas of the towns where you can walk around and explore are is everything really spread out?

With your limited time if you are going to the Coswolds you might consider a guided tour. There are several which have been mentioned here frequently but I don't know any of them because, as a local, I go where I go so the names never stuck in my mind. Except for Stow on the Wold and Moreton in Marsh which are both Market Towns (both with a clearly defined centre) and Chipping Campden which is either a very small town or a large village, and which also has a clearly defined centre along one street, all the places you will want to see in the Cotswolds are villages or small villages, which again have clearly defined centres. Well, some of the very small villages like Lower Slaughter, Upper Swell, Upper Slaughter, Lower Swell, Bibury, Guiting Power, Cold Aston, Donnington, barely have any centre at all, perhaps marked by a bus stop or wide bit in the road (no stores or other commercial activity), maybe a pub. Broadway has one high street, very scenic, but it bends and goes up Fish Hill so is longer than most.

Thank you very much! About how much time would you recommend spending in each town (given that my time is limited!)? I know I could probably spend hours if I really wanted to see everything, but in general do you think an hour walking around in each would be enough to get a feel for the town? Are there any that are so small that it would be less than an hour? Also, any recommendations for which town to stop for lunch?

You might consider Becky's Secret Cottage tour which meets you in Moreton-in-Marsh train station - I took the train from Paddington station in London. Becky or one of her team meets you and drives you & 7 others around the charming villages of the Cotswolds. She will have you over to her 400 year-old cottage for mid-morning tea and cakes, luncheon and afternoon cream tea. After this, they will take you back to the station in Moreton-in-Marsh. A delightful day of touring the Cotswolds without the terror of driving on the left side of the road! I don't work for Becky but I like to spread the word about a wonderful day trip that allows you to have a glimpse of the Cotswolds.

Doing the Cotswolds will take you at least a FULL DAY.
If you do that don't miss Cirencester.

If you only have two days to see what you want, you could do Blenheim Palace and the Cotswolds, or Cardiff and Caerphilly as well as Tintern Abbey and perhaps Raglan Castle.

Visiting Tintern Abbey without a car right now (for about another 10 months) might be more difficult since the A466 is closed between St. Arian’s and Tintern. Not certain which route a bus might take. I found Caerphilly castle much more interesting than Cardiff castle, but both are worth visiting.

What I do - when planning on going somewhere, is take a look at Google Maps & go down to Earth on Streetview. I suggest you do that for some of the places you are interested in visiting as that can help you choose which to visit. Hereford is OK but I would not rave about it. However, Hereford is on a direct rail route from Oxford & Moreton-in-Marsh although the line is not particularly fast. Another rail line goes from Hereford down to Cardiff with trains hourly and takes around an hour. However, if going direct from Oxford or even MIM to Cardiff, you usually go south to Didcot and change for the fast direct services to Cardiff. www.nationalrail.co.uk

As has been said, going around the Cotswold villages might best be done on a tour as the local buses are not all that frequent & some villages deserve just a quick look. If going to Cardiff, as well as Caerphilly Castle, St.Fagans Castle & Museum = 7 miles W of the city (Easyway bus 32A) is well worth seeing and takes at least half a day to go around the extensive site. The ‘Castle’ is more like a manor house from the 1500’s.

Streetviews > Caerphilly =https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.5749261,-3.2182698,3a,75y,334.13h,87.26t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sfxyPtnxL7wPiaIUubqn5sA!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo1.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DfxyPtnxL7wPiaIUubqn5sA%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D102.322685%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e1

The Cotswold town of Bourton-on-the-Water C>https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.8848891,-1.7580093,3a,75y,192.96h,81.28t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sKn2OcDThJJ-U4hcDYfJRnQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!5m1!1e1