Canterbury, Dover, Hastings

We stayed a week near Burwash in the Sussex Weald. So many places to visit from Margate to Brighton. Sightseeing options here, but over 7 days, and with a car.

Day 1
Train to Brighton
Sleep: Brighton

Day 2 - Pick up hire car
Brighton Pavilion
Alfriston Clergy House
Beachy Head (White Cliffs)
Eastbourne Pier
Sleep: Hastings

Day 3
Battle
Batemans
Bodiam Castle
Great Dixter
Sleep: Rye

Day 4
Dover Castle
Turner Margate
Canterbury Cathedral
Sleep: Canterbury

Day 5
Sissinghurst Garden
Leeds Castle
Ightham Mote
Knole House
Sleep: Royal Tunbridge Wells

Day 6
Down House
Chartwell
Hever Castle
Nymans
Sleep: Gatwick

Day 7 - Drop off hire car
Depart Gatwick

Well, don't try to cover David's whole list in four days! ;-)

I think your plan is a good one -- train to Canterbury, rent car, on to Dover and Battle and Hastings and maybe Brighton, drop car at Gatwick. If your flight's from Heathrow, it might be worth driving there instead of taking the train or bus from Gatwick, depending on time and cost.

If you get an early train from London, you could spend most of your first day in Canterbury and drive on to Dover for the first night. Then explore Dover Castle in the morning and move on to other destinations the same day. I think four nights would allow you to see all on your list and some of David's too.

I would spend the night in Canterbury instead of Dover. Canterbury is a nicer town. You can easily drive to Dover and get there when the castle opens. Dover did not take all day. Battle does not take a long time. We did the full tour...were maybe there 2 hours. We loved our hike along Beachy Head and the Seven Sisters. You can walk as far as you want. We spent the whole day!

Eef is probably right about spending the night in Canterbury, you'll have more choices of lodging and evening activities. The main attraction in Dover is the castle, with the surrounding scenery of course. And it's a short morning drive from Canterbury.

Dover is a down at heel unpleasant town. The castle and surrounding historical area is spectacular but nothing else in the town is. Lots of cross channel travel trucks and cars and unpleasant B&Bs. I never stay there.

Canterbury has plenty of charm.

As the others said, stay in Canterbury. You have the Cathedral, St Augustine's Abbey among others. Dover Castle is fantastic. Battle Abbey is fascinating, but I am a major history buff. Brighton is interesting, but skip able if needed.

Take the train from London St Pancras train station to Canterbury East. You can rent a car from Kendall which is a two minute walk from train station. Stay at Clare Ellen Guest House which is a five minute drive from Kendall. A friend and I are doing this in September. We are renting a car for four days a Mini Cooper for £122.00.

a Mini Copper

Probably not a policeman who is vertically challenged.

Probably a Mini Cooper.

If you do arrive too early to get into the Dover Castle parking lot, you can look for a parking spot along the cliff and look down on the port of Dover. You can watch the ferries load and unload, with long lines of trucks waiting to load. It's not pretty, but it's pretty interesting, at least we thought so! I think there is a national trust property -- if you were coming up the hill from the port, past the castle on your right, you turn right just past the castle.

Thank you all for the terrific advice. I've researched more about Sussex Weald and you all are right: there is so much to see there!! Especially for a history buff like me. My friend and I are now re-evaluating our original plan. We may spend a week in Sussex and only a day or two in London. There is a lot to see in London but she's been there before, and I am uncomfortable in big cities. Two days would probably be my max.

Please, keep the suggestions coming. TIA!

It does become hard deciding what to leave out. Some days we pushed ourselves to get to 4 locations (historic house or garden), but they have to be very close to one another and you are limiting yourself with time at each (90 mins). Three is more realistic and more manageable.