We are planning a trip in September with the following itinerary:
London 2 nights
Oxford 2 nights (trip to Blenheim)
Bath 2 nights (Cotswolds, Stonehenge)
Cornwall 2-3 nights
London 2-3 nights
There are 6 adults traveling and initial plans were to rent a car (would need 2 given the size of our group) but also considering if we could do this trip by public transport?
We have our accommodation in London, Oxford, and Bath. Would welcome suggestions for Cornwall.
Thanks!
Posted by
Lake District, England
7391 posts
By judicious use of tours from Bath (see many other recs on here) and depending where in Cornwall you are staying, you could make it work fairly readily using transit.
Blenheim is super easy on transit from Oxford - again see other posts as this is a frequent question.
To an extent where you stay in Cornwall depends on your travel style and interests. But the bus system, complimenting trains, is generally good and comprehensive in Cornwall.The first of
Posted by
Preston UK
1087 posts
This seems incredibly rushed to me, particularly the Cornwall bit. It will take you at least half a day to get down to Cornwall from Bath whether you drive or take the train.
Persoanlly I would drop at least one stop to give you some time to actually see something.
Posted by
London
358 posts
There's a lot packed in - adding just a couple of days for Cornwall seems a stretch. It really is a long way, especially if you then plan to head back to London. I'd consider Devon instead
Posted by
Atlanta, GA
1130 posts
I’m assuming you’re American. If so, don’t underestimate the stress of driving on the other side of the road. My husband and I drove in Ireland in our late 20s/early 30s and it was so stressful. And with two cars trying to follow each other, that will probably add to the stress. I know there are people on this forum who are not bothered by driving on the other side of the road, but there are also those of us who found it very difficult and stress inducing, especially in a country that has an excellent train system. You can also do day trips from London to Bath and Stonehenge. We did an excellent bus tour that visited both, I think on Grey Line. Bath is really cute, but I don’t think it’s as multi-day worthy as Rick Steves makes it out to be. Personally, I would spend those extra days in London.
Posted by
Los Angeles
1052 posts
As an alternative, you might consider using the formulaic RS itinerary, which is to go to Bath on arrival day - some may say it's too much effort after a long flight, but I've done it and it can be quite easy. Bath to Oxford is an easy transfer by train. Or go to Oxford first, then Bath. Others have weighed in regarding Cornwall.
This saves London for the end of your trip, and makes better use of your time overall. Bath is certainly worth 2 days on its own, but I think you're trying to do too much with the proposed side trips. So maybe add time there. And I believe you're closer to the Cotswolds from Oxford.
Posted by
OP
23 posts
Thanks all. I am aware that we are spread a little thin in some places but as I said we are a group of 6 and we are trying to accommodate everyone’s wishes. We are also planning that this will not be our last trip so if we don’t spend as much time in London this time, I’m sure we will be back. There is a possibility of not returning to Cornwall though which was the original focus of this trip for my husband and I. My husband has driven in the UK previously as he lived in Scotland for a time. None of the rest of the group have driven there, but I’m sure we will make it work out. We are just trying to work out the car rental and if we would need it for the bulk of the trip, which I don’t think we do. Thanks again for the input!