Cotswolds or Cornwall and how to get there from Boston

When exactly are you thinking of coming?

I'd hardly describe Cotswolds and Cornwall as 'quieter' countryside as they are very popular with visitors and tourists.

Rather think about Dorset and the Jurassic coast, Suffolk area (yet to be discovered but with some lovely villages the equal of those found in the Cotswolds) or possibly Peak District or even North York Moors (although that is further to travel).

Probably the easiest way for Cornwall is to book an Aer Lingus open jaw (multi city) Boston to Newquay (Cornwall) change at Dublin outward/London Heathrow to Boston return.

Then a British Airways return London City or London Heathrow to Florence, or Vueling return London Gatwick to Florence.

Then take the train Cornwall to London, or fly Eastern Airways Newquay to Gatwick (ensuring you allow enough connecting time).

For the Cotswolds it would be RT Boston to Heathrow on whatever airlines serve the route then RT London to Florence as above.

The County of Cornwall has good bus services round the County including the Newquay to Padstow bus which stops at the airport every hour in the daytime.

I prefer Cornwall to the Cotswolds. The Cotswolds has some pretty villages but the natural landscape is not as beautiful or interesting as you find in Cornwall. Also Cornwall has the sea of course. It is busy there in August so if that’s when you’re planning to come I’d probably consider other locations. My favourite summer holiday spot is Pembrokeshire in Wales. Beautiful beaches and a lot less people.

Note that from London, it takes a whole day to get to Cornwall plus a whole day back. You only have 5 days so that means only 3 whole days at destination. You might be able to save some time by flying from Italy to Bristol Airport.

I found the Cotswolds to be scenic but somewhat monotonous. Didn't care for Cornwall particularly, and especially disliked Newquay. It's extremely touristy, and it attracts a fairly gritty crowd more interested in tattoos and surfboard wax than in cultural attractions.

Now that I've thoroughly slandered both regions (apologies to the Cornish people), I can say that how crowded Newquay can be proves my opinion is not in the majority.

Cornwall is very popular with British holidaymakers , particularly in the school holidays (which end 1st week of Sept). Someone else has described Newquay, and I wouldn't disagree with them. Other parts of Cornwall are more 'upmarket'. Note the two coasts are quite different - the north coast gets the full force of the Atlantic and is very rugged (lovely walks). The south coast is more protected and has a softer landscape and in some places sub-tropical gardens.

I thought the idea of the Aer Lingus flights to Newquay was very interesting but it will take the best part of a day to get to London from Cornwall however you do it.

If you'd like somewhere a bit quieter nearer to London, what about the Suffolk or Norfolk Coasts (but not Gt Yarmouth)?

The time saving way from Cornwall to London is to use the Night Riviera Sleeper train (not Saturday night)- https://www.gwr.com/travelling-with-us/night-riviera-sleeper

which is far more realistically priced than the overnight trains to Scotland.

Newquay happens to be the only international airport in Cornwall (the other airports in the County are at Penzance for and on the Isles of Scilly) but there is nothing to say you have to stay there. You could go the other way to Padstow (or elsewhere up the coast on the way to Padstow), or easily make your way from Newquay to the South Coast of the County.

Florence has no flights to Bristol, but you could do Bristol to Rome or Milan on Easyjet, then train to Florence. But getting to Bristol Airport from Cornwall then train in Italy is going to be much the same time as to London, then flying direct.

You can fly from Pisa to Bristol which is the easiest way from Florence.

There is a huge amount more to Cornwall than Newquay, which has smartened up a bit recently anyway. Cornwall is a holiday destination so obviously it has a lot of facilities for tourists. The county itself has a pretty low average income but there are high end restaurants and expensive gastro pubs all over the place. It’s not a cheap place to stay.

This is partly a matter of OPINION, but I think it is a logistical (time, money, and trouble) nightmare to pair even London with Florence. This is not like driving in your own Captain's Chair SUV from NY to Philadelphia, especially since Brexit. But airport security, late planes, slow boarding, alternate airports with bargain carriers ... ...

You did not say how long the whole trip is, but two days of travel for three days in a location seems like a mistake to me. Cardiff is not as remote as Cornwall, but we visited there, and the Glastonbury area, when:
1) My wife had business there
2) United had direct flights NYC-Bristol

I am suggesting that you should visit other places in central or northern Italy if you want to visit Florence again. Another poster has mentioned heavy Cornwall tourism, so I think crowding in Tuscany or Venice is not as big a contrast as you think. Month and Year of travel?

I also question visiting Bruges from Amsterdam. I have been in Amsterdam five times and Bruges at least twice, but I only visited one country on each trip. Well, the time we drove across the Netherlands we did start in Cologne, but that is almost in the Netherlands. Our first big stop was Venlo, for the Floriade.

I've only been to the Cotswalds, so can't speak to Cornwall, We stayed in Chipping Camden and it was lovely, and probably had the best food of our trip to England. Spectacular pub meals. We did not rent a car. In terms of logistics this is a bit of a challenge. We trained to Moreton on Marsh, and then ended up ( eventually) finding a taxi to take us to Chipping Camden. For the rest of the trip we did walks and took one bus back. The buses did not seem to run that often, or even that consistently. A car would have been nice, but you are on the other side of the road, and the roads are narrow with high hedges.
It is very peaceful, we were there in early summer and needed dinner reservation on the weekend, but otherwise did not notice crowds particularly.
To get there from Boston, i belive you would do direct to Heathrow, then there are a couple of bigger centers that I think have direct buses ( ? Cirencester). I've always thought that if I were to do the Cotswalds again that I might look into one of the walking tours hat take your luggage from inn to inn, as this would alleviate some of the transportation issues, but i"ve not found one that would pick me up at Heathrow!

Avoid getting a car in either place. There is no need for one unless there's something you know you want to see where you cannot reach by public transport. And even then, consider hiring a driver or getting a taxi. Driving is generally a nuisance, and the rural lanes here in the UK can be stressful for visitors.
Go to Cornwall. This is both my personal opinion and practical advice. First, the Cotswolds are generally ubiquitous British countryside which just happen to be very difficult to reach by public transport. And whilst there are some lovely villages it is not worth hiring a car, because most likely you will find another place equally nice with a train or bus service. Like @wasleys said, Dorset and the Jurassic Coast may suit you.

Second, Cornwall is an entire county (compared to the Cotswolds which is just an area) and it is served by very capable public transport. You can get the train to Penzance, cross the street from the station and get a bus to a town or village somewhere by the sea. No car needed. If you decide on Cornwall, really take some time to research a place that is out of the way. Even the smaller towns like Mousehole or Porthcurno will be crowded in summertime.

Whatever you decide, have a lovely trip :)

I'm going to put my two cents in here as I have previously faced the same dilemma. First, a disclaimer, I have been to the Cotswolds but not to Cornwall.

On two prior visits, I very much wanted to see Cornwall, but just did not have enough time to spend two days in travel to/from London. Both times I opted for the Cotswolds instead. I feel it was the correct choice on both trips. Next month I am planning on being in England for over two weeks and will finally have enough time to make it to Cornwall. I'm glad to have time to actually see it and not just rush in and out.

I also appreciate the input of folks from Britain on this thread noting that the Cotswolds can be crowded (true!) and recommending other areas. However, I have to say that coming from the US and seeing the Cotswold villages feels like walking into a fairy tale. All these beautiful houses and cottages that I sort of didn't believe actually existed until I saw it. There are pretty villages in other areas, but the Cotswolds is famous for them for a reason. I think when you grow up around this you don't realize how different it is from some places. (And, I get it. I have lived my entire life 30 miles from one of the world's most visited national parks and I consider the park just so-so. Familiarity breeds contempt.)

That being said, transportation within the Cotswolds is an issue. I have had a car both times and was very glad to go where I liked, but driving the narrow lanes if it is a crowded weekend is definitely stressful. Public transit options are very limited, so you will have to judge your own comfort with driving vs. having fewer options with public transit. Both options have pros and cons.

Whatever you decide, I hope you have a lovely trip!