Cotswolds vs. ?

Dorset
Suffolk
Rutland
Kent
The South Downs area
The New Forest

The point is, many tourists head for the Cotswolds because they have this idea that it's the only place they'll find quaint villages & beautiful scenery. In fact, the Cotswolds just shouts loudest.

Yes, I got that point. But being ignorant of the other areas, I'm asking for some specifics please.

I don't want to head to the Cotswolds just because "all the tourists do it", if there are other less crowded, equally close and comparable places. Being from California, I might liken this to the way all the tourists head to Napa Valley for wine tasting here, but actually there are several other equally wonderful wine growing areas in California, but which do not have the same reputation among tourists. That is why I'm asking people who are familiar with England to help me out by recommending some other areas like the Cotswolds, but perhaps less crowded. Thank you.

Thank you Jane, for those recommendations.

That is why I'm asking people who are familiar with England to help me
out by recommending some other areas like the Cotswolds, but perhaps
less crowded.

And that is why I recommended some to you. But I think the thing is, it takes a bit more work to find out about them. The Cotswolds are easy because all the tour books mention them. Most of the areas I mentioned have websites with tourist info and pictures, so take a look and see what you fancy.

Dorset is lovely and should be better known. It combines beautiful villages with a coastline to rival Cornwall.

The South Downs is the hilly stretch just south of London, stretching from Hampshire across to Sussex. Pretty villages, good open walking, plus antiques hotbeds like Petworth.

Suffolk is really undervisited but has stunning villages - check out Lavenham, Long Melford, Sudbury.

Hopefully that will get you started.

Suffolk is really undervisited but has stunning villages - check out
Lavenham, Long Melford, Sudbury.

So true! I visited those villages several years ago, and still remember them fondly. Definitely stunning!I don't have travel tips to share, because I was a passenger in a car driven by a UK resident. I just had to get in the car, buckle up, and enjoy the scenery.

I've always thought that the only practical way to visit those villages is by car. I'd be thrilled to learn that I'm wrong, i.e., it can be done by rail and/or coach.

I think if you want to go to the Cotswolds, you should. While I agree that there are certainly other areas that are less known, the villages in the Cotswolds are what most Americans think of as the quintessential "English village", hence the appeal. You won't go wrong and since it's your first trip to England you'll get exactly what you are looking for. In future trips you can always expand to other suggested areas, but I would not skip the Cotswolds just because there are other charming places.

I feel that you should visit the Cotswolds. Cotswolds is a wonderful area to walk from village to villages. Erbington, Stanton, Painswick are very quaint beautiful villages, worth a visit. Other villages worth visiting are Chipping Campden, Broadway, Bourton-on-the-Water, Stow-on-the-Wold to name just a few, there are so many beautiful villages in the Cotswolds, that you can't go wrong whatever villages you decide to go to.

We loved Bath and the Cotswolds. We did a 4-day inn to inn walk to/from Bath and visited Bradford-on-Avon, Laycock, and Castlecombe. They were charming and I don't regret our time there at all. It's easy to get to Bath from London and for those reasons the Cotswolds might be best for you, depending on how much time you have for your trip. Enjoy wherever you go, and don't let the comments of others dissuade you from your choice.

We visited Bakewell and Chatsworth House and the Peak District 2 years ago- its a beautiful area.(Don't stay in Dronefield if you go) We also saw Blenheim Palace, preferred Chatsworth to Blenheim. Next trip is 3 months away and have a B and B booked in Bath for 7 days. We, so far, are planning to see southern Wales, maybe a fishing lesson in the Cotswolds or other, to see the area out toward Cornwall. My ancestors came from these areas, among most of England and Scotland, and some of the old stone castles were their homes as well as one that is a museum. So a it of genealogy plays into our desire to see this area. We also liked Portsmouth when we visited too. Stayed at a Hilton that had a cricket field attached and were able to watch some from our balcony. Fun and service was excellent.

I'd also add to the list the counties of Devon & Somerset, both of which have lovely countryside and pretty towns and villages. Herefordshire is practically wall-to-wall half-timbered and thatched cottages.

We used Andrew Guppy, Cotswold Walks, last summer. He made all our reservations for our eight nights in the Cotswold, including all our drivers. We stayed in Chipping Camden for four nights and two other places for two nights each. None of the areas were busy. We were there in August, 2016.

I agree with some of the others that you really need to see the Cotswolds. We have been there a number of times, and it's wonderful. However, we just completed our 24th trip to England, and we (with rental car) drive to different areas of the countryside each time. There are so many wonderful places to see. I also liked Suffolk and the villages there. We stayed in Lavenham last time and drove to various villages.

I think you should consider the English/Welsh border and the counties of Herefordshire and Shropshire. You could visit several beautiful villages, including the 'Black and White Trail' (http://www.visitherefordshire.co.uk/thedms.aspx?dms=3&venue=1401026) of timber-framed villages in Herefordshire. The borders include wonderful scenery, some fascinating small towns (Chepstow, Hay-on-Wye, Kington, Ludlow, Montgomery, Llangollen etc), and is generally neglected by tourists. As a local, I much prefer it to the Cotswolds.

The Cotswolds are pretty, but they are now overrun with traffic and tourists, which has ruined their charm.

I also like the Black and White Trail villages in the border counties. Pretty villages and stunning countryside.

Suffolk too has also been mentioned.

My favourite places in the UK are the Northumberland coast - (too far out of your way and stunning scenery, not picturesque villages) and Rutland - a bit like the Cotswolds, but without bus loads of tourists. There are a few picturesque Georgian towns such as Stamford (where Middlemarch was filmed and the location of Burghley House), Oakham (visit the Horseshoe Museum - more interesting than it sounds) and Uppingham (there is a good walking trail around the town and some good tea shops!). The villages are very pretty and there is good walking either around the reservoir or around the villages such as Hambleton and Egleton. Take a boat ride on the Rutland Belle. www.discover-rutland.co.uk may give more assistance.

Yes! Welsh border is great - black and white villages, etc. We were in the area again last year and stayed in Bridgnorth (which is fantastic!) and did driving tours from there.

You all have given me so many great suggestions! It is going to take me quite some time to follow up and investigate these areas. Thank you!

I think London, Bath and Cotswolds make sense for this trip (I did it in 2015), though frankly I did not look at where the suggested towns are on a map.

I also suggest staying in Chipping Campden and walking the trail between Upper Slaughter and Lower Slaughter. I would also take lunch in Lacock, near Bath, a charming village owned by the National Trust and used as a movie set for so many British movies - Harry Potter, Pride and Prejudice, Downton Abbey to name a few. Walking around we found interesting shops, residents who used the honor system for selling her nougats outside her home, and people wandering around in period dress. We loved Bath as well, taking the city tour and also wandering around the Roman Baths. 2 days minimum in Bath and 3 in the Cotswolds would be my suggestion.