My mother and I are visiting London in March and we would like to take a day trip to Blenheim Palace and the Cotswolds. It seems that the motor coach tour companies do not offer tours to Blenheim/Costwolds until April or May.
I would like to know how difficult it is to take the train to Oxford and then get to Blenheim. My mother is not able to walk very far, so I would need to find transportation all the way to the doors of the palace - not the gates. Taxi? Local ride sharing?
Cheers!
S3 is the bus from the Oxford Railway Station to the palace gates - every 20 minutes. You can arrange with the operations department to take you in from there but this has to set up in advance - operations@blenheimpalace.com or +44 1993 810530.
You get a 30% discount on entry by arriving on the S3.
Wonderful! Thank you so much for this information.
I made this trip, and by the time you get to Oxford, and take the bus to Blenheim, that is all you will have time for that day. I didn't plan to spend all day there, but it wasn't hard to do. Touring the Cotswolds would need to be a second trip, most likely with a rental car.
Try the London Walks Company. They have day trips to the Cotswolds that leave from London.
http://www.walks.com/Standalone/The_Cotswolds_%E2%80%93_Sightseeing_Tour_%E2%80%93_Guided_Walking_Tour/default.aspx Note that this tour involves some amount of walking to tour the villages.
They also have private guides for hire. Here is one, Claire, who would be able to drive you to Blenheim right up to the door. She would also be able to escort you on your tour of Blenheim, if you wish. http://www.walks.com/London_Walks_Home/Best_Driver-guide_Ever/default.aspx
If you are not up for all the walking necessary for the Cotswolds trip, you could arrange for Claire to take you there on a private tour and drive-through of the villages. You said your mother is not able to walk very far, so maybe a private car would be good for you two.
I hope you have a great trip!
Blenheim Palace is a sight to see. We were there three years ago and enjoyed it. The main level is fantastic. At one point a steam-organ was being played (Here comes the bride!) and just filled the rooms with beauty! (but don't waste your time on the 2nd level. It was just a series of borish rooms, without a guide, which gave you a history of the area/palace. I would liken it to going to a children's museum with computer stations here and there, a short film where your stand the whole time, etc. Half of the people we were standing with almost fell asleep on their feet up there) But, the real beauty of the palace are the gardens and terrain surrounding the palace.
We went to Blenheim two years ago and it truly was fabulous. For you, it will be a full day trip with no time for the Cotswolds. But, it's worth it. We were in a car. If you are taking a bus which goes just to the palace gates, it is a very long walk and likely too much for your mom. I'm not sure how you will get from the gates to the palace entrance. As far as the interior sites, the Churchill exhibit is wonderful and I'm sure your mom will like it. The next item is a guided tour through some of the furnished rooms. Again, this is worth it as the guides are engaging. Third, we loved the upstairs tour exhibit/activity and it might be new since a previous poster has been there. Upstairs you take a tour narrated by a virtual, ghostly maid. She tells wonderful stories about the building of the palace and life inside. You go through several scenes with this virtual hostess. It's very clever and funny. Then there are the displays at the end that the previous poster mentioned as being somewhat boring. They are. We skipped past them and went walking in the beautiful gardens, which are extensive. However, the sculptured garden and waterfalls are very close to the house and you would feel fulfilled just by seeing those if you don't want to walk out to the Rose Garden (which might not be blooming in March anyway). We loved Blenheim and it is worth the effort to get there.
