Easy Drives ?

The area around Cambridge - East Anglia - has lots of offer and because it’s mostly flat you should find it a little easier (better sightlines).

Eastwards, Saffron Walden and Bury St Edmunds are attractive towns with lots of history, and Lavenham is gorgeous with lots of half-timbered houses. The big mansion Audley End (which I’ve just mentioned in another post) is stunning and well worth visiting. It’s one of my favourite stately homes in England.

Ely is a must: the cathedral is extraordinary.

Norwich is a fab city, full of history but also very lively with good shops and an excellent market place.

If you want to get off the beaten path, then East Anglia is a good location. Its not far from London and you can get to have a feel for the real England without the tourists. You could possibly pick up a rental car from Stansted airport rather than Heathrow. You would then have several options on your way to Cambridge. Most definitely go through the villages rather than straight up the M11. Great Barfield, Finchingfield (stop in the Fox pub or the tea rooms next door - great food), Thaxted, (guildhall, 18th century windmill, church) .Saffron Walden, (Audley End House). I usually drive to Cambridge and use the park and rides to bus into the city. I find British roads rather stressful these days with the amount of traffic and busy roundabouts, but I find I can handle driving around these villages fairly well. I just like to get an automatic so one less thing to think about. The roads in this area are a decent width with less traffic. I will be renting a car in this area this July when I return to the UK for a family visit.

Margaret

Finchingfield, Thaxted, Saffron Walden - oh my! This brings up some great memories. I visited East Anglia 20 years ago on a road trip. The car was owned and driven by a Brit. We visited so many lovely and interesting places. I'd love to do that again - if I could figure out the driving thing, lol.

After that week or so traveling around East Anglia, I do. not. understand why people are so dead set on visiting the Cotswolds. I'm sure that's a lovely area. But if I never get there (I've been to the UK at least nine times since the mid-90's)? I won't feel that I've missed seeing British villages, towns, and countryside. And, I don't recall having to share any space with tour buses full of people, either.

These have been so helpful and reassuring. Thank you for the ideas!

Look into driving around the Cotswolds, I think it’s easy driving in that area.