England 9-day trip advice and itinerary

Three won't get you started in London. Make a loop including something else with the Cotswolds (maybe some of the ancient sites). You'd be hard pressed to get that little bit done in nine days.

York won't work sine it will use a half day of transit time each way.

Thanks Ed. I might change the plan to five in London and four in the Cotswolds.

That'd work. Are you interested in any of the outlying aviation museums?

Not really. I fly for a living. My interest is in seeing more of the lesser known castles...Hampton Court and the Earl of Weymss house.

In that case, Wales has the best castles. With a full day's break from the Cotswolds, you'd have a choice among a half dozen really good ones in the southern part of the Principality.

Ed, we are planning to use solely public transportation. From Moreton on Marsh I know they have a train station. Can I get to Wales from there?

Darn if I know, I drive everywhere. Somebody will.

Trying to picture where I've seen rail stations and where I know the castles are, I don't think you could get real close. It'd have to be some buses stuck in there somewhere which would really slow you down to nothing in a day outing. Looks like another one of my sorry ideas.

Hampton Court palace is definitely worth the visit, and is easily accessible from London by public transport. Enjoy!

It's about a 3 hour train trip from Moreton-in-Marsh to Cardiff with one train change. From Cardiff, I'm unsure on the direction to the castles that Ed mentioned.

It's too hard.

Chepstow is the closest, but you probably have to double back from Newport or something. There's a station right at Caerphilly, but that'd have to involve a change and a short ride up from Cardiff.

as for places in the cotswolds, we enjoyed the Vine in Stanton which is one on rick's show. stanton was so picturesque and quaint and the vine is 600 yrs old i believe. we drove but i believe you can hire a car service to get there. the mount inn up on the hill has outside dining that looks over the village, valley and to the welsh mountains.

Another question...I've seen some threads about the travelcard versus oyster card. It seems for our time a seven day travel card is a better deal. I know the travel card allows free transport on the tube but does it cover rail from London to Moreton in Marsh?

" does it cover rail from London to Moreton in Marsh?"

No, as it's well outside the transport for London zones.

I highly recommend York...it's very easily done as a day trip from London. It's a two hour train ride; if you're on the 8:00 am, you're arriving just as things start to open at 10. You can see 2000 years of history through such amazing things as the Minster, Shambles, Jorvik, Castle Museum, Railway Museum, and of course the city walls. It even has one of Britain's top ten pretty streets! http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/propertypicturegalleries/10436193/Britains-10-best-historic-streets.html

Have a gorgeous early dinner at Betty's tea rooms and then catch the train back to London for the evening.

QED

Looks like you've had some good advice. See also tips about British trains and rail passes or the printable version at http://www.ricksteves.com/publications/rail-guide-form.

Warwick castle is on the northern edge of the Cotswolds - large castle with all sorts of entertainment - such as tourneys and jousting etc. Bit of a theme park, but the castle is spectacular and old. Also in the Cotswolds Studeley Castle in Winchcombe is a fortified manor with a long history and was the home of Katherine Parr, last wife of Henry VIII. Beautiful gardens.

I agree about York-- there is a fast train that gets you there. But why not stay a couple of nights to make the most of it. There is tons of great stuff to do there. See my picts from our time there:
http://cleob.smugmug.com/Travel/England-2010/12563098_V72pPj#!i=902547716&k=x4HdG78
The Cotswolds are absolutely wonderful, but you need a car if you are to do anything outside of where you are staying.

lb

For another city to visit, Bath is a bit nearer the Cotswolds that York.