Is it feasible to tour the countryside by using buses or trains, starting in London for a few days and then head out to other places, each day a different location? Is luggage storage available in small towns and villages? If renting a car, can you rent one place and leave the car in another? Being from USA, I am sceptical driving on the opposite side though that would solve a lot of problems. Planning 7 or 8 days.
Posted by
2422 posts
Yes, it is possible to go touring the country using public transport. For local buses, www.traveline.info is most useful.
Longer distance buses/coaches :> https://uk.megabus.com
www.nationalexpress.co.uk
Trains:> www.nationalrail.co.uk (Short trips - usually best to pay on the day. Longer trips can be expensive unless you pre-book).
For trains - read this:>https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/england/how-to-save-money-on-railfares-not-pre-book
Make sure that your hotel(s) is within easy reach of public transport. I would think that reception staff would hold your luggage following an early arrival.
If you go on Google Maps / Earth and pull the yellow man down to street view, you will be able to see what the roads are like in order to determine whether driving is for you.
Posted by
Oxford, United Kingdom
5329 posts
Luggage storage can be an issue even in major places, not just small towns. Sometimes there is a hotel / hostel / other business that does it for a fee.
Posted by
Tunbridge Wells
6113 posts
Luggage storage is your major issue, as this won't exist in villages. If you are only here for 7/8 days, I assume that 5 of that will be in London, so your issue only relates to a few days.
Bus services are OK for moving between towns, although trains maybe quicker. In villages, bus services can be very poor. I live in a village if 2,500 people, 8 miles from Tunbridge Wells in the south east and we have 7 buses a day into Tunbridge Wells and none on a Sunday.
Where do you want to visit, so that we can better advise?
National Express is pleasanter than Megabus.
Posted by
OP
17 posts
Thank you for replying. A great help. I was spreading the trip way too thin.
Posted by
Nashville, TN, USA
3770 posts
You asked, "Is it feasible to tour the countryside by using buses or trains, starting in London for a few days and then head out to other places, each day a different location?"
Yes. England has a great train network. Half the fun we had on our recent trip to England (May 2016) was riding the trains.
You will want spend several days in London sightseeing. Then head out by train to see some of the surrounding area. You have not told us what you want to see in London, but there are a great many things to keep you busy. One could spend 5 days there and barely scratch the surface of museums, tourist sights and parks.
Two interesting places that can be reached by a very short train ride are Hampton Court Palace and Windsor Castle/Windsor the town. Both of these are on the outer edge of London. This would be a day trip, out and back to London same day.
Longer journeys out of London that would be better if you spent at least one night include:
Bath
Salisbury
York
Stratford-Upon-Avon
The Cotswolds
One company that does excellent guided tours out of London is the London Walks Company. Many of us here on the Forum have gone on their walks and their guided day trips out of town and have been pleased.
www.walks.com
A bus company that can take you to many of the sights outside of London is Evan Evans. They do day trips out, leaving London early in the morning and have you back in London by dinnertime. Their trips cover several sights, such as Windsor Castle, Stonehenge and Oxford. Or Salisbury, Stonehenge and Bath. This can be a very efficient way to see several sights in a day. Browse their wide variety of trips to see if anything strikes your fancy.
www.evanevanstours.com