My wife and I are planning a trip to the UK this summer and would like some advice/ideas for our itinerary. FYI, we were in London two years ago but didn't do anything else in England as that trip mostly focused on Scotland. We loved London so we were thinking of starting off with four days in the city. After that, we were considering taking the train to Bath and spending 3 nights in Bath, which would include a day trip to Stonehenge and some other spots. Then, renting a car and heading into the Cotswolds for three or four nights. Any suggestions as to where we should go next? York and Oxford have both been in the mix, but I feel like after really digging into Edinburgh, York will feel a bit meh, and I'm not sure about Oxford. Ideally, the entire trip would be two weeks, give or take.
Posted by
Duluth 🛶
8473 posts
If you can visit Oxford, definitely do so. I was there for only one night and had to tear myself away from it. I plan on going back there because it is a wonderful city! It's vibrant with incredible architecture, beautiful gardens, historic pubs where Tolkien and CS Lewis used to hang out, the colleges; what's not to love? And the Ashmolean Museum is one of the most amazing museums I have been in.
Considering you are mostly in the Cotswolds, I would stick with that area and forget about York; esecially since it will . And quite frankly, I liked York, but I LOVED Oxford, and would vote for it hands-down. I do think your idea of spending some times in London is good.
Posted by
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
4724 posts
My favourite European adventure so far has been a 2 week trip from Salisbury to Canterbury. Highlights were an early morning access to Stonehenge, the Mary Rose Museum in Portsmouth, Bodiam Castle, and Canterbury. Here's my Trip Report if you're interested.
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/trip-report-the-south-of-england
Posted by
Irving
3328 posts
Keep in mind to spend four days in London you need five nights for London alone. I’ve never been to Oxford but I hear Cambridge is prettier. If you have a car, consider going to Wales.