I have a family of 11 that will be in England in September or October for about 2 weeks, most of the family knows nothing about England except London ,so I would like to broaden them out, maybe Durham, Yorkshire, or the Cotswalds. Any recommendations ?
Posted by
Washington DC
28249 posts
How do you plan to move around the country--train/public bus, rental cars, or hired driver with some sort of mini-bus? Some areas (including the Cotswolds) are not as easy as others if you don't have your own wheels.
Posted by
Tunbridge Wells
6113 posts
Sorry, too broad a question without knowing your interests.
Generally, Canterbury, York, Chester, Oxford and Cambridge. I don’t care for the Cotswolds or Stonehenge, but others do.
Accommodation and transport are going to be issues for you.
Posted by
Chicago
1334 posts
With 11, I’d definitely think of breaking into smaller groups often, depending on the number of adults and interests. Trying to herd 11 people every day will be challenging to say the very least. You’ll only move as fast as the slowest person.
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16895 posts
An easy link to send them would be https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/england, where they can get a quick overview of many tourist highlights. If you're choosing between Rick's guidebooks, note that the England book covers more England destinations (but no Scotland or Wales), versus the Great Britain book.
Posted by
Charleston & Birmingham
4628 posts
We loved Durham and York.
Posted by
Camano Island, WA, usa
1526 posts
Just looked at Rick's Best of England (and Wales) 14 day Tour; it looks like the basic plan could work for you with a few nips and tucks depending on the wants and needs of your group. You could easily add in Durham...I loved the cathedral...every pillar is carved in a different design. I have to agree that 11 people are hard to herd in one direction unless they have a good guide. If you have a broad spectrum of age groups, some may want to do their own thing during the day...just have a timed rendezvous. You can rent vans for groups.
Posted by
36 posts
I would come to a conclusion what the majority of your family's interest are; either city or country-side exploring.
Personally, I prefer the country-side of England. You get to go outside of the London / city bubble and experience new scenery, history, and much more!
If you are considering the Cotswolds, I would maybe do a Southwest adventure in which I would recommend visiting or staying in the following places:
Bath
Wells
Glastonbury
Salisbury
Thornbury Castle (Great for a night stay)
Cotswolds (Stow-on-the-Wold, Chipping Campden, Broadway, Bourton-on-the-Water, Upper / Lower Slaughters, Stanton)
Depending on your time frame, you can possibly add in a few nights in Cornwall or South Wales.