Favorite destination in England?

It's hard to narrow down. London because...well...it's London and has everything. However, I loved the days I spent in Bath this fall. It was pretty crowded during the weekend, but I loved it during the week when the crowds were less. I love the Georgian architecture juxtaposed with the Roman history and just walking thru the downtown area.

Probably every where I have been: Cornwall, the Cotswolds, Kent, York, the Lake District and especially London. I just feel at home in the UK and I love tea, fish and chips and pubs. So, it is the perfect vacation spot for me. I love the countryside and the verges and the roundabouts and public transportation and castles and country homes. Oh my, I need to plan a trip. You can tell, I am a fan.

Easy....Port Isaac (site of "Doc Martin") in Cornwall. Runners-up: Cotswolds (Lower Slaughter, Bibury, Broadway); Fooey / Megavissey in Cornwall; Dartmoor National Park).

That would be "Fowey"...pronounced "Foy." Oops....

LOVE the Lake District...once you get off the tourist track it's my favorite place on Earth!

I think it has to be London. I don't think that that is even disloyal to my grandmother who is from Cumbria as she left as soon as she could figure out how to do it. But Cumbria and the north are beautiful and if you're not a young woman trying to find your way in the world is a wonderful place to visit.

Pam

Winchester is my favourite small city. It is not only beautiful and historic, it has marvellous "ramble-worthy" areas along the river. Recently I went to St Albans for the first time. There is a splendid cathedral surrounded by the greenest "green" area I had ever seen. Also a Friday a.m. street market not far from the cathedral. I hope to go back soon and discover what else this town has to offer. It looks a lively place and not far from London by train.

I always love London with its hustle and bustle and the Underground. I LOVED the Minack Theater in Cornwall (you have to drive/carpool to get there and wear loads of warm clothes). But, my favourite place is Scarborough. My great uncle Frank instilled the love of this mellow town and its beautiful houses, bays, bridges and countryside by taking me on rides whenever I visited. It is a place to relax and enjoy.

Loved York!

Difficult to choose. London, because of the great museums and historic architecture. Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London never cease to interest me, because of their history and the fact that it's amazing they are still standing. The British Museum, Museum Of London and the V&A Museum are terrific. Kent, because of all the beautiful gardens and historic structures, such as Leeds Castle, Hever Castle, Chartwell, and Dover Castle overlooking the sea. Another favorite: the Cotswolds. Lovely little villages and cottages, walking the Cotswold Way Path, peace and quiet. Also York; it's worth a trip there just to walk the city walls and attend Evensong at York Minster. Also Hadrian's Wall has a windswept beauty that is truly different from anywhere else I've been.

We have 3 full days in the London area coming in July. We've done London but will still spend a day "inside" touring around. We have 3 children with us (tweens), what other areas would you suggest we see? We've been to Leeds castle before. What about Bath?

To reply to Lori: York and Bath both come to mind as towns that would appeal to tweens, as well as adults. Both are oozing with history in addition to being beautiful. After London (he who is tired of London . . . ), they are my favorites.

Lori, At age 11, my son absolutely loved York. The town itself, the very fun guided ghost walks at night, the museum which has a recreated Victorian London (?) street and a display of appliances throughout the 1900's (vacuum cleaners, washers, tvs, etc) plus lots more, the Disneyland-like ride that takes you back to the days of the Vikings (forget the name but it's in RS book), the horse-drawn carriages, walking the old city wall as Rebecca said, and the amazing train museum.

Loved Bath, loved our visit to St. Ives in Cornwall, loved our time in the Cotswolds. But the day we visited Dartmoor (specifically Chagford in the northern part of the national park) was amazing. This was what I envisioned country lanes and pastoral walks in England would look like. I don't think Chagford is on top of many lists, but it was a great area when we visited.

This is SOOO hard! London is wonderful and you can do lots of easy self-directed day trips by train (Greenwich, Windsor, Cardiff, Bath, Stratford-upon-Avon, Winchester, Dover, Canterbury, and many more). After 40+ trips, there are still things we want to see and many we love to repeat.

That said, I also LOVE York. It is a wonderful compact city. While it can be done as a day trip by train from London or Edinburgh, I really enjoyed spending a couple of days there on some trips.

Finally, Windsor is absolutely marvelous. Our kids loved it when they were teens/preteens. The castle (and its gardens) has to be my favorite. And the short cruise down the Thames from the Eaton bridge is lovely. There are some great shops, too. (I really need a thesaurus for Windsor, I run out of superlatives)

Wow, this seems to be nearly a debate on what you love there. Do tell me more! :)

My current favorite is Ryde on the Isle of Wight. I visited there last fall and stayed at a B&B for 4 nights. One day I took the local public bus to Queen Victoria's place, Osborne House. Another day I took a bus to Newport, had a coffee and looked around. My third day there I found a laundromat and used it, then went to a nearby church where they served a delicious hot lunch. I sat outside and chatted with British couple at the next table.

The island is green and beautiful. For such a small piece of the planet it has a surprising number of towns and bus routes. There is an old train that chugs up and down the east coast, connecting the few small towns there. To stay on the Isle, it is easy to take a ferry from Portsmouth to Ryde then catch a bus from the promenade there to other towns. I walked to my B&B. For staying in the other towns I would take that train or a bus. Wight is a good way to "get away from it all" without roughing it. Rates/prices were lower than in London. People were friendly and helpful; it had a small-town feel.

Ferries and buses run frequently, every 30-60 minutes mostly.

Too many wonderful places and sites to pick a favorite..... I love England and also the rest of the UK.

London. So much to do and see. York was fun too.

My husband and I live for the UK. We visited London, four years in a row. I actually live for the next trip there also. London is just the most wonderful place. The Cotswolds, Cambridge, Oxford, Bath, York, visiting the Parliament Bldg. and going on a tour, boating on the Thames, boating along the Thames to Hampton Court, boating over to Greenwich, going to Kew Gardens, seeing the Tower Bridge, seeing Big Ben, viewing St. Paul's Cathedral, just walking around the glorious city and enjoying all the beautiful architecture, seeing Windsor Castle, Harrod's etc., etc., etc. Too much to reminisce about.

I love London. Love it. It's architecture, it's smells, energy. All of it. I think I lived here in a former life. BUT if I were suddenly dropped into England, fingers crossed, it would be in Cornwall. In Mevagissey in time for quiz night.

Love London. So much to do and see. Going back this summer for two weeks. York was fun too.