Using a modified Rick Steve's 3 week itinerary by Car - I've scaled it down somewhat.
Day 1: Arrive in London, take train to Bath (sleep in Bath)
Day 2: Bath (sleep in Bath) - explore Bath
Day 3: Pick up car? or take minibus: visit Stonehenge and Salisbury (sleep in Bath)
Day 4: (get car on Day 4?) Oxford, to the Cotswolds in the evening (sleep in Chipping Campden or?)
Day 5: Explore the Cotswolds (sleep in Chipping Campden or?)
Day 6: Explore Liverpool - Cavern club (sleep in Liverpool)
Day 7: Beatles tours (Lennon/McCarthy homes, museum,); Liverpool (sleep in Liverpool)
Day 8: To the Lake District, visiting the South Lake District en route to Keswick (sleep in Keswick area)
Day 9: Explore the North Lake District; hike an easy/moderate trail (sleep in Keswick)
Day 10: Hadrian's Wall, then to Durham or York (sleep in Durham or York)
Day 11: North Yorkshire, drop car in York (sleep in York)
Day 12: Morning train to London (sleep in London)
Day 13: London (sleep in London)
Day 14: London (sleep in London)
Day 15: Day trips: Windsor, Cambridge, Brighton, or Canterbury/Dover (sleep in London)
Day 16: London or another day trip (sleep in London) and fly home.on Day 17?
Our wants/questions are:
We are 4 active retired adults (2 couples) planning a trip to England in early September, 2025. Right now we plan to fly in and out of Heathrow. Our two must sees are London and Liverpool, but we have several other 'wants'. We think we'll end our tour in London, rather than start there. Our big question is - what kind of transportation should we use? Train, bus, driver, rent a car, a combination of each?
We're planning on landing at Heathrow and traveling to Bath (via train or bus?) where we would stay for 2-3 nights and do day-trips to Stonehenge, Salisbury Cathedral, and maybe Oxford, and maybe somewhere else. (via bus/train/private tour/private driver, or rent a car?) Then on to the Cotswolds area. Our next "base" would be Liverpool, where we'd spend another 2-3 nights, depending on how long it takes to travel there (via train/ bus, or rent a car?) We'll do the must-do Beatles stops and tours, including the National Trust John & Paul homes tour, and maybe some WWII historic sites as well. (walking around?) We don't think we'd need a car there, though. Then, ideally we'd travel to the Lakes District, and hopefully visit Hadrian's Wall. We may go on to York and then travel back to London by train and spend our last 4-5 nights there.
Is this too aggressive? Should we plan on 3 nights vs 2 nights at each location? (or a mix). I realize we may need to compromise. Any feedback / input on preferred modes of transportation around these places will be much appreciated. Thank you!