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Homebase between Bath and London

Posted by (Albuquerque, NM, United States) on

Hi all,

We've picked the UK for our next trip and will spend most of our time in England. We'll be picking up a car in Bath and driving to London for our flight out at the end of the trip. The idea is to explore the area between the two -- Stonehenge, Highclere Castle, Oxford, Windsor Castle, and whatever else we find.

In the vein of avoiding one night stands, I'd like to stay in the same spot for two nights and day trip around the area. Where would be a good home base?

One thought would be to station ourselves near the main thoroughfare in Swindon or Newbury. But it seems likely that a more remote spot would lend itself to better back-road drives and generally a more laid-back time. We could go either way. This trip will be London, Edinburgh, and Bath so a little different flavor from any of those would be idea.

Thanks for any thoughts and tips!

Posted by
1526 posts

We stayed in Bladon which on the opposite side of Blenheim Palace Estate from Woodstock. It was pretty quiet there being known mostly for being the burial site of Winston Churchill and his wife Clementine, But it is easy access to most of the places you mentioned. Since it is only 45 minutes from Oxford you could stop there on your way to London. Woodstock looks like a nice place to stay but the prices are likely to be more posh. Salisbury is also OK and really a good half way stop for seeing the Cathedral and Stonehenge. Since you are driving you can stop whenever you see what you like. We did stay a week at an Estate on Rutland Waters. But it was kind of tedious having to back track . I'd rather travel linearly and keep moving on unless you are staying a city. Check on "business class" hotels for better deals. We mostly stayed in B & Bs or Inns that we found at the Tourist Info Offices. Not everyone lists on-line. Edinburgh has nice small hotels near the University, near Greyfriers. Windsor is pretty close to Heathrow so could be a good stop before returning your car.

Posted by
10 posts

Thanks, Kathleen! We'll look into Bladon and Salisbury. Good advice on the other sites too.

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