I am planning our first trip to London at the end of May/beginning of June. It will be myself and two young adult kids (this is a graduation gift trip). We have planned the first 3 nights in London, 2 nights in Bath (not sure if this is too long?), 1 in night in Cambridge, finishing up with 3 final nights back in London. I have hotels booked but am now wondering if it would be better to do an airbnb for the entire trip and simply do day trips to Bath and Cambridge. Price wise it seems to work out fairly similar. My thought around staying in various hotels is that we would get to know different areas but having a home base also seems like it would have advantages too. Any thoughts?
Posted by
Ontario, Canada
5497 posts
My thought is that you would spend too much time travelling from and to London each day- time that could have been spent actually in the places you want to see.
Posted by
Olympia, WA, USA
6713 posts
Bath and Cambridge are doable day trips from London, but it seems like you wanted more out of Bath if you were planning two nights there, with a full day between them. There's certainly enough to see and do in both places to justify a night or two. Whether the convenience of a nine-night apartment stay in London outweighs the shortening of your time in Bath and Cambridge is up to you.
There's a lot to be said for unpacking just once, having a kitchen and maybe laundry, having more room for the three of you to spread out and keep perhaps different sleep schedules. You'll have an easier time traveling to and from Bath and Cambridge without luggage.
But arranging to get into an apartment will probably be more complicated than just checking into a hotel. And you won't experience Bath and Cambridge as fully with day trips as you would with overnights.
Since this is a graduation gift trip, why not offload this dilemma to the graduate? Do it whichever way he/she wants.
Posted by
Land of La
9265 posts
If you have accommodations reserved I encourage you to stick with them!
What are your June dates?
I ask because the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee dates are:
https://www.royal.uk/platinum-jubilee-central-weekend
Believe it will be the last Platinum Jubilee.
BTW with the London Underground ( aka the tube) you can easily visit differing neighborhoods!
Posted by
Tunbridge Wells
6113 posts
I would cover Cambridge as a day trip from London and stay one or two nights in Bath. There is far more to see in London than Bath. Your children are old enough to do their own research and give their opinions.
Renting apartments isn’t much hassle and gives you more flexibility. I prefer Booking.com, VRBO and Trip Advisor rentals to Airbnb as they are cheaper for the same accommodation as their fees are lower.
Posted by
OP
17 posts
Great things to think about! The kids have spoken (good advice to put them in the planning seat) and would like to stick to our itinerary of using hotels and visiting Bath and Cambridge as planned. As mentioned it’s probably best not to move around the hotel reservations at this point.
I didn’t realize when we booked the trip that it was the Platinum Jubilee and so the festivities will be right at the end of our trip, we arrive May 26 and leave June 5. Probably a more expensive and crowded time to visit but hopefully will give lots of memories and educational value as well.
Thanks all for taking the time to post some advice to us!
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
34010 posts
I'm glad that you aren't trying to change the arrangements you have made (go Kids!!) with hotels over the Jubilee Weekend.
I would have worried if you had changed to an AirBnb for such a possibly money spinning weekend that they might have invented a plumbing problem so they could cancel you and take a much higher rental. That isn't unheard of....
You don't hear of that at proper hotels...