Hello - my husband and I are planning a trip to England for our 10th anniversary, in October 2024. We have 12-13 days total (depending on flights from the US). This will be the first time in England for both of us and we could use some advice on how to best spend our time! We're fairly well-traveled otherwise, just haven't made it to England yet. So far, I'm thinking we'd spend the majority of our time in London (including a day trip to Windsor). I also like the idea of an Oxford/Cotswolds/Bath leg of the trip, based on some other conversations in this Forum. Would it be too much to try to do all three? I'd love to have a scenic train ride somewhere in here too - I'd prefer to not rent a car on this trip. That said, neither of us want to spend all of our time running to catch trains and checking off a list of sites (though of course there are must-sees). We like to walk a lot and eat a lot, and enjoy scenic views with both. Thank you for any advice!
Posted by
Olympia, WA, USA
6638 posts
This seems like a very doable plan and a good introduction to England. Give London about half your time, then take a train from Paddington Station to Oxford, spend a night or two there, and another train to Bath. From Bath you can take tours of some of the Cotswolds. Many people on this forum recommend Mad Max Tours, but I don't have experience with them.
You could reverse the sequence, taking The Airline coach (aka bus) service from Heathrow straight to Oxford, then a train to Bath, then a train to London for the second half of your trip. This might work better because it's easier to get to Heathrow from London than from Bath or Oxford, and the easier the better to make a departing flight.
Here's a website for train schedules, and you can buy tickets there when the time comes. Have fun planning and doing this trip!
Posted by
Land of La
8825 posts
Others may disagree but I’ve always found London a great city to explore on foot.
Lovely parks, Thames River Path, street markets, and sidewalks to meander on in leafy neighborhoods.
Oxford is nice but you should also research Cambridge.
As far as the Cotswolds public transport takes time.
Popular ( almost over run towns ) are Burton on the Water, Stow-on-the-World, Bibury and Castle Comb.
I don’t work for Rick Steves but the guidebooks are full of practical intel and worth buying.
One good map to research is the London Tube map.
The London Underground is an engineering feat that will move you about the various London neighborhoods. https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/tube/
Sitting upstairs in the front seats of a London double decker bus is a way to see the city but London traffic is abysmal. I ride a bus when I’m tired and in no hurry.
Love London. After visiting since Nixon was in office I’ve enjoyed watching it evolve. Never fails to entertain. Enjoy your first visit.
Posted by
Lake District, England
6521 posts
If you're looking for a scenic rail ride, none of the direct runs on this itinerary really provide one. But from Bath you could catch a train to Weymouth, and change at Dorchester for London Waterloo- that would fulfil the brief. That is a 2 hour and a 3 hour ride.
Posted by
Philadelphia, PA, USA
545 posts
Your trip sounds great. I agree with the suggestion that you take the bus (coach) from Heathrow to Oxford. Plan at least 2 nights there. Besides sightseeing in Oxford, Blenheim Palace is just a short bus/coach ride outside of town.
Take the train to Bath and spend at least 3-4 nights there. As others suggested, MadMax van tours are an efficient way to visit the Cotswolds for a day. There are also free walking tours in Bath that I enjoyed.
Take the train to London. Familiarize yourselves with London Underground because it is the easiest and most efficient way to travel through the city. Besides the usual sightseeing spots in London, I'd suggest visiting Windsor and/or Hampton Court Palace.
Posted by
OP
5 posts
Oh my goodness, thank you everyone for this great feedback!! I hadn't considered doing the non-London part of our trip immediately upon arrival, but that makes all sorts of sense. I do have a Rick Steves book from a couple of years ago - we tried to make this trip in December 2021 for my 50th birthday but Omicron happened and shut everything down. But I'm sure that book is still very relevant for this trip. Thanks also for the Mad Max recommendations - we haven't done many group tours, but these seem small enough to be somewhat more personal and fun. The Dorchester train trip sounds lovely too! Anyway, thank you everyone for this great advice - I so appreciate it!
Posted by
Charleston & Birmingham
4442 posts
We have taken a Mad Max tour to Avebury, Lacock and a village in Cotswolds and I highly recommend them.