*Itinerary* Suggestion from Bath

We have been to Oxford and Cambridge as well as Bath and the Cotswolds.

Cambridge is NE of London, the opposite side of the city from Gatwick (south of the city). Traffic on the M25 Orbital around London is never nice, except at 2am?

If you only have three days, I would plan of Oxford and Bath. Both cities take a full day to see.

If you plan on renting a car, either go to get to Oxford or Bath, you would need to go on the M25.

What you could do is take the train from London to Cambridge for a day (or take a bus tour from London). Then take a train to Oxford stay a day there, then head to Bath. You can see Bath in a full day. Don't miss the Roman Bath Museum.Either take the train (not sure if you can go direct to Bath from Oxford) or rent a car and return it to Oxford, then take the train to Gatwick.

Will you have a car, or rely on public transport? If I were in Bath with a car and didn't anticipate future opportunities to see a bit of the northern Cornwall coast, I'd drive out in that direction. Perhaps Tintagel would make a good day trip destination: https://www.visitcornwall.com/places/tintagel

I have no knowledge of driving conditions in England so can only comment on sightseeing considerations.

Oxford could keep you busy for the better part of two days if you enjoy museums. Both the Ashmolean (art) and the Pitt-Rivers (ethnographic--great stuff) are very good, and they are not small. Then there's visiting the colleges. The tourist office offers a worthwhile walking tour, and there's a botanical garden to be seen as well.

Somewhat closer to Oxford than Cambridge is Bletchley Park, the WW II code-breaking center. There are extensive displays at the site, enough to fill more than half a day if you're interested in that period. This still leaves you on the wrong side of London, however.

Alternatively, you could visit Oxford then overshoot Gatwick and visit Arundel and/or Lewes--both charming towns in Brighton's orbit. From either of those I think you could travel fairly easily to Gatwick. There are frequent trains from Brighton and Lewes, taking less than an hour.

You mention traffic, so presumably you are driving, not taking the train?

You will need to be at Gatwick at 8.30 am latest for a transatlantic flight. At that time of day, I would allow 2.5 hours minimum for the Cambridge to Gatwick drive, as you will be hitting rush hour, plus 30 minutes to return the car and get to the terminal. It's not a stress that I would want prior to a long flight. Stay closer to or at Gatwick for night three.

A car is a disadvantage in both Oxford and Cambridge, as parking is difficult.

You are open to suggestions, you say, but don't give any indication of your interests. You could spend the time exploring the county towns of Hereford and Worcester plus the nearby market towns of Ledbury, Hay on Wye for books, Monmouth (just across the border in Wales) and the beautiful Wye Valley (cider country).

Alternatively, you could head to the New Forest (not new!) and visit the Isle of Wight for a day, visit Beaulieu motor museum plus explore the pretty villages around the forest.

You could also head to Arundel for the Castle, drive along to Brighton for the Pavillion and its quirky old shopping alleyways, known as The Lanes then take in the history of Lewes. This would then be a short journey back to Gatwick.

All wonderful suggestions...

This is our first trip to England (with the expectation that we will return of course) where we are spending 11 nights. I like the idea of Oxford and Bletchley Park as we will also be visiting Normandy prior to going to England. Also I think spending our last night on the southeast side of London closer to Gatwick seems like a good idea. Yes, we will have a car so are flexible but that stress doesn't seem like something we'd want to deal with on the last day of our trip!

To be sure there's no misunderstanding: Bletchley Park is basically between Oxford and Cambridge, so still on the wrong side of London. You could drop the car somewhere up that way and take a train into London and on to Gatwick or a nearby town where you plan to spend your last night.

If you have not driven in the English Manner before or often, neither the "M" roads or the roads in towns are where you would want to get experience. I like the ideas of dropping off the car early and taking public transportation. The GB public transportation system is pretty useful and way better than anything here in the US.

If you have not driven in the English Manner before or often, neither the "M" roads or the roads in towns are where you would want to get experience.

I disagree. I think the motorway is a good option to get acquainted with driving on the left. Yes, it's fast but if you opt for the slow lane you'll feel under less pressure and the relatively straight lanes will enable you to get comfortable and adapt a lot easier.

As for the OP's suggestion for Cambridge and Oxford, you don't state how old your children are but as you wrote that you will be moving slower with them it suggests that they are young. If that is the case then I can't imagine that Oxford and Cambridge would interest them much. I prefer Jennifer's suggestion, New Forest, Isle of Wight, South Coast, Arundel, Brighton etc and stay the last night close to Gatwick. There is much more to entertain the kids in those locations than Oxford and Cambridge.

With a car....visit the Cotswolds and Stratford-upon-Avon! I would stay in the west - consider Warwick Castle and Blenheim Palace on your way from Stratford to Oxford. Also consider Glastonbury from Bath - or on the way (more or less). Also consider Windsor Castle on your way from or towards London/Gatwick.