January in England

There is no Resident Kensingon Inn. There is the Resident Kensington and the Residence Inn Kensington. Two separate hotels.

Westminster is one word. As in Westminster Abbey.

Keep this in mind, in early January, sunrise will take place just after 8 AM and sunset just after 4 pm.

I don’t think three nights is too long for Bath - especially as the daylight hours will be very short.

One day to see the city itself, another day for a day trip maybe. The Cotswolds (plural): a large area of attractive hills and towns and villages, although by no means the only attractive rural area (and definitely not the best). January can be a tricky time for day trips. Not all companies will be running then (take a look at Mad Max and Rabbies for ideas and dates) and it will be dark by 4pm. If you’re dead set on it, fine - but as I said in your previous thread, for me the Cotswolds is about slow travel, country walks etc. You’re not going to get that from a day trip really.

Portsmouth does work as a day trip from London, but give yourself plenty of time - it’s not just the Victory but also the fascinating Mary Rose. Plus there’s a Tudor castle, a museum dedicated to the D-Day landings and some interesting old sea walls, plus a beach resort.

Re London, sunset on the London Eye will be early! Check timings but you might need to be in at 3.30pm for example.

On 4 January I am not sure why you have booked a Westminster and Parliament tour through Viator. You are paying for what currently is just a promise. Neither building currently has tickets on sale, and whichever company Viator is representing has no magic access to tickets. They are merely promising you they will get tickets when they go on sale, and charging a premium to fulfill that promise.

They don't even know if the Abbey may have a special service on that day and so be closed to visitors. The Abbey may be preparing for the feast of the Epiphany the following day for all that anyone knows.

It is not even as if tickets to Westminster Abbey sell out- plenty of availability tomorrow and Saturday for instance and that is not even mid winter.

A lot of people will tell you here to go to the Abbey first thing to beat the throngs- a self defeating prophecy. Day after day it is the lunchtime and afternoon tickets which are still available (and in large numbers) on the day at the door.

Whatever you choose to do make sure that you have some alternatives. The weather in January can be unpredictable.

But we could rent a car and drive around the area as well.

I am going to presume that you or your husband do drive or have driven on the other side of the road from us folks in the USA. I am not too sure that winter is the time to try and learn.

January weather is unpredictable and you can get snow and ice, but generally the south of England is cold and wet, albeit with overnight frosts.

As good a time as any to drive on the left, it seems to me. Don’t forget to specify an automatic transmission and watch some videos on how to navigate roundabouts if you’re unfamiliar with them.

https://lnydp.com/parade-location-timing/

Above link has intel about the 2025 New Years Day parade.

If still being performed see Agatha Christie’s Witness for the Prosecution at County Hall. Play is set in actual courtroom.

Honestly, I’d tour the Globe NOT see a performance in January. Those wooden benches and the chill would be havoc on your bottom, back and neck.

Honestly, I’d tour the Globe NOT see a performance in January

Don't they shift inside to the Wanamaker in Winter? They are offering Hansel & Gretl in the Globe - largely matinees.

Thank you folks! For some reason, my head is stuck on going to the Cotswolds, but in my heart I know this is not the best time of year to do that. Maybe I just need to move on from that idea! LOL

Any ideas how to maximize Oxford in about a day and half? Also lodging recommendations? Same for Stratford Upon Avon?

Is Hansel and Gretl for 5 to 8 year olds?

Re Oxford; book a tour of the Bodlean Library. The interesting parts can only be seen on an organised tour and these get booked up.

Visit a few colleges; many are free to enter. Unless you’re Harry Potter fans avoid Christ Church as this is very expensive to visit.

January is certainly not my favorite time of year to return to the UK. It is often dreary, grey skies and wet days. As others have mentioned daylight hours are still short. However, London is magical during Christmas and New Year, although you will miss the New Year Fireworks arriving on the 1st.

I have just returned from a quick trip to Bath, Oxford, and the North and South Cotswolds. (took some American friends over for a visit). We stayed in an Airbnb in Morten in Marsh which was only a 3-minute walk from the railway station and ideally situated in the high street for walks to the pub and grocery stores. Only a 20 mins train to Oxford. I enjoyed Christ Church College and it was a highlight for us. Oxford is easy to walk around and will be fine for a wintery damp day.

The Cotswolds on the other hand may be more difficult as tour companies often stop operating this time of year. You could try Mad Max tours or Rabbies that leave from Bath. Driving would be ok, but only if you are a very confident driver, roads are narrow and are not for the faint of heart. Do not attempt to drive into Oxford or Bath. You can use Uber, taxis, or trains here.

We had a two-day tour with https://www.cotswoldsguidedtours.co.uk/cotswold-tour-dates leaving from Morten in Marsh railway station but I see they do not start tours until the end of March. Bath is always a great choice, but it's January, and I don't know if you will need as much time there as most things of interest are outdoors (except of course for the Roman Baths). A new favorite place to eat for me is Chequers pub for a nice Sunday Roast. A little off the tourist path, but easy to find and walk to.

Stratford upon Avon - I was there in March this year. We stayed at the Hotel du Vin Stratford-upon-Avon which was easy to walk into town. A great hotel, although a little pricey. We ate at two fabulous restaurants on https://www.lambsrestaurant.co.uk/ of sheep street and the Vitner also on Sheeps Street. Again, if the weather is fine, you will have many more things to do and see. But I honestly think you won't need more than 2 days here.

I would scratch Portsmouth off your itinerary unless you are going there for a specific purpose. I would also just find a hotel in London (Near to the Elizabeth Line) or Windsor for the night before your flight home. London always takes a lot of energy, I don't think you need to have it at the front and back end of the trip.

The Churchill War Rooms are a combination sight. The war rooms themselves don't take long to see. The audio guide explains them. Then there's the Churchill Museum component, where those interested will want to spend a lot of time. I was at the CWR for well over half a day and could have stayed longer. So you need to think about whether your party wants to do a deep dive into Churchill's life and WWII or pretty much just see the war rooms. If the latter, honestly, I think the sight is quite overpriced.

I've never gone to see the Changing of the Guard, but in recent yearsmany folks, including Rick, have suggested skipping it because you have to go really early to try to get a standing position where you can see something. Perhaps there are far fewer people wanting to do that in January, but on the other hand the weather early on a January day could be pretty miserable. I can't vouch for this information, but here's a link mentioning some alternatives: enter link description here. I know Rick discusses one option in his book--which you really should have for your visit.

I am not fond of the wall-to-wall Georgian architecture in Bath, but there are two local museums I enjoyed. They could be options for you if the weather is grim: the Holburne Museum (art) and the Museum of East Asian Art (mainly decorative art). The latter is in a row house and fairly small.

I really enjoyed a walking tour I took in Oxford. Unfortunately, I don't remember whether I arranged through the university or the city tourist office. I think I got the tip from Rick's book. While in Oxford I heard that the walking tours marketed by commercial companies have more difficulty getting into the colleges at difficult times; my tour seemed to have good access.

In regard to Hansel & Gretel:

"Returning with a new recipe of music, mayhem and festive magic, this is a delicious treat for everyone aged 5+ directed by Nick Bagnall (Love’s Labour’s Lost, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Globe)."

https://www.shakespearesglobe.com/whats-on/hansel-and-gretel-2024/

Bath has a long and lauded theatre history, an alternative to London's West End although offering less choice. Plenty of thespians have polished their reputations there, especially at the Theatre Royal.
https://www.theatreroyal.org.uk/

I have no helpful suggestions about London - but I think two days in Bath is plenty (I am probably in the minority here but hey). If you want to see a Cotswolds village - you could hire a car to take you up to Painswick - walk around the town and the church - maybe eat at the Painswick Hotel as a treat? If you could add a second day to Oxford, you could do Blenheim Place which was interesting (I really enjoyed the guided palace tour) - and you could walk into Woodstock - which is a Cotswolds village too. I really liked Oxford - it is a student town (although I have no idea if it will be a term when you are there). We booked using Oxford University Rooms (google it - and you will find a website). We couldn't stay in any of the colleges but we got rooms in Rhodes House and Rewley House. Rhodes House was great - easily nice hotel level - and I would eagerly stay there again. Rewley House was clean and had a great shower - good choice but uninspiring. I hope you enjoy your trip!