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January in England

Hello all. I posted in an earlier post an extensive itinerary for our January trip - 2 weeks in England. After reading all the helpful comments, we have made some changes. Now I need some advice: Our London Days are flexible and can move around.

  1. Arrive on January 1st around 10 AM. LODGING - PAGE 8, THISTLE INN, LOCKE AT BROKEN WARF OR RESIDENT KENSINGTON? - We want to go to the parade but are unsure about the timing. So, we will plan on walking around, maybe the Westminister Abby walk, the House or Parliament, Big Ben, and sunset on the London Eye. These are all tentative we have several days in London to "punt"
  2. January 2nd - still in London - St. Paul's Cathedral and dome climb (2-3 hours) Tower of London - Crown Jewels - half a day Catch a play that night at the Globe
  3. January 3rd - Still In London - Churchill war rooms - 2 hours? Buckingham Palace - changing of the guards IF we didn't do the Westminister Abby walk on day 1, do it this day.
  4. January 4th - Saturday - Westminister Abby and Parliament Tour - Booked through Viator - ends around 1 PM We will take a train to visit some friends and spend the night in Surry.
  5. January 5th - Sunday - Bath *Is 3 nights too long here? * Take the morning train to Bath - lodging - LEIGHTON HOUSE? Looks nice - SUGGESTIONS ON THINGS TO DO?
  6. January 6th - Monday - BATH

  7. January 7 - Tuesday BATH
    I'm thinking we might take a tour of Cotswold - but reading mixed reviews on going there in January. There is also a tour from Stratford upon Avon that we could do. But we could rent a car and drive around the area as well. THOUGHTS?

  8. January 8 - OXFORD LODGING SUGGESTIONS?
    Leave Bath early morning and take the train to Oxford. All day in Oxford - Suggestions on tours and highlights? We will be there most of day 8 as well.

  9. January 9 - Stratford upon Avon - LODGING SUGGESTIONS?
    Spend most of the day in Oxford and leave late afternoon for Stratford upon Avon.
    Play at Shakespeare Theater?

  10. January 10 - Stratford upon Avon
    Ideas? There is a tour from here to Cogswold - could do that instead of from Bath.

  11. *January 11 * - LONDON - lodging suggestions?
    We could spend a good part of the day in Stratford Upon Avon and take an evening or late afternoon train back to London

  12. January 12 - LONDON Sunday
    OPEN

  13. January 13 - LONDON
    Portsmouth - Victory ship

  14. January 14th - Windsor - LODGING SUGGESTIONS?
    Suggestions on what to see here with only 1 day

  15. January 15th - depart Heathrow - late afternoon.

Thank you in advance for ideas and suggestions.

Posted by
16330 posts

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.

Posted by
741 posts

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.

Posted by
8005 posts

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.

Posted by
991 posts

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.

Posted by
175 posts

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.

Posted by
9251 posts

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.

Posted by
1192 posts

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.

Posted by
12 posts

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?

Posted by
175 posts

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.

Posted by
1049 posts

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.

Posted by
28167 posts

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.

Posted by
4088 posts

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/

Posted by
11 posts

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!