London|Cotswolds|Highclere

Let's see -

Have I got this right?

Day zero: Leave the Horned Frogs sometime on Wednesday, fly overnight?

Day one: Arrive sometime on Thursday, immediately after getting off the plane at Heathrow rent a car and head for somewhere in the Cotswolds and stay there. (Night 1)

Day two: Friday, explore Cotswolds villages and/or go to Newbury for Highclere. Stay the same place in the Cotswolds overnight. (Night 2)

Day three: Saturday, see day two, same place at night. (Night 3)

Day four: Sunday, see day three, same place at night (Night 4)

Day five: Monday, drive back to London, drop the car and make your way into London to a hotel and spend the rest of the day shopping (Night 5)

Day six: if you are flying mid-morning you need to be at Heathrow 3 hours before mid-morning, so if you flight is at 10 you need to check in at 7. An hour all together from most places in london regardless of method, so first folks at breakfast. Or if you will tell us your terminal we can suggest a good airport hotel so you can have a more relaxed breakfast, but still early.

And home to the Bluebonnets and Indian Paintbrush.

or - - perhaps you don't mean flying into Heathrow on Thursday but rather leave DFW on Thursday? It is pretty hard to tell and you then talk about 2 and a half days.

Can you clarify please?

And do you mean 5 nights of hotel out of just $1,000 which averages 200 a night, or do you mean $1,000 a night? Big diff.

$1,000 US today is around £788 or for 5 nights is just over £150. That's very low for London and can be low for nice places in the Cotswolds.

I have good personal knowledge of the Cotswolds - grew up there - but please share the month of travel and what you want to see and experience in the Cotswolds in addition to the trip to Newbury for Highclere. Gardens? Steam railway? Thatch? Wildlife? Cricket? Wisteria climbing up stone houses? Horses? Walking on established routes between the villages? Chilling at a garden table with beer and cider at a country pub? It is all there, and lots more, but you need to pick and choose. Then we might suggest some villages and towns. I would hesitate to say which to avoid because what I like you mayn't. And you have to go through one to get to the other.

I see that you used to ask questions about Italy. Is there anything about Italy that you hope to replicate in the Cotswolds?

Nigel, thank you for responding!! Your response clearly indicates I am all over the place!! And, of course, thank you for the Horned Frog reference 💜 So for clarification: We will depart DFW on Thursday, June 13th. We will leave our 16 year old son at the airport as he boards a plane for Iceland. Mommy and Daddy will be celebrating 20 years of marriage on a quick trip over the pond. We arrive early Friday am at LHR. We will then rent a car and head to The Cotswolds -- what particular area is to be determined. We will attend the Highclere Castle garden party and do the castle tour which I have been told is roughly 4 hours. so the rest of the day will be spent touring the area. Sunday, we will make our way back to London and are fine with a late arrival. Monday, we will spend the day touring around London and as you said, Tuesday departure day will be an early arrival to the airport to head back home to meet our son on his return from Iceland.

Hotel budget is $1000ish USD per night -- give or take on either side of that number.

Advice I am seeking: narrow down a few of the top Cotswolds sights not to be missed and the best itinerary for road tripping that area to maximize our time. Advice I am not seeking: there is not enough time to see everything. that is a lot of driving. I already am aware of all this but we are doing it anyway!!!

TIA for your time and advice.

Wow that is a massive hotel budget. The Cotswolds has several luxury country house hotels that you should check out - Dormy House and Calcot Manor are 2 that spring to mind but there are plenty others. The website Mr&MrsSmith is good for luxury stays. You could also check out a website call Muddy Stilettos which is basically an advertising blog but quite useful to find nice rural places. As the name implies it focusses on the more glamorous country places - pubs, restaurants and hotels.

Lords of the Manor, between Lower Slaughter, Upper Slaughter and Lower Swell (Lower Swell despite the name a lovely hamlet where my parents once lived) has an excellent reputation and would make a great base. https://www.lordsofthemanor.com/

thank Nigel...do you have a suggested driving itinerary for that area that would include Newbery?

happy to sketch something out. Can you say what you want to / hope to do and see?

As I asked above, what you want to see and experience in the Cotswolds in addition to the trip to Newbury for Highclere. Gardens? Steam railway? Thatch? Wildlife? Cricket? Wisteria climbing up stone houses? Horses? Walking on established routes between the villages? Chilling at a garden table with beer and cider at a country pub? It is all there, and lots more, but you need to pick and choose. Then we might suggest some villages and towns. I would hesitate to say which to avoid because what I like you mayn't. And you have to go through one to get to the other.

Nigel,

Thank you!! okay, I have mapped out the places I would love to see and realize I may not be able to see them all. I am a photography enthusiast so picturesque scenery is at the top of the list -- whether that be wisteria, sheep, landscape, cobbled streets... My thought is we will see the places from LHR to Broadway and maybe stay in that area Friday night. Then get up in the am and head to Highclere and stop at a few places along the way. Stay somewhere in the area of Bibury Saturday night and then get up on Sunday for another day of driving and sightseeing. Oh and shopping and lunch, beer should be included. I know this is an ambitious route but we can definitely cut along the way. So, hotels in that area, restaurants and things you would recommend is appreciated.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/Fn9wQ8fVUSM11QJTA

Again, we are there a short time and I know we will return so just trying to enjoy some time with the husband since this is our first trip without our son in 16 years!

Michelle

I love that your trip ends at the Ritz!

You should definitely stay at Dormy House near Broadway. It’s only 40 mins drive from Broadway to Bibury so I don’t think it’s worth moving hotels.

lunch, beer should be included

as this will be in the middle of a day dedicated to sightseeing and driving, I remind you of the low tolerance for alcohol whilst driving.

Nigel,

well, it is a good thing I won't be driving my husband will be and he doesn't drink!

Helen,

We have decided to stay Abbotts Grange. The Dormy House didn't have the room I preferred. Comments on Abbotts Grange are welcome. M.