Need help on intinerary and transportation/sightseeing suggestions for London and Cotswolds etc.

On my recent trip to Glastonbury etc I did see windsor castle, but aside from that, I toured London over 30 years ago for a few days. It was a long time agoThis is my husband's first trip. I was thinking about doing the Westminster Abbey Tour, National History museum, botanical gardens (this time of year?)---not sure after that--I'm pretty much interested in everything but sports........ I love good food, but I am gluten/dairy free/sugar free due to health issues. Would you do London Tour and changing of the guards/buckingham palace? We love Broadway-depending on what is showing was thinking of maybe doing a show. Would you stay stay in a small efficiency apartment for my 2nd week in Belsize Square or move to a hotel downtown for part of time? We like the outdoors, nature, history, good food, music, theater, spiritually signficant sights (i.e. last trip was glastonbury, stonehenge, avebury, wells cathedral as part of spiritual retreat). What are the key sights you would see in London? My daughter also was in research lab with a post doc student from cambridge at MIT this past summer. So, thinking maybe of a day trip to cambridge but if time is short, won't squeeze that in unless you think it would be a great place to visit. I guess I was thinking after over a week in the city for a retreat ( won't be touring) I might not ant to stay the entire 2nd week in the city would be yearning for a little countryside and the houses were so beautiful on my last trip, I thought my husband would like seeing some of that. But, it it will be cold and rainy etc the entire time... maybe not?

Staying at Belsize
Apartments

I second Emma's recommendations. November isn't the time for gardens here or the countryside.

An alternative location closer to London would be Lewes or Rye.

No-one can decide if you should stay in London or move elsewhere. There are pros and cons of both. It's down to personal choice.

I always hire a car when I go abroad, unless I am on a city break, but I wouldn't drive in London. There is a good rail service here. Best to book 12 weeks ahead for the best prices and travel after 9.30am.

Hi salabbas:

If you want an experience that most visitors to London don't get go to Lewes on November 5 to see the largest celebration of Guy Fawkes Day (aka Bonfire Night) in the UK. The town of Lewes is interesting in its own way (recommended by jennifer) and it gets really exciting when you add a few tens of thousands of participants and lots of pyro displays (eg, torches, burning barrels, huge bonfires). I will be going to London in two weeks to witness all this. As a suggestion you can join one of two meetup groups - 45+ Non Grumpy Londoners and Curious Kats Adventures - who have organized a day trip to Lewes. Here is a link to one of these meetups:

https://www.meetup.com/Curious-Kat-Adventure-Club/events/226544055/

Another recommendation is the exhibition at the V&A museum which is about records and rebels of 1966 - 1970. This is a trip back in time to see what London was like during that exciting period of its history.

Have fun on your trip.

Geor(ge)

I would definitely do one of the verger tours at Westminster Abbey. With that tour you get into the small chapel shrine at the tomb of Edward the Confessor which is not open to the general public. There is a short service in there daily at 11 as well. I would also try to do an Evensong at Westminster Abbey. Westminster Abbey also has it's audio tour available for a free download onto your smartphone. I found this much easier than using the big audio guides they hand out. I used both the Verger tour and the audio tour when I visited in Sept.

I see you have been to Stonehenge, but perhaps you might enjoy Salisbury? The cathedral there is excellent (holds a copy of the Magna Carta) and the evensong is wonderful. It's less of a tourist attraction than the Westminster Abbey Evensong service. You could leave London in the AM via train, spend the day in Salisbury, overnight there so you can do Evensong (you could take a late train back to London) and then come back the next day.

In London, I would add in the British Museum as well as the Churchill War Rooms which are near Westminster Abbey. I like to watch the guards form up for the changing of the guards on Birdcage Walk but not sure how much they do outside in colder weather. You might also like the Changing of the Horse Guards. In the WAY distant past they used to move that in to the forecourt area during cold weather so it was easier to see and warmer to watch. I do not know if that is how they still do it.

I was in London last nearly the exact same time frame as you. A few hours of rain over a couple of days. Otherwise grey and cool but nothing dismal.

If I may suggest something that is great fun, try to see the Lord Mayor's Parade the morning of your departure. https://lordmayorsshow.london

I also highly recommend taking the short train ride out to visit Hampton Court. I traveled out early was there as it opened and spent nearly 4 hours enjoying Hampton Court. One group of school children and a few other folks were visiting but I basically had the castle and gardens to myself. Wonderful excursion.

Belize Apartment is fine. Easy transport via bus and the tube.

A favorite walk of mine is from Belize Park down Haverstock till it becomes Chalk Farm and exploring the Camden Lock Market Place. So much to see. From there down Chalk Farm toward the Camden Town Tube Station where you can hop on the Underground or continue your exploration by foot and follow Kentish Town Road to the Kentish Town Tube station. Stayed in an AirBnB room in this area during part of my trip last year. Had stayed in my first AirBnb there about 5 years before. The neighborhood has really gentrified. Wonderful shops and restaurants. Great lunches at either The Grafton or The Oxford pubs. Throughly enjoyed diners I had Wahaca above the Kentish Town Station and at the Queen of Sheba.

As far as shopping ( and it's a perfect time to get Christmas stocking gifts) you'll find loads of gift options at the Camden Lock Market but if you get to Kentish Town take a look at Mary's Pottery shop, the Owl Bookstore and the pound store. I also remember being tempted in buying a new purse at a store close to the Owl Bookstore.

While in London I definitely see Westminster Abbey (Verger's Tour is worth the price), Tower of London, Leadenhall Market, and the Museum of London.

Have a great trip.

Thank you everyone for your generous replies and such helpful tips!

I second the train ride out to Hampton Court. It was really interesting.

Question- is "Evensong" every evening at Westminster and Salisbury or specific nights? Is it choir performance and/or Organ? When I was in Wells there was an organ concert which would have been magnificent. But I was unable to go.

If you have any interest in Scouting, the Belsize park is just 2 blocks down from Olave Centre, the hostel Pax Lodge and the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts' World Centre. I lived and worked there for 2 months, the bus system is good, but getting over to Victoria Station for day trips by coach is a trick. You may want to stay closer to that station, like at Sydney Hotel or something, for day coach trips. Belsize is good for Camden and British Library/St Pancras. Bus 24 will get you to most places like Trafalgar and more.

Windsor's a good small-town feel and the tickets are reuseable so the price goes down if you stay there a few days (don't buy from a service, buy direct from them, to be able to enter later in the day). Travelodge was good, next to the Riverside train station (leave London from Paddington not Waterloo to get to that one, there's another Windsor station that's farther away and that's a drama), and the prices were really good in the shops and restaurants when my daughter and I were there last year. Has the practical perk of being located right near Heathrow.

I would personally stay in London, but other people prefer some other travels. If you want to get to Oxford, it's easier to stay near Victoria Station and use the coach bus line (which also goes to Windsor).

If there are any clubs or groups that you belong to here, it's good to find out if you can connect with any chapters there. I got to go to a Mensa event when I obtained access to their calendar before I left. Any way to connect with people with similar interests makes it fun. I also found my daughter's uncle and his family, so that helps.

Best advice I can give is to identify what you REALLY would love to do, plan those, and stay flexible once you're there, and rest when you need to. Sitting on a bench watching all the lights come up all over the city, and watching for Big Ben's light to turn on, was one of the best memories, it cost nothing and was low-stress :) Have a great time!

Evensong is every night at Westminster Abbey and most nights at Salisbury Cathedral. I was going to say every night at Salisbury but I just clicked on their website and see next Tuesday is a said service. I would say check the websites to avoid disappointment. I do see that Salisbury is doing a special Remembrance Day performance of the Faure Requiem on Nov 10. There may be some other special performances in London during that time.

http://www.salisburycathedral.org.uk/events/faur%C3%A9-remembrance-tide-concert

I've heard the boys and men's choir at Salisbury several times and I've heard their girls' choir rehearsing when I visited during the day. They presented an organ recital series this summer on one Wed. a month that I was able to attend in Sept.

At Westminster Abbey, the last few times I've been there was in August before the boys were back from their summer break so I heard some different choral groups.

Hi disabilities.in.disguise:

"Sitting on a bench watching all the lights come up all over the city, and watching for Big Ben's light to turn on, was one of the best memories, it cost nothing and was low-stress :)"

Sounds wonderful. Do you have a recommended site to do this? I will be in London in two weeks, and it gets dark early.

Geor(ge)