We're planning a trip to the Cotswolds and London In June. We'll be renting a car from Heathrow to begin our trip at Stow on the Wold for two nights. My question is: We would like to arrive 1-2 days before our first night in Stow and stay somewhere just to adjust to the time and have an easy first day. Our kids are 2 & 5 and tend to be so exhausted the first day after international flights ( coming from US). They are usually adjusted and good to go after that first day! Can anyone recommend a good/ affordable location to begin our trip? Something not too far from the airport and convenient to continue on to the Cotswolds? We don't plan to do much more than settle in that first day, so I hate to pay London hotel prices just to sleep. Thanks for any suggestions!
Posted by
Bainbridge Island
3098 posts
Windsor would be perfect.
Posted by
Freedonia
14978 posts
I agree with Sasha. Windsor is an easy drive from Heathrow and a visit to Windsor Castle would probably be of interest to the little ones.
Posted by
Olympia, WA, USA
6500 posts
Windsor would be a good choice. You could easily spend half a day at the castle, where Queen Mary's Doll House might fascinate your little ones.
If you're not locked into getting the car at Heathrow, another choice might be Oxford, easily reachable from Heathrow on The Airline, which is actually frequent a bus service. There's lots to see in Oxford, though it's not exactly a "restful" destination. And you could pick up your car there. But note that Oxford hotel rates are comparable to London.
Posted by
Troy, Oh, USA
2775 posts
I completely agree, Windsor would be the best place to stay.
Posted by
OP
Florida, USA
53 posts
Thank you all! Windsor looks perfect! I'm booking a hotel now! :)
Posted by
Tunbridge Wells
6113 posts
I would imagine that your children would be more interested in Legoland near Windsor than the Castle!
If you want good, clean but no frills accommodation, look at the Premier Inn chain, although the best prices for June will have sold out months ago!
Parking in Windsor town centre is a nightmare and the one way system is awful - and I am British and used to British roads and cars! You may want to consider staying just outside the town and using the park and ride to get in.
Posted by
USA
423 posts
Lots of beautiful bed and breakfasts in Windsor
Posted by
USA
111 posts
Recently, we arrived at LHR in the early morning, spent a leisurely day at Legoland Windsor, stayed at Holiday Inn Express Heathrow T5 that night, and then headed to the Cotswolds the next morning. It was all very convenient. The Holiday Inn Express includes free breakfast and was a good value. Our kids were so happy about Legoland and we adults enjoyed the day too.
If you do consider going to Legoland, we saw BOGO coupons for Legoland tickets on boxes of Kelloggs cereal at Asda and Tesco (and probably other) grocery stores. We booked a prepaid package deal on the Legoland website that included hotel (free breakfast) + hotel parking + Legoland admission for 2 adults & 2 children for < US $200 (total).