Quiet town for kids to explore

I've been to all the places you've listed ,and they are all good possibilities. Two teen girls , and Cambridge ? Absolutely perfect ! I've been there on two visits , most recently this past October , for a week . I love the place , and can't wait to go back !

Cambridge isn’t quiet, but the centre is very compact with great shops and a market right in the centre. I think it would be a great place for teenage girls to explore. Busy but very safe, lots to see and do, little streets to wander down, just a lovely place.

Ditto Bath: compact centre, great shops, lovely buildings. Also very busy but safe.

Chipping Camden and Broadway would not offer a huge opportunity to explore for a pair of teenage girls. They’re pretty places but the Cotswolds feels much more middle aged to me in terms of sights and shops.

I think Cambridge is a good option, as indeed would Oxford, but don't rule out letting them explore London together either - perhaps towards the end of the trip when they've had a chance to explore somewhere smaller first.

Our kids at that age enjoyed London independently- our son loved it so much he went to university in the UK at the age of 18, and now lives there.

I'm much more a fan of Cambridge and Oxford than Bath, whose architecture I find so repetitive it's dull. (I realize the Georgian architecture is a big reason many people like Bath.) All three cities will have a busy feel because they're very popular destinations.

I really enjoyed the one-day small-group tour I took to the Cotswolds, but that area is about scenery and thatched-roof cottages. The typical sightseeing targets there are quite small, and there's very little public transportation, so I wouldn't count on hopping on a bus to visit a different town. I think the teenagers would much prefer one of the university towns.

I think that Cambridge would be a very good fit for the girls, a little more hassle for the arrival at the airport. Heathrow? Gatwick?

But once there there is an abundance of things to do for all ages. The colleges will have had their exams so some colleges could be visited, there is lots to see just walking around, the aforementioned market, and lots of interesting shops nearby, plenty of restaurants and fast restaurants, and food stands at the market, there is the Fitz - the Fitzwilliam Museum, world class and free, and across the street is Fitzbillies which make the most incredible buns - they now have a coffee shop, tea rooms and a sales counter. Seriously yummy. Then the nearby Imperial War Museum Duxford for lovers of flight and the US AF involvement in East Anglia, and the very emotive Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial - a place I love. And punting on the river.

There are also loads of interesting things in the area - Ely, viking areas, Bury St Edmunds which is medieval, lots of activities around the Fens, the Cambridge University Botanical Gardens, and gardens at some of the colleges.

If you have particular questions ask away - I live just down the road.

By the way - I may have made it sound difficult to get to Cambridge. I prefer trains to coaches, and the trains are actually pretty straightforward: Heathrow to Elizabeth Line to Farringdon to (tube or train, one stop on either) Kings Cross station and the 52 minute fast train or stay on the Thameslink train (be sure it is the right one) all the way to Cambridge. Or for Gatwick grab a Thameslink heading north and follow the directions above. Don't do anything at Farringdon and depending on the destination of the train you boarded at Gatwick either get off at St Pancras if the train is heading to Bedford or stay on if it is going to Cambridge. If you get off, just cross the street and get a Great Northern train from Kings Cross (less than 5 minutes walk) to Cambridge, many being nonstop.

This film from 1985 , albeit a work of fiction , is a beautiful and charming story of a young man and woman who meet in 1931 , when they are students at Cambridge ( he , at St Johns College , she, at Newnham College ) They become Cambridge Dons , and spend their lives there , as teachers. Filmed entirely in Cambridge , starring Diana Hardcastle , Michael Kitchen , and in the characters later years , Maurice Denham , and Constance Cummings . A beautiful film , ideal for those with an appreciation of the world of Academia . Two hours ( in five parts ) here - https://youtu.be/Y2YIKQ5T1dY?si=IQzbBZwkY8hybejx

Have you asked the girls? Merely curious why you think London will be too much after an over night flight. Have they flown internationally before? Why do you think they’d feel unsafe?

Either Bath or Cambridge. The other towns you mentioned will probably be "boooring!" to the girls. As someone mentioned, get the daughters involved in the planning. The more they are involved, the less likely you'll have "unhappy campers". Not that teenage girls are ever a problem.

Bath, Cambridge, Oxford, Canterbury and the Cotswolds are great, still consider Winchester as well.

We have flown internationally with the girls, but they haven't spent a lot of time in cities either inside or outside the US. So they would also be a bit nervous walking around New York on their own, not just somewhere like London. So I thought starting in a more "manageable" smaller city would be good.

We also have 3 other kids with us (12, 10 and 8) - 5 total - so trying to figure out how to give the older girls some independence so we can do other things with the younger kids that they might not be interested in. Seems like Cambridge might be a good option.

We're trying to get the kids involved as much as possible in the planning... but to them it's hard to understand a difference between Cambridge and Oxford for example... they are interested in York which we would plan to visit as well as part of the trip. And possibly Yorkshire Dales / Moors.

Thanks also for the advice about the Cotswolds being a bit "boring" for teen girls. That was exactly what I was wondering. I find kids that age generally don't care all that much about "scenery" - no matter how beautiful.

Also Nigel - curious about Bury St. Edmunds. We have a family history connection to the town of Rushbrooke - which is near there. Based on what I can tell, there really isn't anything to see there, but we thought it might be fun to drive through and maybe get dinner at the nearby Rushbrooke arms, and then explore Bury. Thank you for the train info to Cambridge. I also would much prefer a train to a coach.

Steven - will take a look at that film and try to watch it with the kids. The more they see and read before they go the more interesting things will be to them.

JH2023, we are also spending time in England this coming summer, and have just started watching "The Great Tours: England, Scotland, and Wales" from the Great Courses. We're not very far into it yet, but the presenter has already make us excited about our upcoming trip.

Your local library may have this course; it's 36 30-minutes lectures with plenty of photos, and assumes the viewer wants to travel to Britain. Check it out; it might help you narrow things down a bit.

Agree that Cambridge and or Oxford would be great for kids. Near Oxford is Blenheim Palace, giving the kids a look at how the other half lived plus the Churchill connection.

Oxford, Windsor, Richmond (with a visit to Richmond Park or Hampton Court Palace or Kew Gardens), Hampstead Village

I love the Richmond neighborhood. Loads of shops, cafes. Pleasant pubs ( yes they can go to pubs and not drink;). the Angel and The Crown pub is pleasant. Richmond was far less touristy before Ted Lasso filmed there. Easy 40 minute tube ride from central London on the District Line. ( Westminster to Richmond Quadrant)

You should also consider the Shoreditch neighborhood. Very Hip. Cute shops. Loads of street art.

well, I'd think that you overplayed Rushbrooke - a tiny place new to me, which at one point had a population of 58, it looks about that now or a couple of dozen more. Still, if it has meaning to you - GO.

My wife's maiden name is Rushbrook :)... so we thought it would be fun to at least drive through.

Cambridge has my vote also. I have family in the area and I always take a trip to Cambridge. I was in Bath last September, and while it is safe, I think Cambridge with the college atmosphere would be the better option. They can shop at places like Zara or do individual boutique shops. The are many coffee shops where they could people watch. On a nice warm day, there will be a lot of young people out by the river having picnics and playing games. They could go on a "punt" up the river but do make sure they don't pay too much. You can negotiate the price.