We are a family of four (kids ages 12 and 14) traveling in late April/early May. Itinerary is 4 nights in London, train to Bath where we'll pick up our rental car, 3 nights in Cotswolds, 2 nights in Bath where we will turn in our rental car, train to Heathrow via London, last night in airport hotel at Heathrow before we fly out the next day. My questions are about the train and rental car given the ongoing rail strikes. I feel like I need to have a back up plan in case there is a rail strike when we are going to/from Bath, and my plan is to reserve a back up rental car at Heathrow which we would pickup on our way out of London and drop off the day before we fly home. These are my questions:
1. Does this plan make sense or is there a better solution should there be rail strikes? 2. I read on this forum about a car service from Bath to Heathrow (I think it was Bath Private Car Hire). Would that make more sense for us than taking the train into London and then back out to Heathrow? Does anyone have a sense of cost for the car service?
Many thanks in advance!
Posted by
Cornwall
332 posts
Take the bus.
Posted by
Oxford, United Kingdom
5466 posts
As it happens on no strike day yet has there not been at least an hourly service between Bath and London during the normal working day. It is one of the lesser affected routes in this regard. If you are having a car anyway though why not just take it all the way especially since you are not doing a journey directly after arrival.
Posted by
Cornwall
332 posts
Nationalexpress.com
Posted by
OP
11 posts
Marco, good point, I should have included that the 14-year-old is passionate about trains, so we want to get at least one train trip in on the trip if possible.
Posted by
Bristol, UK
1454 posts
It’s quite easy to get a taxi from Bath to Heathrow. If you Google you’ll find lots of companies offering this. The price seems to be about £135-£150 so it might even be cheaper than the train.
Posted by
Land of La
9261 posts
Will you be there on May 6 for the King’s Coronation?
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
33994 posts
since you will have been in London for 4 nights before Bath I don't see why with the 4 of you, you don't go to Heathrow on the way out of town and get the car there, and a shortish drive - less than 2 hours, almost all on the M4 motorway. Then take it back the afternoon before your last night.
So much more convenient, and so much less hassle as long as you can find a space to park in Bath?
Confused why you go to Bath, then Cotswolds, then back to Bath?
I like trains as much as the next guy, worked on them for decades, but this looks to me a lot more like a car trip to me.
Maybe get to Oxford before the trip back to Heathrow? That's close too - an hour or less. Mostly on the less travelled (usually but not always) M40 motorway.
During the time of your trip, the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway https://www.gwsr.com/ will be in full operation except Fridays. That should give your lad the train experience he'd like and the scenery and villages are beautiful. What you went to the Cotswolds to see. The webpage sounds like it is really blowing their own trumpet, and I suppose they are, but they speak the truth...
The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway is a volunteer operated
heritage railway in Gloucestershire and Worcestershire offering a
round trip of 28 miles. It uses part of the route of the former Great
Western Railway's main line from Birmingham to Cheltenham which used
to run via Stratford-upon-Avon.It now operates steam and heritage diesel trains between Cheltenham
Racecourse and Broadway through some of the most spectacular scenery
in the Cotswolds. The line commands wonderful views of the nearby
sleepy hamlets and villages, with outstanding outlooks across to the
Malvern Hills and beyond.
Posted by
OP
11 posts
Claudia, we will be leaving on May 3, so avoiding the coronation. Nigel, thank you for the great suggestions; I was following Rick's advice to train to Bath and just have a car for our Cotswolds part of the trip and to avoid traffic nearer to London. Really appreciate your thoughtful advice!
Posted by
2599 posts
Apart form Castle Combe, the best best villages in the Cotswolds are in the northern part whilst Bath is at the southern end of the Cotswolds = Bourton-on-the-Water, Lower Slaughter, Broadway*, Chipping Campden. From this area, you could also get to Stratford-upon-Avon easily by car. I would consider going by train to Bath and then staying a couple of nights before picking up the rental car and heading NE. * The Gloucestershire Worcestershire Railway (heritage steam line) has a station at Broadway and nearby Toddington.
I would turn the car in at Oxford but before doing so, would visit Blenheim Palace. Then, consider going by train to Slough where you change for the short branch line to Windsor and a final night before going the short distance to Heathrow. (You might want to hang around on Slough station for a bit where you son will see trains wizzing by at around 124mph).
Also consider doing trip in reverse and exclude Windsor. Go from Heathrow to Oxford using trains or bus. That means your final days will be spent in London = handy for airport for flight home.
Video of train from London to Bath.
if you do use the trains, it might be worth getting the Friends & Family Railcard.
Trains:> https://www.gwr.com