My sister and I will be flying to London in September for a two-week trip. Our general plan is to spend 3 days in London at the beginning and 3 at the end, with the interim time spent in the Cotswolds with day trips and some easy hiking. I've only overnighted in London so have no idea what a good central hotel would be, or good base in the country. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Posted by
Tennessee
442 posts
The Travel Forum is a good place to ask these questions... Could you provide more information to help posters be helpful? Will you be using only public transportation (e.g. not renting a car)? Are you interested in stately homes, garden, museums, or just countryside?
Posted by
Bay Area
3551 posts
Also indicate your budget in dollars. London especially is a very pricey city.
Posted by
OP
Juneau
7 posts
Thanks for responding. Our budget for lodging is $300 - 400 per night. We plan to walk as much as we can, or take public transportation. I've been reading some of the posts and it sounds like Bath and Cornwall would be good destinations in between our time in London. Again, the budget would be the same per night, but we would be interested in country inns or bed and breakfasts in those locations.
We would like to see the major sights in London (crown jewels, museums) and are interested in seeing gardens and estates, as well as literary sites.
Posted by
Portsmouth
5555 posts
Personally I'd opt for coastal Dorset over The Cotswolds. Plenty of fantastic coastal walks, more interesting than trudging mainly across Cotswold arable land IMO. Plus Dorset has castles, fossils literally falling out of cliffs, fantastic beaches, gorgeous countryside, idyllic villages and much more.
The Cotswolds contains some attractive villages but that's pretty much it. I understand the attraction but the area is far from unique, many mores places in England that are far better.
Posted by
Mid-Atlantic area
7208 posts
We always stay at a hotel by the Gloucester tube stop and it’s normally the Radisson Blu Edwardian Vanderbilt on Cromwell road. The Gloucester stop is easy to get to from the airport, and by being on 3 tube lines, it’s easy to get anyplace in the city. On one trip to the Cotswolds, we stayed in Chipping Campden. On our most recent trip passing by that area, we stayed in Stratford Upon Avon at the Arden Hotel. Stratford upon Avon is towards the northern limit of the Cotswolds, but it’s easy to get to the main villages most tourists visit; Stow on Wold, Bourton on the Water, Lower Slaughter, Chipping Campden, etc. Both mentioned hotels are well within your price range. When traveling outside of London, we always have a rental car, so I can’t speak to getting around using public transportation.
Posted by
Camano Island, WA, usa
1527 posts
Here are 2 websites that you might like: www.nationaltrust.org.uk which has Overseas Visitor Tourist Passes for properties and trails in England and Wales and Metropolitan London. And www.treasurehouses.co.uk which offers a voucher for 2 for one entries at the Great Estates. There are other passes but we really enjoyed these. Bon Voyage