Side-Trip to Stratford-Upon-Avon from London

I would not want to spend the last night so far from the airport when taking an overseas flight the next day. Instead, I would travel to either London or an airport hotel in the late afternoon or evening on the day before departure. Or just make life simpler by going to Stratford first, then spending the last days in London.

If you left Stratford on the first possible train at 0630 you would arrive at Heathrow at 0940. Given a 3 hour check in and an 'early afternoon' flight that gives little or no recovery time, if anything at all happens,

But the day before if you left Stratford at say 1708 the previous night you should arrive at Heathrow by about 2100. Or leave an hour later if you want.

Then you can have an easy morning next day before check in.

So IMO this itinerary would benefit from being re-ordered.

If it was me, after your Best of England tour ends after breakfast, I would take either the 10:02 or 12:02 train to Stratford-Upon-Avon which takes 2:11 hrs with one change. I would spend 2 nights there and then head back to London for the remaining nights. Sounds like a fun trip!

I think that you need to be very interested in Shakespeare to want to spend two nights there. If you’re not there are in my view a lot more interesting places to spend a couple of nights.

All great advice from the above forum members.
Totally agree...Don't stay in Stratford the night before your flight....Move closer to Heathrow, even if it's just to a town or city that has quick transportation to the airport.

If you still want to do Stratford-Upon-Avon at the end of your trip, you might leave London and go to Stratford-Upon-Avon for 2 nights, leave Stratford-Upon-Avon and take the train to Oxford (which is right down the train line) for one night. Spend the night there and then the next morning take the coach (bus) directly to Heathrow airport.

There is not a train line directly from Oxford to Heathrow, but the coach will get you there. The coaches in England are very nice....comfortable, clean seats (more comfy than a seat on a plane), WiFi, and you're riding up high so you have a great view of the countryside or whatever towns you're passing through. Coach fare is inexpensive.

Yet another option is to take the train from Stratford-Upon-Avon to Windsor (a train change is necessary mid-journey). Spend the night in Windsor. There are several good hotels there, good restaurants, cafes, pubs. You will probably arrive early enough in the day to drop your bags at your hotel and tour Windsor Castle. Windsor is a lovely town for a walk afterwards. It's right on the Thames River with boats rides available.

Windsor is very, very close to Heathrow. About a 25 minute taxi ride if traffic is not bad. You'll be delivered right to the front door of your terminal.

Take a taxi to Heathrow the next day. It's a short journey. Our taxi ride cost us 20 pounds, but that was a couple of years ago, so count on about 30-35 pounds now.
We on this forum can provide you with names and phone numbers of taxi services if you decide to go with Windsor.

Personal preference: I really love Windsor.

To comment on something someone said back up this thread:
"I think that you need to be very interested in Shakespeare to want to spend two nights there."

Stratford-Upon-Avon is more than all the Shakespeare stuff. It has good hotels and restaurants, a pleasant park for a walk or to sit on a bench and watch the swans on the River Avon.
Nice old town center with interesting buildings. Get away from "the tourist crowd" that gets off the big bus tours.
Walk south to the little church where Shakespeare is buried.
The pace is slow here....what a relief after several days in London!!
If you'd like to see a play while you're there, check about buying tickets immediately, as they do sell out.

Not far from Stratford-Upon-Avon is the town of Warwick, with interesting medieval buildings and a magnificent castle. Warwick Castle has a long history; possibly its most famous resident was King Richard III.

Today, Warwick Castle is owned by a corporation and they've added some "entertaining" things for children, such as costumed employees, jousting, falconry shows. But it's still worth it to see the medieval castle.

Don't let anyone talk you out of going to Stratford-Upon-Avon if it's what you want to do.

Thanks for all the excellent replies and great advice.

We are History nerds with a passion for Shakespeare's era (The Globe in London is a must-see) and my wife worked for a summer as a teenager in a full-sized replica of Anne Hathaway's Cottage that used to be part of a hotel here in Victoria, BC. I think we will have no problem filling a full-day plus extras in Stratford. :)

Windsor is on my list anyways and I like the sound of ending there and then a short trip to Heathrow. I'm also a huge LEGO nerd so I was always planning on hitting Legoland Windsor if I could.

We did Oxford years ago and while I wouldn't mind a return, it probably hasn't changed much. ;)

If I may paraphrase a certain someone recently, I think we have the concept of a plan. Thanks all!

Good advice all, from Rebecca and others.

One thing to think about - if you try to move from Stratford-upon-Avon to Windsor by train, it is a bear of a journey.

It will take between 3 and 4 hours, depending on how the connections fall, and three changes of train and four train companies, a different one at each change.

Stratford-upon-Avon through the countryside (passing Mary Arden's house and the lovely town of Warwick (can't see either from the train, sorry)) on Chiltern Railways' stopping train to Royal Leamington Spa (the first station that I worked at when I joined the Railway many years ago, FYI) where you change to a Cross Country train for the ride through Banbury (of nursery rhyme fame, Banbury Cross which is still there) and then Oxford on the way to Reading where you change again onto the Elizabeth Line for the ride to Slough. Up and over to the far platform at Slough where the little GWR train runs you around to Windsor and Eton Central. Whew!

You might choose something a little simpler when travelling with going home luggage on your last night?

more about the properties related to Shakespeare -

About Mary Arden's (Shakespeare's mother) House, also known as Mary Arden's Farm, in Wilmcote, which is the first train stop on the way out of Stratford towards Warwick and Leamington, quoting from the Leamington Observer in August this year:

MARY Arden’s Farm has been taken off Stratford’s tourist trail.

The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust has announced that the Wilmcote site,
once home to the Bard’s mother, is closing its gates to visitors due
to financial constraints and low visitor numbers.

It is the second Shakespeare property to close its doors for the
foreseeable future as Hall’s Croft failed to reopen after the pandemic
due to structural concerns with the building.

In a rapidly diminishing portfolio, visitors to Stratford now have
just three SBT properties to look around – Shakespeare’s Birthplace,
Anne Hathaway’s Cottage and New Place.

Rebecca - I agree that for the right people Stratford will be absolutely the right place, as it clearly is for Tedward, given their specific interests. But I always think it has value to mention other views so that people can make up their own minds. For me there would be a lot of better choices for a couple of days but as we see other views are available!

Since you are "history nerds with a passion for Shakespeare" planning to visit Stratford-Upon-Avon, you might enjoy reading the mystery novel "The Dirty Duck" by Martha Grimes, which is set in Stratford in the 1980's. It includes a number of allusions to Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe and their complex history.

All the best,

Raymond

Stratford u-A is a pretty town in itself, even without the Shakespeare sights. We went to the (modern) Royal Theater there and enjoyed the first-rate production and acting. So get tickets to that ahead of time. We also enjoyed the Thatch Tavern as a place to eat.

Tedward, here's the website to get you started with selecting a performance and buying tickets.
https://www.rsc.org.uk/whats-on/
I would also look at booking a guided tour, theatre tour or costume tour.

Good information here:
https://www.rsc.org.uk/your-visit/
See "Places To Stay" here and more:
https://www.rsc.org.uk/your-visit/shakespeares-stratford
"Our recommended town centre hotel is the Arden Hotel, situated opposite the Swan Theatre on Waterside."

The Royal Shakespeare Theatre has three venues for eating. The Rooftop restaurant (on the 3rd floor) is the most upscale.
You can have lunch, afternoon tea, or dinner here:
https://www.rsc.org.uk/rooftop-restaurant
Sunday roast:
https://www.rsc.org.uk/rooftop-restaurant/sunday-lunch-menu
The Riverside Cafe is beside the river, on a terrace, and is the perfect place to grab a coffee and pastry. No reservations needed.

You may find this website useful, also, for planning your visit:
https://www.shakespeares-england.co.uk/

So many great tips!

Thanks again all.

I can definitely recommend a backstage tour of the RSC theatre. I took my mother on one of them, followed by a really nice meal in the rooftop restaurant and then a play. https://www.rsc.org.uk/your-visit/tours

The theatre also has a really fun gift shop in the foyer with loads of quirky gifts for Shakespeare fans.

I like Stratford-u-A very much as a town - extremely attractive, with a great riverside area and nice shops and restaurants.

It wouldn’t be my top tip for a general tourist, but for a Shakespeare fan you can have a really nice time.

Given the long journey by train described by Nigel, I feel compelled to recommend (as an option) travel with Blackberry Cars, a reliable car/limo service. They can get you from Stratford to Windsor. You can get a quote from them.
https://www.blackberrycars.com/
From their website:
"We offer reliable transfers to and from all of London's major airports including Heathrow, Gatwick and London Luton Airport. We also specialise in long distance trips between London and London's Airports to the rest of the UK. With over 10 years experience and professional licenced drivers we offer customers a flexible, safe option for trips to the airport, and throughout the UK."

Rebecca - I agree that for the right people Stratford will be absolutely the right place, as it clearly is for Tedward, given their specific interests. But I always think it has value to mention other views so that people can make up their own minds. For me there would be a lot of better choices for a couple of days.....

Johnew52, you are absolutely right, and I meant to come back and ask you for suggestions.
If Tedward and wife were not Shakespeare fans, they might have enjoyed someplace else a lot more.

As this thread will be read by many people other than the OP, what would be your suggestions for other towns/places/cities more interesting to spend a couple of days?

It may add some places to the itinerary of anyone planning a trip to England.
Including Tedward!

Johnew52, many thanks for the answer.

We enjoyed our two nights in Stratford Upon Avon. We drove in from Ludlow and stayed at the Aspen hotel. After departing Stratford we visited the Imperial War Museum at Duxford.

Time was until pretty recently when most Chiltern trains from Stratford went through to London Marylebone, now only one a day at 9.30pm arriving at midnight.
But the easiest way to Heathrow from Stratford upon Avon IMO is to change at Leamington Spa onto a Chiltern train for Marylebone, then get off at High Wycombe for the double deck bus #102- takes 60 minutes in the off peak, 85 minutes in the peak. It runs almost 24 hours a day
Likewise for Windsor- the #103 from High Wycombe- an 85 minute ride, with the last bus to Windsor at 70, later ones running to Slough. Most journeys on that route are single deckers.
You can also hop into a taxi at High Wycombe station for the short ride to High Wycombe Coachway at exit 4 of the M40 then get the Airline bus from Oxford to Heathrow- 30 minutes to Heathrow Bus Station, 40 minutes to Terminal 5.

Rebecca - other destinations for a 2 night break is an interesting question, although perhaps it shouldn't be hijacking Tedward's thread. The answer will always depend on the starting point. I could make a huge list of places I would be very happy to go to but many of them might not make much practical sense if the person is looking for somewhere from London, which many on here are.

Just to give a list of places I would personally recommend: -
Rye
Broadstairs
Frome or Bruton in Somerset
Sherborne or Dorchester in Dorset
Almost anywhere in Cornwall (except Tintagel!)
Monmouth / Hay-on-Wye in SE Wales
Ludlow / Bishop's Castle in Shropshire
Bakewell / Castleton in Derbyshire
Clitheroe in Lancashire
Many places in the Lake District and Sedbergh and Ulverston just outside

I could go on and on.

Lambs of Sheep Street is a very popular restaurant in town. Excellent food and atmosphere (reservations are generally needed for a Friday or Saturday night).
You will love Stratford upon Avon if you are into Shakespeare. We stayed at the Hotel de Vin. Very nice hotel and an easy walk into town. For us natives, the town has lost a little of its luster over the years, but it will be a fine stop for you and your interests.

I also think you need to stay in Windsor or Heathrow airport the night before.