Three Days From London to Thirsk

Pre-booking tickets is recommended for both Windsor Castle and Stonehenge, since both have long lines. At Windsor Castle last month, we paid for 4 hours at the car park but could have used 5 (including a quick sandwich stop). I'd also allow at least a whole hour for Stonehenge, since you have to take their shuttle bus to and from the ruins, sometimes with a line for the bus. If you get the audio guide, that also slows you down.

I think your allotment of 2 nights for Thirsk/York and 3 for the lakes makes sense, especially if driving between them via a scenic route, with stops.

Thanks.

Pre-book Windsor & Stonehenge... good point. What about other tourist sites (Buckingham, Tower of London, etc.)? Is English Heritage membership a good deal? We got two adult English Heritage memberships last time (1994). Now, we could get a family membership for £92.50 including our 18 year olds!

Too bad English Heritage doesn't maintain Warner Bros. Studio Tour. That's going to cost us £325!!! Unless someone here knows where we can get coupons or discounts...

You're more energetic than I am.

I would not try to see Windsor Castle and Stonehenge on the same day, let alone drive onward to Bath. Allowing only 30 minutes for Stonehenge is woefully inadequate, IMHO. It is not just a matter of stepping out of your car, standing there and looking at the henge. There's a large and fascinating visitor center (indoors and out). You ride a shuttle bus to the henge, or walk a fair distance. You're also selling Stonehenge short if you don't go over and see Woodhenge and Durrington Walls, located just east of Stonehenge property itself.

If you are really set on Windsor Castle and Stonehenge in the same day, I would say rest up with 2 nights in Bath. That will give you a day to tour the baths as well as enjoy Bath's other charms, and get a fresh start next morning for your drive to Thirsk.

How about Warwick Castle? That's one of my favorites. I think your children will find it interesting too.

Agree with the above poster - all that driving seems exhausting.

My suggestions would be to do it a little differently. Instead of moving to 2 different locations for 2 nights between London and Thirsk (seems a lot of work and I don't know how much useful time you would have to visit the places you suggest), I would add the 2 nights to your stay in London.

Then you can easily do day trips out of London to lots of places, including Windsor, Bath and Stonehenge (as well as many other places). See London Walks for their day trips out of London, especially in their summer brochure - www.walks.com - they go to Bath one day a week, also do Stonehenge combined with Salisbury, + many others. Tho' you could easily do a lot of these yourself using the rail system. I would then take the train to Thirsk from London, much easier, quicker and far less stressful - and not expensive if you buy the tickets in advance. And pick up your car in Yorkshire.

Katy

All suggestions are appreciated. Bath to Thirsk is 5 hours and that's just too much driving to do in one day, even if we stop along the way. We could go by rail, to Bath, but then it means we completely miss the Cotswolds and the rail trip to Thirsk will probably be $800.

If we do stay in London two more nights, Windsor by rail is only 54 pounds round trip, but I just looked into what a day trip to Bath by rail would cost: 254 pounds for the five of us. Stonehenge is by coach and costs 61 pounds per person for the transportation and entry fee and another 18 pounds for the guide, so that would be 395 pounds or $477 at the current exchange rate. I'm afraid that's not in the budget. It also means London to Thirsk in one day. The point of leaving London two days earlier is to break up the long drive up into manageable segments (2-3 hours per day).

If we stay two nights somewhere halfway between Bath and Stratford-upon-Avon, it means two 1-hour drives to and from Bath, which isn't terrible, but the third day will be four hours in the car to Thirsk.

Keep the suggestions coming... I'm sure we'll hit on the right agenda that's affordable.

Thanks!

Take driving times on most websites with a pinch of salt! Most journeys take far longer due to traffic delays. Stratford to Thirsk is more likely to be a 4 not 3 hour journey.

Stonehenge and Bath are in the wrong direction if you are heading to Thirsk or Ambleside - these are likely to take you 6 hours to drive without stops from Bath. Stonehenge is not the place most 14 & 18 year olds want to visit. Driving and parking in Windsor are nightmares. Do Windsor as a day trip from London by train.

Stratford upon Avon is quite disappointing IMO - overly touristy and unless you are really into Shakespeare, there are far better places to visit.

Drive north instead. Either visit the stunning north Norfolk coast ( - would a boat trip out to see the seals be of interest?) or head to Whitby - great smuggling history, Dracula (Bram Stoker), a ruined Abbey, Captain Cook Museum etc. Great cliff top walks if the weather is kind. Something for all the family plus great fish & chips. Neither option is as far out of the way as Bath.

Two nights in Ambleside is only one day there, so stick with three nights if you want to do some walking and exploring of the Lakes. If I were you, I would visit either Ambleside or Thirsk, so as not to feel like I was spending all the time in the car and moving on. Your choice. If you are driving up from Bath/Stratford, then that will take half a day with stops. That gives you half a day to explore Thirsk, your full day in York, then move to Ambleside the following morning. Not much time to explore "God's own county" as Yorkshire is known.

If you are HP fans, then I assume that you will be visiting Alnwick en route to Edinburgh? The stunning coast itself is more impressive than Alnwick Castle, as are Bamburgh, Dunstanburgh and Lindisfarne Castles, but most seem interested in the HP connection. I have seen horses ridden on the beach here. This doesn't fit well with squeezing in Ambleside.

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Travel-g186338-c133479/London:United-Kingdom:Paper.And.Oyster.Travelcards.2.4.1.Offers.html is the best guide for London travel cards. You can't buy then in the US. You pre pay onto the Oyster card and every time you make a journey, you balance reduces, irregardless of what zone you are travelling to. Touch the tickets in and out on tubes and trains, but only on entry on buses.

I just looked into what a day trip to Bath by rail would cost: 254 pounds for the five of us

not sure where you are looking at ticket prices but for 4 adults and 1 child a day return London to Bath is in the region of £130. You may get further reductions with a family and friends railcard.

The cheaper Advance tickets go on sale roughly 12 weeks before you travel. So you may wish to revise some of your other budget estimations.

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/

It's all somewhat confusing at this point, but I'd suggest not trying to cram too much distance into your time. Bath is too far west, Stratford worthwhile only for diehard Shakespeare fans. I think Jennifer has the best take of those who have posted so far.

And I understand that with a group your size the rail fares add up quickly compared to renting just one car (think minivan with 5 full size people and their luggage).

I used the 7-day Travelcard in London last month, couldn't have been easier and a great bargain. I bought mine from a very helpful guy at the Transport for London site in Paddington, I'll bet they have the same at Victoria. Works on buses too, which can be a better choice for shorter trips and watching street life. An advantage of the 7-day card is taking buses for even very short trips to save your feet. (Short trips by tube may not be worthwhile with all the stairs and tunnels you have to navigate.)