Traveling to England this May 2024 with family of five, including children, all adults in early 20s. Originally thinking about 10 days, in/out of Heathrow from the US, with an itinerary of: 1) Bath/Cotswolds for 2 to 3 nights (maybe Chipping Camden); 2) Lake District for 2 to 3 nights (maybe Keswick?); and, 3) finish in London for at least 3 nights (South Kensington). Two of us have visited London before but not much out from the city. Looking for advice on transport as I assume we need to hire a car for the travel to Bath/Cotswold and Lake District and then drop before stay in London, so is it feasible/make sense to pick up/drop off at Heathrow? or better to take train/bus to outer locale and then pick up/drop off car?
Posted by
Preston UK
1232 posts
Can you fly either into or out of Manchester? That would make the travel a lot easier.
I would also consider swapping the Cotswolds for another rural area to make the plan simpler, such as the Yorkshire Dales or the Peak District.
Posted by
Eastern Iowa, USA
8123 posts
Yes, for both the Cotswold and the Lake District a car would be handy. Maybe one challenge is a vehicle large enough for 5 adults plus luggage, but small enough to get around. Most places do have larger vehicles, be wary of small sedans that say they fit 5 plus some bags, I suppose 3 small kids in the back seat, but not 3 adults, and the trunk likely will not fit luggage for 5. You can compare, but the cost of a larger SUV or Van, can be more than double 2 standard cars.
Heathrow works well for pickup, and close to the Cotswold, but for return. maybe compare driving all the way back vs dropping off in someplace like Preston, Manchester, or Leeds, then train to London. You might also consider taking the train up to the lake district, then work your way back, dropping off at Heathrow. You might be able to shave a day or more off the rental.