WWRSD??? 7 days in England

I would give Bath two full days (three nights). That what my wife and I did on our 2013 trip. I would prioritize Salisbury for its Cathedral over Oxford, also visiting Stonehenge or Avebury, but that's just me. We found Chipping Campden to be a great stop in the Cotswalds. It felt like it had more personality that the other towns, but maybe that's just because we only passed through the other briefly.

Thank you, VS. I'll look at the section on Salisbury!

"We found Chipping Campden to be a great stop in the Cotswalds."

Just out of interest, is that the "American" spell checker that "corrects" The Cotswolds?

Each to their own, but Stonehenge wouldn't be in my top 50 things to see in the UK, so I would bypass it.

You don't need a car in Bath, but this would be useful for the Cotswolds. Note that March isn't the best time to visit the Cotswolds, as there won't be much colour in the gardens and some attractions won't be open. I would cover Oxford as a day trip by train from London, to avoid issues with where to put your luggage. Three bases are better than 4 for such a short visit.

In the Cotswolds, I would stay in Broadway or somewhere smaller and less touristy (if that's possible in the Cotswolds) say Minster Lovell. At that time of year, one full day in the Cotswolds would be enough for me.

OK, what is WWRSD?

Chipping Campden is gorgeous but so are many of the villages around.

So are some of the villages around Stow.

One of my favourites for a super small village is Guiting Power.

The Rissingtons aren't bad either.

How much time you need in Oxford depends on what you will be doing. A car will cost you a bomb in parking unless you have other arrangements in Oxford, and traffic and the one-way scheme can be a challenge there.

Nigel, I'm guessing "What Would Rick Steves Do?"

oh, OK. dunno then.

Was in the Cotswolds last November. RU seeking peace and quiet and few tourists? Then try Winchcombe.

If you need more excitement and given your 10 day exploration of Amesterdam/Rome/Florence/Venice it sounds as though you don't linger then go with Bourton on the Water, Chipping Camden or Stow on the World.

I'd keep Salisbury and Stonehenge on the itinerary and add York or Durham but that's just me. I'd over night in Durham.

The Northumberland countryside is stunning, a favorite spot for film makers. Vera, Harry Potter, Transformers and Inspector George Gently are a few of the productions that have filmed in the area.

Enjoy your UK escape.

Julie got it in one 😊

Thank you all so much! You've given me several new ideas to think on. I'll definitely follow up once we've nailed these plans down some more.

So car to Oxford - is it a huge pain to get into the city to drop the car off? The thought was that we'd just drop it immediately, store bags (train station?), and do a self-guided walking tour before catching a later train to London.

Bourton-on-the-Water is another great village to stay in. In Bourton-on-the-Water there is a model village of the village behind the Old New Inn it took local craftsmen five years to build it, it was officially opened on King George VI's Coronation Day. It's well worth a visit. All the villages in the Cotswolds are beautiful a few are Painswick, Stanton, Castle Combe and Ebrington.

The majority of car hire places in Oxford are situated on the western approach - ie either on or just off the Botley Road. This is relatively straightforward to get to from the A34 (Botley junction).

Oxford ... store bags (train station?)

I'm sorry to say that there is not a Left Luggage facility at Oxford station.

There are several buses linking the station with the centre, or my wife says that she can easily walk into the high in around 15 minutes.

If you want to get into any of the colleges plan to be there in the afternoon. They aren't open in the morning.....

In March the weather can be OK, or really rubbish. It is worth being a bit flexible with timings and plans...