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Drive or train to Stratford-upon-Avon?

Posted by (Gilbert, AZ, USA) on

We will be arriving in Heathrow at 1:30 p.m. on a Tuesday this July. Our first night will be in Stratford-upon-Avon. I will be renting a car for our time in England but was wondering if I should rent it at Heathrow and drive to Stratford-upon-Avon or take public transportation to somewhere closer and rent the car there.

There are three reasons why I ask. Will the drive from the airport to Stratford-upon-Avon be too hard after our long flight--especially since It will be my first time driving over there? Is Heathrow too much in the crazy traffic of London that I've heard so much about (I intend to avoid driving on London while we are there)? And, will it be cheaper to rent away from the airport keeping in mind that I will have to buy rail or tube tickets for four to get to wherever we get the car, be it Stratford or somewhere else.

And on a side note, I can return the car at either Guildford, where we will end our trip, or Heathrow where we fly out. Which would be better? We fly out on a Saturday at 2:35 p.m.

Posted by
264 posts

Christine - My opinion is that it might really be a toss up. Maybe a different forum reader may think differently. Only good knowledge of your family can answer the question. What I'll try to do is provide as much background as I can to help you make that choice.

The key points I will make to you are that

  1. Certainly the driving will be new to you. However Heathrow is on the western outskirts of London. Stratford is NW of London. So you won't have any real need to go into London or around London for that matter.

  2. Stratford while small can get pretty packed with tourists and cars. Think about your parking if you go with a car. It is easier without a ticket.

  3. Unless there is a bus directly there from Heathrow you will spend some time on a train. With changes or going into London for a direct train, the journey may actually be a lot longer than just driving. Of course your not renting a car during that time, not dealing with the fatigue and what not so it could be preferable.

Posted by
591 posts

My personal choice is to take public transportation out of Heathrow to a less conjested area to rent a car. It's stressful enough driving on the left if you're not used to it, and jet lag makes it even worse. I've taken a Nat'l Express bus from Heathrow to Oxford (direct service at least every hour) a couple times to get away from the traffic before starting out. From the Oxford bus station, you'll need a taxi to whichever car rental company you use. It's about an hour's ride to Oxford, then another hour drive to Stratford. Since you'll be more rested and have driving-on-the-left experience when you reach Guildford, you shouldn't have a problem returning the car to the airport. The money you save by not renting the car at the airport will probably offset the cost of at least 2 bus fares to Oxford.

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