One week in England

Spend the week in London, including day trips from London. But someone who hadn't been there before might want to do more than just London. A week isn't much time, especially if flying in/flying out days are included in the 7 days.

Divide my time between London (two full days, maybe three--most of the good bits are within a mile of the Thames) and a circular tour of Winchester, Stonehenge, Salisbury, Wells and Glastonbury, Warwick and / or Kenilworth Castle, Stratford-on-Avon, maybe Oxford and a bit of the Cotswolds. Doable in a week, eight or nine days would be better if you can add an extra weekend to the mix.

Can I recommend the south coast counties. Devon, Cornwall etc. Very easy driving, and in June, you are ahead of the holiday rush. But then again, the Yorkshire Dales, the Lakes District. Sigh. At least nothing is far.

Make London your base and then take one or two day trips out of the city--Oxford, Bath, Windsor, York, etc.

Ditto those who suggest you base in London & do day trips. Moving from hotel to hotel is the most tiring part of traveling. If you stay in one hotel you'll have a 'home' & there's lots of interesting day trips to be taken. Also you'll have the opportunity to see London really well.

stay your entire time in London, see the city every day and soak it all in. get an apartment and eat a couple meals a day there to save cash. we just got back this last Wednesday from a 9 night stay in London and we had a blast.

For a first time visitor to England, I recommend : if you will be in England for a total of 7 days, including the day you arrive at an airport of London > first 3 days : stay in London. Days 4, 5, 6 : day trips to Windsor castle, Canterberry cathedral, Portsmouth old Navy harbor (see the H.M.S Victory and the Mary Rose). Travel in trains. Day 7 : London.

Check out the article I wrote for AAA Carolina's "Go" Magazine. It is about basing yourself in London and doing day trips. PM me for more ideas. Here is the link:
http://www.aaacarolinas.com/Magazine/2008/Jan-Feb/index.htm

I like the idea of Staying in London and taking day trips. It is my first time going over there and that seems a little less scary. My boyfriend wants to see Bath, and I really want to see anything in Cornwall, are these too far away for day trips?

If you search the website you'll see there's been lots of discussions on day trips to Bath.

Depending on where you want to go in Cornwall, you're probably looking at an overnight trip as it's going to be about 5 hours by train in each direction.

Lillie: Cornwall is not a good day trip from London, it's too far.

It depends on whether I was by myself or with a first time visitor.

If I was by myself, I wouldn't stay in London. I'd rent a car and do a loop. I'd go back to York because I love it. Then head for Northern Wales because I haven't been to the castles there yet.

If I was with a first time visitor. I'd spend a day going to Bath and Stonehenge, a day in Oxford, a day in York if I could get there and the rest in London.