We are having trouble filling in the last couple of days of our April-May itinerary for the U.K. My wife and are are a couple in our 40s/50s, eleven or twelve trips to Europe since 1999. We were last in England together in 2000, thought I was able to spend an extra day in London on business trips in 2007 and 2010. Here is out itinerary: 3 nights Bath (bus from LHR, visited Bath only on a day trip in 2000); 2 nights Dartmoor, visit Wells and Glastonbury on the way there; 2 nights Chipping Campden (Salisbury and perhaps Avebury on the way there, and Blenheim Palace on day two); <<days 8-9 TBD>>; 5 nights London. On our 2000 trip we felt shortchanged in London even with four nights and three full days. Now I am much more savvy about London, so while a month would not be enough, we can make four full days work. We are torn between a return visit to York (quick two night visit on 2000 trip), and a visit to North Wales (never been there). Would also love to revisit southeast England. Or, we could slow it down and spend a couple of nights in Wells with day trip to Salisbury and Avebury instead of visiting those towns on a day trip. The more experience I get as a traveler, the more I want to slow down. But then again, the call of adventure always beckons. We will be back, but it's so very hard to pass up the path not taken. How do you manage it when you have not been to a country in a while -- revisiting the top rated places that you have seen before, vs. seeing someplace new? Any insights on how to fill in day eight and nine on our trip would be most appreciated!
Posted by
near Ringwood, Hampshire, UK
521 posts
If you squeezed in the additional 2 days immediately after Dartmoor, you could visit Plymouth, or maybe Plymouth, Dartmouth and Totnes as well. Plymouth is worth the time because of the old town, known as the Barbican, where you will find the Mayflower Steps (where the Pilgrim Fathers are thought to have last set foot on English soil), the Plymouth gin distillery (guided tours, tastings), boat trips around the naval dockyard and the harbour area. Over the water at Torpoint is Mount Edgcumbe (16th century manor house and gardens, important during the civil war) and even the modern city centre is worth an hour or two (being a naval port, Plymouth received the attentions of the Luftwaffe regularly in WW2 and most of the commercial centre was bombed flat, but the planners made a fairly decent job of the rebuilding after 1945, especially compared with somewhere like Portsmouth). I went to primary school here and still feel a lot of affection for the place. Dartmouth - pretty waterside town, home to Brittania Naval College where all our naval officers are trained. Quaint little streets, an odd mixture of fishing town and ice cream and fish & chips resort. In one of the streets behind the harbour there is a little shop where they make and sell bags and luggage made on the premises with canvas sailcloth, jute rope etc - I have one of their duffle bags which I like very much - Canvas Factory Totnes - Saxon market town with ruined fortification. Long steep high street lined with mostly independent shops. Reputation (mostly deserved) as a centre for alternative culture. At the very top of the high street there is a shop selling old records and musical instruments which I like very much. Handmade shoes and boots at almost reasonable prices from Conker Shoes on the high street.
Posted by
2081 posts
hi, Im still a noob to solo travel and London. I just love London too. My first time in london was early last year for 4.5 days. I was able to see just about everything on my itinerary. WMA and the Templar church was closed. So i went back again for a short trip last Oct. Went to the Templar and it was closed again. WMA was too. guess what, im going again in Sept and also to some other places in Europe, but a side trip will be to Leeds and o/n in London to try and see WMA and the Templar church. afa balancing something new and something old? i would weigh what is more important for me to see and go from there. To me London and the UK and Europe is a new "undiscovered country" for me so i can go mostly anywhere and it will be new to me. Even if its not, there is still so much to see that i wont get board. If i do, its time to move on, but i seriously doubt that will ever happen. maybe you can "plan" out what you want to do/see in London and determine if you can make a side trip. on my trip this fall i wanted to go to Bergen,Norway in addition to Oslo. but i put Leeds ahead of Bergen, so Bergen will be another day. I WILL RETURN! Happy trails.