England September 2024 trip report: Mission Accomplished!

National Express coach to Bristol: We arrived at LHR a little late and were glad I had paid extra to have flex tickets on the National Express coach to Bristol. And then the long trek to the Central Bus Station. Once we arrived there, it was very chaotic and busy. The overhead display board was slow to load, and in the bus bays there were so many different people shouting so many different instructions, I felt overwhelmed. However, we soon found out that there was some problem related to the National Express coaches to Bristol that day as a whole group had missed a previous coach. Our coach arrived already quite full, especially the luggage hold. An announcement was made that an extra coach would be arriving in 15 minutes, and most passengers would be accommodated on that one. The present bus in the bay would only accommodate passengers with very small pieces of luggage. D and I were the only ones with small bags, so we were allowed to get on the bus. I had paid extra for particular seats but they were occupied. One of the occupants gave up a seat, but the other didn’t…...D told me to just find a different seat - he did not want a fuss. The coach took the M4 motorway most of the way and we were in Bristol within a couple of hours. The coach was very convenient and we would definitely use it again, but perhaps not pay for seats.

Hotels/AirBnB: I had three main criteria while choosing accommodation for our trip. First, it had to be in a safe, central location for access to public transport. Second, because of D’s height, we needed a large (preferably king-sized) bed, without a footboard. And third, I tried to keep it within (or as close to) GBP150/night. In Wareham, I had a little trouble meeting the bed requirement within our price range and ultimately opted for an AirBnB. In London, we went over budget by GBP15/night.

In Bristol, we stayed at the Brooks Guesthouse. It was a 10-minute walk from the coach station and because I had looked it up on Google Maps, could find it easily. Check-in was easy. We had a room facing the courtyard and did not have any trouble with noise during our stay. The location of Brooks is wonderful – not too far from anything – we walked to/from the coach station, Bristol Meads train station, bus stops, multiple Tesco Express stores, Wapping Wharf. St. Nicholas market with a lot of food stalls, is right across the alley. But the best thing about the hotel is the breakfast. I really enjoyed having a hot cooked breakfast every morning, especially as I am a great fan of the full English. Both of us agreed that we would stay at Brooks again.

In Wareham, we stayed at an AirBnB. It was a suite in a house owned by a lovely couple and had the most comfortable bed of our trip. It was very conveniently located near the train station and bus stop. I would definitely stay there again, but D said he would prefer to have someplace more private – either a hotel room or an apartment, not a suite with a shared entrance.

In London, we stayed at Hotel 63 on Bayswater Road. I love staying near Hyde Park/Kensington Gardens because strolling there in the mornings and evenings is very important to my enjoyment of London. The hotel was okay but I think I prefer Vancouver Studios.

Train travel: We traveled by train a few times, but not enough to make a two-together card worthwhile. I was a little concerned about train travel as it all seemed very complicated with the different price structures, split ticketing and train companies, but I used a number of resources like the Man in Seat 61, Trainline, and this forum. I don’t think I would ever have figured out split-ticketing without Stuart and others on this forum. I used the Great Western Railway (GWR) account/app to buy tickets even though we traveled on both GWR and Southwestern (SWR) railway. The GWR app does not work in the US but once we landed in England, it worked exactly as it should. The main trouble with the GWR account was that when I bought two tickets at the same time (Bristol-Southampton, Southampton-Wareham), the second one was not showing up. However, once we were in England and I could access the tickets on the GWR app, both tickets were there.

One thing we learned (the hard way) is that it is not sufficient to get on the correct train – one also has to get in the right compartment/carriage. On the train from Southampton to Wareham, we were in the wrong part that was going to be shunted off at Bournemouth and we managed to get to the correct end of the train just in time. So listen to the announcements and read the notices carefully. In Salisbury we again would have got on to the wrong carriage if not for the vigilance of the SWR platform officials.

The great thing about all the train stations is that there were always a lot of officials around who were always ready to help. Even for silly requests – I wanted to keep my ticket from Bath as a souvenir so at the gate I showed my ticket to the agent and she scanned it and opened the gate for me. So I got to keep the ticket, which is one of my favorite souvenirs from the trip.

Errata: Both D and I have Google Fi and it works seamlessly in the UK. This trip I did all my trip-planning using Google Maps. For the first time, we did not need to use paper money at all, although I did wish I had some small bills or coins when RNLI was collecting donations at the Poole Harbor.

Bristol: A big thank-you to Helen and others on this forum who brought Bristol to my notice! Both of us liked the city, especially D. Bristol is not a “quaint” city but we loved the youthful energy of the university and D was very excited about the sites related to Isambard Kingdom Brunel. I loved the street art and the maritime history. On the first evening we wanted to stretch our legs after the long journey so we meandered our way to the quad area and since it was a lovely afternoon, there were a lot of students sitting on the grass. D felt we would skew the average age if we joined them on the green, so we walked on. There is a lovely Banksy on the corner (unfortunately paint-splattered), and I was tempted to go into the cathedral for evensong (I finally decided against as I was afraid I would fall asleep). We would have loved to visit the art gallery, but it is closed on Mondays. The area around Brooks is very interesting too – the old commerce center of the city. I especially enjoyed seeing the Bristol Nails as I had heard that the term “paying on the nail” originated here.

Bristol contd: Once we got to the dock area, we had to take the cross-harbour ferry to get to the SS Great Britain. It’s a very short ride and was very comfortable even on that windy day. The rain was still holding off, so we walked around a bit to look at the old Albion dry dock and another Banksy but as the drops began to fall, we hurried into the SS Great Britain complex. It rained on and off all afternoon, so we had to use our rain gear to get between buildings and on the deck of the ship. My light & cheap (32 degrees) rain jacket from Costco held up really well and D also seemed happy with his new LL Bean waterproof windbreaker.

I highly recommend a visit to the SS Great Britain if you are at all interested in the industrial revolution or maritime history. The tickets are expensive, but there is so much to see and experience. I do most of our Christmas shopping while traveling, and we just managed to make it to the gift shop before they closed for the day. By this time we were pretty tired and hungry and decided to walk to Salt & Malt on Wapping Wharf for some fish-n-chips. D chose the cod, I chose the scampi, and afterwards walked back to Brooks in between squalls.

Bath: We took a day-trip to Bath from Bristol. We walked to Bristol Temple Meads, which is about 20 minutes but flat with mostly good, broad sidewalks. I had not bought tickets ahead of time for this short trip and got the off-peak day return at the ticket counter (somewhat busy). There are lots of people there to help with questions and once we figured out that we needed to get on the train to Portsmouth, we made our way to the correct platform. Within 20 minutes we were getting off at Bath Spa.

D and I decided to start our day at the top of the hill and work our way down. Accordingly we went first to the Upper Assembly Rooms, which have recently been taken over by the National Trust. It was amazing to see the rooms I have read so much about and the NT are doing a great job with it.

After this D and I spent the next few hours walking around Bath, looking for important locations in some of my favorite books. We had just enough time to visit the Roman Baths before our reservation for tea at the Pump Room. Being in the Pump Room itself was a great treat. We tried the waters from the fish fountain, but though it had the characteristic sulfuric smell, it did not really taste like anything. Overlooked by a statue of Beau Nash, and listening to the piano trio, we had a wonderful tea which was a generous birthday gift from my parents-in-law.

Salisbury and around: H lives on a farmhouse that they recently built near Salisbury. It was our first visit to their farmhouse and they were extremely generous with their time and driving us around. The days with H were a rural idyll but I don't think we could have explored this area without a car. We drove around a lot, through the New Forest and lovely villages. We ate at old village pubs with meat and sausages from local butchers that have been there for generations. D had his first English ale brewed locally. We spent an afternoon at the Salisbury cathedral (truly awe-inspiring and D’s first look at the Magna Carta, another lovely tearoom, and the best gift-shop of our trip) and an evening at Stonehenge, walking across the NT woods and fields to get to the stones.

London: Salisbury to London Waterloo is a 90 minute journey by SWR. I could barely wait to drop our bags off at Number 63 and head into Hyde Park. We had lunch at the Italian Garden cafe in Hyde Park, and then went to the Tate Britain. This was my first visit and we mostly spent time in the Turner galleries before they closed. Afterwards we walked and walked and walked….to Westminster Abbey, across the bridge, back down Whitehall, through St James Park and to the Buckingham Palace, back to Whitehall, past Downing St and the Cenotaph, to Trafalgar Square and on to Piccadilly Circus. At some point we stopped and had dinner at a Korean restaurant. It was a beautiful evening and we were both energized by London.

On our last day in London, we spent the day at the British Museum. As the “attic of the world”, it is a little overwhelming but we kept telling ourselves that we didn’t have to see everything and we could leave whenever we wanted to. We started with the Rosetta Stone, which was already getting busy. The Parthenon Marbles gallery was closed for renovations, but D was tall enough to be able to get a good view from above the screens. He became quite popular as a photographer as others realized he could see the marbles! We followed the trail and looked at the other must-sees. Afterwards we spent the rest of the day in less popular galleries. I’m still lusting after King George III’s library. Other exhibitions we enjoyed were the Japanese prints and the Amaravati gallery.

This being our last day in the UK, we also had some shopping to do for ourselves. I had run out of some Harrods tea that I like, so that was our first stop. The lovely dining hall was our undoing and we ended up eating dinner there (wonderful but expensive). I bought tea and a lot of other things besides. The good news is that I have almost finished all my Christmas shopping ;-) On the way back to the hotel, we stopped at Sainsbury’s and bought some more tea and chocolate. Then we decided to keep walking. It was another lovely evening and we walked through Hyde Park, along the Serpentine. I pointed out the Lido cafe to D, which is one of my favorite spots for breakfast in London. D wanted to see the Albert Memorial, so I sat on a park bench with our shopping, facing Kensington Palace and reflected on the trip.

Return & Aftermath: It has been almost two months since we have been back. We talk often about the trip and things we liked and things we would do different another time. D definitely wants to go back again! We are tentatively planning a trip together again in 2026. We surprised ourselves by enjoying a quicker pace of travel. While we would have liked an extra night or two at almost every location we visited, we had to make a compromise and we would have hated dropping any of the places we saw.

A huge thank you to the forum members who were so generous with your time and information!

I enjoyed your trip report! I'm glad to hear that your husband wants to return to the UK again - mission accomplished!

MapLady - it sounds like all your hard work planning -- and compromising -- paid off ! I enjoyed your trip report very much. I love that you just said - yes we wish we had more time, but this is what we have, so we are going to figure out how to make it work for us.

Thanks for sharing your report.

MapLady, what a great trip report! I felt like I was right beside you on your trip (and was ready to shove the seat offender into the aisle for you, lol!). Seriously, it sounds like you had a wonderful time and I'm so glad that your husband enjoyed it enough to come back!

I had to laugh when you mentioned your cheap 32 Degrees jacket from Costco. That's the exact same jacket I took to England in March (and left behind on the train at Plymouth). Luckily, I bought two so I still have one. They really are great for travel as long as you don't lose them!

What a great trip report, and you both should get extra credit for super-compact packing! I still remember the outstanding Tea at the Pump Room in Bath, many years ago. Maybe you’ve already been, maybe not, but on your next trip in London, go a short distance beyond Piccadilly Square, to Fortnum & Mason, and have their afternoon tea. It’s even more fabulous than Bath’s Pump Room, but see for yourselves.

Where in England will you be going on the next trip … or have you just started the planning fun?

I’m so glad you enjoyed Bristol. There’s always lots going on here and the city feels young and vibrant.

What a wonderful trip report.

Some trains split en route and when this is going to be the case, the platform info signs will usually say front 5 coaches will continue to Weymouth (for example). Sometimes trains split at a place with one half going to x and the other half going to y. The regulars will be aware of these splits and the staff are always on the lookout for anyone who has boarded the wrong section.

PS. John Cabot sailed from Bristol on the ‘Matthew’ and sailed west to discover Newfoundland. (Yes, I know the Vikings were the first Europeans to find this new land).

Folks - my apologies - the Dorset part of the TR did not post earlier, so I am adding it here. This was my favorite part of the trip, but it is tough to choose.

Dorset: The Isle of Purbeck was the original and non-negotiable part of this trip for me. After a lot of research, I decided to base ourselves in Wareham for the best access to public transportation for the places we wanted to see. From Wareham, we traveled mostly by the Jurassic and Purbeck Breezers. They are double-decker buses, so once again had lovely views from the upper deck. They were extremely convenient and cheap (GBP 2/person/ride) and most of the places we wanted to go to (Corfe Castle, Swanage, Lulworth Cove, Durdle Door) were conveniently located on these bus routes. They were not very frequent (once an hour or less), but with careful planning, we managed to not have to wait for a bus for more than 10 minutes.

The weather was cooperative and we had blue skies and turquoise seas throughout our stay. The part of the coast between Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove is exquisite. We took the Jurassic Breezer and got off at Durdle Door. From there we walked along the coastal path to Lulworth Cove – a distance of about one mile. Walking in this direction is mostly downhill. I can never forget the first view of Corfe Castle, which has special significance as I grew up reading Blyton. The NT tearoom there is especially adorable. Swanage was fun for me to visit as an English seaside town, but most things were closed after summer. I enjoyed walking along the boardwalk and seeing the colorful beach huts and the Punch-and-Judy stand. I absolutely loved the town of Wareham and I wish we had more time to explore it. On the last day we met up with our friend, H, and her family and went to Brownsea Island together. The first scouting camp was held on the island, and I was happy to see that there are a lot of scouts camping there today. I also enjoyed the history and natural history of the area, and it was a relaxing stroll around the island while catching up with our friend.

Sherry – yes, I am so happy D wants to return to the UK with me! I love traveling solo, but I do enjoy being with him too – so I would love for him to accompany me sometimes – I know he will not be able to every time.

Kim – I used to always wait “for the right time” and realized that it may never come. So now I don’t say no - even went for a day trip to Paris with my teenager and enjoyed myself enormously.

Mardee – I was thinking of you when I wrote about the raincoat!! How clever to get two of those, because they are really great for travel.

Cyn – The main draw was the Pump Room itself, and the lovely, friendly staff made the afternoon very special. The pastries were very good. I have been to F&M to buy tea, but not to their tearoom – and it’s definitely on my wishlist!

Not sure about the next trip yet. It will probably include Ironbridge Gorge and a stay in Birmingham (lot of industrial revolution sites, Lord of the Rings references), because we cut that out of our current trip due to time constraints. But yes, the fun is just beginning ;-) I’m working on a trip to India and another (short) solo return for myself to the UK before that.

Helen – we liked Bristol very much and wished we could have stayed longer. I think this was D’s favorite part of the trip. Thank you very much for all your help and for suggesting Bristol – I would not have thought of it otherwise.

James – thank you for adding the information about John Cabot.

I agree with you that the staff were doing their best to keep us informed, but D & I were not being very bright, I am afraid. I could not hear the announcement properly and did the opposite of what they said, sigh. Fortunately the displays on the train soon showed us our mistake and we got into the correct part of the train before it split.

Glad you enjoyed your rides on the Breezer Buses.

By total coincidence on the same day as you were on the Eastern section of the Breezer routes I was on the Western section from Axminster (starting on a school bus from Taunton) to Dorchester as part of a convoluted route from Plymouth to London and home to Cumbria in a day (a journey delayed by many months by scheduling congestion). Axminster to Dorchester is also a very scenic route. I took that route as I had a specific plaque in Dorchester which I needed to visit and photograph.

Thanks for pointing out about the splitting of trains. It doesn't happen on too many routes that tourists might use, but maybe we (on this forum) could do better with telling people when trains do divide like that.
I don't think about it, as it is just routine to me.
Like my 5 car train from Dorchester that afternoon added an extra 5 cars at Bournemouth as per normal. Because the ones from Weymouth form the back half of the train, and most people London bound join the front 5 to be fast off the platform at Waterloo, my section was blissfully quiet.

Thanks for taking the time to write and post your excellent trip report!
I've enjoyed reading it.
You are a great trip planner...great itinerary!
You really saw a lot on your trip....well done!
I'm glad you had a good time.
What's on your wish list (places to go) for your next trip to England?

Stuart – I like all public transportation and enjoyed riding the trains, but the double-decker buses were definitely more fun because of the amazing views from the top. I’m glad you got to ride a Breezer too. I was happy to see how popular the Breezers are, as they were always quite full. I do hope to get to western Dorset someday.

The train splitting is wonderful and efficient. I think being aware of it is half the battle - it was not difficult to figure out once we started paying attention to it. Once I remember a train pulling up with 17 coaches and I immediately thought I needed to watch out for splitting...and yes, I was right! So it was easy to get used to once we knew to expect it.

Rebecca – thank you for your kind words. I love traveling, planning and writing it up, so having people read and comment is truly an indulgence.

As to where next – I don’t know. I will be in the UK solo for 4 nights in 2025 on my way to India. I’m thinking of basing myself in Oxford for that trip, but am still mulling it over. As for the trip with D in Fall 2026 – I think Birmingham/Ironbridge which got bumped from this trip, but would like to add another area. I have just restarted my travels after a few decades hiatus, so my wishlist is long. I think Devon or the Lakes are likely at the top but possibly East Anglia too. Peak district, Yorkshire Dales, Wales, Scotland, Cornwall in the not too distant future hopefully. I honestly am ready to go anywhere and cannot turn down any opportunity to visit!!