Pre-Cruise Traveling in England

Have 3 nights pre-cruise in England prior to my June 4 TA crossing. I'm wanting to spend time in both London and Bath/Salisbury area, but this is complicated by the Bath Music Festival through June 3, so might want to actually stay just outside Bath or nearby, even as far away as Salisbury.

My initial thought is 2 days/1 night in London, mostly just revisiting highlights I saw in my youth - take the hop-on/hop-off bus, do a Thames tour, perhaps the London Eye (as that wasn't there last time), and go back to the Tower now that I have a real appreciation of jewels... It's more to get a sense of area and orientation as an adult to better help my clients.

Then on the second afternoon or early evening, take the train to Bath. The next day, the Mad Max Stone Circles & Villages tour sounds fun (to Stonehenge, Avebury Stone Circle, Lacock & Castle Combe), though I'd also considered renting a car in Bath and doing that on my own so I could just wander at my own pace. Then on the morning of the 4th, when the music crowds had disappeared, wander Bath (yes, I know - not nearly enough time, but this is a quick overview) then drive myself down to Southampton.

A couple issues are that the car rental agencies in Bath aren't open on Sunday, 3 June. So either I get into Bath by 1P on Saturday 2 June (giving me only 24 true hours in London), or I rent in London and self drive myself to Bath region. Or, perhaps just train it all the way - forget the car entirely.

Or because of the festivals (2 if you also include the Fringe Festival) should I drop Bath entirely and instead perhaps stay in Salisbury - again with the logistical questions of car vs. train or combo. Could also do 2 nights in London, leaving on the morning of the 3rd, driving myself to Bath, hitting Salisbury, Avebury and Stonehenge on the way, then drive down to Southampton on the 4th.

Looking for input on this plan - tell me I'm totally daft, or that this is crazy, but doable for why I'm wanting to do all this. Bath isn't a necessity, especially with the festivals, but so many clients are asking for recommendations on itineraries like this that I wanted to do an overview to better know this area.

As an aside, this will all be done as a solo traveler, if that affects your recommendations.

Words of wisdom and advice much appreciated. There are so many wonderful experts on this board who live in the UK, I'd appreciate your assistance.

I would hire a car for the duration having had experience of the amount of luggage you will have for a QM2 voyage.

As a UK resident might I suggest you forget London and get out into our wonderful countryside.

Why not take in Stratford upon Avon , Warwick and even my home City of Bristol which is a mere 25 miles from Bath. Look Bristol up on the web and you will see all we have to offer.

Enjoy your trip

London I'm doing mostly for clients who are looking for recommendations from me. It's been over 25 years since I was in London as a teen, and feel I need just a bit of time there to feel comfy with what I'm recommending.

Bristol definitely isn't much farther at all, of course. But since I have made the committment to at least a little time in London for business reasons, my options are limited how far afield I can go (namely up to Stratford upon Avon or Warwick) without spending every remaining hour in a car, unfortunately.

Even my home City of Bristol which is a mere 25 miles from Bath.

Fine for Bath, but getting from Bristol to Southampton:(

Amber - The kind of trip you're talking about is doable but would involve a vast amount of rushing about and not much time seeing anything. Why not spend your entire time in London? You will have no difficulty filling three days, in fact you'll be leaving feeling how much more there is to see.

Alternatively why not spend some time on the IOW (Isle of Wight)? A lovely area and very convenient for catching the boat.

Malcolm, understand what you're saying. This pre-cruise time is dictated more by what I need to know rather than what I want to do, if that makes sense. I get certain questions frequently (what do you think of X, how easy is it to do Y, what about Z?). Having never ventured outside London before, and not having been in London since I was a young teen, combined with the fact that the maximum time I could take for this particular trip was 3 nights pre-cruise, are dictating that it's going to be a bit of a frenetic pace (not my preference). Thankfully I'll have 6 heavenly days at sea to recouperate and enjoy.

Perhaps thinking of my time in the UK itself as research rather than vacation will make more sense by way of advice and assistance.

If it were about my preferences alone, it would be at least a week, with 3 nights in London, 4 driving around. Minimum. But that's another trip in the future to indulge my desire to explore and immerse.

You do NOT want to drive in Bath... it's bad enough on a regular day.. let alone with any festivals. Parking is a nightmare. Even the hotel carparks are a nightmare.

My advice, is to stay in London the full time. You do not have enough time to complete what you want to do.

We tried to do too much pre-cruise and wound up burnt out and not enjoying ourselves. By the time we did a Duck tour, the London Eye, walked through Hyde Park and shopped Covent Garden, our tongue was hanging out. The next day we took a train trip to Stoke-on-Trent to see the Potteries and it was too much combined with jet lag etc.

I'd really try to stay in London and at most do a quickie day trip outside of London - Windsor with Hampton Court Palace or Eton or Runnymede?

I bet your clients would really appreciate it if you devoted your time to knowing the latest and greatest in and around London - I know that is why my T.A. goes annually.

Have fun no matter what!

The next day we took a train trip to Stoke-on-Trent to see the Potteries and it was too much combined with jet lag etc.

And Stoke is horrible anyway.

If you want a day trip from London, then try York. Two hours on the train from Kings Cross (London) and you have a beautiful city, with a wonderful Minster, good shopping, Betty's Tea Room - the whole place is a gem.

You can do Bath by rail from Paddington - but it is via First Great Western, who are not known as Worst Great Western for nothing.

Doing either of these would enable you to base yourself in London for the practical reasons stated earlier, yet be able to see a lovely city outside the capital for one day.

Bath is lovely, of course, but it isn't the only place.

Matthew

Fine for Bath, but getting from Bristol to Southampton:(

By the bye, Malcolm, were you referring to the train connections, or by road with regard to Bristol to Southampton?

By the bye, Malcolm, were you referring to the train connections, or by road with regard to Bristol to Southampton?

Both - the journey is a "cross country" one - very slow, very hard going. If I were going to Southampton I would not go from Bristol if I could help it.

If you want a day trip from London, then try York.

I'd wondered how I could bring my home into it:) Matthew's right - London to York is less than two hours, the train drops you within walking distance of the Minster (and the centre) and the main sights in the city can be seen on foot. Don't miss out the North of England - there are a lot of towns and cities that are worth seeing (although the access to York is good from London).

Betty's Tea Room

:eek: Not if you're a local!

You can do Bath by rail from Paddington

Why not do both? A day in London, a day in York and a day in Bath (I'd tend to go to somewhere like Plymouth rather than Bath but it's purely personal preference). Nothing like enough time in any of them but it would give you a quick overview:)

Burbunny,

Bath-Southampton is around 1.5 hours by direct train and a little more by car. Two great websites for checking such things out are:

http://ojp1.nationalrail.co.uk/en/pj/jp

http://www.theaa.com/travelwatch/planner_main.jsp?database=B

Peter

Bath-Southampton is around 1.5 hours by direct train and a little more by car.

1.5 hours to do 65 Miles? An average speed of 40 mph? That's not a fast journey:(

1.5 hours to do 65 Miles? An average speed of 40 mph? That's not a fast journey:(

But it is Bath, not York! Much as I love York, a fast train journey there does not make it Bath! Of course Burbunny could always drive from York to Southampton (4.5 hours) or take the train (direct train, a little under 5 hours, or with two changes 4.5 hours).......

Peter

Who likes both Bath & York, but lives in neither......

Looking at it from an agent's perspective, I'd concentrate on those areas your clients will most frequent: London, Dover, Southampton, Harwich.

And if I just wanted to have fun, I'd just stay in Brighton.

My advice isn't as well-founded as that of the contributing Brits, but here it is anyway: DO NOT DRIVE! Unless you are accustomed to driving on the "wrong" side of the road - but even then, a parking and traffic nightmare.

Train or National Express Coach (much nicer than Greyhound) is the way to go. And why not day trips to Oxford and/or Cambridge?

I do agree with your apparent theory "It's OK to exhaust yourself if you can recover on QM2 transatlantic". Have fun.

Looking at it from an agent's perspective, I'd concentrate on those areas your clients will most frequent: London, Dover, Southampton, Harwich.

 

And if I just wanted to have fun, I'd just stay in Brighton.

Hooray .... someone with sense at last :D

http://www.visitbrighton.com

Looking at it from an agent's perspective, I'd concentrate on those areas your clients will most frequent

Wasn't that the reason for picking Bath in the first place? I'd have thought that Dover, Southampton and Harwich were just places that arriving clients passed through without stopping.

I'd just stay in Brighton.

No! Not Brighton. There are some very funny people who inhabit that area:p :D

Hooray .... someone with sense at last :D

www.visitbrighton.com

More unbiased advice!:rolleyes:

Peter

Who would go to:

Bath for the England of Jane Austen

York for the Minster, Jorvik & the Train Museum

Brighton for the Pavilion & the English Working Class at Play.......

Go on Burbunny - pick one!

Wasn't that the reason for picking Bath in the first place? I'd have thought that Dover, Southampton and Harwich were just places that arriving clients passed through without stopping.

 

:p :D

Actually, the most frequent questions clients ask: how do I get there on my own? Where's a good place to stay? How far is it? Is it difficult to carry my luggage? What's a good place to eat? How long does it take to get from Point A to Point B? What should I see? These questions are most frequently asked of Dover, Southampton and Harwich in that order. In 2008, more ships will be in Harwich, so we'll be answering more questions. I receive lots of questions on what to see and where to eat in Dover from clients whose sailings are spending the day in Dover.

London, IMHO is pretty much a no brainer.. there is so much information available on the net.

Another nice short trip would be to stay in Marlowe with a car... and do the typical touristy deal....Blenheim, Woburn Abbey, Hampton Court, etc.

More unbiased advice!:rolleyes:

Wasn't me that mentioned Brighton - it was ocngypz

Peter

 

Who would go to:

 

Bath for the England of Jane Austen

Yawn :rolleyes:

York for the Minster, Jorvik & the Train Museum

Double yawn :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Brighton for the Pavilion & the English Working Class at Play.......

Hooray ... someone else with sense at last - even if he normally disguises the fact ;)

Ken

And if I just wanted to have fun, I'd just stay in Brighton.

Isn't that the place described by Keith Waterhouse as "a town helping the police with their enquires?

David.

Actually, the most frequent questions clients ask: how do I get there on my own? Where's a good place to stay? How far is it? Is it difficult to carry my luggage? What's a good place to eat? How long does it take to get from Point A to Point B? What should I see? These questions are most frequently asked of Dover, Southampton and Harwich in that order. In 2008, more ships will be in Harwich, so we'll be answering more questions. I receive lots of questions on what to see and where to eat in Dover from clients whose sailings are spending the day in Dover.

In that case Dover (not bad for a few days) Southampton and Harwich should be on a fam trip for a TA. If, on the other hand, they're wanting to do something that they would find interesting then I wouldn't recommend either Southampton of Harwich! What would you think about Dover as a day trip from London?

As well as Brighton (e.g. Royal Pavillion), day trips to Kent are another possibility for increasing your travel guide knowledge for places like Canterbury, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Leeds Castle. Staying more local to London - and don't forget Windsor too.

In that case Dover (not bad for a few days) Southampton and Harwich should be on a fam trip for a TA. If, on the other hand, they're wanting to do something that they would find interesting then I wouldn't recommend either Southampton of Harwich! What would you think about Dover as a day trip from London?

Bit of a snore as a day trip.. but I would recommend Kent for Chartwell, Ightham Mote, Knole, Hever, Leeds, Sissinghurst and Scotney.. then down to Dover. Personally I'd stay around Seven Oakes with a car.

And I've done just that trip!

Isn't that the place described by Keith Waterhouse as "a town helping the police with their enquires?

 

David.

Absolutely ... that's why its always been so much fun. We've recently had couples registering at the hotel as 'Mr & Mrs Smith' just for the fun of it (Years ago it was a common ruse with unmarried guests on a 'dirty weekend' but nowadays at least 75% of couples have different surnames!!!)

Ken