Advice on car rental and driving

[mina]

Hi, we will be docking in Southampton on sat June 4 from a Norwegian fjords cruise and are thinking about renting a car for a couple days. We would rent in Southampton and go to Salisbury for the night (Stonehenge night tour booked). Sunday morning we would proceed to Warwick castle and spend the large amount to spend the night in the castle. Next morning, we would drop the car off in a nearby location and take the train to London. We are Americans who have not driven in England before. So my questions are:

(1) how congested, difficult will it be to drive this route? A bit nervous about driving on the left side and in bad traffic. (2). What would be the best pick up location for a car in Southhampton? (3). Where should we plan to drop off the car near Warwick and catch the train? It looks like Stratford upon Avon has a drop off at the train station for hertz. Is that the best? (4). Are the distances okay for each day and is there anything we should plan to see along the way? We know we will need to drive a manual. That is okay. Just worried about traffic and driving on the left side!

[Enforcer]

Hi Mina,

 

The best advice I can give in general is just take things easy, don't rush. Watch out for roundabouts, there are basically three types-

1. When you approach there will be a filter lane that takes you down that particular route, you don't give way on these.

2. A roundabout where you have to give way to vehicles on the roundabout (these will be approaching from the right)

3. Mini roundabouts, these are just painted markings in the road (so that large vehicles like trucks can manouvre round them) but in a car you are supposed to go round them.

 

The best thing to do would be obtain a copy of "The highway code" it is a Government publication and gives you the rules of the road. Not everyone sticks to it but most do. Also Youtube is a wealth of information on driving tips.

 

Pete

[mina]

Thanks Pete. Will take the advice. I am hoping that this route will be a bit less congested. Especially since she it's a sat and Sunday.

[John Bull]

Your planned schedule is fine, very easy on time.

 

Hertz, Alamo, National, Europcar & others have depots near the port, no more than a £7 taxi ride from any cruise terminal. Avis is the odd-one-out, its only Southampton depot is 8 miles out at Southampton airport.

Yes, UK rental cars are stick-shift unless you specify automatic. But it's better to specify automatic if that's what you're used to - and you won't be waving your right hand around looking for a shift-stick that's on your left. ;)

 

Salisbury is only about 40 minutes from Southampton. Laid-back & historic city, fine cathedral. Old Sarum is a hill-fort on the edge of the city. Check the availability of parking if you choose a hotel in the city centre.

Stonehenge is only about 15 minutes past Salisbury. Might be a little congestion near Stonehenge on Saturday due to cross-traffic heading west along the A303 past Stonehenge - ask your hotel about a scenic route through the Woodfords, or the little-used A360 which means that you cross the A303 at a roundabout instead of joining it for a couple of miles.

 

Salisbury to Warwick Castle is something over 100 miles, about 2 hours if you stick to the main roads - mostly the A303, A34 & M40 divided highways. Easy, but boring.

Or closer to 3 hours if you're feeling sufficiently confident to take the country roads through the villages, little towns & countryside of Wiltshire and the Cotswolds. For instance via Marlborough, (near) Swindon, Lechlade-on-Thames, Burford, Bourton-on-the-Water, Stow -on-the-Wold, mebbe Shakespeare's Stratford-upon-Avon. A much more scenic & rewarding route.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/Salisbury/Warwick+Castle,+Castle+Hill,+Warwick/@51.6500439,-1.9629557,9z/data=!4m19!4m18!1m10!1m1!1s0x48738c5536009bb7:0xda3e080f25eaa06!2m2!1d-1.794472!2d51.068785!3m4!1m2!1d-1.6910674!2d51.8124918!3s0x4871304c89d86457:0x819f428a9c1078e0!1m5!1m1!1s0x4870cb440e836565:0x6eb350e7aed63b64!2m2!1d-1.5851354!2d52.2795299!3e0

 

Next day, from Warwick consider driving down to London's Heathrow airport & dropping the car there. 100 miles, 95 minutes. Very straightforward, no "London" driving, it's the M40 motorway virtually all the way. All the national & international rental agencies have depots there, and Heathrow's public transport links with central London are excellent.

Or if on sunday you took the main roads from Salisbury to Warwick, consider the pretty way from Warwick to Heathrow - via Stratford-upon-Avon and the Cotswolds before joining the M40 near Oxford. Well worth the extra hour or less.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/Warwick+Castle,+Warwick+CV34+4QU,+United+Kingdom/Heathrow+Airport,+Longford/@51.9625392,-1.2122924,9z/data=!4m24!4m23!1m15!1m1!1s0x4870cb4441162143:0x2959a3d7dd5df385!2m2!1d-1.585228!2d52.279668!3m4!1m2!1d-1.7823031!2d52.201415!3s0x4870c56a4d8e93cf:0xab66da5cfcbb496d!3m4!1m2!1d-1.766608!2d51.8790713!3s0x4871257530ca5803:0x7e96f4722e19c64e!1m5!1m1!1s0x48767234cdc56de9:0x8fe7535543f64167!2m2!1d-0.4542955!2d51.4700223!3e0

 

If instead you decide to drop the car in Stratford-upon-Avon & take the train to London, do give some time that morning to exploring Stratford and it's Shakespeare connections.

 

The English countryside & villages are difficult to explore without a car, so consider making good use of it - you can see a lot of England rather than a ribbon of black-top.

 

Driving on the correct side of the road isn't as difficult as it sounds.

You'll be driving a right-hand-drive car, you'll be spending a fair bit of time on divided highway, and having plenty of other traffic on the road is a help - not a hindrance - because you simply slot into line.

The times to be extra-careful ..............

.......... pulling away from a gas station, parking bay etc that's on the "wrong" side of the road. So try to use gas stations, parking spots etc on the "correct" side of the road. Make up a little cardboard "drive on the LEFT" note and put it on the steering wheel when you leave the car as a reminder for when you get back in.

.......... first thing in the morning if there's no traffic around. Use that note again.

........... at junctions. If you see your turn-off late, don't be tempted to make a late manoeuvre cos that's when you're most likely to take the wrong side of the road. Instead, miss your turning and take your own sweet time to find somewhere further along to turn round.

 

I guarantee there'll be times that you'll get into the car on the wrong side & wonder where the steering wheel has gone. :D. Then you'll sheepishly go round & get in the correct door. :p

But with a degree of care you're unlikely to drive onto the wrong side of the road.

 

There are other differences driving in England, mainly

..... on multi-lane roads, keep to the left lane & only overtake on the right. Same as a lot of inter-states in the US.

......... lane discipline is strict in the UK, approaching junctions make sure you're in the correct lane for your exit.

...... there's no turn-out on red. Unless there's a green filter, red means stop.

...... there are no four-way stops. One road has priority, side roads are signed "stop" or "give way" and must yield

..... we love our roundabouts (traffic islands). Unless signed otherwise, as you join a roundabout you give way (yield) to traffic coming from your right ie to traffic already on the roundabout. Once on the roundabout you have priority over traffic that's entering the roundabout.

...... the police love their automatic cameras, they're everywhere. So keep to the speed limits (in miles per hour) and don't jump any lights.

 

Weekend traffic is usually OK.

Saturday & sunday there'll be plenty of weekenders on the road but few trucks, no break-neck sales reps, all pretty leisurely driving.

Some bits will be a little congested from time to time, but not the big deal that you seem to be fearing.

 

You have the makings of an enjoyable & rewarding couple of days. :)

 

JB :)

Edited November 21, 2015 by John Bull

[realnice46]

All good advice, I would add, much better to rent automatic, one less thing to worry about when driving since the controls are opposite what you are used to.

Also get a smaller car, when driving in the countryside the roads are very narrow. Their 2 lane roads are really about 1 1/2.

[mina]

Wow. Thank you so much! Great info. We are going to do it! Looking at renting a vw Jetta from hertz that is automatic. Is that too big for the country roads? I think we will do the leisure way and just stop where we want. Plan to do the train from Stratford as we want to ride a train😄. Will plan to spend the morning there as well. Can't check into London hotel till the afternoon. Printing out your suggestions now. Just hope one of the tower rooms at Warwick castle is open. Will tick a lot off the bucket list on this trip!

[mina]

One last question, do we need international drivers license to rent in UK? Ty

[John Bull]

One last question, do we need international drivers license to rent in UK? Ty

 

Assuming you have a US or Canadian licence in the English language (or reasonably close to English :p), you won't need an international licence.

 

A VW Jetta is no problem on our roads.

Since you'll be touring and leaving your luggage in the car when you explore places on foot, best you can fit your luggage out-of-sight. You'll be in low-crime areas, but always best not to leave stuff on display.

 

Stratford-upon-Avon is 9 miles / 20 minutes from Warwick Castle. There's no direct train between Stratford-upon-Avon & London, you need to change trains at Leamington Spa but it's a very simple change - from one side of the platform to the other.

 

Most hotels will hold your luggage if you arrive before check-in time. Mebbe even check you in early if your room's ready.

 

JB :)

[Bob++]

No international drivers license needed, just bring a valid American one (I am assuming that you are from the US of A. They might want to see some photo ID as well - your passport will do, and a credit card of course.

 

Just a couple of things to add to JB's excellent advice:

 

You would be well advised to get a satnav (GPS) as that will take the strain out of navigating. You should also invest in a low cost map book - available from any service station, as that will help you to program the satnav with a "via" if you want the pretty route.

 

Most roads aren't that narrow and the centre is clearly marked with white lines - in fact white writing on roads is everywhere. Watch out for arrows on the approach to a roundabout or junction.

 

Get your passenger to spot signs and traffic lights for you. Even if you already saw one, it's far better to be told than to miss it.

 

On the motorway (they have blue signs) and trunk roads (they have green signs) the limit is 70 but you will see plenty doing more. It's a risk - best not copy them. On single carriageways, the limit is 60, but trucks are limited to 50.

 

Don't be tempted to drink and drive - the penalties are severe.

 

Relax and enjoy the trip. Most British drivers are fairly courteous and tolerant of others (except in London).

Edited November 21, 2015 by Bob++

[Cotswold Eagle]

Hertz do indeed have a small operation at Stratford-upon-Avon railway station - I use it occasionally. Note this is the station in the town, which is 5-10 minutes walk from the centre and Shakespeare sites, not the new Parkway station. Getting into Stratford on a weekday morning can be very congested during rush hour, so leave it until after 9 am!

 

Make sure you have good current directions to drive to the station - you should be directed on the Birmingham Road. The entrance to the station changed from another main road in the fairly recent past, because of development work. The Hertz office is in a 'portacabin' by the station building - leave the car in one of their marked bays in the car park. The station is small, so no left luggage facility - you may need to keep the car until you are ready to catch the train.

 

You can get very good price Advance tickets on Stratford to London trains via the Chiltern Line (usually changing at Leamington Spa, as JB mentioned, although there are still one or two directs a day - ignore listings via Birmingham). It is not uncommon to see tickets for just £6. When searching, make sure to look for Stratford-upon-Avon - us locals tend to just say Stratford (see above!), but that will take you to a station in east London :)

Edited November 22, 2015 by Cotswold Eagle

[4774Papa]

We rented a car for three days after our cruise in 2013. I had never driven on the left. The roundabouts are less an issue that I thought they would be.

 

We visited Salisbury, Stonehenge, Windsor Castle and Avebury (stone circle) staying at a hotel near Heathrow.

 

All these places are wonderful. You will need several hours to a day for Salisbury. The cathedral itself takes a while to go through and you can see one of the few originals of the Magna Carta.

 

I am very familiar with driving a manual transmission car, but in the UK with the wheel on the right side of the car, you shift with your left hand. I didn't want to do that, so I paid more for an automatic transmission.

 

Also, I was so glad that our car had a navigation system. Believe me, unless you have one, a GPS or a smart phone with google maps, you will get lost.

 

Last, after mapping out your route and planning time for your visits, add more time. You will likely spend more time wherever you go. Also, on the back roads, which have wonderful scenery, you will so rather slow.

 

Enjoy, the UK countryside is amazing.

[WatchHill]

When we were in England in May, we rented a car from Hertz in London. Our original plan was to rent the car in Bath, but we found out it was a bank holiday weekend, so we had to scramble with alternate plans. So, after three days doing the tourist sites in London area, we grabbed a cab to the rental site, upgraded to a Volvo Diesel and headed to Bath. Automatic is a must, and we both are very familiar with standard, but there's too much "thinking" to add in shifting.

 

DH learned to drive "left" while attending school in Nairobi and living in Seychelles, but that was decades ago. Still, he somehow managed to find the Westway [sat nav AND paper maps], and found our way to Bath. Yes, he did find driving a bit of a challenge, especially in traffic and being sure he "centered" himself and the car on the more narrow roads. In hindsight, DH said he actually found some of the rules of the road to be better than those in the USA. But the we're from MA and where everyone drive as if they own the road. The roundabouts were OK, we have so many at home.

 

Our road trip then took us from Bath, to Cardiff, Cardigan and north along to coast of Wales. We drove south through the Beacons, to Newport, then to Salisbury to meet a friend with whom we would continue our road trip. Thanks to JB's suggestion, we parked at a large central car park behind Waitrose, and walked along the river Avon to the Cathedral. Hint: Be sure to have coins to pay for parking at the kiosks, then post your ticket on the dashboard. Our trip then took us to Cornwall and Devon, and eventually following the coast back to Bournemouth for a night before we went to Southampton to board the ship.

 

I found two books very helpful in planning our trip: Back Roads of Great Britain [excellent laminated road map] and Discover GB. Lots of maps, info on parking, eating, hotels and what the road signs really mean.

 

Oh, we did Stonehenge post cruise as part of our transfer back to LHR and a late afternoon flight. If you plan to pick up the car in Southampton, plan to drive through New Forest - amazing and beautiful. Nice places for cream tea, too.

 

Darcy

Edited November 22, 2015 by WatchHill

[mina]

Wonderful tips. Thank you all. We are rethinking Warwick castle for the overnight. The cost to stay in the tower is 600 euro and 115 steps to the room. It would be a once in a lifetime experience, but I am seeing other great castles all around that our less touristy. So, am back to looking for a Sunday night place to stay. Love the ideas presented here for different places to visit. Going to get the back roads book and plan from there. Thank you!

[Bob++]

I am sure that you will be inundated with recommendations but here is mine:

 

http://www.white-swan-stratford.co.uk/

 

It offers old-world style with modern facilities and a friendly, welcoming atmosphere.

[WatchHill]

Wonderful tips. Thank you all. We are rethinking Warwick castle for the overnight. The cost to stay in the tower is 600 euro and 115 steps to the room. It would be a once in a lifetime experience, but I am seeing other great castles all around that our less touristy. So, am back to looking for a Sunday night place to stay. Love the ideas presented here for different places to visit. Going to get the back roads book and plan from there. Thank you!

 

Back Roads of GB is published by DK, TravelDK.com found in many USA book shops such as B & N. Oh, the parking in Salisbury is at Millstream Approach - a very large lot with multiple entry/exit points.

 

If you are spending time in London and want to take in a tour or two, we have been using Premium Tours for a number of years. This past spring, we did a full day to Leeds Castle, Canterbury, Naval Museum and GMT, and a boat ride on the Thames to the Embankment where we finished the tour and used the Underground on the Bakerloo line to Paddington, near our hotel. If you decided to use this company for any of their tours, they have a USA toll free number - be sure to mention that you are either a senior or from North America - that got us an additional discount off the internet posted rates.

 

Great people on this board, both from GB and USA.

 

Darcy

[turnip eater]

Wonderful tips. Thank you all. We are rethinking Warwick castle for the overnight. The cost to stay in the tower is 600 euro and 115 steps to the room. It would be a once in a lifetime experience, but I am seeing other great castles all around that our less touristy. So, am back to looking for a Sunday night place to stay. Love the ideas presented here for different places to visit. Going to get the back roads book and plan from there. Thank you!

 

Can I Just state that the cost is £600 (Britsh pounds)not euros. There are lots of nicer castles, imho,Warwick castle is quite commercialised. Hope that you find a lovely place to stay.

Edited November 22, 2015 by turnip eater

[john watson]

If you want to stay in the UK in a strange or quirky type building then look at www.landmarktrust.org.uk

 

 

loads of coverage of the UK in very wide range of architectural oddities.

 

Regards John

[Bob++]

I agree with Turnip Eater - Warwick Castle is a great place to take the kids for the day, but £600 for a night - Wow!

 

I looked at the Landmark Trust - very interesting. But I couldn't see anywhere in the South Midlands to stay for one night.

 

The best thing to do is to pick a smaller area - say, Stratford upon Avon, the Cotswolds or Bath etc. Then we can find some really nice places to stay at a reasonable price.

[mina]

Oops on the euro, we just came back from Europe. I think have narrowed it down to Thornbury castle, which is a luxury hotel and much better price then Warwick. There are ruins of an Abby about 8 miles away and it is closer to Bath, giving us more time to wander around different places. We will have spent the prior day going from Southampton to Salisbury and seeing the New Forrest and cathedral. Have the night tour to Stonehenge that lets you go in the inner circle already booked for that night. So a nice leisurely drive to Thornbury, a look at the Abbey, a nice dinner and the next morning in bath before getting the train to London should be a good plan. Appreciate the input. We are spending two and a half days in London after. Think we will have plenty to do just in London proper. So, planning on just staying there. We found on our Europe trip that I had planned too many things per day and our best memories are when we just relaxed in an outdoor coffee shop and took it all in. So, this trip, want to have enough down time to just wander and take it all in.

Edited November 23, 2015 by mina

[John Bull]

I don't know Thornbury Castle - its location is very pleasant, peaceful and relaxed, but it's about a 50-minute drive beyond Bath.

There are certainly much more convenient hotels, but you do seem to have your hearts set on staying at a castle. ;)

And it does seem to come highly-recommended. :)

 

Southampton to Salisbury to Bath to London is very simple & very inexpensive by train, though I'm guessing you'd need a taxi from Salisbury to Stonehenge & back since your visit will be out of ho-ho hours.

http://www.thestonehengetour.info/

But if you want to stay at Thornbury you really do need a car - so make a final car / no car decision before committing yourselves to Thornbury.

 

You'll get much more info on Thornbury Castle through Google, TripAdvisor etc, but here's some CC threads which mention the place:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/search.php?searchid=79044944

 

Can I suggest a route Southampton to Salisbury via a corner of the New Forest. Southampton - Cadnam - Downton - Salisbury. About 50 minutes, that's only 5 to 10- minutes longer than taking the direct route.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/50.9015106,-1.4115986/50.9212851,-1.5927242/Downton/Salisbury/@50.9553996,-1.7341117,11z/data=!4m16!4m15!1m0!1m0!1m5!1m1!1s0x48739331b975e891:0x418b3e81b4b057ce!2m2!1d-1.751388!2d50.994428!1m5!1m1!1s0x48738c5536009bb7:0xda3e080f25eaa06!2m2!1d-1.794472!2d51.068785!3e0

If you want to spend more time driving the Forest (total drive time about 90 mins to 2 hours) I can suggest a much more comprehensive route. You would certainly have the time.

 

And a couple of suggestions for Salisbury to Thornbury (or Bath).

 

Via Marlborough, Silbury Hill, Avebury Ring, Lacock, Castle Combe.

About 2.5 hrs driving.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/Salisbury,+Wiltshire,+UK/Marlborough/Avebury/Lacock+Abbey,+Lacock/Castle+Combe/Thornbury+Castle+Hotel,+Castle+Street,+Thornbury/@51.3520488,-2.048205,10z/data=!4m38!4m37!1m5!1m1!1s0x48738c5536009bb7:0xda3e080f25eaa06!2m2!1d-1.794472!2d51.068785!1m5!1m1!1s0x48714d8754ae74cd:0x20ff1c12702289bd!2m2!1d-1.727062!2d51.420073!1m5!1m1!1s0x48715c3293800313:0xd6131e27f8f5e5aa!2m2!1d-1.8549399!2d51.4288671!1m5!1m1!1s0x48717b591d698cfb:0x172e4bf18b3dd772!2m2!1d-2.1171611!2d51.4146597!1m5!1m1!1s0x4871775f9f51c6c5:0x454c1097bc0d7d3!2m2!1d-2.2289226!2d51.4933701!1m5!1m1!1s0x487195789c7b6ecd:0x21cd6d9762f197dd!2m2!1d-2.530138!2d51.614059!3e0

 

Or via Wilton, Shaftesbury, Sherborne, spooky Glastonbury, Wells, Cheddar Gorge.

About 3.5 hrs driving.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/Salisbury/Shaftesbury/Sherborne/Glastonbury/Wells+Cathedral,+Cathedral+Green,+Wells/Cheddar+Gorge,+Cheddar,+Sedgemoor/Thornbury+Castle+Hotel,+Castle+Street,+Thornbury/@51.2641115,-2.7025701,10z/data=!4m44!4m43!1m5!1m1!1s0x48738c5536009bb7:0xda3e080f25eaa06!2m2!1d-1.794472!2d51.068785!1m5!1m1!1s0x48724aabde09cb03:0x807a5f074dac44c3!2m2!1d-2.198083!2d51.0046!1m5!1m1!1s0x487237f056bf8c69:0x96c680de6a9df4e9!2m2!1d-2.5144829!2d50.947822!1m5!1m1!1s0x4872162ed610f935:0xe0aaa17b465769db!2m2!1d-2.718454!2d51.147427!1m5!1m1!1s0x48722240568def0f:0x78b05b97216b65d2!2m2!1d-2.6435945!2d51.2103626!1m5!1m1!1s0x48721e6eef5fe6c7:0xce01166f458dd26b!2m2!1d-2.7602778!2d51.2863889!1m5!1m1!1s0x487195789c7b6ecd:0x21cd6d9762f197dd!2m2!1d-2.530138!2d51.614059!3e0

 

Google those places, see what you think.

 

Or you could take a more direct route to Bath (about 90 minutes) and spend sunday afternoon there before continuing to Thornbury.

 

Or extend your post-cruise tour by about a month & see all the places on this thread and more besides. :D

 

NB your evening visit to Stonehenge (access to the inner circle) is after the site has been closed to the general public.

1. I don't know how late the visitor centre opens, but I suggest you arrive a little early so that you can access it. The centre is worth 30 to 45 minutes.

2. There will be no audio-guides available for your out-of-hours visit.

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/content/properties/stonehenge/plan-your-visit/stone-circle-April-Sep-2015

If you haven't arranged a private guide, I strongly suggest you download that audio-guide (no fee) before your visit because otherwise the place will be just some meaningless stones.

http://blog.stonehenge-stone-circle.co.uk/2013/12/14/stonehenge-audio-tour-free-download-from-english-heritage/

 

JB :)

Edited November 23, 2015 by John Bull

[4774Papa]

We are planning a four week car tour of Wales and England prior to take the Celebrity Eclipse back home. This will be in October 2017.

 

The hotel prices on this thread are just too much. We would sleep in the car before we would spend 600 euro on a hotel room.

 

On our last trip to England, we found a nice Sheraton near Heathrow for three days at about 80 GBP per night. Thst is more what we wiill be looking for in 2017.

[mina]

Great suggestions, JB. We do have our hearts set on staying in a castle, so Thornbury it is. I also, for some reason, am fascinated by the photos of the abbey ruins about eight miles from the castle. They are something I really want to see. I love the route that takes us through Avebury circle (always wanted to see these, too) and castle Combe. Thank you for that. We are going to rent a car. I think going through the corner of New Forrest will be good. Want to visit the cathedral and the ruins in Salisbury before our Stonehenge tour. We are going on Pat Shelley's tour to Stonehenge that leaves from Salisbury in the late afternoon. I am getting very excited even though it is months away. Your suggestions and routes have been terrific!

[John Bull]

.................. I also, for some reason, am fascinated by the photos of the abbey ruins about eight miles from the castle. They are something I really want to see................

 

Been struggling to figure which abbey ruins that would be. :confused:

 

You might be thinking of Kingswood Abbey - it's 9 miles from Thornbury, but only the gatehouse survives.

 

Far more worthwhile IMHO is Tintern Abbey, about 15 miles / 30 minutes from Thornbury. It's in the Wye Valley, over the border in Wales (£6.50 River Severn bridge toll going into Wales, no toll coming back). A very pleasant drive.

 

Or Glastonbury Abbey - nowhere near Thornbury but it's on the more westerly route that I suggested from Salisbury to Thornbury.

King Arthur & Guinevere are buried here. And so, reputedly, is a fortune in gold & silver - hidden from Henry V111 during his dissolution of the monasteries. Glastonbury Tor is one of the contenders to be King Arthur's "Isle of Avalon" - before the monks of the abbey drained the surrounding marshes it was a mystical island and was also at one time considered to be the entrance to the underworld.

 

Check them out on google images.

 

JB :)

[mina]

JB, it is Tintern abbey. However I am going to check out Glastonbury abbey, that sounds even better. Planning on doing the westerly route you provided.

[Hatters cruiser]

We are planning a four week car tour of Wales and England prior to take the Celebrity Eclipse back home. This will be in October 2017.

 

The hotel prices on this thread are just too much. We would sleep in the car before we would spend 600 euro on a hotel room.

 

On our last trip to England, we found a nice Sheraton near Heathrow for three days at about 80 GBP per night. Thst is more what we wiill be looking for in 2017.

 

The £600 is not for a hotel room as such, but for the whole staying in a castle experience. I do not think it is value for money, but some might want to pay it.

https://www.warwick-castle.com/accommodation/tower-suites-at-warwick-castle.aspx