My sister and I went on a road trip in England with a rental car that we picked up in London and dropped off in Cambridge. Surprisingly, we only pumped gas twice (less than $90 total). We took the train back to London to avoid traffic in the city and that was a fantastic decision! This was what the itinerary looked like:
The whole trip was only a week. We stayed at a couple cities/towns for a night or 2 for sightseeing and to explore. In Bristol, we stayed at the St. Pierre Marriot, which was a historic Country Club; AirBnB in Oxford and Stratford-upon-Avon; Gonville Hotel in Cambridge. We drove pass the Stonehenge, toured Bath and cathedral, visited Bicester Village on the way to Oxford, and toured Cambridge in a beautiful old Bentley.
The only difficulty we had with parking was at Oxford's AirBnB, well Oxford in general, really. Parking is a pain in university towns. We parked nearby one of the dormitories and walked 3 blocks every night and morning. Okay, 3 blocks wasn't terrible. It was actually a nice walk in the morning. Cambridge, on the other hand, was 100 times busier than Oxford. There were cars everywhere, tourists everywhere, shops everywhere. Culture wise, it's more diverse, more options for food and entertainment. Gonville Hotel in Cambridge offered free guided tour in a classic old Bentley and free bicycle rental so we were able to see more of Cambridge without having to drive.
Parking in Bath, from what I heard, is HARD. So, I did not even bother. We parked at the Bristol Station and took the train, which was a nice short ride. Other towns, like Arlington Row and Stratford-upon-Avon had plenty of street parking here and there. It wasn't too difficult to get a spot.
I encourage everyone to visit outside of London because British countryside is just BEAUTIFUL. People are extremely nice and happy to see foreigners visiting their towns. (Please follow local laws and regulations. It's best to do some research before you travel.)
Comments