Driving vs the train

I would definitely recommend that you do you journeys by car.  The East Coast (London/York/Edinburgh) is served by regular trains but the Cotswolds (where I live) and Stratford are not. Compared to the USA, British towns and cities are fairly close together so you should be able to reach them all without too much travelling time.

Have fun! 

Thank you very much everyone. I am putting a loop trip via car together. I am a bit dense and having some difficulty determining how to approach this project. Your website is overflowing with info and good advice.  I am afraid that I lumbered into this project without embracing the tremendous breadth that England has to offcer. Just trying to decifer the nuance from village to village in the Cotswolds, for example, is quite perplexing. However, you have really given me a head start. The link with the Automobile Associations route locater has been quite invaluable also.

One of the museums I want to see, I believe it is in York, is, ironically, the Train Museum...which I may decide I have to go see by car.  Anyhow, thanks a lot. Matt

Hi Matt and welcome!  I agree with Michael.  You'll probably have the most fun if you zero in on one area and not try to see too much.  When were were in England a year and a half ago, we rented an apartment in a little suburb of York for a week and then drove around North Yorkshire.  It was like heaven.  But we had a home base to go back to every night.

If you'll be spending any time in London, you won't need a car there.  They have an amazing public transportation system.  And one more tip to make it more enjoyable - travel as light as you can.

And yes, the railroad museum is in York.  I love San Francisco, BTW.  There are some places in North Yorkshire that make San Francisco look flat.  lol

Here are the Pictures of England pics of the National Railway Museum in York:

http://www.picturesofengland.com/England/North_Yorkshire/York/The_National_Railway_Museum

Hey Folks - I've been away on business. Thanks for your input. At this point we are thinking for going straight to Bath from the airport and doing our out of London travel first, then go into the big city. Given the 9 day window of travel we have, I am thinking of forgoing Scotland so that I can spend more time down south in good old England. Bath, Cotswold,Liverpool, Blackpool, then Kent then we head to London seems more sane.

 Ruths idea of establishing a home base is the best. I live out of my suitcase alot when traveling, but this time I have 3 kids to contend with (Michael pays attention to detail, so yes, I have gone from taking 2 kids to now 3 kids - the third signed a small contract to promise to stick with the program and not be such a 14 year old. He signed up here we go.  

 Has anyone got any idea if this rail strike in London is going to go on forever? I read about it today and am wondering if we are going to be doing a lot more walking that I assumed.

Thanks and take care, Matt

Hi Matt: I don't know about the train strike, but I can tell you that you'll probably have a much more enjoyable time if you get a place for a week and then go sightseeing every day from there, especially with kids in tow.  If you go to the home page of this website, there's a link for Holiday Cottages.  Check the map for a town or village that's kind of central to the area you want to tour and see what's available.  It may even work out to be cheaper than hotels or B&B's every night.  They usually have fully equipped kitchens, so if you buy some groceries and pack lunches, that saves a lot of time and money spent in restaurants.  And it's kind of like living there, to go grocery shopping and all   The stores have a lot of unique and exotic groceries.  And I believe that if you get discounted rates on accommodations booked thru Pictures of England.  Good luck!!