Haven't been to England, but just couldn't resist the opportunity to yell "do it". I've been to alot of European countries and have travelled with family under varying conditions. I've always been leery beforehand, but never regretted any of our trips.

Great opportunity to spend time with your DM, just structure the trip around comfy accommodations and sightseeing just enough that your mom can do - I have no idea your DM's age, but if we traveled with mine we would have to do a bit less walking or shall we say running than if we were to go on our own.

Can't wait to see what the GW'ers who've been have to say! Have a great time planning as well, for me that's alot of the fun of the trip.

Haven't been (envious!) but you might want to check out the National Trust Holiday Cottages. You can rent, for example, a 500 year old thatched stone cottage (with the "mod cons" - modern conveniences - added, like proper bathroom, kitchen, heat...) to stay in. Maybe getting one in a central spot in the area you'd like to explore would be good for a "home base" rather than schlepping to a different place every night, which can get rather tiring.

Thank you, w_i_p! I completely understand about the leeriness beforehand ... I'm feeling a bit of that right now just thinking about another UK trip. But I also know I wouldn't trade a minute of my travels (even the less than pleasant memories, such as enduring a horrible gallbladder attack while on a train from London to Cardiff). I should have mentioned that my mom will be 71 years old this year, and after knee replacement surgery two years ago, she's more fit and active than many 50 year olds I know. She works out daily. I might have a hard time keeping up with her. ;-)

Mari, thank you so much for the link to the National Trust Holiday Cottages! I had no idea such a thing existed, but I'm intrigued. I'm particularly smitten with this little place in the Cotswolds called "Spring Cottage." If I'm reading the price sheet correctly, it runs around 100 pounds per night, which would make it around $73 for each of us nightly. That doesn't sound too shabby to me!

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Oh, I'm so glad for you!
I wouldn't plan on driving at all. I may lean on the side of caution but I have heard that it is indeed more difficult than you might think and I have two college professor friends who spent several months in England and were in a serious car accident. They both have said that switching sides is taxing.
One was in a hospital for over a month, they both nearly died...and have permanent damage.
The accident was their fault.

Thank you, Bumblebeez! I actually drove on our trip in '05. I took us from Cardiff to Wiltshire, and back to Heathrow on the return. There were more than a few white knuckle moments for me, and while I think I could do it again if I had to, it would make for a much more relaxing trip to take trains. I'm so sorry that your friends were involved in such a horrible accident. That's definitely not how one wants to end up on holiday.
:-(

I don't have much to add other than I'm jealous!
And I had trouble just walking and crossing the street in Australia. I'm so used to looking left, right and then left again before I cross the street that it was hard to get used to doing it backwards. Just the flow of people walking on the street is different when you are used to walking/driving on the right. I also tried to go up the wrong escalator when I instinctively went for the one on the right.

The Cotswolds are nice, but the Lake District is awesome! I've spent time in both places, but I think there is much more 'going on' in the Lake District, but it's in a more nature focused kind of way. The Lake District is about a 5 hr drive, straight shot, from London - it's in northwest England.

If I could go again, I might make my home base in Windemere. There are sights, shops and galleries, restaurants galore there. John Ruskin, who was sort of a mentor to William Morris in starting the philosphy of the Arts and Crafts movement lived on Coniston Water and his home is open to the public. One of my favorite arts and crafts homes, Blackwell, is close by. There are great boat tours on Coniston Water.

The Lake District is where Beatrix Potter spent much of her childhood and she's remembered fondly there with museums etc.

There is a great old Railway Hotel in Keswick - the Keswick Country House Hotel. It's definitely quaint and has lots of history. Keswick's main industry was making lead pencils and there is a museum to them there.

The author, William Wordsworth, was from Grasmere and his home is open as well.

http://www.picturesofengland.com/windermere/

http://www.blackwell.org.uk/visitor-information-0

If you want me to ramble on and on and on, I will be happy to.

Take mom to the Lake District!

Terriks, I know what you mean about crossing the street! I came terribly close to stepping off the curb in front of a bus in London - scared the you-know-what out of me, and made me so cautious about crossing from that point on that I sometimes had to wait through more than one crossing cycle before I worked up enough courage to go.

Lesterd, thanks so much for your thoughts on the Lake District. I was just reading about Keswick in a Rick Steves book before I logged on, and it sounds like a wonderful place to visit. I'll look into Windemere as well. It would be positively charming to see where Beatrix Potter lived! Mom and I both would love the A&C influence/history too.

You say it's about a 5 hour drive from London - any idea what that time would be on a train? If we stayed in Windemere, would we need a car to get around?

My Brit friend thinks that the Lake District is lovely, but a bit touristy. I have to remind her that we are tourists, and don't mind that sort of thing at all. ;-)

jen, The train, according to the link below, is just under 4 hrs.

The Lake District is very hilly, the roads are skinny and winding, and obviously water/lakes abound. I've been there a few times and we've always had a car and am glad we did. My #1 goal when going out of the US on vacation is to not run into Americans and not be identified as an American. I've had good success in the Lake District with that goal, but it's largely because we find out of the way/different/sometimes off the wall places to visit, stay and eat. To accomplish the out of the way part, I'd recommend a car.

The good part of that, though, is that all the towns are close. Driving distances are fairly short.

My mom was from England and I've been fortunate to travel over there alot (thanks, relatives, for the free accomodations!). For the first time since about 1985, I went over this January and had 2-3 seats to myself - each way! Americans aren't traveling over there like they used to:) so I'd sort of disagree with your friend...at least in the current economy.

Here is a link that might be useful: national rail

2-3 seats on the flights, I should have said.

Jen, I agree go for it!! Not to be maudlin, but having lost my own mother when I was 19, I say the opportunity of making memories with your mom is priceless and not something to miss unless you absolutely cannot go.

I do want to let you know though that the conversion rate of pounds/dollars is actually the opposite...the cottage you showed would cost $147/night if it is 100 pounds. Still, if your airfare is covered it's a splurge I'd go for.

Actually I'm saving air miles to take my own daughter to England...good motivation to keep pulling out that credit card!

Ann

Thanks for the further info, lesterd! You definitely make the Lake District sound incredibly appealing! I appreciate the link to National Rail too. I love the ease with which one can travel by rail over there. Heck, even the Tube impressed me beyond words.

Thank you, Ann - you are absolutely correct. Making memories with my parents is something I place a value of "priceless" on! My dad and I have spent a good deal of time traveling together, and if mom and I go to England next spring, this will be our 4th (or is it 5th?) time to travel to the UK together. Each of my trips with my folks has been such a blessing! I'll never forget my first trip to England with mom. We arrived before dawn, and as we approached London, she pointed out the window at all the twinkling lights below and said, "Look! That's England down there!" I still remember the excitement coursing through my veins.

I think I did get the conversion right though ... I said it would be $73 for each of us to pay, not just $73 per night total. ;-) How wonderful for you to take your daughter to England too!

I guess I'm feeling more nervous when I think about this possible trip because we've always had our Brit friends with us on previous visits to drive us from place to place. They took us to their favorite attractions, shops, restaurants, pubs, etc. It would just be a lot more of an adventure if we were left to do it on our own, without their guiding presence. Then again, that might actually make it a lot more fun too. :-)

'Right then (practicing speaking "English" here ;-)) -- Just talked to mom this morning, and she's decided that although she would love to see the Lake District and areas up north, since we will only have a week to visit we should plan to stay in the general vicinity of where our friends live, so that means relatively close to Wiltshire. Mom believes this may be her last opportunity to see the woman with whom she has been friends for many years (since her friend is ailing), and I do understand that. Still looking at the National Trust cottages (thank you again, Mari!) - this one in particular may be a possibility. Isn't it enchanting?

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That trip sounds so wonderful and the last picture is gorgeous, how I would love to stay there! A trip again with your Mom is priceless, wish I'd have been able to do that with mine but it was never possible with five kids. Just go and enjoy every moment with her and her dear friends,it will mean so much to her.

Jen, we were there this last September for 2 weeks. We rented a car and I drove the whole time---it is a little scary.

We started in London, spent a few days driving all over the Cotswolds, went to Shakespeare's city Stratford-upon-Avon (ongoing plays), Warwick and its castle, then came back down along the coast. Clovelly and Tintagel were our favorite coastal cities---the former is very small and quaint, and the latter has amazing craggy wind-swept cliffs with sheer drop-offs into the sea. We also stayed at a farm bed-and-breakfast---another recommendation. Hit the Cornish Coast and rented boats to motor around the harbor, Wells, Glastonbury Abbey, Exeter and its cathedral, and of course Stonehenge and Avebury. Saw Oxford and "punted the Cam" in Cambridge---gorgeous! Saw Bath--that is a beautiful city with amazing architecture---highly recommended. Ended in London again.

If you're interested in more info or logistics, email me. I'm not sure if I'll remember to check back on this thread.

Just reading the comments and looking at the photos makes me want to go! A friend of mine served at the US Embassy in London and sent e-mails about her trips through the countryside. They were a wonderful read, but unfortunately I deleted them.

Gosh, what a nice mommy you have and your not a brat!

Those homes for rent above are charming, have fun.

....Jane

You seem to go on vacation a lot, huh?

If you can drive...this is what I would do. The last time I bought a eurorail pass and the trains are fast, plus are below the landscape....you see little. It is also a problem with getting to your place of "residence", cost of taxi to get there and hauling luggage.

My favorite place was Yorkshire and visiting James Harriot's (Wight) clinic which remains in it's original state. The people love Americans, we were the ones to give his stories their popularity. From there you have many historical places nearby to drive to.

I could spend a week just in the museums in London! DH drove when we were in London, and those roundabouts are crazy. We were in England for a month, and traveled all over. We especially loved The Cotswolds and Oxford. SIL and BIL were students there at the time, so we really got an insiders' view of Oxford. Bath is very interesting, and the cathedral there is not to be missed. We also visited Stratford on Avon, Liverpool, Warwick Castle, and the coast. My former pen pal from childhood lives there, and we saw her and her family. I would love to go back!

oops--i had put this in a new posting instead of here.

the washington post's travel section for today (sunday) has a nice feature on the lake district.

Texashottie and Texanjana - We've all seen some of the same places over there! We've visited (of course) London, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Bath (Mom played the piano during afternoon at the famous Pump House!), Avebury, Stonehenge (our friends only live about 20 minutes away), and spent several days in Cambridge. Our friends' son-in-law is a Fellow at Queens College at Cambridge University, in charge of food services. He arranged for us to have the most amazing dinner in one of the banqueting halls there, complete with our own tuxedo-clad butler for the evening. He and his wife also took us out on the town one evening, where we had dinner at a lovely restaurant and I had more wine than I think I've ever had in all my life. Needless to say, I felt hellish the next morning - but still managed to put on my best smile as we too went punting down the Cam.

Emagineer, another friend suggested Yorkshire. It must be such a lovely place. A week just doesn't seem long enough to do/see much, especially once you allow for travel time and at least one jet-lagged day after arrival. Mom and I are now talking about spending closer to two weeks in England, although I'm not sure if I really want to be away from DH so long! Still, that would permit us to experience more of the country. My eldest brother is now talking of joining us on this trip too. If he does, he'll want to spend part of his time in London and join us in the countryside a little later during our stay.

Thank you Susan for encouraging me to do this! I spent some time with Mom over the weekend and she said, "You know, this might be the last time I ever get to go to England, so we should make the most of it." I know she's right.

Graywings, I would imagine your friend had many wonderful tales to tell about some very interesting places!

Newdawn, I get 5 weeks of vacation annually and I take full advantage of my time off! Really and truly, one of the main reasons that I work is so that I can take my trips. They're very important to me.

Pammyfay, thanks so much again for the link!

Aunt Jen, thanks for acknowledging my suggestion. One of the things we did before going was look at personal historic interest and plan from there.

So much to see in such a small amount of time. Tis' like the US, would take us our whole lives on a continual trip.

You will enjoy every minute wherever the plan takes you. I wish I had done this with my mom, she was such a fun, take a chance person and loved people. We would have had a great time. You are blessed being able to do this with yours.

I just wanted to share our final decision. We're going to stay in (actually, near) Moreton-in-Marsh, which is the Cotswold village where the train station is located. We'll take a train from Paddington upon arrival in London, rent a car to tour from village to village (all of which are in very close proximity) during the day, and stay in this self-catering cottage (below) for the week. We've agonized over selecting a cottage since there are so many absolutely adorable place to choose from, but we both like the combination of quaint and up-to-date that is apparent here.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cottage (with links to interior pics)

You will have a great trip! I like that the cottage website has their priorities straight...a picture of the pub! What a hoot! How long will the trip be? If you're lucky, the currency rate will keep moving your way.