Base Package*: Lodging 8 nights, (8 hotel nights w breakfast for party of 2, or 4 hotel nights w breakfast, and 4 apartment nights for parties of 4 or 6); private transfers in London from and to the airport; five day rental intermediate car or minivan with automatic transmission; trip pack including vouchers, maps, guide book, detailed daily itinerary, and driving directions; trip coordinator and travel planning services in U.S.

***Holiday seasons can involve premium pricing. Please inquire.

• Full Land package includes:
  • 2 private sedan or minivan transfers to and from the airports
  • Eight nights lodging with breakfast in first class, superior, or deluxe hotels, B&B, apartments, or cottages (nights in apartments or cottages do not include breakfast)
  • Tour of Bath venues involving Jane Austen books / movies
  • Guided walking tours of Bath and Stratford-upon-Avon
  • Tickets for Shakespeare play, Stratford-upon-Avon
  • Driver and private luxury sedan or minivan for 8 hour tour of London highlights
  • Two day London pass including unlimited use of transport system and entrance to most London museums
  • Extensive Pre-trip consultation
  • Trip Packet vouchers, itinerary, driving directions, maps, guidebook
  • 5 days rental of intermediate vehicle with automatic transmission, unlimited mileage

U.S.A. /London
Day 1
Depart U.S.A. for London and begin your Travel Plans International England vacation. Meals Aloft

There is a pub in Castle Combe with a covered well in front (on your right side as you reach the middle of town). Stop there and ask for directions to your hotel, where you will stay for two nights. Castle Combe has been named the most picturesque England village several times in the last 20 years. Walk down the main street and take pictures of the bridge and stream, one of the most photographed scenes in Britain. This is England travel at its best.

Castle Combe (Bath, Stonhenge, Salisbury)
Day 3

Follow the driving directions “Castle Combe to Bath (High Street)”.  Use your vouchers to collect your pre-paid tickets (unlimited use 1 day) for the Hop-on-Hop-Off bus, which you can use before and / or after you participate in your guided tour of Bath, which departs from High Street. (The Mayor’s Guided Walk description is in your trip pack) . Note that there is a map of Bath Center in your trip pack and map and sightseeing suggestions on pages 258 – 261 of your guidebook, including the pre-paid Jane Austen tour. You should leave the car parked until you are ready to depart Bath.

 When you depart Bath, follow directions “Bath High Street to Bath Claverton Road” and then “Bath- Claverton Down Road to Stonehenge”. 5,000 year old Stonehenge (pp 262 – 63 in your guidebook), is an archaeological marvel.  Follow directions “Stonehenge – Castle Combe”.  Diversion: It is less than 30 minutes in each direction from Stonehenge to visit Salisbury Cathedral (pp 264 –265), which houses one of the 2 original copies of the Magna Carta. Return to Castle Combe tonight.B

Head northwest on A429 through Cirencester, continue through the roundabout at Northleach, and follow the signs to Bourton-on-the-Water. (This is one of the most popular tourist destinations in England, so be prepared for the throng of tour buses.)  At the town green, a stream separates the residences from the tourist shops. Don’t hesitate to walk across the stone bridge(s) and enjoy walking in the neighborhood. Return to A429, continue northbound a very short distance and take the left turn to the delightful villages of Lower  Slaughter and Upper Slaughter. If you wish, the general store in Lower Slaughter has a gate to a sheep pasture with a half mile walking trail that leads to Upper Slaughter.

If you drive from Upper Slaughter, you can follow signs down country lanes through the typically picturesque Cotswolds villages of Upper Swell and Lower Swell (watch for shallow streams, sometimes with paddling ducks as pictured left) that cross the road. Follow the signs to Stow-on-the–Wold, another village that is immensely popular with the tour buses. If you are driving from Lower Slaughter, take A429 northbound to Stow-on-the-Wold. If the eateries are not overrun with tour bus patrons, you could enjoy having an late lunch in this delighful village. Continue north on A429 to Moreton-on-Marsh, turn left onto A44, turn right through Blockley and follow the signs to Chipping Camden. The 16^th century cottages with thatched roofs, the ancient Norman church and cemetary, and remains of a Roman market on High Street combine to make this one of the most charming spots in all of England.

 Diversion: Depending upon your pace, you may want to divert to Broadway, which many people believe features the Cotswolds’ most beautiful old shops and cottages. Broadway unfortunately is the most popular stop on the tour bus routes because of the picturesque shops, including one shop that sells only hundreds of varieties of teapots. Leaving Chipping Camden:  Use the attached directions and the attached map and drive to your chosen lodging, which should take less than 30 minutes. B

There is an 11 AM guided walking tour of Stratford-upon-Avon, so we suggest that you go there first. Follow the enclosed directions into Stratford-upon-Avon, and park at Old Town, Waterside.  Instructions for joining the guided walking tour are in your trip pack. Be sure to ask the guide to identify the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, where you will attend a play tonight. When the tour has ended, return to your favorite part of town and have lunch.  Leave for Warwick Castle by 2:30 PM.   The drive to Warwick Castle (follow the signs) should take less than 25 minutes. Spend 90 minutes at  Warwick Castle. See pages 322 – 323 for a description of the castle that many in England consider to be the most representative of the Norman era.

 Depart Warwick by no later than 5 PM, which will allow time to find the theatre and consider having an early dinner before the play. Return to your chosen lodging using the enclosed directions. This is the last night of your Cotswolds vacation and you might consider having dinner or just a drink at a local pub. B

Northern Cotswolds / London (Oxford, Windsor Castle)
Day 6
 Follow the enclosed directions to Oxford, park in the central area as instructed and explore on foot (as much as possible).Over 900 years as a seat of learning have made Oxford a very special place to visit any time of the year. Oxford University dates back to the 12th century and today is made up of 39 colleges, each with its own governing body. Despite its distinct academic aura, the city has a youthful feel to it. Oxford is a city of cosmopolitan restaurants and lively pubs, a wide variety of entertainment and excellent shopping.  If you are visting Windsor Castle en route to London, depart Oxford by 1 PM. Do not drive into Central London. Return the rental car at the airport of your choice, be sure to call our limo service two hours before you return the rental, and our driver will take you to your London hotel or apartment. Entertainment options tonight and each night of your England tour include theatre, concerts, dinner and dancing clubs, sporting events, movies, shopping, etc. B

London
Day 7

You have a chauffeur and luxury sedan or minivan for 8 hours today, beginning at 9 AM. You can select venues to visit but assuming that you are not familiar with London, the driver will show you the following highlights, not necessarily in this order: Chelsea,South Kenisngton and Knightsbridge, Harrod's and the shopping district, Notting Hill, Kensington Palace,Picadilly Circus, West End (Theatre District),Regent's Park, Hyde Park and Marble Arch, Buckingham Palace (watch the changing of the guard at 11:30),St. James Park, the London Eye, past Big Ben and the Houses of  Parliament to Westminster Abby.  (Big Ben is actually the huge bell inside the tower.) Continue to White Hall, Trafalgar Square, St. Paul's Cathedral, St. Katherine's Docks, and past the Tower Bridge to the Tower of London. Visit the Tower of London and view the Crown Jewels at the end of this outing unless one evening you intend to see the Ceremony of the Keys. (At 7 minutes to 10pm each evening for over 700 years the tower has been locked every night and no one is allowed in or out without a password. The ceremony consists of the Chief Yeoman Warder marching from the Byward Tower to lock the heavy wooden gates to the fortress. We should make advance reservations if you want to attend the Ceremony of the Keys.)

For the next two days you can use your London Transport Pass to return and explore in-depth whichever of these venues, or others, that are of most interest to you. If you decide to use the driver's time today while you spend considerable time at any of today's venues, you will not see all of the attractions listed above today.

Use your 2-day London Pass, which includes unlimited use of the Tube (subway system) and Metro buses, plus entrance to most London museums, and return to some of your favorites today and tomorrow. The sequence of course is just our suggestion, to amend as you choose:

• Picadilly Circus
• Theatre district (see page 330 for half price tickets)
• St. James Palace & Wellington Barracks- You can stand next to the guards and have your picture taken
• Buckingham Palace. The changing of the guard is 11:30am daily. You should plan on arriving by 11:15am. The ceremony takes 45 minutes
• The Royal Mews. Located behind Buckingham Palace. Houses the carriages used for official Royal Events. The carriage used for weddings is on display as is the carriage used for the Queen's Jubilee in 2002.
• Harrod’s
• Kensington Palace.  Princess Diana lived here and there is a great collection of her dresses as well as Queen Victoria's Wedding Dress & other Royal Dress Collection
• Shopping, museums, and cultural halls as you choose.

• London Eye. This enclosed "ferris wheel" provides you with a lay-out of the city. If it's not foggy you will get a beautiful view of London.  Parliament / Big Ben: Can be seen from the London Eye
• Houses of Parliament and Big Ben (actually the bell inside the tower)
• Westminster Abbey. This has been the site of Royal Coronations for almost 1,000 years. I spent more than 6 hours here, there is so much to see.
• Horse Guard. The changing here is 11am M-Sat & 10am on Sunday
• White Hall
• Shopping, museums and cultural halls as you choose

Our car service will meet you at the hotel or apartment 4 hours before flight time and will provide private transfer to the London airport at the end of your UK vacation package. Welcome home!

Meals Aloft

We will be pleased to help with your future UK travel plans.

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