England Self Drive Tour

England Self Drive Tour

Discover England: 11 nights/ 12 day – From London to London

Itinerary

Day 1 | London – Pick up your rental car
0 km*

Welcome to London, the political and artistic capital of the United Kingdom. Discover the wonders of this great city, with its royal palaces, parliament, art, shopping and theaters. Chose to visit St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Tower of London (a World Heritage Site), Westminster Abbey, the Palace of Westminster (home of Parliament and Big Ben), the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, the British Museum, Science Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, the Wallace Collection, the National Gallery and Tate art galleries are but a few of the city’s many places of interest and all easily accessible by foot, bus, and underground.

Accommodation:
Touris Class: Best Western Phoenix Hotel or similar (2 nights)

Day 2 | London
0 km*

There are so many interesting things to do and see, luckily you can add extra nights to your stay here if you wish. Shop at the world-famous Harrods Store. London has a wide choice of wine bars and traditional pubs in all areas, many offering entertainment. Complete your perfect day with a visit to a theater or concert hall.

Day 3 | London – Runnymede – Windsor – Salisbury
151.28 km*

Drive to Runnymede, where a circular temple commemorates the signing in the year 1215 of the Magna Carta (widely viewed as one of the most important documents in the history of democracy). Drive on to the cobbled streets of Windsor and visit England’s largest castle, Windsor Castle (dating back to Henry II in 1165–1179) which still remains today a favorite royal residence. Here you can tour the State Apartments, the magnificent St. George’s Chapel, and walk through Windsor Great Park. Across Windsor Bridge is Britain’s most famous school, Eton College, founded in 1440 by the young Henry VI. At lunch try some traditional Brown Windsor Soup. Then continue on to the historic city of Salisbury for your overnight stay.

Accommodation:
Tourist Class Mercure White Hart Hotel

Day 4 | Salisbury – Stonehenge – Stourhead – Plymouth
222.09 km*

This morning stroll through the city of Salisbury, where its Market Square and medieval streets (indicating the trades which once flourished there – Fish Row, Butcher Row, Silver Street) are lined by gabled half-timbered houses dating from 14th to 17th century. View magnificent Salisbury Cathedral, which boasts the tallest spire in Britain. Leave Salisbury and as you drive across Salisbury Plain you see the great stone circle of Stonehenge. Believed to have been erected 5000 years ago it is the most celebrated prehistoric monument in Britain and a World Heritage Site. From here your drive takes you to Stourhead House, whose idyllic Gardens are one of the supreme examples of English landscape. Continue your drive through Dorset (Thomas Hardy country) to the ancient seaport of Plymouth where we have arranged your overnight stay. Plymouth was the port of departure for Drake, Raleigh, Cook and the Pilgrim Fathers when they set sail to America. Your two-night stay will allow you to explore the beauty and charm of Devon and Cornwall, where the locals’ accent makes them sound like pirates.

Accommodation:
Tourist Class Jurys Inn or similar. (2 nights)

Day 5 | Plymouth; Visit Cornish Coast – Plymouth
0 km*

From as far back as the 14th century there are legends of pirate gangs who attacked ships as they sailed by this area. Drive pass smugglers’ coves and quaint fishing villages to St. Michael’s Mount. This amazing rocky island, with its medieval castle and 1,000 year old legends and myths is separated from the mainland by a 500-yard granite causeway. Stop at Land’s End, the most westerly point of the British mainland, then to Penzance, with its wealth of good shops, cafes, restaurants and pubs. Try a traditional Cream Tea with warm scones topped with Devon clotted cream and strawberry jam accompanied with a pot of tea. Beyond is PenzanceHarbour whose inner dock shelters fishing boats and commercial vessels and where visiting yachts and the occasional tall-masted sailing ships lie against the granite quays. From here drive to the picturesque fishing harbor of St. Ives, a famous artists’ colony with its winding alleys, hillside terraces and color-washed fishermen’s cottages crowded shoulder to shoulder. The Tate St. Ives exhibits modern art from the London Tate collections and sculptress Barbara Hepworth’s home is now a museum. Drive across Bodmin Moor as you return to Plymouth.

Day 6 | Plymouth – Glastonbury – Wells – Bath
207.6 km*

Today’s journey skirts Dartmoor National Park where ponies, cattle and sheep graze freely on the moor with nearby wooded valleys, cascading streams and small villages. Make a stop to enjoy the real Cheddar cheese, named after the caves where it is ripened. Drive on to Glastonbury, which historical legend links with King Arthur and his Knights of the Roundtable, and see the Abbey ruins, a famous center of learning in the middle ages. Your drive now takes you passed the cathedral city of Wells, which has been used as the setting for several films. Then to the historic and elegant city of Bath, a World Heritage Site, where we have arranged your overnight stay. Bath in the 18th century was a fashionable spa town. Admire the graceful Georgian terraces and villas, the Pump Room with its spa water fountain, where lunch and afternoon tea are served, and the elegant Assembly Rooms which were built for people to meet, dance, play cards, and drink tea. Visit the amazing excavations of the Roman Baths. These Roman ruins stretch out beneath the city in all directions and consists of the Sacred Spring, the Roman Temple and the Roman bath house.

Accommodation:
Tourist Class Abbey Hotel or similar

Day 7 | Bath – Stow-on-the-Wold – Stratford– Chester
312.21 km*

As you leave the elegant city of Bath your scenic drive takes you through the beautiful Cotswolds which offers the essence of rural England. You see sheep on the hillside and pass through delightful small towns and sleepy villages boasting thatched cottages and ancient churches. Here, in the heart of England, the local honey-colored limestone used in many buildings ensure the area’s magical uniformity. Stop at one of Cotswolds famous villages, Stow-on-the-Wold, to admire the 14th century cross in the market place, and browse its antique shops. Continue your journey through the stunning countryside, passed stately homes, ancient castles, pubs and restaurants to the heart of the Warwickshire hills and to the ancient city of Stratford-upon-Avon. Visit the half-timbered house of Shakespeare’s birthplace, part museum part shrine. View Ann Hathaway’s cottage, and the ornately carved half-timbered Harvard House where the American flag flies in honor of son of the house’s John Harvard who founded Harvard University, which owns the building today. Continue your journey to the ancient city of Chester, where we have arranged your overnight stay.

Accommodation:
Tourist Class Mercure Chester North or similar. (2 nights)

Day 8 | Chester
0 km*

Visit Chester”s famous Rows shopping arcades, dating back to 1330 and pleasantly free from traffic. Chester is the only city in Britain that has preserved a continuous circuit of Roman walls.

Day 9 | Chester – Lake District – Kendal
209.21 km*

From Chester drive to the sublime and stunning Lake District, which takes its name from the beautiful stretches of water that occupies many of its glaciated valleys. Its rocks are used in the building of local cottages and farmhouses. The wild drama of the fells is set off by the gentle pastoral character of much of its lowlands, such as the famous Lake Windermere, England’s longest lake. Overnight stay in Kendal Cumbria.

Accommodation:
Tourist & First Class Whoop Hall Hotel or similar

Day 10 | Kendal– Castle Howard – York
185.07 km*

From Kendal your journey continues accross the spectacular Yorkshire Dales for a visit to Castle Howard. This stately home, used for the filming of “Brideshead Revisited”, is surrounded by 18th century gardens, lawns, woods and extensive ornamental lake. Castle Howard is one of the best examples of the architectural style of its time and still today continues to be the home of the original Howard family. Some miles away is the walled city of York, where we have arranged your overnight stay. York is one of England’s most beautiful historic cities noted for its rich 2,000-year history from the Romans, Vikings and Normans to the Georgians and Victorians. Walk the tangle of quaint cobbled streets; visit the iconic York Minster, the Mansion House and world-class museums. Delve into the city’s vibrant café culture and enjoy talented street entertainers or watch the world go by as you have a drink in a pub by the river or have a traditional English dinner of roast beef and Yorkshire pudding.

Accommodation:
Tourist Class: Best Western Monkbar Hotel or similar

Day 11 | York – Sherwood Forest – Cambridge – London
357.27 km*

From York to Sherwood Forest, once a royal hunting ground and associated with the legendary hero Robin Hood. Arrive in the city of Cambridge by the River Cam. Lunch on traditional venison pie, followed with locally produced Stilton cheese. Cambridge is famous as the home of the University of Cambridge. The wonderful medieval architecture of the early colleges that make up the university provide a delightful glimpse of life long ago. The expanse of lawn running down to the river is known as The Backs, an excellent place for strolling and relaxing and viewing the punting along the river. Punts can be rented for just a short time at a reasonable price. As well as the magnificent architecture of Kings College Cathedral, its museums and art galleries, the world renown University Botanical Gardens are well worth a visit. Arrive back in London by early evening for your overnight stay.

Accommodation:
Tourist Class: Best Western Phoenix Hotel or similar or a Tourist Class Airport Hotel

Day 12 | London
0 km*

Return to the Airport for your return flight home.