Katherine4

Hello,

We will be arriving Heathrow at 6:30 am from the US in August. We plan to rent a car and visit the Cotswolds, Bath and maybe Oxford, the specific order/itinerary to be determined. I’m afraid it’ll be difficult for us to rally and drive that far on unfamiliar roads after very little, if any, sleep.

We are open to any suggestions about what to do upon arrival, even if it costs us extra time and money. Do we rent a car at the airport but stay fairly close to London for the day/night before heading West/Northwest the following day? If so, where would you recommend we stay? We may be willing to pay for an additional day of lodging so that we can check into our room the morning we arrive and rest for a while. I’m looking for a relaxed, easy, and pleasant solution.

Thanks!

HappyTrvlr

Rent a hotel room at LHR the night before you arrive so you can go directly there and get some much needed sleep.Book an extra night there if you feel you’ll need it. We always stay at the LHR Sofitel but there are numerous hotel options.

Katherine4

Thank you for this suggestion! I am thinking about this option. But if we do end up staying an additional night, it would be nice to be in a village nearby that we could enjoy. Thanks again!

FTOttawa

Bus from airport to Oxford takes about an hour. Snooze on the bus if you must, drop suitcases at an Oxford hotel, wander around the city to keep your eyes open the rest of the day. Rent a car in Oxford when ready to move on.

Too far? Really want to rent at the airport? Stay in Windsor. Though again I’d taxi to the hotel there and not rent till a bit more compos mentis. Your idea of booking the hotel from the night before is a good one.

Katherine4

The bus idea to Oxford is smart. I will consider this.

If we taxi to Windsor and stay for the night, will we be able to rent a car there the next day?

Thank you for your input!

ChgoGal

Others will weigh in soon on rental cars--I do mainly public transport now as a solo--but you are absolutely correct and responsible in NOT driving upon arrival from the states. I did it once landing in Manchester and never again. Your brain will be sluggish but also jumpy, and why stress your family out at the start of your valuable holiday? I never feel awful upon landing, but jetlag hits me around noon or 1 when I fly nonstop from Chicago. (I can't sleep well on flights, though I always try.)

FTOttawa's tip is the direction I'd lean. The central bus terminal at LHR has a direct bus to Oxford, or if you go to Bath first, you can take the bus to Reading (Reading Rail Air) and then catch the train to Bath. (Or maybe into London, then train to Bath--depending on travel days, etc.) You won't want a car for either city, anyway.

I often use this site to research public transport, and cross-check against google maps. https://www.traveline.info/
Have fun planning!

Katherine4

Thank you, Chicago Girl! We're arriving at 6:30 AM which will be 12:30 AM our time (We live in the Northeast). I agree that driving would be a bad idea. On the other hand, it would be very nice to be able to just rent the car and be done with it which is why staying in, say, Windsor, is an attractive idea.

coral22

I am also recommending to not get a car right away, not only will you be tired, but, but you have adjust to driving on the other side of the road, which should be done with a fresh mind. We don't have this experience yet, but we are doing this at the end of April.

After our flight in, we are catching the bus to Oxford. When we are leaving Oxford after 2 nights, we are picking up our car and heading to the Cotswolds for 3 nights. We will do some touring ourselves, but one day we have hired a driver, for 6 hours, so my husband can relax and enjoy the day. He drove for 9 days in Ireland, and it really got to be stressful after awhile.Then we are heading to Bath and immediately turning in the car. We are staying there 2 nights but also taking the train to Salisbury to visit and seeing Stonehenge. Then will take the train to London to finish our trip there.

We have had many trips where we got in early and just dragged around and now that we are older it is even more difficult. Once we fell asleep on a canal cruise in Amsterdam! So to power through, on an already challenging day, is our new goal. If we fall asleep on the bus to Oxford, it is an express and we won't miss our stop. And then we have one more step out of the way. On our trip to Ireland, we used points to get a hotel for the night before at the airport. It was so nice to lay down for a couple of hours and more important, to take a shower. Dublin is only 20 minutes away, though, and we took a cab in and still had part of the day to enjoy, and we didn't pick up our car until we were heading on. We are so excited about the Cotswolds, I hope you have a great time!

Katherine4

One other thought: I’m sure it’s somewhat pricey but may be worth it to us. What do you think a car service between Heathrow and Oxford would cost?

Katherine4

Thank you, Coral22!

WeisserTee

We used to live near Heathrow. Have you considered a car service to Windsor and spending a day or so there?

Or, if you want to spend a bit of time in a lovely, upscale village/small town off the usual tourist trail, try Marlow. Have a car service take you there, stay a night at The Chequers on Marlow's High Street. The village is pleasant to walk around, has several good restaurants and pubs, and is located right on the Thames. Bonus: there is a 2024 crime drama now on British TV called the Marlow Murder Club that is at least partly filmed in and around Marlow. Admittedly the reviews are mixed, with several calling it a "cosy crime drama", but almost everyone agrees on Marlow's scenic appeal. I used to go to Marlow at least once every two weeks just to relax there, back when you could simply show up at the now-famous Hand and Flowers restaurant (2 Michelin stars) and get a lunch table without a reservation.

https://www.timeout.com/marlow/things-to-do/perfect-day-in-marlow

hetismij2

Adding to the rental car thoughts - don't forget it will also be rush hour when you leave the airport. That rush hour is not for the faint-hearted even when they are wide awake!


For a guuestimate of a car service go to justairports.com and fill in your details in their estimate section.
OX1 will do for a postcode for Oxford, though your address may be different. If you know it use that.

Gardyloo

I think Windsor is your best bet. I'd book a car service or minicab that would pick you up at whatever terminal you're at, and take you to a hotel in Windsor. If a room isn't available yet, the hotel will store your bags while you go out and walk around a bit - around the castle or maybe the Long Walk, or over the river to Eton... load up on oxygen, get a meal or get to a pub for an early lunch, then back to the hotel, check in, take a (short) nap and be ready for an early dinner and bed as late as you can manage.


In the morning, cab back to the car rental office at Heathrow, and off you go. You could save money if one of you took the bus to the airport and picked up the car, then picked you up back in Windsor before heading west. Otherwise a round trip by car service or minicab will probably run between £80 and £100; half that for a one-way trip.

jconway82

+1 we went from the baggage claim across the way to the hotel checked in and went to sleep!

janisj

I've just skimmed and haven't read all the responses yet but looking at who has responded you have likely received a lot of good advice. But re a car service to Oxford -- absolutely no reason to do that and it would be quite expensive. There is a fast express coach directly into central Oxford and several hotels within walking distance of the bus stops.

In general arriving that early in the AM I wouldn't stay AT LHR since you'd be there all day and overnight. IME/IMO the 'best' options are:

1) taxi or local bus to Windsor, stay the night and collect the car the next moring -- either IN Windsor or back at LHR depending on who you rent from.

2) Coach to Oxford, stay the night, collect car the next morning -- understanding that driving IN Oxford is a bear. But once you are out of town it is easier.

3) Train or Elizabeth Line in to London, stay the night in central London and then train to Oxford from Paddington and collect the car there.

bilboburgler

please don't drive a car on your arrival in this country, I have friends and family who travel the M25

FTOttawa

Re: where to rent the car from after you’ve rested: you can use Autoeurope.com (a broker) to research options on dates/places of pickup and drop off, or go directly to the web site of your preferred provider if you have one. Then you can see whether Oxford, Windsor, Marlow or back to Heathrow makes the most sense.