England 2010

Best and worst sights, experiences and destinations:

Best: The Roman Baths, in Bath
Why: Every few years I go back to the baths. The displays and audio had been changed and improved. Some of the comments are recorded by Bill Bryson, an American who has lived in England. His remarks were interesting, and were very "first person" as he experienced the place. Bryson also did some of the audio at the Salisbury Cathedral.

Swan in Napa , CA USA 10/03/2009

Best: The display of Henry VIII "Dressed to Kill," at the Tower.
Why: Several floors of the White Tower are dedicated to the display and interpretation of armor and weapons in use during that era. There is also a display of the minting of coins.

Swan in Napa, CA USA 10/03/2009

Worst: Elizabeth House and Jubilee Hotels
Why: Both hotels, once they get your credit card numbers, charge those cards, even though you have either paid with cash, or cancel reservation and get confirmation that there are no charges. I'm getting fed up with the hassle between these hotels and my credit card companies. You cannot trust them. Do not reserve with credit card! Plus, cleanliness is not the best.

georgiana shaw in chickamauga, GA USA 09/28/2009

Best: Roman Baths, Bath
Why: stunning in the evening. Great exhibit, easy to navigate, great audio tour.

Worst: York Castle Museum
Why: The lack of a map, audio guide, or any direction caused us to spend too much time in a portion we werent as interested in, and left us not enough time for what we did want to see. Probably great for kids and families but for a middle age couple without kids it was rather boring.

Peter Thompson in Charlottesville, va USA 09/20/2009

Best: MadMax Tours, Hampton Court
Why: We took the full day tour of Stonehenge,Avebury, Lacock, and Castle Combe. Their tour guides are brilliant- informative but not overbearing. The tour was reasonably priced and for all we got to see and do, well worth the cost.

Hampton Court was another really great site and, in our opinion, worth more "triangles." They had wonderful exhibits celebrating Henry VIII's ascension to the throne and the palace itself was captivating. Well worth spending a full morning. I've had several other friends all mention since my return that Hampton Court was their favorite of the royal residences.

Whitney in Atlanta, GA USA 09/05/2009

Best: Roman Baths at night, Museum of Bath at Work, Tower Tour (Salisbury)
Why: The baths were jam-packed during the day, so we waited until the evening like the book recommends, and what a treat it was! Gas-lit and quiet, it was a magical trip back in time. Also, the Bath at Work museum was absolutely fascinating for anyone with an interest in mechanical things. In Salisbury, the tower tour is worth every step to see the old wood beams and view from the top with a great guide.

Reya in Carson City, NV USA 09/01/2009

Best: Theatre on the Lake, Keswick
Why: World-class production of Shakespeare in an intimate, regional-theater-priced setting.

Steve Meyerhardt in Oak Hill, VA USA 08/28/2009

Best: Mom: Cotswolds, esp. the hikes; teen one: seeing Parliament; teen two: seeing Stonehenge up close; everyone liked The Tower, esp The Crown Jewels
Why: The main reason we had a great time at The Tower, despite having to go on a busy Sunday, was the tip you gave us to get there early. We just managed to beat the worst of the crowds for the tour, etc.

Worst: Dungeon Tour at Warwick Castle
Why: We loved Warwick Castle, but the dungeon tour was disappointingly cheesey, gory, and inappropriate. Knowing something about Warwick Castle and English history, I know they could have given a great, authentic tour, but they didn't.

Antje in Portland, OR USA 08/20/2009

Best: London
Why: Excellent destination. So much to see and do. All four of us found it to be our favorite place. Also, you might want to look into the Midlands. We went to the Chatsworth House outside of Bakewell and spent 2 days in the area. Beautiful and accessible and very English! No American tourists there. Excellent hiking as well.

Worst: Moving too much, not enough time in London
Why: With kids, in lieu of moving about every 2 or 3 days as we did, next time I would just rent an apartment/flat/suite in London for a week. There is so much to see there. We have travelled a lot with our kids and I always find that a one week stay somewhere in the beginning allows us all to get our bearings and really get to know a destination.

Maria Shuman in Boulder, , CO USA 08/10/2009

Best: Royal Pavilion in Brighton
Why: I've been to England a number of times so I've seen all the "main" things in London, etc. I'd never been to Brighton or the Royal Pavilion before. It was amazing. Well worth going out of your way to pay a visit.

Paula Harris in Milwaukie, OR USA 08/01/2009

Best: Premier Inn hotels
Why: They were very helpful, rooms clean, and offer a satisfaction guarantee policy. Stayed in Bodmin and London Heathrow. Both positive experiences.

Kris in Riverside, CA USA 07/29/2009

Best: "Traveling as a temporary local" and buying the oyster card to use the public transportation
Why: From the moment I entered the city I tried to let the city just take hold of me. I felt like a thirsty woman who just drank in the sights and sounds of London. I let the experience of the travel just wash over me. I sat in pubs and listened to conversations around me, rode the buses and tube with the locals, meandered down the streets sometimes with no purpose in mind except to explore what was around the next corner. While waiting in line or for a performance to begin, I would initiate conversations with the people around me and we met some intriguing people and had wonderful, interesting conversations. While riding the train back from Windsor into London we started talking with a group of people and the one gentleman picked out different sites from the train that we would never have known. We bought oyster cards and rode the buses and the tube and I am sure we got our money's worth. It just made traveling in the city so easy. We had a few moments of confusion but that was quickly remedied by asking a local a question or a second glance at a map. We found if we just remembered that if we took the wrong route on a bus or the tube we would just sit back and enjoy the mistake and make a change at the next stop. Also, since we didn't use our oyster card for a full seven days we got a refund on the last day when we turned it back in on the way to Heathrow airport.We had a wonderful time and I found the city and the people exhilarating, friendly, and fun! Actually, I could have listed a dozen other things your recommended but I have to stop somewhere!

Philomena Karol in Raleigh, NC USA 07/14/2009

Best: We liked everthing the book recommended.
Why: Very thoughtful descriptions of everything, insightful in every situation.

David Watson in Del Mar, CA USA 07/14/2009

Best: The British Museum
Why: The collections were incredible and well laid out. The crowds were annoying, but well worth enduring.

Worst: D-Day Museum in Portsmouth
Why: The D Day embroidery was great, but the rest of the museum was amateurish and not on the same level as Imperial War Museums in Duxford or London.

Mike Flaherty in St Louis, MO USA 06/13/2009

Best: Castle Museum--York
Why: The unusual and unexpected. The visitor leaves with a clear understanding of the difficulties and hardships early Europeans faced during centuries gone by. Also liked the reproduction of the Victorian era street---very realistic.

Jeff Anderson in Portland, OR USA 06/06/2009

Best: Harry safari tour, Mad max tour
Why: Harry safari was great, this grizzled old Cornishman knows everything and everybody on the penwith paninsula

Paul DiBlasi in Jacksonville Beach, Fl USA 05/27/2009

Worst: cancellation policy - verbatim
Why: Cancellation Policy: Cancellation or amendments required in writing 7 days prior to the day of arrival. If cancelled up to 7 days before date of arrival no fee will be charged. If cancelled later or in case of no-show, the total price of the reservation will be charged.

Reception For and on behalf of Bakers Hotel ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 126 Warwick Way, London, SW1V 4JA Tel: 020 7834 0729 Fax: 020 7692 7525 web: www.bakershotel.co.uk

David Bean in Portland, Or USA 05/22/2009

Best: Windsor Castle (Windsor)
Why: If you enjoy the royal family or castles that are lived in this is a great day trip. Windsor Castle has the friendliest staff I encountered in England (they genuinely enjoy their work and want you to see everything).

Dave W. in Seattle, WA USA 01/20/2009

Best: Tim Harrison Tours, Cotswolds
Why: Very personalized tour. Complete comfort. Many little extras.

Judy Hopwood in Alpine, CA USA 11/13/2008

Best: Everything we tried was as advertised.
Why: Your information is detailed enough to actually decide where to go and what to do from this side of the pond. WALKING TOUR OF BATH: Great recommendation. We got to be friends with one of the volunteers. HIghtly recommended; kids learn about history that interests them and adults are fascinated too. Long walk though for small children; age 8 minimum. Our 8-yar ld barely made it. PORTSMOUTH: Get to know the volunteers on the Warrior; some of them are retired officers with tremendous historical knowledge. I correspond with one still.

LTC Larry Frost in Minneapolis, MN USA 10/14/2008

Best: Bizzare Bath walking tour
Why: Extremely funny, and its something to do in the evening after shops and museums close.

Worst: Jane Austen Centre Bath
Why: Even for a big Jane Austen fan, its not worth the money. Just go in for the shop and take the Jane walking tour instead.

Elizabeth MI USA 10/07/2008

Best: York Minster
Why: The Chapter House was breathtaking. A very nice volunteer provided all sorts of information.

Verna Reamy in Columbia, MD USA 09/26/2008

Best: Hop on Hop off Bus Tours - London and Dublin
Why: Convenient, informative and flexible. The double decker experience is not to be missed.

Johan Grundy in Eastern Passage, NS Canada 07/24/2008

Worst: Lime Tree Hotel
Why: Ok maybe not the worst but they could have been friendlier. We were trying to book online tickets to the London Eye. We needed to use the internet for about 10 minutes. They informed us that it was 5 pounds to use the computer - period. We ended up going to an internet cafe for a lot less. The breakfast left you wanting and the towels were terrible. On the positive - it is a great location. We love the Victoria area. We will probably try another recommendation next time. While the proprietors were nice they certainly didn't extend themselves.

Nancy in Bellingham, WA USA 06/29/2008

Best: Dartmoor
Why: We have always seen the "sights" but in Dartmoor we had a chance to walk the land, smell the air and get to know a few ponies. We had many themes to our trip, one of which was neo-lithic sights. Wandering the moors allows you to come upon the work of ancient people while also recalling Holmes and "The Hound of the Baskervilles" (set on the moors.) The roads are very narrow, the driving an adventure and the people delightful. It was the highlight of our wonderful trip

Patti Brugman in Pasadena, CA USA 06/29/2008

Best: Knowing how much time to spend at sights
Why: I've yet to find another book that aids one in this manner. We only had 11 days and your book helped us plan the trip out.

Lyn Morris in Houston, TX USA 06/09/2008

Best: Cotswolds
Why: Directions to the towns were easy to follow and complete, and the details on some of the stops were excellent. More towns should be included, though. They're all lovely.

Worst: Blenheim Palace
Why: This place is not worth the drive or the 16.50 GBP entry tariff. You see very little of the palace other than the biggest public rooms, and a large part of what you get is a Disneyesque retelling of its history.

Tom Iarossi in San Diego, CA USA 06/04/2008

Best: Alan Price of Celtic Horizons
Why: He picked us up at Heathrow at 8:00 am and drove us to Bath, stopping Stonehenge, Salisbury, and one or two other small towns with the gardens and cottages we had told him we wanted to see. His knowledge of the area and ability to share that with us made our trip to Bath as enjoyable as it could be. We arrived in Bath in time to check in to our hotel and go to dinner...a full day of enjoyment. After 3 1/2 days on our own (including time in Broadway, Alan picked us to take us to London, again taking us to see many sites including Avebury (where we ate well at the Red Lion as recommended) and White Horse. Using Alan's services freed us to see many things that would have required buses or tours (not our favorite at all) or renting a car (the two days in the Cotswolds were enough, thank you) and getting dropped off right at our hotel door in Kensington. He is everything and more than you stated.

David Krein in Schaumburg, IL USA 05/25/2008

Best: Westminster Abbey
Why: Spend the extra few pounds to take the verger tour. We had the good fortune to get Benjamin, who made the tour extremely interesting. In addition, his humor was great! So many others that did not pay extra for a verger-led tour were trying to sneak into our small 10-person tour. Ben and the Abbey were one of the highlights of our April 2008 trip!

Deb Nilson in West Suffield, CT USA 05/22/2008

Best: Westminster Abbey
Why: As soon as you walk in the door, you are amazed by the architecture, scupltures, stained glass and soaring ceilings. The history of the Abbey is very interesting. The great english kings, writers, scientist buried there are amazing.

Worst: Bath - Costume/Fashion Museum
Why: This venue bills itself as a Fashion Museum now. The exhibit is horrible and not worth the money. We went on the guide book recommendation that it was a "Must See". Save your Money for something else.

Craig in Tallahassee, FL USA 05/22/2008

Best: York
Why: This town was fantastic. We walked on the walls that surround the town. The York Minster is an incredible place with a wealth of history. Then there are the shops in the middle. We can't wait to go back.

Sherry in Spokane, WA USA 03/08/2008

Best: Mad Max Tour, Bath
Why: The driver provided us with an entertaining and informative experience of the areas around Stonehenge. Touring with a small group made it a very friendly environment. Visiting the small towns after Stonehenge was the highlight of our trip to England.

Worst: Big Bus Tour of London
Why: We took the blue route to see more of London. What a mistake. It took us an hour and a half just to go from Victoria Station and around Hyde Park. There was very little interesting information that was passed along. Don't waste your valuable time and money on this tour.

John in Minneapolis, MN USA 12/03/2007

Best: Bath was a delight.
Why: In particular Lacock Village, 30 min drive from Bath, a British Heritage Billage, was having their annual Village Fair with viking wars, punch & judy show, market stalls, toffee apples. Great fun!

Worst: Ceremony of the Keys
Why: Disappointing in its brief and shallow presentation, the 'Last Post' was hopelessly out of tune and the whole thing was a non event after planning and writing from New Zealand months in advance. Just do the Tower and forget the Keys!

June Williams in Auckland, New Zealand 11/08/2007

Best: Westminster Abbey - Verger's Tour
Why: It's definitely worth the 5GBP to take a verger's tour...our verger, Benjamin, was so knowledgable and amusing; we feel as though we had a painless history lesson, and also got to see parts of the Abbey not open to most visitors.

Worst: Bath - Number 1 Royal Crescent
Why: Only four rooms, plus the basement, are available to visit, and they are behind velvet ropes. It took us all of 15 minutes to see all there was to see here; definitely not worth the $10 per person charge. Do yourself a favor and just buy the $4 guidebook; you will see as much in its pages as you would on the tour.

Terri Naughton in Quilcene, WA USA 11/02/2007

Best: The Roman Baths
Why: Aside from the baths themselves, which were just amazing to experience, the exhibition that accompanies the baths is very well-presented, with great architectural renderings and easy-to-digest information. They also have an excellent gift shop with many fun products that are easy to bring home, like bath salts.

Worst: The Museum of Costume/Fashion, Bath
Why: It just wasn't what we were expecting, and it seems oddly placed in the assembly rooms. The exhibits seemed rather limited in what they had on display, in both quantity and breadth of items.

Amy Kozusko in Pittsburgh, PA USA 10/29/2007

Best: Windsor Castle
Why: Best organized, easy to reach, pleasant town experience, and a beautiful walk through the open parts of the castle. I started with the free 30-min tour, then easily visited the rest without crowds. The route thru the castle is well layed-out and keeps people moving and seeing all.

Worst: Weekend Train Travel/Half-term Crowds
Why: Work on the rail lines is disrupting train travel on weekends. I suggest not taking train trips on Saturdays or Sundays until the work is finished. Alternate travel is arranged, but adds time to your trip. The half-term crowds are created when schools are let out for a week late in October. This isn't prominently announced before it actually happens. There were great mobs of children in the "tourist attractions" such as the castles.

Swan in Napa, CA USA 10/29/2007

Best: Stonehenge/Lacock/Castle Combe
Why: We rented a car for one day to drive to Stonehenge - we found a great web site to reserve a time to visit the Inner Circle. Great way to see Stonehenge. From there we drove first to Lacock and then to Castle Combe before returning to Bath. Both of these towns are very small, historic and beautiful. I am not sure if they represent most small towns in England, but they are great memories for us and in our mind is what the English countryside is like. Stone Circle Access: helen.norman@english-heritage.org.uk

Al and Mary Hermansen

Allan Hermansen in Delano, MN USA 10/25/2007

Best: Imperial War Museum-(Churchill War Cabinets)
Why: All the history and the interactive exhibits. I actually spent over 4 hours there and I still felt rushed!! I would go there again!!! Even though it went up a pound as well. It was the best experience and I wished that I had gotten my father something from there as he loves WWII movies! Maybe next time! I am still mad at myself for not getting the dvd and the ration cookbooks while I was there!!!

Worst: River Cruise- Stratford-upon-Avon
Why: I did the 30 minute one and it was worthless. You actually could not see anything. You didn't see anything different from the boat than from the shore. If I had known that I would have saved my money, plus the fare went up as well to 4.5 pounds. It was a waste I would have rather taken a row boat out instead or done the canal boat resturant cruise. & I have taken a canal cruise in England for 9 days and loved it. As well as one on the Thames in London & Seine in Paris. This was a joke. Do not advise! The one from the Holiday Inn dock might have been better than the one from the park.

Leslie Hickman in Tulsa, OK USA 10/19/2007

Best: Beachy Head, near Eastbourne, South Coast
Why: Chalk cliffs that can be seen for miles. Not very congested and lots of hiking trails.

Worst: 1. Lands End. 2. Jane Austen Centre Bath
Why: 1. Too tacky. Nothing to see or do.

2. Tourist rip off. $12 per person for a 15 minute lecture, a quick pass through the house, and a basement of 18th century costumes.

Bill Ith in Olympia, WA USA 10/03/2007

Worst: Stonehenge
Why: It's just a pile of rocks. Boring. Definitely not worth a special trip.

Chris Johnson in Marion, IA USA 09/21/2007

Best: Bath
Why: Roman Baths, side trips to Cotswolds and Stonehedge

Worst: City Bus Tour, Bath
Why: Narration through headphones was scratchy and frequently unintelligible.

James Jackman in Troy, NY USA 09/19/2007

Best: Stonehenge
Why: The sight was incredible. Even though it was packed, once you started on the walking tour the crowds thinned out and it was a relaxing and awe-inspiring atmosphere.

Worst: Wilts and Dorset Service 3 Bus to Stonehenge
Why: We were packed on the bus for the 1:00 pm departure but it didn't leave until about 1:15 or 1:20 leaving us to swelter in the August heat.

We tried to catch the 2:30pm bus back to town but it was too full. They are only allowed by law to have 8 people standing. The conductor was less than polite evicting people from the bus with no apologies or concessions offered. We had to wait another whole hour for the next bus.

Alison Carter in Arkadelphia, AR USA 08/21/2007

Best: Whitby and Staithes, NE England over Scarbough
Why: Whitby was a good example of NE working class holiday beach. Magpie "Fish and Chips" Restaurant recommended by Brit TV Chef Rick Stein. Staithes is small, neat fishing village. Park in car park on top of harbor and walk down narrow streets to village.

K. Heslop in Incline Village, NV USA 08/07/2007

Best: Stonehenge
Why: Words and photos can't capture the feeling there.

Kevann Lamkin in Azusa, USA 06/15/2007

Best: Hadrian's Wall
Why: It was a place wonderfully full of atmosphere and history and we learned so much, we appreciated the advice that was in the guidebook about this area. Very helpful.

Danielle Mussche in Hannon, ON Canada 06/08/2007

Best: Keswick, Lake District
Why: You are correct, it is the jewel of the Lake District. Howe Keld Lakeland Hotel, Room 16, perfect to watch the mountain change colors at night/morning. The Honister Pass car hike was beautiful, plus a tad scary!

Mary in Orlando, FL USA 05/14/2007