Exploring England

England (London especially) has been on my list for so long – I’ve dreamed of visiting Stonehenge since I was in first grade! True to my traveling style, I couldn’t just visit London. I love big cities but I do think the characteristics that make the country unique and charming are better found outside of the major cities. I am obsessed with the Great British Bake Off and you’re more likely to find these lovely, charming, and just kind people in the English countryside as opposed to London.

When I was jotting notes and researching different areas, I realised there was way too much to see in England and there was no feasible way to fit them all into 11 days. What I ended up doing was doing a major loop from London to the northern parts of England before making our way back to fly out of Heathrow back to New York City.

The places we visited in the Northern half of England were:

• London (4 days)
• Stonehenge, Salisbury, Bath (1 day)
• Cotswolds (2 days)
• Lake District (2.5 days)
• Yorkshire Dales (1 day)

FLIGHT:
JFK to LHR (London Heathrow)
Cost: $772.86 roundtrip
Direct Flight

Note: I recommend downloading either the Trainline EU app or purchasing tickets from The Trainline website because you get the best rates and it’s easy to book and store tickets. I suggest having both apps available because some tickets are not available on Trainline EU and are only available for purchase on The Trainline.

I do still have a list of places to go outside of the ones we ended up visiting:

• Oxford University: New College and Exeter College are the most photogenic (probably no time)
• Dorset + Durdle Door: In the south of England
• Dartmoor – southwest of England
• Devon & Cornwall – southwest England
• Seven Sister Country Park
• Hadrian’s Wall (84 miles long – average of 6 days’ walk)
• Durham Castle (Durham) – Harry Potter castle
• Malvern Hills and Commons

Also, when I was in the Cotswolds, I lost my phone with all my photos in it so I’ve been putting together the photos I had uploaded on my Instagram and Facebook as well as some photos I took on a friend’s camera during the rest of our stay. The quality of the photos could be better so I apologize!

Lastly, we took the Heathrow Express to get to London from Heathrow Airport and back because it was the most convenient option we had at the time. It’s the fastest way to get to central London as it only takes 15-20 minutes. Prices and details are outlined below.

HEATHROW EXPRESS:
Express Saver One-way Peak Ticket Price: £25
Express Saver One-way Off-Peak Ticket Price: £22
Express Saver Roundtrip Ticket Price: £37
You can purchase tickets in advance online here