100% customisable travel idea
The Cotswolds, Bath and the New Forest Family road trip in the south of England
England - South Leigh - Oxford - The Cotswolds - Cheltenham - Bath - Brockenhurst - Isle of Wight
The Southern Countryside
Your trip
As you can imagine, getting around couldn't be easier: your car travels with you on the ferry, allowing you to go wherever you want and make as many stops as you like. If you don’t usually drive on the left-hand side of the road, that is a slight difficulty, but you'll get used to it surprisingly quickly. You'll also have a customised GPS and the Voyageurs app, which is full of our recommendations. Ferry tickets have been pre-booked, including those needed to reach the Isle of Wight. As for your accommodation, its architecture, decor and hospitality do justice to the English countryside. For example, you'll stay in a 16th-century house with a thatched roof and flagstone floors, in a 15th-century building with golden Cotswold limestone walls or even in Charles II's former hunting lodge. All around, traditional pubs, spas and fine-dining restaurants are restoring the reputation of English cuisine. Your itinerary includes visits to the Oxford Botanic Garden, Warwick Castle and the megalithic site of Stonehenge - for which you already have tickets - as well as a reservation for a proper afternoon tea in Bath. And in the New Forest, bicycles are at your disposal for the whole day. Finally, if you have any questions or encounter any problems, our Concierge is available to help you throughout your trip. The concierge works with your travel specialist to help you tailor your adventures, even as they unfold.They'll love...
Reliving the stories of knights and troubadours; sleeping in a fairytale house with a funny thatched roof; driving with the windows down from hill to hill; playing darts in pubs; biting into the crispy batter of fish and chips; alternating between savoury sandwiches and sweet pastries during afternoon tea; visiting the strange menhirs of Stonehenge; cycling along the paths of the New Forest and encountering ponies, cows, donkeys and pigs roaming free.
Itinerary
100% customisable for you
Ferry journey to Portsmouth. Upon arrival, drive to South Leigh, near Oxford, and stay for two nights in a 16th-century house that blends perfectly into the Oxfordshire countryside with its thatched roof, mullioned windows, stone slab floors and large fireplaces. The interior design blends interesting objects with antiques to create a timeless atmosphere. The rooms are bright and airy with charming rustic touch. The country pub next door has a relaxed feel perfect for a night out. Order a pint of ale or a glass of wine, and snack on a Scotch egg or fish and chips. Or sit down for a full meal showcasing modern British flavours and prepared with locally sourced ingredients.
On your schedule - Tour of the Oxford Botanic Garden, which was founded in 1621, making it the oldest botanic garden in the UK! The garden was created by the Earl of Danby to teach students about medicinal plants. It contains over 5,000 different plant species, some of these growing in centuries old greenhouses. As you walk among the plants, you move from the tropical jungle to the desert and on to the Alps. It's all quite wonderful!
Optional extra - Oxford University private tour.
Drive to Cheltenham and the Cotswolds, a region renowned for its beautiful landscapes, rolling hills and charming villages.
Optional extra along the way - Tour of Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Winston Churchill.
Stay for three nights in one of the oldest golden limestone buildings in the Cotswolds, built in the 15th century. A gorgeous landscaped garden spreads to the edge the estate. The property sits on the banks of the River Eye, where ducks can be seen swimming by. Inside, the style is classically British with flashes of contemporary design. Fine fabrics rub shoulders with unusual wallpapers, quilted leather and antique furniture. Every room has its own a unique feel. In the restaurant, the day starts with an authentic English breakfast. Later in the day the highlight is afternoon tea featuring scones, jam and clotted cream. The bar has the feel of a pub, with the ubiquitous fireplaces and a selection of real ales.
Not to be missed - Cotswolds village to village walking tour. The Cotswolds lie between Bath and Stratford-upon-Avon. Spanning over 2,000 square kilometres (770 square miles) , the region covers six counties, including Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire and Worcestershire, and is renowned for its beautiful landscapes. Nestled in the rolling countryside are picture-postcard villages and honey-coloured stone buildings. Bourton-on-the-Water, with its stone bridges across the river and Bilbury are particular favourites. Chipping Campden and Painswick, both surrounded by glorious peaceful countryside, are well worth a visit. Burford, Broadway or Minster Lovell should also feature on a must-see list. And the streets of Castle Combe will be instantly familiar, because they were used to film the village scenes in Downton Abbey!
Optional extras - Horse riding; pottery workshop.
On your schedule - Tour of Warwick Castle, one of the most beautiful medieval castles in the country, with a history dating back to the year 914. On the banks of the River Avon, where William the Conqueror built a wooden fort, the fortress rises majestically. Exceptionally well preserved, the castle's towers, ramparts, keeps, mill, state rooms and Victorian apartments are all open to visitors. The extensive gardens, designed by the famous landscape architect Capability Brown, are quite magical!
Not to be missed - Stroll through Stratford-upon-Avon, a charming town full of half timbered buildings where William Shakespeare was born and died. You can visit the birthplace of the famous playwright and his grave at Holy Trinity Church. Dating from 1210, Shakespeare enthusiasts come to pay their respects here every year. You can also stroll along the River Avon admiring the passing barges and the flower filled gardens on its banks.
Drive to Bath and check in for two nights at a charming hotel occupying three adjoining Georgian townhouses. The listed buildings have been put to good use preserving many of the historic features. The interior design details and collections of art and objects make the property feel totally modern with the focus on comfort and contemporary elegance. White walls are paired with soft colours and natural tones. The cosy, restful rooms all have modern facilities. And there’s a record player in every room. The restaurant serves the best of English food. The splendid bar is well stocked and you’ll be pleased to hear that afternoon tea is available. The spa is a must. After all, why are you in Bath if not to take the waters.
On your schedule - Afternoon tea at the Pump Room. The Georgian Pump Room in Abbey Church Yard was built in the 18th century so visitors could "take the waters" from the famous hot springs. Today, you can also have afternoon tea there, served as it should be with scones and clotted cream, watercress sandwiches, pastries and champagne. All that’s lacking is some music! Guests are serenaded by live classical music from a piano or a trio. The Pump Room Trio is Europe’s longest-established resident music ensemble carrying on the tradition which started when the Pump Room first opened.
Optional extra - Private tour of Bath.
Drive to Brockenhurst in the New Forest National Park.
Scheduled on the way - Tour of Stonehenge, undoubtedly the most famous prehistoric monument in Europe, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Although it dates back to the Bronze Age, the site is still shrouded in mystery. Even now, it continues to fire imaginations and intrigue historians. Spend some time in the visitor centre, which may not answer all your questions but offers valuable insights.
Stay for three nights in the heart of the countryside, in a former hunting lodge of King Charles II. The property is quintessentially English, a charming blend of period features, bespoke touches and contemporary furniture. The interiors are beautifully put together, including the bright, elegant and comfortable rooms, which look out over the surrounding park.
On your schedule - Cycling in the NewForest Set off on an adventure with a bike and a map of the forest. The New Forest, once a royal forest and now a Site of Special Scientific Interest, is a captivating blend of ancient woodland and heathland. The forest is home to birch trees, beeches, oaks, conifers, meadows and ferns, and extensive stretches of peat bogs and wetlands. Rare plants grow here such as wild gladiolus and marsh gentian. Galloway cattle, New Forest ponies and Oxford Sandy and Black pigs roam freely and help to maintain the forest. There are plenty of wild animals too with herds of deer, roe deer and fallow deer. The rare Mercury Bluet or Southern Damselfly, a distinctive turquoise-blue damselfly can be spotted here. Dartford warblers, common snipes and red kites also live in the forest. Along with all this, there are archaeological sites and picturesque old villages to visit too.
Brockenhurst is about a ten minute drive from Lymington, where you can get a ferry to the Isle of Wight. It’s too good an opportunity to miss. So, board the ferry for Yarmouth and, forty minutes later, disembark on the largest island in England. Spanning an area of 384 square kilometres (148 square miles), the island if full of breathtaking scenery. Weathered cliffs plunge into the English Channel, wild beaches, green expanses and picturesque villages are all around. The island was once home to dinosaurs and, many years later the Romans. More recently it charmed Queen Victoria, who had her summer residence, Osborne House, built here. She spent her final days there in 1901. The residence is open to the public.
Things to see on the Isle of Wight - Carisbrooke Castle, a Norman fortress - Quarr Abbey, a magnificent red brick monastery and a real treat for architecture enthusiasts - Alum Bay, at the island’s most westerly tip, and the Needles, impressive chalk rock formations that look a bit like icebergs.
Return journey to Portsmouth and ferry crossing.
À la carte
This suggested itinerary can be customisable down to the smallest detail, including duration, stops and content. An à la carte menu of experiences is also available to create a journey that reflects who you are.
A private tour of Oxford University
Accompanied by a guide, you will explore the prestigious University of Oxford, one of the oldest institutions in the United Kingdom. Beyond its renowned teaching, it boasts fascinating architecture and history and is home to numerous university colleges from various periods, as well as museums, galleries and superb green spaces.A private tour of the spa town of Bath
UNESCO has listed Aquae Sulis, which was founded in the 1st century AD, its thermal baths and the Temple of Sulis-Minerva as World Heritage Sites. The city of Bath itself is also listed as a heritage site. You can see all this while strolling through the city with a guide, visiting the ancient baths, the Circus, which is a beautiful ring of large townhouses built in the 1750s and 60s, the Royal Crescent (1760-70), the Bath Assembly Rooms (1769), etc.
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