tinkerbell2 Loc: Charleston, South Carolina

I am fulfilling a dream, and traveling to England in May for 2 weeks. Can anyone advise me of wonderful sights to photograph? Also, if anyone has a suggestion of places to go, I'd appreciate it.

insman1132 Loc: Southwest Florida

More info: Will you have a car?

Jolly Roger Loc: Dorset. UK

As already mentioned, please provide more info.
Will you be staying in London throughout your visit?
What mode of transport will you be using? Hire car, coaches, trains ?
Be sure you come with the pre-requisite clothing for different seasons. Hopefully you won't need them all but its a real dampener on the day if you get caught out with the wrong clothing.

tinkerbell2 Loc: Charleston, South Carolina

We will be in London for 4-5 days, then I hope to visit Bath and the Cotswolds. Oxford/Cambridge is also an option. We will use public transportation in London, then hire a car outside of the city.

breck Loc: Derbyshire UK

London, too many to mention, but try mot to miss South Bank walk along the side of the Thames to Houses of Parliment, go up the Shard, visit the Tower of London (pity the poppies have gone) London Bridge, every where you turn there is an interesting old building museum or church Oxford is closer to Cotswolds (and its chocolate box villages) and Bath so miss out on Cambridge to far away. Have a great visit

lsimpkins Loc: SE Pennsylvania

Since this is a dream trip, I would NOT eliminate the tourist locations just because they are cliches - the Tower, Buckingham Palace (changing of the guard), Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament, and Trafalgar Square. If you like museums, the British Museum and the War Museum were two of my favorites but there are many others. Take in a show while in London, if you like that sort of thing. Tickets can be picked up rather inexpensively in Leicester Square.

Day trips from London on public transit can accomplish a lot. One we particularly liked was to Canterbury. Both the town and Cathedral were very interesting and beautiful. Going to Windsor is also very nice. Bath has enough to see that I would recommend an overnight in a B&B. Take some of the guided tours. I've never been to Oxford, but Cambridge is quite interesting.

Parking both in London and the outlying cities and towns can be problematic, so we used trains and the tube exclusively. Bus tours, if you like that sort of thing, can get you to places not easily reached by rail. Enjoy yourself and "Mind the Gap".

G Brown Loc: Sunny Bognor Regis West Sussex UK

The internet is a wonderful tool.
search things like 10 best things to see in London. Tourism London etc and every other place you are going to.

I am not being flippant - but I do not know how young you are, How fit, how far you are able to walk, do you like crowds etc etc.

Most tourist related sites will have lovely pictures and some will have really useful advice like 'Number 22 bus stop 20m from entrance' 'lots of stairs' 'gets very busy on Saturdays' 'Wednesday is market day' etc.

By looking at several sites you will find a balanced description of all the attractions - costs - opening times , dog friendly, easiest route etc. for each place you are visiting.

Google Earth can even show you around!

Remember - The UK is wet more than it is dry. Sometimes even changeable hourly! so give yourself 'choices' based on rainy/sunny days.

Please remember that our Policemen are wonderful - At never being around when you most need them! Like all cities there are bits that you do not want to be in at night. Tourist spots and crowded areas are targeted. But such is life anywhere....

Have fun

revhen Loc: By the beautiful Hudson

I love England -- the sites and sights especially. I always planned what we wanted to see beforehand using Fodors, Frommers, etc. Never got to all the places but at least didn't waste time mulling "What shall we do now?"

therwol Loc: USA

Are you kidding? When we go to England on vacation, we do rent a car. We stay in the north where traffic is mostly light, but then we take the train to London and use public transportation in that city. Driving and parking in London is a nightmare, even for the locals.

I've done 7 trips to England and Ireland, driving on the left. I got smart and stopped renting cars with a manual transmission by the third trip. Shifting with the left hand is "backward." The pattern is the same, but you have to push when your brain says pull and vice versa. I had trouble getting the hang of it. I've gotten pretty good at driving on the left, but in some situations, a lapse in concentration can result in turning into the wrong lane, and then there are those ubiquitous roundabouts where you get stuck in the wrong lane to make your exit, requiring a lot of concentration to move over if the traffic is heavy. I don't know what they see in those things.

While in London, invest in an Oyster Card, available from machines in every underground station. These cards give you unlimited access to the trains by zones. Most tourist things are in zones 1 and 2. There are options for using these things on buses as well. It's all very clear when you either go to the machine or buy from a ticket window from a real person who can also give you advice on what to buy. Those ticket windows seem to be disappearing. Taxis are also easy, but if you rely on them solely, you can burn through a lot of money.

We have taken a tour of the Tower of London, well worth it. We have seen a show on every trip. We've seen the changing of the guard and the changing of the horse guard. We walked through the underground war rooms. We've seen the Dickens house and the Sherlock Holmes museum. Last trip we went to the Victoria and Albert museum. The possibilities are just about endless. By the way, if you do take a walking tour inside of Buckingham Palace, you are just herded through with little explanation of anything. It smells very musty inside. And they don't let you take pictures inside.

Mainiac65 Loc: Maine

Take ride on the London Eye for a bird's eye view of the city. A cruise on the Thames will give a unique view of London Bridge and the Tower bridge. Ride a train to Leeds and visit Leeds Castle with its Black Swans in the moat.

rocar7 Loc: Alton, England

Leeds Castle, inspite of its name, is in Kent, south of the Thames, so I really wouldn't go all the way to Leeds (way up north) to see it!

craggycrossers Loc: Robin Hood Country, UK

Smilin' at you and your last sentence ! If you take a train to Leeds you will end up in the north of England some 200 miles from London, and nowhere near Leeds Castle which is near Maidstone in the county of Kent, and some 43 miles south east from Charing Cross in London ...... traditionally the "measurement" point for distances from central London. Leeds Castle itself is a nice place to visit, but do check prices online.

http://www.leeds-castle.com/home?

Your other suggestions are just fine !

johneccles Loc: Leyland UK

You have received lots of excellent advice about you trip to England but I will give some more tips to consider:
Do not even think about using a car in London, use "The Underground" which is easy to use but can be very crowded all day long, you could use buses but this is more complicated. In central London there are lots of open top tour buses which is a good way to see the sights.
If you hire a car allow plenty of time to get anywhere, English roads are extremely busy and it can an eternity to reach your destination. Generally the further north you go the better the road conditions, by further north I mean at least 300 km north (200 miles).
No matter where you go will find that street parking is virtually impossible and you will be made to use very expensive car parks, many English towns now have a system called "Park and Ride" if you see one these I suggest you use it, you pay to park and get a free bus ride into the town centre.
A good way to travel in England is to consider trains, they are very frequent and quick and you finish up right in the town centres, but they can be expensive usually depending on the time of day.
I am sure will have a great time.

shagbat Loc: London

If you will mostly be in London Tinkerbell, you will find a vehicle to be an embarrassment, parking etc. What are your interests? Some of the markets are excellent, very cosmopolitan, the Thames can be a dream for photographers if the tide and light play the game. Many Roman sites close to London. If you are more specific I can make more positive suggestions for you. Enjoy!

moses0

I am a Brit living in USA also an American. I often take trips to the UK for vacations. 2 weeks is enough time to see a number of great places. Couple of days in London is enough for me. You do not need a car in London. I would head to the Cotswolds avoid Stratford (maybe drive through) and be sure to visit the Slaughters, Stow-on- the Wold, Bourton on the Water, Arlington Row in Bibury the most photographed village in the UK. Then I would head up to the Peak District especially the High Peaks. (Derbyshire) If time then head to the Yorkshire Dales and York. . Let me know if you need B&B recommendations. Careful driving keep to the speed limit there are camera's every where. I hope the sunshines for you and you have a wonderful time. No where in the world like England when the sunshines.