Post cruise stay and what to see between Harwich and London

[Kevin's girl]

We would like to spend a couple of days post cruise somewhere between Harwich (our cruise port) and London. We are interested in seeing the countryside and quaint towns, and enjoy staying in Inns and B&B’s. However, we would really like to avoid rental cars as neither of us want to take a “crash” course in British driving. This will be a three week vacation for us and we will be traveling with a fair amount of luggage and I’m afraid that may make train travel a bit challenging. Would there be a tour/taxi company near the port that we could set up a scenic drive to a quaint town where we can then tour on foot? What towns would any of you recommend? Where should we stay in that area?

 

What experiences can you share? Any ideas would be appreciated.

[Riise]

The main route between London and Harwich has town such as Colchester, Chelmsford and Brentwood however the further south west you travel, towards London, the less rural the area becomes which is to be expected.

 

One option could be to base yourself in Colchester, while not a quaint town it does have an awful lot of history that could rival any town/city in the country. Then you could do day trips out from there to places such as Mistley, Wivenhoe, Mersea Island, Bures/Sudbury and Maldon, these could all be done by train if you are based in a central hotel in a town.

 

If you really do not want to stay in a town the size of Colchester it could be worth looking at staying in places like the above mentioned however you should be aware travel over here is very expensive be it by taxi or train so you would be restricted to that area most likely.

 

You could also look into Suffolk, areas such as Walberswich and Woodbridge are lovelly however be aware they will be alot more expensive and travel to and from could be rather difficult.

 

As for tours i have not heard of any myself but there maybe others who have. hope you have a great time whatever you choose to do.

[Pet Nit Noy]

The main route between London and Harwich has town such as... Chelmsford ... do day trips out from there to places such as Sudbury and Maldon... Suffolk...

 

Not on topic for the OP's question, but I love reading posts that provide the shock of recognition for town names on the East Coast of the US. The four places listed above are all clustered in the Boston area. I'm guessing that the folks who settled there came from places of the same name in England.

[MarlboroBell]

Not on topic for the OP's question, but I love reading posts that provide the shock of recognition for town names on the East Coast of the US. The four places listed above are all clustered in the Boston area. I'm guessing that the folks who settled there came from places of the same name in England.

 

Oh yes, there are tons of those. You can add Marlborough, Southborough, Bolton, Dedham, Worcester, Shrewsbury, Leominster, Andover, Haverhill and many others to that list.

 

It wouldn't be ridiculously far afield to decide to base yourself in Cambridge (hey, there's another Massachusetts town!) and explore some of the little villages around there. You could even rent a bike and do it. I remember once when I lived there just cycling south and finding some beautiful villages, Ickleton being prime among them. If you head in the direction of Saffron Walden, you should have options reasonably well available to cycle as far as you want and come back on the train when you're tired.

[Kevin's girl]

The main route between London and Harwich has town such as Colchester, Chelmsford and Brentwood however the further south west you travel, towards London, the less rural the area becomes which is to be expected.

 

One option could be to base yourself in Colchester, while not a quaint town it does have an awful lot of history that could rival any town/city in the country. Then you could do day trips out from there to places such as Mistley, Wivenhoe, Mersea Island, Bures/Sudbury and Maldon, these could all be done by train if you are based in a central hotel in a town.

 

If you really do not want to stay in a town the size of Colchester it could be worth looking at staying in places like the above mentioned however you should be aware travel over here is very expensive be it by taxi or train so you would be restricted to that area most likely.

 

You could also look into Suffolk, areas such as Walberswich and Woodbridge are lovelly however be aware they will be alot more expensive and travel to and from could be rather difficult.

 

As for tours i have not heard of any myself but there maybe others who have. hope you have a great time whatever you choose to do.

Thank you very much for your suggestions. I will be looking into these areas. This will be our first trip to the UK and I'm feeling quite overwhelmed.

[Kevin's girl]

Oh yes, there are tons of those. You can add Marlborough, Southborough, Bolton, Dedham, Worcester, Shrewsbury, Leominster, Andover, Haverhill and many others to that list.

 

It wouldn't be ridiculously far afield to decide to base yourself in Cambridge (hey, there's another Massachusetts town!) and explore some of the little villages around there. You could even rent a bike and do it. I remember once when I lived there just cycling south and finding some beautiful villages, Ickleton being prime among them. If you head in the direction of Saffron Walden, you should have options reasonably well available to cycle as far as you want and come back on the train when you're tired.

Cycling around sounds like fun. This may be a stupid question, but what would I do with the bike when we get on the train? Are there bikes for rent like here in Chicago? I mean rent it here and drop it there when you are finished?

[LondonTowner]

You can take bikes on trains.

[MarlboroBell]

Cycling around sounds like fun. This may be a stupid question' date=' but what would I do with the bike when we get on the train? Are there bikes for rent like here in Chicago? I mean rent it here and drop it there when you are finished?[/quote']

 

Just bring the bike on the train -- it's perfectly normal. The train may have a space to store your bike, or you can stand it up next to the doors. I've done it countless times. Don't think of an American train -- it's more like a subway train. The doors are wide and the platforms are almost the same height as the doors. No climbing stairs to get on. And outside rush hour the trains won't be that full.

 

There are several bike hire companies in Cambridge, but these guys are actually based next to the railway station and should be able to give you the most up-to-date information about taking bikes on trains.

 

Oh, one more thing -- the Cambridge area is almost completely flat! That's one of the reasons you'll see bikes EVERYWHERE. (Another reason is that undergrads are generally not allowed to own cars...)

[Kevin's girl]

Just bring the bike on the train -- it's perfectly normal. The train may have a space to store your bike, or you can stand it up next to the doors. I've done it countless times. Don't think of an American train -- it's more like a subway train. The doors are wide and the platforms are almost the same height as the doors. No climbing stairs to get on. And outside rush hour the trains won't be that full.

 

There are several bike hire companies in Cambridge, but these guys are actually based next to the railway station and should be able to give you the most up-to-date information about taking bikes on trains.

 

Oh, one more thing -- the Cambridge area is almost completely flat! That's one of the reasons you'll see bikes EVERYWHERE. (Another reason is that undergrads are generally not allowed to own cars...)

I see they are very affordable from these guys. I am liking this idea very much. Thank you.