2-3 Months In England?

[artnbarb]

The question mark in the title of this thread is the most important part because I really have no idea if we could even afford to do this. In 2018 I'd like to spend 3 months in England followed by 3 months in Italy, but there are so many things to consider, not the least of which is cost.

Altho the pound is at a record low, I worry that the dollar will decline over the next year, but even at its historic lows, the pound still costs more than the euro, and I think the cost of living might be higher as well. Obviously London costs more than a small village, but most of the small villages I know about are the cute, charming touristy villages, and I imagine most of them are quite pricey as well, especially in the Cotswolds and London suburbs.

So the real question is: Would we want to actually STAY (for 3 months) in a village we could also afford? While I'm certain we would take day trips, having a home base and spending a good deal of time there is important. Being in a town well-served by trains would probably be important, altho I know the trains in England aren't cheap. We would of course have a rental car, but I've got to confess: I will never, EVER feel comfortable driving on the left, and would be much more inclined to travel by train or bus if possible.

Again, this is just the way I begin every trip, or potential trip - just throwing out a zillion questions and refining my search as I go. I know this is a pretty general question, but perhaps some of you might have some suggestions for me. Thanks in advance.

 

[Pauline]

The hardest thing with this plan will be finding reasonably priced accommodations. Twice we did 2 - 3 month stays in England, but in the winter when it is easier to find a holiday rental at a good price.

You need to find a holiday rental for this. Regular furnished rentals won't be equipped (pots, dishes, etc.). Don't bother talking to real estate companies. There is such a demand for rentals that they will never take your info and get back to you if something comes up. All long term rentals are on rightmove.co.uk. You might see something there, but it will be available immediately - not good for long term planning.

I think you have two options: booking a holiday rental and working out a deal for a cheaper rent or finding someone who is going away for a specific time and needs someone to either housesit or live in their house and pay less than market rent.

To find a 3 month holiday rental, start now before it gets booked up. You may be able to work out a deal with an owner for a good discount for the longer period. Talk to agencies you have rented from before to see if they have ideas. Pick an area you are interested in and talk to the tourist office to see if they have ideas.

The most expensive areas are (I think) the Cotswolds and Cornwall. Less expensive are Devon, Dorset (where we live), Kent, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk.

If I were going the holiday rental route, I would consider doing 3 different places - 4 weeks in each - the southeast, the southwest and Wales (or Scotland). On our first trip to the UK in 1988 we spent one week at a time all around the UK for 2 months, then spent 3 months in one place over the winter.

Have a look at sabbaticalhomes.com. There you might find a furnished and equipped rental at a reasonable price - someone who is living somewhere else for a few months. I think @Lisa in Ottawa found her Oxford apartment this way. The listings are geared towards university people, so will be in university towns like Oxford, Cambridge, etc.

Trains in England are cheap if you book ahead - several weeks ahead. You can also purchase a senior pass which gives you a good discount if you are here for a longer stay.

Driving on the left takes about 3 days to get used to. It is the narrow roads and lanes that takes longer to get used to. I didn't drive during most of our trips because I navigated. Once I started driving here, I loved it.

 

[artnbarb]

Thanks Pauline. The first thing that hit me was your idea to do 3 different places - and being the pessimistic person I am, I'm not which would be more difficult - finding one place for 3 months or THREE places for one month each! (But I'm in an even worse than usual mood today, so perhaps I'm over-reacting.) I'm going to look at the Sabbatical Homes website now!

P.S. Bad mood aside, I will never, ever feel comfortable on the left side of the road. We've driven in Scotland and in England for much more than 3 days and I was always terrified!

 

[Pauline]

For me driving is easier as the driver. As a passenger I always think Steve is going to scrape my side of the car, but he doesn't (except for recent trip to the Amalfi Coast when a bus ran into my side of the car). The driver has better visibility on the narrow lanes. I am hopeless at reversing so usually let Steve drive then. You always end up reversing when you meet an oncoming car.

 

[artnbarb]

I'd probably feel differently if I were the driver. Unfortunately Art is THE WORST passenger. EVER. So he does all the driving.

I did go to the Sabbatical Homes website, but to see all the info you have to pay a small fee, which is only good for a year, so I didn't pay yet because it seems way too early to be planning for summer 2018 -not for me, but for everyone else, according to past experience.

 

[Pauline]

I'm a bit of a bad passenger too, or so I am told.

It might be worth having a look at Sabbatical Homes because people going on sabbatical know at least a year ahead and will be planning.

I used it once to list our house when we were planning our 5 months in the Cotswolds. I got a couple of inquiries in a few days but ended up renting our house to friends.

 

[artnbarb]

thanks. I did look at the Sabbatical Homes site and will check back with them in a few months and pay to see what's available. I think we'd like to stay May/June/July. I'm also going to check AirB&B and the agency we rented our house from in 2015.

 

[Mom83]

Artnbarb - if you decide to spend any part of your time in Wales, I can recommend both places we stayed last July. The first was a lovely cottage in Conwy in north Wales and the second was a place in south Wales in St. Lythans (just west of Cardiff). Both places exceeded our expectations, had lovely owners, and were positioned perfectly for seeing the surrounding areas. The rental rates in Wales were surprisingly inexpensive, even in the middle of the summer.

My grandmother's family lives in Llanelli, Wales and I love to visit them whenever possible, but I always like staying in a place of our own.

 

[artnbarb]

At this point I honestly have no idea where we'd stay, or for how long. I'm not even sure how many different locations. 3 months sounds like a long time, but do we want to stay in 3 places for one month each, or maybe 2 places for 6 weeks each? It's really hard to know!

What I DO know it that I too love Wales! We stayed in Llandudno, just across the estuary from Conwy. I also love the Cotswolds, still need to see the Lake District, and Scotland pulls at my heartstrings, plus there are so many other places that aren't even on my radar. As you can see, I have a LOT of reading and researching to do!

Thank you for your input, and if we decide to include Wales I will definitely contact you!

 

[artnbarb]

OK, @Mom83 , you've inspired me to take a look at the map, and to begin the slow, (sometimes) painful process of deciding where to stay. Here goes:

Because we have the time, and because we may have more luggage than normal, we would still consider taking a transatlantic cruise to England. I think we could depart from some port in Florida - they cruise lines are always changing their ships and routes, but if push came to shove we could always take Cunard out of NYC - altho in order to avoid extra luggage charges we might have to drive to NYC instead of flying! We'd have to evaluate the costs versus convenience before making a final decision.

If we do decide to cruise, I'm assuming we'd arrive in Southhampton, which is further west than I realized. After watching Penelope Keith's Hidden Village show about Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire, this seems like the logical place to begin. Yes, we could drive to Wales, but with so much beauty in the south of England, why make it more difficult? I saw some scenery so breathtaking and some villages so charming that I almost had tears in my eyes!

There's also an episode about Kent and Sussex, but I haven't watched it yet. I'm sure I'll find lots to love. Perhaps we could do multi-week rentals in 2 locations and then spend a few days in London. So many choices!

 

[Mom83]

Artnbarb - I am so envious of the time you have to travel! My husband is 63 and is not even considering retirement yet, so I consider myself fortunate to get 2-3 weeks at a time for a trip abroad. I am not really complaining as he enjoys his work, but I dream of renting a place in Tuscany and France for the month of October each year - alternating the two.

We loved Llandudno, too! You should have heard how I mispronounced the name until my cousin corrected me! It was like a beautiful Victorian seaside town. Jeff and I one year spent a week in Stow on Wold and drove each day to a different village or town to explore. And we also love the Lake District - we spent several days in a manor house in Ambleside. And Scotland is another place I would love to return. We spent 10 days there between Gullane, St. Andrews and Turnberry - yes, this was a golf trip in addition to sightseeing.

I have not spent any time in southern England, but I will now have to research those towns you mentioned. Would you spend any time in Cornwall? I have heard that it is beautiful. If you had a day to drive, south Wales around the Gower Penisula near Swansea is stunning - Worm's Head is located there (see below).

I will be so eager to see where you end up going and what you enjoy. The bad part of this forum is that I get so many new ideas of places to visit!!

 

[artnbarb]

I have not spent any time in southern England, but I will now have to research those towns you mentioned. Would you spend any time in Cornwall? I have heard that it is beautiful. If you had a day to drive, south Wales around the Gower Penisula near Swansea is stunning - Worm's Head is located there (see below). View attachment 2513

I'm the ultimate pessimist so I'm trying to travel as much as we can for as long as we can. Art is 70 and I just turned 65, so I feel that our traveling days are limited. Cruising rather than flying makes the trip much more enjoyable, and certainly easier on the body.

There was another episode of Penelope Keith's Hidden Villages that featured Cornwall and I was very surprised that it did not grab me as much as the Dorset/Wiltshire area did. And yes, southern Wales is just a short drive away, and we've never been there, so the possibilities just keep expanding!

 

[Mom83]

Oh Barb - please do not think that. You are younger than me! I turn 67 in April, although Jeff is only 63. But, I am a pessimist, too and I agree with you - never delay taking trips as long as you are physically and financially able. I keep thinking we will travel abroad once each year, but then I turn around and 3 years have passed by since our last trip. I have to be more diligent about planning. From looking at all your past posts, I think you have done a stellar jobs of traveling!

 

[artnbarb]

Last year was really crazy - but the good sort of crazy! This summer will be a real learning experience for us to gauge the costs of living in Italy short-term. Hopefully that will help me know if England is possible - the pound IS slightly higher than the euro, and over the coming months I'm not sure how either economy will react. I'm still in the fun "anything is possible" mode, dreaming of spending time in England - but trying not to think about that driving on the left thing at all!

 

[Mom83]

I cannot wait to hear how your plans turn out! And I am with you - I never drive when in the UK! Fortunately, my husband loves to drive and I am a good navigator.

 

[Pauline]

If you come into Southampton, you are not far from us! I know several nice cottages in our area. When we first traveled to the UK in the late 80s, we drove around the country spending a week at a time (in vacation rentals) in different places - Sussex, Devon, Wales, Lake District, Scotland, etc. We were younger then - now I would do as you suggested and spend 2 weeks in each place.

Cornwall is fantastic! But, so is Dorset.

 

[PatrickLondon]

Would you consider home exchange as a way to cut costs? Granted, you'd have to pay a membership fee on most of the exchange directory websites.

 

[artnbarb]

Would you consider home exchange as a way to cut costs? Granted, you'd have to pay a membership fee on most of the exchange directory websites.

I'm not sure who would come to Florida in the summer, but that's a moot point because our home-owners association won't let us exchange for short terms.

I've been watching travel shows with Penelope Keith and her show about Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire - HERE - made me so happy! I took a look at the map, and I realized that in addition to the 3 areas mentioned above, Kent and Sussex were also possibilities, so yes, I am ready to start some serious research for this.

My biggest fear is that the pound will recover, but I guess that's not a real possibility, is it?

 

[Ian Sutton]

Also worth a watch for ideas is the TV series 'Coast', which as you can guess focuses on the coast, coastal settlements, history and traditons. It's very watchable, but might in the process spark some ideas.

One random thought. Would you consider a boat / canalboat holiday? The pace of movement is a brisk walking pace, so is a great way to slow down. Overnight mooring is usually at a pub, where you'll typically mix with locals and a few mostly still native brits on boats themselves. The traditional canal boats ("narrow boats", not as often mistakenly called longboats - those were the even sturdier Viking ships!) can be a little compact and so it's good to take a slightly larger boat than quoted for that number of people. Best if you can have one where the beds are permanent and you don't have to convert lounge seating into beds. The great appeal of this, as well as a gentle pace, is the insight you get, seeing things from a very different perspective to car, or even on foot. e.g. gently moving through the middle of a steelworks in Stoke, waving to the steelworkers as we passed through - who were happy to return the wave and a smile.

For a slightly more spacious option, but without the extensive criss-cross of routes of the canals, the Norfolk broads in my part of the country is a much more rural affair, travelling along typically calm rivers and with many lakes along the way. I've done the north section, but not the south section that cuts through Norwich (where I live). Plenty of birds to see and none of those tough physical locks to navigate. Mooring is a little easier on the canals (more spaces available), but not especially difficult to find a pub with free mooring posts.

There is certainly plenty of other things to see and do in Norfolk, and it's a very peaceful, relaxing place on the whole, but then there are many great other places across the country.

 

[artnbarb]

Thanks for your input @Ian Sutton . A few years ago we did consider renting a canal boat - I wouldn't have to worry about the driving! - but without doing some research into the various routes/areas it's hard for me to say. If we arrive by ship in Southhampton, spending time in the south of England seems logical and easy - at least right now. So many possibilities! this is the part of vacation planning that drives me crazy - setting an itinerary!