Driving in Britain gives you access to an endless number of offbeat, quiet countryside attractions. Driving on the left side of the road (and right side of the car!) will be very stressful, so be warned. you'd think your mind would be able to just flip everything mirror-image and do everything intuitively, but that doesn't happen. You will be concentrating hard on the road the whole time you're driving, as if you were sixteen again. English drivers do help relieve the stress immensely: they're patient and friendly. On this tour you'll be driving the narrow country roads, which you should adapt to fairly easily, and you'll be avoiding big cities, where the traffic can really become overwhelming. Make sure to rent an automatic transmission. Whoever designed the English road sign system deserves a medal. They are a joy and a pleasure, so easy to follow; however, a GPS navigation device will make your life ten thousand times easier. Also, cars of American proportions will not be easy to navigate on Britain's narrow roads -- get the smallest car possible. Tiny is best.
DAY 1: arrive in London, rent a car at the airport
Prehistory tour: Stonehenge, Old Sarum, Avebury; evening drive to Burton-on-the-Water in the Cotswolds (sleep in Burton-on-the-Water)
DAY 2: Cotswolds (sleep in Burton-on-the-Water)
DAY 3: Drive to Kenilworth, see Kenilworth Castle (sleep in Kenilworth)
DAY 4: Stratford-upon-Avon (see a Shakespeare play; sleep in Kenilworth)
DAY 5: Shakespeare countryside attractions: Mary Arden's Farm, Anne Hathaway's Cottage (sleep in Kenilworth)
DAY 6: Warwick Castle and Town (sleep in Kenilworth)
DAY 7: Drive to the Peak District, tour Chatsworth Hall, Bolsover Castle (you can stay in hotels on the Chatsworth property for a price, or stay in an inn in any Peak District town; Castleton is a good choice)
DAY 8: Castleton; tour The Devil's Arse cave and hike Mam Tor (sleep in same hotel as last night)
DAY 9: Drive to Knaresborough, visit Mother Shipton's Cave, Fountains Abbey (sleep in Harrogate, visit Betty's Tea Room)
DAY 10: Drive to Twice Brewed, hike Hadrian's Wall from Twice Brewed Inn to Housesteads Fort, 3 miles one-way (sleep at Twice Brewed Inn)
DAY 11: Drive to the Lake District, choose your attractions (sleep in any B & B or camping barn)
DAY 12: Lake District (sleep in same hotel as last night)
DAY 13: Drive to Ironbridge Gorge, visit Blists Hill, Ironbridge museums or Wroxeter Roman City (sleep in Ironbridge)
DAY 14: Drive to London
fly out of London
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