Stratford upon Avon - UK

Were I to be hypothetically interested in visiting Stratford upon Avon, what is the best way of getting there from Munich?

Looking at a map it seems rather close to Birmingham so that seems a bit obvious. However a quick request for flights to Birmingham leaves me going via Zurich with Swiss. Surely there's direct flights?

Should be direct flight to Brum, code is BHX IIRC, have a search thingybob.
If they come out too dear look to fly to Thiefrow and then get the bus, it's not too far as the crow flies on the motorway.

2 secs my house mate is from there. brb...

There should be direct flights from Munich to Brum with Lufthansa, just dont book the one that gets you into Brum around 2200 else there are no trains to get you to Stratford and dont get the early morning return at 645 for the same reason.

Once at brum get the Skyway train thingy to the train station ( takes 40 seconds) and then you have to go to Birmingham Moore Street (sp?). Trains to Stratford from there take about 50mins. If you are driving to and from the airport then it should also take about 40-50mins

Another option is to get the late and early flights and get a taxi. I would take a guess that this would cost about 150 euros total for both ways so if there are more than two of you may save this money on the flights and train costs.

Lufthansa fly direct to Brum; check their website for the best deals.

Actually Lufthansa's prices are a bit outrageous for the direct flight. Swiss is looking attractive.

oh forgot to add. Check www.nationalexpress.com for transport to and from the airport for late and early flights. I use these sometimes tho im not sure how they are between Stratford and Brum.

you usualy need to book a few months in advance to get the cheep ones.

If you are thinking of coming back to the UK again this year try booking a flight to Brum for when you want to go with a return in say July and a flight from Brum when you want to come back this time with a matching retun back to Munich for your second flight.

Should cost you either 99 or 75 euros for each flight

Try the BMI website as well; same flights (codeshare) but often lower prices.

I flew thru Brussels on a cheap flight then had a personal chauffer for the weekend. Not always the best thing to do, as some British men carry alot of baggage with them. (not an attack on all British men, only the ones I have dated).

Cheapest return flight I managed to/from Brum was €200 but can't remember how early I booked it.

Trains to Stratford can be a bit awkward as it's on a dead end spur on the Leamington to Birmingham line. The train you would get from the airport would take you into Brum New Street and you would then need to walk to either Brum Snow Hill or Brum Moor Street and get the train from there to Stratford. Just checked National Rail and it takes about 50 mins from Snow Hill to Stratford.

Alternative is to fly BA to Bristol and drive up (about 60-90mins) but not sure if loads cheaper.

When you see the stop for Stratford, stay on the train and visit Warwick. Go to the Castle, Lord Leycester Hospital, eat at the Tudor Inn and if you are lucky you may be let into the church in the Guy Cliffe ruin that is owned by the Masonic Lodge, finish with a pint in the Saxon Mill (on the river Avon within view of the Saxon Mill). Only then visit Stratford as it will only take an hour to get round the place and it is not "all that".

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviewI...re_England.html

http://www.warwick-castle.co.uk/warwick2004/index.asp

http://www.saxonmill.co.uk/welcome.htm

you could fly with EasyJet, and get a train direct from Stansted to Brum New St
then a train from there down to Stratford
not sure if that works out cheaper or not, I guess it would take a while, though

or fly to stansted and hire a car, obv

I used to spend every summer as a kid in Stratford-upon-Avon, and I have very fond memories of it. I disagree that you need 1 hr to walk around it.. there are many sites worth visiting, especially if you're into old buildings, Shakespeare etc. Ah, lying beneath the weeping willows by the river reading a book in the sun...

@Topsy Easy jet doesn't fly Munich to Birmingham???

Sleazy flies to STN and Edinburgh, not BHX (like she said).
Look out for LH deals to BHX, I usually pay 108€ inc all taxes rtn by picking my flight dates well, as I fly there quite a bit to see my sister. Keep an eye out on the LH deals, BHX often comes up.

If you get to STN, you can use rail to get to the Midlands, that train goes via Nuneaton. The service isn't bad at all.
Alternatively, you can fly to LHR and get the Chiltern Railways train from Marlyebone to Stratford?

It's Moor St. Station for Stratford trains.
And Stratford has a Lakeland Plastics therefore is worth a visit for that alone.
Remember to type Stratford upon Avon into train timetables, otherwise you could end up in Stratford, East London.

You can fly from Salzburg to Coventry using Thomsonfly - they have flights from around €30 each way (inc. taxes) in March. Salzburg is easy to get to by car, and Coventry airport is a tad closer to Stratford than Birmingham.

Whoever said fly into Stansted and get the train to Birmingham must be having a laugh. It takes about 4 hours and goes about the speed of a RB or RE train over here.

There are direct flight from MUC to BHX or another way would be like someone already suggested...Thomsonfly to Coventry from Salzburg. A cab from Cov airport to Stratford would be about 35 quid...Cov airport is right next to the main road to Stratford and it is about a 20 mile trip. About 25 minutes dirve. I used to commute from Cov to Stratford so i know that route like the back of my hand!

While you are there, have a look at Warwick and Leamington which are both pretty towns. Warwick is what Americans would describe as "quaint" with its Tudor buildings and postcard-tastic castle, while Leamington is similar to places like Wiesbaden and Baden Baden.

Nice part of the country...Warwick and Stratford are 2 places i would happily live if i ever went back. Lovely places but still close enough to Birmingham to not feel like you are out in the sticks.

I lived in Warwick, all my family are from that area and still live there. 1 hour is enough to get around Stratford-upon-Avon. I think you will find the castle in Warwick is worth visiting and will certainly take more than one hour to get around. Hire a rowing boat, go under the bridge and you can read your book under the castle walls .

no, I know
I meant fly with Sleazy to Stansted and take the train up from there to Birmingham (the train takes 3 hours).
Like I said, it would take a while. But it might work out the cheapest option.

Dunno if you're still interested but seeing as how I come from there:

Lufti is currently offering €200 return fairs to BHX.

Then it's a train to New Street, walk to Moor Street and train to S-on-A.
Or take a taxi for about 25 quid

There are direct flights from Munich to Birmingham, then hire a car as public transport in the UK is crap.

If there are problems with the flight then consider flying Munich-Düsseldorf-Birmingham. Düsseldorf is good because it's a small airport, and because you stay airside and don't have to go through security again.

If I need to go back to the UK then I book a car online (www.iib.co.uk) as they seem to be about the cheapest and use the same cars as onyone else.