Arrive at Dulles International Airport at least two hours before flight time. We will meet at the gate for the 7:00 p.m. Virgin Atlantic flight #22 to London Heathrow Airport.
Arrive at London Heathrow at 7:05 a.m.
Walk to Heathrow Central Bus Station for the 10:10 a.m. National Express coach to Bath.
Arrive at the bus station in Bath at 12:45 p.m.
Walk or taxi to The Carfax Hotel.
The rest of the day is free to have lunch, explore central Bath and/or to sleep off jet lag.
10:30 a.m.: A Jane Austen Centre guide arrives at the hotel to begin our Jane Austen walking tour of Bath--Austen residences, the Assembly Rooms, possibly the Regency part of the Costume Museum--with lunch at a Georgian restaurant, concluding at approximately 3:30 after a final stop at the Jane Austen Centre, whereupon we board a bus for a tour around Bath.
8:30 a.m.: Board a chartered minivan for a day trip to the coast: Lyme Regis.
10:30 a.m.: Arrive in Lyme Regis, where we'll tour the town and read from Persuasion on the Cobb. Lunch on your own. Some may wish to take a brief hike above the town and along the cliffs if there's time.
2:30-3:00: Leave Lyme Regis for the return trip to Bath.
4:40-5:00: Arrive back at the hotel.
All day Bath tour: Bath Abbey, the Roman Baths, Costume Museum (if we missed it on Tuesday), the Royal Crescent and Museum at #1 Royal Crescent, the splendid Georgian architecture of the city; perhaps a walk to Beechen Cliff (Northanger Abbey)…. Tea at the Pump Room.
Walk or taxi to the Bath bus station to catch the 9:45 a.m. National Express coach arriving at Heathrow central bus station at 12:30 p.m.; transfer to another coach departing Heathrow at 2:45 p.m. for Winchester.
Arrive in Winchester at 3:55 p.m.
Walk to the Winchester Royal Hotel for check-in.
Walk to the Winchester Tourist Center for information packets. Explore the High Street.
Evensong at Winchester Cathedral (see Monday, May 20, as well).
Guided walking tour of historic Winchester. Sights: the house where Jane Austen died, Winchester Cathedral (where Jane Austen is buried) and Close, the Kingsgate, the Westgate, the City Mill, Wolvesey Castle ruins, the River Itchen and Weirs Walk, the Great Hall (including King Arthur's Round Table)….
10:00: Board a chartered mini-coach for a day trip to
5:30 (approximately): arrive back at the hotel.
Laundry day: suds at the launderette.
5:30: Optional Evensong at Winchester Cathedral (see Friday, May 17 as well).
8:30 a.m.: Walk to the bus station to board the 9:05 a.m. National Express coach for Heathrow.
10:25: Arrive at Heathrow.
Take the tube or bus to Russell Square, London, and a short walk to our hotel.
Noon (approximately): Arrive at The Harlingford Hotel.
Visit the British Museum, then the British Library to see Jane Austen manuscripts.
9:00: Set off for Box Hill via tube and train.
10:00 (approximately): Hike Box Hill, culminating with a picnic and reading of the famous scene from Emma. (Picnic of traditional English foods catered by Katie and Eleanor Schmidt, Prof. S.'s cousins who live three miles from Box Hill.)
Train back to London's Waterloo Station.
3:00 (approximately): Tour of the New Globe Theatre, including part of the rehearsal for A Midsummer Night's Dream.
7:30: A performance of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night at the Globe.
10:30 (approximately): Tube back to Russell Square and the hotel.
9:30: Tube or walk to the Thames River to catch the 10:30 boat to Hampton Court. Tour Hampton Court.
Late afternoon/early evening: Train and tube to Waterloo Station and a "flight" on the London Eye at 7:00.
9:00 a.m.: Walk to Russell Square to catch a tour bus at 9:30.
Tour bus to the National Portrait Gallery, arriving at 10:00 a.m. to see the drawing of Jane Austen by her sister, Cassandra.
All the rest of the day: Get on and off the tour bus as you wish to see the sights, shop for souvenirs, and enjoy your last day in England!
8:00 a.m.: Check out of the hotel and tube or catch a bus for Heathrow.
11:30 a.m.: Depart Heathrow on Virgin Atlantic flight #21.
2:40 p.m.: Arrive Dulles International Airport.