Staying the night in England: Hotel?

To get around London in a car without getting stuck in a traffic jam in my experience is only possible during the summer months outside holidays with dry weather during the week at night between three and four in the morning. But that should not be the starting point for your journey planning. It is much more comfortable to plan an extra day of travel when going North or West. Seen from the perspective of arrival at Dover, of course. This brings you to the question of where to stay the night.

Hotels are plentiful, but my recommendation are the small places a bit off the main routes. We found a very good example during our autumn holidays: Knoll Hill Farm near Frome (give me credit for not realizing immediately that it is pronounced “Froom”) in Somerset. Our attention was drawn to it by the good ratings and appraising comments on the internet. Many attractions are found in the surroundings, foremost Stonehenge, making it an ideal base for day trips.

The farm is managed by Joss and her son Sam, has very comfortable rooms and a remarkably good breakfast. Friends of the “full English” will be very pleased. Sam, who also is the chef, only uses local products of highest quality. And that is how it tastes. No mass products.

Joss and her son Sam, our hosts at Knoll Hill Farm

But in the end, it is the geniality of the hosts which makes the difference. We got tips for our our excursions, the best route to take and for restaurants which were all based on personal experience and always were spot on. For example, the pub down in the village which can be reached by foot. By that, the beer sampling was legally taken care of without having to toss a coin for “Who’s driving?”.

So, if you are out of options, take a hotel. But the choice of small, personal and affordable accommodations is large. And personal contact more worth than anything else. Should you plan to stay in Somerset: Knoll Hill Farm – The place to stay. Or somewhere else? To our experience, “booking.com” offers a great choice and the ratings on trip advisor -if you read the comments- give an accurate picture.