to ask if you've ever been to Stratford upon Avon

[PinkStarAtNight]

I would appreciate tips please!

We are planning a weekend there first August Bank Holiday. We will be there two and a half days. We want to see all the main things; Shakespeare's birthplace and associated houses, tour of the RSC, river boat tour etc

We have booked to see a play at 2pm on the Monday. Nothing else booked so far - I'm wondering how far in advance do we need to book tickets for things like Shakespeare's House? Do they usually get fully booked very soon, could we leave it until the week before we go?

Also, any tips for how to maximise our time or just anything you think we need to know about Stratford upon Avon before going...would really appreciate the experience of mumsnet 😊

Thank you in advance!!

I'm a local, you will find plenty to do based on budget but I always recommend a walk along the river opposite the theatre until you hit the pedestrian bridge then back up the other side, nice view of the theatre and brings you up to holy trinity to see Shakespeare's grave. Mad museum is great, butterfly farm fun for littles but gets HOT in summer.
If budget and tastes allow book in at salt and the woodsman both are excellent as is el greco, if you want chippie go to kingfisher not Barnaby's, same road huge difference in quality, you do not need to eat in a chain restaurant whilst you are here!
Have a drink at the Garrick and the thatch if you're into oldie worldie style pubs but the cocktail cafe whilst small is very nice. The dirty duck is fun for a quick drink but don't eat there. If the weather is nice the beer garden at the ebar is directly on the river and you can watch the rowing boats go past.
If you're driving agree with others to try Kenilworth, have dinner in the garden at the queen and castle overlooking the actual castle. Also worth driving to Leamington and having a walk round there too.
Hope you have a fabulous trip!

You can get the bus or train to Warwick from Stratford so you can visit there too even without a car Transport options

there is also a food market on in Stratford on Sundays and bank holiday Mondays which has some really good food options.

^This

Red Hot Mamma's (amazing pizzas) is very good and there is another restaurant in Warwick and Leamington - should you be that way one evening - but do make a reservation.

Other NT places already mentioned Coughton court and Packwood house, very pretty.

Ignore people saying you won't need more than an afternoon - you'll need more than that if you're seeing a play and want to visit at least one of the properties, all of which are worth visiting. Anne Hathaway's cottage is just outside Stratford and is a nice walk - about a mile I think. Mary Arden's house is also interesting.
Consider seeing a second play, whether or not it's Shakespeare.
If you want to go a bit further afield there's Charlecote Park and Hidcote - both are NT.
If you like walking there's the Greenway or the canal towards Wootton Wawen.

We thoroughly enjoyed the butterfly farm, MAD museum and boat tours when we went.

Yep. . Take the lift to the top of the theatre...it's free and you have amazing views. Mad museum is worth going too. Children go free with blue Peter badge. Lovely river walk. Tbh I never got the shops. They just shops. It's a beautiful area to live in. Warwick, Leamington spa, kenniworth near by.....

Yes, I have, and it was lovely. Really enjoyed it.👍

We visited in April and I absolutely loved the town. Stunningly beautiful buildings and scenery along the river.

We live relatively locally (about 40 miles) but have often stayed overnight over the years as it’s a great weekend getaway just for the atmosphere. It is busy during the day but as a couple of people have noted, you can see the key highlights in an afternoon and I imagine that is what many of the international coach trips do - which means after about 5pm it’s lovely and quiet and any statues or buildings that were full of crowds during the day will be deserted if you did want nice photos! It’s great in lovely weather during the day though, loads of street performers/musicians just to wander around and sit outside a cafe.

Go on the chain ferry. It saves quite a walk.

The Opposition is a lovely restaurant and does an Early Bird Menu which is excellent value.

Ann Hathaway's is a walk out from the centre but very doable.

A stroll along the river. A cruise. Rowing boat hire.

The big wheel.

Just a look at some of the old buildings on a stroll around the town.

@hopscotcher

Sadly, Mary Arden's is closed to the public. It is only open to schools now. Us, locals are very sad about this.

Mad museum is super for the kids
Butterfly farm is lovely (and tickets are all day so you can go back and forth if you want to)
River cruise
See a play of you can get tickets for something you fancy
AH cottage is a stop on the sightseeing bus, it's so pretty. I'd love to live in Shottery but it is pricey!
Magic Alley if you like witchy/ghosty things and there's a store at top of Henley St which is Harry Potter stuff if the kids are into that.
Fourteas is great for wartime themed tearoom. Love it in there.
Recreation Ground superb playground with splash pool and a coffee/ice cream trailer.
Walk to Holy Trinity
Do a ghost tour

Box Brownie (also top of Henley St) is my favourite little coffee haunt.
My kids love Zoo Sushi for food, or El Greco.

Charlecote Park is close by NT, it's about 10/15 minutes via the Tiddington Road. Not sure about public transport there though.

Get the bus to Kenilworth or Warwick. Kenilworth castle and old town is lovely. Warwick town centre also pretty (not as big as you think) but there's Lord Leycester hospital, St Mary's church, a sweet free museum in the town centre. Plenty to fill a few hours pottering about, and St Nick's park for the kids.

There is also a Mary's Sweet Emporium traditional sweet shop which has a lovely story. Started by a Chap who ran it for years - a little quirky, but then diagnosed with cancer, married his partner dressed as WIlly Wonker and when he passed away he left the sweet shop to his now wife who gave it to a local food bank who use the profits to help them. And if you go there a bit further down the road is Present Days a gorgeous shop full of all sorts of gifty things, womens clothes, cards and so on all beautifully displayed

Hello WimpoleHat :) We are just now looking at booking a tour of the RSC and since you mentioned you've done several of them I thought I'd ask for some advice.

We've read that each tour is slightly different and it says on the website that they will 'do their best' to take you into the main theatre (as in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre) as long as there are no plays happening.

We really want to try make sure we have the best chance of seeing the main theatre hall so we are trying to book a time slot where there aren't any performances scheduled. However it would mess up our itinerary a bit so....I don't suppose you know how likely it is that they will take you into the main theatre on any given day and the best way to guarantee this?

If we book a time slot a few hours before a play is scheduled will they take us in? Or will it be off limits because of setting up/rehearsals?

Thank you so much in advance for any light you can shine on this, there's not so much detail on the website! :)

We weren’t able to go into the main theatre when we did the tour. I wasn’t too bothered about that as I’ve seen a lot of plays in there anyway. We were taken to see the costume and prop workshops across the road, which were really interesting.

It’ll be closed if there’s a performance scheduled that day, as far as I know.

(I live here)

Hi @PinkStarAtNight - I have done several of these tours and have always been taken into an auditorium at some point (there’s the main Royal Shakespeare Theatre and the Swan Theatre next door). Not re timings though? I’d give the box office a call and ask them; you get to speak to a “real” person (if that makes sense!) and they have always been very knowledgeable and helpful when I’ve had a query. Hope you have a super trip!

Yeah the mad museum and butterfly house plus an extra play. I love it and can spend a few days there happily. Book the backstage theatre tour if it is on too.

Thanks so much for the replies, very helpful. I will try calling the box office, that's a good idea actually :)