# Stratford-upon-Avon Shakespeare's birthplace, Anne Hathaway's cottage, his grave and the RSC theatre, about two hours from London. Best with a night. Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/england/stratford-upon-avon · Revisado: 2026-11-12 Stratford-upon-Avon is Shakespeare's town: he was born here in 1564, married Anne Hathaway here, bought the biggest house in the town here with what he earned in London, and is buried here. The family's houses can be visited, the River Avon flows past the Royal Shakespeare Company theatre and the centre keeps streets of black-and-white timber-framed houses. It is about two hours from London by train or car: you can do it in one long day, but with a night you enjoy it more and can see a performance. ## How do you get there from London? By train, Chiltern Railways leaves London Marylebone and takes about two hours; most trains to Stratford involve a change at Leamington Spa. Buy your ticket in advance for a specific time. The station is ten minutes' walk from the centre. By car, via the M40 to junction 15 and then the A46, in under two hours from central London if the traffic out of town is kind. In the centre there are pay car parks and a park and ride with a bus. A car makes sense if you want to continue to the Cotswolds: Chipping Campden and Broadway are half an hour away. On an organised tour, many London agencies combine Stratford with Oxford and the Cotswolds in a day. You see each place for an hour; if you are interested in Shakespeare, better to go independently. ## What to see The logical order follows his life. Start with the Birthplace, on Henley Street, with a timed ticket: the timber-framed house where he grew up, his father's glove-making workshop and actors reciting in the garden. The same ticket includes New Place, on Chapel Street, the garden where the house in which he died once stood. Then go down Church Street to Holy Trinity Church, beside the river, where his grave is: it costs £5 to enter the chancel. In the afternoon, walk half an hour across meadows to Anne Hathaway's Cottage, in Shottery, the thatched farmhouse of his wife's family; with the Birthplace ticket it costs just £5 more. On the way back, finish at the river: from Easter to autumn there are half-hour boat trips in front of the theatre and rowing boats to go independently. If you stay, the night is for the theatre: the Royal Shakespeare Company performs Shakespeare almost all year. If not, there is the one-hour guided tour of the building. Bear in mind that two Trust houses, Mary Arden's Farm and Hall's Croft, are closed to general visits. ## A day or a night? In a day, leaving early from Marylebone, you arrive around ten and can see the Birthplace, New Place, the church and Anne Hathaway's, and come back in the evening. It is a long day: four hours of train there and back. With a night you see the same without hurrying, add an RSC performance and in the morning have the town to yourself before the coaches arrive. ## When to go From April to October: the river has boats, the gardens are in bloom and the theatre is in full programme. In winter the houses close at 16:00, the boats do not run and the town is quiet; December has a Christmas market. ## How much does it cost? The Birthplace ticket, with New Place, costs £25 online; Anne Hathaway's, £5 more with it; the grave, £5; the boat, £12. The house tickets are valid for a year. Eating in a pub or tea room costs £15–30 per person. ## Dónde está - Cerca: Cotswolds (a 34.8 km), Oxford (a 57.8 km), Bath (a 100.6 km), Windsor (a 109.2 km) ## Qué hacer - **Shakespeare's Birthplace** (1 h 30 · All ages; under-3s free; family trail · Adult £25 online or £27 at the ticket office; children aged 3 to 17 £12.50 online; includes the New Place gardens and is valid for 12 months): The timber-framed house on Henley Street where William Shakespeare was born in 1564 and spent his childhood, with his father's glove-making workshop, rooms furnished as they were then and actors reciting extracts from his plays in the garden. You enter through the Shakespeare Centre exhibition, next door. The ticket costs £25 online and £27 at the ticket office, has a timed entry and is valid for a year; it includes the gardens of New Place, the house where he died. With it, Anne Hathaway's Cottage costs just £5 more. In November and December it opens every day from 10:00 to 16:00. - **Anne Hathaway's Cottage** (1 h 30 · All ages; the walk there is flat · Adult £15 online, £17 at the ticket office, or £5 if bought with the Birthplace ticket; children £7.50 or £2.50 with the Birthplace): The thatched farmhouse in Shottery where Anne Hathaway, Shakespeare's wife, grew up: eleven rooms with family furniture, including the bed in which he is said to have courted her, and a cottage garden with an orchard and willows. It is Stratford's picture-postcard image. You get there on foot in 30 to 35 minutes from the centre along a path between meadows, or by car, with a public pay car park on Cottage Lane. With a Shakespeare's Birthplace ticket it costs £5 more; on its own, £15 online. - **Shakespeare's New Place, the house where he died** (45 min · All ages · Included in the Birthplace ticket (£25 online)): The biggest house in Stratford, which Shakespeare bought in 1597 and where he died in 1616. The building was demolished in the 18th century and today it is a garden with sculptures inspired by his plays, the outline of the house marked on the ground and a small exhibition. It is on Chapel Street, five minutes from the Birthplace, and is covered by the same ticket. From September to December it opens from 11:00 to 15:00. - **Holy Trinity Church, Shakespeare's grave** (30 min · All ages · Entering the church is free; seeing the grave, in the chancel, costs £5 per adult and £1 per child under 18): The church where Shakespeare was baptised and where he is buried, in the chancel, beside Anne Hathaway, with his funerary bust on the wall and the epitaph cursing anyone who moves his bones. It is south of the centre, at the end of a riverside walk from the theatre. It is a living parish church: entry is free, but access to the grave costs £5. On Sundays it can only be visited from 13:00 to 15:15, and on weekdays it closes during services. - **Guided tour of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre (or an RSC performance)** (1 h · From age 5): The brick theatre beside the river is home to the Royal Shakespeare Company, which performs Shakespeare all year round. If you are not going to see a performance, take the one-hour guided tour of the public areas and the history of the building, suitable from age 5; there are also behind-the-scenes tours, through the dressing rooms and the control room. Book on the RSC website. Seeing a play is the best way to end a day in Stratford, but evening performances finish too late to get back to London by train: do it if you are staying the night here. - **Boat trip on the River Avon** (30 min · All ages; pushchairs are left at the landing stage · Adult £12, child £8, family (2 adults and up to 3 children) £38; rowing boats £11 per person per hour): Half an hour in an Edwardian launch on the Avon: downstream past the theatre and Holy Trinity Church, and upstream beneath the 15th-century Clopton Bridge. It leaves from Bancroft Gardens, beside the theatre, every 15 or 30 minutes from 10:30. It is run by Avon Boating, which also hires out rowing boats and punts by the hour. It costs £12 for adults and £8 for children. Note that the season runs from Easter to autumn, and in winter 2026–2027 it is closed. ## Dónde comer - **The Dirty Duck (Black Swan)** (Bar, Stratford-upon-Avon, €€). Qué pedir: a pie or fish and chips on the terrace, with a pint, looking out over the river. - **The Fourteas** (Café, Stratford-upon-Avon, €€). Qué pedir: the Ivor Novello afternoon tea, with homemade scones, cream and strawberry jam. ## By plane: Fly to London and take a train or drive to Stratford Stratford-upon-Avon has no flights from Spain: you fly to London, with direct flights from almost every Spanish airport, and carry on by train from Marylebone, about two hours, or by hire car along the M40, in under two hours. Birmingham, about 40 minutes by car, also has direct flights from some Spanish cities. Once there, you can explore the centre on foot. ### Dónde dormir if you're flying - **The Arden Hotel** (Hotel): The house A 45-room hotel on Waterside, directly opposite the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, in a row of brick houses beside the river. It has a restaurant with Sunday lunch, a bar and an afternoon tea with a reputation in the town. The rooms, classic in style, range from standard to luxury. Who it suits For anyone who wants to see a Royal Shakespeare Company performance without worrying about the last train: you leave the theatre, cross the street and you are in your room. Also for anyone arriving by car, because it has parking, something scarce in the centre. How to get there From Stratford-upon-Avon station it is about 15 minutes on foot through the centre. Shakespeare's Birthplace is ten minutes away, the landing stage for the boats two, and Holy Trinity Church ten along the riverside path. - **Premier Inn Stratford-upon-Avon Central** (Hotel): The house A modern Premier Inn on Payton Street, beside the Stratford canal, with the chain's usual rooms: a big bed, air conditioning, blackout curtains and family rooms. It has a restaurant for breakfast and dinner. Who it suits For families and for anyone who wants to stay in the centre at a moderate price. Shakespeare's Birthplace is five minutes on foot and the river ten. Getting there and parking The railway station is about ten minutes on foot. The hotel has no car park of its own, apart from four accessible spaces: opposite, the one at the Red Lion pub charges around £12 for 24 hours, and the marina one £8 for 48 hours. ### Servicios - **Stratford-upon-Avon station (trains from London Marylebone)**: Chiltern Railways trains from London Marylebone in about two hours, usually with a change at Leamington Spa. Ten minutes on foot from the centre. ## Car-free: Train from Marylebone and Shakespeare on foot Stratford is small and everything Shakespearean is within walking distance: from the station it is ten minutes to the Birthplace, fifteen to the theatre and half an hour to Anne Hathaway's house along a path between meadows. The train from Marylebone takes about two hours, so a single day falls short: with one night you can see the houses, the river and an RSC performance. Presupuesto orientativo: 110–190 € por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir without a car - **The Arden Hotel** (Hotel): The house A 45-room hotel on Waterside, directly opposite the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, in a row of brick houses beside the river. It has a restaurant with Sunday lunch, a bar and an afternoon tea with a reputation in the town. The rooms, classic in style, range from standard to luxury. Who it suits For anyone who wants to see a Royal Shakespeare Company performance without worrying about the last train: you leave the theatre, cross the street and you are in your room. Also for anyone arriving by car, because it has parking, something scarce in the centre. How to get there From Stratford-upon-Avon station it is about 15 minutes on foot through the centre. Shakespeare's Birthplace is ten minutes away, the landing stage for the boats two, and Holy Trinity Church ten along the riverside path. - **Premier Inn Stratford-upon-Avon Central** (Hotel): The house A modern Premier Inn on Payton Street, beside the Stratford canal, with the chain's usual rooms: a big bed, air conditioning, blackout curtains and family rooms. It has a restaurant for breakfast and dinner. Who it suits For families and for anyone who wants to stay in the centre at a moderate price. Shakespeare's Birthplace is five minutes on foot and the river ten. Getting there and parking The railway station is about ten minutes on foot. The hotel has no car park of its own, apart from four accessible spaces: opposite, the one at the Red Lion pub charges around £12 for 24 hours, and the marina one £8 for 48 hours. ### Servicios - **Stratford-upon-Avon station (trains from London Marylebone)**: Chiltern Railways trains from London Marylebone in about two hours, usually with a change at Leamington Spa. Ten minutes on foot from the centre. ## By car: Along the M40, with the Cotswolds next door By car, Stratford is less than two hours from central London along the M40, and a car lets you do something the train does not: carry on to the villages of the northern Cotswolds, such as Chipping Campden, half an hour away. In the centre, leave the car in a car park or at the park and ride and get around on foot. Presupuesto orientativo: 120–200 € por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir if you're driving - **The Arden Hotel** (Hotel): The house A 45-room hotel on Waterside, directly opposite the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, in a row of brick houses beside the river. It has a restaurant with Sunday lunch, a bar and an afternoon tea with a reputation in the town. The rooms, classic in style, range from standard to luxury. Who it suits For anyone who wants to see a Royal Shakespeare Company performance without worrying about the last train: you leave the theatre, cross the street and you are in your room. Also for anyone arriving by car, because it has parking, something scarce in the centre. How to get there From Stratford-upon-Avon station it is about 15 minutes on foot through the centre. Shakespeare's Birthplace is ten minutes away, the landing stage for the boats two, and Holy Trinity Church ten along the riverside path. - **Premier Inn Stratford-upon-Avon Central** (Hotel): The house A modern Premier Inn on Payton Street, beside the Stratford canal, with the chain's usual rooms: a big bed, air conditioning, blackout curtains and family rooms. It has a restaurant for breakfast and dinner. Who it suits For families and for anyone who wants to stay in the centre at a moderate price. Shakespeare's Birthplace is five minutes on foot and the river ten. Getting there and parking The railway station is about ten minutes on foot. The hotel has no car park of its own, apart from four accessible spaces: opposite, the one at the Red Lion pub charges around £12 for 24 hours, and the marina one £8 for 48 hours. ### Servicios - **Town-centre car parks and park and ride**: Public pay car parks in the centre and a park and ride signposted from the A46, with a bus to the centre. For Anne Hathaway, parking on Cottage Lane. ## As a family: Shakespeare's houses, boats and a theatre Stratford works with children as long as you do not shut them up in old houses all morning. The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust houses have actors reciting in the garden and a family trail; the river has boats and rowing boats from Easter to autumn, and the theatre runs tours from age 5. Under-3s do not pay at the houses. ### What works best Shakespeare's Birthplace, with actors in the garden Anne Hathaway's Cottage, with the walk between meadows and a big garden Boat trip on the Avon, half an hour, Easter to autumn Royal Shakespeare Theatre tour, from age 5 ### Where to stay Premier Inn Stratford-upon-Avon Central, with family rooms The Arden Hotel, opposite the theatre ### Where to eat The Fourteas, with homemade scones The Dirty Duck, with a terrace over the river ### Good to know The boats do not run in winter The Birthplace has timed entry: book it With the Birthplace ticket, Anne Hathaway costs just £5 more ### Qué hacer as a family - Shakespeare's Birthplace - Anne Hathaway's Cottage - Shakespeare's New Place, the house where he died - Holy Trinity Church, Shakespeare's grave - Guided tour of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre (or an RSC performance) - Boat trip on the River Avon ## With young children: Gardens, ducks and a boat on the river With small children, what works in Stratford is outside the houses: the gardens of New Place and Anne Hathaway's, the swans and ducks in Bancroft Gardens and, in season, half an hour on a boat. The houses are narrow and have steps: bring a baby carrier rather than a pushchair. ### What works best Boat trip on the Avon, with somewhere to leave the pushchair at the landing stage New Place gardens, right in the centre Anne Hathaway's Cottage, with a big garden to run around in ### Where to stay Premier Inn Stratford-upon-Avon Central, with family rooms The Arden Hotel, beside the river gardens ### Where to eat The Fourteas, with scones and cakes The Dirty Duck, with a terrace ### Good to know Under-3s go free in the houses The walk to Anne Hathaway's is 30 to 35 minutes along a path; with the very youngest, better by taxi or car ### Qué hacer with young children - Anne Hathaway's Cottage - Shakespeare's New Place, the house where he died - Boat trip on the River Avon ## Consejos ### Book the Birthplace with a time slot Online it is £2 cheaper and you skip the queue. ### Buy Anne Hathaway's with the Birthplace Together, the second costs only £5. ### Walk to Shottery The path through the meadows is part of the visit. ### If you go to a performance, stay the night Evening performances finish too late for the last train to London. ### Check the boat season From Easter to autumn; in winter they do not run. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### Can you go to Stratford in a day from London? Yes, but it is a long day: about two hours by train each way. With a night you enjoy it more. ### Which Shakespeare houses can you visit? The Birthplace, New Place and Anne Hathaway's Cottage. Mary Arden's Farm and Hall's Croft are closed to general visits. ### Where is Shakespeare buried? In Holy Trinity Church, beside the river; seeing the grave costs £5. ### Is there a direct train from London? From Marylebone you almost always have to change at Leamington Spa; in total, about two hours. ### Can you see a play? Yes: the Royal Shakespeare Company performs almost all year in its theatre beside the river. ### Is it worth going by car? If you want to combine it with the villages of the northern Cotswolds, yes.