Hotels in Stratford-upon-Avon

Stratford-upon-Avon is Shakespeare's birthplace and trades on it unashamedly: his childhood home on Henley Street and the Royal Shakespeare Company's theatres on the River Avon sit within a short walk of each other. The RSC runs three permanent stages here, the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, the Swan and The Other Place, and opens around twenty productions a year, so there's usually something on beyond the birthplace tour.

It's a genuinely pretty half-timbered market town, but also a heavily touristed one: expect coach parties and gift shops alongside the Tudor buildings. The riverside gardens and canal basin make for an easy afternoon away from the crowds. Stay near the theatre district by the river for the shortest walk to evening performances.