Want to see the Cotswalds but HOW?!
Jul 18th, 2005, 04:23 PM
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Want to see the Cotswalds but HOW?!
Me & husband are staying in london August 9-23 and would love to see the Cotswalds on a day trip but am finding it logistics challenging.
Plan A- Rent a car. Only problem is that we both only know how to drive an automatic. Do they even have these available & is it expensive to rent for just one day? Is insurance horrible [that was my dad's concern]
Plan B- Go on a tour. Unfortunately all the tours i've looked at [like this one from Evan Evans]
http://www.evanevans.co.uk/output/full_day/page_46.html
only go to 3 or 4 places..i would totally feel like i was missing out since you Fodorites talk of all these glorious towns they don't go too...
Plan C- Mad Max Tours has a Cotswald Full Day Discovery Tour http://www.madmax.abel.co.uk/
but it leaves from Bath. at 8:45am. Should i try to get us from London to Bath that early? Would this tour satisfy?
Cant say thank you enough for reading all of my blah blah and helping me too!
Plan A- Rent a car. Only problem is that we both only know how to drive an automatic. Do they even have these available & is it expensive to rent for just one day? Is insurance horrible [that was my dad's concern]
Plan B- Go on a tour. Unfortunately all the tours i've looked at [like this one from Evan Evans]
http://www.evanevans.co.uk/output/full_day/page_46.html
only go to 3 or 4 places..i would totally feel like i was missing out since you Fodorites talk of all these glorious towns they don't go too...
Plan C- Mad Max Tours has a Cotswald Full Day Discovery Tour http://www.madmax.abel.co.uk/
but it leaves from Bath. at 8:45am. Should i try to get us from London to Bath that early? Would this tour satisfy?
Cant say thank you enough for reading all of my blah blah and helping me too!
Jul 18th, 2005, 04:38 PM
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It would be so much better if you could spend a night in the Cotswalds. You would want to pick up a car outside London as driving within London would not be fun. With a car you can cruise thru so many darling towns - stop and go as you wish. One day, what with picking up and returning the car, just doesn't give you enough time.
MasterCard and Visa cover insurance for 2 weeks car rental. I've never gotten additional insurance.
Had no problem renting an automatic. I believe I got it thru Auto Europe. But, check out prices. It will be much more expensive for just a day than a week or more that I had.
MasterCard and Visa cover insurance for 2 weeks car rental. I've never gotten additional insurance.
Had no problem renting an automatic. I believe I got it thru Auto Europe. But, check out prices. It will be much more expensive for just a day than a week or more that I had.
Jul 18th, 2005, 05:30 PM
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How many towns did you want to see in one day? 3 or 4 seems like the max anybody could get to - and still see anything at all - unless you just plan on driving down the street.
We stayed there for four days - and saw six towns in all - you have to leave time to explore, walk between towns, stop in a couple of pubs, do some antiquing - otherwise there's little point in going.
We stayed there for four days - and saw six towns in all - you have to leave time to explore, walk between towns, stop in a couple of pubs, do some antiquing - otherwise there's little point in going.
Jul 18th, 2005, 05:32 PM
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Oh - and IMHO car is the only way to really see anything.
Yes - they have plenty of automatics if you reserve in advance.
Don;t know about one-day prices - we rented for two weeks. And yes - we did buy supplemnetal insurance coverage (but it was cheap - only a couple of dollars a day - since out own auto insurance and AMEX covered most risks).
Yes - they have plenty of automatics if you reserve in advance.
Don;t know about one-day prices - we rented for two weeks. And yes - we did buy supplemnetal insurance coverage (but it was cheap - only a couple of dollars a day - since out own auto insurance and AMEX covered most risks).
Jul 18th, 2005, 05:39 PM
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Your problem is that ANY single-day tour of the Cotswolds (please note the spelling) will automatically be very shallow level and only get you to a few places. It is simply not possible to do a leisurely, multi village tour of the Cotswolds in one day.
Also - the tour from Bath means you'd have to leave London by about 5:30 a.m. - and you'd still only see a handfull of villages.
There is poor rail service into the Cotswolds - you can get there but not to the small off-the-beaten-path villages. Not a good choice for a day trip.
And renting a car for the day isn't much better - by the time you pick up a car in London or in Oxford, tour around, drop the car, and get back to London you will still only have time to see a teensy bit of the Cotswolds.
You simply CANNOT have it all. You really just have to bite the bullet and decide if you 1) want a quick taste of 3 or so villages and rush through on a guided tour -- OR -- 2) spend a couple of days staying in the Cotswolds and actually SEE some of the area.
Also - the tour from Bath means you'd have to leave London by about 5:30 a.m. - and you'd still only see a handfull of villages.
There is poor rail service into the Cotswolds - you can get there but not to the small off-the-beaten-path villages. Not a good choice for a day trip.
And renting a car for the day isn't much better - by the time you pick up a car in London or in Oxford, tour around, drop the car, and get back to London you will still only have time to see a teensy bit of the Cotswolds.
You simply CANNOT have it all. You really just have to bite the bullet and decide if you 1) want a quick taste of 3 or so villages and rush through on a guided tour -- OR -- 2) spend a couple of days staying in the Cotswolds and actually SEE some of the area.
Jul 18th, 2005, 10:57 PM
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Of course you can see a lot of the Cotswolds by public transport in a day. Or - better yet - by public transport and your own two feet. You'll see a lot more if you overnight outside London, but it really isn't essential.
You have two broad strategic choices. One is to exploit the public footpaths running to, from and in between pretty well all the stations on the Cotswold Line. So get the booklet "From the Wye to the Thames" from the Cotswold Line Promotion Group (www.clpg.co.uk). This gives you a series of country strolls between the stations.
The alternative is to take public buses, starting off from the stations at Oxford or Moreton in Marsh and ending up at the same, or another, railhead. This isn't an option on Sundays, when few buses run, but it's remarkable how much you can get in the other days. The last train back to London from Moreton is around 2300, and they practically never stop from Oxford (in fact the buses never do stop), so you can leave leaving pretty late. Visitors from more genteel countries (which is where people fazed by driving on ordinary roads with ordinary cars tend to come from) might find spending the evening in Oxford a bit Modern English for their tastes, though. The bouncers on the pub doors are as ugly, socially graceful and busy as anywhere else in the country.
Planning is a bit fiddly, and the damn railway company has now dropped the bus connections from its web and printed timetables.
I've outlined the general way you can do this on my posting of June 11 at http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34612701
I'll happily email you the fuller timetable summary if you post your address.
Remember though:
1. There is no "must see" here (there is of course no "must see" anywhere on the planet, but it's especially true here). You appreciate the Cotswold Way best by walking along green lanes from a pub in the Hooky belt to a pub in the Brakspear's belt, stopping off at a few churches and gawping into a few back gardens. Charging from one tourist cliche to another gets you nowhere. Less is more.
2. Stringing a few towns together by public transport will mean you'll "miss" (or as we'd put it, be spared) some of the things in American guidebooks. Your life will be in no sense diminished by that.
You have two broad strategic choices. One is to exploit the public footpaths running to, from and in between pretty well all the stations on the Cotswold Line. So get the booklet "From the Wye to the Thames" from the Cotswold Line Promotion Group (www.clpg.co.uk). This gives you a series of country strolls between the stations.
The alternative is to take public buses, starting off from the stations at Oxford or Moreton in Marsh and ending up at the same, or another, railhead. This isn't an option on Sundays, when few buses run, but it's remarkable how much you can get in the other days. The last train back to London from Moreton is around 2300, and they practically never stop from Oxford (in fact the buses never do stop), so you can leave leaving pretty late. Visitors from more genteel countries (which is where people fazed by driving on ordinary roads with ordinary cars tend to come from) might find spending the evening in Oxford a bit Modern English for their tastes, though. The bouncers on the pub doors are as ugly, socially graceful and busy as anywhere else in the country.
Planning is a bit fiddly, and the damn railway company has now dropped the bus connections from its web and printed timetables.
I've outlined the general way you can do this on my posting of June 11 at http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34612701
I'll happily email you the fuller timetable summary if you post your address.
Remember though:
1. There is no "must see" here (there is of course no "must see" anywhere on the planet, but it's especially true here). You appreciate the Cotswold Way best by walking along green lanes from a pub in the Hooky belt to a pub in the Brakspear's belt, stopping off at a few churches and gawping into a few back gardens. Charging from one tourist cliche to another gets you nowhere. Less is more.
2. Stringing a few towns together by public transport will mean you'll "miss" (or as we'd put it, be spared) some of the things in American guidebooks. Your life will be in no sense diminished by that.
Jul 19th, 2005, 04:43 AM
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flanneruk's advice is great.
Here is a link that may help with your planning:
http://www.the-cotswolds.org/top/eng...romlondon.html
Here is a link that may help with your planning:
http://www.the-cotswolds.org/top/eng...romlondon.html
Jul 19th, 2005, 05:49 AM
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flanneruk is right - of course you can take a lovely day-long walk in the Cotswolds, or see a bit by taking the train to Moreton and then buses or walking from there. I LOVE walkimg in the Cotswolds - partly because villages are close together so you don't have to walk miles and also because most walks aren't strenuous.
But the OP seems to say that they want to see more - "only go to 3 or 4 places..i would totally feel like i was missing out". A do-it-on your-own by train/bus will get them to even fewer locations than one of the organized tours.
neeka27: If you want to really experience a small corner of the Cotswolds and have a lovely day out - flanner's suggestions are very good. But don't think you will get to widely separated places.
I personally think coach tours of the Cotswolds are the pits - too rushed for an area that is much better seen in low gear. If you only have the one day - then taking the train to Moreton-in-Marsh and heading out from there on foot or by local buses would be my choice too.
But also realize you won't be able to get to many of those places that you've read about - "Fodorites talk of all these glorious towns". You would see and enjoy a slice of the Cotswolds - a lot better than trying to rush through everywhere on a coach or driving yourselves.
But if you CAN overnight - you will be able to see a lot more and be in the area when it is at its best -- in the mornings and evenings after all those day trippers on the coach tours have gone home . . . . . .
But the OP seems to say that they want to see more - "only go to 3 or 4 places..i would totally feel like i was missing out". A do-it-on your-own by train/bus will get them to even fewer locations than one of the organized tours.
neeka27: If you want to really experience a small corner of the Cotswolds and have a lovely day out - flanner's suggestions are very good. But don't think you will get to widely separated places.
I personally think coach tours of the Cotswolds are the pits - too rushed for an area that is much better seen in low gear. If you only have the one day - then taking the train to Moreton-in-Marsh and heading out from there on foot or by local buses would be my choice too.
But also realize you won't be able to get to many of those places that you've read about - "Fodorites talk of all these glorious towns". You would see and enjoy a slice of the Cotswolds - a lot better than trying to rush through everywhere on a coach or driving yourselves.
But if you CAN overnight - you will be able to see a lot more and be in the area when it is at its best -- in the mornings and evenings after all those day trippers on the coach tours have gone home . . . . . .
Jul 19th, 2005, 07:23 AM
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A day in the Cotswolds would never work.
A week would be worth it and you could rent a self catering cottage for the week. We usually take the train from London Paddington to Bath and rent from Hertz at the Bath train station. We drive to Stanton and stay at one of the Stanton Court cottages. Yes they do rent automatic cars, but make sure you reserve in advance, they are not as plentiful as here in the States. I have also done the train and the stops I used were Morton on Marsh, Evesham, Banbury. You would have to plan your time for returning and that can be a little difficult. There are wonderful small towns such as Great Tew, Coates, that you would have to drive to. Some touristy towns are Broadway, Bourton on Water, Upper and Lower Slaughter. I was in Stanton for a week this past May.
Good luck.
A week would be worth it and you could rent a self catering cottage for the week. We usually take the train from London Paddington to Bath and rent from Hertz at the Bath train station. We drive to Stanton and stay at one of the Stanton Court cottages. Yes they do rent automatic cars, but make sure you reserve in advance, they are not as plentiful as here in the States. I have also done the train and the stops I used were Morton on Marsh, Evesham, Banbury. You would have to plan your time for returning and that can be a little difficult. There are wonderful small towns such as Great Tew, Coates, that you would have to drive to. Some touristy towns are Broadway, Bourton on Water, Upper and Lower Slaughter. I was in Stanton for a week this past May.
Good luck.
Jul 19th, 2005, 07:28 AM
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As a tourist last year, I did the Cotswolds (speedtour) by train and bus in a day, but it is a bit of madness to do this. You have to time the rail and the bus schedule to certain towns. This is the trip I did. Rail to Moreton on Marsh from London. From there to the tourist office for a bus schedule only to find out the next bus to Chipping Camden leaves in 10 minutes, so ran over to catch the bus figuring I'd see Moreton on the way back. On to Chipping Camden where I have about 1 1/2 hours to spend to look around the town, have lunch and catch the next bus to Broadway. In Broadway I had lots of time, too much and had a hard time finding the best way back to Moreton. The lady in the tourist office was so helpful, she suggested taking the next bus to Evesham and then the train back to Moreton which is what I did. Once back in Moreton I got a chance to see the town quite a bit as the train was delayed for over 3 hours due to a potential suicide on the tracks. I think it would be much nicer to go by car if you can. Train and bus is doable, but you can only see a few towns in a day like everyone else is telling you here. I tend to squeeze alot in a day but too much more than this is hard to do unless you have a car. If you're not driving, the year before I did a Golden Tours day tour that takes you to Burford, Bourton-on- the-Water, Stow on the Wold, and Blenheim. For a few pounds more, I got to go into Blenheim palace and look around, instead of just seeing the gardens. They also include a cream tea. Hope some of my suggestions are helpful.
Jul 19th, 2005, 07:39 AM
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The Cotswolds are lovely and having peeked at the websites you mentioned, can assure you that these places are all gems. With the best will in the world won't you find it exhausting packing in many more than three or four in one day?
Assuming you can get hold of an automatic I would opt for travelling by car if taking an independent tour. By the way I know it's not the done thing to admit to taking coach trips but sometimes questions of time and energy and confidence make you lean that way!
I do hope you manage to get to see (some of) the Cotswolds, you won't be disappointed. Incidentally have you been to Bath, it too deserves a day out of your schedule.
Assuming you can get hold of an automatic I would opt for travelling by car if taking an independent tour. By the way I know it's not the done thing to admit to taking coach trips but sometimes questions of time and energy and confidence make you lean that way!
I do hope you manage to get to see (some of) the Cotswolds, you won't be disappointed. Incidentally have you been to Bath, it too deserves a day out of your schedule.
Jul 19th, 2005, 08:09 AM
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We just returned from a trip to the UK that included touring The Cotswolds. What you want to do from London is almost impossible. The roads throughout The Cotswolds are narrow and traveling these roads take quite a lot of time. We stayed in the Bristol area and used a local auto/driver that was excellent. His name was Mike and his website is www.silverlinebristolcars.com. I normally wouldn't refer anyone but his name was given me by someone on this Fodors website.
The Cotswold villages are beautiful and we had a lot of fun visiting the area.
The Cotswold villages are beautiful and we had a lot of fun visiting the area.
Jul 19th, 2005, 11:19 AM
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We took a day trip out of London and may or may not have seen everything there was to see in the Cotswalds but we enjoyed it.
It included the Cotwalds, Oxford, Stratford upon Avon, and Anne Hathaway's house. Having all that thrown into a single day obviously doesn't give any time to linger but it was an enjoyable day and we did get a taste of the area.
It included the Cotwalds, Oxford, Stratford upon Avon, and Anne Hathaway's house. Having all that thrown into a single day obviously doesn't give any time to linger but it was an enjoyable day and we did get a taste of the area.
