We have 3 maybe 4 days at the end of our trip to see Bath/ Cotwalds, and surrounding areas. Any suggestions of what area to find lodging, and what would be the best way to get everything seen that we need to in that short time? We will have a car.
Cindy

I recommend staying in Cheltenham and doing a day trip to Bath and use the rest of the time to meander.

Thank goodness you have a car. That'll make seeing the Cotswolds so much easier. You could stay in Bath and day trip into the Cotswolds. For example Castle Combe village is less than half an hour away. Just get yourself onto the A46 and head north, Tetbury, Cirencester, Stow on the Wold, Moreton in Marsh and Bourton on the Water are all located along the Fosse Way, a Roman Road that also runs through Bath. It'll be pretty easy to trundle along that and occasionally vering off to explore the villages of the Coln, Leach and Windrush valleys.

We have stayed at the Fosse Manor hotel twice. It is outside Cheltenham/Stow on the Wold. It's a Best Western hotel and you can get a discount using www.smoothound.co.uk website. Rooms price includes a Full English Breakfast. It has been totally redone in the past few years and the food is excellent. From there you can see the Cotswolds and tour Bath.

This area was a definite highlight of a trip I did a few years back - If you are doing a loop in and't by any means you're only options but it's an idea. We went thru this area before continuing north to Scotland We stayed in Bath, Cheltenham and Ilmington (just south of Shakespeare's Stratford-upon-Avon). Loved Bath but felt the small village of Ilmington a much better complete to it than Cheltenham. We stayed at Dorian House in Bath with a lovely view down on the town and in the Howard Arm's in Ilmington where the food was PHENOMENAL! We spent a day and a half in Bath (loved it), visited Sudely Castle (loved it) and strolled thru Chipping Campden one day and toured Stratford upon Avon one day(now I've been there, didn't leave anything) If you only have two nights spend them both in Bath and take a day trip out to a close country site. It's a beautiful geographic area that is dense with fabulous historic properties and lovely villages. It is best enjoyed slowly so don't spread yourself too thin. I bet you'll want to come back!

hit post before I meant to - hope you can understand my garbled message. What I was trying to say at the beginning was "I am assuming you're making a loop in and out of London".

Addition to the info on your other thread:

I would probably stay one night in Bath and two nights in a centrally located Cotswold village (note the spelling - it makes googling a lot easier). Burford or Stow on the Wold would be good choices. Cheltenham is a fairly big town and a village would give you a better Cotswold experience and be more "different" than Bath.

Don't even try to see "everything". Just enjoy the bits you can see.

when we visit Bath we stay some distance away in Sturminster Newton, but if you want to stay right in the Cotswold you might try Wesley House, a mile or 2 from Stow-on-the-wold. Please note that the prices are for room, dinner and breakfast. And the food is wonderful. We were staying at Lord's of the Manor in Upper Slaughter but found the food much better at Wesley House!

http://www.wesleyhouse.co.uk/tariff.asp

On our trip from the Highlands to London, we spent (2) nights in Bourton-on-the-Water and (2) nights in Wells. We undoubltedly missed some things in Bath - we drove thru - but we thoroughly enjoyed the charms of these two towns and the surrounding areas.

4 years ago(wow!Can't believe it was that long ago!), when visiting Bath and surrounding areas I stayed outside of Bath , in a small town called Bathford(3 miles east of Bath), in a B&B called Eagle House.Loved it!The hosts were so sweet and the house is beautiful.I didn't have the commodity of having a car, so we used the bus service there.(which was very well-organized).We loved exploring Bathford and it's sister village BathEaston.Anyway, stayed there for 2 nights.Check them(Eagle House)out on the net.If I ever return, I will stay with them.Hope you have a fantastic trip.I'm jealous!

The Eagle House Website:

eaglehouse.co.uk

When we arrived there:Cold, Wet and Tired, the housekeeper warmly greeted us and sent milk up to our room for our tea!It hit the spot!
Enjoy!!

The Cotswolds is my most favorite place in the UK,have been there many times. Now we rent cottages in the village of Stanton just outside of Stow on Wold, but we did stay at a B&B in Stow on our first visit about 10 yrs ago. An interesting tiny village to visit is Great Tew, Stow, Stanton, Morton on Marsh are very close together. Cheltenham is very large & you don't get the true feeling of the Cotswolds. Arlington Row is lovely to visit as well as Upper and Lower Slaughter. Walking some of the Cotswold way is also a great experience. Enjoy

Hi, Bath is lovely and a friend of mine owns a B&B there if anyone is interested. I hope this doesnt come across as a promotion, which it is but its like recommending Thistle in London. Anyways check it out....http://www.burymanorcastle.com/

Oh and he is an American settled in UK so anyone longing home while in Bath/Cotswold you only have to have a chat with John.