I love Cheltenham, but I would not recommend it if one wants to experience the Cotswolds. Being " the most complete Regency town in the UK" doesn't exactly correspond to one's perception of the Cotswolds. One of the reasons Chipping Camden and Burford were mentioned as places to stay was the fact that neither could be described as " tourist inundated."

"you are able to walk the traditional footpaths that I would find hard to navigate on my own"

For heaven's sake. The OP is a KIWI - so self-evidently capable of picking up an OS 1:25,000 map and navigating herself.

Millions of us manage it effortlessly, on terrain we've never encountered before, every day of the week. We cut North Americans some slack with their endless whining about driving on the proper side of the road, because we do waste less space on absurdly wide roads than they do.

But surely you can read a bloody map?

One of the reasons Chipping Camden and Burford were mentioned as places to stay was the fact that neither could be described as " tourist inundated.">

But so many places folks do stay are - great suggestions - but again for price may be out of the budget for OP. I only present Cheltenham as a possibility - a very feasible base for those 1- on a budget - 2 - like cities more than villages, few as that may be but I am one - the pulse of a city rather than the somnolence of a village - each to their own tastes but yes if you can avoid the Stow-on (in?) the Wold type tourist mobs all the better.

What makes you think Cheltenham is a 'budget destination'?

>> 2 - like cities more than villages,<<

Probably 95% of folks wanting to visit the Cotswolds are trying to get out of cities and see the countryside. That's their main reason for going there.


(Stow-on-the-Wold is hardly inundated w/ tourists. Any reason you fixed on it for your example? If you had mentioned Bourton-on-the-Water or Bibury . . . <i>maybe</i> - but Stow?)

Well Stow when I was there had more than one bus group but maybe it was an anomaly - I will defer to your being more knowledgeable than moi!

FlannerUK, To respond politely to your rude response, in my experience the footpaths are usually pretty easy to follow but not always. Plus HF Holidays gives us Americans (and New Zealanders) a chance to get to know fellow walkers, mostly English. Funny thing, the English folks we've met have been polite and friendly.

York House in Tetbury & Bramley House in Chipping Campden were both terrific places to stay.

http://www.travelswithmaitaitom.com/...land_2013.html

Funny thing, the English folks we've met have been polite and friendly.>

Yes British ramblers are ubiquitously polite - perhaps too properly polite - kind of straight arrows it seems but always engaging and polite - of course their are rude folks everywhere but they apparently do not walk on footpaths much, thank God but reside in gated estates.

http://cotswolds.com/Portals/4/pdfs/mapCots.pdf

janisj says Cheltenham is too far west from most Cotswolds sites - well this map shows how close Cheltenham is to all of the Cotswolds - again not recommending Cheltenham for all but for some like me that prefer a real city - most I know love those cute quiet Cotswold villages. But Cheltenham is in no way too far west IME.

thanks for all the comments. Will take these on board. i use tripadvisor for accommodation and lastminute.co.uk. Any other suggestions for this area. We do have a car and hope to do some walking.

We stayed here just outside CC and loved it.

http://www.bramleyhouse.co.uk/rooms.php