weliseb

Hello! I’ve been dreaming of a Cotswolds walking vacation and wondered, is early May a good time to go? Will there be lots of spring green and decent weather, or is it still too early in the season? This would be a once-in-a-lifetime trip and I want to make the most of it! Thanks!

MmePerdu

I've walked in the Cotswolds a number of times, nearly always in May, including the entire Cotswold Way over several visits. I find it an excellent time of year, uncrowded on the paths & beautiful. There can be weather but not extreme though crossing a field one day there was sunshine, rain & hail within moments. That's just how it is in England so come prepared. I always have a raincoat & umbrella to take out as needed. Gardens are beautiful in May, another of my particular interests.

janisj

May is about as good as it gets . . . Any time between say March and October can have similar weather. It can be nice and/or warm and/or cold and/or wet and/or dry. As MmePerdu noted, it can be all of the above on the same day. But the 'odds' for generally good weather are better in May/June. There are two Bank Holidays - at the very beginning and very end of May when the prettiest Cotswold villages can be overrun with day trippers. But between those two weekends things shouldn't be crowded. And the days are starting to get very long.

I've had glorious weather in April and crap weather in May/June . . . and vice versa.

Green won't be an issue -- things are green almost year round

crellston

It depends what you mean by "decent weather". For half of the year at least, I live quite close to the Cotswolds and early May is one time that I would choose to visit, not because of the weather but because of the lack of tourists.

As far as the weather is concerned, it will be changeable in early May but not in the way the above posts describe. Look at the weather forecast, or even out of your hotel room window and choose your clothes accordingly and enjoy!

For a "once in a lifetime " trip you can focus on good weather or lack of crowds, not both.

Fodorite017

English weather is definitely unpredictable- however at that time of year you shouldn’t be experiencing any sort of extremes and you should have fresh mornings and mild to warm afternoons. If you have appropriate emergency rainwear (for any sudden downpours) and don’t worry about it, it’s a good time weather wise to visit.

Definitely though, try to avoid the very first week in May if possible. The 1st May is a public holiday, and this week could see a large number of tourists in the area. The Cotswolds are definitely nicer when not fighting through throngs of fellow tourists!

tomandjudy

We are planning a trip to the Cotswolds in May. We love to hike and are wondering which town or towns would be best as a base from which to walk and are also large enough to be interesting (shops, restaurants) if we want to stay put. Would it be better to choose two different bases for variety or proximity to other walking options? We won't have a car and would depend on buses or taxis to get wherever we can't walk. We'll be flying into London from Toronto, Canada, and staying about 2 days before heading to the Cotswolds. We would like to include a short stay in both Oxford and Bath before we head back to London for a return home. Overall, we would expect to stay in the UK for about 3 weeks. We stayed in Broadway in 2007 and had a car then. We're wondering about Chipping-Camden, Moreton-on-Marsh, Bourton-on-the Water, other? Thanks for any suggestions.

zebec

Yo T&J,
From a fellow Torontonian...
We stayed in CC last summer and found that it worked well as a base. I'm guessing that the quotient of touristiness found in Bourton might be a put-off. Moreton seemed less attractive. CC has 3 VG delis plus a range of restaurants.
We enjoyed tea at Badger Hall.
We enjoyed a splurge meal at Cotswold House (bonus garden out back to visit).
Eight Bells pub as good as any. *Daytrip meal: The Howard Arms in Ilmington. Satisfaction guaranteed in a far less-touristed village.

Maybe just check our bussing schedules nearby CC, coz in July the old owners sold the main bus line biz to a new outfit. Some subsequent chaos, with anxious parents hiring private drivers to take their teens up to Stratford to write crucial final exams during the chaos and bussing snafus.
*Suggested Taxi: Ian 'Cookie' Cook. 00447 497 626444
We'll be posting a detailed TR further down the road.

I am done. the hedgehog

tomandjudy

I'll look forward to your trip report. Do you know if it's possible to hook up with walking groups/tours from Chipping-Camden? My memory is that it was easy to get walking maps for self-guided rambles.

janisj

tomandjudy: You've tacked your questions on to another thread with different questions/issues. It would be much better if you started a new thread of your own. You have left things a little late for booking accommodations and such - especially with the extra May Bank Holiday this year. I'll wait for the new thread before commenting further . . .

zebec

T&J: yes the Tourism Office has all those maps. It is located next to the library on the main drag/High Street. Staff there are excellent, Richard Fermor, George and the other volunteers. *They could best inform all those with queries, including OP Weliseb.
CC is the nexus for a number of walks: The Monarch Way, the Heart of England plus of course the Cotswold Way. We did bits of each.
best
I am done. the walking stick

zebec

Hi Weliseb,
You could get valuable feedback from the abovementioned folks just by emailing them. Would only cost you a few moments of your time.
Good luck.
I am done. the Scuttlebrook

Heimdall

Good point from janisj re holidays in May. This year there will be three-day weekends 3 times in May — the usual ones on the first and last weekends of the month, but also the Coronation of King Charles on May 6th, when Monday May 8th will be a holiday.