Cotswolds Questions
 

Our family will be going to the Cotswolds in June/July. We are thinking of staying in Broadway and renting a car to see the surrounding countryside. Any suggestions as to where we should pick up our car? We don't want to drive in London, and have heard Oxford traffic is bad as well. I have heard there is train service between London and Moreton-in-Marsh. Does anyone have info on this? Also, the place we are thinking of staying is on the High Street in Broadway. Will this be too noisy (trucks, buses)? Thanks for any comments.

We always pick up our automobile from the airport and completely avoid London. It would be an easy drive into the Cotswolds from Heathrow.

Thanks for the info, Mike! <BR> <BR>Anyone else have suggestions or answers to the Broadway question? <BR>

We are going to the cotswolds in March and staying at a small inn called the Old Rectory Inn in a small town called Willersly right next to Broadway. They have agreat web site you might want to check out. We'll let fodor's forum readers know how it was when we get back.

We were in the Cotswolds last September/October. It is a beautiful area. We stayed in Burford, which is halfway between the Cotswolds and Oxford. We went to Broadway really quite by accident because it was not one of the places we intended to visit but we sure am glad we did!! It is not a village but more of a market town-quite big actually. High street is like Main street here in the US so you'd expect traffic and tourist too.I don't know exactly where you are staying but High Street is a very long street and unless you are staying right in the so-called tourist section (where the shops and restaurants are), I think you'd be OK. But again we are talking peak summer season here, so I don't kow how bad it can get. Broadway is very charming and definitely a tourist town much like Burton-in-the-water or Stow. I really love going there and would visit it again. We got our car from the airport and both airports (Gatwick and Heathrow) are quite a distance from London, so you'd have no trouble driving it to the Cotswolds. I hope you enjoy your visit because we did and we'll do it again and again if I have my way.

We were in the Cotswolds last September/October. It is a beautiful area. We stayed in Burford, which is halfway between the Cotswolds and Oxford. We went to Broadway really quite by accident because it was not one of the places we intended to visit but we sure am glad we did!! It is not a village but more of a market town-quite big actually. High street is like Main street here in the US so you'd expect traffic and tourist too.I don't know exactly where you are staying but High Street is a very long street and unless you are staying right in the so-called tourist section (where the shops and restaurants are), I think you'd be OK. But again we are talking peak summer season here, so I don't kow how bad it can get. Broadway is very charming and definitely a tourist town much like Burton-in-the-water or Stow. I really love going there and would visit it again. We got our car from the airport and both airports (Gatwick and Heathrow) are quite a distance from London, so you'd have no trouble driving it to the Cotswolds. I hope you enjoy your visit because we did and we'll do it again and again if I have my way.

Until late last year Broadway High Street was spoilt by the heavy amount of traffic which travelled through everyday. However, when I went back in November 97 a by-pass had finally opened. This means that all the trucks and cars no longer travel down the High Street. The difference was amazing. It is now very quiet (although busier in summer) as the only traffic is of the tourist kind. If you stay in a hotel in Broadway, do check whether the hotel has a car park as there is no street parking. For your info, there is a train service from London Paddington to Moreton-in-Marsh which takes approximately 1.5 hours (in winter the trains are every hour). I would go with the car hire option from the airport though. Oxford traffic can be a little busy, but to get to the Cotswolds you drive around Oxford, not through it, and as long as you avoid 8am-9.30am and 4.30pm-6pm you should not have too many problems. I would expect car hire to be much more expensive in the Cotswolds than at the airport.

Kate, We've been in the Cotswolds twice, by car in '89 and walking in '94. The Cotswolds is a walker's paradise; it's crisscrossed by ancient footpaths that are gentle, well maintained and clearly marked. They follow the rivers and go through villages and countryside. Unlike the towns they're not croweded and the scenery is wonderful. Your hotel should be able to give you directions for a walk from Broadway to neighboring villages and back, or you can buy an Ordinance Survey map that details all the public footpaths. I'll bet if yhou spend a few hours walking, it will be one of the high spots of the trip.

Hi Kate: We have been to the Cotswolds twice and both times we took the train from central London and rented our car in Oxford. It was very easy and we do so again. We made our car hire arrangements here with our travel agent. There are numerous trains running daily to Oxford. Take a cab from the train station to car rental place. We toured all the little towns in the Cotswolds - our favourite is Stow-on-the-Wold. We stayed in a charming hotel -the Stow Lodge- facing the market square nicely set back from the main street. Absolutely charming - a gracious English manor style hotel with a carriage house annex at the rear. The carriage house rooms are beautifully furnished with all amenities. The old-world charm is exactly what we envisioned. There is a cosy lounge/bar with fireplace that serves wonderful food in addition to the main dining room. If you are staying there I would recommend taking dinner/bed & breakfast - best buy. The owners are most hospitable. Their tel.# is 830485. We did see Broadway but found it a little touristy for our liking. However, the entire area is charming, lovely villages and shops. Enjoy.

<BR>Pick your car up at Heathrow. Drive around oxford, and spend a night at Bibury. Absolutely fantastic village, stay at the Bibury Court Hotel, pricey but wonderful. <BR>We were there in September 98. It will be very busy in JUNE/JULY. <BR>Try and book some accommodation before you arrive. We had some difficulty for 3 adults. <BR>We stayed in small villages within the Cotswolds, usually at farm B&Bs. We then ate in small country pubs. <BR>If you catch a train you are fairly limited in what you can see. The Cotswolds is not serviced terribly well with buses to visit out of the way (non touristy areas) places.

We went to the Costwolds last summer and had a great time. I agree with getting a car at the airport and driving. Curiously enough, it is easier driving on the highway than in the small towns. On the motorways (M-roads) it is just like driving on the interstates. You do not need to worry about the on-coming traffic and you do less shifting (the stick is on the left, as is the the clutch). This will get you accustomed to the roads. The roads in the Costwold vary incredibly in size. There are no M-roads, but between major towns are large A-roads. The B-roads in that area are particularly narrow. Be aware that you may need to stop on the side when encountering on-coming traffic. <BR>We found Broadway to be a very nice town. The description as a market town is quite accurate. We found eating at pubs to be a good deal with very good food. One place we went that very good was the 'Hollow Bottom' in Guiting Power between Stow-on-the-Wold and Winchcombe. G.P. is a small town with as church, a Post Office, about 20 houses and two pubs. It is horse country, so it is not surprising that there is a good deal of racing memorabilia there. You mention that you are going with your family. One good game to play with children is listing all of the names of the different pubs you go by. We also made a cheer: 'Sheep to left, sheep to the right; Stand up, sit down; fight, fight, fight!' This can be used often in the Cotswold. If you have kids, the Cotswold Farm Park is very good.