Cotswolds Suggestions Please
 

We'll be in London next May & want to do a day trip to the Cotswolds. I know there are numerous organized tours that go there. However, for this particular area we would really like to get off the typical tourist trail & soak up the quaintness of the villages. Can we take a train out & then catch buses to several different villages? Which villages would you suggest we try, what should we see while in the villages & what would be the best way to do this. Thanks for the info!

We drove so can't directly address bus <BR>transport. <BR>Burton-on-the-Water is a great place and <BR>you can hike 1-2 to Upper and Lower <BR>Slaughters. <BR>Broadway is a little touristy but in a <BR>great area to see Buckland Manor, Snow- <BR>shill Manor (one of a kind museum) and <BR>also some nice hikes. <BR>I think if your time is limited either <BR>one of these two locations would be <BR>good. <BR> <BR>Have a great time, we will be returning <BR>this spring.

I just returned from two weeks in England. I spent two days in the Cotswolds and now I understand what all the fuss is about....and also why everyone says to visit a different place. They are all beautiful and some just a little different from the rest. That having been said, you MUST see Bibury. It looks like a fairy tale. Whatever you do, see it!!

Take the train from Paddington to Moreton-in-Marsh and you're in the heart of the Cotswolds. Rent a taxi for 15 pounds/hr and be chauffeured through the region. If you don't want to take a tour, this is the best way to see the area. <BR>You will see stone cottages and villages that haven't changed in 250 years (since the wool trade declined), pristine pastures, magnificent stone walls, beautiful town cathedrals, many quaint museums, a few town markets, and interesting shops in a few larger towns--Stow-on-the-Wold, Chipping Camden, and Burton-on-the-Water. If you have the time I would strongly recommend spending a two or three days in the Cotswolds making Stow or Chipping Camden your headquarters. <BR> <BR>Each village is prettier than the last, but I agree that Bibury may be the prettiest of all.

I believe Orginal London Walks offers a guided Cotswolds trip once a week that uses piblic transportation from London that lasts all day. Check out their Web page London.walks.com to see if it's still offered. We took 2 of their London Walks and loved them and were seriously considering their all day trip but the schedule didn't work out.

Such a shame that you'll only have a day to spend in the Cotswolds. You'll be sorry, but at least you can whet your appetite for next time. Taking the train to Moreton is ok, but try and rent a car there - I think Barry's Taxis rent - and if not a car, at least bikes. The taxi idea is ok but you don't get that 'discovering for yourself' kind of feeling which is one of the joys of the Cotswolds. If I had the car I'd do any/combination of the following: head to Winchcombe and see Sudeley Castle - if that's the only thing you have time for, it will be worth it. Was the home of Catherine Seymour, Henry VIII's last wife and the church, grounds, castle are magnificent. And in May the gardens will be outstanding. (Is also the place where Elizabeth Hurley hid out when Hugh did his nasty business, she is a friend of the current lord.) Other ideas: Chipping Campden is lovely, just to wander the streets and stop in to a pub - and talking about pubs some of the best are in the Cotswolds: Wykham Arms in Sibford Gower, Falkland Arms!!! in Great Tew, The Plough near Mollington (not fancy but great food - try their jacket potatoes), and of course The Fleece Inn at Bretforton - ancient pub owned by the National Trust. The Slaughters are lovely to walk through, Bourton normally has a lot of people, but the river and little bridges through the centre of town adds charm, Snowshill is a wonderful place to visit, shows what happens when you can't stop collecting something! If you want any more ideas send me an e-mail. Have fun. <BR>

"Big towns" - Stow-on-Wold ( we stayed there), and Bourton-on-Water <BR> <BR>"Small towns" - Upper & Lower Slaughter ( very scenic). The whole area is beautiful!

Some Cotswold villages I like that others have not mentioned are Burford (more a town, really) and Painswick. Painswick is noncommercialized and lovely to walk around -- the churchyard has 99 mature yews and is incredible to see at dusk. Few shops; only dining options are a couple of pubs -- but there's nothing to get in the way of the charm of the place. With respect to others' opinions, I personally felt Bourton-on-the-Water was ruined by tacky tourist stuff.