day tour to the cotswolds...evans evans, golden tours or london walks on an explorer day. i/2 day tour windsor castle.

I took London Walks tour to Windsor/Eton and loved it. But it was more than half a day. By the time you meet up, train to Windsor and return you've pretty much used up the day. I stayed after the tour, heard evensong at the Chapel at Windsor, dinner in Windsor afterwards and trained back (no additional cost for the later train back).

The Cotswolds are great, right out of a storybook. But, I saw them while driving for a couple of days or so. I think on a day trip you would just sort of whiz thru the towns. However, if it's your one and only trip to England that might be a good bet. Can't comment on which company to take.

Avoid any tour to the Cotswolds that includes Bourton on the Water and Stow on the Wold. They are pretty, but also pretty crowded. Bourton is beautiful on a summer evening at 8.30pm at night, quiet, peaceful, tranquil. You might as well be loitering at the Gates of Hades if you arrive on a tour bus on a Saturday afternoon. Both Stow and Bourton have large capacity coach parking areas, this in turn brings in crowds of visitors which in turn makes it economically viable to open up an Edinburgh Woollen Mill factory outlet, a Staffordshire Wedgewood and Spode crockery shop and a Beatrix Potter Peter Rabbit store.
Although Guides may inform you of the decline of the Cotswold textile industry as you travel to your destination, those quaint old weavers cottages will be draped with signs promoting local ice cream, trace your family tree here, take a DVD of Cotswold memories home,postcards of Prince William and fridge magnets of Tower Bridge.
If you cannot take a car into the Cotswold area then the choice is limited as the train only seves the edge of the region and few attractive towns at that. Don't be told Moreton in Marsh is an attractive Cotswold town, take away the main street and it barely passes for "quaint", but it is accessable by train I suppose.
The London Explorer Day is worthwhile as they visit Minster Lovell and Burford, or they used too. Their site isn't too specific last time I looked. The Guides do a great job, entertainers the lot of them!! So I'd keep that as an option.
Another option is to head up on the bus or train to Oxford and try a small outfit called Cotswold Roaming. They do full day tours of the area at 10am to 6.30pm or a half day leaving at 2pm to 6.30pm. The tour is in a minicoach and visits the out of the way places like the Windrush, Leach and Coln valleys. Best advice of all, however, is get yourself a car and use that to get around for the day!!

I did a lot of research on a Cotswolds day trip for my trip in August. I've been there several times before, all on 3-5 day stays with my husband and a car (the best way to see the Cotswolds). I love the area and have in the past explored it in some detail. This last trip I was in London with my sis and we had just one day and no vehicle. I was trying to get the best option where we'd see the most and give her some idea of the magic of the area. I spent a lot of time emailing the various companies that provide tours. They all replied (eventually) but London Walks was really helpful and I ended up getting into a lengthy back-and-forth correspondence with them.

The tours that take you on a bus, after stopping at myriad hotels for other passengers like (Evan Evans), only end up with cursory stops in various villages - about 3 stops I recall, averaging about 20 minutes each. Not what I wanted.

The London Walks day was what we ended up doing and I have to say it was the next best thing to a private tour, or to driving yourself.
We took the train to Banbury and were met by a bus. Right away that gives you more time in the Cotswolds because you get out of the city much faster. We ended up driving through lots more villages than the regular bus tours went to - Stow, Broadway, Snowshill... We stopped in the morning at Chipping Camden where we had a nice stroll (downhill) along a country lane, past some cottages, to the town - where we had a walking tour, then a lunch break on our own for an hour or so, then a church tour. In the afternoon we stopped in Lower Slaughter and walked to Upper Slaughter for a break, then across a field (popular with other walkers) to our bus pickup. Then back to Banbury and home via train.
I thought it was excellent. Of course I'd have preferred to have an overnight and at least 2 days with a car to drive the narrow roads between the lovely villages, but we got a great taste of the area and were far better off than if we'd gone with a big bus tour.
Next trip I will definitely take another London Walks Explorer day.

I'm glad Taggie gave the details on where London Walks take you on the full Cotswold Explorer Day. I think Burford and Minster Lovell are a feature on the Oxford and Cotswold trip instead.
Chipping Campden and the Slaughters are what I think you would appreciate seeing on a Cotswold tour.

Windsor is very easy (and a lot cheaper!) to do on your own. It's an easy 40 minute train trip from Waterloo Station and everything in Windsor and Eton are within walking distance to the train station.

Same goes for Hampton Court Palace. A 30 minute train trip from Waterloo will drop you within easy walking distance to the palace. And if it's a nice day, you can take a Thames river cruise back to London.

Thanks to all, big help. I did ask via email where the Explorer day goes to but of course it doesn't mean anything to me being in Canada. Train to Kigham, Upper and Lower Slaughter Bourton-on-the-water and Chipping Noton.Please comment if you have time. I assume we pay for the train, ?cost.
Maybe train is better for Windsor/Hampton.We were going to get the travel pass not a train pass but... We are only in London for 5 days. I would appreciate any advice you think is helpful. it is a bit of a problem b/c my husbanf has a bad knee. Many thanks.

With only 5 days in London, I wouldn't plan more than one daytrip out. For the Cotswolds, a guided tour might be a better idea - but for Windsor you can do it on your own.

If your husband has knee problems, you might want to consider trying to use the London buses more than the tube while touring London. There will be less walking and stairs involved and buses will generally get you closer to your destination. I know they can be intimidating at first if you aren't used to reading bus schedules, but it's not hard once you get used to it.

Here's a simplified bus map with the major tourist sites listed (you can also pick up one of these maps in any tube station once you arrive.) <b>www.transportforlondon.gov.uk/tfl/pdfdocs/tourist.pdf</b>

Thanks Kayb95, we are planning to use the buses.Hop on Hop off for one day, one day trip and the rest in London. Do want to see Windsor Castle but thought we could also see the countryside...appreciate any other suggestions you might think of.

I did an Oxford, Cotswolds with London walks and it was great. As other posters have said you do Minster Lovell and Burford in C's - had lunch in Burford. Oxford in afternoon was great and got to see much more of University - e.g. garden which apparently inspired Tolkein - than would have been possible on own. Guide was lots of fun and very knowledgeable. Was longish day but very doable.

If you are interested in the Evan Evans Tour, then visit www.guidedlondontours.com as their site has discounted Evan Evans Sightseeing Tours.

Remember Windsor is not just a place with a castle, the restaurants and town are fantastic and the shops are very cosmopolitan. Personally I think it warrants a full day.

yes I agree and will do Windsor on our own and leave the cotswolds for another trip. Thank you all for your advice.