mary

Family staying in London in April for 6 days. Would like to spend an overnight in the Cotswolds, preferrably Burford. Does anyone on this board have recommendations for a nice place to stay overnight or possibly two nights. Also, how would we get from London to Burford; train, bus, etc?

devon

I have stayed at the Bay Tree Hotel and the Golden Pheasant Hotel. The former is a bit fancier and might be a better choice for families but I had wonderful visits to both establishments.<BR><BR>Without a car, I'd probably take the train to Oxford and a bus to Burford (maybe 30 min ride or so). Or take a bus directly from London (couple of hours duration I'd imagine). Any chance you can hire a car? You'll have much more flexibility to tour the beautiful countryside and villages.

mpprh

Hi<BR><BR>I was there Dec 22nd.<BR><BR>I can recommend the Cotswold View Guesthouse between Burford and Bourton on the Water.<BR><BR>Search on Google for contact details .<BR><BR>Peter<BR>http://tlp.netfirms.com<BR>

mary

Could anyone recommend another area of the Cotswolds other than Burford to stay; i.e. beauty, activities, convenience, etc. Also would we travel by local bus from Burford to Stratford-on-Avon or Oxford University? Sorry if question seem uninformed, but this is our first trip into the Cotswolds and we need assistance. Thanks to all.

Sonia Schneider

Stay at the Lower Brook House in Blockley. Besides being centrally located for visiting all of the Cotswolds, the place is enchanting, both inside and outside. I loved Marie's, the owner (who *really* does treat you as a guest in her home) eye for detail and thoughtfulness what with all the lovely decorations and accessories in our room along with a welcoming basket of fresh fruit (in November!). She welcomed my husband and me with aperitifs when we arrived and cooked us a delicious, sumptuous breakfast (and I mean *Full* English Breakfast) just before we left in the morning. We still have the map (already photocopied for friends) that she drew for us by hand with directions (and all the comments she wrote on the back of the sheet about where we should stop and what we should see) to guide us through the Cotswolds. website: www.lowerbrookhouse.co.uk

dreamy

I strongly recommend staying at Buckland Manor. It is the most charming, dreamy place I have ever been to in the British Isles, and I also visited their in April. Imagine a tiny little town, a big manor house with an English sheepdog sleeping on the front porch, thousands of daffodils, a sweet church, cows going by the windows and all your fantasies of the Tudor architecture, the big stone fireplace, the tapestry furniture, the four poster beds...hiking and then sherry and then Sunday lunch...it is a marvelous, fantastic place, how you would imagine England BEFORE World War I. If you enjoy PBS English dramas, you MUST go to Buckland Manor -- it is the last of a breed.

Tom

I was going to recommend the Lower Brook House as I read your post but I see that has already been done. We were there in 1998 and had the same expeience Sonia had. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Laurie

Mary, Mary-You're confusing us. You ask for Burford, get good responses (quickly) now want someplace else. What's going on that you're not telling us?<BR><BR>If you're only going for one day &amp; have never been to the Cotswolds, my suggestion is to go to Woodstock, see Blenheim Palace, have a walk around town &amp; a meal. May be no need to stay overnight. There are day tours that would provide transport.

janis

All of the places recommended so far are great. Burford is a terrific, busy little village with a magnificent church, swans in the river, several good restaurants and pubs and really good shopping. <BR><BR>But the other places mentioned above are fine too.<BR><BR>BUT - for a two day Cotswold stay you really should rent a car. You can get to a few places by train -- Blockley for instance. But once you are there, public transport is inadequate. You will have a difficult time seeing much w/o a car. So head out to LHR on the train or tube, pick up a rental car and drive NW to the Cotswolds. It is an easy drive and then you can wander around and see a LOT in a couple of days. Then back to LHR to turn in your car and back into London *or fly out if it is your last day)

Dan

I stronly recommend you rent a car at LHR and drive to the Cotswolds. To get a true picture of the area you will need it since some of the truly quaint villages can only be reached by narrow country roads. My suggestion for lodging is to pick a central location, stop by one of the TIs and see the list of B&amp;Bs and make a call for availability/reservation. We did this two years ago and found great places. As for villages to visit I recommend Bibury, Broadway, Sandhill and Upper and Lower Slaughter. Some are very small but the scenery is well worth the effort to find them. Small villages, with thatched stone cottages and of course the central Pub for lunch. Enjoy

Bob

We stayed at the WHITE SWAN in Burford in 2001. Nice place. Built in the 1400s. I would recommend it.

Ruth

If you really don't want to rent a car, then I would suggest a bus tour, as it would be difficult to do a one-day tour by public transport that included more than one or two places. There are tours of the Cotswolds starting from London, Oxford, Bath and probably several other places. I don't have a personal recommendation of a tour company but there are several interesting tours listed on the internet. But I agree with the other posters, if you can, rent a car, and enjoy the area. <BR><BR>Other places to consider staying in the Cotswolds are Moreton-in-Marsh and Stow on the Wold. Bring your credit card if you are tempted by antiques, particularly in Burford and Stow.