We are in early stage of planning a trip to London-Windermere-Cotswolds in January.
We are planning to take a train from London to Windermere, rent a car and explore the area for four days.
Then we want to go to Cotswolds, rent a car and explore the area for 6 days and then take a train to go back to London.
At this point we are thinking of staying in Broadway but that could change.
I have two questions at this point.
1) Is there a train to Cotswolds from Windermere? Where in Cotswolds?
2) Where can we rent a car in Cotswolds that would be convenient after getting off the train?

Please let me know if you would change this plan to make it easier.
Thank you.

Are you sure you want to do this trip in January? You will be running into cold, rain and possibly snow - not really the best time for an outdoor/hiking (I assume that's why you're going to Windermere) vacation.

Just rent one car and drive to Broadway or wherever you decide to stay in the Cotswolds.

It is a long train trip. Few towns in/near the Cotswolds, have rail service. Moreton-in-Marsh, Charlbury, Evesham, Cheltenham are about it.

But planning a driving tour of the Lakes in January . . . You might want to have a Plan B.

was posting the same time as nytraveler. We are on the same wavelength

Yes, we are sure. We have tendency to do things in reverse order
In June we were in Siem Reap and Luang Prabang and in January we are planning to hike in lake District and Cotswolds!!!
Having said that, we were in Cotswolds in January last year and it was not bad at all.

"<i>we were in Cotswolds in January last year and it was not bad at all.</i>"

Which unfortunately has nothing to do w/ next January.

But my concern is w/ your plans to be hiking in the Lakes in January. That can be a <i>whole</i> different kettle of fish from the Cotswolds. Plan B . . . that's all I'm saying.

I honestly can't see the point of dumping a car to save a three-hour drive.

The only trains you can get require several changes - usually at Oxenholme, then Birmingham then Worcester or Oxford (though for Broadway, I'd pick up a car at Birmingham International, but that still requires a change at Oxenholme and Manchester). That'll take a great deal longer than just keeping the car

The station closest (just) to Broadway is Evesham, where it is possible to collect cars. Use www.nationalrail.co.uk to look at alternative routes.

I'd DEFINITELY keep the Lake District car till Oxenholme if I could.

This Jan was fine in the Cotswolds: last Jan the snow made walking tricky. Who knows what next Jan will be like?

But <b> it is absolutely vital not to go walking in the Lake District in January without detailed research, taking proper advice from local experts, carrying near-Arctic kit (and full backup provisions and overnight gear), reviewing the sanity of your decision to go out on the hills every day in the light of that day's weather forecast for the precise walk you're planning and filing detailed journey plans before setting off </b>

If you're not used to hill walking in our climate in mid-winter, you'll be a life-threatening liability to the rescue services. Even the most benign forecast can (and does) change within minutes.

This doesn't apply to the Cotswolds, where if it looks OK to walk it will be. That's never true in the Lakes - and especially untrue in midwinter.

Experience in Laos is utterly immaterial

Thanks for your advice.
we were not planning to act like teenagers. We are in our 50s and know better than that.
Could someone tell us where to rent a car in the LD to be able to return it in Cotswolds.
I can't find a rental company in Windermere and that is why we were thinking of a local car company and then a train. If we can rent a car and return it in Cotswolds, then we will do that. Can someone help?
Thank you.

You need to pick up a car in a bigger place. Carlisle, or possibly Penrith (I'm not sure about Penrith, I know there is an Enterprise location. But Enterprise might not do one ways). Or take the train from London to someplace like Manchester or Liverpool or some other town/city instead of all the way to Windermere. Pick up a car there, and then drop it in either Oxford or London or where ever you are going after the Cotswolds.