I will be visiting England around the holidays, and would like to visit the Cotswolds (from London) from December 20 - 24. I'm struggling to decide on which town to stay in, but think I have it narrowed down to either Cheltenham, Cirencester, or Stow-on-the-Wold. I'd love some advice! Here's my vision for the trip, and what I'm hoping for:
- I love to explore hip/cute coffee shops, tea rooms, bookstores, music shops, and local stores
- I'd love to stay somewhere that's decorated for the holidays and has a festive feel!
- Although I may look into a day-long guided private car, I'm really not looking to explore all of the Costwolds on this trip, but rather have a cozy home base where I can take some nice walks and have leisure time (to clarify: if there's an opportunity or two to explore some unique places or have a fun adventure, I'm down, as long as I can come back to a relaxing evening and a hot bath LOL)
- I love walking and natural beauty (parks & secret gardens are my jam)
- I have a gluten allergy, so would need to stay somewhere that has at least 1-2 restaurants that could accommodate my gluten-free needs. I'm also a big fan of fresh, farm-to-table style food and craft cocktails :D
- Definitely looking to cozy up at a B&B or hotel with a fireplace, where I can spend some serious leisure time reading novels
- Love the idea of meandering down cute streets, and generally staying in an area that's just really pretty and serves as a nice break from the bustle of London from the rest of my trip
- Last but not least, and this might sound odd, but kindness is incredibly important to me -- although I travel alone often, this area is new to me, and I'm a little bit nervous. I'm really hoping to stay at a hotel or B&B where great hospitality is the norm, and where there might be staff to help me navigate the town a bit. As a solo female traveler, I want to make sure I'm in good hands, if that makes sense?
Hotels I've been looking at include The Fleece (Cirencester), Old Stocks Inn (Stow-on-the-Wold), or No. 38 The Park, No 131, or The Bradley in Cheltenham. I'm happy to splurge a little bit on hotels for this part of my trip in order to find the right fit, but hoping to not spend more than $150/night on accommodations if possible.
I also will be traveling back to London on Christmas Eve, which is a Monday. Happy to take busses/trains as need be, but if anyone thinks that any of the towns I'm thinking of will be completely cut off from public transit on Christmas Eve, please let me know!
Thank you all so much in advance!