Good base for week long visit to Cotswolds without a car

Mid April means school Easter holidays, so nowhere will be quiet. The Cotswolds is one area that I wouldn’t attempt without a car, personally, but I would stay in Cirencester, which has more happening than the remoter villages.

What's this about Moreton-in-Marsh being noisy? What do you mean, where did you hear this? It isn't my experience.

Stow-on-the-Wold is a good hub too, but it has the same road going past the town.

Bourton-on-the-Water is not as well situated for buses, but very convenient if you want to walk along the river or hop up to some nearby villages. At half-term it will be very busy.

If it were me, I'd find a way to be in a car in that part of the Cotswolds.

Do be aware that the only flowers you will see in April will be crocuses and daffodils, and depending on the year maybe not too many of those.

(Mid April is a fabulous time to visit the Netherlands, when Keukenhof is open and has loads of tulips everywhere as well as daffs and hyacinths)

I’m attempting to plan my visit around the lowest air fares from my location in the USA and, despite the Easter holiday, they are for the month of April. Which days in April are irrelevant to me. I like traveling off season and would usually do March but the fares were higher. A car is not an option. There are a couple of nice small touring companies (7 people or less) that offer day tours to various parts of the Cotswolds and they pick up in the areas around MIM. They and the local buses and or trains should do me well. Huge thanks for the heads up about the holidays. Do they go home after Easter or stay on till the end of April and into May?

Moreton-in-the-Marsh has a main road running through the centre of town, which is why it’s not normally a top recommendation, but it’s still quite attractive and frankly if you can’t/won’t drive I suspect it’s the only realistic choice.

We did a trip to the Cotswolds in May without a car. Took a bus from Heathrow to Oxford, then the train to M-I-M, then a bus to Chipping Campden. We walked on the Cotswold Way to Broadway for one night and Stanton for night. It can be done, but takes lots of planning and great help from posters here. You do need to spend time looking up train and bus schedules and be mindful of Sundays and holidays.

I really liked all the places we stayed, but I think the tours you want probably go out of M-I-M. BTW, once you get off the main street there, it is pretty quiet. Many you could start by finding tours that look interesting, then find out where they leave from.

When using buses sometimes you have to change buses and the change would be in Moreton in Marsh, I would stay there or Chipping Campden.

We stayed at the Volunteer Inn in Chipping Campden and it was great, they have a nice pub and a great Indian restaurant. We had a car. You can find tours that take you around the Cotswolds.