My girlfriend and I are traveling to England in July. We are going rent a cottage through AirBnB.
Our question..
Which township should we stay in?
We want it to be quaint, but we would also like to be close (maybe walking distance) to pubs and shops. We also enjoy walking and biking.
We will be renting a car so we will definitely explore the entire region. But we would like some times to just meander.
Any suggestions?
In the Northern Cotswolds, we especially liked Broadway, Chipping Campden and Moreton-in-Marsh. They all have lots of hiking nearby, and restaurants/pubs. (Not everyone thinks Moreton-in-Marsh is as charming, but I loved it. It has train service too.) If you like gardens, Chipping Campden is close to Hidcote Manor and Kiftsgate gardens.
Bourbon-on-the-Water is beautiful but tends to be very crowded during the day. Painswick is a lovely village (probably our favorite Cotswolds village), but it is a bit farther South.
I've never stayed in AirBnB's in the area, so can't make any recommendations for that.
We rented an Airbnb in Bourton-on-the-water last June……ours was right downtown and steps away from all of the activity. We did not mind as we were gone in our car touring most every day and when we came home we could easily walk to the center of town and all of the activity.
We enjoyed both Broadway and Painswick when we were in the Cotswolds last summer, though we didn't stay in either of those villages. They are both on the Cotswold Way, so walking is readily available in the area. Book soon though; we were making reservations at B&Bs/hotels in October for our hike in July.
Chipping Campden at the Volunteer Inn,
On our last trip to the Cotswolds we stayed in Stratford Upon Avon. There is plenty to see there and it has a number of shops and restaurants. It is on the northern edge of the Cotswolds but it is convenient for visiting the popular villages.
We loved Broadway but it is very quiet in the evenings with not much action. That was fine for us but not our 28 year old son.
For us older folks it was a great base.
