Good Morning,
We will be in London at the end of July and would love to spend a day visiting the Cotswalds and Stratford. We have found organized tours that take groups to those locations along with Stonehenge. Some of the comments posted indicate that there is not enough time to cover all the areas.
Does anyone have comments on organized tours to these areas? Does anyone have a recommendation of a tour guide that would take us there for a reasonable rate?
Thanks,
Chef and the Baker
Have you had a chance to review or purchase Rick Steves Best of England Guidebook? He usually has the information on the guides his company uses for those that wish to use them.
One way to do all that you mention is to travel by train from London to Stratford-Upon-Avon and stay there for two to three nights.
To do the Cotswolds justice, you need to devote a full day to the Cotswolds, at a bare minimum.
To do Stratford-Upon-Avon justice, I would do a full day there, seeing Shakespeare's birthplace and walking around town.
We spent three weeks in England in May of 2016. The highlight of our entire trip was the day we spent on a tour of the Cotswolds on the "Go Cotswolds" Tour, hosted by Tom. We were staying in Stratford-Upon-Avon, where we were picked up at our hotel in the morning by Tom and his mini-bus. Several other tour members were already onboard. The mini-bus seats 16 passengers comfortably, so you are not with a huge bus load of people.
We went to Chipping Campden, Broadway Tower, Stow-On-The-Wold, Bourton-On-The-Water, and the Rollright Stones, to name a few of the stops. Tom gave out walking maps in some of the towns, and made recommendations for shops selling coffee and cakes, or lunch. Plenty of time was given for us to walk around and take photos at each stop.
Tom was born and raised in Stratford-Upon-Avon, so he knows the Cotswolds quite well. We enjoyed his stories and explanations of local landmarks. Being a local, Tom can also suggest some great restaurants around Stratford-Upon-Avon.
Tom has a great personality, and keeps the whole trip fun! Not a dull moment!
Tom runs tours of the Cotswolds on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Priced at £35 per adult and £25 per child (under 16; under 3s go free). You will be picked up from your hotel, or from Warwick Parkway or Leamington Spa rail stations, if you choose. Tours start at approximately 9.15am, and finish at approximately 5pm for a full day’s Cotswolds adventure. Once a month, Tom also runs a pub tour of the Cotswolds. Pick up is also possible, on Sundays, from Moreton-in-Marsh rail station.
"Go Cotswolds" Tour is highly rated on TripAdvisor, and has just received the Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence for 2016!
Contact Tom through his website, and book a fun day tour in the Cotswolds. http://www.gocotswolds.co.uk/
Click the red "Book Now" button on this page to sign up for the tour.
http://www.gocotswolds.co.uk/tour-details/
Or contact Tom at phone number 07786 920166 or email tom@gocotswolds.co.uk.
Also see the following page, "Joining a Go Cotswolds Tour From London and Birmingham" to see how to do just that:
http://www.gocotswolds.co.uk/blog/joining-a-go-cotswolds-tour-from-london-and-birmingham/
Stratford-Upon-Avon is a lovely place to spend a couple of days, in case you & your family are looking for a day or two away from London!
Have a great trip!
If a tour tries to do it all by combining three destinations in one day (with the Cotswolds being quite spread out), then you will not have much time at each. If you mostly want charming village architecture, then focus on the Cotswolds.
To me, the main appeal of Stratford over another historic town is actually to see a play or two. The RSC productions are usually great. I've made a few pilgrimages to the theater and to the church where W.S. is buried, but never bothered with the (heavily restored) paid attractions. So if there's a tour that does "less," I'd go for that. Or if you only have time for a quick stroll through Stratford, it could be adequate.
If leaving from London for a day trip, the best company is the London Walks Company. They have an "Oxford and the Cotswolds" Day trip:http://www.walks.com/other-tours/day-trips-from-london/
Your London Walks guide will meet you at the train station. All members of your group ride the train out to your destination. The guide gives you a tour of the area you are going to, and escorts you back to London on the train.
Less expensive than big bus tours.
Two other companies that do day trips out of London are
www.goldentours.com
www.EvanEvansTours.com
They pick you up at your hotel, or Victoria Station, and you travel by large tour bus.
Check out both websites to see which tours suit you best.
More expensive than London Walks.
One of these two tours might be just what you want:
Without entrance fees paid to the Shakespeare buildings.
https://www.goldentours.com/discover-stratford-upon-avon-and-the-cotswolds
With entrance fees paid to the Shakespeare related buildings:
https://www.goldentours.com/shakespeares-birthplace-stratford-and-cotswolds-tour
We used Andrew Guppy - Cotswold Walks.com for our 8 night trip throughout the Cotswolds in August. We had drivers pick us up everyday and drive us to wherever we thought or where it was suggested - we go. Then the driver would take us back to our hotel. We stayed in one hotel in Chipping Camden for four nights, then two nights in two other places.
