traveling to England & Scotland

Stephanie,

While it is possible to see the Cotswolds without a car, the transportation issues would be awkward as most of the travel would likely be via coach (bus). I believe only Moreton-in-Marsh has a rail station. Getting to some of the smaller towns such as Upper and Lower Slaughter or Bourton-on-the-Water could be challenging, however I haven't checked the transportation links. I hired a car for visiting that area, which made things a lot simpler.

Taking a local tour is a good way to overcome the transportation issue, and THIS is one you could have a look at.

Hopefully Nigel will spot this post as I'm sure he will have more detailed advice to offer.

Your time in this area will be much compromised without a car.

It is possible, but not as easy. You can get to Moreton-in-Marsh by train from Paddington station in London. From Moreton you could get to Stow-on-the-Wold, Bourton-on-the-Water, Chipping Campden, Broadway by bus. But the buses doesn't run real frequently. There are no bus service to the small villages. Some of the small villages that are worth a visit is Painswick, Stanton, Upper and Lower Slaughter. There are taxis that you could use, also some are only a few miles apart, so if you are a walker and have time you could walk to a couple. With that said, it is a lot easier to see the Cotswolds with a car.

Hi Stephanie - I don't know the rest of your itinerary, but Bath is a wonderful base for day tours of the Cotswolds. You mention "without a tour", but I'll put in a very good word for Mad Max Tours (to which Ken provided a link), as well as Lion Tours. We stayed in Bath last year and took two tours with Mad Max (Avebury/Stonehenge and Glastonbury, Wells and Cheddar Gorge), and one to the Cotswolds with Lion Tours. All were lovely - the guides were wonderful, itineraries were great, and we had the advantage of seeing lots of beautiful scenery without the hassle of driving ourselves. Groups are small, as well, so the tours feel very friendly and manageable.

If time is a premium and you won't have a car then a day trip from London is probably a good option.
http://www.premiumtours.co.uk/tours/tour/lunch-in-the-cotswolds.id53.html
Runs Tuesday, Friday and Sundays between April and October, less frequently in the winter months.
Tour leaves London around 8:15 a.m. after hotel pick-ups returning to London around 6:30 p.m.
Adults £82 / Children (3-16yrs) £72 / Seniors & Students £79
Includes lunch in a 17th Century former coaching Inn in Bibury

On your own travel becomes time consuming.
1) Train from London Paddington to Moreton-in-Marsh - 1hr 35min
2) 801 Bus to the village of Lower Slaughter - walk to Upper Slaughter and Bourton-on-the-Water
3) 801 Bus from Bourton-on-the-Water to Cheltenham Spa Station - 1 hr 05min
4) Train from Cheltenham to London Paddington - 2hr 10min
http://www.the-cotswolds.org/top/english/map/cotswolds_map.php

Cotswold Walks has a self guided tour, no group involved, just you and your walking mate that takes advantage of the trains. You will need to book your train tickets. Take train to Cheltenham Spa and then taxi to Winchcombe, where the walk begins. It ends in Moreton-in-Marsh. From there you connect with the train. They will book rooms and transfer luggage. All you have to do is walk to the next village.

Check out the site, as they offer many different options--3 nights to 5 nights.

If you have no luggage worries, then you could use the site as a jumping off point to plan your own walks.

When we visited England in 2001, I was surprised an how easy driving on the wrong side of the road was, but how hard it was to shift gears on the stick shift with my left hand, which I had never done. This could have been easily solved by reserving an auto with an automatic transmission, and that's my plan for 2016.

I second the Mad Max tours. We stayed in Bath for two nights and did the Stonehenge/Avebury Mad Max tour. There are only 16 in a group. In addition to seeing Stonehenge (we got there before the crowds), we saw Avebury as well as several other villages in the Cotswolds. And if you have seen one Cotswold village, you have seen them all. Our bus driver Tim was very informative and with the small group we were able to ask him all sorts of questions. By having the tour guide, I learned more of the history of the area and England in general then I would have if I just went there myself. And there was no driving...