Visiting Cotswolds.. Rental car Pickup/dropoff same location verses different dropoff

It is doable. You usually change train at Didcot Parkway when going from Oxford to Bath. From mid September, GWR will also have a direct service(s) but as of know, we do not know the timings.

Are you using one of these brokers which the US seems to specialize in?, or booking direct with the rental company.

$600 USD is not realistic for an Oxford to Bath one way rental if you were booking direct. $60 is more on the broad lines of what would be expected.

Europcar is about £25 a day difference. Enterprise is about a £50 flat charge. I've just done those price checks.

So someone is trying to fleece you.

Thank you. For the car rental booking direct. I checked several companies any any car other than a compact size (as my husband is a big guy) was approximated $150-higher per day. Total for the time $1000 plus USD. for a rental pick up
And drop off location it was approximately $500 USD. My 2 options I was thinking would be start in Oxford pick up and return there. Or start in Bath do pick up and return there

Is Oxford a requirement for your trip? It seems that you would be there just for the night and picking up the car. If so, I would go straight to Bath and pick up and drop off the car there.

Looking at the Enterprise UK website for a Large Premium car (Mercedes E Class) automatic for 15 to 20 September Oxford Botley to Bath gives a price of £366.29 pay now or £402.92 pay on collection;
or Oxford to Oxford oddly £369.36 pay now or £406.32 pay on collection.

So a touch more expensive to return to the same branch, which is a bit odd.

I agree with isn31c in that it is unusual for a drop-off fee to be so high. I've dropped off and picked up rentals in different locations three different times in the UK, and and have never had to pay more than £20 to £30. But I always go with Arnold Clark, so I'm not sure about other rental agencies.

That said, I think your idea of returning it to Oxford and then going to Bath by train is a good one.

Also, when you head to Oxford from the airport (I'm assuming you are flying into LHR), I would take the Airline Bus, rather than the train, as you will avoid having to go into London, as it is a direct bus to Oxford. https://www.theairlineoxford.co.uk/

ISN31c Thank you for the rental info I will research, possibly I had incorrect info or locations. Mardee Thank you for the info I do believe we will take the bus from LHR. I have received several recommendations as that being the easiest way. So I will go back and research my rental info, but do either of you have an opinion on visith Oxford & Bath. Would there be a better option? Have visited UK before, but really only in London so there is much to see I just thought those 2 places looked great and thought I could add one to beginning of Cotswold visit and one to the end. Love to hear your thoughts. Thank you

Be careful when choosing a car name that you may not be familiar with. I am tall and slender so what is critical to be is how far back does the driver’s seat go to allow distance to pedals. Sometimes big cars do not make the best use of internal space. Cars which are raised up on suspension (SUV’s) lose internal space due to the high ground clearance.

If you click this link, you should see a Google map of the north Cotswolds - with traffic enabled at the time you click. I suggest you zoom down and drop the yellow man on some of the roads to see what they look like. I then think you should move the map to Bath and do the same. Also check on streetview any place where you are planning to stay. Note that a big wide car can be a hindrance on narrow country lanes and more difficult to park.

I'm really loath to tell you a night split and wouldn't have done, but as you have specifically asked I think you are selling Oxford woefully short, some would say you are maybe selling Bath a night short as well.
So that would mean reducing the Cotswolds to two nights.
Now as it happens there is another thread running today on the merits of the Cotswolds (versus other areas of the UK) and over tourism there. I for one would say in that vein that the Chilterns (the other side of Oxford) are hugely under rated.
But if we stay on Oxford/Cotswolds/Bath as your entirely valid choice a possible re-allocation of nights could be appropriate depending on your likes and dislikes.
The other thing you could do is do a two centre Oxford/Bath (and from Oxford do a day tour of two by minibus from Moreton in Marsh. That would obviate the need for a car at all, whatever the details around it's pricing are. Transfer Oxford to Bath by train.

Thank you. I am going to check surrounding areas of both Oxford and Bath and see if we could just stay at one That would give me 2 days London, 2 days Bath/Oxford or other and 5 days Cotswolds. I am hoping to narrow it down with a little research. Thank you

You don’t want a car in Oxford itself, parking is hard to find and exorbitant. I don’t know Bath well but I guess it’ll be much the same in the centre. I’d try to move between Heathrow, Oxford and Bath by public transport and rent the car for the days you want to go to the Cotswolds.

BTW- I live in a town in the Chilterns. They’re nice but nowhere near as pretty as the Cotswolds in my view (although you can get parked).

Thank you. We will definitly use public transportation from LHR to Oxford and back whether it be from Oxford or Bath. Do not want to worry about parking in those areas.

Have you ever used Kemwel.com? They are out of Portland Maine. I have used them for years in Europe. I have always gotten the zero deductible and never had to use it until 2 years ago when someone smashed the back of our rental. When we turned the car in we were not responsible for one penny. Not all locations have the zero deductible but it is worth a phone call to them to check their
prices. Our one way drop off fee is about 56GBP this year. Also if you find a lower rate somewhere else for the same category, they have matched it for us in the past when we gave them a call. Good Luck

I'm really loath to tell you a night split and wouldn't have done, but as you have specifically asked I think you are selling Oxford woefully short, some would say you are maybe selling Bath a night short as well.
So that would mean reducing the Cotswolds to two nights.
Now as it happens there is another thread running today on the merits of the Cotswolds (versus other areas of the UK) and over tourism there. I for one would say in that vein that the Chilterns (the other side of Oxford) are hugely under rated.

To comment on some of what isn31c wrote, I totally agree; you are shortchanging Bath and Oxford.
Two places that I feel are far more interesting than seeing dozens of Cotswolds villages.

I think you will become very bored with 5 days in the Cotswolds, driving around in a car, seeing one cute village after another. Five days of this....boring.
But, of course, it's just my opinion.

I would trade some of those nights in the Cotswolds for extra nights in Oxford and Bath.
This doesn't mean no Cotswolds at all. I would perhaps give up the idea of the rental car, take the train from Oxford to Moreton-In-Marsh (a Cotswolds village). Stay there a couple of nights. Take a one day tour to see multiple Cotswolds villages with GoCotswolds, a very good touring company. They pick up early morning from Moreton-In-Marsh, travel is in a Mercedes minivan. They give an excellent tour.
You will see plenty of villages this way and save the hassle of the car.
https://www.gocotswolds.co.uk/tours/

I would stay a minimum of two nights in Oxford and two nights in Bath. If it were my own trip, I'd make it three nights in each.

Here's the thread that isn31c was referring to. The title says it all.
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/england/cotswolds-overtourism

The discussion is how tourists have been "oversold" on going to the Cotswolds. There are many other areas just as wonderful in England. Not saying don't ever go there. Just research and find out what else you might be missing with so much time devoted to the Cotswolds.

Many excellent places are easily reached by train from either Bath or Oxford. Salisbury, with its fabulous cathedral and Stonehenge nearby would be one place to add. Winchester, with its lovely cathedral and Tudor buildings might be another place to visit.