Where in Cotswolds to rent van, etc?

Bath is not the only place but might be the best, because the rail connections from London to Bath are convenient and the rail connections to the Cotswolds not so good.
I've rented in Bath for a rental car for the Cotwsolds. The train from London to Bath is convenient. Or you can get to Bath from Heathrow without going through London.

I have to add: OMG, a wide van for 7 people on those narrow Cotswolds roads. Be quite cautious when passing other vehicles on the country roads there. Locals suggest that if it's another, wide, vehicle coming at you, stop (if there's no car behind you) and let the local pass you, apparently it's their fault if they scrape a vehicle that is stationary.
You could do 2 cars instead of a van.

Yes, maybe we should just rent two cars from Heathrow and go straight to the Cotswolds. Only problem is getting two people willing to drive!

Many country roads in the Cotswolds are so narrow that the width of a 7 person van could be a problem that you are blindsided by, if someone didn't say something. It's not where you want to be driving a big van, not the country roads--and those are the roads that you will want to use to see what you want to see, there.

Two smaller vehicles, rented from Heathrow, would probably be the less stressful solution, with 7 people and their baggage. On English backroads, the narrower the vehicle, the better.

Thanks Kent!

We took a train from Paddington to Banbury. It is a small town but has an Enterprise. Don't know if they have vans or not because it is a small place.

I agree about driving a van on those roads. Is this your first time driving on the left? If so, you might want to reconsider your vehicle choice.

Hi Susan and Monte,
You've been a regular on this site for many years. Glad to help out.
Those darn country roads in the Cotswolds are narrow. The Ordnance Survey maps actually have a legend that distinguishes between roads less than 12 feet wide and those greater than 12 feet wide!
12 feet wide doesn't leave much room for passing an on-coming vehicle like a lorry, van, or other wider vehicle.
One thing I learned driving the Cotswold country roads is: there's a reason why the rental car has a retractable side view mirrors!

I'm with Kent , a large van will be a potential problem . One other thing to take into account in England - many of these narrow lanes and country roads are lined with hedgerows which are very misleading -- they look like plant undergrowth ( which is bad enough ) , but they often conceal stone walls , very unforgiving to auto bodies . Also , many roads in the Cotswolds are lined with high stone walls ( made of honey colored Cotswold limestone ) and the smaller the car , the better off you will be .

Steven is dead on right about the hedgerows and stone walls in this area. I'm glad he added that. We have had reports of travelers scraping their cars on these, and I'm sure we don't get reports of all the accidents.

Do you think a scared driver can do ok ? Yikes! That would be me since my sister has chickened out.

You describe yourself as a scared driver. I understand.
It's possible that this kind of driving might not be for you.
You should read all you can, and get photos if possible, of the kind of roads and conditions you'll be facing, and then decide for yourself what is best for you.
It's not bumper cars, American drivers have had unfortunate experiences there.

But a problem is that the Cotswolds is one of the few area in the UK not well served by trains. And though buses do exist, they involve planning challenges and waiting times that might not be acceptable to you.

So when you don't drive a car, you give up a lot.

Nobody can decide what is best and safest for you, except you who will be driving.

The other problem with a smaller location is getting an automatic if you want one (or two). If you reserve one and they don't have any available, then your stuck driving on the opposite side of what you're used to, driving a manual and shifting with your left hand. That's one reason that it might be better to get the vehicle(s) at Heathrow. Is your sister willing to drive? If she and Monte each drive, your dad could alternate who he rides with. There is no way your dad can be one of the drivers. Or you can take me and I can be a driver. :-)

Andrea's post is very important.
And in addition to her good advice, you now know that you can take her as the driver! :)

I suppose I should have mentioned that you will have to pay for my trip. The good news is I won't charge for my driving services. And you've ridden with me before, so you know I'm not too crazy.

I have a friend who goes to England frequently and her husband refuses to drive. They hire a driver - not sure how much that costs??

Does anyone know the speed limit? Is it fast going or slow? I would be inclined to stay behind the slow cars and not pass at all. If it were slow then I think I'd be ok.

What about the driving from Heathrow into the Costwolds, is that ok?

Any suggestions as to where to drop the car and take a train back into London?

Just a few terminology points to note, in the UK a "van" really refers to a vehicle that carries goods, it has no windows at the side and may have windows at the back:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/96/UK_Mail_van.JPG

What your after is a minibus:
http://www.vanlease.uk.com/images/easyblog_images/47/minibus-web-pic-jpeg.jpg

Or an MPV:
http://cdn1.carbuyer.co.uk/sites/carbuyer_d7/files/jato_uploaded/Hyundai-i800-mpv-2008-front-quarter-main.jpg

Please read the relevant sections of the Highway code before driving in the UK:
https://www.gov.uk/highway-code/contents

Regards.

Yes, I guess the term would be minivan, like the soccer moms drive here in the states. So, it wouldn't be that large, but with luggage it is too small for us. I think we will do two cars and just be very, very careful.

I'm hoping the roads are slow going!

From my experience with my husband as the driver....we have a GPS which directs us quite clearly out of Heathrow to the M4 or M40. There can be quite a bit a traffic until you get on these roads, but that doesn't take long. Once in the Cotswolds, we found it was easy to drive and at slower speeds. We always just drop the car back at Heathrow.

Thanks to everyone for the help!

A few videos to give you an idea of driving in the Cotswolds:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TW6GvTFLQWo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2j1QhSBpFc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALeJWEEROsY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wFjvLbBeDI

A quite quick run down on the speeds for an automobile.

All in MPH, all can be changed by a road sign, which may be as low as 5 mph.

You need to know and understand the speed limits because unless it is in an unusual place the speed limits are governed by national speed limit laws andd usually will not have a numbered sign.

RURAL
Motorways - 70 mph
Dual carriageways, called divided highways in the US - 70
Single carriageways - everything else, including rutted lanes in the middle of nowhere - 60

BUILT UP AREAS
Indicated by a sign, sometimes, street lights, houses close together
All roads unless marked otherwise - 30

Certain areas like Islington borough of London on all roads 20.

In addition to the excellent post above, some examples of road signs that you may encounter:
https://www.learnerdriving.com/learn-to-drive/highway-code/road-signs