advice on 3-night Cotswolds itinerary - include Oxford?

I really like the Cotswolds and think you could easily spend 2 days there. Oxford is great too, but I notice that you will be travelling in the very near future and you should be aware that exams will be going on around now so it may be difficult to get in to visit individual colleges - other posters on the board may know better the potential constraints. If you do go to Oxford you need to get onto a tour as the guides can get you into colleges and places you wouldn't know you could get into.

You will want the remaining 2 days in the Cotswolds, if you don't I feel you will be sorry. There are so many small, quiant, beautiful villages that you will want to walk around inl. Just to name a few....Burton-on-the-Water, Broadway, Chipping Campden, The Slaughters, Burford, Bibury. If I were you I would consider dropping Warwick and going to Blenheim Palace instead. Blenheim is so beautiful, the gardens, the water terraces and Italian garen, a butterfly house, an 1 acre hedge maze, the herb and lavender garden...it's right outside of the village Woodstock.

Gotswolds are for meandering; driving through and past villages and hamlets. Stopping where you like the view. So many little villages and roads to see. To really enjoy them you can easily use two full days. (we even go back to favorite villages, viewpoints etc). There are also the Cotswold rare Breeds farnm and Chedworth roman Villa (ruins) in the middle of the Cotswolds if you want some variety- both worth visiting As a concession, if you really have an itch to see something else- consider Blenheim Palace and the adjacent village of Woodstock on th edge of the Cotswolds.

The Cotswolds are such a wonderful place for spontaneous wandering since it is so easy to travel around, why not just leave all your oprtions open and see what happens? I just drive when I am there and turn when I see a sign with an interesting name. I think Warwick was fun and loved Stratford. But Woodstock and Blenheim Palace is also wonderful...hard to choose. For me, cream tea in Chipping Camden or lunch in Bourton on the Water was more of what I had in mind than Oxford. (I thought Cambridge was far more beautiful)

Seems like you'd be more inclined to stay in the Cotswolds. I've been to Oxford more times than I can count, but it's the antithesis of the Cotswolds: Busy city of 100,000 or so. Plus, the car will just sit in a car park or garage while you're out on foot. You'll be paying for the car and for parking but not using it. So, I say meander.

We did exactly this and more. We visited most of the Cotswold villages (including the small and quaint ones), toured Hidcote Manor Gardens a few miles out of Chipping Campden, drove to Oxford, visited Blenheim Palace just a few miles before you get to Oxford and had a great afternoon tea and scones at Buckland Manor. But, you can't do this without a rental car.

If you decide to skip Oxford I agree that you should try to fit in a visit to Blenheim Palace.

Blenheim Palace is not to be missed! I spent a month at Oxford and loved it, but wished I'd had more time to meander through the Cotswolds. Just my two cents. Enjoy yourselves, whatever you decide!

Thanks so much for your advice! I think the consensus is to save Oxford for another trip (we love London, so I'm sure we'll be back). Blenheim Palace will go back on the list as a potential activity. We can't wait! Thanks so much for all your help over the years!

You could save time, trouble and £ by going to Oxford to pick up your car instead of LHR. Stow is just 40" from Oxford and it's almost 1½ hrs from Heathrow. Blenheim Castle (Woodstock) is just 15" from Oxford. You could do a basic tour of Oxford on a 'hop on/hop off bus' before picking up your car or do it the morning you return it. If your plan was to return your car to LHR in order to catch a plane to Ireland, there are frequently scheduled buses from Oxford to the Heathrow bus terminal. So you could do Oxford & Blenheim Palace before your 1st night in Stow, Warwick Castle & Stratford on the 2nd day, Choice of 3 or 4 villages the 3rd day (Bourton o.t. Water, Slaughters, Burford, Broadway, etc). I was just there 2 days ago....beautiful as ever.

we just got back from the Cotswolds yesterday after a 9 day vacation there! Must sees: Towns= Chipping Campden, Broadway, Stanton, Snowshill. All of these towns are located in one area just south of Stratford. Places= warwick castle, Hidcote manor Neat, but 2nd on your list: Bleinheim palace, paid $34/ apiece x 2 just to get in, only to have see tons of scaffolding and temporary chain link fences everywhere covering the palace. The bottom floor is neat, but don't waste your time on the 'up the stairs' tour.. it's not a tour but a 45 minute fall asleep room by room absolutely boring manaquin/video guided history of the family who built this place. yawn! next, Snowshill manor; they blocked all but a glint of light into the place, so you cannot enjoy the objects-de-art they have in there... smooshed in like sardines in a dark house... the gardens are very nice, but you can onlyh walk them.
Pass for now: Believe it or not, Stratford-upon-avon (a very modern town has built itself around and pushed into the old-fashioned areas... and the traffic! You'll see what I mean. Warwick the town: outside of the castle gates (open til 7 p.m) is the town full of townies and a few bums... Oh, by the way... and without exageration... everything closes at 5 p.m!