Day trip to the Cotswolds

Rick has an excellent description of the different Cotswold villages in his England/UK books. My own favorites...well, pretty much all of them. Upper and Lower Slaughter, Chipping Camden, Northleach...just drive along and stop and stroll when you hit another lovely little village. Research on this site and generally on the web for a nice place to take tea in the afternoon. Depending on where in London you are departing from, and when you are going (it gets dark by 3:30-4 in December but conversely stays light until very late in June), and what your endurance is, and what traffic is, and what time you leave in the morning, you will have...well, a certain number of hours to spend in the region. Try to estimate that, then get out a large scale map and trace a proposed itinerary...then the experienced posters on this site can give you much better advice. Have a good trip!

Chipping Campden is one of the largest and Bourton-on-the-water is one of the most beautiful (top 100 list). But then, don't leave out Stow-on-the-Wold or Moreton-on-Marsh. Then, there's Snowshill and Stanton.

A great place for afternoon tea and scones is Buckland Manor. It's Southwest of Broadway. You have tea in a beautifully decorated large room in the manor.

"Any suggestions for an itinerary or "must see" places."

Here you go: http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/destinations/britain/nlcots.htm

Hi,
Thanks for all your responses. I had thought of starting in Stratford Upon Avon and going to Broadway, Chipping Campden, Stow on the Wold, Upper and Lower Slaughter, Burton on the Water, Burford and Bibury. Are these too many stops for a one day trip from london in mid August. We must return to our hotel in London.

I am totally open tosuggestions. Also, does anyone know where we can hire a driver to take 6 of us around/
Thanks,
S.

The villages you list are among our favorites (if you must include stratford). I suggest start with that itinerary, but be flexible- you may end up not getting to them all. They are all scenid=c and interesting

The villages you list are among our favorites (if you must include stratford). I suggest start with that itinerary, but be flexible- you may end up not getting to them all. They are all scenid=c and interesting

If you only have one day I would skip Stratford-Upon-Avon which is larger and thirty minutes from the other villages you want to see and would take a while to see. I would suggest going to in this order, Chipping Campden, Broadway, Stow-on-the-Wold, Upper & Lower Slaughter, Bourton-on-the-Water, Bibury then onto Burford.

I agree with Robin and suggest you skip Stratford. Stratford is a beautiful and historic town with Shakespeare's birthplace and his wife's Anne Hathaways cottage to visit. This in itself would take a day and there is little point in going if you don't include these sites. Make it a must for your next trip and concentrate on the Cotswold villages. My favourite is Bourton on the Water.

Hello. My husband and I booked a day tour with Gray Line Tours. We booked it before we went to London. You can also book any Gray Line tour, once you are over there. They picked us up at our hotel and returned us there. VIsiting the Cotswolds was very picturesque and informative with Gray Line Tours. Elaine
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