We 6 have 5 days in London this June and plan to see all we can. For a change of pace and scenery, I am considering taking my guests out to the Cotswolds which I love. I am used to driving on the left so that's not a problem, but I was wondering if anyone could suggest the best (and least expensive) way to get there for the day train & car rental once there/car rental from London/bus tour/London Walks Tour? I hope to drive through the area a bit so I know considering the train only is not an option. We are quite capable of walking between close towns as well.
Posted by
Boston, MA
119 posts
Last August I did a day trip to the Cotswolds with LondonWalks and greatly enjoyed it. Since I was travelling solo, it was a nice way to be with a group of people and the guide we had (one of the Richards) was delightful and very knowledgable. I would recommend the day trip, although if you do drive you will have complete flexibility to linger longer in a place versus moving along to the next stop with a group.
Posted by
Ojai, CA
591 posts
I'm not a big fan of taking group tours, but in this case, with 6 people, I'd sugggest one of the bus tours from London. They range from about $70 on up and generally make stops at a couple of the villages plus Stratford and Warwick Castle. The seats are comfortable and a guide gives commentary.
A train / car trip can use up valuable time and end up being more costly. For 6 people you'd need a van and that would probably cost in the area of $300 (including insurance = $50 pp) plus upwards of $10 a gallon for petrol. If you took a train out to, say Oxford, an off-peak day return ticket would be about $35 pp, but you'd have to wait 'til after 9 AM to get the discount. If you went earlier, the cost would be at least double that.
Posted by
Mission Viejo, Calif., USA
1010 posts
I agree with Tim's post. We have always used Gray Line bus tours and have been very happy with them. We went to the Cotswolds, Stonhenge, all over London, etc. They offer good tours and great guides for their day or half day trips. Sometimes we booked the tours in the U.S., on-line. Sometimes we have booked them while in London. Gray Line is based here in the U.S. Elaine