Car-free Cotswolds day trip? Yes it’s possible!
Happy World Car-Free Day! Are you looking for inspiration for car-free Cotswolds day trips?
You’re not alone.
Perhaps you’re a city-dweller who doesn’t own a car? Maybe you’re visiting from overseas and you’re nervous about driving on the ‘wrong’ side of the road? Hopefully, you are as concerned as we are about the impact of fuel-guzzling vehicles on the environment. Sometimes it’s just nice to sit back, relax and let someone else take the wheel!
Take a local guided tour for a car-free Cotswolds day trip
Go Cotswolds is a local, family-run company specialising in guided day trips of the beautiful Cotswolds in small groups of up to 16 people. We’re based in Stratford-upon-Avon, and also have a pick up point at Moreton-in-Marsh station in the Cotswolds, so if you’re visiting either of these destinations, you can take a tour with us!
Our pick up points are also really easy to access by public transport, too.
We have modern, comfortable, executive-class minibuses with panoramic windows, so you’ll get a great view wherever you sit.
But a really great thing about our tours is that we actually spend more time OFF the minibus than on it!
See the ‘Cotswolds in a Day‘
Our best-selling tour is the ‘Cotswolds in a Day’ tour – carefully planned with the first-time Cotswolds visitor in mind.
Of course, it would impossible to show you all of the Cotswolds in one day, but with this tour, we’ll help you explore the highlight towns and villages and some hidden gems too.
Discover ‘Cotswolds Walks & Villages’
In summer (May to September) you can get off the off the beaten track with our Cotswolds Walks & Villages tour.
This tour includes one short countryside walk, and two longer, optional walks, to help you discover some of the Cotswolds beautiful public footpaths – as well as some of it’s prettiest villages. You’ll check off must-see villages, as well as hidden gems that most visitors miss.
It’s an ideal tour for active people who want a different perspective on the Cotswolds.
Plus, there’s no overlap with the Cotswolds in a Day tour, so you can take both tours on consecutive days for a fantastic two-day itinerary!
Why go car-free with Go Cotswolds?
There are numerous private taxi tours operating in and around the Cotswolds. These are great for convenience and flexibility, but they vary in quality. Also, they’re not cheap – and they’re not exactly ‘car-free’, are they?
When you take a minibus group tour like ours, it takes several cars off the roads – and in our tiny Cotswold villages, this makes a big difference. We have carefully planned out the best villages to visit, in the most fuel-efficient way – so you can leave the driving and parking to us!
Our vehicles are small enough to navigate the winding country roads, and our group sizes aren’t so big that you get lost in the crowd.
Plus you still get the benefit of the local knowledge and excellent company of one of our friendly local guides. If you’re not ‘a tour person’ and are wondering why you should take a guided tour, take a look at our article on that very subject, here.
Car-free Cotswolds day trips from Stratford-upon-Avon
If you’re staying in Stratford-upon-Avon, leave the car behind and we’ll pick you up right from the centre of town. Our pick up point is the Shakespeare’s Birthplace Coach Terminal, just around the corner from Shakespeare’s former home (pictured above).
That way, you can explore Shakespeare’s home town and see the Cotswolds too, in one car-free trip!
Getting to Stratford-upon-Avon by public transport
Our pick up point is just a 5-10 minute walk from Stratford-upon-Avon rail station. This is perfect if you’d like to take a car-free Cotswolds day trip by train* from Birmingham!
Taking a bus to Stratford-upon-Avon is another option. All of the town centre bus stops are within easy walking distance of our pick up point.
The X18 bus provides easy access to Stratford-upon-Avon from Coventry, Leamington Spa and Warwick. The X19 bus means you can reach us from Redditch or Alcester. The #51 bus brings you to Stratford-upon-Avon from Leamington Spa, Warwick and Wellesbourne.
There’s a #51 bus stop right outside the YHA Stratford-upon-Avon youth hostel too, which is handy if you hadn’t realised just how far out of town this hostel is!
Thanks to a brilliant Government scheme, a one-way bus ticket costs a maximum of just £2 (rising to £2.50 from November 2023).
Car-free Cotswolds day trips from Moreton-in-Marsh
As one of the few Cotswold towns with a train station, and a direct rail connection to London, Moreton-in-Marsh is a popular place to stay.
Our tours depart from right outside Moreton-in-Marsh rail station, which is within easy walking distance of all the hotels, guest houses and holiday homes in Moreton-in-Marsh. So, for a night or two in the Cotswolds, choose Moreton-in-Marsh and take a tour with us!
Getting to Moreton-in-Marsh by train from London, Reading, Oxford and further afield
Moreton-in-Marsh is also the ideal pick up point if you want to take a tour with us as a day trip from London, Reading, Oxford, or even further afield.
It takes just 90 minutes to reach Moreton-in-Marsh by train from London Paddington. From Reading, the train journey is around 1 hour, and it’s just 33 minutes from Oxford.
We’ve had car-free tour guests from places like Leicester, Nottingham, Derby, Cheltenham, Gloucester, Bath and even Southampton!
Use The Trainline* to plan your journey and book tickets 6-8 weeks ahead for the best prices.
Getting to Moreton-in-Marsh by bus
By Cotswolds standards, Moreton-in-Marsh has a relatively good bus service. So, if you’re staying in a nearby village then you may be able to take a bus to our pick up point, rather than driving or taking an expensive taxi.
The #801 bus means you can get to and from Moreton-in-Marsh to take a tour with us from Cheltenham, Charlton Kings, Andoversford (including The Frogmill Hotel) and Northleach (Mondays to Fridays), as well as Bourton-on-the-Water and Stow-on-the-Wold (Mondays to Saturdays).
The #2 bus can bring you to Moreton-in-Marsh from Clifford Chambers, Meon Vale, Lower Quinton, Mickleton, Chipping Campden and Blockley (handy if you’re staying at the budget friendly Crown Inn in Blockley). On the way back, the #1A does the same route, and also passes through Broadway and Willersey.
Like Stratford-upon-Avon buses, a one-way bus ticket to or from Moreton-in-Marsh costs a maximum of just £2 (£2.50 from November 2023).
Another reason to go car-free: let us buy you a coffee!
Have you heard about Good Journey?
Good Journey is a non-profit organisation committed to promoting car-free tourism in the UK. They work with tourist attractions, venues and tour companies to give exclusive offers to car-free visitors.
Next time you’re planning a car-free day out, hop on over to the Good Journey website. There, you can discover which attractions have car-free offers.
As for us, tell us you found us through Good Journey (and travel car-free, of course) and we’ll buy you a coffee to say thanks for choosing a car-free Cotswolds day trip!
Ready to book a car-free Cotswolds day trip? Click here!
Prefer a private tour or need group transport? Then, check out our private tours and minibus hire options.
Not quite ready? Sign up to receive our newsletter and we’ll send you our news and offers, so you can keep Go Cotswolds in mind. Sign up here.
