“How far is the Cotswolds from Leamington Spa?”

Want to know how far is the Cotswolds from Leamington Spa? This is a question we get asked a lot – and the answer is: it depends where in the Cotswolds you want to go, and how you’re going to get there!

Royal Leamington Spa

Royal Leamington Spa, or “Leam” (pronounced “Lem”) to its friends, is a wonderful Regency town in south Warwickshire. It has great shops, parks, dining options and nightlife. With a vibrant student population and a thriving ex-pat community, it’s one of the most diverse towns in the Shakespeare’s England region. We love it!

If you’ve arrived in Leamington Spa and are wondering how to visit some of the other beautiful places on your doorstep, like the Cotswolds, then stick with us and we’ll tell you everything you need to know.

Ways to get to the Cotswolds from Leamington Spa

By car

For independent exploration of the Cotswolds, you’re going to need your own wheels. The Cotswolds is a vast rural area covering around 800 square miles, with over 150 small towns and villages to explore.

The north-eastern tip of the Cotswolds is closest to Leamington Spa. Within 25-30 minutes, you’ll find the lesser visited villages of Arlescote, Radway, Ratley and Edgehill. You’ll also find lovely Upton House in this area, which is well worth a visit, especially if you’re a National Trust member.

But to visit many of the best-loved villages of the Cotswolds, you’ll need to drive further afield. Broadway is around 50 minutes from Leamington, Bourton-on-the-Water is approximately 1 hour away, and Bibury around 1 hour 20 minutes away.

By public transport

If you don’t have a car, or don’t want to drive, can you get to the Cotswolds from Leamington Spa by public transport? Yes – but be warned, it’s not straightforward!

Very few towns in the Cotswolds have a train station, so if you want to travel to the Cotswolds by train from Leamington Spa, you’ll need to go via Oxford. It’s around 40 minutes to an hour from Leamington Spa to Oxford, then another 20 minutes to the Cotswolds station of Charlbury, 35 minutes to Kingham, or 45 minutes to Moreton-in-Marsh.

If you choose one of these routes by train, consider how you’re going to get around after that. These are small towns that you can walk around quite quickly, so you could make all that effort just to turn around and go home again. There are a few bus services to other Cotswold villages, but you’ll need to study the timetables carefully – buses are infrequent and do not run late into the evening.

By guided tour

As a small, local, family run company based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Go Cotswolds has a solution for you! To explore the Cotswolds from Leamington Spa, then on Mondays through Saturdays you can take a train to Stratford-upon-Avon train station, or the X18 bus to Bridge Street in Stratford-upon-Avon.

It’s just a short 5-10 minute from the train station or bus stop to our pick-up point. This is the Shakespeare’s Birthplace Coach Terminal on Windsor Street. We will pick you up there at 9.00AM and take you on a beautiful guided tour of the Cotswolds!

You’ll spend the day with one of our friendly local guides, who will tell you all about the Cotswolds and take you to the best villages in the area. Some of these villages are inaccessible by public transport, so you wouldn’t be able to see them unless you have a car or want to hire an expensive taxi.

On Sundays, take a taxi to Stratford-upon-Avon

Trains and buses are (annoyingly) less frequent on Sundays. But you can take a taxi from Leamington Spa to Stratford-upon-Avon. Uber is widely available in Leamington, too.

Choose from our two fantastic tours for a day trip to the Cotswolds from Leamington to remember!

Start with our Cotswolds in a Day tour to get an overview of the best spots in the Cotswolds. Then, get out of the minibus and off the beaten track with our Cotswolds Walks & Villages tour.

Ready to book your tour of the Cotswolds from Leamington Spa? Click here!

Prefer a private tour or need group transport? We offer private tours as well, but because we have 17-seater minibuses, they’re ideal for larger groups. For private tours, we can pick you up from Leamington Spa or wherever you are based! Check out our private tours and minibus hire options.

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Featured photo: Vauxford-CCBYSA40