“How far is the Cotswolds from Coventry?”

Want to know how far is the Cotswolds from Coventry? 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!

Coventry

Having lived in Coventry for 4 years as a student at Warwick University, I have a real soft spot for Coventry. Known as “Cov” to its friends, the city is often labelled as ugly, but there’s a rich history and heritage to be discovered – and lots of hidden gems! In recent years, Coventry has been undergoing vast regeneration, and with its vibrant student population and thriving ex-pat community, it’s one of the most diverse cities in Shakespeare’s England. We love it!

If you have arrived in Coventry 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 Coventry

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 northern tip of the Cotswolds is closest to Coventry. Within 30-40 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 55 minutes from Coventry, Bourton-on-the-Water is approximately 1 hour 5 minutes away, and Bibury around 1 hour 30 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 Coventry by public transport? Yes – but be warned, it’s not quite straightforward!

Very few towns in the Cotswolds have a train station. That means, if you want to travel to the Cotswolds by train from Coventry, you’ll need to go via Oxford. It’s around 50 minutes to an hour from Coventry to Oxford. Then it’s 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 Coventry, 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.

Then, we will pick you up from right outside the train station/bus stop and take you on a beautiful guided tour of the Cotswolds!

You’ll spend the day with one of our friendly local guides. They 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. That means, you wouldn’t see them unless you have a car or hire an expensive taxi.

What about Sundays?

Trains and buses are (annoyingly) less frequent on Sundays. It’s not possible to take public transport to Stratford-upon-Avon in time for our tours on Sundays. Therefore, we recommend you take a tour with us on another day of the week. You could also take a taxi or Uber to Stratford-upon-Avon.

Choose from our fantastic tours for a day trip to the Cotswolds from Coventry 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 Coventry? 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. Perhaps get together with friends or colleagues!

Click here for our ‘ready-made’ private tours, based on our small-group Cotswolds in a Day tour (for a Coventry pick-up, choose the Birmingham pricing option). For tailor-made private tours, click here. You can also read about our minibus hire options here.

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