Have a few days to see The Cotswolds? I have the perfect itinerary for you!
The Cotswolds are England’s largest Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). Located about an hour and a half outside of London, The Cotswolds are the quintessential English countryside we see in the movies. Each village is prettier than the next, there are rolling grass hills and village buildings are covered in honey limestone. Fall is a gorgeous time to visit as the autumn foilage adds so much to the landscape. Even in the rain or on an overcast day, The Cotswolds’ beauty is evident.
In this post, I will share our itinerary, where we stayed and a few tips we learned along the way. I hope this inspires you to take a trip to the area.
First of all – let’s chat about accommodations. We stayed at an AirBnB in Cirencester. Not only was this a great property, its location was quite convenient as it was the midpoint of all the towns and villages on our list.
As far as timing goes, we had a few days in the area, and felt this was plenty of time to see everything we wanted in a relaxed manner. Below you’ll find our itinerary broken down by days.
| Day 1 – Half day (afternoon) | Day 2 – Full day | Day 3 – Half day (morning) |
| -Bibury -Cirencester | -Burton on the Water -Lower Slaughter -Upper Slaughter -Stow on the Wold -Moreton-In-Marsh -Chipping Camden | -Castle Combe |
Tip: if you can, try to be at your first stop of the day early in the morning. We arrived at our first stop on day 2 and 3 before 8am and it was perfect as there were not many tourists at all! Note- Most restaurants open at 9am and stores at 10am so you’ll have to wait for coffee and breakfast.
A few other details:
Transportation – we drove in from London and rented a car from Enterprise Car rental at the airport. Great experience.
Meals – while we didn’t have any out of this world culinary experiences, we did enjoy some local cuisine at a few spots. In addition to those meals, we made it a point to have afternoon tea a few times- which was my absolute favorite!
Weather – traveling to the UK can be quite challenging especially in the Fall. We experienced various temperatures throughout our stay, including pouring rain, hail, gorgeous sunshine and heavy wind. Thermal undergarments, rain boots and jackets and lots of layers should be on your packing list…and of course an umbrella (although you can always purchase one when you arrive).
Currency – Ah the British pound. Its strong. Things are expensive. However, if you are used to living/visiting places like NYC you won’t experience a huge culture shock with the UK prices.
Hope this post inspires you to visit The Cotswolds, it’s absolutely worth a trip!
Cheers & thanks for reading.
LaCatanese
LaCatanese 