The Cotswolds is undeniably one the most picturesque and beautiful parts of England. Funnily enough, I hadn’t even heard of this part of the UK till I moved to London and now I am the biggest fan, already itching to go back for another weekend.
Full of rolling hills, picturesque villages, quaint tea houses and fire crackling pubs, spending a weekend in the Cotswolds is an absolute DREAM. It’s actually less than a three hour’s drive from London, making it a perfect weekend getaway to escape the hustle and bustle of city life!
Where are The Cotswolds?
The Cotswolds are just a short 2-3 hour drive away from the hustle and bustle of London! They are areas of outstanding natural beauty, home to 6 different counties of England and a huge number of villages that are some of the prettiest in the United Kingdom.
How to get to The Cotswolds
It’s super straightforward to get to the Cotswolds since it’s only a 2ish hour driving distance from London (a little more depending on the traffic). It’s also right next to the infamous university town of Oxford so you could also take the train here and then have a car rental to get around from the train station. We chose to rent a car from London, which is just an easier and more convenient option when leaving straight after work.
Since we drove through the area during the night, there wasn’t much to see and I should warn you guys that it’s actually PITCH dark once you have entered the Cotswolds. High beams and extra attention is needed to go through the area.
What to do in The Cotswolds
We were actually not the luckiest when it came to weather (happened to be right in the middle of the Storm Dennis unfortunately). To avoid the pouring rain and borderline torrential weather, we just drove through different villages and enjoyed the scenic route to our lunch spot.
Our first stop was the pretty village of Bourton on Water for lunch. It was such a cute little town and we had the most adorable lunch views right in the heart of the canals.
After lunch, we drove through areas in Slaughter, Stow on the Wold and Bibury (Gloucestershire), which were just absolutely gorgeous even in the pouring rain.
One thing to keep in mind if you are planning a weekend getaway in the area, is that you should plan your meals in advance and have dinner reservations as all the good pubs and restaurants tend to get fully booked. This is not just the case with dinner, but also in the lunch hours on Sunday!
Our last stop on Sunday morning was the famous Castle Coombe village. We got really lucky around this time of the day as the rain finally stopped long enough for us to walk around the village and then get settled at The Manor Hotel for some tea and the absolute BEST scones on planet earth. Seriously, they were soooo buttery smooth, it was absolute perfection paired with the classic English Breakfast tea.
VERDICT: LOVE LOVE LOVE
Overall, spending a weekend in the Cotswolds has been one of the most refreshing trips I have taken to date. I couldn’t recommend it more if you are looking for a quick weekend getaway from the city life. I would also really recommend anyone visiting London to skip one day store hopping on Oxford Circus and really absorb more of what the areas around London have to offer!
Happy Exploring Fam!
