Do you have a question about Go Cotswolds? You may find the answer here. If not, please send us a message via our contact form, e-mail info@gocotswolds.co.uk or call us on 07786 920166 and we’ll be happy to help!
What days do your Cotswolds Day Tours operate?
In 2019, our Cotswolds Day Tours operate on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays between mid-February and December, with extra tours on Thursdays between June and September. In 2020, we will be operating tours 5 days a week (Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays) between May and September.
How long is the Cotswolds Day Tour?
The tour lasts approximately 7-8 hours.
Where does the Cotswolds Day Tour visit?
Our day tour of the Cotswolds visits a selection of beautiful towns, villages and viewpoints that characterise the beauty of the area. Specifically, the tour stops at Dover’s Hill, Chipping Campden, Broadway Tower, Stow-on-the-Wold, Bibury and Bourton-on-the-Water. We also visit a secret off-the-beaten-track Cotswolds village, but you’ll have to join us on a tour to find out about this one!
Do we get any free time on the Cotswolds Day Tour?
Yes you do! This is a big part of our tours. Our job is to point you in the direction of the best bits of the Cotswolds so that you can go and experience them for yourselves, spending as little time in the minibus as possible! We spend about 20-25 minutes At Dover’s Hill, Broadway Tower, Bibury and the secret Cotswolds village where your driver/guide will stay with you and tell you a few things about these locations. At Bourton-on-the-Water you have approximately 30-40 minutes of free time to walk around, and at Chipping Campden and Stow-on-the-Wold, where you have at least an hour in each town, your driver/guide will give you a map with a list of recommended things that you might like to see and do.
Is lunch included in the price of the Cotswolds Day Tour?
No. So that we can keep the cost of the tour affordable, we do not provide lunch or refreshments. We make several stops throughout the day that have shops, cafes, pubs and restaurants where you can purchase drinks, snacks and meals. You are also welcome to bring your own food and drink which you can eat while you're at one of the stops.
Can I bring a packed lunch or refreshments on the Cotswolds Day Tour?
Yes, of course! Lunch and refreshments are not included in the price of the tour, so you may either purchase snacks or meals during one of our stops, or bring your own food and drink with you for a picnic. We only ask that you don't carry or consume hot food and drinks on board the minibus (it can be tricky to clean up spills, plus the smell can make some people feel unwell!), and to take all your litter with you or put it in a litter bin.
A pub lunch IS included in the price of our Purity Brewery & Cotswolds Pub Tour, but you're also welcome to bring or purchase other snacks. We highly recommend visiting the Purity Brewery shop!
Is a Go Cotswolds Day Tour suitable for children?
As parents ourselves, we do not consider that our tours are suitable for very young children, so we prefer not to carry children under the age of 3 - they get bored easily and may not appreciate the beautiful Cotswolds countryside as much as us grown-ups do! That said, children of any age are welcome to join the tour, but, as parents, you should consider whether your child will enjoy the day and/or affect the enjoyment of other passengers.
Children under the age of 3 may travel for free on our Cotswolds Day Tours, provided that they are carried securely on an adult's lap. If you wish your child under 3 to have their own seat, you will need to purchase a ticket at the child price and you should either supply your own age-appropriate car seat, or your child should sit in the regular minibus seat without a restraint (our seatbelts are designed for adult use only). This is entirely your choice, and is legally permissible in a public service vehicle such as ours, but obviously we would not recommend that anyone, especially a child, travels without a suitable restraint. Please also our our FAQ, 'What are the rules about wearing seatbelts in the UK?'
Please note that our Purity Brewery & Cotswolds Pub Tours are strictly for adults over the age of 18 only. Children under the age of 18 will not be permitted to travel or take part in this tour, and ID may required if you look under the age of 25.
Do you visit Bibury on your Cotswolds Day Tour?
Yes we do! Our small-group Cotswolds Day Tours visits the village once described by poet William Morris as 'the most beautiful in England'. The tour stops at Bibury for approximately 20-30 minutes where you'll have ample time to visit Arlington Row – arguably the most famous row of cottages in the Cotswolds – and stroll alongside the River Colne. Bibury is a very pretty village, but we actually think the 'secret' off-the-beaten-track Cotswolds village (which we visit earlier in the day) is prettier. You can decide for yourself and tell us what you think after we've visited them both on the tour!
Cotswolds Day Tours – meeting points and pick-up/drop-off locations
Where will you pick me up, and at what time?
We will pick you up, at no extra cost, from the following locations at the following times:
If you would like to be picked up from somewhere that is not on this list, please contact us before making your booking. We will try to accommodate your requests, but it is not always possible, or may incur a surcharge.
If you are arriving from outside of the area to join the tour we do try and be flexible to meet train times but this is not always possible and pick-up times are always subject to change.
*Because we operate an accommodation pick-up service in Stratford-upon-Avon, pick-up times are approximate. Please be ready to depart 10 minutes before your assigned pick-up time.
Can you pick me up from my hotel in Moreton-in-Marsh?
For all passengers who are joining the tour at Moreton-in-Marsh, we pick you up from a central location, which is Moreton-in-Marsh rail station. This applies whether you are staying in Moreton-in-Marsh or arriving by train. We do this to operate our tours in the most efficient way possible - Moreton-in-Marsh is a very small town, and the station is within a few minutes walking distance of all local accommodation providers.
We provide a hotel pick-up service from Stratford-upon-Avon because it is a much bigger town and the accommodation providers are scattered over a much wider area, many not within easy walking distance of the town centre or a convenient central meeting point.
Where is the meeting point at Moreton-in-Marsh station?
The Go Cotswolds minibus will pull up in the car park in front of the station building. Moreton-in-Marsh is a very small station so you shouldn't be able to miss us!
Where is the meeting point at Leamington Spa station?
The Go Cotswolds minibus will pull up in the car park in front of the station building. Leamington Spa is a small station so you shouldn't be able to miss us!
Where will you drop me off at the end of the Cotswolds Day Tour, and at what time?
At the end of the tour, we will drop you off at the same place we picked you up. We can also drop you off anywhere along the tour route, or at any of our free pick-up locations (see FAQ above) if you prefer.
If you would like to be dropped off somewhere outside of our normal radius, please contact us before making your booking. We will try to accommodate your requests, but it is not always possible, or may incur a surcharge.
We always aim to return to Moreton-in-Marsh station by 5pm, Stratford-upon-Avon by 5.30pm, and Leamington Spa by 6pm.
If you are booking onward rail travel, we would always recommend that you purchase a flexible ticket that allows you to take any return train as opposed to a specific booked train. We do our best to arrive back at the drop-off locations at the times mentioned above, but we can never 100% guarantee this.
Is it possible to join a tour from London, Oxford or Birmingham in a day?
Yes! In fact, this is a very popular option.
If you have your own vehicle, we recommend that you join the tour in Stratford-upon-Avon or Moreton-in-Marsh. Please see our article here for address and parking details: https://www.gocotswolds.co.uk/drivingdirections/
If you are travelling by train from London or Oxford, the best place to meet the tour is at Moreton-in-Marsh station, while if you are travelling from Birmingham or Coventry, you should head for Leamington Spa station. Please see our articles for more information on joining a Cotswolds tour from:
Cotswolds Day Tours – during the tour
Do you provide a commentary on the Cotswolds Day Tour, as you drive along?
A little. We don't like to talk too much as the minibus is driving along, because we're sure you'd much rather admire the beautiful scenery and get to know your fellow passengers! Your driver/guide will give you an introduction at the start of the tour, and a little information between stops, but we save most of the talking for when we are off the minibus.
Can we bring our luggage with us?
Yes you can! The Go Cotswolds minibus has a large boot (trunk) space, so we are happy to carry luggage (including suitcases, foldable wheelchairs and walkers, and foldable strollers/buggies) during the tour. We kindly request you to let us know at the time of booking if you are bringing any of these larger luggage items.
Small hand bags, coats and other small personal items may be kept inside the minibus, either at your feet or on the overhead shelf. All luggage and personal items are your responsibility.
Please note that although we do have room to store foldable wheelchairs and walkers, the Go Cotswolds minibus is not wheelchair accessible, so regretfully we can only accommodate wheelchair-users if they are able to get out of their chair to get on and off the minibus. Similarly, while we do have space for buggies and strollers, we do not consider the Go Cotswolds Day Tour to be particularly suitable for small children. Please see our other FAQs for more information.
What should I wear for the Cotswolds Day Tour?
We recommend you check the weather forecast on the morning of your tour and dress appropriately. If it is raining, a raincoat or umbrella is advised although we do have some umbrellas on board the minibus in case of unexpected showers. Contrary to popular belief, we do get sunshine in England in the summer, so if it's sunny then make sure to bring sunscreen. Comfortable footwear is recommended as the tour involves some walking both on pavements and grass, but you won't need special hiking/walking boots.
Are there toilet stops on the Cotswolds Day Tour?
Yes, plenty! There are public toilets available in Chipping Campden, Stow-on-the-Wold, Bibury and Bourton-on-the-Water. These are well signposted but please ask your driver/guide for directions if you need them. Journey times between the stops are relatively short but we do recommend using the facilities prior to the departure times. Please note that you need a 20p piece to use the public toilet in Stow-on-the-Wold. If you purchase food or drinks from a cafe or restaurant you can also use their toilet.
On our Purity Brewery & Cotswolds Pub Tour, toilets are available at Purity Brewery, and public and pub toilets are available at each of the stops on the tour.
Purity Brewery & Cotswolds Pub Tours
Is there a minimum age for the Purity Brewery & Cotswolds Pub Tour?
Yes, because this tour is all about sampling some of the wonderful local alcoholic beverages our region has to offer, the Purity Brewery and Cotswolds Pub Tour is strictly for adults over the age of 18 only. Children under 18 (even babes in arms) will not be permitted to travel on this tour at any time.
Do I need to bring ID on the Purity Brewery & Cotswolds Pub Tour?
If you are, or look, under the age of 25, we strongly recommend that you bring a piece of valid, government-issued photographic identification, which clearly shows your face and your date of birth. For UK residents, we recommend you bring either your passport or photocard driving license, and for international visitors we recommend you bring your passport or government-issued identity card. According to UK law, children under the age of 18 are not permitted to drink or buy alcohol, so many licensed premises and shops operate a 'Challenge 25' policy. This means that if a vendor thinks you are, or look, under the age of 25, they may ask you for ID and refuse to serve or sell you alcohol if you are unable to provide it.
Please note that vendors may also refuse to serve or sell alcohol to anyone over the age of 18 if they suspect you are purchasing it for someone under 18, or for someone who has been unable to provide valid ID.
Is lunch included on the Purity Brewery & Cotswolds Pub Tour?
Yes! The ticket price of this tour includes a delicious lunch and a drink (either a pint of beer or a soft drink) at one of our favourite local pubs. There are always at least two vegetarian options on the menu, and we can also cater for other special dietary needs if you let us know in advance. Of course, you're welcome to bring or buy other snacks throughout the day as well.
Is it possible to join the Purity Brewery & Cotswolds Pub tour from London or Birmingham in a day?
Yes! In fact, this is a very popular option. The best way to join our tour from further afield is to take a train (please don't drink and drive!). For the Purity Brewery and Cotswolds Pub Tour on Saturdays, you can take a train from London or Birmingham to Warwick Parkway rail station and we will pick you up and drop you off from there. Contact us for more information or visit
our Purity Brewery and Cotswolds pub tour page.
Terms and Conditions and Cancellations
What are your Terms and Conditions?
You can find our Terms and Conditions, including our cancellation policy, at
www.gocotswolds.co.uk/terms. In short, we will provide you with a full refund, less a £3 per ticket admin fee, for cancellations made more than 48 hours in advance. Alternatively, subject to availability, you may switch to a different tour date at no cost.
Do you cancel your tours if there is bad weather?
In short, no. Unless the weather is exceptionally severe and it would be unsafe to travel (e.g. heavy snow), our tours depart whatever the weather. We recommend you check the weather forecast on the morning of your tour and dress appropriately - remember, there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing! See our
blog post for more details.
The Go Cotswolds Minibus
Is the Go Cotswolds minibus accessible for disabled people?
We regret that we have no lifts or ramps so our minibus is not suitable for wheelchair users who are unable to get out of their wheelchair. However, we do have grab rails and a portable step to help people with mobility problems to get in and out of the minibus safely.
Our Cotswolds Day Tours include 7 different stops throughout the day, so you will be getting on and off the bus quite a lot, and walking around at each stop (though how far you walk is up to you). Therefore, please consider whether this tour will be suitable for you, according to your disability.
The Go Cotswolds minibus has a large boot (trunk) space, so we have plenty of room to store luggage, including suitcases, foldable wheelchairs and walkers, strollers and buggies - please just let us know at the time of booking if you wish to bring these larger items.
Guide/assistance dogs are welcome at any time - please just let us know in advance if you intend to bring a guide/assistance dog.
Please see our Access Statement for more details.
Do I have to wear a seatbelt on the Go Cotswolds minibus? What about children?
Every seat on the Go Cotswolds minibus is fitted with a seatbelt and every passenger over the age of 3 is required by law to wear it at all times when the vehicle is in motion - we have plenty of signs inside the bus to remind you!
In terms of fastening and wearing seatbelts, UK law says that:
- Children under the age of 14 are the responsibility of their accompanying adult, parent or guardian.
- Children under the age of 3 should use an appropriate child restraint, or travel on a parent/guardian's lap where restraints are not available. (However, we do not recommend that our tour is suitable for under 3's)
- Children aged 3–11 and who are less than 1.35 metres (4 ft 5 in) should use an appropriate child restraint, or use the seatbelt provided where restraints are not available.
- Children aged 12 and 13, or younger children who are taller than 1.35 metres should use the seatbelt provided.
- Children and adults aged 14 and over are responsible for themselves and should wear the seatbelt provided.
Please note that Go Cotswolds does not provide child restraints or booster seats and is not required by law to do so. If you wish to bring your own booster seat or child restraints, then you may use them if you have purchased a child ticket for the tour, but it's up to you to know how to use them properly.
Is smoking permitted?
Smoking is not allowed at any time while on board the minibus. According to UK law, adults over the age of 18 may smoke in outdoor public spaces (unless there are signs stating otherwise) and in designated outdoor smoking areas in pubs, bars and restaurants. Please be mindful of other people who may not appreciate your smoke. Always ensure your cigarette is completely extinguished before disposing of it in a litter or designated cigarette bin. Littering, including throwing cigarette butts on the floor, is an offence.
General Questions
What are the Cotswolds?
Lots of people mistakenly think that 'Cotswold', or 'The Cotswolds' is a single town or village in the English countryside. In fact, The Cotswolds is England’s largest Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), a region covering over 850 square miles (2000 square km), which stretches in a southwesterly direction from just outside Stratford-upon-Avon to the city of Bath. It’s a range of rolling hills filled with over a hundred picture postcard villages made of honey-coloured Cotswolds stone that haven’t changed in hundreds of years. It’s the English countryside you see in the movies and can’t be beaten. Find out more about the Cotswolds by joining us on a tour!
What languages do you speak?
Go Cotswolds tours are conducted in English only.
Do you provide discounts or commission for travel agents?
In short, no. Our small-group tours represent extremely good value for money, and while we do pay a small commission to a small number of selected tourism partners for selling tickets on our behalf, as a small business with limited capacity we are unable to extend this offer to all travel agents. If you are a travel agent booking our tour on your clients' behalf, firstly, thank you! You are welcome to charge your clients a modest finder's fee on top of the ticket price for administrating their booking, but we ask that you are transparent about this so that your clients do not feel ripped off if they realise that other passengers on the same tour paid less! We also ask that you obtain your clients' permission to send us their names, email address(es) and a contact telephone number so that we can contact them directly for matters relating to their tour.
How and where do I book?
To instantly guarantee your booking, we recommend that you pay for your tour in advance using the secure, online payment system on our
booking page.. Tickets can also be purchased in person at
Stratford-upon-Avon Visitor Information Centre and
Oxford Visitor Information Centre, or online at Viator/TripAdvisor Experiences.
For private hire and speciality tours please contact us and we will be able to provide you with a quote and details of how to pay. A non-refundable deposit is required for all group and private hire bookings. Use the contact form on our website, telephone us on (+44) (0)7786 920166 or email info@gocotswolds.co.uk.
Why should I book directly on your website?
We have a live booking system, so when you book directly through the Go Cotswolds website, your booking is instantly confirmed. You can immediately see from our calendar which tours have availability and which are sold out, and our system will not let you book more tickets than there are available.
We do also sell our tickets through Viator (also known as TripAdvisor Experiences in some countries), and the cost of a ticket is the same to you regardless of which site you use to book. However, not only does booking directly with us cut out the middle-man, this ticket reseller operates a 'request to book' system. This means that once you have submitted your booking request, they notify us by email and we must then review our availability and approve or reject your request. If there are not enough seats left for the number of tickets you wish to book, you won't know until we reject your request. Also, there is often a delay between submission of your booking request and us being notified about your request. Therefore it is possible that tickets will sell out on our website in the meantime.
Book directly with us to avoid disappointment and immediately guarantee your booking. We accept all major credit and debit cards via our secure payment processing partners Stripe and PayPal.
Why didn't I receive a confirmation email?
An automated order receipt email is sent when your booking is completed on our website. This email will be sent - usually immediately - to the email address you provided during the booking process. If you didn't receive this email, it could be because: 1) there was a spelling mistake in the email address you provided, so the email was not received; 2) the email was sent to a different email address (e.g. you provided your work email address but are checking your personal email account), or 3) the email has been filtered into your Spam or Junk folder (this is a particular problem with Hotmail addresses). Please check carefully, but if you still can't find the email, just
let us know.
Within 2 working days of the automated email, we will send you a second, personalised email to provide further details about your tour.
What is my booking number?
When you purchase your ticket via the Go Cotswolds website, our booking system will automatically send you an order receipt to the email address you provided during the booking process. This order receipt contains two 5-digit numbers: your Order Number (Order #) is a number generated by our system to confirm your payment, and your Booking Number (Booking #), which is generated to confirm your seats on the particular tour date you have booked. You won't usually need either number, but we do ask you to remember your Booking Number on the morning of your tour, just in case we need to confirm whether you are on the correct tour. You don't need to print out your order receipt, just remember the Booking Number or show us the Booking Number on your phone.
If you have booked through Viator (TripAdvisor Experiences), you will receive a 9-digit booking reference prefixed by the letters BR. This is the number you should cite to Viator if you need to contact them. When we confirm your Viator booking, you will also receive a 5-digit Booking Number from us. This is the Booking Number you should quote if asked on the morning of the tour.
Why do you need my email address and phone number?
If you submit an enquiry via the contact form on our website, we will ask you to provide your email address and telephone number. These details are only ever used in relation to your query or booking. Responses to all enquiries sent via the contact form are sent to the email address you provide. If this email address bounces, or if you prefer a call back, we will contact you by phone instead.
For ticket bookings, immediately after your payment has been processed, you will receive an automated order receipt via email. Within 2 working days of your booking, we will follow up with a personalised confirmation email from a member of our team, which contains further details of your pick-up location, pick-up time and other useful details. After your tour, we will send you a copy of the group photo taken by your tour guide.
We collect your telephone number so that we can contact you before or during your tour; for example, to tell you if we are running early or late, or if we have arrived at your pick-up point and we cannot find you. The telephone number you provide at the time of booking should ideally be a mobile telephone number that you will have with you during the tour (it doesn't have to be a UK mobile, but it should be able to accept calls or SMS/WhatsApp messages from UK numbers). If you plan to purchase a UK SIM card, but don't have this number at the time of booking, please just let us know the number at a later date.
In line with General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) we never sell or give your contact details to any third parties and we do not subscribe you to any mailing lists or use your contact information for any reason other than to communicate with you about your tour.
Is there a minimum number of people you will take on a tour?
No, not for our Cotswolds Day Tours. We’re travellers ourselves and have always been frustrated by tour companies' “minimum required to operate” policies, so when we started Go Cotswolds we said that we’d always run a tour irrespective of whether we have 1 or 16 people on a tour. As we're a small family-run business, there are a few occasions when we might not operate a tour as scheduled, but we put our tour availability tour online at least a year in advance, which will allow you to plan your travels.
Because of the collaboration we have with Purity Brewery, our Purity Brewery & Cotswolds Pub Tours do require a minimum of 6 passengers to operate. In the event that this minimum number is not reached, we will always let you know well in advance.
Is Go Cotswolds on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram?
Yes to all three - please follow and 'like' us! You can find the links to our social media profiles in the grey bar at the top of the page. We're always adding pictures, information and news to our
Twitter,
Facebook and
Instagram pages, so please follow us or give us a like and when you're on a tour please share your pictures with us by using the hashtag #GoCotswolds!
