The Cotswolds without a car: stations, buses and walks

The short answer

Base yourself near Moreton-in-Marsh. It is the one station from which a bus takes you straight into several of the best-known villages, so it suits a first trip. If you want Cirencester or the southern Cotswolds, use Kemble or Stroud instead.

Go by bus and train together, plan around the last bus home, and accept that you will see fewer places in a day than you would by car. That is the main trade-off.

Stations that serve the Cotswolds

The Cotswolds National Landscape lists these stations for visitors: Cam and Dursley, Cheltenham, Gloucester, Kemble, Moreton-in-Marsh, Stonehouse, Stroud and Ashchurch (for Tewkesbury). [1] It names two main rail routes into the area: London Paddington to Moreton-in-Marsh, and London Paddington to Cheltenham via Swindon, Kemble, Stroud, Stonehouse and Gloucester. [1]

Kingham and Charlbury are also used by visitors. A separate guide says buses from Oxford (route S3, Stagecoach) reach Charlbury, and that Kingham is served by the V19 (Villager) from Chipping Norton. [2] We have not checked train times for these two stations, so look at National Rail or Great Western Railway before you book.

Which villages work from which station

These are the links that guide describes. Journey times are its figures, not ours.

• Moreton-in-Marsh: the 801 (Pulhams) runs to Stow-on-the-Wold in 20 minutes and Bourton-on-the-Water in 30. It also calls at Slaughter Pike, from where Lower Slaughter is a 10-minute walk. [2] Route 1/2 (Stagecoach) goes to Broadway in 25 minutes and Chipping Campden in 40. [2]
• Cheltenham: the 801 reaches Bourton in 45 minutes. The W (Stagecoach) goes to Winchcombe, and the 66 (Stagecoach) to Painswick. [2]
• Kemble: the 882 (Stagecoach) runs to Cirencester in 12 minutes. [2]
• Oxford: the X52 (Pulhams) goes to Burford in about an hour. [2]

Bourton-on-the-Water and Cirencester have no station of their own. The same guide suggests reaching Bourton from Moreton-in-Marsh or Cheltenham, and Cirencester via Kemble, Swindon, Gloucester or Cheltenham. [2]

A sensible first day

Take the train to Moreton-in-Marsh, then the 801 to Stow-on-the-Wold. Stay there for a few hours, then carry on to Bourton-on-the-Water or Lower Slaughter and return to Moreton for the train. Three stops is plenty when each depends on a bus.

For a longer stay, pick one village as a base and treat the rest as day trips by bus. Chipping Campden and Broadway are linked to Moreton by the same route 1/2. [2]

Buses: the traps

Local services are run by Pulhams, Johnsons and Stagecoach, among others, linking the main towns. [1] The practical limits are:

• Rural buses are infrequent and often stop around 6pm. [2]
• Some places have no scheduled bus. The Robin on-demand minibus covers some rural areas but has to be booked in advance. [2]
• Route numbers and operators change. Use Traveline South West for timetables, route maps and live information. [1]

We have not listed timetables here. Check the day you travel, and check the last bus before you set off from the station, not after lunch.

Walking

The Cotswold Way is 102 miles, runs from Chipping Campden to Bath, and is waymarked in both directions. [3] The trail’s own page does not give train or bus connections. It points to the interactive map on its Trail Information and Map page, which shows transport options. [3] Winchcombe, on the trail, is reached by the W bus from Cheltenham. [2]

If you only want a short walk, the route from Slaughter Pike to Lower Slaughter is the shortest we can source. [2] The National Landscape also links to “very easy walks” and public rights of way pages. [1]

Taxis

None of the official pages we opened says anything about taxis, so we cannot name firms or fares. A taxi from the station is a sensible back-up when a bus has gone. Ask your accommodation which local firm to ring, and do it before you travel on a Sunday or in the evening.

Where to check

• National Rail and Great Western Railway for trains.
• Traveline South West for buses.
• The Cotswolds National Landscape travel page for the stations and operators it lists. [1]

Places in this article

Photos from our guides; each links to the page that lists the place.