Getting around the Cotswolds: with and without a car

Mixed: depends where you go Our reading of the sources below, not an official rating.

Broadway railway station, BroadwayPhoto: Martin Tester, CC BY-SA 2.0

Windrush bridges and greens, Bourton-on-the-WaterPhoto: Steve Daniels, CC BY-SA 2.0

Stone buildings along the High Street in Chipping CampdenPhoto: nick macneill, CC BY-SA 2.0

Stations, bridges and harbours from our guide where we hold a photo; each links to the area page that lists it.

Paying for local transport in the Cotswolds

Rural buses, rail and a combined rail-and-bus ticket

Cotswolds Tourism says a combined rail-and-bus ticket covers trips to Bourton-on-the-Water, Stow-on-the-Wold and Chipping Norton, that the main coach route from London is National Express from Victoria Coach Station, and that the main bus stations in Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds are at Cheltenham, Gloucester and Stroud.Source: Cotswolds Tourism (opens in new tab), checked Nov 1, 2026.

Without a car

Getting here

By train

Great Western Railway (GWR) runs the Cotswold Line through Moreton-in-Marsh, Kingham and Charlbury, and serves Kemble, Stroud and Cheltenham Spa in the south and west. Oxford, Swindon and Worcester are common connection points. ¹

GWR: trains to the Cotswolds (opens in new tab) · National Rail (opens in new tab)

By bus

Buses connect some places from the stations. The Cotswolds tourism partnership gives the Pulhams 801 from Moreton-in-Marsh to Bourton-on-the-Water, Stow-on-the-Wold and Chipping Norton, running hourly Monday to Saturday and every two hours on Sundays. Stagecoach 1 and 2 serve Chipping Campden, the S2 runs from Oxford to Burford and the 882 from Kemble to Cirencester. ²

Pulhams (opens in new tab) · Stagecoach (opens in new tab) · Traveline (opens in new tab)

Bookable bus

In parts of Gloucestershire, The Robin is a bus you book in advance through Gloucestershire County Council, for journeys the timetabled buses do not cover. Check its page for the areas it serves. ³

The Robin (opens in new tab)

By coach

The Cotswolds tourism partnership lists National Express coaches from London Victoria Coach Station as an option. Check the operator for destinations and times. ⁴

National Express (opens in new tab)

Once you are there

Rural bus services

The Cotswolds tourism partnership lists local routes, for example Pulhams 801 (Moreton-in-Marsh, Bourton-on-the-Water, Stow-on-the-Wold and Chipping Norton), which it says runs hourly Monday to Saturday and two-hourly on Sundays. It also names a Villager Bus that runs only on Wednesdays and Fridays. Check Traveline for the day you travel. ⁵

Bookable bus in Gloucestershire

Gloucestershire County Council runs The Robin, a bookable bus for rural parts of the county. You search for a journey and book it. Days, hours and fares are on its website, not on its home page, so check there. ⁶

From the station to the village

Kingham station is about a mile from the village, and the walking route has narrow sidewalks with some stretches having none, according to the partnership's page. Cycle rental and tour companies can meet visitors at Kingham station. ⁵

Walk between sights

Each place in this guide is small enough to explore on foot. National Trails says the 102-mile Cotswold Way runs from Chipping Campden to Bath, so sections of it make good short walks. ⁷

Buses and bookable buses

Buses link the larger places but not every village. Check Traveline before you go, and see The Robin for journeys the timetabled buses miss. ⁸

Bring a bike by train

GWR says cycles can be carried on its trains free of charge, and Moreton-in-Marsh station has cycle storage. Check the operator's current policy. ⁹

Stops near each area

From our area guides (The Cotswolds): the stations and stops listed for each base. See each area's Getting there page for more.

Chipping Campden

Moreton-in-Marsh station: GWR (Cotswold Line). Nearest mainline station, about five miles away
Stagecoach 1 and 2: Moreton-in-Marsh to Chipping Campden. The Cotswolds tourism partnership gives about 30 minutes; check Stagecoach for times

Chipping Campden: getting there

Broadway

Nearest National Rail stations: Evesham, Honeybourne and Moreton-in-Marsh. Broadway has no National Rail service; onward travel is by bus or taxi
Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway: Heritage steam trains. Broadway is the northern end of the heritage line to Cheltenham Racecourse

Broadway: getting there

Stow-on-the-Wold

Moreton-in-Marsh station: GWR trains; Pulhams 801 bus onward. GWR says Stow is reached by an onward bus or taxi from Moreton-in-Marsh
Pulhams 801: Moreton-in-Marsh, Stow, Bourton and Chipping Norton. Rail Link bus; check Pulhams for current times

Stow-on-the-Wold: getting there

Bourton-on-the-Water

Moreton-in-Marsh station: GWR trains; Pulhams 801 bus onward. Nearest mainline station; the 801 is the Rail Link bus to Bourton-on-the-Water
Pulhams 801: Moreton-in-Marsh, Bourton, Stow and Chipping Norton. Main bus route through the village; check Pulhams for current times

Bourton-on-the-Water: getting there

Burford

Oxford station: GWR and other operators; Stagecoach S2 bus onward. The Cotswolds tourism partnership suggests Oxford, then the S2 bus (about an hour) for Burford
Stagecoach S2: Oxford to Burford. Check Stagecoach for current times

Burford: getting there

Cirencester

Kemble station: GWR trains. Mainline station on the Swindon to Gloucester line, with buses to Cirencester
Stagecoach 882: Kemble to Cirencester. The Cotswolds tourism partnership gives 20 to 30 minutes; check Stagecoach for times

Cirencester: getting there

No schedules or fares are copied here: check the operator or Traveline for the day you travel. Taxis and ride-hailing apps operate in most towns, but we have no sourced coverage data for rural areas, so do not count on one at short notice.

With a car

By car

A car is the easiest way to link several villages, but the best-known villages have limited parking. Cotswold District Council parking lots take only PayByPhone or contactless card payment, not cash. ¹⁰

General rules (driving on the left, licenses, roundabouts, speed limits in mph, parking, tolls, EV charging): Driving in Britain. Charge points: Zapmap (opens in new tab).

To and from other regions

Straight-line distance from our region centers, and the fastest train time that National Rail publishes on its destination pages (not a schedule; it may include a change). Where we found no figure we say so. The full table is on getting between regions.

Distance and fastest published train time from the Cotswolds to other regions
To or from	Straight line	Fastest train (National Rail)	Notes
Bath	70 km (44 miles)	No official figure found. Check National Rail (opens in new tab)	Bath to Moreton-in-Marsh is a listed rail route (via Chippenham or Kemble); no official time is published.
Bristol	75 km (47 miles)	No official figure found. Check National Rail (opens in new tab)	—
Cambridge	134 km (84 miles)	No official figure found. Check National Rail (opens in new tab)	—
Cardiff	107 km (67 miles)	No official figure found. Check National Rail (opens in new tab)	—
Cornwall	293 km (182 miles)	No official figure found. Check National Rail (opens in new tab)	—
Edinburgh	460 km (286 miles)	No official figure found. Check National Rail (opens in new tab)	—
Glasgow	470 km (292 miles)	No official figure found. Check National Rail (opens in new tab)	—
Liverpool	186 km (116 miles)	No official figure found. Check National Rail (opens in new tab)	—
London	122 km (76 miles)	No official figure found. Check National Rail (opens in new tab)	Cotswold Line trains run from London Paddington via Oxford to Moreton-in-Marsh. No single official journey time covers the whole region, so none is shown. National Express runs the main coach route from London Victoria.¹¹
Manchester	179 km (111 miles)	No official figure found. Check National Rail (opens in new tab)	—
Northern Ireland	450 km (280 miles)	No official figure found. Check National Rail (opens in new tab)	—
Oxford	39 km (25 miles)	No official figure found. Check National Rail (opens in new tab)	Oxford is on the Cotswold Line to Moreton-in-Marsh; no official time is published.
Portsmouth and Southampton	122 km (76 miles)	No official figure found. Check National Rail (opens in new tab)	—
Stratford & Warwickshire	40 km (25 miles)	No official figure found. Check National Rail (opens in new tab)	—
The Jurassic Coast	148 km (92 miles)	No official figure found. Check National Rail (opens in new tab)	—
The Lake District	298 km (185 miles)	No official figure found. Check National Rail (opens in new tab)	—
The Peak District	150 km (93 miles)	No official figure found. Check National Rail (opens in new tab)	—
The Scottish Highlands	623 km (387 miles)	No official figure found. Check National Rail (opens in new tab)	—
Wales	145 km (90 miles)	No official figure found. Check National Rail (opens in new tab)	—
York	234 km (145 miles)	No official figure found. Check National Rail (opens in new tab)	—

Figures retrieved Oct 25, 2026 for the intercity data. Schedules change.

Stations in our data

43 stations and stops (The Cotswolds)

OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), via Overpass API. Fetched 2026-10-24. This is the list behind the near-me page, not a complete list of stations.

Ascott-under-Wychwood (rail), Great Western Railway
Ashchurch for Tewkesbury (rail), Great Western Railway
Bearley (rail), West Midlands Trains (West Midlands Railway)
Blunsdon (station)
Broadway (heritage), Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway
California Crossing (station)
Cam and Dursley (rail), Great Western Railway
Charlbury (rail), Great Western Railway
Cheltenham Racecourse (heritage), Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Steam Railway
Cheltenham Spa (rail), Great Western Railway
Colwall (rail), West Midlands Trains (West Midlands Railway)
Combe (rail), Great Western Railway
Evesham (rail), Great Western Railway
Finstock (rail), Great Western Railway
Gloucester (rail), Great Western Railway
Gotherington (heritage), Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Steam Railway
Great Malvern (rail), West Midlands Trains (West Midlands Railway)
Hanborough (rail), Great Western Railway
Hayes Knoll (station)
Hayles Abbey Halt (heritage), Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Steam Railway
Hillers Halt (station)
Honeybourne (rail), Great Western Railway
Kemble (rail), Great Western Railway
Kingham (rail), Great Western Railway
Malvern Link (rail), West Midlands Trains (West Midlands Railway)
Moreton-in-Marsh (rail), Great Western Railway
Palace (station)
Pershore (rail), Great Western Railway
Shipton (rail), Great Western Railway
Stonehouse (rail), Great Western Railway
Stratford-upon-Avon (rail), West Midlands Trains (West Midlands Railway)
Stratford-upon-Avon Parkway (rail), West Midlands Trains (West Midlands Railway)
Stroud (rail), Great Western Railway
Swindon (rail), Great Western Railway
Taw Valley Halt (station)
The Valley Railway Adventure (heritage), Valley Rail Ltd.
Toddington (heritage), Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Steam Railway
Walled Garden (station)
Wilmcote (rail), West Midlands Trains (West Midlands Railway)
Winchcombe (heritage), Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Steam Railway
Worcester Foregate Street (rail), West Midlands Trains (West Midlands Railway)
Worcester Shrub Hill (rail), West Midlands Trains (West Midlands Railway)
Worcestershire Parkway (rail), Great Western Railway

Official links

GWR: trains to the Cotswolds (opens in new tab): stations, routes and tickets
GWR: Moreton-in-Marsh station (opens in new tab): facilities and onward travel
National Rail Inquiries (opens in new tab): train times and fares
Cotswolds tourism partnership: getting there by train and bus (opens in new tab): car-free routes and bus numbers
Pulhams (opens in new tab): 801 and other Cotswold buses
Stagecoach (opens in new tab): services to Oxford, Burford, Campden and Cirencester
The Robin bookable bus (opens in new tab): Gloucestershire County Council
Traveline (opens in new tab): journey planner for buses and trains
Cotswold District Council: where to park (opens in new tab): parking lots in Bourton, Campden, Cirencester, Stow and more
West Oxfordshire District Council: where to park (opens in new tab): parking lots in Burford
National Trails: Cotswold Way (opens in new tab): route and trail information

More on the Cotswolds: The Cotswolds guide · how to get there

Questions people ask

Can I get around the Cotswolds without a car?

The towns with railway stations and the main bus routes are straightforward without a car, but many village services run only a few times a day or on certain weekdays. Plan village-to-village trips in advance, or consider a car or the bookable bus.

Do I need to check a driving zone in the Cotswolds?

We found no charging or low emission zone for the Cotswolds in the official pages we read. Check the council site before you drive in.