Tourism is vital for the economy of the Cotswolds, and there’s plenty to see and do here to make memories which will last a lifetime. We encourage all visitors to consider, and where possible reduce, their carbon footprint when visiting. As the Cotswolds covers such a large area and includes several counties, exploring without a car can be challenging – but it isn’t impossible. To help travel more sustainably, visitors could consider arriving in the Cotswolds by public transport, travelling more sustainably once in the Cotswolds by using public or shared transport (or even bikes), and supporting local food and drink producers during a visit.
Traveline South West
If you’re aiming to travel by public transport to reach the Cotswolds, and whilst you’re here, the Traveline South West website is a great tool for planning your train and bus routes. It provides comprehensive and impartial public transport information for all modes of public transport. It includes timetables, route maps, real-time information, details of day and weekly tickets, a growing number of point-to-point single and return fares, and is designed to be fully responsive for mobile and tablet users.
Gloucestershire Community Rail Partnership
Gloucestershire Community Rail Partnership aims to better connect visitors and local people by encouraging the use of the rail network. There are a number of charming trails available to download for free from their website, plus maps for towns accessible by rail.
Visit Gloucestershire Community Rail Partnership
Rail travel
Trains run to Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds from London, the Midlands, the North, and the South West of England. There are main line railway stations at Cam and Dursley, Cheltenham, Gloucester, Kemble (serving Cirencester), Moreton-in-Marsh, Stonehouse, Stroud and Ashchurch (for Tewkesbury).
Regular rail services through the area include:
- London Paddington and Cheltenham, via Swindon, Kemble, Stroud, Stonehouse, and Gloucester.
- London Paddington and Moreton-in-Marsh.
- Cardiff and Cheltenham via Gloucester.
- Birmingham and Bristol, via Tewkesbury, Cheltenham, Gloucester, and Dursley.
For detailed rail information and prices for rail travel please look at the following sites: National Rail, Great Western Railway or Trainline
Bus and coach travel
National Express offers bus travel across England, with a range of fares and travel passes. The main route to the Cotswolds from London starts at Victoria Coach Station. National Express buses travel to stations in Cheltenham, Gloucester, and Stroud. From those stations, visitors can use local bus services to explore further into the countryside. Local bus services run by Pulhams, Johnsons, and Stagecoach (among others) link main towns throughout the area.
For further information:
Visit www.traveline.info or Gloucestershire County Council – transport and travel pages.
EV Recharging Stations in the Cotswolds
There are an increasing number of charging points being implemented across the Cotswolds by business and councils. You can find a lot of these on Zap-map.com