Return to main article13 Affordable Trips to Europe
Cotswolds
The country villages and rolling farmland of the Cotswolds are just a two-hour drive from central London or a two-hour train ride from Paddington
Station. The area’s upmarket mix of designer boutiques, quaint cottages, and
exceptional restaurants attracts weekenders who want an easy-to-reach rural retreat.
From Cheltenham to Bledington Day 1 The Cotswolds region is small enough to make any town
your base, but because trains arrive in Cheltenham every half-hour, it’s the
perfect starting point. (Buy your train ticket online at nationalrail.co.uk before arriving in
England, and pay $72 less for your trip north. Keep in mind the deal is
invalid if you pick the ticket up at the station, so be sure to arrange to have
it sent to your hotel.) Style-conscious urbanites will love the Big
Sleep, an alternative to pricier spots like the Cotswold House and Cowley
Manor. The rooms have whimsical accents such as Panton chairs and Orla Kiely
patterned wallpaper. Take the afternoon to drive west, past the pretty village
of Bibury, to check out the Village Pub, a B&B that doubles as a gastropub and is adorned with a mishmash of old wooden chairs and large Oriental rugs. It’s laid-back
and understated, except for the food: expect imaginative dishes such as grilled
John Dory with braised octopus, chickpeas, tomato, and oregano. Days 2–3 Head southwest to the market town of Tetbury and
check into the family-friendly Priory Inn, with modern touches, like simple American black walnut
desks, in its 14 mocha-hued rooms. A few steps away, Michael and Sarah Bedford
run the no-frills Chef’s Table. From its open kitchen come classic dishes such as moules
marinières and pork belly with mustard mashed potatoes; stock up for a
picnic at the restaurant’s ground-floor deli, known for its vegetables from Duchy
Home Farm, house-made sourdough bread, and fresh pastas. In Tetbury, don’t miss
Long Street, unofficially considered Antiques Alley: there’s Sharland
& Lewis, a cheerful shop
brimming with 19th-century quilts, distressed wooden chests, enamelware,
vintage French and English ticking, and reupholstered linen chairs from the
1940’s. At Lorfords Antiques,
stone garden statues are showcased outside, while English wing chairs and
blue-and-white porcelain plates and crockery fill the shop. For a change of
pace, there’s the town’s 600-acre Westonbirt Arboretum, started by the Holford family in the 1820’s and now home
to more than 3,000 types of trees, including maples, magnolias, and oaks. Days 4–5 Farther north, overlooking the Bledington village
green, the Kings Head Inn has 12 eclectic rooms in green, gold, or silver with
beds that are plumped to perfection. Downstairs, the cozy bar and restaurant
are a tribute to Cotswolds style: chunky wooden tables on a flagstone floor
surround a log fire, and chef Charlie Loader serves Aberdeen Angus beef, from
cattle raised on the landlord’s family farm, and apple crumble. Nearby are the
glorious northern Cotswolds villages of Chipping Campden, Stow-on-the-Wold, and
Moreton-in-Marsh—just follow the walking maps you’ll find in your room or ask a
staff member at the front desk about the Cotswold Way, a 100-mile trail that
stretches from the northern border of the region to Bath. Nature lovers and
history buffs will want to spend an afternoon at the 15th-century Sudeley
Castle. The 14-acre grounds include an English rose garden. For foodies,
a trip to Daylesford Organic is
a must-do. It’s one of the poshest farm shops in the world, selling artisanal
organic cheese and meat products from its herd of free-roaming cattle, deer,
and chickens. A horticulture store, spa, and organic café are housed in a
series of restored barns, where shoppers snack on Eccles cakes—Britain’s
traditional puff pastry—paired with an afternoon cup of tea.—Alison Tyler
