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Cycling in the Heart of the Cotswolds

7 Days & 6 Nights 4.7 Read 12 reviews
  • Pedal through the quintessential Cotswold countryside, a jewel of England
  • Observe the changing light reflect off honey-coloured cottages and green hills
  • Explore Stratford-upon-Avon, William Shakespeare’s birthplace
  • Experience delicious gourmet food in cosy local pubs and restaurants
  • Wander through the diverse gardens at Sezincote and Stanway
Follow cycle routes through quintessentially perfect Cotswold countryside and villages, such as Chipping Camden and Upper Slaughter. Honey-coloured stone houses, hedgerowed lanes, gloriously blossoming and colourful gardens all contribute towards what has been designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. During this self-guided cycling tour every day has a highlight, from the discovery of Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments, to the romantic water gardens at Sezincote and the Brailes, an area mentioned in the Domesday Book. You will be cycling through many iconic areas of the Cotswolds and even a cycle through Stratford-upon-Avon is included, the birthplace of William Shakespeare. With only one change of accommodation on this tour you can unpack and relax.

What To Expect

If you want to cycle through some of the Cotswold’s most iconic countryside and pretty villages at your own pace, stopping to explore en route, then this tour is for you. Also enjoy the local cuisine in the many gourmet pubs and restaurants and the additional bonus of cycling into Stratford-upon-Avon and visiting some of the area’s most amazing manor houses and incredible gardens. With only one change of accommodation you’ll have more time for relaxation and discovery of the area.

Trip Type:

Classic Routes | If you’re the active, outdoorsy type, who’s interested in taking on the great routes of the world or looking for a challenge, then our Classic Routes are for you. We’re talking the West Highland Way, Tour Du Mont Blanc and the Passau to Vienna Danube Cycle Path, to name but a few!

Activity:

Leisure Cycling | Leisure Cycling

This trip is suitable for:

Solo Travellers

Ideal if you have an interest in:

  • Short Break

Grade & Terrain

You will need to have a fairly good fitness level to fully enjoy this trip. Although the Cotswolds generally is not very hilly there will be some gentle inclines and declines at times. Most of the cycling on this tour is along quiet country roads and through the rural and very pretty countryside, towns and villages. At times (but only for very short rides) you will have to ride along main roads in order to link the routes, or perhaps access another smaller road.

Accommodation Information

During this trip you will stay in small, family run hotels, B&B's or guesthouses. All accommodations are hand-picked to assure a warm welcome great locations.

Single Rooms & Solo Cyclists

If you're travelling with friends or family but prefer your own room, single rooms are subject to availability and a supplementary payment. This trip is also available to solo cyclists, also subject to a supplementary payment.

Meals

Breakfast is included in the cost of your tour. Breakfast can vary but normally includes a continental breakfast, which includes breads, butter, preserves, pastries, cereal, yoghurt, cheese, ham, fruit and tea and coffee and the option of a traditional English cooked breakfast. If you have special dietary requirements do let us know at the time of booking.

Lunches and dinners are not included but you will find suggestions in your route notes of local places to dine and your B&B hosts are always happy to advise on the best places to eat! You can easily find many European dining options within the Cotswolds but there are many local, cosy, traditional English pubs, serving simple filling dishes such as steak and ale pie, fish and chips or bangers n’ mash (sausages and mash potato). Being in the heart of the Cotswolds, you’re also never far from a café serving a cream tea. Worth indulging in at least once during your week cycling!

Included
  • 6 Nights in B&B's and guesthouses
  • 6 Breakfasts
  • Baggage transfer
  • Taxi transfer from Broadway to Moreton-in-Marsh on day 7
  • Information pack
  • Access to route notes, detailed maps, and GPS tracks in the Macs Adventure smartphone navigation app
  • 24/7 Emergency telephone support from our office
Excluded
  • Travel to Moreton-in-Marsh / from Broadway
  • Bike hire
  • Lunches, dinners, drinks & snacks
  • Personal equipment
  • Travel insurance (required)
Extras
  • Additional nights along the route
  • Bike hire

When To Go

This trip is available from April to October. 

Getting to the Start

The best way of getting to Moreton-in-Marsh is by train. There is a direct train from London Paddington Station which takes about one and a half hours. If you fly into London Heathrow, you can then take the Heathrow Express train to London Paddington and from here a train to Moreton-in Marsh. You may fly into any of the other London Airports, such as London Gatwick, make your way by bus or train into central London and then to London Paddington.

It is also possible to fly into Birmingham Airport when travelling to Moreton-in-Marsh with a journey time under 3 hours by public transport.  Birmingham has flights from Aberdeen, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Jersey, Isle of Man, Inverness, Dundee, Derry, Belfast, Dublin, Shannon and many European and international destinations.

You can find further information about train times and schedules on the National Rail website.

It is also possible to drive to Moreton-in-Marsh. On-street parking is available however there is no secure parking. 

Baggage Transfer

Your bags will be transferred from your accommodation as per your itinerary and moved onto your next overnight accommodation. We ask you to limit your luggage to one bag of up to 20kg per person.  Please ensure that you do not bring more than one bag of 20kg as if this occurs, the luggage transfer company will ask you to pay an additional fee for an extra bag which they will provide (£8) plus a charge of £6.00 per day for moving the extra bag. This additional payment, should it be necessary, needs to be made locally to the driver and in cash. We ask that all bags are ready for 9am and if not an additional supplement may also be payable locally to ensure that we can get your luggage to its destination on time.

If you are travelling from far afield and do have more than one bag it is possible to arrange for the extra luggage to be stored whilst you are on the tour for a fee of £25 per bag. These additional bags would be picked up from your accommodation at the start point of your tour and dropped off wherever you finish depending on the itinerary you are doing. Please contact us if you are interested in this option.

General Information

The distances and ascent/descents are approximations of the recommended routes. Please be prepared by packing all necessary items, for example, proper rain gear (jacket and pants), sun hat, sunscreen. Your information pack has a detailed equipment list which includes standard walking gear such as good walking boots or shoes, warm and waterproof clothes for the cooler months and lightweight clothing for summer, and a day pack.

Transfers

A taxi transfer from Broadway at the end of the tour is included to Moreton-on-Marsh train station. The journey takes about 20 minutes, depending on traffic.

Equipment

Bike Hire 

Bike hire is available as an optional extra. Hire bikes are high quality, full-aluminium hybrid bikes that will delivered to you at your accommodation. The model will be a Ridgeback Velocity Hybrid (or similar). If you book bike hire further details will be provided in your information pack. All rentals include a helmet, lock, pump, pannier with spare inner tube, tyre levers and a handlebar bag.

If you would prefer to hire an e-bike, which provides a power-assisted ride make sure to get your request in early as e-bikes are increasing in popularity! For more information on e-bikes click here.

To ensure we can confirm your bike hire as quickly as possible please provide us with your height at the time of booking. We will pass this onto our bike hire partner who will be able to select the correct size of bike frame for you. 

Bringing Your Own Bike

We understand that your bike is more than just a machine that gets you from A to B, it's a reliable travel companion that you want to bring with you on your trip.

Due to logistics on this tour bringing your own bike is only possible if you are arriving in Moreton-in-Marsh by car. In this case we advise parking in Moreton-in-Marsh for the duration of your trip. On the final day an included taxi transfer will drop you off at your car in Moreton-in-Marsh, from where you can drive back to Broadway (25 minutes) to collect your luggage and bike(s) from your final accommodation in Broadway. 

Travel Insurance

It is a requirement of booking this tour with Macs Adventure that you have suitable travel insurance which covers you for the activity and emergency evacuation and hospital care.

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What happens if I cant cycle a stage?

Itinerary

Day 1 Arrive in Moreton-on-Marsh Day 2 Cycle loop through Chipping Norton 29 miles / 47 km Day 3 Cycle loop through the Brailes 27 miles / 43.5 km Day 4 Cycle to Broadway via Upper and Lower Slaughter 23 miles / 37 km Day 5 Cycle loop through Stratford-upon-Avon 43 miles / 69.5 km Day 6 Broadway loop via Stanway House and Gardens 29 miles / 47 km Day 7 Onward Travel

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