Rome Toolkit 
Paris Toolkit Private best of English Cotswolds tours from London
Design your own day tour, go where you want, stay as long as you want. Cars to large touring coaches
Private, personalised high quality tours from a car tour to a full size touring coach
At the London Toolkit we are very close to a lot of private tour providers from one man bands specialising in a niche subject to the large day tour operators featured elsewhere on this web site aimed at the generalist tourist.
We do not directly provide a custom tour, our role is to listen to your needs, discuss a realistic itinerary and then put you in touch with an appropriate provider for your need.
About tour Example Cotswolds private tour itinerary Typical tour schedules Cotswolds villages Cotswolds tour combinations Map of popular tourist sights south England Driver/guide options Private car prices Coaches Enquiry form
Vehicles, driver/guides + scope of private tours
A range of touring vehicles with capacities ranging from 1 to 60 seats are available. We charge a flat fee per vehicle (not person) for the day.
This includes the vehicle and services of the driver guide or guide. You have the option of just having a driver with no professional guiding provided which will save you some money.
Admissions to attractions are not included in the core fee, but can be arranged.
You can design your own day and just present us with an itinerary specification if you wish.
Just enter your requirement on our our private tour request form.
On this page we outline one of the most popular tour itineraries people request.
On the menu to the right are links to some other very popular private tour ideas.
Example private tour template: The Cotswolds
The Cotswolds is a range of hills in west-of London, an area 25 miles (40 km) across and 90 miles (145 km) long. The area is characterised by attractive small towns and villages built of the underlying Cotswold stone (a type of limestone).
On the borders of the Cotswolds are the university city of Oxford, Shakespeare's Stratford Upon Avon and Warwick Castle. Combining any of these four makes a fascinating day of contrasts.
As with all our example custom tours, this is just an idea to build upon. The great thing about a custom tour is that you choose when you want to go and how long you spend at each destination.
The Cotswolds covers quite an area, north to south not far off 100 miles.
We meander down country lanes, through villages of honey coloured stone, stopping in Burford and Bourton-on-the-Water and also visiting the charming twins of Upper and Lower Slaughter is recommended.
A stop for a leisurely lunch or cream tea can be made or you can even stretch your legs and ramble between Upper and Lower Slaughter and reward yourself with a cream tea or pint at the end.
Typical tour schedules
Many people choose to combine their private Cotswolds tour with a trip to nearby Oxford, Warwick Castle, Blenheim Palace or Stratford Upon Avon. These attractions are all very reachable from London and make for a fantastic day our while touring through the scenic Cotswolds.
Oxford & Stratford Tour
08:00 - Leave London hotel
09:30 - 11:00 Oxford
11:30 - 14:00 Touring Cotswolds
14:30 - 16:00 Stratford
18:00 - 18:30 Arrive at London hotel.
Oxford & Cotswolds Tour
08:00 - Leave London hotel
09:30 - 11:30 Oxford
12:00 - 13:00 Burford
13:30 - 14:30 Bourton On The Water
14:45 - 16:00 Walk between the Slaughters
18:00 - 18:30 Arrive at London hotel.
Oxford & Warwick Castle Tour
08:00 - Leave London hotel
09:30 - 11:00 Oxford
11:30 - 13:15 Touring Cotswolds
14:00 - 16:00 Warwick Castle
18:00 - 18:30 Arrive at London hotel.
Cotswolds & Blenheim Palace Tour
08:00 - Leave London hotel
09:45 - 12:00 Blenheim Palace
12:30 - 15:45 Cotswolds / Oxford
18:00 - 18:30 Arrive at London hotel.
Central Cotswold medieval market town and villages
After leaving London behind we take the old coach road to Bath, through Hungerford, Marlborough, along the Kennet valley and through the Savernake Forest.
Burford
Burford, an old wool town, is our gateway town into the Cotswolds. One of the larger conurbations, the main High Street descending down to the river with some of its best 17th and 18th century frontages is the main focus for visitors. Burford is a renowned centre for antiques, teashops and gift shopping.
Bourton On The Water
Probably the most popular village in the Cotswolds, and often referred to as the "Venice of the Cotswolds" because the River Windrush runs right through the centre. The sparkling water and the attractive low bridges crossing it create a charming scene.
The Slaughters
Only a couple of miles from Bourton On Water, Lower Slaughter is just off the Roman Fosse Way and a wonderfully conserved typical Cotswold village, with a Water Mill and ducks on the stream - a wander alongside the stream seems like a privilege.
Upper Slaughter is equally attractive with old cottages and farmhouses, and a Manor House now a hotel.
Bibury
Overlooking the River Coln that was once described as the most beautiful village in England by William Morris.
The 14th century Arlington Row provides the focal point. This was originally a wool store, then altered into weavers cottages and is now restored by the National Trust. The low roof line and row of gables give it true Cotswold style.
Most popular sightseeing combinations within the Cotswolds region
Stratford upon Avon
On arriving in Stratford we do a short orientation tour of Stratford on the bus before alighting at Shakespeare's Birthplace. The 'must see' in in the middle of town.
On the far side of the town centre is Holy Trinity Church where Shakespeare is buried.
The town itself is also a nice place to loiter with some olde worlde charm and a very nice riverside with extensive parkland and always something going on.
A mile or two from the town centre is Anne Hathaway's Cottage and further out is Shakespeare's mother's house, Mary Arden. The bus is needed to see these.
Stratford Upon Avon what to expect
Warwick Castle
Just 20-30 minutes from Stratford is Warwick Castle, one of England's best
preserved castles.
Warwick Castle is run by the people who run Madame Tussauds in London and there is an accent on entertainment with plenty of events put on and things to do.
You can spend time climbing the castle towers, walking through the gardens, visiting the exhibitions and watching special outdoor events. These events may include jousting, archery or falconry.
Oxford
The colleges in Oxford date back to the 13th century and among its famous students were Bill Clinton, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and Lewis Carroll.
There is only one way of seeing Oxford and that’s to walk. Unfortunately our bus cannot park in Oxford city centre so the driver/guide cannot accompany you. The city is very compact though and we will supply a map or arrange in advance a guide to meet you.
Christ Church is the single most visited college, especially since it was used extensively in the Harry Potter movies.
Driver & guiding options
Everybody's requirements are different! - You may just need a professional driver to transport your group to where you want to go or you may need a level of guiding and commentary.
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Driver only - If you prefer an experienced driver who is familiar with our touring routes but does not offer tour guiding, please select “Driver only” as your tariff.
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Driver/guide - If you would like an experienced driver who can also guide from the vehicle, please select “Driver/guide” as your tariff.
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Driver with additional guide - For larger groups a separate guide may be appropriate. Particularly at some of the large cities and towns where parking is a problem in the centre.
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Touring coaches for large groups - Full size coaches that can accommodate the largest groups in comfort are also available with guides. By their nature these tours are very different from each other so just outline your requirements on the enquiry form at the bottom of the page to start a dialogue.
A day tour is a tour of around 9-10 hours at a time of your choosing. Drivers have very strict legal limits on the time they are allowed to drive each day and there are rules also on the frequency of driver breaks too. These are not normally an issue, but if they are the matter will be raised at the quotation stage.
Prices includes all fees except for food/drink and admissions to attractions which can be quoted for separately.
PRIVATE CAR DAY TOUR PRICES
(Rates do not include attraction admissions or food)
| 1-3 passengers + 8x luggage | |
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Driver only from £699 Driver / guide from £899 Driver & guide from £999 |
| 1-6 passengers + 8x luggage | |
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Driver only from £799 Driver / guide from £999 Driver & guide from £1099 |
| 7-16 passengers + 16x luggage | |
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Driver onlyfrom £999 Driver / guide from £1199 Driver & guide from £1299 |
| Up to 53 passengers + 65x luggage | |
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Driver only from £1199 Driver & guide from £1499 |
Full size touring coaches for large groups
If you have a large group then that is not a problem either.
The largest coaches are 50-72 seat coaches but we also have access to vehicles half that size.
With large groups on cruise tour transfers the capacity issue is not normally passenger numbers but luggage.
UK coaches are built to European traveller requirements, where one large case is perfectly adequate. A typical 50 seat coach will be able to accommodate around 60 large cases in the luggage hold.
For a group travelling with North American flight allowances a 50 seat coach will typically only be able to accommodate the luggage of 35 such passengers maximum.
With large groups just as small groups, multi- drop and pick-ups from hotels is routine and if required we can arrange a guide.
Tour planning & formal quotations
Some people have a tight specification of exactly what they want, others just have a broad idea of what they like and want to see and let us plan something that meets that need. We are comfortable with either type of request.
Tours are customised for each individual group. Go where you want to go at a pace you decide. Use the form below to outline your requirements and start a dialogue.
