Being on a direct train line from London and Oxford means the market town of Moreton-in-Marsh is a popular base for people wanting to visit the Cotswolds without a car. But what do you do when you get there? This Cotswold itinerary without a car from Moreton-in-Marsh shows you how to see some of the North Cotswolds’ highlights by bus, train and on foot – in two, three or more days.
Day one and two of the itinerary focus on the most popular Cotswold towns and villages which are easy to reach by public transport from Moreton. Day one covers Stow-on-the-Wold, Bourton-on-the-Water and The Slaughters, and day two visits Chipping Campden and Broadway.
Then there are several different options for day three (or day four and beyond if you’re staying for longer). These include other local train and bus routes, walks and guided tours.
One thing to bear in mind is that most buses don’t run on Sundays, so if you’re visiting the Cotswolds over a weekend you may need to change the order suggested below around.
Bus passes and fares
Until the end of 2025, single bus journeys in the UK cost a maximum of £3. Daily/weekly passes are also available which can save money if you’re doing a lot of bus journeys. Note that these passes only cover buses run by a particular company though, rather than all buses in the region.
For this itinerary, the buses used are either Pulhams and Stagecoach, who both offer day passes:
- Pulhams Cotswold Zone Pass costs £8 for adults (£6.50 children).
- Stagecoach West Gold DayRider costs £8.10 for adults (£7.30 children/seniors).
Day 1: Stow-on-the-Wold, Bourton-on-the-Water and The Slaughters
[This can be done any day of the week including Sundays, but the Pulhams 801 bus only runs every two hours on Sundays rather than hourly, so timings may need adjusting – see timetable]
Start the day by taking the Pulhams 801 bus to Stow-on-the-Wold, departing from Moreton-in-Marsh railway station at 09.45 and arriving at Stow Library at 10.05.
Spend a couple of hours exploring Stow-on-the-Wold – admire the golden stone buildings in the Market Square, visit St Edward’s Church with its Yew Tree Door, and browse the town’s art and antique shops. There are also some nice cafés, including Coach House Coffee and Huffkins.
Walk option: From Stow you can walk to Bourton-on-the-Water via Lower Slaughter. It’s 4.2 miles and takes around 1.5–2 hours. So if you left Stow around 12pm it should give you time to visit both of the Slaughters and arrive into Bourton around 3pm.
Next get back on the Pulhams 801 at 12.05 for the short bus journey to Slaughter Pike, arriving at 12.11. Slaughter Pike [map here] is a 10-minute walk from Lower Slaughter itself – you will need to cross over the busy A429 and then walk down Copsehill Road to reach the village.
Lower Slaughter is fairly small but full of charm, with no building work taking place since 1906. You can take a stroll along the river to the Old Mill (which is currently closed but does have a coffee kiosk), visit St Mary’s Church and admire the historic buildings along Copsehill Road.
You can also add on a visit to neighbouring Upper Slaughter. It’s a mile away, with the walk taking around 20 minutes each way, starting behind the Old Mill and following the river.
If you want to stop for lunch there are a few options in The Slaughters – The Slaughters Country Inn in Lower Slaughter is more casual or there are high-end restaurants at both The Slaughters Manor House in Lower Slaughter and the Lords of the Manor hotel in Upper Slaughter.
Walk option: From Lower Slaughter it’s a flat, gentle 1.5-mile walk to Bourton-on-the-Water, which takes around 45 minutes (you can see a route map here).
If you don’t want to walk, return to Slaughter Pike to pick up the Pulhams 801 bus to Bourton-on-the-Water. The bus departs at 14.11 (or the next bus is at 15.31 if you wanted to stop for lunch and travel to Bourton later) and takes 11 minutes, stopping by the Edinburgh Woollen Mill.
You have the rest of the day to explore Bourton-on-the-Water. There’s lots to do here, including the Cotswold Motoring and Toy Museum (which is right by the bus stop), the Model Village at the Old New Inn, Cotswold Perfumery, Birdland Park and Gardens, and the Dragonfly Maze.
There are also lots of pubs and restaurants in Bourton if you fancy an early dinner. Some of our favourites are the Rose Tree Restaurant by the river, Smiths of Bourton for burgers, The Mousetrap Inn for upscale pub food and L’Anatra for stone-baked pizzas and Italian classics.
Finally, catch the Pulhams 801 bus back to Moreton-in-Marsh railway station. The last bus departs from Bourton at 19.15 (18.15 on Sundays) and the journey takes 30 minutes.
Day 2: Broadway and Chipping Campden
[This can be only be done on Monday–Saturday as the Stagecoach 1/2 doesn’t run on Sundays]
Start by catching the Stagecoach 1 bus from Moreton-in-Marsh railway station, which departs at 09.23 and arrives at Chipping Campden Town Hall at 10.11.
Spend the morning in Chipping Campden. You can learn more about its links with the Arts and Crafts Movement at the Court Barn Museum and shop for modern crafts at the Old Silk Mill. There are also beautiful buildings on the High Street, the Market House and St James’ Church.
When you get hungry, the Bantam Tea Rooms and Campden Coffee are good spots for coffee and cake. The Eight Bells Inn is a cosy traditional pub with hearty meals. Or Michael’s Mediterranean serves brunch and lunch dishes like salads, moussakas and Greek sharing platters.
Then get back on the Stagecoach 1 bus at 13.45. It departs from The Noel Arms (except on Saturdays when it’s from the Town Hall) and arrives at The Lygon Arms in Broadway at 14.05.
You have the rest of the day to explore the village of Broadway. There are a couple of interesting museums – the Broadway Museum and Art Gallery and the Gordon Russell Design Museum. Broadway is also known for its shopping, with lots of independent boutique stores.
Walk option: If you’d like to visit the hilltop Broadway Tower, you can get there on our 4.4-mile circular walk, which takes around two hours (plus time to visit the tower).
Broadway has plenty of places to eat and drink too. Our picks include the colourful Broadway Deli (look for the truck), the Swan Inn pub and Russell’s for award-winning fish and chips.
Then take the Stagecoach 1A bus back to Moreton-in-Marsh railway station. The last bus departs from The Lygon Arms in Broadway at 18.10 and the journey takes 30 minutes.
Day 3 onwards
For day three (and beyond) of our Cotswold itinerary without a car from Moreton-in-Marsh, there are a number of different options you can choose from depending on what interests you. Don’t forget to allow some time to explore Moreton itself, and visit the market if you’re there on a Tuesday.
Option 1: More destinations by bus/train
There are several other Cotswold towns and villages which you can visit by bus or train from Moreton as well as those included in day one and two. These can all easily be done in a day.
The Stagecoach 1/2 bus connects Moreton with Blockley (which fans of TV series Father Brown might know as Kembleford) and Stratford-upon-Avon. You can also use it to visit Batsford Arboretum, Sezincote House, Bourton House Garden and Bourton-on-the-Hill (except Sundays).
The Pulhams 801 bus runs from Moreton to Chipping Norton (Mondays–Saturdays) and Cheltenham (daily). You can also get to Stratford on the Stagecoach 51A (except Sundays).
Or the train from Moreton runs to Kingham (though note the station is a 25-minute walk south of the village), Charlbury and the university city of Oxford, with services every day.
Option 2: Walks
Walking is a great way to see the Cotswold countryside and get away from the crowds. And there’s a selection of walks near Moreton. It’s 35 minutes along the Monarch’s Way to Batsford Arboretum, and a little further to Sezincote and Bourton House. Or you could carry on and visit Blockley village (6.9 miles circular) or Longborough and Bourton-on-the-Hill (7 miles circular).
You can also get the train to Kingham and do a circular walk to Daylesford Organic estate for lunch (5.9 miles). Or take the 801 bus to Bourton-on-the-Water which is the starting point for several circular walks including to Wyck Rissington (4.6 miles) and Naunton (10.2 miles).
Option 3: The Robin
If you’re interested in visiting some of the gardens or smaller villages near Moreton-in-Marsh but don’t want to walk, another option is to use The Robin. This is a bookable, on-demand minibus service which runs 7am–7pm Monday to Saturday and can be booked up to two weeks ahead.
You can make bookings through their website, app and on the phone – find full details in our guide. And it costs a maximum of £3 one way (£2.50 for children), like a regular bus.
Moreton is part of The Robin’s North Cotswolds area and you can use it to visit villages within the region like Snowshill, Longborough, Bourton-on-the-Hill, Guiting Power and Daylesford, as well as stately homes Sezincote House, Chastleton House, Stanway House and Snowshill Manor.
Option 4: Day tours
If you want an easy way to see popular spots like Bibury and Castle Combe which are difficult to get to by public transport, Go Cotswolds run several tours starting from Moreton-in-Marsh. Some do repeat destinations from day one and two of this itinerary, so you might want to adjust your plans for the other days. Here’s a brief overview of each tour’s stops (not all run every day):
- Cotswolds Tour:* Dover’s Hill, Chipping Campden, Snowshill, Stow-on-the-Wold, Bibury and Bourton-on-the-Water.
- Secret Cotswolds:* Rollright Stones, Burford, Broadway, Stanton and Guiting Power.
- Cotswolds Walks and Villages Guided Tour:* walks to the Broadway Tower, Broadway village, a walk through the Windrush Valley and Burford.
- Bath and Southern Cotswolds Tour:* Tetbury, Castle Combe and Bath.
Do you have questions about exploring the Cotswolds without a car? Join our new Facebook group for Cotswold public transport news, tips and advice.
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