Car Hire in the Cotswolds
If you do not wish to hire a car either in London or at an airport, there is an option to take a train to Oxford (1 hour 10 minutes from London Paddington) www.nationalrail.co.uk and hire a car there. From Heathrow or Gatwick, there is a very good half-hourly bus service to the centre of Oxford which is very close to the car hire agencies – www.oxfordbus.co.uk.
There are no hire car facilities near Moreton-in-Marsh or Stow-on-the-Wold.
The hire car companies in Oxford are (in no particular order):
Search facility for car companies: www.britishrentalcar.com/Oxford-Railway-Station#/searchcars
EasyCar: car hire across England www.easycar.com/car-hire/england
Avis: + 44 (0)344-544 6087, Watlington Road, OX4 6NF (M to F 8-6, Sat 8-4, closed Sundays but 24 hour drop off
www.avis.co.uk/drive-avis/car-hire-locations/europe/united-kingdom/england/oxford/oxford-car-hire
Thrifty: + 44 (0)1333-332 1222, Ferry Hinksey Road, OX2 0BY, 8-6 Mon – Fri, Sat 8-4, Sunday 9-4. www.thrifty.co.uk/car-hire/oxford.htm
Europcar: + 44 (0)1371-384 5974, Ferry Hinksey Road, OX2 0BY. 8-6 Mon – Fri, Sat 8 – 1, closed Sunday. www.europcar.co.uk/oxford
Some visitors find the roads narrow and the speeds a little concerning. Many roads started their lives as cart tracks – all part of the charming nature of the towns and villages through which they pass. If you are concerned a tip is to obtain a magnetic, green ‘P’ plate for the front and rear of the car. In the UK this means that the person driving the car has just passed their test and, as a general rule, other car drivers give this car space and make allowances. UK drivers can otherwise be aggressive and impatient with hesitant drivers. Green P magnetic plates can be obtained by post from www.amazon.co.uk for about £3 and some of the larger garages sell them in the UK. I also keep a supply for £3 hire out.