Evan Evans: Cotswolds Small Group Tour Review
Want to see the picturesque Arlington Row stone houses that are featured inside the British passport?
I did. It’s in Bilbury, in the Cotswolds. I researched the best way to see it and there are two options. Stay somewhere nearby overnight, or do a day trip from London. I didn’t have that much time and needed to be back at London Heathrow after a day, so I chose the latter.
Found this Evan Evans “Small Group” Cotswolds tour which seemed the most promising and signed up. They don’t say what “small” means, so I’ll tell you. It’s 25 people. They also don’t show you your ride, so here’s a photo:
Sat, Jul 29: Cotswolds, England
In the reviews, most of the negative whines about the tour was that there wasn’t much time spent in the three villages on the tour. It is what it is, folks. You just prioritize what you want to see and do, and get back to the bus on time. Don’t expect to walk around town, then have an hour for a leisurely lunch and tea.
Took the full-day Cotswolds Small Group (25 seats) tour with Lesley. Excellent experience visiting Bourton-on-the-Water, Bibury, and Burford.
Where to Meet for Your Cotswolds Tour
The tour meets at their office. It looks small from the outside, but there’s a much larger room below where you can hang out after checking in.
TIP: Come about 30 minutes before tour start time so you have time to check in and get your tour wristband. Hang around outside near the bus rather than being stuck downstairs in the waiting room. Then, get on the bus early for your choice of seats.
TIP: After you board the bus sit to the right (Left side, facing forward). You’ll pass more sights to see on that side of the bus.
Where to Eat Breakfast
TIP: Get to the area even earlier, then you can have a light breakfast before the tour. I walked to this nearby place, Pimlico Fresh, and enjoyed a delicious avocado toast and coffee.
What’s with the Evan Evans Tour Bus?
The Small Group Tour bus is comfortable enough with a small storage rack overhead. The smaller size lets it travel on smaller roads, so you can see more things on the drive over.
Technically there is Wi-Fi on board. It’s a mobile hot spot, with a limit of 200mb of data per person. I used that up within the first hour. It keeps track of your device ID so you won’t be able to get another block of data by registering again with a different email address. It’s pretty useless.
They give you an audio headset so you can hear your tour guide speaking at the sites, but most of the talking is on the bus.
The guide only speaks for a few minutes at the site, mostly about restrooms and return timing, and it’s easy enough to hear without the headset. So that’s kinda useless too.
TIP: There is a USB charge port in the ceiling. Check the label. There is a 1 amp and a 2.1 amp slot. If you want the faster charging speed, take the 2.1A port.
Evan Evans Cotswold Tour
The tour included three villages in the Cotswolds:
Bibury’s claim to fame is Arlington Row, a row of stone cottages alongside the River Coln. Wouldn’t want to live there, unless you want to sell lemonade or something. Burford, the “Gateway to the Cotswolds” is a market town from the middle ages. That came in handy. Got a latte, cookie and some snacks here.
Evan Evans Cotswold Tour Summary
The Evan Evans Villages of the Cotswolds Small Group Tour is a one day tour leaving from London. The drive out to Bourton-on-the-Water took 2.25 hours, but the tour guide fed us stories and information along the way to pass the time.
We got 1 to 1.5 hours for each of the three villages. That was enough time to wander through each town, and do some shopping and get a quick lunch.
Overall, very interesting to see the different architecture and vibe from the different Cotswolds villages. A great escape from the madness of London.
Plan where you are going after the tour is done. You get dropped at the Victoria Station and there is no need to be sitting around there thinking of where to go next.
Highly recommend a visit to the Cotswolds, and Evan Evans Cotswolds Tours.
Have you already been to the Cotswolds, or on an Evan Evans Tour? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Part of the Megalithomania UK Mysteries of Ancient England Tour