Discover the resplendent English county of Oxfordshire, an area renowned for its rolling green hills, spectacular stately homes and quintessentially English market towns. See beautiful Blenheim Palace, where Sir Winston Churchill was born and raised, plus visit iconic filming locations from the popular BBC TV series 'Downton Abbey'.
Posted By : cameronk81
Great history of the locations and great recommendations for food at lunch in the Cotswolds. Very timely and prompt tour.
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Posted On : 2024-05-30 12:22:39 
Posted By : kevinsL9102KA
Although the tour guide was good and the coach was comfortable, this tour was overall disappointing. Here's the reality:
The stop at Bampton village (exterior shots from TV show Downton Abby) was a waste of time. Downton fans will be disappointed. You walk by the church and one other building that was used for the hospital. Remember, it isn't a TV set, it is a real village that isn't as quaint as it appears on TV.
Bourton-on-the-Water is a major tourist trap. I've been fortunate to see many authentic Cotswold villages, and this is not one of them. The little stream running through town with bridges makes a good photo-op, but other than that, you will be fighting with dozens of other coach tours to get a quick bite to eat before the tour leaves. If Americans are familiar with "South of the Border" on I-95, Bourton-on-the-Water is similar.
Blenheim was the biggest disappointment. You pay 38 pounds to see four rooms. And when we were there, there was a fashion exhibit of British fashion icons with mannequins and fashion exhibits blocking all of the Blenheim furniture and art. If you like British fashion, you will love this. If you are looking to experience Blenheim, make sure the exhibit is closed.
Also, this is totally out of the tour company's control, but because the tour leaves from Victoria Coach Station, be prepared to spend 2.5 hours of the tour stuck in Central London traffic. If you are comfortable taking a train to get to the tour locations, that would be a better option.
Most of my criticisms aren't the tour company's fault. They are trying to give as many experiences as possible on one tour. Just be aware of the true reality.
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Posted On : 2024-05-29 04:24:07
Posted By : shannonmE3665BS
We were told on our way back to London that we could tip the guide and driver - he even said he had a special small machine we could use with our Visa card - or he would give us his bank details 😳. We arrived back in London more than an hour before advertised arrival time.
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Posted On : 2024-05-26 09:29:20
Posted By : 578tara
The trip is lovely. Very well organised leaving Victoria at 9.00 AM and arriving back at 19.00. The little villages were beautiful and Blenheim Palace was fantastic . The host James was lovely and extremely helpful and friendly. Definitely worth it
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Posted On : 2024-05-26 04:40:05
Posted By : jpvh1
The tour God was extremely experienced and knowledgeable. He had an easy way about him. His communication skills were superior. His personality was in finding. His background was a specially relevant to the places we were going. I couldn’t ask for a better tour guide. Andy Jackson was very very knowledgeable.
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Posted On : 2024-05-22 12:28:30
Posted By : Chikarasailor
Ruth was an outstanding guide and provided us with a wealth of historical information. I suggest dropping the short stop at Downton Abbey and spend more time enjoying and relaxing in Bourton on the water. Ruth has an encyclopeidic knowledge of Blenheim Castle and the Churchill family.
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Posted On : 2024-05-20 18:05:58
Posted By : David_C
Simon was awesome and provided interesting information. I was disappointed that the fashion exhibit took over the entire palace and detracted from it mightily; however, none of that was within the control of our tour.
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Posted On : 2024-05-19 11:40:03 
Posted By : 557shellal
I had so much fun! It was so informative and the views were stunning ✨ Definitely be prepared to take lots of photos! And Simon, our guide, is such a funny and pleasant person to lead the tour :))
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Posted On : 2024-05-18 12:20:47
Posted By : klyonned
Amazing tour! Learned so much from Simon our tour guide. Schedule was followed to the tee. Blenheim Palace was amazing!!!
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Posted On : 2024-05-18 12:18:28
Posted By : Maggie_H
Shelia and Barrington were a great team
Shelia was a great tour guide and Barrington a great driver with a fun personality
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Posted On : 2024-05-17 06:20:40
