The Romantic Road - Classic Car Hire or Luxury Chauffeur Tour

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Cupid Strikes; The Romantic Road Tour

Featured in The Telegraph as one of the Great British Drives, The Romantic Road takes you on a drive through quintessentially English countryside,starting in Cheltenham. It can be taken as a one-day or two-day driving tour, and if you really want to travel in style, you can select from classic car hire or chaffeur-driven luxury to suit.

Route one takes you north out of Cheltenham, traversing Cleeve Hill, visiting Winchcombe, Stanway, Stanton, Broadway, Chipping Campden, Blockley, Moreton-in-Marsh, The Fosse Way, Stow-on-the-Wold, Upper and Lower Slaughter, before returning to Cheltenham. You will visit the highest village in The Cotswolds and see sites such as the filming location for Father Brown. 

Route two takes in Northleach, Burford, The Windrush Valley, Lechlade, Fairford, Bibury, Arlington Row, Cirencester and Painswick before again returning to Cheltenham. You will be afforded the opportunity to see an historic wool town, stretchs of the River Thames, an old coaching town, much medieval architecture and stained glass, one of the most photographed spots in The Cotswolds, a Roman town and much more. 

Hidden Gems

Allow time to explore Court Barn Museum in Chipping Campden which celebrates the talented designers and craftspeople who worked in the north Cotswolds. Go back in time to see Harts Silversmiths in their workshop which has been operating since 1888 when CR Ashbee established the Guild of Handicraft.

Top Tip 

Visit The Wilson Cheltenham’s Art Gallery & Museum with its world renowned collection to the Arts & Crafts movement. Make a visit to Corinium museum to unearth Cirencester’s amazing history and Roman mosaics. The vibrant New Brewery Arts Centre has many artisan craft makers from glass makers to book binders, potters to painters all for you to see up close and personal.

Where to Stay

Choose from a selection of accommodation in Cheltenham including the iconic Queen’s Hotel or boutique-style 131 The Promenade, a range of bed & breakfasts, small hotels or serviced apartments. For luxury and romance why not stay at Ellenborough Park Hotel or The Greenway Hotel located on the outskirts of the town. 

Book it for you?

A pre-booked tour is currently available from Compass Holidays who can book your accommodation, provide detailed driving routes and a smartphone app with interactive routes, arrange for Classic Car Hire or a Chaffeur Driven version. We hope to make the routes available through other retailers soon, but Compass Holidays can help in the meantime. 

Growing The Romantic Road

Although the Romantic Road consists of two routes at the moment, there is work planned in the future to extend it into The Forest of Dean, Monmouthshire and the wider Cotswolds when we can...

Our two specially researched car routes weave their way through the most beautiful parts of this 'area of outstanding natural beauty'. They will guide you through wide upland landscapes and hidden honey-coloured stone hamlets, revealing the fascinating contrasts of peaceful, timeless villages and bustling market towns, complete with ancient manor houses, churches and traditional pubs.

In an area rich in history and natural beauty like the Cotswolds, it is sometimes difficult for visitors, even those who have been before, to find the most scenic country roads and the most picturesque villages. Our guide to the Romantic Road provides touring routes which are easy to follow and traces the tales of the many artists, writers and craftspeople who have drawn inspiration from the Cotswold landscape.

The two romantic journeys: A Road for Today and A Road for Tomorrow, are each designed to be completed in a single day, at a leisurely pace, allowing time to enjoy the towns, villages and scenery en-route. They will introduce you to some of the places which have proved so popular with generations of visitors to the Cotswolds and also to some of our less well-known favourites. For visitors with time, there are many suggestions for places along the route in which to linger. On the Romantic Road you will never be far from your starting and finishing point in Cheltenham.