The Romantic Road – Driving Tour (2 nights, 3 days)

This route takes you east out of Cheltenham, towards the Oxfordshire border of The Cotswolds. Our first stop is the village of Northleach, followed by Burford, Lechlade, Fairford, Bibury and Arlington Row. Along this tour, you will be meandering through the stunning English countryside as you follow the valley and villages of the Windrush River.

Fairford is home to an RAF base where the internationally acclaimed Air Tattoo is held yearly, meanwhile Bibury and The Arlington Row are internationally renowned sites for their beauty and history. The journey back to Cheltenham will take you through the stunning market town of Cirencester. Here, there are plenty of boutique eateries for a pitstop, before continuing to Painswick, and finally approaching Cheltenham once again. Coming own the hill, watch out for Cooper’s Hill – the spot where competitors chase a wheel of cheese down the hill every May!

Departing Cheltenham to the west and leaving The Cotswolds behind, this route takes travellers to another Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty – The Malvern Hills. On a clear day when the visibility is high, these beautiful hills can be seen from the viewpoints in Cheltenham.

To kickstart your journey, explore the chocolate box town of Tewkesbury, famous for its Abbey. Situated at the confluence of the River Severn and River Avon, this gorgeous town has amazing medieval architecture and lovely cafes to stop off for a hot drink along your route.

From there, continue northwest through Upton-upon-Severn and beyond to the town of Malvern. As the gateway to the Malvern Hills – this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) is an must-see Cotswolds stop. Going at your own pace, you can pause to enjoy the many viewpoints and pitstops along the way, before reaching the town of Eastnor with its world-famous castle.

The route continues to the City of Gloucester, whose historic Cathedral was used in the filming of Harry Potter films. After a few hours' exploration here, a return to Cheltenham marks the end of the day.

To the west of Cheltenham, you will be teetering on the edge of England and Wales, with the gorgeous Forest of Dean in England and The Wye Valley across the border in Wales. First stop is Ross-on-Wye, which acts as the gateway into the forest proper. At this point, you must turn south and head to Symonds Yat with its spectacular viewpoint of the River Wye and its valley gorge.

Descending into Coleford, we recommend a visit to the very unique Puzzlewood – which you might recognise from Star Wars, Doctor Who, Snow White (live action remake) and Merlin (among others)! Continuing on to Clearwell with its stunning cave system, you can enjoy the lovely tree-lined road through the remainder of the Forest. Emerge at Chepstow with its historic castle which is the oldest surviving post-roman stone fortification in Britain.

Here, you have two options to return to Cheltenham– you can go via roads to the northwest of the River Severn, or cross the river via the Severn Bridge, taking a detour to colourful Bristol or Regency town Bath before returning via the motorway.