Cotswolds Garden Tour - Full Day Road Trip
The Cotswolds has some of the most beautiful gardens in the world and this tour takes you to one of the best. The privately owned Kiftsgate Court Gardens is arranged into a series of outdoor 'rooms' and provides stunning views across the Cotswolds.
This tour combines a road trip in five classic cars through the Cotswolds with entry to the gardens at Kiftsgate. Entry to the gardens, insurance and fuel are all included in your full day experience.
You'll drive 5 cars during the 90 mile tour, which includes Broadway, Chipping Campden, Shipston, Stow on the Wold, beautiful Lower Slaughter and pretty Snowshill.
Places are limited to just 16 people and we run this experience on specific dates during the year.
This package entitles you to one driver place on the Cotswolds Gardens Tour. Passenger places are available for £120. Drivers and passengers are paired together throughout the day. When you buy a passenger place you do not have to share the driving with another driver.
When is it available?
The Cotswolds Garden Tour is run on certain dates during 2020. Places are strictly limited to 16 people.
Tuesday 5th May
Wednesday 27th May
Tuesday 9th June
Saturday 27th June
Tuesday 14th July
Tuesday 28th July
What is included?
- Shared drive of 5 classic cars*
- 100 mile driving route
- Fuel
- Insurance (subject to £2,500 insurance excess**)
- Refreshments on arrival
- Touring route with use of route book
- Secure parking for your own car
- Full event support including crew, support vehicle and spare car
* Add a non-driving passenger for £120 and double the driving time because you don't need to share it
** Collision Damage Waiver available for £30 reduces excess to £0
What can I expect?
From our base in Worcestershire on the edge of Redditch you'll head off in your choice of 5 different classic cars for full day's driving. Typical start time is 8.30 am for refreshments and a familiarisation chat covering the day, the route and the cars.
You'll be accompanied by our support staff who will help ensure the day runs smoothly. The route is split into 5 equal stages, allowing you to experience 5 different classic cars during the day. Cars are selected by drawing keys from a hat, but our team make sure that all drivers get to drive the cars they want, as far as practical. We allow time at the end of the day for extra drives in any of the cars.
The route will head across Worcestershire taking in Broadway, Chipping Campden and Shipston on Stour before lunch near Stow. After lunch you'll head back via Stow on the Wold, Lower Slaughter, Snowshill, Broadway and Bidford.
If you join the experience as a single driver you will share the car with another driver, splitting driving during each stage. For an extra £120 you can bring along a non-driving passenger and you don't have to split the driving.
We expect to return to our base at around 4pm.
More information
Suitable for:
- Drivers must hold a full manual UK, European, USA, Australian or New Zealand licence with less than 6 points*
- Drivers must be aged between 25 and 75
*Other licences can be accommodated on request
Spectators:
- A voucher for a non-driving passenger can be purchased for one person to accompany you on the day for £120 (this also doubles the driving time for drivers)
Anything else:
- Optional collision damage waiver is available to purchase for £30 when booking a date (reduces insurance excess to £0)
- Due to the nature of classic cars, no cars are guaranteed available for specific dates. In the event that a car is not available a substitute will be provided from our fleet
- Passenger vouchers are available for £120 if you do not wish to drive. These include refreshments and lunch
FAQs
How do the road trips work?
The format for each event is the same - starting from our unit in Worcestershire we follow a circular route that is split into 4 stages . At the end of each stage drivers and passengers swap cars, so each pair will travel in several cars during the day.
We allocate cars by drawing keys from a hubcap. Our event managers manage the event as far as possible to ensure that each driver experiences the cars they want to drive. We allow time at the end of the day for additional time in any car.
The routes vary from 80-200 miles in length. You can find more details in the event description on this page.
There are always two Event Managers on each event. They follow the event in a support vehicle with spare car and are available at all times on an emergency phone number (subject to mobile signal).
What are the start and finish times?
The full day trips start at 8.30am when we provide refreshments and a briefing session. Lunch is usually around 12.30pm before returning to our base at between 4pm and 5pm.
The half day trips start at 12pm and finish at around 4pm with a refreshments stop during the trip.
We allow time at the end of the event for you to drive any cars you have not driven on a 15 minute circuit.
How many people are there in the car?
We have a mixture of two and four seater cars. But there are never more than two people per car.
If you join the event as a driver you will share the driving with another driver in the car. You can choose to bring a passenger for £120, which means you do not have to share the driving.
How many people are on the event?
We usually limit each event to 16 people and 8 cars. You will find the other guests are like-minded enthusiasts and there is often a great social element to the road trip.
Who can drive?
Anyone aged 25 to 75 inclusive with no more than 6 points and at least two years driving experience can drive on our road trips. You will need a UK, European, USA, Australian or New Zealand driving licence. Other licences can be accepted on referral - please contact us before booking.
If you are over 20 stone and/or over 6ft 5in tall, please contact us before booking.
Are there any access or disability limitations?
Any customer with a valid licence fitting our insurance criteria can drive. We have a range of cars with differing access levels. If you do have a disability or are concerned about accessing our cars please contact us before booking.
Can you cater for dietary requirements?
Yes, this is no problem. Please contact us before booking if you have special dietary requirements so that we can alert our suppliers.
Do I need special clothing?
No. Our experiences take place on public roads so no special clothing is required. However, we recommend dressing appropriately for the weather and avoiding heavy shoes as some of our cars have narrow pedal boxes.
How do you allocate cars on the event?
We aim to provide a broad range of cars for each event from our 20+ fleet, usually E Types, Healeys, Porsches, Alfa Romeos and MK2 Jaguars among others. We will contact you 1-2 weeks before your trip to confirm the exact cars on the event, but you should bear in mind that these are old cars and substitutions may be unavoidable.
During the event we allocate cars democratically by drawing keys from a hubcap at the start of each stage. Our Event Managers always aim to ensure each driver gets to drive a cross-section of cars and we will cater for specific requests wherever we can. We allow time at the end of each event for additional driving in any car.
What happens f the cars break down?
Breakdowns are an unavoidable risk with old cars. We maintain our own cars and they deliver excellent reliability despite very high mileages. However, if we have to substitute cars before an event we will tell you and give you the option to rebook.
If a car breaks down during an event we always travel with a spare. If the breakdown disrupts the event and your opportunity to drive a particular car we will provide a Classic Taster experience voucher for that car.
What does the lunch consist of?
A single course cafe lunch is included in your experience. We provide you with the menu in advance for pre-booking in order to avoid delays during the day.
Is fuel included?
Fuel for your route is included. This also includes a maximum 15 minute drive in one car after the event when you return to our base.
Do you provide parking for my car?
Ample parking is provided adjacent to our unit. We are on a quiet industrial estate in a cul de sac. Parking is at your own risk.
What paperwork do I need to bring?
When you book with us we will send you a full list of what you need to bring with you. This will include relevant links to download paperwork. When you arrive you will need to bring your driving licence, completed Driver Declaration Form and a print out of your licence details from the DVLA website. Without one or more of these you cannot drive.
What happens if the weather is bad?
If the forecast for the event suggests that it will be unsafe or not enjoyable we will contact you to discuss rearranging dates. We won't run an event if we believe it will be unsafe or compromise your enjoyment.
What is the Collision Damage Waiver?
For £30 per driver we offer the option to reduce the insurance excess from £1000 to zero. This reduces your liability in instances where we cannot reclaim damage costs from a third party or you are at fault. It does not cover damage to bodywork or mechanicals caused by misuse or breaking the rules of the Highway Code.