Visitors guide to Gloucestershire

If you’re planning to visit Gloucestershire for a day-trip, weekend break or holiday, find out exactly what to see and do, as well as where to stay and eat out with our comprehensive tourist guide to Gloucestershire.

SoGlos.com’s visitors guide to Gloucestershire has been written to help you make the most of your time in what we consider to be the best county in Britain.

Here you will find a comprehensive selection of useful information about Gloucestershire’s events, attractions, accommodation, restaurants and transport.

Introduction to Gloucestershire

Spanning some 1,025 square miles, the county of Gloucestershire in the south west of England encompasses some of the UK’s most beautiful countryside and historic towns. Inside the county borders you will find six main areas including Cheltenham, the Cotswolds, the Forest of Dean, Gloucester, Stroud and Tewkesbury – all of which offer a unique experience to visitors from around the world.

While SoGlos.com is the leading guide to Gloucestershire arts, entertainment and leisure, there are a host of Gloucestershire Tourist Information Centres situated across the county, which are well worth drawing upon for an expert insight into the local area.

Getting to Gloucestershire

By car – Gloucestershire enjoys excellent transport links and can be reached by car from Bristol in 45 minutes, from Cardiff and Birmingham in around one hour, from London in around two hours and from Manchester in around three hours.

By bus – There are three central bus stations in Gloucestershire offering National Express services from around the UK, including Cheltenham, Gloucester and Stroud.

By train – There are two main train stations in Gloucestershire offering national rail services from around the UK, including Cheltenham Spa and Gloucester. See thetrainline.com to get the latest rail timetable and to book tickets.

By aeroplane – The closest major airports are Cardiff, Bristol and Birmingham, while Gloucestershire Airport in Staverton also operates flights to and from various destinations around the UK and further afield. See gloucestershireairport.co.uk for more details.

Gloucestershire map

SoGlos.com’s unique Gloucestershire Interactive Map is an absolute must for county residents and visitors alike. Find hotels, restaurants, attractions, theatres, museums and much more at the click of a button.

What’s on and events in Gloucestershire

Gloucestershire boasts a jam-packed line-up of events, with something happening virtually every day of the year. For the very latest information about what’s on in the county, see SoGlos.com’s regularly updated Gloucestershire events calendar.

Some of the county’s most popular annual events include:

January – Gloucester International Cajun and Zydeco Festival
February – Cheltenham Folk Festival
March – Cheltenham Festival and Cheltenham Gold Cup
April – Cheltenham Jazz Festival
April – Bluebells-in-the-Forest-of-Dean
April – Badminton Horse Trials
May - Tetbury Woolsack Races
May - Robert Dover's Cotswold Olimpick Games
June – Stroud Site Festival
July – The Royal International Air Tattoo
July – Tewkesbury Medieval Festival
August – Gloucester International Rhythm and Blues Festival
August – Cheltenham Cricket Festival
September – Newent Onion Fayre
September – Stroud Fringe Festival
October – Cheltenham Literature Festival
October - Tewkesbury Mop Fair
November – The switching on of Gloucestershire Christmas lights
December – Christmas events

Gloucestershire attractions

Gloucestershire is not only home to the largest Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the UK, but it also hosts an array of man-made attractions, some of which date back thousands of years. See SoGlos.com’s Gloucestershire Art & Culture section for the very latest event previews and features, as well as a comprehensive list of Gloucestershire attractions in the directory.

Where to stay in Gloucestershire

Whether you are looking for an exclusive luxury hotel or a friendly bed and breakfast, the choice of accommodation in Gloucestershire is abundant. What’s more Gloucestershire also plays host to a wealth of camping and caravanning sites, self catering and farm accommodation – meaning there is something for all tastes and budgets.

SoGlos.com’s Gloucestershire Accommodation section includes the latest reviews, features and a comprehensive directory of more than 500 places to stay in Gloucestershire.

Where to eat out in Gloucestershire

From American to Vietnamese cuisine, Gloucestershire offers eating-out aficionados everything their tastebuds could ever hope for. Whatever your palate or price range, SoGlos.com’s Gloucestershire Restaurants section includes the latest reviews, features and a comprehensive directory of more than 600 places to eat out in Gloucestershire.

More information about Gloucestershire

Gloucestershire County Council
Gloucestershire County Council’s website gloucestershire.gov.uk plays host to a wealth of useful information relating to Gloucestershire businesses, community and living, education and learning, environment and transport.

The City of Gloucester

The official Gloucester tourism website thecityofgloucester.co.uk includes a wealth of up-to-date visitor information about the thriving city and its newest developments, as well as Gloucester’s heritage, places to stay and filming locations.

BBC Gloucestershire

The BBC Gloucestershire website, bbc.co.uk/gloucestershire, includes regularly updated local news, weather and traffic reports, as well as information about Gloucestershire’s sports fixtures and results.

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