• Traditional honey-stone cottages beside the River Windrush at Bourton-on-the-Water, one of the most iconic villages in the Cotswolds

I have been operating COTSWOLDSTRAVEL for more than five years. It will be my last business venture after a life-time in the travel industry, where I have around fifty years’ experience, including the last twenty years as a tour guide.

John Bachlor standing beside a car in front of a neoclassical building under a blue sky in the Cotswolds

For fifteen years I was a tour guide in Cape Town until the draw of my children and grand-children brought me home in 2019. Not only was I coming home to the UK, I was coming back to the county where I have had business interests since 1980. I know the patch!

I have invested in a vehicle that can carry six passengers on a tour or four passengers with luggage on a transfer. It provides my guests with easy access and high positions for good all-round viewing. 

I know where to grab a sandwich for a quick lunch on the go or the best pubs or other eateries for a longer lunch break. It’s simply a matter of how you would like to spend your time : it’s your call.

On a tour I explain the features of the countryside and the history of the towns and villages, and I know where to take you if you have special interests.

For tours, and indeed also for transfers, I come to you. I collect you from your Cotswolds hotel, or, if you are coming out of London, I meet you at a convenient rail-way station. There is an excellent train service between London Paddington and Moreton-in-Marsh, which in turn is a grand starting point for a tour. A third option is that I will be waiting for you as you clear customs at an airport. I’ll have your name on a board, I’ll lead you out, we’ll put your luggage into the back of the car and your holiday begins immediately.

If I personally am already booked on the date you would like to use COTSWOLDSTRAVEL, I have a colleague who is equally knowledgeable and experienced. We will look after you if at all possible.

Guests enjoying lunch at a riverside pub during a private Cotswolds tour, relaxing outdoors as part of a bespoke guided experience

Lunch break at a riverside Cotswolds pub

Cover of Monet Mouse by John Batchlor, showing a mouse painting at an easel beside a lily pond in a Cotswold garden scene inspired by Blockley

A Cotswolds Guide with a Story to Tell

As well as sharing the Cotswolds as a tour guide, John is also a published children’s author. His charming book Monet Mouse, available on Amazon, is inspired by the village of Blockley near Moreton-in-Marsh – one of the beautiful and characterful villages included on his tours. Known for its golden stone cottages, peaceful atmosphere and timeless setting, Blockley provides a fitting backdrop for a story filled with imagination, creativity and warmth.

The book is a lovely reflection of John’s own affection for the Cotswolds and the places he introduces to guests. Just as his tours go beyond the obvious to reveal the stories, character and hidden corners of the region, Monet Mouse captures some of that same sense of charm and discovery in a way that is both personal and memorable. It adds another dimension to the Cotswolds Travel story, showing how the landscapes and villages John shares with visitors can also inspire storytelling and creativity.

Click here to discover more about Monet Mouse.

Click here now for ideas on our tours, or here for information about transfers to airports or sea-ports.