England

This was a fabulous trip made special by excellent biking, wonderful guides, excellent hotels, and some of the most beautiful views/vistas. Our trip was also great because of my fellow travelers. We had a great group of people and as a solo traveler was made to feel welcome/included by the guides and everyone on the trip. I initially was hesitant about the electric-assist bikes being an old-school cyclist but by day two was fully on board and happy to have them since the terrain was hilly. They made biking all the more enjoyable. Great trip all around and now one of my favorites.

This tour was a good combination of beauty and history. Our leaders, Jago Hartwell and Daniel Guest, plus Callum Fallows (in training) provided great orientation, including historical context, and lots of cultural information about the Lakes District, the Pennines and the Scottish border. They each went out of their way to show us great courtesy and excellent service. There’s a lot of riding on this trip, more than others we’ve been on with VBT. Most of the riding was on quiet country roads and dedicated bike paths, which was great. The scenery includes lovely mountains and lakes, and lots of open pasture land crisscrossed by ancient Stone walls. We learned a lot about land management of these open rugged spaces. The accommodations were very nice and the food was varied and consistently good. I highly recommend spending an extra few days in Edinburgh, as it is a city of great history and beauty. We also passed through many small English villages, each of which had its own charm. Along the way we saw beautiful farms and many, many grazing animals.

Delightful part of the world, and the biking was thoroughly enjoyable. Guides Dan and Hattie were talented, engaging, knowledgeable and competent. The stonework and villages were quaint and charming. Traffic very manageable, with good safety reminders from guides. Accommodations were excellent, and food delicious. The Half Way pub fare was scrumptious. The ride the last day was along a canal from center of Bath out and back--I didn't find this as enjoyable due to traffic, pedestrians, dogs and baby carriages. As with most VBT trips, I think rides from center city should modified by doing a shuttle bus to outside the city, do a ride, and then shuttle back. City riding is dangerous (especially on the wrong side of the road!) and one really can't see much if paying attention to safe riding. Otherwise, this trip was FABULOUS. Happy to chat with anyone who is considering this trip. JB

Everything about this trip was what I expected --magnificent countryside, small picturesque villages, nice bike lanes/paths with almost no traffic. The group that we were with was very compatible and most were strong bikers and very adventurous. The guides were perfect, which has been our experience with each of out 13 VBT trips. The lodging was lovely, but kind of warm since the weather was warmer than normal this June. I am a landscape designer so I particularly appreciated seeing Hidcote Manor Garden. And exploring Bath was a highlight

My husband and I did this self-guided tour in early September and absolutely loved it. Country Walkers did an impeccable job taking care of every detail--booking hotels, moving our suitcases between hotels, and, best of all, the "route notes" book was so detailed and had everything we needed from step-by-step directions and restaurant suggestions to history and ideas for things to do. It felt like a wonderful adventure following the famous paths through sheep pastures and little forest thickets, past gardens and ancient churches, and climbing over or around all the different gates. It was often overcast and misty in the mornings, but the mid-day sun burned it all away. Our highlights are choosing to stop for an hour to check out the Hailes Abbey Museum and rubbing elbows with some locals at the only pub in a tiny village. So many great memories! We liked the intimate experience of doing a self-guided trip and the independence (without the planning!) that it provided. We spent some extra days in London at the end of our trip...that was just icing on the cake.

What a fantastic trip this was. This was my 6th time going to England, but my first for the Cotswold region and what an extraordinary time it was. The food was fantastic, everywhere you looked the views were spectacular. It was fantastic trip which I would do again in a heart beat.