England

My husband and I highly recommend the bicycling tour of England, Bath and the Cotswolds hosted by VBT. Our guides were brilliant, very knowledgeable of the area history, and especially mindful of all the nuances of our gorgeous route. We were safe, well cared for, and informed. Hattie, a champion cyclist, not only was a great coach of e-bike techniques, but also able to repair bikes on site if needed. Jago was brilliant with stories, history, and nuggets of interesting information as well as funny jokes. Hotels were comfortable and food provided was over the top! We certainly missed all the three course meals once back in the states. The tour included lots of must sees, including the Downton Abbey mile, tickets to Blenheim Palace and the Roman Baths. We recommend an e-bike for most enjoyment for those 60+ years old. The rolling hills of the Cotswolds are stunning!

Monica and I had one of our best, if not the best vacation we ever had. Our greatest delight was how our tour group bonded. We started to believe we were riding with friends. Our Tour guides, Tony and Mick, helped to bring this about with their thoughtfulness, courtesy and hard work. They both went out of their way to keep us safe and to get to know each and every one of us. Bath & the Cotswolds were extraordinarily beautiful, and that beauty was enhanced by being on a bicycle and riding in weather conducive to cycling. (Cool, cloudy and dry for the most part). Many of the English people along the way exuded friendly cheerfulness. I saw many people working very hard to make sure we were fed well and properly taken care of in the hotels. Each hotel had many charms, with my favorites being The Francis, (elegant) and Oxford Spires (beautiful property layout). The bicycle provided seemed sturdy and fairly new. It just happened to have the exact same derailleur as the one I have at home! Many of our companions had taken several trips with VBT, and I hope I can do so in the future!

Self-Guided tour with my friend, it was amazing, Ride-with-GPS was perfect, did not get lost anywhere. Ride Inn to Inn, picturesque villages, stone houses, just like Downtown Abbey. Felt very safe every day, Pubs and food were delicious. We had no problem with our bikes, it was a perfect trip! Note there was no leaders on this Self-Guided tour but the VBT local host that set up our bikes and make sure our luggage was delivered at every Inn was great, very helpful and friendly.

Great trip, lovely hotels, wonderful towns, villages, pubs and countryside. It was like riding through a storybook.

What a charmy tour! Incredible landscapes (the Lake District was a great surprise to me), full of peaceful roads (often very few cars, but lots of sheep) and interesting contrast (a perfect mixture of countryside and tiny towns, open wide terrain and mountain hills, nature and culture, England and Scotland). Very grateful for the sunny weather (I am not anymore sure that it's true that in UK it rains a lot) and our fearless leaders Jago and Carolina, which went above and beyond. And to end up in splendid Edinburgh was the final touch. Well done!

Carolina and Jago were the BEST guides and absolutely delightful! Beautiful and varied terrain. Accommodations were average, nothing too fancy. Especially liked the Beaumont Hexham in Hexham and Radisson Blu in Edinburgh (great location and good breakfast buffet). Some of the uphill climbs would be challenging if not on an e-bike. Should be a strong rider if doing this tour on a road bike.

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.

In the company of my sister, who believed I could accomplish the walk, we embarked on what turned out to be a beautiful experience. We did it all. We had lovely landscapes, villages, walks, wonderful places to stay, food and most of all the English people. I want to do another trip very soon. June 2022

The experience of being outside everyday, walking in this beautiful part of England, and retiring to super comfy and well-located accommodation each evening, made this a Top 3 trip for me. I especially valued waking-up each morning knowing that the day's schedule was mine. Country Walkers had great recommendations for eating and visiting. The customized guidebook had all the information that I needed in one place. All details were taken care of. Thanks for making it so easy. A truly remarkable vacation, in a charming and welcoming part of the world.

This was a wonderful experience. To be outside enjoying the beautiful Cornwall coast, having the perfect CW guidebook in your hand, returning to your lovely hotel and a great meal. So much thought has gone into making this tour just right. I didn't do all the walks due to a foot problem (not blisters-I had great hiking boots) but did get to enjoy just walking around the villages, eating fish every day, chatting with the locals. Be sure to try a Cornish pasty! This is a self-guided tour and I hiked alone, which I prefer.

We have just returned from our trip to Cornwall, one of the most beautiful and unique world sites. We are a couple aged 87 and 80. We wish we would have hiked the area earlier but still so glad we did it. CW provided fabulous itinerary and hotels. We took the option of driving with our luggage to each site. We will also admit to shortening the hikes. But, no doubt, this is an exceptional trip and we loved it.