England

The leaders were exceptional and the riding and scenery were great. I loved every day, even when it was raining. My only complaint --and this is ongoing with VBT--is the hotels. I understand hotel rooms in Europe are not uniform but the variability on this trip was extrememe. Although Borrowdale Gates was charming the room we had was tiny, though with a lovely view. Hexham was a neat town, but again our room was tiny with the tiniest bathroom. In both of the above there wasn't enough room for both of us to open our suitcases at the same time. I understand others on the trip had great rooms at both locations so either you may want to secure more rooms that are similar in size and quality or stay somewhere else. The last hotel in Peeples was fine, but a bit old and tired. We did have a nicer room but the place could use an update.

The guides are terrific but bikes are extremely heavy, ~55 lbs. This meant that folks were tipping over when trying to start and stop. You need to look at the terrain before you take this trip - steep climbs and descents. E-bikes are essential. Hotels no where near the quality expected from VBT that we've seen in past seven trips.

This trip was not only fun but we learned so much history with each day of bicycle riding

Our first trip with VBT was incredible! The process was seamless from booking our trip to our ride home to the airport. Every detail covered. Our guides, Jago and Hattie have set the bar high! They were both so delightful to be around. Jago, with his incredible plethora of history and information made this trip so much more than a bike trip. Hattie, with her amazing ability to fix a chain or change a flat tire… all whilst smiling from ear to ear…. The personal touches, like making and serving us Marmite sandwiches, dressing up in silly Roman costumes, and entertaining us with a memorable poem capturing the events of the week. Truly the best! Our accommodations had so much history oozing out the walls, it was breathtaking! A wonderful trip indeed!!

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.