England

One of VBT's most beautiful trips. The scenary was breathtaking. Our local stops for tea and lunch were really terrific and gave us insight to local communities. Our tour guides, Mick and Hattie, were terrific. This tour was more challenging than I had anticipated with some very steep and long rides, which I could not do. Our guides consulted with me each morning and if there was a climb I could not do I went in the van to the top and biked down. The real surprise was that we DID NOT have rain the entire time!!!

What a great trip. I would highly recommend this trip. However, it should be rated as moderate because the rides are a little longer and harder than the typical rides on VBT trips. But, I wouldn't change any of the rides. They were terrific.

We chose to travel to England for the history, the quaint villages, and the beautiful pastures filled with sheep. We sure got all of that, but what we didn’t know is that the region is truly a road-cyclist’s dream! Paved and quiet country lanes over rolling hills—it felt as though we were on extended bike paths. Our leaders had a keen eye on safety and were supportive and present at every tricky turn. I can’t recommend this destination and this trip enough. The Cotswolds will transport you back in time and ignite your imagination. VBT knows how to play ball and they hit it out of the part with this one!

Thoroughly enjoyed the tour leaders Lucy, Dan and Jago. They did a wonderful job of herding us around, anticipating and working within and outside of our schedule. Our fellow travelers were the best group we've had the fortune to meet. Good lodgings with character and spectacular food everyplace we ate. Loved the scenery and historic sites I got to visit. My only reason for fewer than 5 stars is that I would not rate this ride Easy/Moderate. It had more than just rolling hills and lots of traffic on narrow roads. I really appreciated that the leaders did modify our routes on the fly to help mitigate the traffic, and kept our bikes tuned in tip top shape.

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.