England

The beautiful pastoral vistas that we biked each day were everything I had hoped for in this vacation. All the sheep, rolling hills, moors, everything was just breathtaking. In addition, I felt we got to see and understand the history of this region of England and Scotland. As for the actual biking, the hills could be intense so I would definitely recommend an e-bike which our kind leaders secured for me halfway through the trip.

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.

The Cotswold biking experience is wonderful, small villages and beautiful country scenery to enjoy on your bike rides. I would recommend this bike tour for experienced bikers because of the narrow country roads and potholes. Our bike guides were great, always ready to assist in any way and the hotels were perfect meeting our every need. The breakfasts were excellent, fueling us for the ride ahead. Biking offers a up close view of the scenery and towns and allows us to go at our own pace and stop for photo opts when desired. I love VBT trips!

This was our fifth VBT guided bike tour and it was another great experience. Our guides Jago, Lucy, and Dan were exceptional each in their own unique way. Despite and unusual heat and general lack of air conditioning in this part of England the accommodations, were all interesting and charming. The scenery was beautiful and the local pubs were great fun. We chose to ride road bikes and the tire size and gearing were appropriate. The tow path section would have been better suited for a hybrid or Ebike but we feel most comfortable on road bikes. In general I would rate the riding difficulty of this trip a notch up from our other easy/moderate trips due to the road conditions and climbs. Our training before the trip paid off. As has always been our experience the others in our group were incredibly nice and interesting folks.

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.