England

Another great VBT trip through the beautiful rolling countryside of Northumberland, Cumbria, and the Borderlands of Scotland. Although we have always used road bikes on prior VBT trips, we were very happy we chose e-bikes for this one, allowing us to enjoy the scenic vistas without struggling up the (many) hills. We enjoyed the historic sites like Hadrian's Wall and Vindolanda, the towns and little villages, our always friendly guides and companions, and of course the (many) sheep. The post trip in Edinburgh is a great contrast to the ride itself. As a new VBT trip, this one still needs a couple of little tweaks, but if the weather cooperates (which it did for us), you will have a wonderful experience. (Here's a tip. Don't try to climb Hadrian's Wall in bike shoes. (: )

Even though the weather was not ideal, it rained a couple days, the scenery was beautiful with lakes, mountains, rivers, stones fences and lots of sheep. Our guides were fantastic, upbeat and encouraging. Our accommodations were mostly top notch, especially the country inn in Keswick. I especially enjoyed the Roman ruins.

We loved our VBT cycling trip in the Cotswolds. The countryside and charming villages we passed through were beautiful, and and we learned so much from our two guides, both local to the area. We've taken many cycling trips, and this was among our favorite. Highly recommend this trip!

This was our virgin voyage with VBT, and we knew not what to expect. We are not experienced cyclists. Never donned padded shorts before this trip. But, after pedaling six glorious days through magnificent countryside, on routes thoughtfully set up; securely guided by two friendly and oh so helpful locals who shared their knowledge of the area and were as personable as all get out, we will certainly be joining a VBT tour again. As we found out, 75% of our group already had. Conner and Mick were outstanding guides-attending to any need of any type at any time - on the ride or at the stops in between. They could not do enough for you - and always with an eager smile. They were like your best buddies taking you for a spin through their homeland. Just the best. The accommodations provided were great - warm, quaint, with excellent food. I really could go on, but let me simply say....we can't wait for our next VBT trip!

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.

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.