England

The scenery and landscapes of the lake District are stunning. But it is a hilly ride and everyone in the group was very grateful to have E bikes. The accommodations were exemplary, the food was delicious and the guides did a wonderful job. I would recommend this trip in a heartbeat.

Being my first trip with VBT, I was apprehensive about traveling with 19 strangers and biking the terrain. Needless to say, my trip was awesome. The guides (Mick, Hattie, Paul) were very attentive, organized, and supportive. They also were knowledgeable about the history, geology and culture of the areas we toured through. As we covered a lot of miles over very steep terrain, it was necessary to use e-Bikes (thankfully). The bikes were in excellent condition, and any issues were addressed quickly by the guides. Using Ride with GPS for directions was easy to use, and the added benefit of both visual and audial directions helped when a turn was missed. The most surprising thing of the trip was how many other riders were repeat customers, many logging between 10-22 previous trips with VBT. Now, having been on my first one, I can understand why and will certainly schedule more. My only concern was the disparity in hotels--most were excellent with fabulous food/services, but a few were not up to standard mostly due to age and/or lack of ventilation. Otherwise, it was among the best overseas adventures I've experienced.

I am an infrequent bike rider (but in generally good shape) and used E-bike (with power on) throughout the trip given the hilly terrain. I participated with spouse and 6 other friends; our overall tour had 19 riders and two guides. Most riders used E-bikes (including myself); a few used road bikes. Had rain during a couple days – using rainproof gear made these conditions quite bearable. Pros: Beautiful scenery. Bikes worked smoothly. Very energetic and helpful guides (quickly fixed a flat and chain problems). Enjoyable socializing with other riders during rides and mealtimes. Tasty food options and very comfortable hotels. Cons: Some roads are very narrow (one lane width with 2-way travel) with cars sometimes passing at relatively high speed, and particularly challenging when two opposing cars had to navigate passing each other and bikers. Significant stretches of road were in poor condition (potholes and uneven pavement edges) that required vigilant maneuvering. The riding schedule was busy and riders were asked to all meet up periodically, which slowed things somewhat when road bike riders progressed slower. The time allotted to explore at some stops (e.g. Blenheim Palace) was short and allowed only a very quick oversight of the location; would have preferred more flexibility.

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.

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.