England

What a charmy tour! Incredible landscapes (the Lake District was a great surprise to me), full of peaceful roads (often very few cars, but lots of sheep) and interesting contrast (a perfect mixture of countryside and tiny towns, open wide terrain and mountain hills, nature and culture, England and Scotland). Very grateful for the sunny weather (I am not anymore sure that it's true that in UK it rains a lot) and our fearless leaders Jago and Carolina, which went above and beyond. And to end up in splendid Edinburgh was the final touch. Well done!

The Lake district delivered glacial ribbon lakes, rugged fell mountains, and historic literary associations. The singular beauty of The Borders was magical - forests, hills and glens, lochs and rivers, and blooming (early) heather as far as the eye could see. From Keswick to Peebles, we discovered Buttermere, Hexham, Hadrian’s Wall, Vindolanda, and more. Best of all, our trip leaders Mick and Conor were outstanding!

Delightful part of the world, and the biking was thoroughly enjoyable. Guides Dan and Hattie were talented, engaging, knowledgeable and competent. The stonework and villages were quaint and charming. Traffic very manageable, with good safety reminders from guides. Accommodations were excellent, and food delicious. The Half Way pub fare was scrumptious. The ride the last day was along a canal from center of Bath out and back--I didn't find this as enjoyable due to traffic, pedestrians, dogs and baby carriages. As with most VBT trips, I think rides from center city should modified by doing a shuttle bus to outside the city, do a ride, and then shuttle back. City riding is dangerous (especially on the wrong side of the road!) and one really can't see much if paying attention to safe riding. Otherwise, this trip was FABULOUS. Happy to chat with anyone who is considering this trip. JB

This was a great trip! Loved riding on the small country roads without much traffic. My first time to ride an ebike really helped with my enjoyment of the trip. I wasn't tired at the end of the day. I wasn't able to train enough before the trip so the ebike made the trip fun! Guides Tony and Mick were knowledgeable and helpful. Loved finding out about the history of the area.

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.