England

This tour was a good combination of beauty and history. Our leaders, Jago Hartwell and Daniel Guest, plus Callum Fallows (in training) provided great orientation, including historical context, and lots of cultural information about the Lakes District, the Pennines and the Scottish border. They each went out of their way to show us great courtesy and excellent service. There’s a lot of riding on this trip, more than others we’ve been on with VBT. Most of the riding was on quiet country roads and dedicated bike paths, which was great. The scenery includes lovely mountains and lakes, and lots of open pasture land crisscrossed by ancient Stone walls. We learned a lot about land management of these open rugged spaces. The accommodations were very nice and the food was varied and consistently good. I highly recommend spending an extra few days in Edinburgh, as it is a city of great history and beauty. We also passed through many small English villages, each of which had its own charm. Along the way we saw beautiful farms and many, many grazing animals.

This trip was so beautiful. As it was the first trip I have taken with VBT I did not know what to expect. It was above my expectations. Jago and Carolina were helpful and were always there for us. I would recommend VBT and the Northern England and Scotland trip.

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.

This was my 6th trip with VBT and once again they have the BEST tour guides. Conor and Mick were incredible. Knowledgeable, friendly and always there to assist with any issue. They each took the time to get to meet and know everyone on a personal level. We had great weather too. Only one day with a few sprinkles, otherwise in the high 50's and 60's. Scenic views every day of the rolling countryside. Lush fields, quiet villages and farm life blended with stops at Blenheim Palace, a farmers market and our final destination in Bath did not disappoint. Out of the group of 20, only three of us were on road bikes (which were great bikes by the way!). Unless you ride on a regular basis, some of the hills were a bit challenging. The accommodations were quaint, though sometimes a bit tight for two people. I was glad we were there in the Spring as most of rooms had no air conditioning. The meal choices were somewhat limited/standard at some of the Inns we stayed at, but we were able to make some requests to change things up. Don't be afraid to ask! All the staff at all the Inns were very friendly and helpful. Definitely go out and explore the local bakeries, pubs and markets. The food is incredible. So fresh. Yes, we tried all the local favorites (Steak & Ale Pie, Toad in the Hole, Gregg's sausage rolls, cream tea, blood pudding, etc.) and were not disappointed. Roads are a bit narrow at times but drivers are always courteous. We've already planned 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.