A Trip of a Lifetime - Perfectly Planned and Unforgettable We recently returned from the trip of a lifetime to Liverpool and Wales, and we owe it all to Across the Pond Vacations. From start to finish, the experience was absolutely seamless--more than we could have hoped for in every way. Simon was simply incredible to work with. From our very first conversation, he truly listened and engaged with us, taking the time to understand what we were looking for and what would make this trip meaningful. He was not only knowledgeable and kind, but also fun and easy to work with--a true expert who clearly loves what he does. Every little detail was thought of and perfectly executed. We especially appreciated the combination of the electronic app and the beautifully organized binder that laid out each day's itinerary. Both made it easy to stay on track while still feeling relaxed and unhurried. The experiences Simon booked for us were spot-on--above and beyond our expectations, and so perfectly suited to our tastes. It felt like every activity and destination had been selected just for us. We never had to worry about a thing, which allowed us to be fully present and soak in every unforgettable moment. If you're dreaming of a customized, thoughtfully curated vacation across the pond, look no further. We can't recommend Across the Pond Vacations--and Simon--highly enough. Truly an unforgettable journey! read more

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I am taking this opportunity to write this way overdue review on my trip to England October 15-October 30, 2024, personally crafted by Across The Pond Vacations. I initially contacted Anne Marie Clarke late in October, 2019 with the intent of going to England possibly in May, 2020. Then Covid happened which put my plans on hold. I can't recall exactly when I again contacted Across The Pond but think possibly April, 2024. Having traveled a fair amount I prefer private and not large group tours. I did my research and although there are many well known companies that had good reviews and offered customized private tours I wanted to deal with a boutique firm and ATP was just that. Additionally, that they were located in the U.S., knew England very well as both Anne Marie and Simon Clarke (from England originally) lived there for many years was a plus. It took several revisions to come up with the "perfect" itinerary, and as hectic as it was at times, I had a wonderful trip. The hotels with their staff were wonderful and very accommodating. I appreciated that the hotels were ideally located and welcoming. I will be writing a separate review for each hotel in London, Bath, The Cotswalds, York and Liverpool. The private guides to include driver/guides I had were marvelous with whom I established a real connection and remain in contact with a few of them. There is a reason why these individuals deserve the title of Blue Badge Guides and were expertly selected by Across The Pond Vacations. The transport arranged - private drivers, were courteous, personable and of course on time. Although I appreciated the in depth itinerary with directions provided by Google Maps, the binder was a bit much to carry around especially since I was taking trains and carrying my own luggage. Each day I would take the appropriate page out of the binder to guide me. I believe an option to receive all digitally would be welcome for those who embrace technology as many of us are adept with using Google Maps and Apps. It would be wonderful if ATP had an app (although I recognize this can be costly to develop) to use such as Travefy or some such itinerary planner. Additionally, the use of WhatsApp could facilitate any communications necessary when travelling as there are small tour companies that set up "group chats" when a client is traveling. Overall I appreciated that my trip was designed in such a way that I would not be "overscheduled". There was adequate time to meet the guides and spend time touring and tickets for the sites had appropriately timed entrances. Although all was wonderful, a dream for me was to see Les Miserables at the Sondheim Theatre in the West End - London. I had tea at Claridges prior to the performance. When Anne Marie and Simon found out that The Blenheim Palace would be closed they arranged for me to have more time with my Cotswalds guide and I received a mini-tour of Oxford. A refund for my ticket was initiated promptly after the trip. There were so many highlights and so many pictures to show but unfortunately I am unable to add them but trust me this trip was a photographers heaven. I loved the small group tour arranged to The Yorkshire Dales and upon my return binge watched All Creatures Great and Small, got my Bridgerton fix in Bath and so many more memories. Now that I have binged 7 seasons of Outlander Scotland is on my list. If anyone reading this review has specific questions, please do message me. I do recommend Across The Pond Vacations for your Great Britain travels. read more

Just always so helpful and knowledgeable. Makes my life so much easier when planning a trip.

Nearly a month after returning from our spectacular two-week tour of England, I'm still pinching myself that I found Across the Pond Vacations. I'd never been to the U.K. and had only a vague notion of visiting London, Oxford, Liverpool, Hadrian's Wall, York and whatever additional Roman ruins I could fit in. And I had no clue how to make such a trip work. So I was absolutely thrilled when Simon Clarke -- an actual Brit whose company is nonetheless based not far from my home in Los Angeles -- got back to me immediately about my inquiry. We had a lovely chat, during which he homed in on my "wish list" and got a sense of my party's travel style. We'd decided on a private tour of Roman London and Westminster Abbey, and Simon suggested a first-day spin on the London Eye and boat trip on the Thames, which was brilliantly designed to help us get the lay of the land and keep us awake until London bedtime to prevent jet lag. We booked Champagne Afternoon Tea at the 1889 Savoy Hotel and train tickets and admission to Windsor Castle. Per my request, Simon found us a hotel near the British Museum (it turned out to be across a side street, a one-minute walk). Then, just as we'd begun planning the post-London portion of the trip, I started feeling serious anxiety about driving outside London. (IN London, you don't need a car because of all the excellent transportation options.) I couldn't fathom driving on the "wrong" side of the car on the "wrong" side of the street, around the roundabouts, in the dark, in the rain ... And how could I pop into a pub for a pint knowing I'd have to do that arduous driving thereafter? I woke up in a cold sweat one night thinking, "Oh my God -- what if I kill someone on the road?!" I emailed Simon first thing the next morning to see if there was any way he could find someone to drive us from London to Oxford -- and then the hours to Liverpool and additional hours to Hexham (Hadrian's Wall) and finally, more hours to York. He responded right away that he could find us someone to do that driving who'd also be able to tell us all about the points of interest along the way and deliver us to and pick us up from our various excursions. To me, this was a downright revolutionary notion. Simon secured a guide for our journey north who, frankly, made our trip. He was not only a terrific driver -- who seemed completely unfazed by the occasional downpour and handled an accident-driven traffic jam outside Birmingham with aplomb -- but a charming fellow who seemed to know everything about England! The history, geography, culture -- I asked him a million questions and he patiently answered every one. Moreover, he suggested we pop into the Roman Army Museum affiliated with the archeological site of Vindolanda, a fort that supplied Hadrian's Wall. The museum was one of the highlights of the trip, and I'd never even heard of it! I could go on and on about the highlights of the trip Simon created -- our night in the precious Cotswolds town of Broadway, our stay at the Royal Crescent Hotel in Bath and visit to the Roman baths that gave the city its name, our private tour of Beatles sites in Liverpool, our two nights at a 14th-century castle in Hexham, our tour of Roman and Viking sites in York -- but the magic of HOW he created it is the reason I'm taking the time to write this review. The trip was seamless, anxiety-free and downright joyful, starting and ending with the wonderful London black-taxi driver Simon retained to usher us from and to Heathrow (who drove us comfortably in his brand-new electric vehicle AND pointed out innumerable landmarks). In fact, Simon is the consummate travel professional and Across the Pond the only tour designer I will ever use in the U.K. (I'm already scheming a trip to Scotland and Wales). As referenced above, he is highly responsive and creative, with an amazing ability to navigate the many and varied vagaries of travel in the U.K., and he's an excellent listener who went out of his way to make sure he understood my priorities so we could make the most out of them. This was truly the trip of a lifetime. But I am 100% certain that the next trip I book with Across the Pond Vacations will be, too! read more

My daughter Lori and I had dreamed of traveling to London and Across The Pond delivered a trip that was beyond our expectations! The service was fantastic, amazing, professional and prompt. Simon was fabulous to deal with. Everything was booked for us making our entire trip worry free! Our hotel was lovely. We were thrilled with John our taxi driver, and our guides Emily and Jasmine. I want to express my sincere thanks to Simon for making our trip memorable and the best it could be. I highly recommend Across The Pond Vacations. read more

I cannot say enough good things about Anne Marie and Simon Clarke. We just returned from our third trip planned by their company. They customized our trips for us, which included booking our hotels, booking mini-trips, making reservations for trains, arranging our airport pick-up and delivery, booking tickets to our requested activities, and providing Oyster cards for London. A week before each departure, we received a complete binder with complete itinerary mapped out, our booking confirmations, our passes, and all pertinent information. on this last trip, we saw the Peak District, the Yorkshire Dales, the Lake District, Manchester, Edinburgh, Bletchley Park, and London. The trip was absolutely flawless. Thank you again, Simon, for giving us such great memories. read more

Used them for a family trip to London, Liverpool, and Dublin, and couldn't be happier. You provide a general roadmap and they fill in the details expertly. They allow a couple of alterations to the itinerary before locking it down, and also were very accommodating when we experienced a hiccup that shortened our stay. All the guides, restaurants, hotels and transportation options were first rate. Highly recommended. read more

Was lucky enough to stumble upon Across the Pond Vacations as I was feeling really overwhelmed about my first trip to England/Scotland. Anne-Marie was great from start to finish. I told her everything I wanted to do and she fit it all in and even suggested some awesome places that ended up being our favorite places. The hotels she put us in were great and all in walking distance of sightseeing spots. If you need help planning a dream vacation to Britain - for sure give them a call. read more

We just got back from a trip to England the end of January and had a fantastic trip! Anne set up every detail, from airport pick ups, to hotels, tour tickets, how to get around by taxi or subway, how many blocks each place was from our hotel, car rentals, directions, etc., all of which went off without a hitch! The places we stayed, recommendations of restaurants and things to see all were fabulous and first class. We used Across the Pond Vacations for a two week trip to Ireland in October of 2016 also and had a similar fantastic trip! We can't wait to return to Ireland or visit Scotland and Wales through Across the Pond. The services they provide make for a very smooth and stress free vacation abroad and are well worth the small extra it may cost above booking things ourselves. We are forever grateful to Anne and Across the Pond and wish we could book Italy or Germany through her too! read more

Anne Marie and Simon made our dream trip come true. And Anne Marie became a real friend in the process. I called a year before our trip with ideas and questions and dreams for a 3 week trip that would take us the whole length of Great Britain and Anne Marie listened! We are not wealthy and had never looked into using a tour agency before but everything was really reasonable and Anne Marie was upfront about the whole process. She helped me to sort everything out, get organized, and add to/edit my list. Their knowledge is priceless and when you work with them you are getting the gift of time. They put in so many hours, sometimes very early hours, to make sure every last box is ticked. When I got our trip itinerary binder in the mail I wept tears of joy. It was amazingly thorough and easy to navigate and use as it covers each day and detail. Our trip was so smooth and they went the extra mile before, during, and after our trip to support us. They seriously made my crazy list of must haves into the most incredible and unforgettable experience! We tell everyone we know how wonderful they are. Three cheers for ATP! read more

I couldn't ask for a better experience. Being able to customize my trip in England and getting tours at the best locations helped my overall experience. The hotel, the destinations, and the people were just amazing. Thanks to the entire team at ATP Vacations for making my vacation the best! read more

Truly the BEST England Tour Agent anywhere. If you're looking for the perfect tour agent to organize your vacation to England, you've got to go with "Across the Pond Vacations." Anne Marie Clarke put our trip together and found the most interesting and unique places for our interests (Tudor family history and ghosts). She found historic places associated with the Tudor history that we didn't even know about. She found an actual castle that is a luxury hotel where we got to stay, and great B&Bs. She took care of all our travel throughout the U.K., Ireland and Scotland, and everything was organized, detailed and explained well. We have taken several trips arranged through ATP Vacations, and there are none better organized. We're already planning more vacations through ATP. Best vacations, ever! read more

My family and I wanted to do a really fantastic trip of Ireland. We contacted Across the pond vacations, and wow! Did they deliver! This company truly goes above and beyond. We talked to Ann Marie on the phone and she really listened to what we had to say, understood what we wanted to see and do, and even added a few unbelievably great suggestions of her own. There is no way we could have done this trip without them, their expertise is unparalleled, their customer service is the tops and they truly deliver when it comes to a luxury vacation to Ireland!we couldn't be happier with them and will come back when we're ready to visit England, Scotland and maybe even Wales!! read more

I wasn't really sure what I wanted to see and do on our big trip to London and Ireland. I booked a tour of Downton Abbey and then I was stuck. So I made a list of what I wanted on my trip. Pubs, castles, more pubs... I wandered about on the internet trying to figure out where to go to find the right kind of help. One of my many random searches led me to Anne-Marie at Across the Pond Vacations. She asked all the right questions and booked us into all the right places! We walked to Buckingham Palace to celebrate the birth of Princess Charlotte. We celebrated in Ireland when the marriage equality law passed. We had amazing castle accomodations. And we rocked the pubs throughout Dublin and across Ireland. We spent four amazing weeks on the itinerary Anne-Marie booked for us. Everything was smooth and well planned and it was the trip of a lifetime. So do it! Book your trip through Across the Pond Vacations and let Anne-Marie do the hard work for you! read more

I needed help planning our vacation to Scotland and Ireland and I was fortunate to find the website for Across the Pond Vacations. Anne Marie was extremely helpful in planning almost every aspect of our vacation, from private airport transfers, to lodging, to advanced admission tickets to popular attractions. Because of her planning, my husband and I were able to fully enjoy our time in Scotland and Ireland. Anne Marie is professional, courteous, knowledgable, and very easy to work with. If you need help planning a trip to these countries, contact Across the Pond Vacations. read more