Three friends and I did the guided "Scenic Cotswolds" walk with Cotswold Walks/Bikes and Hikes in…read moreOctober 2017. We all agreed that it was a wonderful experience and one we will not soon forget. The Cotswolds are truly a little piece of heaven! From the beginning of our planning, communication with Andrew Guppy was prompt and detailed with all our questions answered. From the time we arrived in Chipping Campden until we left Cirencester six days later, the days were perfectly planned for us including lunch reservations, admissions and tours. The first few days we walked with Robert Talbot and thoroughly enjoyed his knowledge of the area and congenial personality. The other days we walked with Andrew who was just as knowledgeable and great company. We learned so much about the interesting history of the area. We are ladies all in our 60's and found the walking very doable. At any time, both Robert and Andrew were willing to accommodate requests we had during our days and walks. We would all recommend the Bed and Breakfast accommodations Andrew suggested for us as well. We stayed at Cornerstone in Chipping Campden and The Old Brew House in Cirencester. Both were charming, English lodgings with great hosts.

My husband and I booked the Cotswolds Way walk with Hikes and Bikes. The owners of the company were…read moregreat to work with, very helpful and answered all our questions promptly. We would recommend Hikes and Bikes to friends and family members. The trails were well marked for the most part. Sometimes it was confusing, because there were several trails in the area, with no markings and we did get lost a couple of times. The Cotswolds Way is gorgeous. We went in May and had perfect weather. Our favorite hotels were The Kings Hotel in Chipping Campden and The Priory Hotel in Bath. Lots of good B&Bs as well.

Absolutely stunning scenery. Circular walk from Slaughters to Naunton was exceptional. Would never…read morehave found such beauty without the map. Problems with our experience include not getting our itinerary until a few days before the trip, problems with booking taxis especially our transfer to the second hotel, and no reservation at the second hotel. We were lucky they still had a room for us.

Thank you Andrew and Adam for putting together an amazing itinerary for my husband and I. It was…read morequite an experience walking the entire Cotswolds Way trail in one week and we couldn't have done it without your expertise. The book, map and advice were super helpful and your selection of overnight stays were great. They were all super convenient (located on the trail), the accommodations were clean, the staff was friendly and the daily included breakfasts were hearty and delicious. I highly recommend your team!

Recently took a day trip to the Cotswold area which turned out to be FABULOUS. After being picked…read moreup in a clean, comfortable vehicle from our hotel we were transported to several villages. Along the way we received lots of interesting details about the area, our questions were answered, and we toured at our pace stopping as we desired rather than following someone else's preordained idea of a good trip. Service, pre/during/post trip communication, cost, entertainment, etc was EXCEPTIONAL and we have rather steep expectations.

Bourton on the Water is a small, cute, and picturesque village that was a relatively easy walk from…read moreour Hotel in Lower Slaughter. Unfortunately, we arrived on a Saturday during a Bank Holiday weekend on a very nice warm and sunny day. The place was packed, which made appreciating this place's beauty somewhat challenging as we were dodging our fellow tourists and long lines of cars at selected crossings. A few tips: 1. Do try the ice cream, which is local and delicious. They also make a dog-friendly style. 2. We had a relatively quiet and relaxing lunch at the Dial Hotel, which we considered somewhat out of the way. 3. The Cotswold Pottery shop a few blocks off the river walk is worth a visit and a look. 3. The local foot paths off the main area provide a scenic and peaceful respite.

A charming little town in the Cotswolds. My family enjoyed walking around and had a lot of great…read morepictures. Although the tour guide said the place gets a little crazy during the summer season. Definitely avoid that...

If you're familiar with the North West, most of you will have been to Southport more than once…read morebefore. If you haven't then I would recommend a visit and the best way to to it, is by open top bus. A ticket for an adult costs £8 and a child £4. These prices are really reasonable for the amount of sights you get to see whilst on board. Plus, you can hop-on and hop-off any time you wish as the ticket lasts for 24 hours. With departures every 60 minutes, it is very convenient for the tourist. Some of the locations include Pleasureland (a must!), Ocean Plaza and Lord Street for shopping & restaurants. My all time favourite has to be Southport Pier and Promenade even though the tide always seems to be out! Southport makes a brilliant day out and you might as well tour in style.

For £11.00, you can get a 24hr pass to ride the City Sightseeing Stratford upon Avon bus…read more Although the town is pretty much a walkable-do-it-yourself kind of place, you'll be thankful you're not walking the 6 miles round trip, to Mary Arden's House Also, if you have tons of packages from shopping , need to schlep your luggage to the train station, or if you're just plain old lazy, there are 12 stops where you can hop on & off They give you little earphones to plug into the bus to hear little prerecorded tidbits about each of the historic sites - well announced before you get there so you can decide if you'd like to stop off A taxi would cost you £11.00 just to get to Mary Arden's so this overall cost for the bus is pretty decent.....that is, if you can't just walk the city yourself

Okay, while this station doesn't have any lockers, it turns out that if you look around a bit you…read moremight find some other place that will store your bags. However, it doesn't help when the station isn't all that close to the centre of town. However, this station was still rather nice, and a little touristy as well. Yeah, it was cool.

Occasionally, I happen across some ne'er-do-well chuntering on about Stratford-upon-Avon being a…read more"one-Horse town." "Well kind sir," I respond, "if Stratford-upon-Avon is indeed a 'one-horse town,' that horse is bloody Secretariat." To be or not to be ... that is NOT the question. To be here a few hours or to stay the night, THAT is the question. I have "long weekended" in Stratford, and 3 days was a bit much, even for this two-degreed English major. I've also "day toured" on a motor coach starting the day in London ... they gave us about 2 hours in Stratford betwixt Warwick Castle and Oxford, and that was not enough. The third proverbial bowl of porridge was driving in: Two days, one night ... just right! Yes, indeed, SuA is the town where William Shakespeare spent most of his life. His memory oozes from every pore of the town ... as, indeed, it should. Not only is it the epicenter of his life, but other Shakespeare meccas like London have too many literary (and historical) distractions ... its dribs and drabs (albeit great dribs and drabs) of Shakespeare are scattered around while Stratford is door-to-door, all Shakespeare, all the time. Well, that's not totally true. Stratford's Church of the Holy Trinity is a beauty inside and out. And if you happen across it when the 170ish-year-old "Great Organ" is being piped by Benedict Wilson, you're in for a treat. Then there's Anne Hathaway's cottage (not the actress), a beautiful 15th-Century house with an amazing cottage garden. But, then again, the church was where Shakespeare was baptized and has the chancel and sanctuary where The Bard is buried. And Anne Hathaway was Shakespeare's wife. As someone who has been to the town as a child (10 years old) and an adult (mind-your-own-business years old), I must say, SuA is WAY MORE family friendly than in the days of yore. The Stratford Butterfly Farm came in 1985 and has developed into a kid's (and lepidopterist's) paradise. Started in 2012, the MAD (Mechanical Art & Design) Museum is replete with mechanical do-dads and whirligigs, buttons that are encouraged to be pressed, flickering lasers, and rolling-ball machines. Both the Farm and MAD are kids' paradises. Most people are so Shakespeare-stuck they miss a golden opportunity to take advantage of the River Avon ... I mean, the town is called Stratford-UPON-AVON for a reason. Whether just taking an amble down its lovely towpath, you end up rolling on the river (I recommend taking a tour from Canal River), or hire a rower for a view hour, River Avon is a beauty. You'll likely find yourself strolling down Henley Street during your time in SuA: Great atmosphere, great bustle, great cafes along the way. Also of note is The Jester Statue: A relatively new addition (1994), this bronze beauty is Touchstone from The Twelfth Night. I've actually Yelp-reviewed this statue, so either enjoy or roll your eyes. And now to the two biggies: Shakespeare's Birthplace and the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC). Staying the night really lets you drink in Shakespeare's Birthplace ... not only see everything inside, but also to enjoying the performers out in the courtyard who actually take requests. And the intellectuals who always seem to be milling about request Timon of Athens or Cymbeline when most people want a little R&J or Hamlet. But I digress: The young thespians are awesome ... and game for whipping out any Shakespeare the audience so desires. Speaking of performance, the biggest reason to stay at least one night is so you can see a play at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre by the RSC. There's always a Shakespeare play going on, but I HIGHLY recommend planning in advance so you can see what will be on when you're there. As well, there are a lot of contemporary plays, musical, and other performances worth considering at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. I have broken the covenant of two great Shakespeare quotes: "Brevity is the soul of wit" and "Men of few words are the best men." But with a town this great, how can I not write on ... and on ... and on?

Caspin Journeys is comprised of Pino and Caroline Nobile, a husband and wife team that take people…read moreall over the United Kingdom and Italy on "unique active travel experiences". What does that mean? When signing up for one of Caspin Jourenys' tours, prepare to see parts of the UK or Italy that you never thought you'd see before. Caspin gives you a much more down to earth, local, countryside view of the cities and towns on their tours. Many days consist of 3-6 mile hikes between towns, stopping at many of the best local restaurants and visiting unique sights, all with the knowledge of Pino and Caroline. You'll stay at the finest hotels, drink great local wine, and not have to worry about your luggage! Pino and Caroline have meticulously researched all their tours. They know the right room for you to stay in at the hotel. They know the restaurants with the best food and service. They know the best activities to do in the towns. They know the best shops to go to. All so you can have the trip of a lifetime. My family and I went and did their Tuscany and Cinque Terre tour this September. The Cinque Terre is known for being able to hike between all the beautiful Mediterranean towns. However at this moment, the first two hikes are closed due to mud slides and safety. "Fear not!" Caroline shouts in her English accent. "We are still going to be able to hike most of it by taking some lesser known routes." Not only did we hike 11 miles that day and accomplished something most people only dream of (if they even know this place exists!), we saw some of the most amazing views God has put on this earth. If you are the type of person that doesn't want the cookie-cutter tour of Europe, then go to Caspin Journeys. My family has done 4 tours with them now, each one just as unique and fulfilling. I'm more than happy to share other stories...feel free to message me. Thank you Pino and Caroline!