Mickledore Travel recently handled my arrangements for a 6 day, 44-mile self-guided walking tour…read morealong the Thames River Path. They're in the business of arranging walking/hiking tours and their web site is fun to use in helping you whittle down your options. Once you decide on the number of days you wish to hike and the type of terrain you wish to hike in, Mickledore's web site will show you your options. When you have questions, their staff will quickly respond via email or phone. When you've settled on a hike and made a down payment to Mickledore they'll make your arrangements which include lodging and luggage transport along your hiking route. As your travel date approaches and you make your final payment, Mickledore will send you the details of your trip: dates, lodging, maps, luggage tags, and meals when applicable. Depending on where you've chosen to hike you could possibly handle all of this on your own but Mickledore takes you out of the planning business and sometimes that's worth paying for. To say that this hiking tour was one of my best travel experiences ever isn't an understatement. This rubs off on my feelings about Mickledore in a positive way. The services they provided on this particular trip weren't perfect but I so enjoyed my trip that I'd consider using them again in the future. Here's the details: * Mickledore booked 6 nights of lodging in 5 different locations. Of those, 3 were great or good, 1 was just okay, and 1 was bad. I provided post-trip feedback to Mickledore, as they requested. The route I chose is not as traveled as some of the more popular trails; for this reason I think Mickledore may not have had great data on some of the places they booked me into. * Each morning, your luggage must be downstairs and ready for transport by 8:30 a.m. Each afternoon, when checking in at a new place of lodging, my luggage was waiting. This part went off without a hitch. * In the UK, each place of lodging included a full English breakfast. In 2 places Mickledore had arranged for bag lunches to be included as well. I would not want the bag lunches again. I was hiking through areas that were easy to find food and drink and it is that I prefer. * Mickledore provided a book (outlining the details of the trail), a water-safe map of the trail, printed pages of places to eat/public restrooms/emergency service info and the like. They also have an app on which you can see much of your trip info. The trail I hiked was easy to follow and I'm good at searching out my preferred dining options. The only part of this that I found useful (and mostly just because it was interesting) was the map. * Although they don't verify it, Mickledore requires that travelers get trip insurance. I did and thankfully had no need to use it. Not including trip insurance, the services Mickledore provided for this trip (including the 6 nights of lodging and the luggage transport plus everything else mentioned) ran $967 per person which wasn't cheap but also wasn't at all unreasonable. Mickeldore Travel isn't the only company specializing in organizing self-guided walking tours but in this space, the offerings are similar. If I were planning another trip like this I'd again consider using them.

These guys helped me plan and complete my coast to Coast walk last year! Amazing thank you Rick for…read moreall your information and booking all the stops. How did you know already how long some of the legs would take genius! Again if you are planing UK walking holidays use Mickledore travel!

This little tourist information offer the usual hotel booking services as well as discounted launch…read moretickets. It also has a range of walks that can be purchased as little booklets that guide you through and they are very easy to follow. If you are new to walking in Keswick this is the first place to start. They also sell jewelry which is really pretty.

The perfect mixture of a historical location, a tourist information and a jewelry shop indeed…read more Located in the pretty town centre of Keswick on Derwent Water. A great variety of information for tourists of all categories.

Sometimes I don't feel like becoming an expert…read more For two years running now, I've used the services of Gates Travel to find and purchase train tickets for travel throughout the United Kingdom. Not only are they prompt to respond via email but they know the ins and outs of train travel in a way that I don't and that I don't care to learn. One year ago I needed to get from a town in the North Cotswolds to a town in Wales and was growing uneasy with the process and baffled by my options. Gates Travel to the rescue. Not only could they tell me exactly which trains ran when but they could also tell me which were the best deals. They even went further when they realized that I was traveling in a party of two: they did the math and determined that the "two together" card was a worthwhile investment for my trips. I doubt I'd even know of the "two together" pass and benefits without it having been recommended by Gates Travel. All of my train tickets and the "two together" card have been secured and paid for online and Gates Travel sends me the physical documents via email and/or the postal service. With the help of Gates Travel I don't have to become an expert. I'm uncertain what other travel services Gates Travel provides as I've only used them to secure train tickets and advice. But based on this, I feel comfortable that they could help with any of your United Kingdom travel needs.

This travel agency is part of a local group based in Kendal. The staff know what their doing and,…read morewhen I've been there very patient and obliging. They have the concession for selling train tickets, and will try their hardest to find a convenient route at the right price. They also do all the other things from Cruises to Coach trips, via package holidays. I find the atmosphere there relaxing and also noticed a coffee machine in use for another customer. I highly recommend the staff, and shop.