E-Bike The Cotswolds - Explore At Your Own Pace

  My 6-day cycling trip in Kent was wonderful. This was my 4th trip with Active England (2 in the Cotswolds, 1 in the Cotswolds/Devon/Cornwall - a custom made trip -... read more and then my trip in Kent in 2019). Each trip was outstanding: beautiful views, wonderful visits to national trust sites, historic homes, and monuments, and lovely hotels. The trips are well-organized and give guests the opportunity to add on or subtract miles as desired (in several trips I rode extra miles solo with the guide, which was really terrific). The organization is meticulous, and the guides are friendly, helpful, and very knowledgable about the local area. Frances was a wonderful guide for the Devon/Cornwall trip!
For my Kent trip, our guide Helen was so fantastic. She took great care of us, was flexible and fun about stopping for photos, and always was up for a bit of serendipitous silliness (dipping our toes in the ocean and hanging out in the most incredible area filled with stunning, unusual flowers). She also had a detailed knowledge of the area that made our trip even more enjoyable. Ian, who was guiding the walkers on our trip, was also terrific (he's been a guide on all 4 of my trips): kind, very smart about the areas we visit, organized, patient, and helpful.
The trips always include incredible views, a smart itinerary, and wonderful places to stay and eat. Cyclists of all fitness levels will be happy - the van is always there if you want to bail out early (or skip a big hill) - and if you want a bit more challenge with longer routes, the guides are always happy to do that as well. I've been on trips with people from age 14 to 80 - families and folks like me traveling solo - and everyone was well taken care of. As they say, this is YOUR vacation, and they will adjust as you like.
I HIGHLY recommend this tour company! Will Cairns, the owner, is always open to hearing from folks. He's easy to contact and very professional (and he's a fun guide on some of the trips as well). After 4 trips with them, I'm thinking about a 5th one this coming summer (I hope they don't get tired of me)!

  My sister and I booked the Classic 8 day self-guided walking tour in mid-September of 2019. We both declared it one of the best trips either of us had... read more taken. The guides assisted us just enough to get around independently on our daily countryside walks but would then take us by van to visit the highlighted iconic points of interest such as Stonehenge, Blenheim Palace, and the Roman Baths to name a few. It was a perfect mix of active, outdoor, picturesque hiking coupled with the historic and educational tours . It is very apparent that Active England hires only the best in guides. We had Howard, Helen, and Jago with a mixed group of 11 people, some cycling, some walking, some guided and some self-guided. Our guides were exceptional in their local knowledge, athletic abilities, professionalism, and good-nature as they took care of and kept track of us all. They really felt like friends by the end of the trip. I will very likely book another trip with Active England and go to another destination on their list of tours.

  Frances and Active England Tours are fantastic! We booked a 3 day walking tour through the Cotswolds and it far exceeded what we expected; beautiful walks, lovely destinations, excellent accommodations,... read more fantastic food and fabulous company. The Active England Team made booking a breeze and even accommodated special requests for our tour to make it extra memorable! We will be back, hopefully with a van dog !!

  I cannot recommend this tour company highly enough for anyone looking to explore England’s beautiful countryside. Our tour guide was fantastic! Each destination was lovely with the perfect amount of... read more time to explore before moving on. We were guided to lovely restaurants for meals and the hotel accommodations were in a quaint town in the Cotswolds with incredible atmosphere. We will definitely book another tour with Francis the next time we visit the UK.

  I traveled with the ACTIVE ENGLAND group fall 2019 on both the Classic Cotswold and the Cornwall/Devon trips. I chose guided hiking but joined self guided guests and... read more cyclists. The views were spectacular; the touring paths hidden gems; and the guides were outstanding. They were knowledgeable, intelligent, patient and told facinating facts about the region. Lodging and food top rated. And, I came back home healthier than when I left. I give my top recommendation to Will, Frances and the group. They have designed a unique small group experience. FIVE STARS! Linda B Winchester VA

  My husband and I were looking for a guided walk through the countryside of England that included classic pubs. Not only did Active England provide that, but they also included... read more the popular and little known historically sites in the area.Eric took excellent care of us (as we were not as prepared for the country side walking as we should have been). They customized our itinerary to accommodate us .They were always on time, prepared and willing to go the extra mile. We Highly recommend this group!

  We did the 3 day self-guided tour and experienced 3 days of amazing rides throughout the beautiful Cotswolds. Picture small towns, small farming roads with fields, sheep, cows, and... read more birds on both sides of the road, and nice small towns for a quick break.

We never would have discovered these roads, towns, and bike paths without the tour.

If you are doing the self guided tour, I'd recommend some items before you arrive:
1 Your phone will act as your GPS and the self guided system uses Ride with GPS - so download the app prior to your ride
2 Bring a battery backup for your phone since I the RideGPS depleted my phone's batter very quickly (thanks to Jago for letting me borrow his battery backup)

The local hotelsinns were all great and we enjoyed getting into the countryside, riding for 4-5 hours per day, and then exploring the local restaurants, pubs, and towns.

Thanks to both Howard and Jago for a great trip!

  We can't say enough about our cycling tour with Active England. Even Mother Nature cooperated with glorious weather. Jago, our cycling guide was enthusiastic, entertaining and patient. We rode through... read more the most beautiful landscapes. Haystacks, pheasants on the run, big blue sky, sheep dotted hillsides, and yellow chalky colored cottages with thatched and slated roofs were part of the scenery. The routes were mainly small country lanes less traveled and more scenic. One of our favorite memories were the stops for coffee in little cafes dotting the routes meeting the locals along the way. Our accommodations were excellent and the food was artfully prepared. Howard lead us through a walking tour of Oxford that I will never forget. His storytelling made history real. Helen was ready to aide us in any way and always with a smile. Even before the trip Will was always quick to answer emails and give whatever information we needed. This tour company is truly excellent.

  What an amazing time my husband and I had with Active England in the Cotswolds! From start to finish, Jago and Howard did everything possible to make our... read more experience the best. The scenery speaks for itself, but the care and catering provided throughout our 6 day ride was beyond expectations and made it exceptional. Jago was our bike guide while Howard was with our two walkers. We met up sometimes at a sight or in the late afternoon after each of our adventures was complete. Always fun to share stories and catch up with each other. Our group happened to be quite small which made it wonderful as we were able to connect and really get to know one another. Active England is at the top of our list for A+ biking companies and we would go with them again in a heartbeat. Thank you, thank you!

  My wife and I truly enjoyed our 8 day walk thru the Cotswolds. We are from the Arizona desert, so to be totally immersed in England’s beautiful rural countryside was... read more a real treat. Every aspect exceeded our expectations. Our primary guide, Frances was tireless. She knew not only all the great trails in the area, but the hidden gem dining places as well! She, and all the others from Active England who were involved, were just so kind, friendly and helpful. We highly recommend Active England and this opportunity to see what I believe is some of the most beautiful country in the world.