Cotswolds cycling weekend
| country: | England |
| trip type: | Introductory cycling holidays |
| departures: | 2010: 14 May, 28 May, 18 Jun, 25 Jun 2011: 13 May, 27 May, 17 Jun, 24 Jun |
| price: | From £255 (3 days) excluding flights |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Great cycling on quiet roads and undulating terrain and an excellent hotel to relax in at the end of the day. Bring your own bike or hire one on site for £30.
Through the Slaughters to Stow & Beyond:
With their gentle hills and sleepy honey-coloured villages - the Cotswolds are truly rural England at its best. Our cycling weekend is based in the charming town of Bourton on the Water, often described as the Venice of the Cotswolds. The River Windrush runs right through the centre and it certainly is the starting point for a lot of great cycle rides. Taking the backroads of this idyllic area with its dry stone walls and rose covered cottages, we wind our way through the fascinatingly named 'Slaughters' to the charming market towns of Stow on the Wold and Moreton in Marsh, classic picture postcard Cotswold towns. At the end of the day we return to our comfortable accommodation; a 19th century hotel that is built out of the characteristic Cotswold limestone.
Sherbourne & Burford:
Heading out again, it's not hard to see how the Cotswolds have been designated and area of outstanding natural beauty. We reach Sherbourne where it is possible to visit the curious Lodge Park; an ornate 17th century grandstand constructed for watching deer coursing. We continue our ride and cross over the medieval bridge to reach Burford; probably one of the prettiest villages in the Cotswolds. Full of lovely old stone houses, the town presents some of its best 17th and 18th century frontages to the High Street, although earlier buildings often lie hidden behind, glimpsed through narrow alleyways and courtyards.
Through the Slaughters to Stow & Beyond:
With their gentle hills and sleepy honey-coloured villages - the Cotswolds are truly rural England at its best. Our cycling weekend is based in the charming town of Bourton on the Water, often described as the Venice of the Cotswolds. The River Windrush runs right through the centre and it certainly is the starting point for a lot of great cycle rides. Taking the backroads of this idyllic area with its dry stone walls and rose covered cottages, we wind our way through the fascinatingly named 'Slaughters' to the charming market towns of Stow on the Wold and Moreton in Marsh, classic picture postcard Cotswold towns. At the end of the day we return to our comfortable accommodation; a 19th century hotel that is built out of the characteristic Cotswold limestone.
Sherbourne & Burford:
Heading out again, it's not hard to see how the Cotswolds have been designated and area of outstanding natural beauty. We reach Sherbourne where it is possible to visit the curious Lodge Park; an ornate 17th century grandstand constructed for watching deer coursing. We continue our ride and cross over the medieval bridge to reach Burford; probably one of the prettiest villages in the Cotswolds. Full of lovely old stone houses, the town presents some of its best 17th and 18th century frontages to the High Street, although earlier buildings often lie hidden behind, glimpsed through narrow alleyways and courtyards.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Join tour Bourton on the Water. |
| Day 2: | Full day cycle to Stow on the Wold and Moreton in Marsh. |
| Day 3: | Cycle to Sherbourne and Burford. End Bourton on the Water. |
small group adventure holiday
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places. highly commended
This tourism business was Highly Commended in our 2008 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards - organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Daily Telegraph, World Travel Market, Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society, and BBC World News. Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.
how this holiday makes a difference
|
Environment:
You don’t have to travel overseas to have an adventure and if you are looking to reduce your carbon footprint by minimise the amount of travelling you do, then look no further! Our chosen hotel for this tour has a wide range of environmental initiatives. As well as activities you may expect, such as recycling, offering the option to reuse towels and the use of energy efficient lighting, the hotel has a policy of sourcing local produce, provides environmental information throughout the hotel and is actively sourcing technology which will enable it to reduce its impact further, such as solar power, toilet flush systems and digital thermostats. Remember that public transport in the UK really is fantastic, cheap and low environmental impact so do check bus or train times to get you to the joining point for the tours rather than flying. Community: Exploring the British countryside by bicycle is low impact on the environment and with our expert local guides you’ll learn more about the region that you could ever do travelling independently. Delivering benefits to small businesses and the local community matters, whatever country you are travelling in. On this tour we use a small local specialist company and stay in a local independent hotel, generating income in a rural area. As well as the above, we support a variety of charities and projects worldwide which support vulnerable communities and habitats including Friends of Conservation, Hope Worldwide and Send A Cow. We are also actively engaged with UK travel industry bodies which promote best practice in responsible tourism, such as Tourism Concern, The Travel Foundation and AITO. Our commitment to responsible tourism is not limited to our overseas operation and we have measures to ensure our UK office operates according to our responsible tourism policy. Carbon offsets for all flights booked with us are included in the tour cost. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |