KidsToLondon

Considering 6 day self-guided walking tour of south Cotswold Way using one of these companies:

HF Tours
CotswoldsWalks
Contours

Does anyone have an opinion specifically about any of these companies?

Thanks

Gordon_R

A self-guided walking tour using one of these companies.... that's a new one on me. Maybe I'm being a bit thick or something, but what do these people actually do in return for your hard-earned cash. When I go on a "self-guided" long distance walk, I take my rucksack, boots and an OS map. I spend maybe an hour or so in advance booking some B&B's along the way and check out the local bus or train times to get me back to the starting point. Doesn't cost a bean to do this.

flanneruk

No, but it DOES cost a bean to get your luggage carried from hotel to hotel. Allow £15 per transfer for what it'd cost to get a taxi to do it, £10 to get a decent pre-laminated copy of OL45 (the only map you need for this walk) and whatever the going rate is for the hotels.

Then decide whether there's any point in getting someone to tell you how to walk along a waymarked footpath.

I can't imagine there's a cigarette paper's worth of difference between the operators. They all offer different routes, all the routes can be worked out from the Get A Map feature of the OS website, and you can easily judge which route appeals to you most.

Unless English isn't your first language, the overwhelming likelihood is that these businesses are a waste of your money. But it's completely absurd to choose a route on the basis of which company is giving you the map for it.

Gordon_R

I can just about understand an organised, escorted walk for a small group where they transfer your luggage ahead and provide some like-minded company for those who want it, but its the self-guided option that just defeats common sense to me.

According to the HF website, the price for the 6 night Cotswolds walk is £459 per person for 2 sharing on a B&B basis. And they give you an "information pack". And... er... that's it! They don't even appear to transfer your stuff onwards for you. With an average B&B costing about £75 per room per night, HF pocket over £460 in profit for each booking. Do people really pay for this? I can see a whole new business opportunity for me in my early retirement, or am I just mising something.

janisj

please read the above posts -- a commercial "self guided walking tour" is a really silly idea IMO. The Cotswold Way is there whether you pay someone or not. You'd be paying folks to tell you where it is (in their info pack) and then all along your route you'll meet folks walking <u>for free</u>.

You can either 1) book a centrally located B&B and do walks all around the region -- or -- 2) you can walk and stay in different B&Bs along your route.

If you take lots of luggage and stuff - option 1 is easier. If you are backpacking - then option 2 works fine. You'd save LOTS of money whichever you choose.

KidsToLondon

Wait folks. In this context a "self guided walking tour" means that the company arranges lodgings, provides luggage transfers, map/guides, etc. The cost INCLUDES B&Bs along the route. Self-guided just means there isn't a guide directing a group of walkers.

And I suspect the real difference between them might be the quality of the accommodations en route. So, if anyone has used these companies, I'd welcome their input...

adrienne

Here's a trip report you might like to read about a self-guided Cotswold walk.

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-part-1.cfm?71

janisj

KTL -- I assumed it included accommodations. But it still doesn't make sense to me.

Nothing they do is anything you'd need to pay someone to do (other than transfer bags). They are making a profit from something. Booking B&Bs? - you can do that yourself. Maps/Guides? - OS maps are inexpensive. Select your B&Bs? - I'd rather pick my own places to stay.

Then on top of that they charge per person - it doesn't cost twice as much to transfer luggage, or book places. But then you would get two copies of the maps/guides. daft . . . but that is just IMO . . .

Gordon_R

Yes KTL, I also picked up that the accommodation is included. But - see my 2nd post - since HF charge per person, the total cost would be £918 for 6 nights B&B. Subtracting the cost of the info pack (£10), means you are paying someone £908 for 65 nights accommodation in a B&B = £151 a night. I'd expect to stay in a well-appointed 4-star hotel outside of London for this sort of money, certainly not a B&B used by walkers. Forgive me if this sounds blunt, but are you so wealthy it doesn't trouble you at all that you someone stands to make several hundreds of pounds profit from you without doing more than 10-15 minutes administrative work you could easily do yourself?

I also can't see any mention at all of luggage transfers under "what's included" for the self-guided tours. If it is, then HF's profit margin would only be reduced by about £75. If it's not, and you don't want to carry, as Flanner pointed out you'd need to budget a further £15 a day for this.

Gordon_R

I meant 6 nights, not 65 sorry.