Elegance of Great Britain Reviews

This trip was my third with Insight and I am already looking at another holiday with them for next year. I was quite surprised to find out all was included and there was no more added expense for extras. The hotels were luxurious and all the meals were very enjoyable. I have no one highlight, they were all highlights. The tour director Patricia was ...read more so knowledgeable and I was quite surprised about some of the information she was telling us. The coach was very roomy but unfortunately the foot rest were best suited for tall people, but that is the only concern. The pace was very easy to deal with and we had a fair bit of free time to wonder around. I would recommend them.

The tour and places that we visited were fantastic. Our Tour Director, Michelle Worthington, was very informative and well organised. The accommodation and meals were always on time and of a good standard. One disappointment was that I specifically selected this tour as it was the only one that I was able to find that went to Winchester which is where ...read more I was born in 1947. The family came to Australia in 1948 and I hadn't been back. The tour was originally staying overnight in Winchester and it provided some free time to explore. Unfortunately the hotel booking in Winchester was cancelled and we stayed in Southampton with only a short visit to Winchester. The Edinburgh Military Tattoo was breath-taking as were some of the Castles. It was so hard to believe that they were so old and how they could have been built during that era. A couple of the optional items, which were not expensive, could be included such as the tour on the Royal Yacht Britannia and the Lake Windermere Cruise and Steam Train Ride. We were in the coach for a majority of Day 11 which was very tiring and a bit boring. Our tour group was made up of people from several counties and all mixed very well. The coach was very comfortable with plenty of room. The idea of shifting people around to different seats each day worked well.

I enjoyed the tour, although the Hydro hotel near Lake Windermere was disappointing. I have heard this hotel will no longer be used for this tour, as it is not up to standard. I did not receive a welcome pack when I arrived at the London Insight hotel, and I had to followup twice with the Insight rep at the hotel. I ended up getting a one page letter ...read more under the door - it was never explained why I did not receive a welcome pack. The staff at the Thistle Marble Arch were generally unfriendly, especially the head concierge Paul, who was not especially interested in helping me when I had an query. On arrival at the hotel, I was given a room with flooded carpet, a bucket, and dripping water over the doorway. I complained and received a free upgrade to a higher room grade, but I should never have been given the flooded room in the first place. Overall, I enjoyed the itinerary, which is the main reason I booked the tour. The hotels were slightly disappointing for an Insight tour, and the included and optional dinners were hit and miss.

I loved this tour, Peter the tour leader was great as were the drivers. Not having too many people helped and everyone got on with everyone else. Only disappointment was the lack of time in Bronte country. I was wild with delight when the itinerary went to Haworth, but we were there only an hour and a half! We went through the museum but felt hurried, ...read more although it was no one's fault, just how the day panned out. I and others would have liked to wander through the village, go to the pub, whatever. We loved seeing the English countryside from the coach, something you would not see as well from a car. I was a single and was very fortunate to pal up with the other single lady, we got on like a house on fire. All in all, a wonderful trip, and I could do it all again.