England/Wales
The Best of England and Wales: Shakespeare to Snowdonia, Castles to Colleges
Program No. 21454RJ
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The Best of England and Wales: Shakespeare to Snowdonia, Castles to Colleges
The Best of England and Wales: Shakespeare to Snowdonia, Castles to Colleges
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Participant Reviews
Based on 21 Reviews
SHOWING
This "Best of England and Wales" was as advertised, from the Shakespeare play, to the Welsh harpist who performed, to the sheep farm where we saw actual herding by a sheep dog - AMAZING!! The combination of history and natural beauty was enthralling! Can't wait to revisit some of these places again.
— Review left October 24, 2025
The program allowed us to experience the best of England and Wales, and to think about some of the different ways "the best of" was realized. All of the lecturers were superb and the group leader, Joanna, not only performed admirably but provided added value to the program. The farm visit was especially inspiring to me.
— Review left October 22, 2025
This program takes you to some of the most beautiful sights in England and Wales. It expanded my knowledge of the sights visited, especially in Windsor and Oxford! Highly recommend!
— Review left October 21, 2025
One of the best tours I’ve been on! I learned so much about three geographic areas of Britain; history, culture, geology and more.
— Review left August 19, 2025
Our tour of England covered parts of England and Wales that were unique in their landscape and history. Some of the special offerings such as the tour and rooftop dinner at the Royal Shakespeare Company, a concert in Wales, and seeing herding dogs ar work in the Lake District will not be forgotten.
— Review left June 25, 2025
This is a great program. You will get to see some of the best that England and Wales has to offer. My wife and I really enjoyed this program.
— Review left June 24, 2025
Conway Davies, our expert guide to Wales, made all things Welsh intriguing. I especially enjoyed his soulful rendition of “Fern Hill.”
Not on the itinerary but added due to our interest was our visit to Dove Cottage in Grasmere. As an English major, I especially appreciated this immersion in Wordsworth & Coleridge. I also enjoyed the tour of Brantwood, John Ruskin’s home and gardens in Coniston, Cumbria.
I found the Herdwick sheep grazing in the Lake District curious & amusing especially after reading, “The Shepherds’ Life” by James Rebanks.
However, our trip was diminished by unseasonably (even for England!) cold and rainy weather, several cancellations (a boat ride, group lunch, visit to Anne Hathaway’s Cottage and Eton). A ballet got substituted for a Shakespeare play. One of our group got COVID. Rather than isolate, he stayed on the bus infecting half of us. The hotel in Keswick was under construction, under staffed and under skilled in food preparation. My flight home got canceled, but Morgan at Road Scholar Travel spent 40 minutes rebooking me the following day. One of my fellow travelers helped me navigate booking an airport hotel & shuttle.
I met some fascinating folks, got reacquainted with a bit of English literature, history & geography. All things considered and compared to previous Road Scholar experiences, I would rate this one as slightly above average.
— Review left October 14, 2024
great program and well done
— Review left August 20, 2024
This program offers an ideal introduction to some interesting and beautiful parts of England and Wales. Locations are well chosen to allow plenty of exploration of nearby areas while minimizing number of moves. Each move involved an extended stop along the way - Oxford, Liverpool, and Chester - which added a great deal to the overall experience while not requiring extensive additional travel.
— Review left July 8, 2024
The program was more than I expected. It opened my eyes to much more of the history of the UK than I was taught in school. It was a dream come true for a holiday. This was our first Road Scholar trip for my partner and me. In the future Road Scholar will always our our first selection for a holiday.
— Review left June 27, 2024
This was a terrific program that encompassed equal parts geography, geology and the social history of England and Wales. We saw stunning landscapes and stunning structures. The course experts Val Abraham and Kevin Flude were extremely knowledgeable and approachable. And you can't do better than having Chris Ball as Group Leader. His professionalism, expertise and people skills added to the enjoyment of a truly wonderful tour.
— Review left June 27, 2024
This was a great trip. Smallish group (20) with much diversity of place. Tour leader was excellent, as well as tour guides, who were so very knowledgeable. Learned a lot and had lots of fun.
— Review left June 6, 2024
This trip gave me an opportunity to visit areas outside of London and other cities. It was great to see more of the country and learn about local history.
— Review left May 30, 2024
You will fall in love with England and Wales and won’t want to leave!
— Review left October 26, 2023
My eyes, mind, and heart were all opened by our guides in Windsor, Wales, and the Lake District. We plan to go back, and to book more Road Scholar tours.
— Review left October 24, 2023
If you've ever wondered what would happen if you missed a connection and couldn't make the beginning of the trip let me assure you Road Scholar has your back. I made them aware I wasn't going to make planned time not once but twice. They kept up with me through all the chaos (including a missing suitcase) and tour director Neil got me back on track like nothing untoward had ever happened. Very reassuring when you're traveling alone.
The tour was wonderful. Accommodations, food and transport were all very good and the local instructors on each leg of the journey were very personable and informative.
A highlight in Wales was Harriet Earis. Her harp performance after dinner one evening was delightful: a memory of this trip I won't soon forget.
— Review left August 30, 2023
Just returned from a lively journey of "The Best of England and Wales." - a joyous expedition through wonderful historic and natural sites. Learned so much - not through boring lessons & lectures but with experiential adventures. Best of all it was fun to meet new places and people!!
— Review left August 29, 2023
Excellent program; Carole was an exceptional leader…
— Review left July 2, 2023
The history of Great Britain is fascinating. I would like to have had more feedback on the more current events like Brexit, the countries that are seeking independence, dealing with inflation, etc. Some topics were off limits with the guides. The hotel food is dismal and most of the meals that Road Scholar paid for were in hotels. I did not expect Great Britain to be a gourmet capital but I think they could have done better. Absolutely lovely countryside. Carole Flynn, our group leader, was fantastic. Wales was the highlight. Get prepared to see a lot of sheep!
— Review left June 29, 2023
This was my first-time participating in a Road Scholar program and it was a phenomenal experience. It was evident always that the planning and organizing for this trip was done with much expertise--a class act from beginning to end!
— Review left October 11, 2022
This tour was a great way to learn about England and Wales history and culture, see beautiful historic buildings as well as a lot of natural beauty. We covered a lot of ground! The guides were super knowledgeable and entertaining. And our tour director was like superwoman, handling whatever complications arose with aplomb.
— Review left May 26, 2022