Consumer Feedback
General Tours Feedback
Here are just a few of the emails we received from 2006, 2007 and 2008 tours. We hope you'll be joining us in 2009 (tours re-start mid March when the weather improves and day light hours lengthen). We can't be beaten for enthusiasm, knowledge and commitment to making these tours work for YOU.
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I was a part of the late September 2009 Wales, Ireland, Scotland, England "WISE" tour. To say it exceeded my expectations would be an understatement. I was totally in awe of the breadth of knowledge of our tour guide regarding both the history and the present interests of the countries we visited: any question we asked him was answered in depth with a sense of humour and a story-telling flair. We were very busy on the tour: travelled almost 2,400 miles in 12 days, but somehow I never felt rushed. We always had ample time for breakfast in the morning, stops along the way, leisurely lunches, lots of sightseeing, and still managed to be at the inn in plenty of time for a drink before dinner. The food was excellent: the menu was varied, the dishes always well prepared. The accomodations were comfortable and the innkeepers extremely friendly and helpful.
This was my second Backroads Tour: I did the "Canadian Battlefields: Forging of a Nation" in 2006. It was because I had an excellent time on that tour that prompted me to do the "WISE" tour. Now I have my sights set on the Tour of Ireland.
I would certainly recommend the Backroads Touring Company to anyone who enjoys wonderful sights, lots of history, comfortable travelling accomodations and pleasant companionship.
~ Eileen Outhouse
We had a great trip to England Wales and Scotland. There's nothing like a Back-Roads tour to see the country side away from the major motor ways. The fact that we had such a small group-6 of us-made the trip even more enjoyable. Polly, our guide, was very knowledgeable and cooperative in varying our itinerary from time to time. Our accommodation and meals were first-rate. We look forward to enjoying future trips with Back Roads.
~ Bill and Mary Hopcraft
I just received some photos from a fellow backroader and they reminded me that I hadn't written to tell you that we had a marvellous time on our tour of Ireland. Our accommodations were very good and all of our hosts did their best to make us comfortable. But the best part was surely our guides. Dennis took such good care of us with such a spirit of fun and Jay knew all the most beautiful routes, especially the one to the lakes of Killarney, and was so good about seeing that we got to our train in Cork. And Michael was special. His discourse on the history and culture of Ireland really helped us get the whole picture. He even recommended books and movies that I have been enjoying. And all this while taking us down tiny little lanes to see the likes of "St. Brendan' tree" or to an out of the way pub with a connection to Dylan Thomas. I know we could never have done this on our own and certainly not on a large group tour and we are confirmed backroaders from here on.
~ Pat Iguchi
We enjoy it so much. We've taken the following tours with you - Land of the Celts and Viking England with Polly Chapman with whom we still stay in touch and Emerald Isle with Jay Cook. We'll be back, I'm sure!
~ Marg Dolen
I hope to be able to take another tour with you. Your tour was the best I have ever taken. August "Gus" Greyhosky - Your on line newsletter jogged my memory that we did not send you our reactions to the charter trip we took with you in La Belle France. There were six of us and we did have a wonderful time. Our guide, Vivien Roddy, was well prepared and did a great job of adapting to our desires and foibles. Our roadside picnics, including the cheapest drinkable French wine, good bread, cheeses, and cold meats were infamous. The contest among each of us to find the good cheap wines led us to discover 98 euro a bottle wine that went down very nicely. We saved enough of the goodies every day so that we could have a social hour before dinner in the most convenient room we had. Vivien did share in our evening soirees and can attest to our success in finding the bargains. The accommodations were fine. We realize the costs of everything have risen but we will be content if you continue the quality you have established even if it means a bit more costs to us. In light of the restrictions that you have been placed under for guides and hours, we believe our decision to do the charter was brilliant.
~ Ross and Claire Reed
All of the tours met or exceeded our expectations, and the two guides were exceptional - their knowledge, their conscientiousness, their attentiveness, and their pleasant and stimulating company made the whole experience delightful. Because we spent so much time with him, Mike Wilson made an especially significant impression. We feel we both gained and lost a friend, and he will remain a treasured memory for us. We cannot imagine or fully capture for others just what the experience would have been like without him. Back Roads is well served by its exemplary guides, and we will not hesitate to recommend you folks to others. Indeed, we hope to make use of your highly professional and thoroughly accommodating services in the future. We thank you in particular for guiding us through the planning and preparation. You never let us down, and you were exceptionally true to your word.
~ Bill & Mary Phillips
I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed the tour 'Beautiful Homes and Gardens' and in particular our guide 'June Bouteloupt' who doubly made the tour most enjoyable as she was very informative, easy and relaxed to be around, and very accommodating to us while on tour. As I was on my own in London for the first time after the tour, she offered to meet me for dinner on her own time, just so I would feel comfortable. I enjoyed all of the tours I went on (Kent tour) and Cotswolds tour and also was extremely happy with all of the accommodation and meals at the Bonnington / Corus / Holt / Sevenoaks. I am looking forward to my next visit to England and with Back-Roads Touring. Thanks again!
~ Deborah Freeman (Toronto, Canada)
We're back home from our trip (we went to Edinburgh for a few days after the tour), and I just wanted to let you know how much all of us enjoyed the tour. Mike Wilson could not have been a better, more gracious, or more informed guide, and he helped make it a very special trip. Both boys proclaimed it "the best trip ever", and when we were heading to the station to get the train to Edinburgh, my son asked me, "can we live here?" High praise indeed! I also want to commend Back Roads for not cancelling, even though we were the only ones left on the tour. It is always a pleasure to encounter integrity like that, and I can see why you have enjoyed longevity in your business. When we got back home and started kicking around where to go next year, the first thing we did was to go to your web site! Rest assured we'll be back, and won't hesitate to recommend Back-Roads to others. Thanks, again, for a wonderful vacation.
~ Best regards, Bruce
I'm writing to thank you for the wonderful time I had touring with your company. The impressions I got well exceeded my expectations. My special thanks go to Simon, our guide, who was very professional and most attentive. Looking forward to travelling with you next time.
~ Best wishes, Tatiana Zelenskaya (Moscow)
Anne and I just returned from our Ireland tour. Back-Roads Tours was everything that was promised. The guide, Jay Cook, was exceptional and the group - max of 10 at any time - was delightful. We would not hesitate to recommend it to our friends.
~ Bill Greenaway and Anne Bawden - 100,000 Welcomes
"This was my fourth time with you. It was every bit as good as my last three adventures. Thanks for everything and especially for your really excellent individual service."
~ Christine Scales, Ashburton, New Zealand, letter July 2000
"We are home from our Bordeaux Tour and just want you to know it was one of the greatest. David was an excellent guide and just all round good fun. And oh yes, France was great also!' May 2001.
Mary Ann & Henry Zopatti, California, 2001 email
'Perfect in every way. This holiday was certainly the best I have taken in 20 years or more of travelling. What made it so was not only the varied and interesting itinerary, and the choice of accommodations, but the absolute enthusiasm of our driver-guide. You can really see that everyone in this company just loves what they do. And it makes such a difference!'
~ Mona Slitz, card, 2004
'The Harry Potter tour was just fantastic. My son loved every minute of it. And so did I! You'd really thought it through. It was both kid and adult friendly.'
~ Karen, July 2002 email
"My daughter and I returned from a two-week trip to England. I just had to write to let you know (and all the people associated with your office) that we had the most wonderful experiences of our lives thanks to the two trips we took with Back-Roads."
~ Arlys J Krech, e-mail
Recently my husband & I did five tours with your company - I'm sure you will remember us! My reason for writing is about a follow up from my travel agent who helped put our 10-week trip together, after I had found Back Roads Touring by surfing the internet for small group travel. She hadn't heard about your company but eventually & a little dubiously agreed to make the bookings. A few days ago she emailed me to see how our trip went, so I emailed back with a very detailed account of our very successful and enjoyable tours with Back Roads. I outlined all the tours, itineraries, driver/guides, group numbers, accommodation, transfers, advantages, etc etc. She was so pleased with my feedback that she asked if she could forward my email to other potential travellers. I am very pleased with this response because I would very much like to see more travellers enjoying the benefits you offer, so hopefully you will get more New Zealanders on your tours! I am a very seasoned traveller having been on many trips, (can't recall how many but it is one or more each year for over 20 years,) from large upmarket tours down to small trips such as Outer Mongolia camping with no facilities at all for 3 weeks, so feel I am in a good position to rate your tours! I can't speak highly enough of your tours, guides etc, and for us we thoroughly enjoyed our time in UK. The flexibility of the itineraries was a good feature and we found the guides to be very accommodating in all aspects and good drivers as well. They seemed to go out of their way to make the travellers satisfied & are so very knowledgeable and caring. I know you have suffered many setbacks with world affairs so I do hope my small contribution may be of some help. Finally I would like to thank everyone involved with our travels to your lovely country.
~ Alison Charmley, New Zealand 2006
A very belated huge THANK YOU for all the arrangements for our little Seahorse Travel group tour of southern Wales. We had the BEST time, thanks to Polly & your excellent arrangements. Polly Chapman was a fantastic driver/guide. You are very fortunate to have her. Her patience, knowledge, fortitude, humor and driving skills were second to none. We loved everything we saw and did. We saw SO much in just a few days. It is just what we wanted - to see and do as much as we could in our short time in Wales. We are already thinking of doing a northern Wales tour in 2 or 3 years, and I will certainly be contacting you again to make the arrangements.
~ Jennifer Pickering owner/manager Seahorse Travel Bedford, New Hampshire USA July 2006
Although we've been home for a couple of weeks, I want to take a moment to tell you how much my daughter, Marie, and I enjoyed our 11 day Ireland Trip. It was terrific. My daughter especially loved how beautiful and green Ireland is. Her favorite day was our visit to the Aran Islands (Inishmore). We had spectacular weather. The food was great and the accommodations. We both especially like the Farmhouse in Northern Ireland and The Garnish House B and B in Cork. What a breakfast! Our guide, Jay Cook, made the trip memorable. He is a compendium of information and Irish humour. Our group got along perfectly. The small size truly proved to be fantastic. We definitely got a panoramic view of Ireland.
~ Thanks again for offering a trip that turned out as described. John Hawck, A Satisfied Customer, email August 2006
My sister and I recently went on the Heart of Ireland tour, escorted by Jay Cook. We had a great time; Jay was very knowledgeable about the history of Ireland and took us to many places off the beaten track. My personal favourite was Connemara National Park and the Dan O'Hara famine cottage. As there were only the two of us, we were also able to pursue some personal interests, such as the Connemara Pony show in Roundstone and looking for a deserted famine village in Westmeath. The accommodation was great (Imperial Hotel in Galway) and we especially appreciated being picked up and dropped off at our hotels at the beginning and end of the tour. This was my sister's first trip out of North America and it was as special for her as I had hoped it would be. Thanks a million for running the tour in spite of the low participation. I will definitely recommend your company to friends and look forward to doing another tour with you in the future.
~ Lois Rightmyer, email June 2006
"I just want to pass on to everyone at Back-Roads what a fabulous trip I had and that certainly includes my Backroads tour of Scotland, which was fantastic. I didn't know much about your company and must admit I lobbed up to Glasgow airport at the start of the tour with some trepidation, but it all turned out fabulously. Please, pass on my thanks to Stuart, our driver and tour guide, who managed to put up with all of us."
~ Sue Cracknell, email November 2005
'I am writing for a delightful cause. People tend to take the time to write when they are displeased or unhappy with a service or product. I like to take the time to write when I've received a good value for my money or had a pleasant experience. My only regret is that it's taken me longer than I intended to write this message. My husband and our friends, the Fegeleins, had the pleasure of taking the Historic Pub Tour on February 22nd of this year with Michael Gerrard as our guide. The tour was the best we received while we were in England! Michael was a courteous and perfectly wonderful guide. He introduced us to many pubs that seemed off-the-beaten-path and gave us facts and historical trivia we may have never otherwise discovered. Our entire group was thoroughly enchanted with the evening and Michael's introduction to London's pubs. We all felt Michael gave us a very knowledgeable and enjoyable narration of the subjects at hand. You are very fortunate, indeed, to have such a bright and delightful young man in your employ. This tour was the highlight of our trip and we'd definitely consider your company for tours in the future if this is any indication of the quality one can expect to receive.'
~ Mrs. Mitzi Brown, email March 2005
'A note to let you know that my granddaughter and I thoroughly enjoyed the tour on Wednesday March 23, 2005 provided by Damon. He was very knowledgeable and did an outstanding job of blending the Harry Potter tour with more general information and sights. My grand daughter remarked that our day with Back-Roads Touring was the "best time of the trip." Thank you for a great day.'
~ Susan Frant, email 2005
'This was my 5th tour. Every one has been as good as the last. My only worry is that I'll soon be running out of itineraries to do with you!' Jerry, 2004 email 'I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed my recent Back-Roads vacation in Ireland. The 14 day trip was truly the journey of a lifetime. Jay, our guide, was a fun, wonderful guy, who went way beyond the call of duty to make sure we all had a perfect time. Thank you for investing in such a rewarding enterprise and hiring the best.'
~ Malinda Vestch, e-mail, June 2001
'I nearly cancelled following the horror of September 11th. I didn't and how glad I am that I didn't let the terrorists beat me! It was a wonderful trip and thanks to all in your fantastic company for continuing to offer these tours despite the low numbers. I will never forget my holiday in Britain or the unbelievable friendliness and support of the British people in these troubled times.'
~ Jane Steer, email October 2001
"As avid travellers, my husband and I have for 20 years subscribed to every one of the expensive 'slick' travel magazines. However, not until we were introduced to the wonderful, practical, informative ITN did we find our all-time perfect trip. We recently returned from the 13 day tour in France with Back-Roads Touring Co... We would be happy to talk with anyone wanting more details of our experience."
~ Jackie Brunke, Seattle, WA, letter
"Our major regret is not knowing of your company sooner. Since 1990 we had been herded around all over England where the 'big coaches' go... (but your small group tour)... proved to be one of the best tours for us. We are praising you folks for such a wonderful travel programme to all our friends."
~ Richard D Carleton, McFarland, WI, letter
"Great tour in every way. We had 36 days on the road with you folks and every one was memorable. You have two great guys in John (Hamilton) and Jay (Cook). We'll be telling everyone in Australia that there's only one way to go - with Back-Roads!"
~ David Cohen, Sydney, Australia, July 2000
"I've just returned from my first Back-Roads tour of England, Wales and Scotland and though I never write letters such as this, I had to let you know how much I thoroughly enjoyed the trip! Arrangements for this trip were well planned on your part from beginning to end... Our accommodations were a delight, from the beautiful settings to the friendly hosts and hostess... Best of all were the places we went and the people we met! Thank you for a very memorable vacation."
~ Sue Porsch, Johnstown, PA, letter
'WOW! My sister & I came home two weeks ago from a Back-Roads tour of England, Wales and Scotland - though it may as well have been to worlds of another dimension. Thanks you so much fro providing us the opportunity to have our eyes and hearts opened and filled with such valuable things'.
~ September 2001 Marsh Caveny, Douglas, AZ, letter
'THANK YOU SO MUCH! The Gargkiards had a wonderful trip and raved about the services of your guide, Mike Wilson... As a booking agent, I love hearing things like this.'
~ May 2001 Judi Rowland, Rd carpet Travel, Sokane, WA email
"I will never take a large group tour again. I recently took your King Arthur tour and it was great. Because we were a small group, we went places and saw things we would have missed with a large group. Our guide, Mike Wilson, was intelligent, informative and really a nice person. I had a wonderful time and hope to tour with your company again next yearâ€.
~ Susie Brown email August 2002