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Back-Roads Touring is a small-group touring concept offering leisurely regional tours throughout the UK and Europe. Tours explore local areas that might otherwise be missed such as Cornwall, La Provence, Loire Valley, the Scottish Highlands and Northern Italy. Tours range from one to 14 days in length. This company has more than 25 years experience touring the UK and Europe, with guides that are both knowledgeable and approachable.

Why travel with Back-Roads

  1. Tailor-made small group tours
  2. Personal and intimate experiences at destinations
  3. Leisurely pace with 8:30am-9am departure times
  4. Dine and mingle with local residents
  5. Stay in castles, old estates and traditional hotels 

Popular Back-Roads tours

  • Highlights of Britain (9 days)
  • Heart of England (5 days)
  • La Belle France (9 days)
  • A Scottish Journey (8 days)
  • Spanish Inspiration (10 days)

A personal and memorable experience

Back-Roads tours have a maximum of 18 people on board, ensuring an intimate and relaxing experience with great attention to detail and a personal touch. Take a step back in history and tour WWI battlefields in France and the Anzacs on the Western Front. Explore the royal gardens of Hampton Court, once home to King Henry VIII or tour the Chelsea Flower Show and see some of England’s most iconic gardens.

Get lost in a maze of narrow lanes in the Cotswolds, discover medieval villages overflowing with history and character, or sip on Europe's finest wine at a boutique French winery. With a Back-Roads tour, you're guaranteed to have an experience unlike anything you've done before.

Taste and feel the local charm

All tours place a strong emphasis on food. Back-Roads believe that experiencing local cuisine and wine is one of the most important parts of travelling, which is why their tours always include several group dinners at local restaurants. Tours also include daily breakfast at your hotel, be it a continental breakfast in Europe or an English or Irish breakfast in the UK.

With a Back-Roads tour, you won't be staying in dreary roadside motels or generic brand-name accommodation. The type of lodging at each stop reflects the company's mantra of providing specialty experiences, possessing a homely and wholesome charm whether it be a hotel in the private grounds of Canterbury Cathedral or a 17th-Century Spanish hotel. 

Did you know...

  • 20% of Back-Roads travellers are single travellers
  • Once Back-Roads has four confirmed passengers, the tour is guaranteed to run
  • Return passengers receive a 2.5% discount on all future tours

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I chose this trip because I wanted challenging biking in addition to beautiful scenery. I got it! It was the hardest and farthest biking I have ever done. I feel that I really accomplished something. The first part of the trip - through the Chianti region - was spectacular. I honestly feel sorry for anyone that doesn't get to experience the region on a bike. Every view was a postcard.

Peter Heller - California, USA
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Anantara Resort & Spa Golden Triangle is one of the most beautiful resorts I've ever seen, the attention to detail in the design and landscaping is incredible, and of course the elephants and their wonderful families are so special. Waking up to the early mist and hearing elephants in the fields and the birds was just magical. I'm really not a group person but this was so laid back, no pressure to participate in everything. The balance of downtime and activities was just right. I'm only sorry that jet lag prevented me from hearing the choir at the Mekong river resort and visiting the Buddhist temple the second day!

Harriet Dann - Massachusetts, USA
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This was our third Backroads trip with the first two being over 20 years ago. We experienced the same enthusiasm from Backroads and the leaders today as back then. Backroads does it right! Every aspect seems well thought out—the hotels, meals, bicycle routes, events put on by the locals specifically for us (wine tasting, lunches, dinners, the 'lavender lady', the 'olive oil lady'), snacks, wines...the list goes on and on! This trip will go down in our memory books as first rate in all aspects!!

Linda Biaggi - Nevada, USA
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It was the trip of a lifetime and was the perfect recipe of all that we find essential to the ideal trip: beautiful scenery, interesting culture with opportunity to use a foreign language, historical sites, gourmet food, and active outdoors time—yet without any of the associated stressors that usually come with planning such adventures. It didn't hurt that the weather was beyond unbelievable as well! Thanks for such an unreal experience that provided memories for a lifetime!

Craig Alpert - Pennsylvania, USA
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This trip was fantastic in every area! We couldn't have asked for better! I thoroughly enjoyed the hiking on this trip as well as the cultural, historical, and educational opportunities. Every day was filled with surprises...our leaders were terrific! They pulled it all together so well. I would enjoy being on another trip with them both! This was a trip of a lifetime!

Ginny Green - Ohia, USA
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