Above: Westgate Gardens, Canterbury, photo taken while on an afternoon walk.
Exploring England from Canterbury to Bath
Tintagel Castle: This was a magical place to admire the view.
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Who am I? Why did I choose this trip?
Hi! I am Heather from Colorado. This was my first Rick Steves tour and I certainly will be back for another. I hope this scrapbook encourages you to take the plunge and explore England and the rest of Europe. I was a solo traveler on this tour. I have been asked several times, "Aren't you nervous to go by yourself on trips?" The honest answer is "Sometimes." But, I want to show you that traveling solo on a tour can be an extraordinary experience and to not be afraid.
Why did I choose a Rick Steves tour? For one, I have friends who have been on several Rick Steves tours and they always raved about them. They have even kept in contact with people from previous tours. I liked the idea of the tour group being 28 people or less. My tour group ended up having 22 people. I also appreciated not having to tip the tour guide, driver, or local guides. It is all included in the price. Did I mention the guides? I kept hearing about the quality of Rick Steves' tour guides. Guides can provide you with in-depth knowledge and fun facts about an area which enliven your trip. The guides on my tour had a passion for England and made sure our trip went seamlessly. Also, everything is planned for you! It would have been overwhelming and logistically difficult for me to plan this same trip on my own. Wherever we went on this tour we did not have to wait in line. I now understand why people in my tour group had been on multiple Rick Steves tours. I started searching for trips around March 2018 for travel in June or July. By that time, many of Rick Steves' tours were already booked up with wait lists. But, the Rick Steves Tour of Villages of South England in 13 Days was open. Plus, it was on sale! I loved that the tour offered a variety of indoor and outdoor sights and didn't heavily focus on museums. During this trip I could explore castles, cathedrals, ancient stones, parks, beaches, trails, ships, wartime tunnels, a stately home and garden, and a tin mine. I would also get to make a pasty. I knew this would be the tour for me. |
THE ITINERARY
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VILLAGES OF SOUTH ENGLAND IN 13 DAYS 2018
Days 1- 3: Canterbury
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Click on map above to go to the Rick Steves Tour of Villages of South England page.
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A Sketchable Moment
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I bring a travel sketch kit with me whenever I leave town because being creative helps me relax and be happy. In this section, I'll share with you a sampling of my sketches from the trip. My travel sketch kit includes a 3.5"X5.5" watercolor sketchbook, a travel watercolor set, 2 small binder clips, mechanical pencil, eraser, water brush, travel watercolor brush, a few ink pens, and a paper towel. As you can see it all fits easily into a quart size freezer bag which I can then carry in my purse. What small thing can you bring to help you be happy while on the road?
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TIPS FOR THE ROAD
Solo Travel Tips |
Slowing Down |
Stepping Up |
Are you unsure about traveling solo on a Rick Steves tour? Look here for tips about what I have learned when traveling by myself that can help make your experience more enjoyable. |
Do you cram too much into a trip? I've had a tendency in the past to try to see all the major sites in a location. Look here for what I tried during this trip to slow down-- and if it worked out. |
Just how active is this tour? I counted my steps and stairs each day to give you an idea. Your mileage may vary. |
To navigate my site use the links at the top of the page or the button at the bottom to continue to the next segment of the journey. On tablets and mobile devices look for the three straight lines at the top of the page or the button at the bottom to navigate between pages. To look at the images on the photo slideshows you have three options to view: You can click on the right hand corner arrow of the main image to navigate at your own pace, click "play" in the upper left corner of the main image, or you can tap on an individual thumbnail image underneath the main image.
