Sorry I took so long to rate the tour. Overall I did enjoy the journey but that was due to my travel buddy Mary Anderson who kept things lite and jovial. Also out tour guide Jeremy was fabulous as he tried to navigate the many twists and turns of our tour.
Adding this tour in order to accommodate extra guests was not planned well. It was rather sloppy at the best of times. Also we missed out on some opportunities because of the reversal of the tour dates- no Windsor castle tour- it was closed on the day we visited. Also it was only due to our insistence as a group that the tour was slightly changed so we could see some gardens that were originally supposed to be on our tour but were changed. Again because of the reverse order. I think the hotels that were added at the last minute were not to standard. ( Ant infested bathroom!). We reported it but since we only stayed one night there was not much they could do)
We loved the small group- only 13 and were lucky to be amongst some very positive travellers otherwise it would have been much worst.
Would we travel with you again? Probably, if we were assured Jeremy would be our guide. He was a complete gentleman and had a great sense of humour. He also did his best to make the best of the situations that arose because of the change of the order of the trip.
Chelsea was spectacular and we hope to go again in a few years.

Had a good time.

The whoke tour was fantastic. Our guide Jeremy was fantastic a d well knowledgeable. Driver Gordon kept us safe and drove professionally

The road tour was great but a bit disappointed in the Chelsea Flower show. We felt it was very commercialised and it was to crowded. You could not get a good view of the displays. We thought it looked much better when seeing it on the tv.

Flower show spectacular.
Hotel in Tower Hill London position in city isolated from shops ie pharmacy & other essential stores.
Back Roads placed me on the West bound tour with out advising me prior to documents arriving at Travel agency. Causing major airline changes to my onward journey. I arrived in Barcelona at 2 am.& hotel 3am. I am a solo traveler
So yes to Chelsea flower show.
BUT I won’t travel or recommend BR again due to lack of communication

A wonderful tour viewing lovely Stately homes and gardens. The small tour bus was ideal, travelling with a friendly group of people and an excellent tour guide Micaela.
Marco drove us safely always!
The Chelsea Flower show is a must. What a spectacle of colour and beauty.
Highly recommend Back Roads Touring.

The Castles and Gardens Tour was excellent. Rachel was a very good tour leader, well organised and coped with any situation that arose. The mix of people on the tour was reasonably fortunate, and by the end everyone was talking to everyone - shyness had worn off and the couple of extroverts had pulled back a little. Most had a real interest in gardens, and the few who didn't became increasingly interested and informed as they appreciated the beauty and variety of the gardens we were shown. We greatly enjoyed learning about the history and architecture of the old buildings, and everyone's historical knowledge was increased regardless of how much English history they knew beforehand. The hotels were good, the countryside beautiful, and the weather mostly favourable.

Way way exceeded our expectations which were high

Venue/event spectacular; a guide to show us around would have made it better

An outstanding Tour Leader and great driver made moving around easy, safe and the history behind what we were seeing enhanced every stop. We all seemed to bond easily and nobody was left out of the mix. I would do another again in a heartbeat.

The pace was excellent and the tour guide so knowledgeable! The exquisite gardens were a site not to be missed! Lots of opportunity to enjoy quiet moments in nature.

Tour was great.
Some of the accommodation could be improved.
The guide was good.
The bus driver drove too fast to appreciate the country side between stops.
Some of the gardens cafes didn't cater for special dietary needs.
In gluten free.

Everything was handled expertly by Rachel and I thoroughly enjoyed my journey. Excellent driver Ash. All early arrangements were made very easy by Carolyn’s care and attention to detail.

Excellent tour, well run, our guide and driver were great. The tour met all expectations.

On the original itinerary, the wording was such that one would have expected to be able to see Windsor Castle on the free day. Registrants were later notified that it was closed Tuesdays. The Tuesday closure is not new. Blue Roads should have known. That was a major change to the itinerary.
Somehow there was no record of our hotel reservation for the Wednesday evening in London. We had to be booked elsewhere.
The tour ended at the Tower. That is a very long way from Heathrow. I booked elsewhere for the night .

Everything went very smoothly and it was a very enjoyable experience.

I generally felt that I got what I paid for.

The small group was great, as was the tour guide. A few glitches with accommodation and variations from tour booking, but our tour guide sorted most out. Too many 1 night stays, which was different from booked tour. Chelsea Flower Show was great, but an earlier start would have given us a better view before the crowds.

Fantastic in every way. Would travel with Backroafs without hesitation

Should have known Windsor caste was closed on the day we were booked in

A great world class Exhibit

The tour was exceptionally well organised, a fantastic tour guide who went all the way to make the tour enjoyable for everyone. The gardens visited were all quite different and added interest.
I found the full coach with 18 passengers a bit cramped as the luggage compartment was packed and my hand luggage was under my feet making very little room for leg movement which impacted on comfort.

Very good value for money.

Really crowded. Felt like I was being crushed by the sheer number of people we got there early but by 9 a.m it was manic. If at all phobic about this don't come. Have made some other comments previuosly

There was a major problem with the itinerary as on our free day in Windsor the castle was closed. Although a castle visit wasn’t included in our program it was mentioned in the trip notes and it was one of the reasons that I chose this tour. If I had been told beforehand I would have gone to the castle the following day instead of Savill Gardens but due to the late notification all the tickets were sold. A visit to the castle should be included as as formal part of the tour to avoid this happening again. Sicily did arrange a boat trip on the Thames and for us to attend a service at the Chapel. Sicily was lovely and very helpful. Courtly was a good driver.

This is the perfect tour for anyone who enjoys stately homes and gardens, the London hotel was in a perfect location for our “before and after” tour stay. Clean comfortable bus, knowledgeable tour guide. Even the weather was perfect.