Mickledore Travel recently handled my arrangements for a 6 day, 44-mile self-guided walking tour…read morealong the Thames River Path. They're in the business of arranging walking/hiking tours and their web site is fun to use in helping you whittle down your options. Once you decide on the number of days you wish to hike and the type of terrain you wish to hike in, Mickledore's web site will show you your options. When you have questions, their staff will quickly respond via email or phone. When you've settled on a hike and made a down payment to Mickledore they'll make your arrangements which include lodging and luggage transport along your hiking route. As your travel date approaches and you make your final payment, Mickledore will send you the details of your trip: dates, lodging, maps, luggage tags, and meals when applicable. Depending on where you've chosen to hike you could possibly handle all of this on your own but Mickledore takes you out of the planning business and sometimes that's worth paying for. To say that this hiking tour was one of my best travel experiences ever isn't an understatement. This rubs off on my feelings about Mickledore in a positive way. The services they provided on this particular trip weren't perfect but I so enjoyed my trip that I'd consider using them again in the future. Here's the details: * Mickledore booked 6 nights of lodging in 5 different locations. Of those, 3 were great or good, 1 was just okay, and 1 was bad. I provided post-trip feedback to Mickledore, as they requested. The route I chose is not as traveled as some of the more popular trails; for this reason I think Mickledore may not have had great data on some of the places they booked me into. * Each morning, your luggage must be downstairs and ready for transport by 8:30 a.m. Each afternoon, when checking in at a new place of lodging, my luggage was waiting. This part went off without a hitch. * In the UK, each place of lodging included a full English breakfast. In 2 places Mickledore had arranged for bag lunches to be included as well. I would not want the bag lunches again. I was hiking through areas that were easy to find food and drink and it is that I prefer. * Mickledore provided a book (outlining the details of the trail), a water-safe map of the trail, printed pages of places to eat/public restrooms/emergency service info and the like. They also have an app on which you can see much of your trip info. The trail I hiked was easy to follow and I'm good at searching out my preferred dining options. The only part of this that I found useful (and mostly just because it was interesting) was the map. * Although they don't verify it, Mickledore requires that travelers get trip insurance. I did and thankfully had no need to use it. Not including trip insurance, the services Mickledore provided for this trip (including the 6 nights of lodging and the luggage transport plus everything else mentioned) ran $967 per person which wasn't cheap but also wasn't at all unreasonable. Mickeldore Travel isn't the only company specializing in organizing self-guided walking tours but in this space, the offerings are similar. If I were planning another trip like this I'd again consider using them.

These guys helped me plan and complete my coast to Coast walk last year! Amazing thank you Rick for…read moreall your information and booking all the stops. How did you know already how long some of the legs would take genius! Again if you are planing UK walking holidays use Mickledore travel!

Sometimes I don't feel like becoming an expert…read more For two years running now, I've used the services of Gates Travel to find and purchase train tickets for travel throughout the United Kingdom. Not only are they prompt to respond via email but they know the ins and outs of train travel in a way that I don't and that I don't care to learn. One year ago I needed to get from a town in the North Cotswolds to a town in Wales and was growing uneasy with the process and baffled by my options. Gates Travel to the rescue. Not only could they tell me exactly which trains ran when but they could also tell me which were the best deals. They even went further when they realized that I was traveling in a party of two: they did the math and determined that the "two together" card was a worthwhile investment for my trips. I doubt I'd even know of the "two together" pass and benefits without it having been recommended by Gates Travel. All of my train tickets and the "two together" card have been secured and paid for online and Gates Travel sends me the physical documents via email and/or the postal service. With the help of Gates Travel I don't have to become an expert. I'm uncertain what other travel services Gates Travel provides as I've only used them to secure train tickets and advice. But based on this, I feel comfortable that they could help with any of your United Kingdom travel needs.

This travel agency is part of a local group based in Kendal. The staff know what their doing and,…read morewhen I've been there very patient and obliging. They have the concession for selling train tickets, and will try their hardest to find a convenient route at the right price. They also do all the other things from Cruises to Coach trips, via package holidays. I find the atmosphere there relaxing and also noticed a coffee machine in use for another customer. I highly recommend the staff, and shop.

Always great service from these guy's, the only rental place I will use.read more

Helpful staff, very polite. Good selection of cars, flexible return policy.read more

This website is really well laid out and easy to navigate. They have an extensive range of catering…read moreappliances from water boilers to commercial microwaves at truly unbeatable value. A site to bookmark for restaurants and catering establishments.

Absolutely terrible customer service. I bought a commercial fridge and after 13 months the…read morecompressor broke down. The company has refuse to repair or replace. I have never had to deal with a ruder or less informed customer service person in my life. I would never buy anything from this company ever again.

This is a camping shop that sells outdoor equipment. They sell a large range of warm clothing to go…read morewalking in. They also sell all of the little gadgets that you would need to go waking in the lake district and in this area it is best to be prepared. You can get everything from your walking sticks to a gps here. They do sometimes have sales on the gps systems but normally they are more expensive that elsewhere. They have a good range of rucksacks of all sizes. The footwear that they sell is quite decent but pricey for what you get and nothing that you cant get in other outdoor shops in the area

The place to get second hand books - well priced and a great choiceread more

This family run shop is one of two original outdoor stores in the town. Tucked away in a corner…read moreit's easy to miss but once inside it's stuffed full of outdoor items for the discerning hiker. Prices are comparable or better than some of the other big stores locally. Unless you are looking for the high tech then this is good place to shop for accessories.

Ulverston Photo-Express is a gold-mine of photographic equipment, plus binoculars, computer…read moreaccesories such as leads and ink cartridges, and I even saw a telescope on display there today. The staff are helpful and efficient. The shop looks tiny from the outside, but it's like the Tardis. They have a branch in Bowness at 50 Lake Rd., which is equally good, although very busy in the summer.

Dave at Photo Express talked me through and gave me advice about my intended purchase; on the…read morestrength of his tremendous help I was happy to buy there and thenI was even given a discount. Service was second to none and excellent. Then a disasterI accidentally marked the LCD screen on the very first day of purchase whilst going on holiday. On my return I asked Dave at Photo Express if using Brasso to repair, as suggested on the web, was a good idea. His solution was ."bring it back in and we will help and do it for you as they have some special liquid/paste to do the job without risking damage. So I am going back tomorrow for what again demonstrates a five star after sales service from this shop and its team..absolutely excellent and HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.