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Specialists in Group Tours to Britain
Great Britain is where Casterbridge began, where we operated our first group tours, and where our home office remains today. For over 30 years we have made welcome groups from around the world. After all, who is better suited to show you the country than a local? What makes our group tours to Britain so special? The explanation is below.
The Best Flights For Group Tours to Britain on Guaranteed Dates
We have exceptionally close relationships with many European national carriers, including British Airways and Virgin Atlantic. These relationships allow us to find the very best flights and fares for your group tour to Britain. Our goal is to always secure flights with minimal connections in order to make your trip less time-consuming and stressful.
This means we can offer you the very best flight routings, including to some of the lesser-known gateway cities, which can significantly reduce your journey time when you arrive. Imagine flying directly into Manchester, Bristol, or Glasgow instead of enduring the lengthy transfer from London.
We strive to make your transfers as efficient as possible, without the unnecessary stress and increased cost of tiring, time-consuming journeys.
Casterbridge Tours will always guarantee your tour dates at the time of booking, and you will often know your proposed flight schedule and routing as much as 11 months in advance of your group tour to Britain!
Making the Most of Your Arrival Day on a Group Tour to Britain
Casterbridge strives, whenever possible, to make arrival days a useful part of your group tour to Britain. By doing things like making a stop at Windsor Castle on the way into London, or Stirling Castle en route to Edinburgh, or taking a relaxing Thames Cruise on the afternoon of your arrival day in London, we are able to ensure that your arrival days are not simply lost time.
This standard practice will serve to increase the value of your time spent in Britain, and will simultaneously reduce your “jet lag.” Arrival Days count in your overall tour time; you should not allow that time to be wasted on a group tour to Britain!
Thematic and Chronological Travel on a Group Tour to Britain
In a genuine attempt not to confuse participants with mixed, haphazard, and unrelated materials, we aim, whenever possible, to provide a thematic and chronological context to each day of your group tour to Britain.
For example, thematic days can be dedicated to such topics as Shakespeare’s London, The Kings and Queens of England, Roman Britain, or Thomas Hardy’s Wessex. We carefully track the course of momentous events or the lives of historical figures to create learning that is both engaging and easier to follow.
All Casterbridge tours are highly customizable to fit your educational themes and priorities, ensuring you get the very best out of your travel experience.
The Casterbridge Tour Manager/Guide on our Group Tours to Britain
As we all know, there can be a few bumps in even the smoothest of roads. While we strive to ensure none will pop up on your group tour to Britain, you can relax knowing that your exclusive Casterbridge Tour Manager/Guide is there 24 hours per day, just in case they do.
Usually, your Tour Manager/Guide will live locally. He or she will be with you on your group tour to Britain 24 hours a day, from airport arrival to departure, in order to confirm reservations, help you get from place to place, and suggest free-time and evening activities that meet your group’s needs and budget.
The role of a Casterbridge Tour Manager/Guide is so important that each one must go through a specially designed Casterbridge training program and only the top few percent of each class are selected to act as our representatives. They are continuously evaluated, and only those with the highest recommendations from our groups are permitted to stay with us. We hand-pick each Casterbridge Guide to make certain they meet our exacting standards.
A Balance of Educational Visits, Cultural Experiences, and Recreational Activities
Balance is essential, not only in life, but also on a great group tour to Britain. Casterbridge makes every effort to achieve that balance by offering a variety of recreational and cultural activities to complement the educational opportunities on your group tour to Britain. It may be a night at the theater in London or Stratford, attending a football (soccer) match, or shopping in one of the street markets in an English country town. Whatever your preference, we have many different options for fun, exciting experiences while in Great Britain.
Click here for our Cross-Cultural Connections, where you will find a comprehensive list of the recreational and cultural opportunities available to include on your group tour to Britain.
Accommodation and Meals on our Group Tours to Britain
Casterbridge Tours chooses 3-star (and occasionally 4-star or superior 2-star) hotels as a standard, but you are always free to request alternate accommodation for your group. Each hotel is evaluated following each stay and we continue to use only those who are consistently rated highly by our groups. When possible, we prefer to use smaller, family owned hotels as opposed to giant concrete monoliths. Please feel free to ask for a list of sample hotels when planning your group tour to Britain.
As part of our educational travel philosophy, we always strive to give our groups extensive exposure to the local people and culture. Part of that experience is, of course, sampling the local cuisine. Therefore, unless you request it, your group tour to Britain will not include a lot of American chain restaurants, but rather opportunities to sample regional cuisine, either in your hotel or in neighborhood restaurants.
In London and Edinburgh, this means that whenever possible, we will have dinner in local restaurants away from your hotels, to ensure an authentic dining experience.
All Admissions Are Included on Group Tours to Britain
A standard Casterbridge group tour to Britain tends to have double (and sometimes even triple) the average number of admissions than most of our competitors. In addition, Casterbridge is one of very few operators who will pre-book your group into as many major attractions as we can. For example, in England we will pre-book visits to the Roman Baths or the Tower of London.
Pre-booking ensures that we always receive group admission rates, we can pay them in advance, and your group can bypass the lines.This unparalleled level of service and value has come to be expected by group leaders choosing Casterbridge as their tour operator.
Getting Around in London!
A practice unique to Casterbridge is that, unless a coach has been specifically requested, most of our groups will receive passes for the Tube (subway) for sightseeing during the London portion of your group tour to Britain. Not only will this provide a great cultural experience for your group, but it is also the most efficient and convenient way to navigate the city.
Remember that your exclusive Tour Manager/Guide will be with your group at all times, including on public transport, to help you with directions, the language (!), and interactions with local people as you journey to your next visit.
Undiscovered Jewels & Hidden Treasures of Britain
Because Casterbridge Tours is a custom tour operator, we can offer you tremendous flexibility in your itinerary. We can mold your schedule to your specific, detailed needs. So we would be delighted to take you to any of the “hidden treasures” around Britain not always found in a standard itinerary.
Some of the recent jewels chosen by our group leaders have been Sherborne Abbey, Alnwick Castle, and Tintagel Castle. Groups have requested overnights in such diverse locations off the beaten path as Lyme Regis in the South of England and Llanwddyn, in Wales. Your group tour to Britain will truly your tour when you travel with Casterbridge!
Register to plan an educational tour to Britain, either online or by calling 1-800-522-2398. Start planning your group trip to Britain today!
