Carryabag

#CotswoldHotspot: Accommodation in Cheltenham

After touring round the glorious area of the Cotswolds, there is nothing nicer than being able to put your feet up and relax with a hot meal and a nice drink. Within the town of Cheltenham, there are plenty of hotels and B&B’s to do just that. Why not drop by the Queens Hotel? Each one of their rooms has paid homage to her majesty, so you will indeed feel regal spending a night here. If you are in need of an afternoon tipple or a meal to end your evening, Cheltenham has an array of fabulous restaurants and bars will offer you what you need.

If you have spent the day shopping around Gloucester and Cheltenham and need a place to rest your weary feet, why not try No 131 the Lucky onion. It is centred in the Cheltenham town so it is in walking distance of restaurants, shopping centres and plenty of other facilities. It’s a classic hotel with 11 bedrooms, all having a beautiful individual design. All of the food they have to offer during the meal times is locally sourced, to make you meal that extra bit enjoyable. With much to offer in both hospitality and comfort, how could you resist it?

If you are walking the Cotswold Way, don't forget to arrange your luggage transfers. Call 01242 250642 to book yours today.

Countryside is Great Campaign

VisitBritain launched the GREAT Britain Campaign over 3 years ago to promote the UK and invite international tourists to come and visit.  Now entering its fourth year, the campaign has performed well on an international level and over the next two years is set to bring in over £200 million from tourism related spending.  That’s great news for Compass Holidays as we are looking to develop and grow our international appeal for our UK tours namely Cornwall, the Lake District and The Cotswolds.

And what’s more, the next few weeks will see Visit Britain launch the Countryside is GREAT campaign. It is a £3 million campaign showcasing the beauty of Britain’s countryside; from Cornwall to the Lake District, Pembrokeshire to the Scottish Highlands. £4m of advertising space has also been secured in Heathrow airport to promote travel from London and continuing to work with regional gateways such as Manchester and Birmingham to spread valuable inbound tourists to the nations and regions in record numbers.

If you are thinking about enjoying a UK break, take a look at what our sisiter company Compass Holidays has offer at www.compass-holidays.com. If you are looking to walk the Cotswold Way this year, we can transfer your luggage, please see www.carryabag.co.uk for more information. We would love to welcome you and show you how the Countryside is GREAT!

NSPCC Tour Of England Event To Take Place In The Cotswolds

The Cotswolds has now been added to the Tour of England calendar this year. In previous years events have been held in Yorkshire and the South East, but this year the Cotswolds is to join them! This event will last for two days over the weekend and will follow the same formula of the Tour of Britain, including: team cars, soigneurs, domestiques and motorcycle outriders.

It is scheduled to take place on 4^th & 5^th July 2015, and is all for a great cause! Fundraising entry starts from just £29 and money will be donated to the NSPCC(National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children).

We are pleased to welcome this great event to the Cotswolds and look forward to following the news and progress of the event. We had a great time watching the Tour of Britain riding through Cheltenham and look forward to following this race too!

For more images, please visit our Facebook page.

 

Please click here for more information about the Tour of England.   

VisitEngland promotes UK Holidays

It’s been great to see that VisitEngland have created a new advert for their ‘Holidays at Home are GREAT’ campaign. The advert shows family favourites Wallace and Gromit finding out how many great locations there are to visit in the UK.

It is hoped that the campaign will encourage Britons to take a holiday in the UK instead of abroad this year.

Here at Compass we have plenty of walking and cycling holidays around the UK that are perfect for anyone planning their next adventure! Here’s a few of the tours we offer and our favourite pictures, if you are interested in any, or would like more details then please visit the website links or call us on 01242 250642!

Walking:

Lake District: 

Bath & Wiltshire:

Walking or Cycling:

Cotswolds:

Cornwall:

  

South West Coastline voted best in Britain

We were very pleased to see that the South West Coast Path has been voted the best walk in Britain – for the second year running!

The award was voted for by readers of the magazine published by the Ramblers’ Association and editor Dominic Bates agreed that it was a well-deserved win.

“It’s proof positive of the public’s appetite for coastal walking and will be grist to the mill for our continuing campaign to get the England Coast Path completed.”

We think this is a great choice and apart from our favourite Cotswolds walks, the South West Coast Path is definitely our next favourite walk!

Why not see for yourself why this has been voted the best walk in Britain and book our Far Southwest tour!  
Here are some of our favourite South West images:

 

 

Here at Compass Holidays we offer a variety of locations for our tours, ranging from the picturesque Cotswolds to the ski slopes of the Dolomites. We've gained a great collection of images over the years that we’ve put together as a countdown of our top 10 pictures.

10. Sicily

As the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily is a great was to kick off our tip 10. Sicily, Italy has a very characteristic landscape with lots of historic architecture and volcanoes. There is a variety of Greek amphitheatres and coliseums to visit along with fantastic coast lines!

 

9. Loire Valley, France

Loire Valley, France, has vibrant cultural landscapes that reflect a harmonious way of life. The castles of the Loire Valley are fairy tale perfect and are a sight that you will have in your memory forever!  

 

8. Rodopi, Bulgaria

Rodopi, Bulgaria – this country has breath-taking views over high rocky cliffs, dense woods and miraculous bridges. These Rock bridges are a very unique, natural phenomenon that are a must see! 

   

7. The Dolomite Alps

The Dolomite Alps, more famously known for their snowy scenery, have outstanding natural beauty offering breath taking scenic backdrops in the summer as well.

6. Holland

Holland is famously known for their romantic harbours, tulips and windmills. Our boat and bike holiday in particular let us see the beautiful water, banks and dunes, nature reserves, bloomy meadows, grassland and picturesque cities.

5. Lands End, Cornwall 

One of the most iconic British views, Lands End, Cornwall is a must see! More popularly used for the Lands End to John O’Groats bike challenge, Cornwall has a wide variety of wildlife habitats including seabirds and wild flowers situated along its ragged coastline.

4. Dolomites

We’ve shown you the Dolomites in the Summer, and here they are in the Winter! A popular location for skiing, the Dolomites also have spectacular lakes, mountains and beautiful valleys!

3. Crickley Hill 

A classic English sun set that really brings out the full colour along the horizon. The Cotswolds are a haven of natural beauty and to us they’re not only a beauty tourist destination but a beautiful place to live.

2. Chile + Argentina

Second in our Top Ten has been taken from our beautiful Chile and Argentina bike tour. Taking you round famous hot springs, volcanos and lakes, these countries show a spectacular array of outstanding natural scenery that you won’t want to take your eyes away from!

 

1. Norway

Our favourite photo so far without a doubt has to be the Northern lights in Norway! One of our most recent tour packages highlights the awe inspiring views that the Aurora Borealis has to offer! As one of the Seven Wonders of the World, these views are incredible to see, especially from within the famous Ice Hotel! 

  

A walk with my dogs on the Cotswold Way

Over the last few weeks I have noticed a real difference in both the weather and the landscape on my daily walks with my dogs (Ceefer and Zotti). My favourite place to go is Crickley Hill, which is on the Cotswold Way, where there are always friendly walkers appreciating the view.

Recently I have seen the plants come back to life and blossom starting to appear on nearby trees. The buds are starting to come out on the beech trees, of which there is no shortage in the Cotswolds! One thing that I have noticed this year is the amount of pheasants. On a daily walk I will happily see at least 3 or 4, which is fantastic news to my dogs, but not so good for the pheasants as they love to chase and scare them half to death!  

If you’re looking to walk the Cotswold Way, we also offer a luggage transfer service and we can even organise your accommodation for you! If you would like more information, look at our website www.carryabag.co.uk or email [email protected].

Walking Holidays just keep growing!

Due to the Staycation campaign, more people are staying inside the UK for their summer holidays. This is boosting the UK walking industry, with an increase of holidays taken within the UK being seen over the past year. The beauty and diversity of the country is becoming increasingly appreciated by the UK population. Walking holidays are the perfect way to get out there and see more of the UK’s beautiful landscape and to see some of its wonderful wildlife.  

In the UK there are over 140,000 miles of official footpaths; also there is the right to roam which opens up ever more of the UK’s countryside for members of the public. People who hike in the UK will never run out of something new to see and do, with great views around every corner! Fitness also plays a big part in the increased amount of walking holidays, as more people are interested in keeping fit than ever before. A walking holiday is perfect for kick starting a new healthier lifestyle.

Why not have a look at the walking holidays that we offer? http://www.compass-holidays.com/search/?category=3&destination=none

If you would like to read more on this article please follow this link http://www.pr.com/press-release/481158

Cyclist Detection Facility on Volvo’s

Volvo has recently announced that it is going to release a cycling detection facility which will hopefully prevent fatal accidents. If this system works, it’s very likely that it will spread to other car manufactures and reduce the amount of serious accidents with cyclists and car collisions.

The cars will be fitted with detection sensors that can even detect when a cyclist suddenly swerves out into a car’s path. When a risk like this is detected, an alarm would sound and the car’s brakes would be fully deployed. This clever new technology can also focus on multiple pedestrians and cyclists at the same time. The cost for this new system is going to be at least £1,850, but if you think that this could one day save somebody’s life, it is well worth it.

If you would like to read more about this new system, please follow the link below.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-21688765

Record Earnings for UK Tourism

The UK economy continued to grow in 2012 with latest figures showing a £19 billion spend, which is a 4 per cent increase on 2011’s figure. December was a strong month for inbound tourism, with a 12 per cent increase on visits from the previous December and a 15 per cent increase in spend. The Olympic Games and the Queens diamond jubilee is thought to have sparked this boost which lured 31 million people to visit Britain last year.

This growth is great for the economy and the tourism sector.  Hopefully this rise will continue into 2013 and add another 3 per cent rise which is predicted from 2012’s spend. Compass experienced this increase in 2012 and can’t wait for 2013 to get underway and for the holiday season to start! 

If you would like to read more about what was mentioned in this blog, please follow the links below:

http://www.breakingtravelnews.com/news/article/record-earnings-for-uk-tourism/

http://metro.co.uk/2013/02/14/tourism-boost-for-britain-after-olympics-and-jubilee-success-3477879/

Also don’t forget to take a look at the fantastic tours we have on offer. We have increased our range this year, so there will definitely be a break that will suit you perfectly.