AITO: The Association of Independent Tour Operators
Absolute Escapes

Absolute Escapes Traveller Reviews

Reviews of Absolute Escapes

Overall Company Rating
99%
Excellent 729
Good 20
Average 4
Poor 1
Terrible 0
Reviews Submitted: 754
Reviews Accepted: 754
Reviews Rejected: 0
754 reviews
Sort by:
Absolute Escapes by Sid, 17 May 2018
Holiday Rating:

St Cuthberts Way walking holiday.

It was so well organised and the route interesting ,scenic and although I have walked it twice i'd book and go again tomorrow. Extra day on Lindisfarne was a must do always. So much to see, so peaceful. The coast walk up to Berwick should be another must do. the golf course clubhouse is very welcoming to walkers. Our organiser(absolute escapes) were great from start to finish. we have used their organisation three times and they are a top ...

It was so well organised and the route interesting ,scenic and although I have walked it twice i'd book and go again tomorrow. Extra day on Lindisfarne was a must do always. So much to see, so peaceful. The coast walk up to Berwick should be another must do. the golf course clubhouse is very welcoming to walkers. Our organiser(absolute escapes) were great from start to finish. we have used their organisation three times and they are a top shelf group.

Rating for tour operator:

Easy to book, great website that is easy to use, quick response, topline accommodation, available anytime during the walk. Friendly and know their business. The hotel and B&B people like dealing with them so they tell me.

Absolute Escapes responded to this review on 18 May 2018:

Many thanks for your lovely comments Grahame - we're delighted you enjoyed your second walk on the St Cuthbert's Way, it is a truly wonderful walk and I'm glad you found your extra day on Lindisfarne so peaceful. We look forward to welcoming you back on another walk. All the best, Pippa Robson

Absolute Escapes by ARA, 4 May 2018
Holiday Rating:

C2C Part I - stunning scenery, great hosts, lots of fun - and mostly good weather

Good accommodation, friendly hosts, too many chips :-) and Kennedy's Chocolate Factory in Orton - possibly the best chocolate cake in the world The Lakes were looking awesome - we had 3 stunning days - and it was really quiet on the hills - felt very lucky. Here's to the second half in September - Nine Standards Rigg was bathed in sunshine as we left Kirkby Stephen - where we did get to see the parrots by the way - really wanted to be ...

Good accommodation, friendly hosts, too many chips :-) and Kennedy's Chocolate Factory in Orton - possibly the best chocolate cake in the world The Lakes were looking awesome - we had 3 stunning days - and it was really quiet on the hills - felt very lucky. Here's to the second half in September - Nine Standards Rigg was bathed in sunshine as we left Kirkby Stephen - where we did get to see the parrots by the way - really wanted to be up there - so if you can order the same for September we'd be very grateful!

Rating for tour operator:

Absolute Escapes - absolutely friendly, professional, organised. Wouldn't contemplate using anyone else.

Absolute Escapes responded to this review on 09 May 2018:

Thank you very much for your review, Angela, and delighted to hear that you enjoyed the first half of the Coast to Coast. It certainly has some of the most spectacular scenery of any of the walks that we offer, and glad all of the arrangements were to your satisfaction. Let's hope you enjoy the same glorious weather for the eastern half later in the year. Best wishes, Andy Gabe

Absolute Escapes by Lynnepb, 29 Dec 2017
Holiday Rating:

Perfect Scotland

From the initial decision to go with Absolute Escapes, through the support with planning , through the amazing walk itself, to our last night in Fort William everything was perfect. The accommodation was always comfortable, sometimes luxurious, always welcoming. The breakfasts were great. The suggestions for evening meals were brilliant. Our luggage was always there when we arrived. The walking distances were well planned. The West Highland ...

From the initial decision to go with Absolute Escapes, through the support with planning , through the amazing walk itself, to our last night in Fort William everything was perfect. The accommodation was always comfortable, sometimes luxurious, always welcoming. The breakfasts were great. The suggestions for evening meals were brilliant. Our luggage was always there when we arrived. The walking distances were well planned. The West Highland Way is probably the best travel experience I have ever had. It has everything - challenges, stunning beauty, a sense of achievement each day, amazing variation in landscapes, awe-inspiring views, interesting people, great accommodation, great food, great whisky at the end of the day. Thanks so much!

Rating for tour operator:

Absolute Escapes ensured an experience that suited our walking ability and the number of days we wanted to walk; was completely without any organisational problems; provided appropriate and extensive information in the planning process; provided great maps and written guide to use during the walk; and thorough contact details for supports if required during the walk. Perfect.

Absolute Escapes responded to this review on 03 Jan 2018:

Thank you so much for your amazing review Lynne, it's lovely to hear from you again and we're so pleased to hear you had such a fantastic trip. I couldn't have chosen better words myself to describe this incredible walk, and I hope it brings you back to Scotland again in the future. With warmest wishes, Amanda MacDonald

Absolute Escapes by Fiona, 6 Nov 2017
Holiday Rating:

Great way to explore while someone else takes care of the details.

I had an absolutely wonderful time. Knowing that Amanda and the team at Absolute Escapes had taken care of accommodation and baggage transport left me free to enjoy the walking. I was lucky to have great weather as well, especially considering it was October.

I had an absolutely wonderful time. Knowing that Amanda and the team at Absolute Escapes had taken care of accommodation and baggage transport left me free to enjoy the walking. I was lucky to have great weather as well, especially considering it was October.

Rating for tour operator:

The team at Absolute Escapes were great. They were in regular contact with my before my trip, making sure I had the info I needed and keeping me up to date with progress. I highly recommend them.

Absolute Escapes responded to this review on 07 Nov 2017:

Thank you so much for your review Fiona, we're really pleased to hear you had such a good experience on this walk. It sounds like everything went as it should and you had the added bonus of great weather. We hope to hear from you in the future, so that we can offer our services again in helping you have a stress-free holiday. With best wishes, Amanda MacDonald

Absolute Escapes by St. Cuthberts pilgrim, 25 Oct 2017
Holiday Rating:

Rediscovering the Border Country

I approached Absolute Escapes because I wanted to walk St Cuthberts's Way to my own agenda. From my first contact they were very pro- active and encouraging in planning an itinerary for me. I started at St Boswell's and finished at Linisfarne, taking seven days. I was brought up in Northumberland many years ago but had forgotten how beautiful the Border country is. A lot of my time was spent admiring the views and reflecting. My mother died ...

I approached Absolute Escapes because I wanted to walk St Cuthberts's Way to my own agenda. From my first contact they were very pro- active and encouraging in planning an itinerary for me. I started at St Boswell's and finished at Linisfarne, taking seven days. I was brought up in Northumberland many years ago but had forgotten how beautiful the Border country is. A lot of my time was spent admiring the views and reflecting. My mother died earlier this year so as well as being a walk, it was quite a spiritual experience for me, the fact I was walking alone allowed this luxury. Despite being alone, I never felt lonely as everyone along the Way was very kind to me. This includes my accomadation hosts, hospitality staff at hotels and pubs, taxi drivers and people I met along the Way.. However my overriding memory will be of the magnificent countryside and the views of the Cheviots.

Rating for tour operator:

From my very first email contact(from Australia) the staff were very prompt in replying and encouraging me to go ahead to the point that this is why I DID go ahead with my walk. They understood and seemed to have an empathy for what I requested. The itinerary they prepared proved to be perfect for me and my accomodation was suitable. All the information given proved invaluable.

Absolute Escapes responded to this review on 26 Oct 2017:

Thank you for your feedback Barbara, and for allowing us to help you reconnect with your roots and assist you during a difficult time. It sounds as though your journey on the St Cuthbert's Way was very rewarding. If we can ever be of assistance in the future please don't hesitate to contact us. Very best wishes, Jason Martin

Absolute Escapes by pima, 17 Oct 2017
Holiday Rating:

A great holiday experience!

The West Highland Way was a good warm up to walking in Scotland. We enjoyed it very much and it was easy, but it did rather have a lot of people. The Skye Trail, however, was absolutely perfect for us. We so loved the scenery and on some days, we didn’t even meet another person. A few times, finding the way was a little bit challenging, but it always worked out well in the end. Our favourite was stage 2 over the Trotternish Ridge, it was a beautiful ...

The West Highland Way was a good warm up to walking in Scotland. We enjoyed it very much and it was easy, but it did rather have a lot of people. The Skye Trail, however, was absolutely perfect for us. We so loved the scenery and on some days, we didn’t even meet another person. A few times, finding the way was a little bit challenging, but it always worked out well in the end. Our favourite was stage 2 over the Trotternish Ridge, it was a beautiful and sunny day – just perfect! Very close after the Trotternish Ridge comes the stage through Glen Sligachan. On this day we also had perfect, sunny weather and just loved it. We enjoyed walking in Scotland so much that we will definitely be back!

Rating for tour operator:

We were very happy with Absolute Escapes! When we planned our holiday, the consultant gave us a lot of information, came on with own ideas and helped us with his experience. Emails were always replied to within 2 days and all questions were answered immediately. During our holiday, all worked out very well and was perfectly organized. The baggage was always where it had to be, all accommodation and all pickups and transfers were booked and we found it very useful to have the evening meal suggestions provided in the information pack. The picked accommodation was very good and the hosts always very friendly and helpful. The documentation was written with care, very detailed and contained a lot of useful information. A few days after we returned home, Absolute Escapes contacted us to ask whether we were happy with our holiday. We were!

Absolute Escapes responded to this review on 23 Oct 2017:

Thank you for your review Pia, we're glad you and Martin had an excellent time walking the West Highland Way and Skye Trail - what a great combination! I'm delighted to read you were pleased with our services, if we can be of further assistance in the future, please don't hesitate to get in touch. Best wishes, Jason Martin

Absolute Escapes by KellyS2017, 14 Oct 2017
Holiday Rating:

Exactly as I'd hoped!

My walking holiday through West Highland Way was wonderful. I was a solo female walker and while I'd done other walks abroad, never by myself. The baggage transfer service was great and it was a truly stress-free experience. The only thing I had to think about was walking and relaxing. The scenery was incredible and the accommodations were fair value. There were no hiccups; everything was as good or better than expected.

My walking holiday through West Highland Way was wonderful. I was a solo female walker and while I'd done other walks abroad, never by myself. The baggage transfer service was great and it was a truly stress-free experience. The only thing I had to think about was walking and relaxing. The scenery was incredible and the accommodations were fair value. There were no hiccups; everything was as good or better than expected.

Rating for tour operator:

Absolute Escapes was great. I've done other walking tours with other operators in other countries. None were as quick to reply to my initial inquiry nor with follow-up communications. The info sheets provided for each day were very helpful and full of great tips. The guidebook and map were the most accurate, engaging and easy-to-follow of any of the ones I've ever used. Absolute was great -- I would definitely recommend them and use them again. Cheers!

Absolute Escapes responded to this review on 16 Oct 2017:

Thank you very much for your kind review Kelly. It's great to hear that you had such a wonderful experience on the West Highland Way and that all our arrangements worked out well for you to give a stress free holiday. Please do not hesitate to get in touch if we can be of assistance with any future adventures! Best wishes to you, Caitlin Rush

Absolute Escapes by TessaG, 13 Oct 2017
Holiday Rating:

Hiking along Hadrian's Wall

For many years I have been reading about Hadrian's Wall and was intrigued by the idea to walk across England. I was fortunate that I was able to fulfill this dream this past September. This hike was great - history, culture, nature, stunning landscapes, cities and towns, and the people - all contributed to making this a very special time. Even with time constraints, we were able to visit some of the museums which proved excellent and provided ...

For many years I have been reading about Hadrian's Wall and was intrigued by the idea to walk across England. I was fortunate that I was able to fulfill this dream this past September. This hike was great - history, culture, nature, stunning landscapes, cities and towns, and the people - all contributed to making this a very special time. Even with time constraints, we were able to visit some of the museums which proved excellent and provided context while hiking along the Wall. We started in Newcastle upon Tyne and really enjoyed touring the city. We ended in Bowess and really enjoyed that quaint town. Everything in between was really enjoyable too. A truly wonderful vacation.

Rating for tour operator:

It was a real pleasure to retain the services of Absolute Escapes. After researching numerous guide books and online sites and an initial email contact, I decided that Absolute a Escapes could provide the service and support I thought I needed to have a successful hiking adventure along Hadrian's Wall. I am so glad I chose Absolute Escapes. Right from the first email exchange with Absolute a Escapes I was impressed by their helpfulness and knowledge of the Wall. Absolute Escapes booked our accommodations and handled the transport of the luggage. Each of the accommodations was wonderful and the transport of the luggage was efficient. Their website was easy to navigate and the actual processing was easy as well. The hard copy information and supporting documentation was very good. The flawless logistics made my time along the Wall very enjoyable.

Absolute Escapes responded to this review on 16 Oct 2017:

Many thanks for your feedback Tessa - great to hear you had such an enjoyable time walking the Hadrian's Wall Path. It's a fascinating trail, so much history! Do get in touch again if you consider another walking trail. All the best, James Fathers.

Absolute Escapes by Tracy and Wally, 9 Oct 2017
Holiday Rating:

A most wonderful trip around Scotland!

I just want to say THANK YOU to everyone at Absolute Escapes for our wonderful vacation to Scotland. Jeff and I enjoyed every moment! The train travel was efficient and easy and I thank you for providing the timetables for each leg of our journey. All of the B&B’s, Guesthouses and Inns that we stayed had great rooms, breakfasts and hostesses. I’m very happy that we started out in Edinburgh, as we saw a lot of the historic and ...

I just want to say THANK YOU to everyone at Absolute Escapes for our wonderful vacation to Scotland. Jeff and I enjoyed every moment! The train travel was efficient and easy and I thank you for providing the timetables for each leg of our journey. All of the B&B’s, Guesthouses and Inns that we stayed had great rooms, breakfasts and hostesses. I’m very happy that we started out in Edinburgh, as we saw a lot of the historic and “touristy” areas. But, we both loved the town of Pitlochry. It was quite a nice town to walk around, do the whisky walk to Edradour Distillery and had some good restaurants. And, the Poplars Guest House is absolutely gorgeous! Our favorite place to visit was Portree!. Both, the Medina B&B and the area made that visit special. The harbor view is breathtaking!. We also found some great restaurants there. I also want to mention the Taxi Driver that picked us up at Portree and brought us to Armadel (his name was Kenny), was very helpful. Because of the higher winds that day, he called ahead to make sure the ferry to Mallaig was still running. If it wasn’t, he was going to drive us to Kyle of Locklash. I hope you’ll continue using him and his service. We’ll definitely be using your service again, as there’s more to see in Scotland. We haven’t uploaded our photos yet, but I can certainly send you a few of our favorites when we get that done (hopefully this weekend). Thank You Tracy and Jeff Walters

Rating for tour operator:

I just want to say THANK YOU to everyone at Absolute Escapes for our wonderful vacation to Scotland. We truly enjoyed every moment and it feels like we were gone for a month due to all the things sights we saw and places we went. The train travel was efficient and easy and I thank you for providing the timetables for each leg of our journey. All of the B&B’s, Guesthouses and Inns that we stayed had great rooms, breakfasts and hostesses. They all very helpful if we needed any ideas or assistance I’m very happy that we started out in Edinburgh, as we saw a lot of the historic and “touristy” areas. But, we both loved the town of Pitlochry. It was quite a nice town to walk around, do the whisky walk to Edradour Distillery and it had some good restaurants. And, the Poplars Guest House is absolutely gorgeous! Our favorite place to visit was Portree!. Both, the Medina B&B and the area made that visit special. The harbor view is breathtaking!. We also found some great restaurants there. I also want to mention the Taxi Driver that picked us up at Portree and brought us to Armadel (his name was Kenny), was very helpful. Because of the higher winds that day, he called ahead to make sure the ferry to Mallaig was still running. If it wasn’t, he was going to drive us to Kyle of Locklash. I hope you’ll continue using him and his service. We’ll definitely be using your service again, as there’s more to see in Scotland. Thank You Tracy and Jeff

Absolute Escapes responded to this review on 10 Oct 2017:

Thank so much Tracy and Jeff for your wonderful review. We're glad to hear you enjoyed your holiday to Scotland, and that everything went smoothly for you. The places you visited certainly are stunning! We look forward to hearing from you soon and making the arrangements for your return visit. With best wishes, Megan Bruce

Absolute Escapes by ART, 5 Oct 2017
Holiday Rating:

Awesome self guided walking holiday of the Great Glen Way- Scotland

This trip was very special to me, because I planned it as a celebration of beating breast cancer earlier this year......I was diagnosed in March 2017 and went through surgery, plus a 4 week course of daily radiation, which concluded at the beginning of August. I'm now cancer free and we chose a self guided walking holiday as a means for me to reclaim my body, energy and spirit. 7 walking days and 77 miles later through the beautiful Scottish ...

This trip was very special to me, because I planned it as a celebration of beating breast cancer earlier this year......I was diagnosed in March 2017 and went through surgery, plus a 4 week course of daily radiation, which concluded at the beginning of August. I'm now cancer free and we chose a self guided walking holiday as a means for me to reclaim my body, energy and spirit. 7 walking days and 77 miles later through the beautiful Scottish Highlands, mission accomplished. Lovely hospitality, people, scenery and countryside.......and it only rained a little bit to boot! Amazing experience!

Rating for tour operator:

The planning and bookings that the crew at Absolute Escapes did for us was flawless. 10 out of 10. This was our first walking holiday ever and I was a little apprehensive that all the logistics could be pulled off perfectly, but you guys pulled it off. We found that all of the accommodations were terrific and we really appreciated all of your great suggestions on where to eat and what to see on our planned off days. The info package that you sent to our first accommodation was great.....we used it extensively. And I'll never cease to be amazed that the Loch Ness Travel Company can shuttle bags and people along the Way with 100% accuracy. George is the best!

Absolute Escapes responded to this review on 09 Oct 2017:

Thank you so much for your lovely comments Angela. We were delighted to hear you had such a wonderful time walking the Great Glen Way, and it was a pleasure making the arrangements for you. Congratulations on your fantastic achievement, and please do get in touch if you return to Scotland in the future! Best wishes, Megan Bruce