Please enter your username and password to logon to the member pages

Absolute Escapes Traveller Reviews

Reviews of Absolute Escapes










The John Muir Way in four Chilly April Days
We walked from Balloch to Linlithgow in Scotland, along the John Muir Way. The longest day was 18 miles, and the path was consistently well-marked. The weather was cool for late April, but it only rained seriously one morning, and a we had a few sprinkles, including a little snow (!) in scattered showers. Lambing season had just passed - we saw plenty of mama sheep with their darling lambs, along with cattle, horses, magpies and other wildlife...
We walked from Balloch to Linlithgow in Scotland, along the John Muir Way. The longest day was 18 miles, and the path was consistently well-marked. The weather was cool for late April, but it only rained seriously one morning, and a we had a few sprinkles, including a little snow (!) in scattered showers. Lambing season had just passed - we saw plenty of mama sheep with their darling lambs, along with cattle, horses, magpies and other wildlife. Much of the path was along canal towpaths (Forth and Clyde, Union) and the Falkirk Wheel and the Kelpies sculptures were impressive and beautiful. Accommodations were superb - B&B's with excellent breakfasts and a couple of hotels that were more generic, but fit the bill beautifully. We toured the Glengoyne Distillery just outside of Strathblane and enjoyed the food at The Four Marys in Linlithgow, Kirkhouse Inn in Strathblane, The Boathouse in Auchinstarry, Sumo in Falkirk, and the Kilted Skirlie on the banks of Loch Lomond. All in all, a fantastic trip!
Rating for tour operator:




After an initial delay, Absolute Escapes (Scott Smyth, Andy Gabe) was extremely responsive and flexible to our request for a time-limited, region-specific request. They tailored arrangements to our needs and were very clear and timely in all communications. Hotels/B&B's booked were very pleasant and the printed materials were thorough and specific, both in terms of advance preparation and along-the-walk information. Luggage was picked up each day and delivered to the next accommodation and there were no 'glitches' in the process. We loved our trip to Scotland and hope we will do it again soon!
Thank you very much for your feedback, Andrew, and delighted to hear that you enjoyed this section of the John Muir Way. It sounds like you experienced many of the trail's highlights, and dined in some of our favourite places too! We were pleased to hear that you enjoyed the accommodation that was selected for you and that the bag transfer worked well. Please don't hesitate to contact us again if you're ever tempted to complete the rest of the trail. Best wishes, Andy Gabe





Absolutely a great escape
An 8 day walking holiday to complete the Cleveland Way in North Yorkshire. Absolute escapes arranged accommodation and baggage transfers which were for the most part seamless and of a high standard. A small problem with baggage transfer was quickly and efficiently resolved.
An 8 day walking holiday to complete the Cleveland Way in North Yorkshire. Absolute escapes arranged accommodation and baggage transfers which were for the most part seamless and of a high standard. A small problem with baggage transfer was quickly and efficiently resolved.
Rating for tour operator:




Contact with Absolute Escapes has always been excellent. Information is provided quickly. Documentation and guides for the holiday were excellent, well put together and informative. Prior to the holiday Absolute Escapes were always helpful and efficient and proved their value in resolving the one small problem, a slow baggage transfer, very quickly.
Thank you very much for your kind comments, Tim, it's much appreciated. It looks like you had a great trip and managed to keep high spirits despite experiencing all four seasons in one week! We're pleased to hear you enjoyed walking the Cleveland Way and that our service was helpful and efficient. Please do not hesitate to get in contact if you do decide to walk the Cumbria Way next year, we'd be delighted to help you again. Best wishes, Richard Pia.





Wonderful Walking Holiday
Me and my friend walked the West Highland Way and were absolutely amazed. The landscape is beautiful and different every day. We took 8 days for the whole way because we are not very experienced and we were very happy with this choice. Even the weather was perfect. If you're not in love with Scotlad before you will definitely be after you walked this way.
Me and my friend walked the West Highland Way and were absolutely amazed. The landscape is beautiful and different every day. We took 8 days for the whole way because we are not very experienced and we were very happy with this choice. Even the weather was perfect. If you're not in love with Scotlad before you will definitely be after you walked this way.
Rating for tour operator:




Absolute Escapes made our Holiday easy and enjoyable. The luggage was always were we needed it and we found our way easily due to the included information. The best accommodation was in Tyndrum at Glengarry House with Andy and Ellen but the others were very good, too. I would absolutely book with Absolute Escapes again.
Many thanks for your kind review Julia. We're so pleased the walk was a memorable one for you, and glad you had good weather too! We agree that the West Highland Way will make you fall in love with Scotland and what it has to offer! Hopefully we can entice you back again in the future. With best wishes, Amanda





Adventurous and challenging, with great rewards.
Great scenery, rough nature and beautiful remote places. Everything was taken care of, so I could fully enjoy my holiday and just focusing walking the right way on the trail:)!
Great scenery, rough nature and beautiful remote places. Everything was taken care of, so I could fully enjoy my holiday and just focusing walking the right way on the trail:)!
Rating for tour operator:




Straight forward, they think along and are committed to provide what you are looking for. Specific requests are passed on to the accomodations.
We appreciate your kind review, Tom. We are so pleased you had such a good adventure on Skye and that our services were such that you could enjoy your holiday worry-free! We hope to hear from you again in the future. With best wishes, Amanda MacDonald





Great vacation, easy to book
We had an amazing time in Scotland. I contacted Absolute Escapes by finding them online. Quickly I received a response back. With some advice, I was able to book a custom trip, to stay in towns that I had chosen. While emailing back and forth, I continued to make a few changes until I felt it was perfect. Never did I feel pressured to book, even though I requested a few changes through the planning stage. We had a great holiday to Scotland ...
We had an amazing time in Scotland. I contacted Absolute Escapes by finding them online. Quickly I received a response back. With some advice, I was able to book a custom trip, to stay in towns that I had chosen. While emailing back and forth, I continued to make a few changes until I felt it was perfect. Never did I feel pressured to book, even though I requested a few changes through the planning stage. We had a great holiday to Scotland with time spent in Alyth, Inverness, Isle of Skye, Fort William and Edinburgh. Picking up the car rental was easy and we had no problems. It was nice that we received a map and the intinerary we received before leaving was full of suggestions of sights and restaurants. All of the bed and breakfasts were great! The only part of the trip that I didn't care for much was the city sightseeing bus tour tickets we received for Edinburgh as part of the package. Overall it was nice not to worry about picking B&B to stay at, booking the car rental or booking the ferry ride. It was even better to have recommendations for food and sights to see along our trip. Very glad I used Absolute Escapes, the ease of booking and the advice received throughout made it a wonderful trip!
Rating for tour operator:




Self drive tour, but booking with Sine was a pleasure!
Many thanks for your kind words Denise, your feedback is much appreciated! It sounds like you and Davey had an amazing self-drive holiday and took full advantage of your time in Scotland. Great to hear that you were happy with all the arrangements and accommodations, and we take your comments about the sightseeing tour on board. It was my pleasure to assist you! And I hope you get the chance to come back and do the Staffa boat tour one day. Best wishes, Sine Nielsen





Trip of a Lifetime Through Scotland
We enjoyed a wonderful trip through Scotland. Absolute Escapes organized everything and all we had to do was travel and enjoy. All of the places we stayed were very nice. Our car was great and the route they selected was just what we wanted.
We enjoyed a wonderful trip through Scotland. Absolute Escapes organized everything and all we had to do was travel and enjoy. All of the places we stayed were very nice. Our car was great and the route they selected was just what we wanted.
Rating for tour operator:




We did not actually have an operator--just people that organized the trip for us.
Thank you very much for taking the time to leave us a review, Pam. It means the world to the team at Absolute Escapes to hear that you had a trip of a lifetime driving through Scotland! Thank you also for the wonderful photos and positive feedback on our services and selection of accommodation. We hope the stunning weather and fond memories will tempt you back to Scotland one day. Best wishes, Sine Nielsen





Taste of the Islands!
Weather fabulous, accommodation very good, very hospitable hosts - especially Jim in Bowmore who ferried us every evening to different restaurants and collected us. Above and beyond the call of duty! Some wonderful meals and of course some great single malts! Our French relations were delighted. We may do another trip with you perhaps next year, to include Mull and maybe Skye.
Weather fabulous, accommodation very good, very hospitable hosts - especially Jim in Bowmore who ferried us every evening to different restaurants and collected us. Above and beyond the call of duty! Some wonderful meals and of course some great single malts! Our French relations were delighted. We may do another trip with you perhaps next year, to include Mull and maybe Skye.
Rating for tour operator:




Veri efficient, everything worked smoothly.
Thank you very much for your feedback, David. It sounds like you had a wonderful time touring Oban, Islay and Arran - some of our favourite whisky destinations! We're delighted you had such a terrific experience (even the weather played ball!), and we'll certainly pass on your kind words to Jim at Bowmore House. Please don't hesitate to get in contact if you do decide to visit Mull and Skye one day, it'd be a pleasure to assist you again. Best Wishes, Sine Nielsen





Exploring Inner Hebrides of Scotland
Absolute Escapes set up a trip where we rented a car in Glasgow and explored the Isle of Mull and Isle of Skye by driving and ferry rides. The trip was planned perfectly, we had just enough time in each place and all the travel was manageable and scenic. Every bed and breakfast booked for us was amazing, with great locations and lovely local owners who were very friendly and helpful. The only disappointment is that sometimes the written driving ...
Absolute Escapes set up a trip where we rented a car in Glasgow and explored the Isle of Mull and Isle of Skye by driving and ferry rides. The trip was planned perfectly, we had just enough time in each place and all the travel was manageable and scenic. Every bed and breakfast booked for us was amazing, with great locations and lovely local owners who were very friendly and helpful. The only disappointment is that sometimes the written driving directions provided were wither incorrect or limited, but they provided us with a map so we were able to find our own way. Also, we wanted to spend some time in Edinburgh at the end of the trip, but we didn't realize that the journey to get to Edinburgh on our last day took the entire day, so we only got to enjoy the city for a few hours. But that was mainly poor planning on our part, and overall we were extremely happy with the Absolute Escapes trip!
Rating for tour operator:




We did not have a tour guide, we traveled by ourselves. But the advance work done by Absolute Escapes as our tour operator was well worth it for us. The time and headache saved on researching places to stay and travel routes was considerable, and then they saved us more time by making all the bookings for us. For example, we didn't have to spend hours reading consumer reviews to know which B&B to trust.
Thank you so much for your kind comments Susan, and the fabulous photos you sent us. It looks like you and Gabby had an amazing trip, despite the very changeable Scottish weather! We are glad to hear that our services helped everything to run smoothly throughout your trip, and we hope to hear from you again in the future. Best wishes, Freya Burns.





West Highland Way Hiking experience
We had a fantastic time doing the west highland way with absolute escapes and would recommend this company to anyone, excellent customer care
We had a fantastic time doing the west highland way with absolute escapes and would recommend this company to anyone, excellent customer care
Rating for tour operator:




Absolute escapes were fantastic. Life was made asy with the team and their attention to detail was outstanding
Many many thanks for your kind words Mark, and we're so pleased to hear you had such a great experience on the West Highland Way and that our service met your needs.
We very much hope that you will consider coming back to us again in the future and enjoy another memorable experience. Warmest regards, Amanda MacDonald





Waling The West Highland Way -- Scotland with Rest Day in Ft William for time to climb Ben Nevis.
Absolute Escapes
Absolute Escapes
Rating for tour operator:




Absolute was very helpful in developing an itinerary, and after that everything went so smoothly I didn't know they existed.
Many thanks for taking the time to give us some feedback, John. It is much appreciated and I'm happy to hear the trip went smoothly and that our service was helpful and efficient. We hope we can tempt you back in the future to go on another adventure with Absolute Escapes. Best wishes, Amanda