AITO: The Association of Independent Tour Operators
Absolute Escapes

Absolute Escapes Traveller Reviews

Reviews of Absolute Escapes

Overall Company Rating
99%
Excellent 778
Good 22
Average 4
Poor 1
Terrible 0
Reviews Submitted: 805
Reviews Accepted: 805
Reviews Rejected: 0
805 reviews
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Absolute Escapes by Ray, 13 Sep 2015
Holiday Rating:

First Rate

Absolute Escapes did an outstanding job of coordinating three distinct tours for us. While I was walking the Great Glen Way, my wife was touring out of London visiting Cotswold, Bath and Wales among others. Upon completing my walk, my wife and I reunited in Edinburgh for the third leg of our holiday...a driving touring of Scotland. Our only regret was that we wished we had had more time in each of the locations on our driving tour. Every component ...

Absolute Escapes did an outstanding job of coordinating three distinct tours for us. While I was walking the Great Glen Way, my wife was touring out of London visiting Cotswold, Bath and Wales among others. Upon completing my walk, my wife and I reunited in Edinburgh for the third leg of our holiday...a driving touring of Scotland. Our only regret was that we wished we had had more time in each of the locations on our driving tour. Every component of our holiday was expertly handled. Accommodations were exactly as we had requested and the detailed itinerary was spot on in terms of suggested activities and points of interest.

Rating for tour operator:

AE was very thorough from our initial contact. All questions were responded to in a very timely manner. Our accommodations were exactly as we had anticipated and the itinerary was very comprehensive. The suggested activities and points of interest were exactly what we had hope for. We would unquestionably use AE again and would recommend them without reservation.

Absolute Escapes responded to this review on 22 Sep 2015:

Thank you very much for your kind words, Raymond. We greatly appreciate you taking the time to leave a review, and we are thrilled that you had such an enjoyable time exploring Scotland. Scott Smyth

Absolute Escapes by Jan from Holland, 13 Sep 2015
Holiday Rating:

a very inspiring walk from Milngavie to Fort William

We walked the 150 km of the West Higland Way in 7 days and enjoyed every minute of it! The wonderful views as well as the very hospitable B&B's and Hotels made our walking holiday very inspiring!

We walked the 150 km of the West Higland Way in 7 days and enjoyed every minute of it! The wonderful views as well as the very hospitable B&B's and Hotels made our walking holiday very inspiring!

Rating for tour operator:

Our tour operator did organise this trip on an excellent way! Their personalized itinerary was very good and by telephone they were very kind with a good service!

Absolute Escapes responded to this review on 22 Sep 2015:

Thank you for your review Jan, and we're delighted that you had such a great experience on the West Highland Way. Scott Smyth

Absolute Escapes by marmalade, 13 Sep 2015
Holiday Rating:

Experiencing the Outer Hebrides with fabulous options

The trip was very well organised and provided me with lots of options to walk and drive to maximise my experience. the ferry crossings really added to the overall holiday providing wonderful arriving and departing events to each island. The bed and breakfast venues were exceptional both in friendliness, location, amenity and not to be left out ...food. The tour gave me a taste for the islands and left me wanting to come back and spend more ...

The trip was very well organised and provided me with lots of options to walk and drive to maximise my experience. the ferry crossings really added to the overall holiday providing wonderful arriving and departing events to each island. The bed and breakfast venues were exceptional both in friendliness, location, amenity and not to be left out ...food. The tour gave me a taste for the islands and left me wanting to come back and spend more time in the future.

Rating for tour operator:

Absolute Escapes were well organised and responsive to emails. Things happened as stated.

Absolute Escapes responded to this review on 22 Sep 2015:

Thank you for your review and kind comments. We were delighted to hear that you enjoyed your time on the Scottish islands so much, and please don't hesitate to contact us again if we can help with plans in the future to come back and explore some more! Scott Smyth

Absolute Escapes by Happy tramper, 13 Sep 2015
Holiday Rating:

Great journey on the Dales Way

Three senior citizens walked the Dales Way at a sensible pace over 8 days. We were blessed with good weather; only 90 minutes of rain. We enjoyed wonderful scenery, friendly hosts plus good food & beer. Good walking boots, layers of clothing and emergency provisions are a must. We always find that walking poles are a wise addition. A bonus for us was the book town of Sedbergh were we spent a happy afternoon browsing & buying.

Three senior citizens walked the Dales Way at a sensible pace over 8 days. We were blessed with good weather; only 90 minutes of rain. We enjoyed wonderful scenery, friendly hosts plus good food & beer. Good walking boots, layers of clothing and emergency provisions are a must. We always find that walking poles are a wise addition. A bonus for us was the book town of Sedbergh were we spent a happy afternoon browsing & buying.

Rating for tour operator:

We booked again with Absolute Escapes as last year they organised our brilliant West Highland Way walk. Again they facilitated an excellent holiday. They transported our luggage, booked all our accommodation and provided our route maps and guidance. Highly recommended.

Absolute Escapes responded to this review on 22 Sep 2015:

A huge thanks for taking the time to leave such a glowing review. I walked the Dales Way myself last month and I am so pleased that you enjoyed it as much as I did. Sedbergh was also our favourite stopover - what a beautiful little town. Please don't hesitate to get in touch if we can arrange another walking holiday in the future for you - we'd be delighted to help. Scott Smyth

Absolute Escapes by Mr M C 15, 13 Sep 2015
Holiday Rating:

Walk by as many Distilleries as you can ;)

We did a seven day walk along the Speyside way, including the Tomintoul Spur, followed by two days in Aviemore. Unfortunately the wheather didn't allow any hikes in the Cairngorm mountains. However, the many excellent drams we experienced at the distilleries of Aberlour, Glenfiddich, Macallan, Cardhu, Cragganmore, Glenlivet, Tomatin and Dalwhinnie made it a great trip none the less.

We did a seven day walk along the Speyside way, including the Tomintoul Spur, followed by two days in Aviemore. Unfortunately the wheather didn't allow any hikes in the Cairngorm mountains. However, the many excellent drams we experienced at the distilleries of Aberlour, Glenfiddich, Macallan, Cardhu, Cragganmore, Glenlivet, Tomatin and Dalwhinnie made it a great trip none the less.

Rating for tour operator:

Excellent communication and tailor made trip. We were very happy with the accommodations and information material. For future visitors to Cardhu distillery it would be helpful if the maps were more accurate.

Absolute Escapes responded to this review on 22 Sep 2015:

Thank you for your review, and I am very pleased that you enjoyed your time on the Speyside Way. Beautiful scenery and whisky is a great combination! Scott Smyth

Absolute Escapes by Allan092015, 12 Sep 2015
Holiday Rating:

Excellent holiday around Scotland

The travelling was easy and the accommodations excellent in every case. Scenery is spectacular and the travel distances and times are easily managed. In all cases our B&B hosts were friendly and helpful and had excellent local knowledge for us tourists. We had a wonderful time and would happily recommend Absolute Escapes.

The travelling was easy and the accommodations excellent in every case. Scenery is spectacular and the travel distances and times are easily managed. In all cases our B&B hosts were friendly and helpful and had excellent local knowledge for us tourists. We had a wonderful time and would happily recommend Absolute Escapes.

Rating for tour operator:

Arranged trip by internet and email which went very smoothly including delivery of documents to our hotel when we arrived in Edinburgh as we left Australia before they could be couriered to us. Absolute Escapes kept us informed by email promptly when there were a couple of alterations to the Jacobite Express seating and one change to the accommodations was necessary, the new place exceeded our expectations. Only minor niggle was instructions were lacking for the use of the Freedom of Scotland Travel Card, there is a requirement that the user must fill in the first date of travel prior to having their ticket inspected otherwise regulations state that if left blank they can penalise you one days travel. This did not happen to us but was mentioned.. Also the train from Edinburgh changeover at Glasgow is not Glasgow Central Station but Glasgow Queen Street just around the corner only a 5 minute walk, different trains from leave from Edinburgh so if you have a limited departure window be aware of this.

Absolute Escapes responded to this review on 22 Sep 2015:

Thank you very much for taking the time to leave a review, Allan - we really do appreciate your kind words. Thank you too for your valuable feedback with regards to validating the Freedom of Scotland pass - we will be sure to make this clearer in our notes in the future. Thank you once again for choosing Absolute Escapes! Scott Smyth

Absolute Escapes by LG, 12 Sep 2015
Holiday Rating:

Great walking holiday

We spent 8 days walking the west highland way.It was my 50th Birthday and this was something I wanted to do for awhile, so decided it was a great way to mark turnibg 50.

We spent 8 days walking the west highland way.It was my 50th Birthday and this was something I wanted to do for awhile, so decided it was a great way to mark turnibg 50.

Rating for tour operator:

They handled all the bookings and everthing went like clockwork. We had no issues during our week and we received lots if useful information from them as well as maps guide book.

Absolute Escapes responded to this review on 16 Sep 2015:

Thank you very much for taking the time to leave a review, Leisa, and many happy returns on your 50th birthday! We're delighted that you enjoyed walking the West Highland Way so much - what a unique and fantastic way to celebrate your birthday! Scott Smyth

Absolute Escapes by steveholleyuk, 11 Sep 2015
Holiday Rating:

St Oswalds Way - September 2015. Excellent adventure!

An excellent walk through the very varied unspoilt countryside of Northumberland. Deserted beaches, upland moors, forest and tiny villages. The accommodation with Absolute Escapes was excellent, as was the very worthwhile baggage transfer service. As solo walker in was tad more expensive doing it this way, but well worth it.

An excellent walk through the very varied unspoilt countryside of Northumberland. Deserted beaches, upland moors, forest and tiny villages. The accommodation with Absolute Escapes was excellent, as was the very worthwhile baggage transfer service. As solo walker in was tad more expensive doing it this way, but well worth it.

Rating for tour operator:

Very good walking package provided well before my walk started, no problems with accommodation en route, and generally good communications both before and after the walk. Overall, a very positive experience. Would certainly consider using Absolute again, already looking at next year!

Absolute Escapes responded to this review on 16 Sep 2015:

Thank you for your review and kind comments. We agree that the St Oswald's Way is a fantastic way to enjoy the varied and underrated landscape of Northumberland, and we're delighted that you enjoyed your walk so much! Please don't hesitate to get in touch if we can ever assist you with your future walking plans. Scott Smyth

Absolute Escapes by Massenet, 7 Sep 2015
Holiday Rating:

A great whistle-stop tour of Scotland

Ten days travelling by train, taxi, coach and ferry from Glasgow to Edinburgh via Fort william, Skye, Inverness, Pitlochry and Edinburgh. Surprisingly good weather. Very good standard of guest houses. Though some were a bit far from the town centres. The planning of accomodation and travel was excellent with a very detailed and useful information pack on where to eat and what to see. We were able to prebook theatre at Pitlochry and a ...

Ten days travelling by train, taxi, coach and ferry from Glasgow to Edinburgh via Fort william, Skye, Inverness, Pitlochry and Edinburgh. Surprisingly good weather. Very good standard of guest houses. Though some were a bit far from the town centres. The planning of accomodation and travel was excellent with a very detailed and useful information pack on where to eat and what to see. We were able to prebook theatre at Pitlochry and a concert in Edinburgh.

Rating for tour operator:

We found Absolute Escapes on the internet. They met our expectations; they were efficient, helpful and pleasant throughout.

Absolute Escapes responded to this review on 08 Sep 2015:

Thank you very much for taking the time to leave a review - we were delighted to hear that the arrangements went well and you enjoyed your time in Scotland! Scott Smyth

Absolute Escapes by Mr A D 15, 5 Sep 2015
Holiday Rating:

Absolute Escapes review

From our first contact with Absolute all arrangements tailored to our requirements. Information pack very detailed and included several maps. Excellent service.

From our first contact with Absolute all arrangements tailored to our requirements. Information pack very detailed and included several maps. Excellent service.

Absolute Escapes responded to this review on 16 Sep 2015:

We were thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your time exploring the Kerry Way, Anthony, and thank you very much for taking the time to leave a review. Scott Smyth