Dorset Traveller Reviews

Loved the Dorset scenery, villages, etc. All beautiful. However the weather had been damp early, so the cow paddocks were extremely difficult to walk in. Some of the hills (eg Dorset Cap) were extremely difficult to climb in the mud. The climb along the supposed "carriage track" into Shaftesbury on the first day was so hard, since the track has been washed away! Several tracks were very overgrown. We wonder if the organisers have reviewed the tracks, signposts, etc, in recent times! We had difficulty following some of the instructions. On several occasions, we had to double back once we realised we were "lost". This added distance and time to the walk. On day 5, we started at Mapperton, tried to follow directions, then after an hour, found ourselves walking back into Mapperton! We were advised by the taxi drivers that most people do NOT walk the whole distance of the tour each day, instead they take the shorter options, for the same reasons we did. The last day, coastal route to Lyme Regis, is virtually impossible for people like us. Our young fit daughter walked with us on 1 day, from Cerne Abbas to Evershot, and even she found it difficult in the conditions.

Friendly when we met them before the walk. Didn't explain the difficulties nearly enough.

A self guided tour of SW UK. Excellent hiking terrain through rolling English countryside, quaint small towns, and friendly B&Bs. The latter were all outstanding and two cases exceptional accommodations. The tour was memorable, not only because of the terrain, but the unpredictable English weather. It led us to laughter as we'd switch from winter gear to summer gear in the span of ten minutes. Snow and driving rain to sunshine.

On Foot holidays has been, through hikes that my family and I have taken (Italy twice, Croatia, Spain, French Alps, and now the UK) an outstanding organization. They are professional, caring, organized, detail oriented, and address issues if they were to occur. To get a call letting us know that the B&B operator was going to be 30 minutes late and that they had made arrangements for us, was just outstanding. The self guided tour documents are clear, accurate, and very helpful. I will continue with On Foot Holidays for my next set of hikes. An outstanding organization.

A great walk though a beautiful part of the country (especially in spring when the bluebells are out). Lovely scenery and pretty villages and some interesting old buildings. Good accomodation.

Top quality walking instructions, maps and local information, provided by knowledgeable and enthusiastic staff.

For various reasons we took the risk of walking in late January. Despite a few rainy days and a great deal of mud we had a wonderful time. Various challenges such as rivers that had burst their banks, 'winter bournes' springing out of the hillside, and meadows churned up by the hooves of cattle and sheep, we were endlessly diverted by the ancient churches, manor houses and grand estates, picturesque villages, sweeping views and varied landscapes, contrasting farming styles, old woodlands - and the very first primroses and daffodils. Although we are 78yr and 67yr old we found the route up and down the rounded hills and valleys easily manageable (with walking sticks), while the excellent notes and maps enabled us to relax and enjoy every step of the experience. The deep peace and quiet of places you would never otherwise reach, tucked away among folds of the hills, was a revelation. The choice of overnight accomodation in old inns, pubs and hotels added to our pleasure. We received a warm welcome everywhere, with provision for drying out boots and outer gear, ample homemade food, selections of local beers and ciders, and choice wine lists. The background information on points of interest whet the appetite without being over-whelming.

This is the second time we've booked a holiday through this company (previously walking along the Rhine valley with Australian friends). We highly appreciate the fact that the walking notes are written from the line of sight of the walker and this makes for great ease of reading the route. The notes are presented in short paragraphs, with indicative timings, and this format is a considerable aid to timing one's own progress. The maps provide good back-up information. The fact that someone from the organisation walks the route and uses the accomodation before the main season starts means that the notes are up to date and accurate, the taxi arrangements can be relied on, and that the personnel at the overnight accomodation are ready to welcome warmly even the arrival of wet and muddy walkers. Before we left we found the contact with the operator to be thoroughly professional yet friendly, and the info pack well presented with sufficient but not over-whelming information. We enjoyed meeting one of their staff personally (since their office is in Salisbury where our walk began); and we appreciate that they genuinely welcome the feedback we provided on completion of our walk. We also appreciate the care that is taken to provide alternative routes for some of the stages, and the taxi arrangements that - given the short January days - allowed us to adjust the start point for the longer stages.

This is an absolute gem of a walking holiday through the Dorset countryside, staying at small inns along the way, all organized by OnFoot. They plan the route, give very detailed instructions with points of interest along the way, and move our luggage from point to point each day. This was our fourth walking holiday with OnFoot and they're fantastic, taking us off the beaten track into parts of countries we'd never ordinarily discover and sending us to lovely inns each night. We plan another walk with them in Italy next May.

We have complete confidence in OnFoot, having done four of their walks so far. Extremely reliable, always engaging, prompt response to any questions. Good value for the money. They do a great job.

This was a seven day walking tour on Dorset, built of public footpaths and right of ways between Salisbury and Lyme Regis. Several small villages, a castle, a 14th c. church, a manor house garden, and of course the splendors of the Wessex Ridgeway and the Golden Cap were integrated into the walk.

On Foot Holidays were responsive and thorough in preparing me for the holiday and provided lots of additional services, recommendations, and resources as part of the booking.

My holiday was a walk from Salisbury to Lyme Regis in England. The 7 days included some beautiful villages, farming country and coastline. The walk was well planned and excellent information was provided by On Foot Holidays on the countryside, including the geography and literary associations (e.g. Thomas Hardy's novels). The walk was rated as medium difficulty, which was correct so met my expectations. Each day I walked from about 18 to 25 kilometres. The final day was along the Jurassic Coast, which was magnificent. The destination, Lyme Regis, was a fascinating town and well worth spending an extra day there, which I did.

On Foot Holidays staff were brilliant - very professional and communicative. The booking process was easy. The material to prepare for the walk was sufficiently detailed, arrived very promptly and they were very helpful at all stages. The accommodation booked was extremely comfortable and my luggage always arrived at the destination hotel. This was the second walk I have done with On Foot Holidays, the other being in Tuscany in 2012, and I plan to do more.

My holiday was a walk from Salisbury to Lyme Regis in England. The 7 days included some beautiful villages, farming country and coastline. The walk was well planned and excellent information was provided by On Foot Holidays on the countryside, including the geography and literary associations (e.g. Thomas Hardy's novels). The walk was rated as medium difficulty, which was correct so met my expectations. Each day I walked from about 18 to 25 kilometres. The final day was along the Jurassic Coast, which was magnificent. The destination, Lyme Regis, was a fascinating town and well worth spending an extra day there, which I did.

On Foot Holidays staff were brilliant - very professional and communicative. The booking process was easy. The material to prepare for the walk was sufficiently detailed, arrived very promptly and they were very helpful at all stages. The accommodation booked was extremely comfortable and my luggage always arrived at the destination hotel. This was the second walk I have done with On Foot Holidays, the other being in Tuscany in 2012, and I plan to do more.

We spent 6 days walking from Salisbury to Lyme Regis through gorgeous countryside. We tramped carefree while our luggage was transported between boutique B&B accomodation spots all organised by On Foot. We were so relaxed and liberated by the feeling of freedom from holiday logistics responsibility - we were left free to just set out, follow the paths and keep on walking!

We exchanged many friendly emails with the On Foot team in the months leading up to our holiday, and were delighted to meet Simon and Mary in person on arrival! They were always proactive, organised, helpful and friendly, even taking our calls while we were out on our trip when we needed guidance! We really appreciated how personal and genuine was all contact with the company members.

Self-guided walking from Tisbury to Lyme Regis, plus a couple of nights in Salisbury at the beginning. A gorgeous route!

On Foot Holidays, based in Salisbury--specializing in self-guided walking packages in Europe and UK, where one's luggage is moved by taxi from one B&B or pub to the next, and the traveller walks the route with detailed notes and maps. I like this operator because their routes are carefully chosen and extremely well-researched--you can be confident it won't be a dud.