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Villages of South England Tour

Noticed that a few people mentioned slippery stairs, uneven and no railings. Wondering how common this is on this tour?

Posted by
108 posts

I went this tour last summer - I do not remember any slippery stairs, uneven stairs, or no railings in any of the hotels I stayed in. We did visit Tintagel Castle on a rainy day so the stone steps up to the Castle were slippery, but there was a very sturdy handrail to hang on to. Can you be more specific about your concerns?

Posted by
6264 posts

Tintagel Castle, St. Michael's Mount... Those two were the most challenging. We were at St Michael's Mount on a blustery, rainy day, and yes, the steps were slippery. At Tintagel at least one of our group used walking poles, and a few others probably envied her them.

The tin mine, also, was uneven ground, with very low ceilings. Then, at least two of the other activities, Beachy Head and the Dartmoor walk, were on fairly rough ground; imagine walking across a meadow or pasture with no walking trail. Not difficult, but not paved.

There was also a rocky climb on Dartmoor that was optional; some folks climbed part way up the hill, some all the way; others declined. Oh, the Corfe Castle outing was also rugged.

Unless you have serious mobility issues, this trip should be doable. It is a wonderful tour, by the way; one of my favorites. If you're uneasy about it, call the Rick Steves office. They do not want unhappy tour members, so they should be able to guide you. So to speak.

Edit to add: You might want to move this thread to the Rick Steves Tours section of the Forum; you'll probably get more responses there.

Posted by
528 posts

I can answer that question as I was on the same tour with Jane. It was May 9-21, the first tour of the reboot. It was a blast and I agree with Jane’s comments concerning the tour. The wet blustery weather and the stone walkway on St. Michael's Mount made for a slippery climb.

Posted by
16893 posts

We were at St. Michael's Mount on a dry day but I would basically call their uphill path "unrestored." Although people did do it with babies on back and older folks with canes, it took time to navigate the uneven paving stones. (They have a modern road for the residents' use, but not for visitors.) This is how they describe it on their site:

Ancient, rugged and steep, some parts of the island and castle can be tricky to navigate if you have limited mobility. Paths around the island are steep, cobbled and uneven with no handrails. Unfortunately, it’s not possible to take a wheelchair up to the Mount summit and if you are walking, sensible footwear is recommended.

Posted by
6264 posts

I'll second the notion of sensible footwear. I took one pair of shoes on that tour that were sturdier than what I usually take, and was glad I had.

Posted by
6 posts

Thank you all for your responses. We are older and in good shape, hike often and no physical limitations and have been on 4 Rick Steve's trips so know to pack light or suffer the consequences but slippery, no railings etc. was a concern. Thanks again. Donna

Posted by
1103 posts

We were on this tour in May 2017. The only time we felt that footing was tricky or dangerous was at Tintagel in the pouring rain. Some members of our tour group chose not to hike all the way up to the top of the cliffs.

Posted by
2252 posts

I don't remember any issues with footing or lack of hand rails anywhere on this tour. We went mid September (the first year it was offered) and didn't have any rain; eerie mist on the Moors, though-appropriate! Do bring well broken in, comfortable shoes (I always bring 2 pairs, in case of rain..wear the second pair while first pair is drying) with good tread.