My husband and I are big Rick fans and we wanted to do a tour of the Lake District. We were concerned about driving, so we took a small bus tour (no more than 16 people in a Mercedes van). It was terrific. It was 4 nights, 5 days. We went to many of the places that were on Rick's recommendation list and many more. The tour company was Go Tours out of England. It is a newer company and the owners are working hard to make it a perfect trip. The age of the travelers were in their 60s. We had a great time. We covered 900 miles in 5 days. Sounds like a lot, but the biggest drives were leaving from London and returning from London.
We stopped every hour and a half the first day and had sufficient time in places. For instance, the first stop out of London was Cambridge. As Rick suggested, we went punting along the canal in Cambridge. Anyway, it was a great tour. Saw Beatrix Potter's home where she got her inspiration, saw William Wordsworth's home, Chatsworth Castle, Sizemrgh Castle, stayed in Bowness on Lake Windermere. Was lovely. I hope more folks will look into Go Tours. Made traveling to the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales so easy. The driving in England can be nerve wracking if you're not used to driving on the opposite side of the road.