You may have already read about the new ePassport gates at UK ports and airports but just in case you missed it, this significant improvement in the ease of access is my top story.

In earlier issues of my Inside Track, I’ve encouraged you to think of spending more time in the English countryside before reaching London and this week, I’ve created a new tour which starts in Oxford before spending 3 nights in an English castle, once owned by king Henry VIII and now a very luxurious hotel.  Because of increased interest, I’ve also flagged up a late March/early April Cornwall garden tour which many of your garden/Doc Martin and Poldark-loving customers have probably not seen before.

I’ve also included a link to a recent Britain Insider column on the Viking city of York and have added a nice touch to my Cotswolds Tea Room Tour which works very well for smaller numbers of 2-6 people.

Finally, my Essentially English Experience tour will appeal to anglophile clients before or after sailing in or out of Southampton.

Easier UK Access

In case you’ve not spotted this bit of good news in the travel trade press, US and Canadian citizens can use ePassport gates which will improve the flow of passengers and give them easier and faster access to the UK.  Eligible nationals will be exempt from the landing card requirement, providing faster access through the border.  Look here for more information.

Tudor Magnificence

This new tour starts with a couple of nights in Oxford.  It’s then followed by a scenic swing though the Cotswolds to the Thornbury Castle Hotel, a fantastic base for some interesting local visits plus a day in Cardiff, Wales’ capital city and a day in the historic city of Bath.  It can double up as a fabulous pre or post cruise extension.  Read more

Cornwall For Green Fingered Clients

I’m attracting some serious interest in the idea of a late March/early April Cornwall Garden Tour.  With some shoulder season airfares, visits to stunning gardens, a day at the Cornwall Garden Society’s Spring Flower Show, a dash of Doc Martin, Poldark, some Arthurian legends and at least one Cream Tea, your gardening contacts probably won’t have seen a tour like this before.  Read more

Discover York

Reading about the new Azuma trains linking London and York (more space for extra comfort in Standard and First Class), it inspired me to write a Britain Insider column for the Insider Travel Report.  Take a look and learn about the expanded York Pass, the York Cookery School, Betty’s Tea Room’s centenary, the pop-up Elizabethan theatre and the York Early Music Festival.

Everything Stops For Tea

This slower-goers, Cotswolds-based tour includes morning coffee and English Afternoon Tea in interesting locations and some personal recommendations for off the beaten track pub lunches.  Until 22^nd September 2019, I can also include ‘A Tea Journey’ exhibition at the award-winning Compton Verney Art Gallery which takes you on a plant to pot journey from its roots in China to its importance in British society. Read more

An Essentially English Experience

On London’s doorstep and just 35 minutes from Heathrow and just off the main route between London and Southampton, the cathedral city of Guildford, makes a great hub for a 2-3 night cruise add-on.  Don’t miss the RHS Flagship garden at Wisley, the home of motorsport and aviation at Brooklands Museum, and Watts’ Gallery: Artists’ Village with its Gallery, chapel, artist’s home and studio. Read more