FAQ's and Holiday Planner
HOW TO MAKE A BOOKING
To make a booking and check availability, please go to our "Make a Booking" page. Our normal office hours are 9.00 am to 5.00 pm Mon – Sat. Alternatively telephone direct on (UK) 01568 770755.
A deposit of £75pp(short breaks) or £150pp is due when the booking is confirmed. Payment can made by card and internet banking. You will receive a detailed invoice with payment links, and bank details, by e-mail.
As soon as your deposit has been received , we will email your information pack together with your final invoice. This will include details of your accommodation, itinerary, directions of how to get here and local information, e.g. events, places to visit etc. Also useful ideas on what to wear and what to bring with you.
Full payment is due 12 weeks before the start of your holiday.
Overseas booking fee. We do charge a small overseas booking fee, to cover extra banking and administration costs. The fee is £45 per booking.
Late Bookings - If you wish to book your holiday within twelve weeks of your start date, the full holiday cost will be due at the time of booking
THE PRICE OF YOUR HOLIDAY INCLUDES:
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All accommodation - bed and full English breakfast. With a choice of staying in guesthouse/farmhouse accommodation or hotels and inns.
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All your luggage transported between each night’s accommodation.
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Quality bikes and equipment (pannier to carry your picnic, lock, helmet, gel covers, etc).
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Unique detailed route guides and Ordnance Survey maps to show the best route from each day’s accommodation.
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Full back up service for any emergencies and problems
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Safe and secure parking at Petchfield Farm.
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Based on two adults sharing a room & luggage transfers.
CHOOSING YOUR ACCOMMODATION
We’ve introduced a choice of accommodation on all our cycling and walking holidays. You can choose to stay at either guesthouse accommodation or hotels and inns. They all have very different characters.
Guesthouse/ Farmhouse:
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A warm welcome
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Historic houses – every one is different
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Your hosts have all the local knowledge.
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Small number of guest rooms – usually 3-4 rooms
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Ensuite or private bathrooms
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Choice of places to eat (inns & restaurants within walking distance).
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Typically graded 3-5 stars by Visit Britain (some with gold awards)
Hotels & Country Inns:
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Friendly hotels & staff – often family run – but definitely no big hotel chains
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Ensuite rooms guaranteed
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Historic country houses & coaching inns
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Comfortable bars
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Award winning restaurants (you can chose to include evening meals on selected holidays)
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Most are in small towns with a choice of other places to eat within walking distance.
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Full hotel facilities & lounges (some of the small inns may not have this)
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Typically graded 3-4 stars by the AA/ Visit Britain
Your choice of rooms. What type of rooms will suit you and your group best?
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Double room - one double bed
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Twin room - two beds
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Family room - a double and a single bed.
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Family suite – a double room with an adjoining twin or single room.
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Single rooms - are sometimes available, but a twin or double is normally booked for a single occupant.
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All rooms have either ensuite or private bathroom facilities.
HOLIDAY PLANNER (all the other details you need to know)
Start Dates. Don’t forget you can start your holiday on any day of the week.
Extra nights. If you would like an extra night at the beginning or end of your holiday, just let us know at the time of booking.
What time should you arrive at Petchfield Farm.
We agree a holiday start time with you, when we confirm the booking. This can be either 9am, 10am, 11am or 12 noon. Always let us know if you are delayed. Your itinerary will give you more information. You may like a local overnight stay in Ludlow before you start your holiday.
Car parking. There is plenty of safe parking space at Petchfield Farm - where you leave your car on the first day of your holiday.
Fitting the bikes. We always ask you for your height when you book a holiday, we can then reserve the correct size bicycle for you. On the day you pick your bicycles up, they are carefully fitted to you. This ensures a comfortable few days cycling. If you want to use a mountain bike or tandem, please let us know when you book.
Special Diets and other requirements. Special diets are no problem; just let us know at the time of booking. We have lots of ways of adapting bicycles - if you think for some reason you may not be able to cycle just give us a call.
Evening Meals. All your overnight stops are within easy walking distance of a restaurant or inn. Most places start serving food from about 6.30pm & finish at 9pm.
Child Prices & Family Groups. We offer a child price, for children under 16 years, and children under 12 years, on some of our holidays. This is based on sharing a family room or family suite with two adults. (See child price list) If you prefer, older children can be accommodated in their own room throughout the holiday at a small extra cost.
Solo Travellers. Our holidays are not organised into groups. If you are thinking of booking a holiday by yourself, there is a strong possibility that you will by cycling on your own. We generally book you into single ensuite rooms or spacious double rooms in welcoming B&Bs. We do charge a supplement (see solo price list) to cover the cost of accommodation & luggage transfers which is normally shared between two people.
Back up for Emergencies. Wherever you are, we will always help as soon as possible, fix bikes etc and get you on your way again. It doesn’t happen very often, but it’s a very reassuring service for all our customers.
How to Get Here. Look at our travel page for lots of helpful advice
BIKES AND EQUIPMENT
All bikes and equipment are included in these holidays, but if you’ve a favourite saddle, or special pedals, do bring them along and we will fit them for you.
Our Bikes: We use some excellent bikes made by Trek for all our cycling holidays. They’ve all been specifically designed for road cycling (but also cope with tracks, with care). We think they are brilliant ...not only really well made & easy to maintain but above all a real pleasure to ride. In fact lots of customers return home and go out and buy one from their local shop.
E-bikes: If you feel you may need some extra assistance up some of those hills, ask for our electric bike option. Perfect for all our "Easy" and "Easy/Moderate" cycling holidays.
Children's bikes & trailers. We have a wide range of children’s bikes, child seats and attachments. Buggies - for children aged 2 yrs to 4 yrs. Towed by the parent, weatherproof & great fun for the child… plenty of room for picnics & other essentials.
Tag-along bikes (with gears and light weight Reynolds Tubing) for children aged 4 yrs to 8 yrs. Attaches to the adult bike turning it into a “Tandem”. The child pedals & helps cycle … but if they get tired you can tow them. It’s very popular because by 4 yrs they are fed up with the child seat & want more action…. But you have complete control over their activity on the road!
Tandems. Why not try a tandem for a cycling holiday? Great fun and very fast on the flat. Also ideal if your partner is unsure about their cycling ability. If you haven’t used a tandem before, we give you plenty of guidance
Mountain Bikes. If you would prefer to use mountain bikes, let us know. These are ideal for off road cycling, but there are no racks or mudguards fitted. 21 gears, aluminium tubing, front suspension and very trendy
Gel covers. All the bikes have really comfortable saddles. But if you want extra padding, let us know & we will fit you with a gel cover!
Panniers. We send you off with a day pannier each - just the right size for the essentials - we carry the rest.
Cycle Safety Helmets, not compulsory, but recommended. We recommend you bring your own helmet, but we have helmets available for customer use, if you don't have the space to bring your own.
Slime. We put “Slime” in all our inner tubes; this helps to prevent 90% of all known punctures. We think its great stuff - but don’t forget we will always come out and rescue you.
Locks & security. Each bike is supplied with a lock (and key). Always make sure your bike is locked securely. Overnight all bikes are locked into a secure building at your accommodation.
Own bikes. If you prefer to use your own bikes, then feel free to bring them along. We will check them over before you start off on your trip… and still come and rescue you if it breaks down. We give you a small discount (£10 per day) if you bring your own bikes.
Saddles and pedals. We have really comfy saddles and standard pedals. You are welcome to bring your own saddle or cleated pedals and we will change them over for you.
Maps and route guides. For all our holidays we specialise in providing unique maps and route guides. Routes are described in great detail and also show lots of places of interest, local history & refreshment stops.
Map carriers: For the cycling holidays maps are carried in the front handlebar bags, making it easy to read at all times. On Walking holidays you have a special pouch to hold the maps, route guide & compass
ROUTE GRADINGS
How difficult are the cycle routes? How long does it take to cycle? Most people average 5mph over a day including stops (10 mph without stops), so 30 miles takes about 6 hours. Giving you plenty of time for morning coffee, and looking at castles, etc. Here is a description of the route gradings:
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Easy - averaging 15-25 miles per day, over easy terrain, suitable for all abilities. If there are hills then we choose the easy way up.
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Moderate - averaging 20-35 miles per day, with some hills. On the week long tours, there is usually one more challenging day in the middle of the tour with a cycle ride of 35 - 40 miles.
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Challenging - Up to 40-60 miles per day, with more hills, about 6 - 8 hours cycling, you will feel tired at the end of the day. Less time for sightseeing.
