Custom travel specialist Audley Travel has added new European destinations for clients to explore in the coming year, including Madeira (Portugal), lesser-explored Cycladic Islands (Greece), year-round Northern Spain, as well as additions in the United Kingdom spanning Wales, Cornwall and Scotland.  

More to explore in the UK

Audley has expanded its UK offering (previously focused on the south of England as well as the cities and countryside of Scotland and Northern Ireland). The program now includes Wales (the fourth and final country that makes up the UK to be featured by Audley), Cornwall in the south-west of England and the Outer Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland in Scotland’s far north, allowing travelers to travel across the United Kingdom on their custom vacation.

Wales

Audley’s specialists recommend a self-drive trip through picture-perfect villages, majestic mountain ranges and ancient ruins in the north, and rolling hills and sandy beaches in the south. Suggested touring includes a traditional steam train through the foothills of Mount Snowdon, canoeing across Britain's highest aqueduct, Pontcysyllte and walking the pretty streets of the UK's smallest city, St Davids, with a visit to the 6th-century cathedral.

An 11-day custom Self-drive tour of Wales costs from $4,895 per person (based on two sharing) and includes transfers, fully insured rental car, excursions and accommodations. 855-435-1768 / www.audleytravel.com/us/united-kingdom

Cornwall

With a local driver-guide at the helm, clients will journey into the most southwesterly corner of the UK, discovering smugglers' coves, wild moorland and golden beaches. Audley’s suggested itinerary sees clients join a wildlife research cruise from Falmouth with a marine biologist looking for elusive wildlife, meeting local food producers at a community farmer's market in Truro and walking or cycling the route of a 19th-century industrial railway from Padstow.

An 11-day custom Corners of Cornwall itinerary costs from $14,495 per person (based on two sharing) and includes transfers, excursions and accommodations. 855-435-1768 / www.audleytravel.com/us/united-kingdom

Outer Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland

A visit to the Outer Hebrides in the far corner of Scotland is rewarded with untamed landscapes, white-sand beaches, and diverse wildlife. Clients can also explore the remote Shetland and Orkney Islands, encountering elusive wildlife from both land and sea as part of a self-drive journey.

Audley’s specialists recommend visiting the Isle of Skye in the Inner Hebrides, home of the Old Man of Storr and enchanting fairy pools. In the Outer Hebrides they will sample Isle of Harris gin at the world-famous distillery in Tarbert and visit untouched beaches, ancient standing stones, and traditional blackhouses across the Isles of Lewis & Harris. Wildlife lovers will enjoy a private tour with a wildlife photographer in search of golden eagles, sea otters, and red deer.

In the Shetland and Orkney Islands, clients learn about native breeds of the islands on a visit to a remote family-run working croft (small farm), take a guided wildlife walk through the dramatic landscape of Orkney and sail in the Noss National Nature Reserve in pursuit of seabirds on a boat trip from Lerwick.

A nine-day custom Self-drive tour of the Outer Hebrides costs from $4,695 per person, and a 11-day Highlights of The Shetland & Orkney Islands trip costs from $8,395 per person (based on two sharing) and each includes a fully insured rental car, ferry tickets, transfers, excursions and accommodations. 855-435-1768 / www.audleytravel.com/us/united-kingdom

Lesser-visited northern Spain

Audley has expanded its Spanish offering to include Galicia and Asturias in northern Spain. The temperatures are a lot cooler than other parts of the country meaning travel is comfortable year-round (although the winters can be wet).

Galicia

Tucked above Portugal in a northern corner of Spain, Galicia is embraced by the Atlantic Ocean where waves break on brilliant-white beaches, valleys roll down to the sea and ancient trails crisscross through lush forests to Santiago de Compostela.  This less-visited corner of Spain is steeped in history and culture, from medieval towns to modern art museums, and the coastline is filled with ancient port cities and gastronomy. With a climate of mild winters and warm summers, Galicia is a region open to visitors year-round.

 
Asturias

A luscious province on the northern coast of Spain, Asturias sits between the Cantabrian mountains and the deep blue waters of the Atlantic and is a compact region with a lot to offer. Home to varied landscapes from dense forests to sandy beaches, as well as cities rich in history, its isolated location means it has a language, climate, and culture that’s distinct from the rest of the country. Visitors will find cities with lively nightlife scenes, rural fishing villages and pristine beaches in secluded bays.

Audley’s specialists recommend a vacation that features five-days hiking the Camino de Santiago from Sarria to Santiago de Compostela along 115 km (71 miles) of ancient pilgrim routes steeped in historical importance and spiritual significance.  The route travels around mountains, through deep river valleys, and remote stone villages. Audley arranges comfortable accommodations each night, with luggage transported by road. Clients collect daily stamps for their Credencial del Peregrino (Pilgrim Passport) along the route, proving the pilgrimage and receiving the official Compostela certificate on arrival in Santiago.

 A 10-day custom Northern Spain on foot: Camino de Santiago itinerary costs from $4,340 per person (based on two sharing) and includes transfers, excursions and accommodations. 855-435-1768 / www.audleytravel.com/us/spain

More European islands to explore

Also new for Audley this year are Madeira, Portugal and two lesser-visited Cycladic Islands, Greece.

In Madeira, Audley recommends clients learn to cook traditional Madeiran dishes at a traditional Quinta, sample fine wine and food at a family-run winery and discover traditional Madeira via a private jeep safari.

Audley suggests combining Madeira with a visit to The Azores, with a 10-day custom Portugal island hopping: The Azores & Madeira itinerary that costs from $7,560 per person (based on two sharing) and includes flight between the islands, transfers, excursions and accommodations. 855-435-1768 / www.audleytravel.com/us/portugal

Audley’s offering in Greece has expanded to include some of the lesser visited Cycladic Islands, Syros and Tinos. Home to classic Greek architecture, hidden beaches, laid-back village life and rugged landscapes, these islands deliver vacations away from the crowds. On Syros, clients admire the neoclassical and Venetian architecture of Ermoupoli and take a food tour, visiting small-scale producers and enjoying a traditional Syros welcome in their local guide’s home. Tinos is best known for its villages, and Audley arranges for clients to visit a selection including Pyrgos, best known for its marble production and Volax, unique with huge boulder formations that dot the valley.

Audley recommends pairing the islands with time on the mainland, first in Athens and ending the trip on the Athens Riviera. An 11-day custom Cycladic Islands beyond the crowds: Athens, Syros and Tinos itinerary costs from $9,060 per person (based on two sharing) and includes transfers, excursions and accommodations. 855-435-1768 / www.audleytravel.com/us/greece

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