Sustainability

Rather than make sweeping promises about saving the planet, here's an honest account of what we actually do, and where we're still figuring things out.

Small groups mean less impact

This one isn't something we added as an afterthought. Small groups are just how we operate. With a maximum of 16 passengers per tour, we put fewer vehicles on the road, create less pressure on the villages and sites we visit, and avoid adding to the overtourism problem that affects some of Britain's most loved places.

It's not the whole answer, but it's a meaningful part of it.

We choose local wherever we can

On our multi-day tours, we book independent and family-run hotels rather than large chains, and we point passengers towards local restaurants, cafés and producers along the way.

The money spent on tour stays closer to the communities that look after these places, which matters more to us than a corporate sustainability badge.

Offsetting our footprint

We know our minibuses aren't zero-emission, and we're not going to pretend otherwise. That said, one minibus carrying 16 people uses considerably less fuel per passenger than 16 people driving separately, and we support tree-planting projects to offset the carbon footprint of our tours.

It's a practical step that we think is more honest than doing nothing while we wait for perfect solutions.

What we ask of passengers

Our guides will always mention this along the way, not as a lecture, but because they genuinely care about the places they're showing you.

• Bring a reusable water bottle.
• Stick to paths.
• Don't pick the wildflowers.
• Leave the villages as you found them.

Where we're not there yet

Fully electric minibuses capable of rural multi-day routes aren't a practical reality for us right now. We'd rather be honest about that than claim otherwise. It's something we're watching closely as the options develop.