Profile photo for Nathan Ashby
1169 messages
active 5 days ago

Nathan Ashby

Although I was born and raised in South Wales, my educational background in languages, as well as my fascination with other cultures and ways of life, has led me all over the world. I have spent extensive time in the brightly lit boulevards of Paris and island-hopped in British Columbia in search of one of my favourite animals, the beaver.
I have always been drawn to the road less travelled. For months, I called Andorra home, one of the smallest countries in the world, isolated deep in the Pyrenees mountains, soaking up its unique atmosphere, and I hope to help you find that same sense of discovery should you travel with us.

How did you get involved in travel?

"Last year, as I was preparing to finish my studies, I decided to take a leap and do something I had been thinking about for years: hike the whole length of the Camino de Santiago, an ancient pilgrimage route from the French Pyrenees, across the whole of northern Spain to the ragged cliffs of Galicia in five weeks. More than anything, it made me appreciate the density of culture within Europe. A one-and-a-half-hour drive takes three days on foot, and you can feel the language and culture slowly change with each step, and I realised that I wanted to share that same feeling with others who want to discover everything the United Kingdom, Ireland and France has to offer.

"

Top itineraries and travel advice
Luxury itineraries
Road trip itineraries

Recent trip reviews for Nathan

Slow Trip to Northern IreLand
Ireland | May 27 - Jun 5, 2025

Larry
Larry C.
Atlanta, GA | Reviewed on Jun 06, 2025
Guys,
The trip was great for the most part.
The driver that met us at the Dublin Airport was super, even though the plane was 2.5 hours late.
All the hotels were wonderful! Very high marks indeed!
Now some bad news:
The black taxi tour in Belfast was not in a black taxi but a giant van.
The tour guide, Tony was awesome, but in your itinerary, it was stated to be a three-hour tour. It was only 40 minutes and was rushed as Tony had another tour immediately after us.
Now the really bad...
Read more

Guys,
The trip was great for the most part.
The driver that met us at the Dublin Airport was super, even though the plane was 2.5 hours late.
All the hotels were wonderful! Very high marks indeed!
Now some bad news:
The black taxi tour in Belfast was not in a black taxi but a giant van.
The tour guide, Tony was awesome, but in your itinerary, it was stated to be a three-hour tour. It was only 40 minutes and was rushed as Tony had another tour immediately after us.
Now the really bad part: I will NEVER EVER rent a car from Europcar again! I strongly hope you consider your relationship with them. First, the agent at the Dublin center at the pier, did not speak English very well, he was eastern European we believe, and would not let us talk to someone else. All he did from the moment we walked in the door, was try to upsell us to a luxury car. And the then through intimidation, he tried to upsell us on added insurance. (Had I fell for it the added insurance it would have added more than 1000 Euros to the bill.)
After that he would not help connect my iPhone to the on-board nav, I had to fine a Europcar maintenance guy to help us. (He was nice.) The car we ended up was fine, but we needed to stop EVERY day to fill the tires with air, all four were leaking. We stopped at the Europcar agency in LetterKenny (They were closed, everyone was out for lunch) and Sligo, at least they sent us to a local tire shop that was too busy to work on the car that day, so we took a chance and keep filling the tires. Frankly, Europcar service was totally unacceptable.
All and all a very good trip and we certainly will use Kimkim again.
Thank you so much for a great vacation.
Larry and Pam

Local specialist: Nathan Ashby

Truly a trip of a lifetime
Ireland | May 15 - May 28, 2025

T
Teresa K.
Atlanta, GA | Reviewed on Jun 04, 2025
As soon as we made the decision to visit Europe (Ireland, Wales and England), I realized there was no way we could plan the trip on our own, including transportation, lodging and all the event and site tickets. From the very first time I contacted Routescape, I knew I had found the right team to help us plan our dream trip. Throughout the process, they were responsive and completely focused on listened intently to our likes and dislikes. We love the fact that Routescape partners with... Read more

As soon as we made the decision to visit Europe (Ireland, Wales and England), I realized there was no way we could plan the trip on our own, including transportation, lodging and all the event and site tickets. From the very first time I contacted Routescape, I knew I had found the right team to help us plan our dream trip. Throughout the process, they were responsive and completely focused on listened intently to our likes and dislikes. We love the fact that Routescape partners with historic and unique properties for accommodations. The Wilder Townhouse in Dublin, Bodysgallen Hall in Wales and 11 Cadogan Gardens in London were all charming and very comfortable. They also helped us navigate all the various forms of public transportation (trains, ferry, taxis and private drivers) so we got a true picture of life in Ireland and the United Kingdom. Many thanks go to Nic, Nathan, Kim, Tom and Sue for their excellent customer service as well as the other members of the Routescape team that we didn't talk to but were working behind the scenes. We 100% recommend Routescape to anyone who is considering a travel planning service. We truly could not have done this trip without them!

Hotel Reviews
11 Cadogan Gardens Hotel & Apartments
London

We truly loved our stay at 11 Cadogan Gardens. It was nice to come back to a quieter area (Chelsea) at night after long hours of touring during the day. Being there during the Chelsea Flower Show was an unexpected bonus. Our room was comfortable and well appointed, as was the bathroom. The daily breakfast in Han's was delicious and convenient as well. Thanks so much for a wonderful stay!

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Bodysgallen Hall & Spa
Llandudno

This property is absolutely beautiful and is in such an amazing location. It's so nice and quiet, but a quick drive back into Conwy. It was an honor to have stayed in a National Trust property and to be able to enjoy the restoration and preservation that has been done.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Wilder Townhouse
Dublin

We loved our stay at the Wilder Townhouse. Our room was very comfortable and the staff was courteous and helpful. The daily breakfast was also delicious and convenient. Thanks so much for being a part of our stay in Dublin!

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Irish House Party (Traditional Evening)
Irish House Party (Traditional Evening)
Dublin

We did not enjoy this. The dinner service was painfully slow (more than an hour to get our simple meals) and the food was average at best. The staff seemed to be uninformed about basic requests. We actually left before the music even started. We would not recommend this activity.

Quality of Experience
Food
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Afternoon Tea at Fortnum & Mason
Afternoon Tea at Fortnum & Mason
London

Shopping at Fortnum & Mason and having afternoon tea at the Diamond Jubilee Tea Room was a bucket list item for me and it did not disappoint. Be sure to get reservations for the tea and give yourself plenty of time to shop. F&M is truly a quintessential London experience!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Tower of London
Tower of London
London

This was a much bigger site than we expected! There are three separate audio guides, but the Highlights guide is the best overall. There was so much to see and read about. One suggestion...get there very early as the lines to get into see the Crown Jewels got very long very quickly!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
The Churchill  War Rooms
The Churchill War Rooms
London

This should be on the list of every visitor to London. It's very well done with excellent displays and information. We spend two hours here and could have stayed longer.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Westminster Abbey with a Blue Badge Guide
Westminster Abbey with a Blue Badge Guide
London

Westminster Abbey is stunning and we enjoyed our time there. Our guide was very good and helped us navigate watching the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace and the Horse Guards at St. James Palace. He knew exactly where to watch from for the best view and explained the process to us.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Portmeirion Village
Portmeirion Village
Ireland
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Group Tour of Blenheim Palace, Bampton, and the Cotswolds
Group Tour of Blenheim Palace, Bampton, and the Cotswolds
London

We wanted a chance to see the Cotswolds and Blenheim Palace and, coming from London, this was the best option. The day was very long and included a lot of driving, but the guide was very informative and entertaining.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Windsor Castle & Windsor by Train
Windsor Castle & Windsor by Train
Ireland

We spent the entire day at Windsor. Being able to take the train to Windsor and back to London at our convenience was very nice. The train service is quick and easy to navigate.

Quality of Experience
Transport
Conwy Castle
Conwy Castle
Ireland
Quality of Experience
Trinity Trails & Book of Kells
Trinity Trails & Book of Kells
Dublin

This was absolutely amazing. We're so glad we got to see it considering it will be closing later this year for restoration.

Quality of Experience
Guinness Storehouse Tour
Guinness Storehouse Tour
Dublin
Quality of Experience
Dublin Group Walking Tour
Dublin Group Walking Tour
Dublin
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Cliffs of Moher experience
Cliffs of Moher experience
Ireland

We were blessed with warm weather and clear skies so the Cliffs were absolutely stunning. It's a great way to spend a few hours.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Half Day Driver Guide
Ireland

What an amazing tour! We not only went to the Cliffs of Moher, but we saw so much of the local countryside that we would have never discovered on our own.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Nathan Ashby