BOOKING PROCESS
ABOUT THE TOURS / DAILY EXCURSIONS
TRAVELLING THERE
PASSPORTS, VISAS AND VACCINATIONS
ABOUT YOUR HOLIDAY
ABOUT THE HOTEL
YOUR SAFETY AND OUR FINANCIAL GUARANTEE
Q. How do I book - and what happens next?
Simply complete our online booking form or give us a call on 020 7251 0045 between 9am - 5pm Monday to Friday where you can speak to a real person.
A deposit of £75 per person for UK tours and £250 per person for train and all air tours will be required at the time of booking. Payments by debit card or credit card incur no charge.
You must pay for the balance of your holiday at least 8 weeks before departure. Please note: no reminder for balance payments is sent to you and are not receipted unless requested. If you book your holiday within eight weeks of departure, full payment is required at time of booking.
Final joining instructions and documentation will be despatched approximately 10 days before travel.
Q. Are the daily excursions by coach?
All excursions, once in resort are taken by private coach, and are exclusively for Travel Editions clients. There is no seating plan for the coaches, and seating is left flexible.
Q. Are the daily excursions included in the price?
In almost all cases, yes. If there is ever an excursion excluded in the price it will be clearly marked in the brochure or on the itinerary as optional and payable locally.
Q. On average how many people will be on the trip?
The size of the group varies depending on the tour. We limit some holidays to lower numbers to suit the nature of the holiday such as Walking, culinary and Special interest. These are limited to approx. 20-30 passengers per group to enhance your experience and reduce our impact on the local areas.
For our Europe by Rail series and Europe by Air holidays, the maximum you will get in a group is 35 passengers.
Again, most of our UK British Heritage Tours have a maximum capacity of 49 (some less) but the odd one or two such as Queen Victoria’s Island Retreat, Bristol and Brunel, can take up to 100 due to the size of the venue and nature of the event. However, if there are large numbers, you will be divided into two coaches of 49 each so you still do not feel as if you are in a big group.
Q. Can we split the journey in Paris on the way back and have a few nights in Paris?
The return journey can be broken up for a maximum of 24 hours in Paris. There may be an extra charge for this – please check directly with Travel Editions.
Q. Can we pre-book London accommodation for pre/post tour.
Pre-tour accommodation is available at Premier Travel Inn, London King's Cross St Pancras, about 5 minutes' walk from St Pancras International, at an approximate rate of £120 per room. Bookings can be made direct with the hotel on 0871 527 8672 or visit their website.
Q. With flights – can we check in and choose our seats online?
British Airways - unfortunately, as a general rule, due the fact that we book group tickets, online check in is NOT available. This is due to the system that BA operates, and their current policy is to not allow group tickets to have the online facility.
If we have made a booking for you with British Airways as an individual traveler, you CAN book online.
Virgin – online check-in is available
Emirates – online check-in is available
Q. Where does the tour manager meet us?
In most cases the tour manager will travel out with the tour group from the UK. However, this is not always the case and the tour manager may meet you at the destination station / airport. The exact details specific to your tour will be given to you in your final documentation, 10 days prior to departure.
Q. I need to book a train to London to join the Eurostar, when should I arrive?
We advise that you should plan to arrive at the relevant station one hour prior to the departure of the Eurostar.
All timings given are purely an indication and are subject to alteration by airlines and train companies. Full details concerning departure times and pick-up points will be given in your final joining instructions, which will be sent to you 10 days before departure. We would advise you not to book any connecting travel arrangements before receiving your final timings to prevent any financial loss from non-refundable tickets.
Q. Am I able to upgrade my flight or fly from my local airport?
Flight upgrades and connections from local airports are available on a request basis and subject to availability, please contact Travel Editions directly for more information, call 020 7251 0045 or email tours@traveleditions.co.uk.
Our itineraries use a number of reputable airlines and all our costs are based on economy class unless otherwise stated. All flight times as stated on your confirmation invoice are based on local time. Please note that all flight times are subject to alteration by the airline. Full details concerning departure times and meeting points will be given in your final joining instructions, which will be sent to you 10 days before departure. We would advise you not to book any connecting travel arrangements before receiving your final timings to prevent any loss of non-refundable booking fees.
Q. I have less than 6 months left on my passport, is this OK?
We recommend that on the day you travel you have at least 6 months left on your passport. This allows for:
Your passport must also be less than 10 years old on the day after you leave. If you renewed your current passport before the previous one expired, extra months may have been added to its expiry date. Any extra months on your passport over 10 years may not count towards the minimum period needed.
These rules do not apply to travel to Ireland. You can continue to use your passport as long as it’s valid for the length of your stay.
Further information can be found on the following website: www.gov.uk/browse/abroad/passports
Passengers of other nationalities should check with the consulate or Embassy of the country you are visiting.
Q. Do I need any Visas or Vaccinations for my holidays?
Visa and vaccination requirements are subject to change. Please check with your local GP about the current Vaccination requirements of the country you are visiting. For Visa enquiries, please contact the Embassy of the country you are visiting. A useful website for travel advice and Embassy listings is https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice . However, please note the Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not process Visa applications directly, please contact the relevant Embassy.
Q. Can we extend the duration of the trip?
Yes, subject to availability on the flights or train. An extra cost will be payable and this will depend on availability of seats and the return date. As a guide for Eurostar, there is usually a charge of £50 if traveling Standard class, and £100 if travelling Standard Premier. Any other costs relating to the extra stay are the responsibility of the passengers, not Travel Editions. If you advise us at the time of booking we will be able to look at making the relevant arrangements for you.
We can extend holidays by air subject to availability, there will usually be a supplement payable to extend a flight, please contact Travel Editions for more details.
Q. How long is the holiday?
The duration of holiday is described in number of days and in all cases includes the day of departure from the UK and the day of arrival back in the UK. On the whole, the number of nights you spend in the hotel is one less than the number of days. For example, a 6 day tour usually includes 5 nights of accommodation and 4 days of sightseeing. This rule will differ when there is overnight travel included either in a sleeping carriage when travelling by rail or on a flight where due to time zones and flight duration, you miss/gain a day.
Q. On half-board tours – is there a choice of menu?
In order that the service at the hotel is efficient dinner is usually a set 3-course menu. Of course the hotel will endeavour to meet all dietary requirements. Please tell us when you book in order for us to inform the hotel in good time before your arrival.
Q. Are there tea and coffee making facilities in the hotel bedrooms?
Tea and coffee making facilities are not provided as standard in hotels outside of the British Isles. Do not assume that a hotel that has been awarded 4-star status will automatically have complimentary tea and coffee in the rooms. If it is important to you, we advise you to take a travel kettle and your own supplies.
Q. Is there a bath or shower in my bedroom?
All rooms have private facilities unless otherwise stated. Most have both a bath and shower but some may have one or the other. If this is important to you, please call our office on 020 7251 0045 and ask a member of staff about a particular hotel.
Q. What is the hotel like?
On a Travel Editions holidays, much of your time is spent touring the local sights with a guide but we appreciate it is always nice to have a pleasant hotel to return to at the end of a busy day. For this reason, we use mainly 3 and 4-star hotels that offer good value for money. The star rating for the hotels used on our tours are as awarded by the relevant authorities, which varies from country to country. All our tours include hotels that have either been visited by a member of staff or recommended by our local agent.
Please note:
Every effort has been made to provide as much information as possible about your holiday, especially regarding accommodation and excursions. All the information has been carefully checked and is correct at the time of publication. Please bear in mind, however, that from time to time certain facilities, excursions and entertainments may be altered or withdrawn due to lack of demand, weather conditions, essential maintenance work or other circumstances beyond our control and that facilities and entertainment may furthermore be restricted both in the hotel and resort, should your holiday take place during early or late season.
Q. I am travelling by myself, can I avoid the single supplement charge?
Generally, single and double rooms carry the same price, which means that single supplements for certain itineraries can seem high. We would be pleased to arrange for clients travelling alone to share with another client, however this is subject to somebody in the same situation booking on the tour. If you would be interested in this option, please let a member of staff know at the time of booking.
Q. I am travelling with two friends, can we all share the same room? Will there be a discount?
Not many hotels have three beds in a room or space to set up a third bed but for those that do, please bear in mind that the third bed placed in the room may be a camp-style bed or sofa bed. Please call us on 020 7251 0045 to discuss your requirements further. A reduction of 10% is usually applicable for a third full fare paying adult sharing a room.
Q. I am a vegetarian, can you book me vegetarian meals please?
Please advise us at the time of booking, and note it on your booking form. Please note, hotels outside of the British Isles are not as accustomed to providing vegetarian meals and dishes may not be as adventurous as you would find in a British hotel or restaurant. We will pass on all special requests and shall endeavour to meet them, however, this is dependent on our suppliers and we cannot guarantee that your requirements will be met.
Q. Are my monies safe with you?
The air holidays operated by Travel Editions are ATOL protected, since we hold an Air Travel Organiser’s Licence granted by the Civil Aviation Authority. Our ATOL number is 3525. In the unlikely event of our insolvency, the CAA will ensure that you are not stranded abroad and will arrange to refund any money you may have paid to us for an advance booking. All the flights and flight-inclusive holidays on this website are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. When you pay you will be supplied with an ATOL Certificate. Please ask for it and check to ensure that everything you booked (flights, hotels and other services) is listed on it. Please see our booking conditions for further information or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to: www.atol.org.uk/ATOLCertificate"
We are also members of the ABTA (ABTA No V3120), (www.abta.com) ensuring both your financial protection for all non air holidays and high standards of professionalism and reliability. Over the past 23 years, our holidays have enjoyed the recommendation of many newspapers and magazines, so you know you are in safe hands.
Q. There have been concerns in the news recently about where I am going, should I cancel my holiday?
Your safety and security is our first consideration. In the event of the Foreign Office advising against travel to a certain country, we would act on this advice and would cancel your holiday. If we believe it is safe, it is up to you as to whether you cancel but you may incur cancellation charges.
Although we take every precaution in looking after you on tour, the responsibility for your personal safety and welfare and the care of your possessions is obviously the same as that which you exercise whilst at home. Extra care should be taken when walking around cities, especially at night and we recommend you stay in well lit, populated areas. It is also unwise to carry valuable items or wear expensive jewellery. Further information can be found on the following website: www.fco.gov.uk
Q. We have heard about holidaymakers being charged extra on top of their original holiday price, how can we be sure this won’t happen if we book a Travel Editions holiday?
We can assure you that Travel Editions have a ‘no surcharge’ policy therefore the price of your holiday is fully guaranteed and will not be subject to any surcharges.
Q. How will you use the personal information I have provided?
In order to process your booking and to ensure that your travel arrangements run smoothly and meet your requirements, we need to use the information you provide such as names, address, any special needs/dietary requirements etc.
We take full responsibility for ensuring the proper security measures are in place to protect your information. We must pass the information on to the relevant suppliers of your travel arrangements such as airlines, hotels, transport companies etc.
The information may also be provided to security or credit checking companies, public authorities such as customs/immigration if required by them, or as required by law. Additionally, where your holiday is outside the European Economic Area (EEA), controls on data protection in your destination may not be as strong as the legal requirements in this country.
We will not pass on any information to any person not responsible for part of your travel arrangements or booking process. This applies to any sensitive information that you give to us such as details of any disabilities, or dietary/religious requirements. If we cannot pass this information to relevant suppliers, whether in the EEA or not, we cannot provide your booking.
