GENERAL INFORMATION
We have compiled this information using our experience as leading specialists in worldwide escorted holidays since 1996. We hope you find it beneficial. The information set out below together with our Booking Conditions found on our website forms the basis of your contract with The Travel Department Ltd. Please read these carefully as they set out our respective rights and obligations.
HOW DO I BOOK?
You can book any of our holidays via our website or by telephone. Simply log onto our website www.thetraveldepartment.co.uk or call London: 020 7099 9665 or call Belfast: 028 9099 8620.
A non refundable/non transferable deposit of £100 per person secures the holiday of your choice (£200 per person for long haul destinations). Please refer to Clause 6 of our Booking Conditions for further information. Deposits are non refundable. Deposits are non transferable from one holiday to another. Deposits are non transferable from one person to another. Deposits are accepted by most major credit cards and debit cards. There is no extra credit card charge on deposits. If you wish to book a holiday within 10 weeks of departure, full payment is required at time of booking. After your booking has been confirmed, we will email your booking confirmation invoice (or post it to the address provided).
PAYMENTS BY CHEQUE
If paying by cheque, please include confirmation of your name, full address with postcode, and details of your chosen holiday (tour name, departure date, how many places required) and your deposit payment. Cheques should be made payable to THE TRAVEL DEPARTMENT LTD and sent to:
The Travel Department Ltd
78 York Street
London W1H 1DP
When we receive your deposit payment, we will check availability of your chosen holiday again and if available will send a confirmation invoice to the address provided. If your chosen holiday is no longer available, we will offer you a choice of alternative holidays or with your agreement will cancel the cheque.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
1. Please check your invoice carefully and make sure it reflects exactly what you intended to book.
2. Ensure the names are spelt correctly as per your passport. Your first name and last name will ultimately appear on your airline ticket and may be impossible or expensive to change. If there is a discrepancy you must contact us immediately and we will send you a new invoice reflecting the amendments.
3. Any special requests must be made to us in writing (special meals, dietary requirements). These will be passed on to our suppliers but cannot be guaranteed.
4. Your holiday must be paid for by the due date. This date is printed on your invoice and is 10 weeks prior to your departure. Failure to comply may result in your holiday being cancelled. Please see our Booking Conditions for further details. Balances can be paid by cheque, Switch/Maestro or credit card. For balance payments by cheque, please make cheques payable to The Travel Department Ltd and ensure you write your booking reference number clearly on the back of your cheque. A 2% surcharge applies to balance payments made by credit card.
5. Your travel documents will be posted to the address given at the time of booking approximately 10 days prior to your departure.
6. Please ensure in good time that you have a valid passport/visa for travel. This is solely your responsibility.
What’s included in the holiday?
All items that are included are clearly stated in the offer. If you are unsure please ask our Reservations team and they will answer any queries you may have. Additional items such as tax, insurance and single room supplements are mentioned separately. In some cases (however rarely) you may have to pay a local departure tax or local transport cost. Our local guides will assist you with these. Tipping is not always included in your holiday price and information regarding tipping will be included with your travel documents.
Passports & visas
British Citizens require a full 10 year British Passport for the holidays we offer. Please refer to Clause 16 of our Booking Conditions for further information on this subject. If you hold an EU passport and are a British Citizen you do not need a visa to travel within the EU. For travel to other destinations you may require a visa and it is the responsibility of each traveller to ensure they have the correct documents for each destination. We cannot be liable for declined visas and normal cancellation charges will be levied.
Our Visa Service minimises the time and inconvenience involved in organising your visa, if this is required for your holiday. Visa requirements, where applicable, are indicated on our website in the notes section of each of our holidays. If required, visas can be obtained through our Visa Service, operated as an independent service by Travcour Ltd, who will handle the majority of the administration for you. Full instructions will be sent to you following your confirmation, should you wish to avail of this service.
Alternatively, you may obtain your own visa in person at the relevant embassy or consulate. However, please be aware that this may involve two trips to London, firstly to lodge the application and then to collect your passport and visa. Most embassies will rarely issue a visa in one day and will not accept applications by post. In addition, a personal application may involve queuing at the relevant embassy for anything from 10 minutes to several hours! It is for all these reasons we are pleased to offer you the convenience of our Visa Service for all destinations where visas are required for our holidays.
Further information regarding your destination
To make the most of your holiday and to find out the latest information about your destination, we recommend that you check the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website at www.fco.gov.uk
Currency
The vast majority of banks abroad allow you to use their ATM facilities to withdraw local currency. However, you should confirm with your local bank that your ATM card is enabled for this. We do not recommend that you carry large amounts of cash on holiday. We do recommend that you always use the safe facilities at the hotel (either in your room or at reception). For some countries, local currency can only be purchased on arrival and it may not be taken out of the country when returning to the UK. Our reservations staff will be happy to provide you with further information on currencies, as required.
Travel insurance
All customers travelling with The Travel Department must have adequate travel insurance. The Travel Department sell a comprehensive policy that provides both medical and cancellation cover and we suggest you avail of this. You must make the insurance company aware of any existing or past conditions/illnesses - failure to do so may result in your insurance being void.
It is the sole responsibility of the customer to ensure they have adequate insurance. If you have any queries please feel free to contact us. Please also refer to Clause 7 of our Booking Conditions for further information.
Transport
Flights: all flight times and transport times are given in local time. All flight times are given in the 24 hour clock. It is important to arrive in good time for your flight particularly during peak season when airports can be congested. After check-in we suggest you proceed immediately to the departure gate and watch the monitors for your boarding instructions.
On arrival at your overseas destination please proceed immediately to the arrivals area after you have collected your luggage. If you have a problem with luggage it is essential that you get word to our representative in the arrivals area as soon as possible. If you are travelling alone please ask a fellow passenger to relay the message. Neither The Travel Department nor our representatives have access to airline flight manifests and therefore cannot confirm either way if a passenger actually travelled on the flight from the UK. Some airlines charge for catering - where this is the case, airline food is not included in the price of your holiday. It is now possible to use the automated check-in facility at many UK airports.
Coach: all our local coaches are modern and comfortable. We operate a non smoking policy on all coaches. In some instances your coach may be fitted with a WC, however in most cases it is not operational due to health and safety concerns. Your guide will make regular stops at conveniences. Don't be shy, if you need to go to the bathroom the bus will stop!
For various reasons it is not always possible for your coach to park in front of your hotel - the driver will endeavour to get as close as possible to the door and will park in a safe place. Therefore, we recommend that you bring luggage that can be easily wheeled. Please be advised that some coach journeys include sections of mountainous roads (such as the Amalfi Coast, the Italian Lakes etc). Please note that seats cannot be reserved on coaches and that passengers may sit where they please each time they board the coach.
Luggage
The transport of luggage is the responsibility of each passenger. In some cases porterage is included, however it is your sole responsibility to ensure that your luggage travels with you. Please make sure your bags are tagged inside and out and that you always take your own bag and not another one by mistake!
In the event of delayed/lost baggage at an airport you should report the loss to the airline or their handling agent. These offices are located in the baggage hall of the airport. You should keep all receipts and documents safe as you may need to rely on them at a later stage and for an insurance claim. For multi centre tours please pack sensibly and ideally bring wheeled luggage.
To ease your journey, we suggest that most items are placed in your hold baggage and only items of value, medicines, important documents or items that you require whilst onboard the aircraft are carried in your hand luggage. Security regulations can change at short notice so please visit the British Airports Authority website at www.baa.co.uk for the latest information.
Accommodation and meals
The Travel Department personally inspect all the hotels we use. We also work in conjunction with local agents to ensure the highest quality of all our services at all times. The hotel grading system used is based on local ratings and this can vary considerably from country to country and even region to region. A four star hotel in Italy may vary considerably from a four star hotel in Spain and so on. In some cases, it may be necessary for The Travel Department to substitute one hotel for another of equal standard. This rarely happens and if it does we will advise you at the earliest opportunity.
Single/triple rooms - If you book a single room at a supplement, you will most likely be given a room with a single bed and not a double bed. The additional cost is levied by the hotel as it costs more than half the double occupancy rate to provide a single room. Essentially a single room is usually bigger than half a double room and is more costly to service pro rata. If you specifically require a double room for single use we can of course request a rate for you. A triple room is generally a twin room with an additional (often a fold-away) bed.
Food & beverages - Where meals are included they are generally of a set menu variety. In some cases other groups in the same hotel may have different menus. Many hotels offer inclusive evening meals to The Travel Department at a relatively low additional cost per person. Therefore, we often include some or all evening meals in the price of the holiday.
The menu offered is consistent with the budget and cost of your holiday. Most hotels offer continental breakfasts which consist of some or all of the following: pastries, breads, cheese, ham and cereals. Generally tea and coffee are not taken at the same temperature we in the UK might be used to. Tea is generally taken with a slice of lemon and hence water is usually hot rather than boiling. We do try to advise hoteliers of British tastes, however when travelling abroad, we must respect the way beverages and food are prepared in different countries.
“Without new experiences, something inside of us sleeps. The sleeper must awaken.” ~ Frank Herbert
Itinerary
We endeavour to keep to the itinerary that you will receive as part of your travel documents. In some instances your tour escort will make alterations to this itinerary for reasons such as weather, traffic, public holidays, local markets, essential maintenance etc. You will be advised locally of any changes. Generally a tour escort will be responsible for transfers and a guide will be responsible for sight seeing tours. Should you need any information while away please approach the escort or guide and they will be pleased to help.
Very occasionally there is insufficient demand for a particular holiday. In the event that this occurs, we are entitled to cancel or curtail the holiday at any time up to 4 weeks prior to departure. Please refer to Clause 8 of our Booking Conditions for further information on this subject.
Emergency procedure
In the event of a medical emergency while away please do as you would at home. Take the appropriate action immediately and never let uncertainty get in the way of dealing with the situation. Your insurance company should be contacted as soon as possible but deal with the emergency first. Your insurer should give you a 24 hour assistance number and your representative should also be contacted as soon as practicable. You can also call our office at any time in the event of a medical emergency.
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do .... Explore. Dream. Discover."~ Mark Twain
Thank you for booking with The Travel Department – we greatly appreciate your custom.