Travel Information
General travel advice
The majority of travel destinations are no different to being at home. Petty crime and theft are a part of life throughout the world and tourists can be viewed as an easy target. It makes sense to take simple precautions:
- Avoid walking home alone at night
- If you need directions, ask the reception staff or concierge
- Use licensed taxis only
- Make sure your room is secure when you go out – lock all doors and windows
- Make use of safety deposit boxes if provided or deposit cash and valuables at the hotel reception
- Don’t carry expensive personal items with you when you go out and keep jewellery to a minimum
- Avoid carrying a lot of cash. Use credit cards where possible and if you have more than one, keep them in separate places.
- Keep travellers’ cheque numbers separate from the cheques themselves
- Take a photocopy of your passport on holiday with you and keep it separate from the original
If you wish to check current advice relating to any destination you intend to visit, you should visit the Foreign Office website at: www.fco.gov.uk/knowbeforeyougo or contact the FCO travel advice unit on 0845 850 2829.
Health
For up to date advice, you should contact your GP or call the traveller’s healthline on: 09068 224100 (premium rate) or visit the Department of Health website at: www.doh.gov.uk
Vaccinations:
At the current time, there are no destinations featured, where there are any compulsory requirements in relation to vaccinations. However, if you are travelling to Asia, the Indian Ocean, Dubai or South Africa, vaccinations against cholera, hepatitis A, typhoid and polio are recommended. In many destinations, you may be advised to take a course of Malaria tablets. Please note that some game parks in South Africa are malarial.
If you have recently visited an area known to be infected with Yellow Fever, you may be required to produce a certificate of vaccination against Yellow Fever before being granted entry to some countries.
For all destinations, you should also ensure that your tetanus protection is up to date.
It is sensible to travel with a sterile medical kit in case of any emergency.
Deep Vein Thrombosis:
Concerns have been expressed recently regarding a possible link between air travel and Deep Vein Thrombosis. Whilst any such claims are unproven, some people may be more at risk than others. Information relating to “at risk” groups can be obtained from the Department of Health website and if you fit into any of these categories, we recommend you consult your doctor. Airlines do take these risks very seriously and offer general advice about your well-being including exercise suggestions, limiting alcohol and drinking plenty of water.
Hotel grading
Long haul destination hotels are graded budget, bronze, silver, gold, platinum or prestige collection. Hotels in the Channel Islands, Isle of Man & Scotland are graded slightly differently, as detailed below. The grades can be found at the top of each hotel page.
Long haul destinations
We have carefully selected a range of resorts and hotels to suit all tastes and budgets. As accommodation grading systems differ from country to country we have personally graded them to give you a guideline and ease your selection. These ratings are reviewed regularly and range from basic, good value to truly world class hotels offering the ultimate in luxury.
Budget: Simple and comfortable accommodation lacking in frills.
Bronze: Very comfortable, unpretentious, excellent value and ideal for the more budget conscious client. Usually graded 3 or 4 star locally.
Silver: Usually a higher standard of modern hotel or an exceptionally well maintained older property. An above average hotel with some outstanding features. Usually graded 4 star deluxe or 5 star locally.
Gold: A deluxe hotel offering exemplary standards of accommodations, service and a wide range of facilities. Usually graded 5 star or 5 star deluxe locally.
Platinum: Amongst the world’s best hotels, often acclaimed, elegant, attractive and invariably in a prestigious location.
Prestige Collection: For those who require the ultimate in luxury, the pleasure of attentive service and amenities of spectaculor quality.
Unique: These may be properties which do not fit into any hotel category or they could also be part of our Prestige collection. They may not be hotels at all, but could be family “homes”, country manors, converted palaces, historic buildings or eco-resorts in areas of natural beauty. Often small and intimate, and always exclusive, they may lack the range of facilities of international resorts, but they all possess something extraordinary which makes them stand out from the crowd.
Plus: Where a PLUS sign appears with the grading symbol it indicates the property is above average in its category and just short of the next highest category.
Jersey, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Isle of Wight and the Isles of Scilly
All properties are regularly inspected to ensure that standards are maintained. The ratings are awarded by independent grading authorities, who inspect properties annually. Where available, we publish the official ratings as a guideline, but this is not an exact science and you should remember that even within one category, there will be differences between properties. Descriptions and prices should also be taken into account when considering the type of accommodation you can expect.
In general, accommodation is divided in to three main categories: hotel (usually offering a wider range of facilities and services, which will be detailed within the brochure description), guest accommodation (typically smaller guest houses – often family run - possibly only offering bed and breakfast, where quality is more important than facilities and services) and self-catering. Grades are awarded within each category and although all categories of property are given star ratings between one star and five stars, the actual standards will differ as the grading criteria vary according to the accommodation type, so it is important to be aware of the accommodation category. We offer accommodation of all types from the simplest at the lower end of the scale to the more comfortable with a more extensive range of services and facilities at the higher end. Please read the descriptions in our brochure (and ask our staff for more information if you need it) to enable you to choose the one which is right for you.
Jersey: In Jersey, there is no compulsory grading system. Most accommodation is graded either under the Jersey Quality Assured (JQA) system or by the AA. Grades range from 1 star to 5 star and the grading criteria are similar regardless of the grading organisation. Where the same number of stars are awarded to an hotel and guest accommodation, this does not indicate properties of the same standard. Some properties are given red stars, which indicates a superior property within the category and grade. Some properties have opted out of any grading scheme, although all accommodation must meet minimum health and safety and fire regulations. In this case, no grade is shown in the brochure.
Guernsey, Isle of Man, Isle of Wight and Isles of Scilly: Grades are awarded under the Visit Britain scheme and range from one star to five star. As in Jersey, you should note that there are different grading criteria for hotels, guest accommodation and self-catering, so the same number of stars in an hotel and guest accommodation should not be taken to mean that you can expect the same standards. Some properties have also opted to be graded by the AA.
Herm, Alderney and Sark: Alderney, Sark and Herm do not use an accommodation grading system.
The grading systems in use in Jersey, Guernsey, the Isle of Man, Isle of Wight and Isles of Scilly are comparable.
Europe
Hotels in Europe carry official gradings which are also comparable with the Visit Britain scheme.
Smoke-free zones
Jersey, Guernsey, the Isle of Man and Scotland have regulations in place prohibiting smoking in any indoor public areas, which includes hotel public rooms, restaurants and bars. Some hotels also do not permit smoking in guest bedrooms. If this is an issue, you should ask us to verify the policy at the property you have selected.
Visa information
The visa information on our website is applicable to UK passport holders only. If you hold a passport from another country, you should check with the relevant embassy or consulate of the countries you intend to visit to verify visa and entry requirements.
For visa information relating to specific destinations please Click here
Travel Documentation - Channel Islands, Isle of Man
Whilst passports are not required for entry to the Channel Islands and Isle of Man, increased security is such that most airlines now require that you produce valid photo identification at check in. The following forms of ID are acceptable:
- Valid Passport
- Valid Photographic driving licence
- Citizen Card
100 %Financial Protection
When you are planning a holiday, you not only want to know that your tour operator has the necessary experience to guide you through complex itinerary planning, but you also want to know that your holiday is financially safe. The money you pay for your holiday is safe under the protection provided by our Air Travel Organiser’s Licence and the bond we hold with the Association of British Travel Agents. Put simply, if something happens to us, you get your money back.
