GENERAL HOLIDAY QUESTIONS
Are the holidays suitable for single guests?
When is the best time of year to travel?
Are there lots of hidden 'extras'?
What if I need help?
Do I need to be very fit?
Do I need to be a proficient map reader?
Do I need to be able to speak the local language?
I'd quite like a week lazing by a pool at the end of my holiday. Can you arrange this?
We can only get away for a few days, do Headwater offer any short holidays?
What is the average age of our clients?
What sort of travel insurance do you recommend?
How can we pay for our holiday?
Are dogs able to go on your holidays?
I want to go to a destination that you don’t currently feature, what should I do?
Which holidays offer the most cultural appeal?
Which holidays would you recommend for people interested in flora and fauna?
How many people will be on the holiday?
All our holidays are based on a small number of people travelling - the exact figure will depend on your chosen holiday. For independent walking, cycling, canoeing and discovery holidays you may be the only person travelling on a particular date, or there may be several others with you. In either case, you can choose your own pace and, to some degree, your own route too - and no matter how many people are in the area you will always have full back-up from our resident reps and local partners. On guided walking, cookery and cross-country skiing holidays the size of the holiday groups are shown for each individual product (groups of 4-16 people are fairly typical).
Are the holidays suitable for single guests?
Most of our holidays are suitable for single travellers and many have no single supplements (check the individual price panels for details). Our small group guided holidays tend to have a special appeal to people travelling alone. Visit our Going it alone page to see what we offer for solo travellers.
When is the best time of year to travel?
Our cycling, canoeing and discovery holidays run from April to October to, hopefully, catch pleasant weather without too much heat. Our walking holidays run all year round in various locations - again, each destination is chosen to provide the most suitable conditions for your holiday. There is no particular 'best time' to travel as the right variety of flora, fauna and wildlife are constantly changing throughout the year. If you're worried about heat, would like to see something in particular, or you're trying to avoid the crowds please ask our sales team for advice when you book.
Are there lots of hidden 'extras'?
The price you see is the price you pay. We believe that our value is unbeatable. If you can find the same holiday at a lower brochure price elsewhere within 30 days of booking we'll refund DOUBLE the difference.
What if I need help?
Before you travel our team of dedicated sales staff will assist you every
step of the way. From the moment you book you are given a direct line to the
person who will be looking after your booking - no waiting around in queues, no
having to push buttons to get to right department, and no having to explain the
same thing time and time again. All our sales team have first hand knowledge of
our holidays and can help you choose the one that's just perfect for you.
Once you travel, our team of specially chosen reps will meet you on arrival,
help you plan your route and suggest things to see and do locally. They fit you
our with your bike or canoe. They'll move your bags, assist in an emergency,
and pick up any wine purchases for you. Otherwise, they're only there if you
need them, but won't interfere on your independence. Our guided holidays are
mostly run by resident walking guides. They're all experienced, knowledgeable
and bilingual, and get a lot of fun out of sharing their country with
interested and appreciative guests.
Do I need to be very fit?
Not especially, although you might find the first couple of days more enjoyable if you’ve done some gentle pre-holiday exercise. Our information pack, sent well in advance of your trip, gives lots of helpful tips and suggestions. And, don’t forget, all holidays are graded so, if you don’t do regular exercise, then you’re probably best suited to a 1-boot or 1-bike holiday the first time round.
Do I need to be a proficient map reader?
A: Only if you’re looking to go on one of our independent high level, challenging mountain routes. Otherwise, you have the choice between following the map provided, or simply using our detailed route notes – and most of the walking paths are waymarked too. On all independent holidays, in the unlikely event of you not turning up at your hotel by a certain time, we do have a system in place where people will come out to find you. Map reading skills are not required for any of our guided holidays.
Do I need to be able to speak the local language?
Of course it’s wonderful if you can converse with the local people, but it’s certainly not something we expect or rely on. An open mind and a willingness to try and make yourself understood are useful!
I'd quite like a week lazing by a pool at the end of my holiday. Can you arrange this?
No problem. Over 75% of the holidays people take with us are effectively tailor-made to suit their individual requirements. We can arrange extra nights at any of the 300+ hotels in our programme, and we can combine holidays to suit. If you want to combine a Headwater holiday with individual exploring (a private villa, for example), then we’ll happily arrange your travel to fit in.
We can only get away for a few days, do Headwater offer any short holidays?
A number of our holidays are available as 4-night 'tasters'. Ideal as a long weekend break, they're based on our exisitng holidays (so you can be assured of their quality), but you walk/cycle every day. There's also our range of stay-put short breaks, with everything from city center exploring to hand-picked luxury accommodation deep in the countryside.
We can also adapt any of our itineraries to give you a shorter, or longer, break. What we can do does vary from holiday to holiday, for example, we recommend that, on independent hotel-to-hotel holidays, you add or remove blocks of 2 rather than single nights simply so that you fit back in with our standard bags runs. On guided holidays, we suggest that you have extra nights at the beginning, or end, of the tour so that you can still follow the itinerary with everyone else.
Have a look at our Holiday choices for more inforamtion on what we can offer, by clicking here: holiday choices
What is the average age of our clients?
Many of our holidays are offered to all ages. If not, we give details of age restrictions in the pricing panel on the product pages in our brochure. Typically we do not accept children on our guided holidays, so you can expect a more mature party- typically though, anywhere from 40s – 70s. If you choose an independent holiday, the age of our clients can vary quite a lot. We find adults in their 30s to 70s as well as many young children – teenagers enjoying the headwater programme.
What sort of travel insurance do you recommend?
It is a condition of booking with us that you are adequately insured. You must therefore either take our personal insurance or arrange a policy yourself giving equivalent cover. For more details on the insurance offered through Headwater please call our sales team on 01606 720199.
How can we pay for our holiday?
We accept payment by credit, debit, American Express and Maestro. We also will accept a cheque or bank transfer, please call our sales team on 01606 720199 to discuss your payment options. Please note a fee of 2% plus VAT is charged to all payments made by credit card.
Are dogs able to go on your holidays?
Unfortunately we are unable accept dogs on any of our holidays
I want to go to a destination that you don’t currently feature, what should I do?
Tell us! We are always on the prowl for new ideas and destinations. Email Steven Murray-steven.murray@headwater.com or Matthew Stafford- matt.stafford@headwater.com
Which holidays offer the most cultural appeal?
All our holidays are packed with local and cultural interest: from well known historic art cities to tiny undiscovered villages unchanged over the centuries. For more specific ideas try using our holiday finder or call our sales team on 01606 720199 to discuss your specific requirements.
Which holidays would you recommend for people interested in flora and fauna?
All our holidays offer a wealth of interest customers interested in local bird, plant, and animal life. For more specific ideas, try using our holiday finder
