TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS
Can I drive to my holiday area?
Can I travel by Eurostar?
Can I make my own travel arrangements?
Do you provide transfers to the hotel?
Where do we get picked up?
Can you book airport hotels?
Do you have information about UK travel?
How long will it take to check-in for my flight?
What is the luggage allowance?
Do I need a passport or visa?
Will I receive a traditional air ticket or a new E-ticket?
Can I take advantage of flights with the low cost airlines, such as Ryanair and Easyjet?
Can you pre-book airline seats?
Are we able to fly in and out of different airports?
Can I fly from my local airport?
Although, in most cases, prices and timings are based on departures from London airports, we can often tailor your plans so that you fly from your local airport, often at little or no extra cost. Should there not be a suitable flight from your regional airport, then we can also look at booking UK shuttles or connecting services. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll have to travel via London either – sometimes, the best connecting services are via Paris, Amsterdam or one of the other European capitals. [Back to the top]
Can I drive to my holiday area?
Where self-drive is available (typically for our European holidays) details are shown on the holiday price table. Your standard holiday price includes a Dover-Calais return crossing with P&0 Ferries or Folkestone-Calais with Eurotunnel. You can travel out at any time, and day, to fit with your individual holiday plans. All other routes with all other ferry companies can be booked through us, at times with no supplement, you just need to tell us your preferred means of travel. [Back to the top]
Can I travel by Eurostar?
For holiday areas reached by train from Paris or Lille, we can book, at a small supplement, connecting Eurostar services for customers preferring not to fly. Metro tickets to cross Paris are included, and we can arrange no-smoking seats where available. If you want to travel in luxury, first class seats can also be booked – reclining seats, a complimentary drink and 3-course meal served at your table both ways. Of course, if you want to spend extra time in either Paris or London, we can book you onto a different train - you just have to let us know at the time of booking. [Back to the top]
Can I make my own travel arrangements?
If you prefer to book your own travel, but require our standard transfers to and from the airport/ railway station (as detailed on the individual holiday page), then we can arrange this for you. Do please be aware though that you will need to take out adequate travel insurance to cover you for time changes, delays and disruption to any flights not booked through Headwater, and that this insurance will need to protect you if you can no longer connect with our standard transfers. [Back to the top]
Do you provide transfers to the hotel?
Unless specified in the individual holiday page, return transfers from the airport or local railway station are included in your holiday price. For some of our holidays we recommend the use of a hire car, which can be collected from the airport on arrival. [Back to the top]
Where do we get picked up?
Our reps (or local partners) will usually meet you at the airport or railway station, although in some regions alternative transfer arrangements may be necessary. The reps or guides will then meet you for a welcome briefing (including route planning, cycle fitting, canoe training etc.) on the first morning of your holiday. [Back to the top]
Can you book airport hotels?
Should you require overnight airport accommodation, secure airport parking or even a private transfer from your house to the airport, we can arrange this for you. Please call us for full details and prices. [Back to the top]
Do you have information about UK travel?
Our links to the RAC route planner and traffic news service will help you to plan your drive to the ferry port (and beyond). If you're planning to travel by rail (to the Eurostar terminal or airport) our ticket booking facility can help you with timings and costs. Simply visit the Useful services section. [Back to the top]
How long will it take to check-in for my flight?
In the light of the increased security, please allow a minimum of 90 minutes to check-in before take off. If you are flying out of either Heathrow or Gatwick, we advise that you check–in a minimum of 2 hours before departure. [Back to the top]
What is the luggage allowance?
If you are flying then you need to check with your airline as restrictions vary enormously from carrier to carrier. If you are booked on a ‘hotel to hotel’ holiday please do remember that our reps will be moving your bags for you, so it is greatly appreciated if you could keep each piece of luggage to 15kg.
Due to recent security alerts at UK airports you should also check the latest airport security news for additional information.
[Back to the top]
Do I need a passport or visa?
British citizens require a full 10-year British passport, but no visa, except for the USA (see below). For certain countries, including USA and Canada, passports must have
a minimum 6 months validity remaining before the expiry date. Non-EU nationals may require a visa for EU countries: tell us when booking, so we can advise.
Travelling to the USA:
The United States operates a Visa Waiver Programme (VWP), available to most
British Citizen passport holders travelling on business, pleasure or transit
from where they normally reside and who intend to stay in the US for less
than 90 days.
From 26 October 2004, all British passport holders, including children,
travelling to the USA under the VWP will need their own machine-readable
passports (MRP). From 26 October 2004, anyone without a MRP, including children who are
currently on a parent´s passport, will need a visa to travel to the USA. For
further details on entry requirements for the USA, check the Foreign &
Commonwealth Office website: www.fco.gov.uk.
All British Passports currently issued in the UK, and the vast majority of
those issued at British Missions overseas, are machine-readable. However,
some older passports and some issued by British Missions overseas are not.
Before travelling to the US and seeking entry under the VWP, you should
check your passport. A British Passport is machine readable when the white
strip at the foot of the personal data page (at the back of the passport)
bears 2 lines of print. If there is no white strip, or the white strip is
blank, then the passport is not machine-readable.
Our understanding of the effect of the US requirements as they currently
stand is:
Machine Readable Passports (i.e. the current type of British passport)
issued up to and including 25 October 2004 are valid for visa-free travel to
the US until the passport expires.
Machine Readable Passports, issued from 26 October 2004 onwards will
need a visa attached by the US Embassy to permit travel to the USA.
Biometric Machine Readable Passports, available from mid 2005 are valid
for visa-free travel to the US. [Back to the top]
Will I receive a traditional air ticket or a new E-ticket?
Electronic or e-tickets are now becoming more commonplace and are quickly replacing conventional paper flight tickets. You are provided with a flight receipt, which only details the arrival and departure airport and the flight number. It does however, contain a reference number as proof of booking (although in theory, you do not need a receipt to be able to check-in, just your passport as identification). Many airlines prefer e-tickets as a quick and easy way to check-in and they allow you to travel without having to remember to take your paper flight ticket with you, you just need your reference number. When checking in on an e-ticket you will not be handed any form of paper ticket, just your boarding pass. [Back to the top]
Can I take advantage of flights with the low cost airlines, such as Ryanair and Easyjet?
We do have the facility to book certain low cost carriers for you. Alternatively you can book your own travel and make your travel exclusive arrangements through Headwater. You should note however that all low cost flights must be paid for in full at the time of booking and we'd strongly advise you to check terms and conditions (including cancellation policies) with the individual carriers. [Back to the top]
Can you pre-book airline seats?
It depends on the airline. Certain low cost carriers, Jet2 for example do allow you to pre book seats (at a supplement) Others, such as EasyJet, charge for 'Speedy boarding'- which gets you on to the plane first, although does not allocate you a specific seat. On certain European charter/scheduled airlines, you can pre book your seat online, but usually only within 24 hrs of travel. On selected long haul flights, we are able to request specific at the time of booking. [Back to the top]
Are we able to fly in and out of different airports?
Normally we arrange for you to fly in and out of the same airport, however we can tailor your booking to suit. Using low cost airlines, for example, always the option to fly in to one and out of another. if you wish to discuss your requirements, please speak to our flight specialist Clare Redhead on 01606 720008 or email clare.redhead@headwater.com [Back to the top]
