It is essential that when you are making your travel arrangements that you book with an agent, operator or arranger who carries membership of one of the following organisations. By placing your booking with such a member, you may be ‘buying’ extra consumer protection through their bonding arrangements (if they exist), should an element of your travel fail.  You may be able to benefit from the additional facilities of a complaints process should that agent, operator or arranger fail to deliver timely responses to your complaint. In certain circumstances you can invoke an arbitration process to settle your dispute. Below are brief summaries for each of the organisations along with an appropriate link for further information. Read More

Many holidaymakers use public transport or hire vehicles when they are on holiday or are engaged on business abroad.  This brief guide tells you what you should be looking for when making those arrangements: Read More

Before you go on holiday make sure that you read the brochure and check the facts relating to health requirements and vaccinations!  Remember, travel agents and tour operators are not professionally qualified to give advice!  Always seek travel health advice from your GP who will normally check with the World Health Organisation advices.  Advice can be obtained from M.A.S.T.A. (Medical Advisory Services for Travellers Abroad), or from the Travel Clinic at the London Hospital for Tropical Diseases.  Practical health advices include: Read More

HolidayTravelWatch often hears the expression that standards abroad ‘are different’ to the UK.  In some cases, that may be true!  We reject the notion that many holiday destinations are ‘third world’, they are often ‘developing destinations’ and bear no resemblence to the abject poverty and conditions found in some countries around the world!  Holidaymakers must remember that many people who live in ‘developing destinations’ would not take kindly to the description of their homeland being described as being deficient because they are ‘third world’!  HolidayTravelWatch believes that the correct approach is not to compare different nation’s standards, rather we should expect, promote and develop a safe standard, wherever holidays are sold!  Ensuring a safe standard is incumbent upon all in the travel community, none more so than with the travelling public! Read More

An alternative, but it is stressed NOT a replacement for fully comprehensive travel insurance, is found in the new European Health Insurance Card.  HolidayTravelWatch always recommends that fully comprehensive travel insurance is purchased.  The Card is designed to take advantage of the reciprocal medical arrangements between countries within the EEA area. Below is a brief guide to the card which came into effect in December 2005. Read More

Before you set out to travel anywhere in the world, check the health requirements for your destination. Look at the potential risks and plan the precautions you need to take, before you go and once you are away. Such precautions will depend not just on the countries you may be visiting, but also which part of a country you may be visiting; for how long you will be visiting; what time of year you intend to visit; and where you will be staying. Read More

Passports & Visa enquiry problems account for regular calls to HolidayTravelWatch. This brief guide provides basic information on how to deal with this difficult area: Read More