The most common frequently asked questions are shown below. If you can’t see an answer below, please take a look at more information here, which may answer your questions. If you still can’t find an answer, please feel free to get in touch.
Yes! I care about you and your holiday so I would never let you travel unprotected. For your peace of mind, please type our ABTA membership number ‘L3832’ into the member’s search box at the top of ABTA’s website.
This depends on many factors. Each tour operator sets their own deposit amount. In addition, if you are booking a flight then most airlines will ask for payment in full. On tailor-made packages, the flight element sometimes needs paying in full, along with an additional deposit for the accommodation and any additional travel products.
I will always ask the supplier if they can provide a low-cost deposit if you are unable to make the full deposit payment in one transaction, however it is not guaranteed that they will agree to this. If you make your booking closer to departure, you would need to pay the balance in full when booking. Certain holiday extras also need to be paid in full when booking, along with any hotel rooms that are on a non-refundable room rate.
In most cases, balances are due 14 weeks prior to your departure date. However, for certain suppliers, your balance could be due as far as 20 weeks prior to travel. If you are taking advantage of the Direct Debit scheme, then your balance due date could drop to as close as 6 weeks before departure.
Yes. This is a really good way of budgeting for your holiday. You can contact me whenever you would like to make an additional payment to request a secure payment link. Better still, why not opt for the Direct Debit scheme, then you don’t even need to remember to make the payments, as they are debited automatically.
Yes! It is a requirement of your contract with us that you obtain travel insurance which is suitable for your needs (this includes declaring any pre-existing medical conditions or disabilities). You should always ensure that any existing annual policy has been amended if your situation has changes and that your travel insurance policy is valid for the full duration of your trip. Please don’t travel in the UK or abroad without adequate travel insurance.
You can purchase your travel insurance with Earthwise Travel. It is provided by Rush Insurance and underwritten by Allianz.
Earthwise Travel cannot be held responsible if you choose to travel without insurance and a situation then arises that would have required an insurance claim. Travel insurance is YOUR responsibility
Before taking a booking, I check the current travel safety advice from the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCDO). I would recommend that you also check the FCDO’s advice and I always recommend following their travel advice over and above any other advice.
It is YOUR responsibility to check advice before making a booking and to follow it. Please keep in mind that changes to travel advice can happen at any time and are beyond the control of Worldwide Explorer Travel Holidays.
There are some countries where specific requirements will be in place, but the general advice is to ensure that your passport is applied for well in advance of travel if you require a new one, and that it has at least six months validity remaining on it AFTER the date that you are due to arrive back into the UK. You should also ensure that it has two clear pages for stamps/VISA’s if travelling outside of the EU member countries, and ensure that it is unmarked and not damaged.
You can check further current passport requirements on the government’s FCDO website. It is YOUR responsibility to ensure that passports are valid and meet the requirements.
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice
Please check the validity of your passport before booking a holiday to an EU country, here https://www.gov.uk/check-a-passport-travel-europe
Passport applications/renewals/advice – https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-passport-office
Passport advice post-Brexit – https://www.gov.uk/guidance/passport-rules-for-travel-to-europe-after-brexit
VISA requirements differ from one country to another. We will advise you depending on the destination you are travelling to. You will need to do your own VISA application via the relevant Consulate, which is usually located in London (some can be applied for online). The most common VISA applications that clients require are:
USA – https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/
Australia – https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/
Turkey – https://www.evisa.gov.tr/en/
Always check government approved advice regarding current requirements for travel vaccinations and testing, as these change regularly and differ from one destination to the next. Check with your GP or health care professional with regards to general travel vaccination requirements and travel health, especially if you have pre-existing health conditions or take prescribed medication.
Please be aware that for certain health issues, you may be required to obtain a fit to travel certificate from your GP, at your own expense.
NHS – https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/travel-vaccinations/
Travel Health Pro – https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/
The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is now known as the Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) and is designed for use in EU member countries, and should be used if you require any medical treatment whilst in that country. It cannot be used outside of the EU member countries (Turkey included). I strongly advise you to apply online or on the phone for a GHIC before travel.
https://www.gov.uk/global-health-insurance-card
Of course you can, providing that your doctor is happy for you to travel. I sell accessible holidays, along with accessible excursions, so you can enjoy your holiday as much as the next person.
In addition, I can also put you in touch with the special assistance team who will arrange assistance for you through the airport and onto the plane, with the same in your destination (providing your destination airport has the capacity to provide special assistance). Please note that depending on your condition(s) and/or medication, the airline and/or tour operator may require a doctor’s letter prior to travel in order to allow you to travel. Many surgeries do charge for this service.
Some medications and/or medical equipment require special permission to be obtained from your destination country for it to be taken in legally. If you are on any medication or use and medical equipment, please ask about this before booking your holiday, or as soon as possible after you are prescribed it so that advice on any applications for permission can be given.
Of course, I would be honoured to help! I have a wedding planning qualification too, so I can offer more in-depth advice than some other Personal Travel Consultants would be able to. I am also a member of the Sustainable Wedding Alliance, so you can rest assured that your destination wedding will be as environmentally friendly as possible.
I have a variety of suppliers who specialise in weddings abroad in destinations worldwide. Some suppliers can assign you wedding planner who would liaise with you over all aspects of your big day. I can book your flights and accommodation too, for you and your wedding guests. Please note that some destinations won’t legally allow you to get married there and only offer a blessing or vow renewal ceremony. Equally, the UK doesn’t legally recognise wedding ceremonies from every country, so check whether your preferred destination falls into one of these categories. In both of these situations, a civil ceremony in the UK would also be required to ensure that your marriage is legal in the UK.
I would love to help plan the most important holiday of your lifetime! I have a range of suppliers who offer adult only or honeymoon focused resorts. I can book you any kind of honeymoon, so whether you are dreaming of a romantic UK break, a city break, a multi-centre tailor made tour, a quiet beach holiday, an action-packed adventure, a safari, a cruise or any other type of honeymoon, I can book it for you and would be honoured to do so.
No problem! Whether you are travelling for a wedding, hen/stag do, special occasion or just to have an enjoyable time with family/friends, we can accommodate groups of any size, depending on flight and accommodation availability and their group bookings policy.
For the most up to date weather information, put the name of your destination (or the closest large town/city to it) into the Holiday Weather website. They also give you weather averages, so you can see well in advance what the weather is likely to be like, based on historical data. Please keep in mind that due to climate change, freak weather conditions can arise anywhere in the world at any time. This is beyond the control of Earthwise Travel or any supplier.