Sitemap WorldPay Payments Processing

Frequently Asked Questions

Our FAQs are organised into a number of sections for ease of use.

Walks   Booking   General   Financial Security and Consumer Protection

Walks

How difficult are the walks, how fit do I have to be?

What do I need to bring?

What will I need to carry?

How much are custom tours?

Can I stay over for extra days?

Can I change the itinerary?

What kind of accommodation can I expect?

What about the food?

What if I have special dietary requirements?

What is included in the price?

What is not included?

Booking

How can I book?

Is it safe to book online?

Can I provisionally book?

When do I need to pay the balance?

Why should I have to pay a single supplement?

When will I receive my documents?

Can I change my booking?

Can I cancel?

General

Can you arrange flights?

Do I need insurance?

Do I need to prepare?

Financial Security and Consumer Protection

Who are Trek-Inn Holidays?

How are clients funds protected?

How does the TTA scheme operate?

How much does it cost?

What happens if I need to cancel?

Does this mean I don't need to buy any Travel Insurance?

What happens if Trek-Inn Holidays goes out of business?

Walks
How difficult are the walks, how fit do I have to be?
Our escorted tours are deliberately aimed at those who wish to explore the countryside at a moderate pace. You are not expected to be incredibly fit nor an expert hill-climber. So long as you can walk for 4 or 5 hours a day at a moderate pace you can expect to be comfortable on our trips. However, none of our holidays are for suited for those who do not lead an active life!

For our self-guide trips you need to be more comfortable with walking 5 to 7 hours a day. You also need to be comfortable and experienced in being on your own in the countryside with some experience of rough trekking or hill-walking. Although we provide you with detailed walking instructions and maps for each day, walking means being prepared for the unexpected, and you should be able to navigate on open countryside using a map and compass.

Back to top

What do I need to bring?
The eternal question! Experience has taught us that travelling light is the best way to enjoy a walking holiday. However we do provide a full equipment list in our trip dossier, which is sent out to you when you confirm your booking.

Back to top

What will I need to carry?
As your luggage is transported to each stay, you need only carry a day-pack with you for each day’s walking. Your day pack should contain water, lunch, waterproofs and first-aid as a minimum. We would recommend that you bring a camera, notebook, trip notes and any other personal items you feel you will need each day. On self-guided trips, you may want to consider whistle, map, compass and perhaps mobile phone as well.

Back to top

How much are custom tours?
Custom tours are not pre-priced. As these can vary considerably in length, duration and accommodation each is priced separately according to your needs. Certain custom tours can require a lot of preparation and investigation on our part, but we are happy to discuss any needs you may have. Please contact us directly if you wish to consider a custom tour.

Back to top

Can I stay over for extra days?
On the escorted tours is possible to ‘top’ or ‘tail’ you holiday with extra nights accommodation at our arrival or departure point. In addition to the extra cost of accommodation, there may be further charges to arrange specific transfers for you. Should you wish to extend your holiday in a different location to those identified on the trip itinerary, then please call us as we should be able to arrange this for you.

On self-guided tours you can elect to extend your stay at any point along the route. You must however indicate this at the time of booking. There will be a charge for the extra night(s) accommodation, but we will confirm this with you when you book.

Back to top

Can I change the itinerary?
On self-guide tours this may be possible, but you will need to discuss this with us. Please contact us directly.

Back to top

What kind of accommodation can I expect?
All of our accommodation is chosen with your comfort in mind. This includes the selection of accommodation that is comfortable and experienced in meeting the needs of walkers like you. This means that we use tourist-board approved guesthouses and hotels with en-suite facilities. You will normally stay in double or twin-bedded rooms.

Back to top

What about the food?
Our accommodation is on a half-board basis. This means that evening meal and the following morning’s breakfast are included in the price. Evening meals are selected from a fixed ‘table d’hote’ menu of two or three courses. We also arrange a packed lunch for each day’s walking. Vegetarians (including those that eat fish) can be catered for – but this needs to be identified on your booking form. Drinks with your evening meal (including tea and coffee) are not normally included within the price. When drinks are provided at breakfast (e.g. juice, tea and coffee) then these are included within the price.

Back to top

What if I have special dietary requirements?
More restricted or special dietary requirements can often be accommodated, but it is best to discuss this with us before you book your holiday to avoid disappointment.

Back to top

What is included in the price?
Accommodation as specified in the trip description and dossier.
Meals as specified in the trip description and dossier.
Transport transfers as described in the trip description and dossier.
Baggage transfers to each accommodation as described in the trip description and dossier. Note that baggage must be reasonable – this normally means one or two pieces of baggage per person to a maximum weight of 30kg.
Detailed trip dossier.

For self-guided tours:
Detailed day-by-day route notes in a binder.
Detailed maps (normally at 1:25,000 or 1:50,000 scale – or special way route maps), usually with your walking route highlighted.

Back to top

What is not included?
This is not a comprehensive list, but indicates those major items that are not included in the price:
Flights (or other means of transport) to the starting point of the tour (normally Shannon Airport).
Travel Insurance.
Admission fees to places of interest.
Ferry, cable-car or other transport used other than for specified transfers at the start and end of your walking day.

Back to top

Booking
How can I book?
Complete the booking form here on the website or complete the printed version and send it back to us.
A deposit of £100 sterling (approximately $150 USD, €115 Euro) per person is required to secure your booking. If you are booking within 8 weeks (56 days) of the start date of the holiday, the total holiday price will be due upon confirmation of your holiday.
Indicate your method of payment, and complete necessary details.
If paying by credit card, submit the online booking form (note that the WorldPay site uses SSL encryption to protect your details).
If paying by cheque, please print off the completed booking form, sign it and enclose it with your cheque (note that your booking will be provisional until your cheque has been received).

Back to top

Is it safe to book online?
WorldPay are one of the market leaders in handling online credit card payment. The WorldPay site uses 128-bit encryption SSL technology. SSL stands for Secure Socket Layer and is the protocol used on the Internet to encrypt messages so that they can be sent in a secure manner. SSL is ideal for accepting credit card details or customer information on a web site.

Back to top

Can I provisionally book?
Yes. A provisional booking will reserve a place for you on your tour for 10 days until we receive a deposit or full payment. If you are placing a provisional booking on a self-guided tour, we will not start to arrange the holiday until we have received your deposit.

Back to top

When do I need to pay the balance?
All holidays must be paid for in full 56 days (8 weeks) prior to the start date of the tour. If you are booking within 56 days of the start date, the full payment must be made in order to secure your place.

Back to top

Why should I have to pay a single supplement?
Our holidays are priced on the basis of double or twin room occupancy. A single supplement reflects the extra cost to us on providing a room for one person as opposed to two. On self-guided holidays, the single supplement also reflects the fact that transport and documentation costs are borne by one person as opposed to being shared by two.

Back to top

When will I receive my documents?
All documentation will be forwarded to you upon receipt of the full payment for your holiday.

Back to top

Can I change my booking?
In most cases, yes. However due to the extra administrative effort of changing hotel and transport bookings an amendment fee of $40 Euro/USD or £25 Sterling per person is payable. If you change your booking within 56 days of the start date however, cancellation charges may apply.

Back to top

Can I cancel?
Yes - however you must do so in writing. Please note our cancellation charges. Any cancellation charges or insurance claims will be calculated from the date of receipt of your written notification of cancellation. It is therefore always a good idea to fax us a signed copy of your letter.

Back to top

General
Can you arrange flights?
We do not arrange flights as part of our service. We have found that most clients can arrange competitively priced flights themselves - either through the use of budget airlines such as Ryanair, or by the use of their own frequent flyer miles. However, please feel free to contact us for advice.

Back to top

Do I need insurance?
Yes. Frankly, it would be foolish to embark on any type of adventure holiday (even one with sedate walking like our own) without insurance. We can offer competitively priced travel insurance (to UK residents only) as part of your holiday - including yearly cover. Please click here for further details. If you are not arranging travel insurance through us, we request that you forward us a copy of your policy. Your cover should extend to cancellation, loss or theft of money and/or personal possessions, and medical expenses. Obviously it should be valid for the geographic region of your tour. If you have annual or multi-trip insurance, please ensure that it is valid for your entire trip.

Back to top

Do I need to prepare?
You must have a reasonable level of physical fitness to participate in a walking holiday. You should not go on a walking holiday unless you are used to walking the indicated distances. If you are purchasing new footwear or boots before your holiday - please ensure that you wear them in first by doing a number of walks in the weeks before you depart! Nothing will ruin the enjoyment of your holiday more than developing blisters or having impacting toes.

Back to top

Financial Security and Consumer Protection
Who are Trek-Inn Holidays?
Trek-Inn Holidays is a UK registered and limited company. Our company registration number is 4645447. Trek-Inn Holidays Limited is registered as member U1528 with the Travel Trust Association (TTA) to provide consumer protection and to comply with both EU and UK law.

Back to top

How are clients funds protected?
As a UK registered company and member of the TTA we act as the principal or organiser for "non-air holidays" in compliance with the EC directive on Package Holidays, enacted in the United Kingdom as "SI3288 The Package Holiday, Package Travel, Package Tour Regulations 1992".

  • Under the TTA scheme, client funds are protected through a Trust Account operated by an independent trustee and backed by fidelity insurance underwritten by AIG Europe Ltd.
  • We act as tour operators whereby each walking holiday is treated as an individual package in which specific ground arrangements, accommodations and activities are included.
  • In cases where flight bookings are organised we act as retail agents for various ATOL protected operators. These fares are treated separately from the walking package and consumer's flights are thereby protected under the ATOL statutory scheme managed by the Civil Aviation Authority.

Back to top

How does the TTA scheme operate?
The TTA scheme involves two aspects, a trust account and a Safe Seat Plan. All client payments to us are placed in a designated trust account. This account is supervised by an independent trustee (in this case a chartered accountant) who is not employed by Trek-Inn Holidays. Your funds remain in this account and cannot be released to us without the consent of the trustee, and this consent is not given until your vacation is completed, and applicable financial procedures followed.

The Safe Seat Plan is an additional insurance provided by Trek-Inn Holidays and endorsed by the Travel Trust Association, and underwritten by AIG Europe Ltd. The Safe Seat Plan will reimburse the loss of any amount paid to Trek-Inn Holidays for your holiday up to a per-passenger maximum of 11,000 GBP, if this money cannot be met by funds in the Trust Account.

Back to top

How much does it cost?
Nothing - cover is provided free of charge. It is a condition of our membership of the TTA that this cover is provided.

Back to top

What happens if I need to cancel?
If you cancel your holiday prior to departure any funds due will be refunded from the protected trust account (subject to any applicable cancellation charges).

Back to top

Does this mean I don't need to buy any Travel Insurance?
No. The TTA Scheme only provides cover for monies paid directly to us prior to departure. It does not provide any other travel cover e.g. compensation for delays, loss of personal effects, etc. You are strongly advised therefore to purchase cover for these eventualities. Trek-Inn Holidays can provide full travel insurance, including yearly multi- plans (to UK residents only).

Back to top

What happens if Trek-Inn Holidays goes out of business?
Should Trek-Inn Holidays cease trading or become insolvent then, in most instances, your money will still be held in the trust account and will be available to pay for your holiday. If for any reason the money was not in the trust account, the Safe Seat insurance plan would reimburse any loss as detailed above. If you had already paid a deposit, and still had an outstanding balance due your vacation would be unaffected, and should you wish to (and by paying the balance) the holiday could continue as planned.

Back to top

If you need further detail or have any other queries, then please contact us.

Home - Escorted Tours - Self-guided Tours - Schedule - Custom Tours - Contact Us - Booking Form - FAQs - Links
Sitemap Home page Escorted holidays Self-guided holidays Schedule of holiday dates Custom holidays How to contact us Booking form Frequently asked questions Some relevant links