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Frequently Asked Questions
Guided Walking in Europe
Walking Holidays in Europe
Hotels in Europe
Travel Arrangements
Prices & Special Offers
| Walking Holidays in Europe |
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Unlike most walking holidays you'll always have the choice of a harder and
easier walk each day - ideal for friends and partners with different walking interests.
This allows you to alternate between the two walks, perhaps progressing to something
more challenging towards the end of your holiday.
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We offer a wide range of holidays from the easiest rambles to the most challenging
mountain ascents. Probably the most important thing to look for is the amount
of ascent (or 'uphill') during the day.
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Yes - Each resort has either a 7, 10 or 14 night programme of walks with a different
choice of walks each day.
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We offer a number of holidays with easier walks. Our Alpine
Rambles holidays offer easier walks at our resorts in the Alps and Pyrenees;
ideal if you want to take things slowly and soak up the views. If you are more
interested in sightseeing then our Explorer
Tours combine gentle walks of up to a couple of miles together with visits
to world-class sights.
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At our resorts in the Alps and Pyrenees, the Harder Option each day will be
a mountain walk visiting high summits, mountain huts and cols. If these aren't
challenging enough then our High
Trails holidays are designed to take you further and higher into Europe's
most breathtaking mountains.
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Our HF Holidays Leaders come from all walks of life but all share a passion
for the great outdoors, travel and foreign cultures. Each holiday is accompanied
by two Leaders who will lead the day's walks and ensure the smooth running of your
holiday. Our assessment courses have a reputation for only selecting the best
Leaders and only 40-50% make the grade. We don't just look for people with excellent
fitness and navigation skills; we look for Leaders whose prime motivation is that
all our guests have an enjoyable holiday.
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Each resort has one or more Field Officers; knowledgeable walking Leaders with
particular experience of the area. They plan the walks to enable you to see the
best of the local area and may include charming ancient villages, stunning viewpoints,
secluded beaches or lofty summits. Each year we listen carefully to the feedback
from our guests and Leaders and are always seeking ways of further improving our
programme of walks.
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We'll send you a full list of what to bring prior to your holiday. The main
items that you'll need are a waterproof jacket and a small rucksack to carry your
lunch. For the majority of our holidays you'll also need a pair of walking boots.
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This varies but you can usually expect between 12 and 25 people with 2 HF Holidays
Leaders. We wouldn't usually expect to operate a holiday with less than 8 guests.
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A friendly relaxed atmosphere is one of the hallmarks of our holidays making
them very suitable both for single guests and couples. Meals are taken as a group
and informal activities in the evening ensure that you'll never be short of someone
to talk to.
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We operate holidays throughout the year and choose the best months for walking.
At our Alpine resorts, May and June offer the best displays of wild flowers, however
a full programme of walks may be limited by patches of old snow or the closure
of cable-cars. Where we think this may be a problem we only run 7 night holidays
at the start of the season.
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| Hotels in Europe |
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We use a wide variety of hotels ranging from small, rural inns to large hotels
with a range of facilities. Our choice of accommodation depends on what is the
most suitable option in the resorts that we visit. Our preference, however, is
for friendly family-run hotels where we know that our guests will be made particularly
welcome.
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Yes - all the rooms at our European hotels have en-suite bathroom facilities.
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Most hotels offer a table d'hôte menu with choices for each course. Where
a set meal is served the menu is seen at breakfast giving you the opportunity
to say in advance if this includes something that you don't like. The dishes may
be local or international in character, depending on the type of guests that form
the bulk of the hotel's business. Continental breakfast can be quite simple but
in some hotels a more substantial buffet which includes a range of cereals, pastries,
fruit and cold savoury items.
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Most guests choose to buy ingredients for picnic lunches from local shops or
hotel. It may also be possible to eat in a mountain hut or local café -
your Leader will advise you of the daily options.
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Most of the hotels are happy catering for vegetarians, particularly those who
also eat fish. However this can vary from country to country - vegetarianism is
still not well understood in France for example. We recommend that vegetarians
spend a few minutes discussing their requirements with the hotelier or chef.
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Most European hotels don't have facilities in the bedrooms but hot drinks can
be bought from the bar. In Ireland and Jersey the rooms have tea and coffee making
facilities.
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Unlike our hotels in the UK, most European hotels don't have a dedicated boot
room. At our Alpine hotels that are used by skiers in the winter, there are usually
good drying and storage facilities.
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Single rooms are available at all our European hotels, however with single
travellers accounting for 40% of our guests they are always in high demand. We
do our best to secure the largest number of single rooms at the lowest possible
supplements but there can be occasions where demand outstrips supply so our advice
is to book early to avoid disappointment.
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| Travel Arrangements |
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Yes - all the holidays in this brochure are available without flights allowing
you maximum flexibility to drive to the resort or make use of one of the many
'low cost' flights.
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Wherever possible we offer flights from both London and Manchester. If these
aren't suitable then we can usually book connecting flights from regional airports
to either London Heathrow or Gatwick. Alternatively you can buy our 'no flight'
option and make your own arrangements.
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Yes - simply book our 'no flight' option. Instructions on how to reach the
hotels by car will be sent to you prior to your holiday. Of particular interest
are our French resorts of Audierne in Brittany and Tours in the Loire Valley which
are both within easy driving distance of a ferry port.
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Yes - Holidays to Tours in the Loire Valley and our City Breaks to Paris and
Bruges all include travel by Eurostar. If you book our 'no flight' option, our
holidays to Malaucene in Provence and Sarlat in the Dordogne can be reached by
Eurostar and TGV. See www.eurostar.com
for further details
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The transfer is included if you buy your holiday 'with flight'. If you buy
a 'no flight' holiday then you can join the transfer to or from the hotel on payment
of a supplement. If you book your own flights and would like to join the organised
transfer then you will need to arrive at the airport prior to the main group flight.
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On each resort page we suggest the best way of transferring independently;
either by train, bus or taxi. More detailed information will also be sent to you
prior to your holiday.
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Usually you'll meet your HF Holidays Leader in the arrivals lounge at the arrival
airport - look for their distinctive blue clipboards.
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We suggest that you contact Holiday Extras at www.holidayextras.co.uk
or Tel: 0870 844 4040 for further information on hotels or car parking.
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The airports at Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Manchester, Newcastle, Birmingham
and Southampton are all directly accessible by train. See www.nationalrail.co.uk
for train times in the UK. Alternatively all the airports can be reached by National
Express coaches - see www.gobycoach.com or www.nationalexpress.com.
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Most airlines require you to check-in 2 hours before your flight.
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This can vary from airline to airline, usually it is 20kg for scheduled flights
and 15kg for charter flights.
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UK citizens will need a valid passport for all our European holidays (except
Jersey and Ireland where you'll need photo ID for any flights). UK citizens don't
need visas for any of our European holidays.
Guests from other countries are advised to check with their relevant embassy,
consulate or tourist office.
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| Prices & Special Offers |
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- Holidays 'with flight' include return air or rail travel between the UK
and the destination airport or station and a coach transfer to the hotel.
- Half board accommodation - breakfast and evening meal.
- Accommodation in twin en-suite rooms.
- The services of two HF Holidays walking Leaders.
- Service charges and local taxes including UK airport tax.
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- Local transport to and from the trails and admission fees.
- Transfers between the airport and hotel on holidays without a flight.
- Meals on route, except as provided by airlines.
- Porterage.
- Insurance.
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Yes - it is a condition of your holiday that you have travel insurance. Insurance
for UK residents is available through HF Holidays for:
Up to and including 8 nights: £26.75 per person
Up to and including 17 nights: £31.00 per person.
For more details see our insurance page.
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Yes - the following discounts are available on all our Family Choice, Classic
Walking and Walking & Sightseeing holidays*:
| Under 5 years |
55% off |
| 5 - 11 years |
45% off |
| 12 - 13 years |
35% off |
| 14 - 15 years |
25% off |
* Discounts apply when children share with one or more
adults in a family room which might include occasional or bunk beds.
Child prices are not available for on-line booking - To Book call our Reservations
team direct on 020-8732 1250
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Yes - we offer the following discounts for group bookings:
11-19 adults: 5% discount*
20 or more adults: 7½% discount*
*Discounts will not apply to travel agent bookings or in conjunction
with any other offers.
Group prices are not available for on-line booking - To Book call our Groups
Department direct on 020-8732 1260
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