To tell a friend about
The Walking Holiday Company
Walking Holidays in the UK
Walking vacations in the UK with The Walking Holiday Company
General Questions and Answers...
Q. How long are self-guided walking vacations with The Walking Holiday Company?
A. Short walking breaks start from 3 nights. Most itineraries are 5 nights or more. You choose.
Q. When are your independent Walking Vacations available?
A. You can start a self-guided walking vacation on any date you choose (although most clients usually walk between March and October in the UK) simply tell us the date you would like to arrive; you start walking the following day after breakfast.
A. We take great care in selecting your walking vacation accommodation, using tried and trusted B & B’s, guesthouses, small country hotels or Inns. We encourage feedback from our clients and use this to ensure you receive a warm welcome and clean, comfortable accommodation. We have an excellent working relationship with our B & B’s and always request they look after you well. We also provide detailed instructions on how to find your accommodation at the end of your walking day. It all takes time, and your time is precious.
Q. Does The Walking Holiday Company arrange baggage transfer for walking tours and vacations?
A. Yes, on all our walking vacations we transfer your luggage between overnight stays along the trail (one bag per person).
Q. Does The Walking Holiday Company provide maps and a guidebook to the trail?
A. Yes. The tour price includes the latest guidebook to the trail, map & route notes where necessary. On some of our self-guided walking vacations there are no guidebooks to the trail so we provide detailed route notes instead.
Q. What do I have to carry?
A. All you need to carry is a light rucksack. In this you should pack your lunch, water bottle, waterproofs, first-aid kit and any other personal items you might want during the day. We transport the rest of your baggage (one suitcase per person) between each overnight stop.
Q. Where will I stay?
A. On a self-guided walking tour, we make use of a wide variety of accommodation types, as each night is usually spent in a different location. These range from small B&B's and guesthouses to, small country hotels & inns. All are very comfortable with a warm and friendly atmosphere. Most of the accommodation is en-suite with private bathrooms, but in some of the more remote areas where accommodation is limited, the rooms may not always have private facilities. We always try to book en-suite rooms where available, for you.
Q. What meals are provided?
A. Full Breakfast is provided each day. The accommodation we use always offers cooked breakfasts, cereals, toast, fruit, tea , coffee etc.
We don't provide packed lunches but they can be ordered from your accommodation the evening before, and there is often a shop, inn, café or restaurant along the route where you can purchase lunch. Evening meals are not normally included; they can be arranged by you at your accommodation each night or from an inn nearby. Your Walking Holiday Company Pack contains recommendations for places to obtain evening meals.
Q. Does The Walking Holiday Company arrange for vegetarians or people with special diets to be catered for?
A. Yes. Vegetarian meals are available on request. Please tell us of this requirement when booking. We may also be able to cater for more restricted diets, but please check with us first before booking.
Q. What's included in the walking tour price?
Accommodation in double, twin, single or family rooms in comfortable B & B’s, guesthouses, small country hotels & country inns along the trail, that have been carefully chosen for their warm and friendly welcome and the quality of their accommodation.
Full breakfast each day.
We do not arrange lunches or evening meals for you. Packed lunches are available from your accommodation, although you may prefer to stop for lunch at an inn or café along the trail. Evening meals are sometimes available at your accommodation or from an inn nearby. The holiday pack provided describes the options available for your lunch and evening meals each day.
Our holiday pack containing a day-to-day itinerary, an equipment checklist and a contact telephone number in case you need any assistance.
Luggage transfer between overnight stops (one suitcase per person).
Maps with the route clearly marked and a guidebook describing the trail (one per party).
Q. I'm traveling on my own, does The Walking Holiday Company cater for singles?
A. Yes you can and you are welcome. For people traveling on their own there is a single supplement. This is to cover the extra costs described below.
Q. What is the 'single supplement'?
A. The single supplement covers the extra costs of a single room or single occupancy of twin or double rooms; baggage transfers for one rather than two people and for providing a set of maps and a guidebook for one rather than two or more people.
Q. Can I bring my dog on a walking tour with me?
A. Yes, it is sometimes possible to arrange this. Not all walks are suitable for dogs due to the amount of stiles, and certain times of the year may not be recommended because of calving, the presence of seal pups and ground nesting birds. Most of our accommodation providers who welcome dogs will most likely make a cleaning charge They also usually state that one 'well behaved' dog per booking is allowed. We also charge a one off £25 administration fee to cover the extra administration work involved.
Q. Where can I get more detailed information about each walk?
A. Details of each walking tour, including itinerary options and prices are available here on our web site.
Booking & Cancellations...
Q. How do I make a reservation with The Walking Holiday Company?
A. Simply choose your walking tour, your starting date and whether you want to add any extra nights. We can then accept you booking in the following ways:
- Visit the booking form pages on this web site where you will find our booking conditions together with a booking form that can be printed, filled in and faxed to us or mailed to The Walking Holiday Company address.
- Visit the booking form pages where you will find our booking conditions together with a link to a secure online booking for
- Telephone us on +44 (0) 1600 718219
Q. What deposit do I need to pay?
A. A deposit of £100 per person is required at the time of booking.
Q. When do I pay my balance?
A. Your balance is required 8 weeks (56 days) before departure.
Q. How do I pay for the walking holiday?
A. You may pay for your vacation by UK sterling cheque payable to The Walking Holiday Company, debit card, credit card (through PayPal UK), Sterling bank draft (made payable to The Walking Holiday Company) or International Money Transfer direct to our bank account in STERLING (GB pounds).
Q. Is my money safe?
A. Clients monies are paid into a separate ‘client account’ and not utilised until your vacation has been taken.
Q. Can I extend my walking tour by booking extra nights?
A. Yes. You can book as many extra nights (for rest days) as you wish. To assist you in choosing where to spend an extra night, we have added recommended rest days on our itinerary pages. The cost of these extra nights will be on your itinerary details.
Q. Do I need travel insurance?
A. We do recommend that you take out holiday insurance to cover cancellation, personal accident, illness and loss/theft of personal possessions and/or money.
Q. Can I change the dates or make amendments to my walking vacation after I have booked?
A. We will always try our best to assist you with any amendments to your booking. Up to 8 weeks before the start date of your walking holiday it is usually possible to change some details, although we will have to charge an administration fee of £30 per person to cover the work involved in cancelling and then re-booking your accommodation. Requests for changes made less than 56 days before the start of your tour will be treated as a cancellation of your original booking.
Q. What happens if I have to cancel my walking vacation?
A. If you have to cancel your holiday please inform us in writing. You can send it to us by mail, fax or email. The date from which we receive your cancellation is the date from which cancellation fees will be calculated.
Preparing for your Walking Vacation
Q. How should I prepare for my walking tour?A. To get the most enjoyment out of your walking vacation you should be in good health and with a reasonable level of fitness. You should be accustomed to walking the distances described in the tour you have chosen. In the weeks leading up to your tour, the most pleasurable way to ensure this is to go for a few walks. You should also ensure that your footwear is comfortable. If you are going to buy new boots for the tour make sure that you have worn them on several walks before the tour - nothing spoils a walking holiday more than sore feet.
Q. What do I need to bring on a walking vacation?
A. An equipment list is included in your Walking Holiday Pack.
Q. When will I receive my Walking Holiday Pack
A. Walking Holiday Packs are sent out approximately 4 weeks before the start of your vacation.