How To Book and Other Frequently Asked Questions

·         How to book in 7 easy steps

·         When do I book my flights?

·         How can I reserve a holiday if the airline has not yet published its schedule?

·         What does the price of the holiday include?

·         What does the price of the holiday not include?

·         Will I need to buy any special kit before I go?

·         What about walking poles?

·         I’m thinking of going on one of your holidays on my own – what will happen if I get into trouble?

·         How does a provisional booking become confirmed?

·         How do I get travel insurance?

·         I haven’t been on a walking holiday before which holiday should I go on?

·         I’m really excited about my holiday, when do I get my Walkers’ Pack?

·         What’s the advantage of travelling on a recommended start date?

·         How can I keep up to date with your new routes?

·         Will I meet the local contact during the holiday?

·         I like the sound of one of your holidays but I don’t think I could do that particular day of 8hrs walking.  Can I still do it

·         I understand that I can save money on the cost of my flight if I book on the internet but I’ve not done this before.  How do I do it?

·         What is the smallest number of people you will accept a booking for – and the largest?

·         How can I reserve a holiday if the airline has not yet published its schedule?

·         What’s the difference between a single room supplement and a lone traveller supplement?

How to book in 7 easy steps

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1.      Choose your route and best start date. Have some alternative dates up your sleeve.

2.      Find a suitable flight or other means of travel but don’t book it yet. Call us for advice if the relevant timetables are not yet published, or if you don’t have a computer (or friendly travel agent).

3.      Call or email us or use this website’s Reservations Link to check hotel availability and confirm the price. We will get back to you within 24 hours (not weekends). If the hotels have rooms for the days in question, we will make a provisional reservation for you.

4.      Once we have told you we’ve made a provisional reservation for you, you may book your flight or other travel arrangements (we give you four days in which to do this). If the relevant flight schedules have not yet been published, see step 5 below.

5.      When you have booked your travel, contact us to confirm the booking. A deposit of £100 per person is payable (easiest by debit/credit card). If your departure is within 8 weeks, full payment is required. We will also check that you have read our booking conditions.                                                                                                       

If you are unable to book your travel because flight schedules have not yet been published, you may confirm (and pay your deposit) subject to a satisfactory flight being eventually available. Your deposit is fully refundable up to 90 days prior to your prospective start date. We will send you a Confirmed Reservation receipt for your payment.

6.      If you have booked early, send us the balance of your payment (by card or cheque) prior to 56 days before departure.

7.      We will send you a Walkers’ Pack with maps, route directions, background information on the regions, things to do and places to see, transfer advice to get you to the first hotel (and back from the last), including bus and train timetables and taxi ranks etc. and the name and telephone number of our local contact.

Note: It is a condition of booking that you have your own travel insurance. All payments by credit card will be subject to a 2% surcharge, and international bank transfers to a flat £10 surcharge. No charge for debit card/cheque payments. We cannot accept Diners Club or American Express. Cheques should be made payable to On Foot Holidays and sent to:

On Foot Holidays, Castle Mews. 29a Castle Street, Salisbury, SP1 1TT, UK.

When do I book my flights?

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A:  It is absolutely vital that you don’t book your flights until you have made a provisional reservation with us (i.e. you have phoned us and we have confirmed that the hotels can accept your reservations on the relevant dates.)  We will say to you “you can now go ahead and book your flights”.

 What does the price of the holiday include?

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A:  The price of the holiday includes

a.      Accommodation for 7 nights either on a half board or bed & breakfast basis (see route details page)

b.      transfer of luggage between hotels (unless a taxi or boat transfer is used for a particular leg)

c.       a Walkers’ Pack containing route notes, maps, background information, luggage labels etc

d.      Local contact details should you get into trouble while walking or need advice. 

e.      Some taxi transfers, depending on the route.

f.       Packed lunches where there is nowhere to buy your own lunch along the route.

What does the price not include?

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A: The price of the holiday does not include:

a.      Flights.  This enables you to take advantage of low cost flight deals from local airports.

b.      The cost of the transfer from the airport to the start of walk (though we tell you exactly how to do this and in some cases offer the taxi transfer as an extra)

c.       Any meals not included on the Route Details page

d.      Hotel upgrade supplements

e.      Extra nights at the start or end of the walk

f.       Single supplement

g.      Lone traveller supplement

Will I need to buy any special kit before I go?

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A:  We recommend taking certain things with you although you do not need to buy everything we suggest.  The most important thing, which really will affect the enjoyment of your walk is that you use a pair of well-worn-in walking boots or walking shoes.  A full list of recommended kit will be given to you well in advance.

What about walking poles?

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A:  Well they are very useful to take the weight off your knees when going downhill and to help you when going uphill and can be vital in slippery conditions.  Those with knee or back problems would certainly benefit from taking them.

I’m thinking of going on one of your holidays on my own – what will happen if I get into trouble?

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A:  We advise all our clients to take a mobile phone with them and ask for their phone number before departure.  This is particularly important with lone travellers.  We pass the mobile phone number to the local contact.  We also ask for any pre-existing medical conditions and your insurance details so that if you are injured our local contact can arrange prompt and effective treatment.

How does a provisional booking become confirmed?

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A:  When you phone or email us to tell us that you have booked your flights, we will ask whether you have arranged your travel insurance and read and agreed the booking conditions, either in the brochure or on the website.  We take a deposit from you of £100 per person, either by credit (2% charge) or debit card or by cheque. The booking will be confirmed when we have received your deposit payment.  The deposit must be received within 4 days of making the provisional reservation with us. It is a condition of booking that you have travel insurance and details of the policy covering each person travelling must be advised to us at least two months in advance of your holiday start date.

How do I get travel insurance?

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A: You will need to arrange your own travel insurance (covering principally cancellation and hospital treatment abroad). First check your house insurance as some policies include limited travel insurance, though you may wish to upgrade it.  Travel insurance can otherwise be obtained from most major banks, travel agents and insurance brokers.

I haven’t been on a walking holiday before which holiday should I go on?

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A:  If you are new to walking holidays, you should try one of our easier walks first (Mount Pelion, West or East Slovenia or Bohemia).  We recommend you do some regular walking at home before the start of your holiday.

I’m really excited about my holiday, when do I get my Walkers’ Pack?

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A:  Shortly after we have received your balance payment we will send the Walkers’ Pack to you.  There may occasionally be a slight delay as we update the information within the pack regularly, but if this is the case we will let you know.

What’s the advantage of travelling on a recommended start date?

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A:  We have chosen dates throughout the year which are the best for walking in terms of weather, flora and fauna. However if you are unable to travel on one of our recommended start dates, you can choose your own start date (from “other possible dates”).  

How can I keep up to date with your new routes?

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A:  Click here to join our email list and we will send you details of our new routes as soon as they are ready. 

Will I meet the local contact during the holiday?

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A:  If everything goes smoothly, you may not see him or her at all.  You may see some of our local contacts if they are also doing your luggage transfers.  The local contact is there if you need them, for advice or for help but if they do not hear from you during your holiday, they will assume that everything is fine.

I like the sound of one of your holidays but I don’t think I could do that particular day of 8hrs walking.  Can I still do it?

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A:  Normally there are options to shorten each day’s walk, for some however this is not possible.  We will be happy to advise you for the specific walk you are interested in.

I understand that I can save money on the cost of my flight if I book on the internet but I’ve not done this before.  How do I do it?

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A:  We can talk you through it, as you do it. It’s easy when you know how!

What is the smallest number of people you will accept a booking for – and the largest?

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A:  We have many clients who have happily walked the routes alone, and the largest group we can accept depends on the size of the hotels on the route.   6 maximum on the Western Slovenia route, up to 12 in Andalucia.  Telephone us to check for your particular route and start date.

How can I reserve a holiday if the airline has not yet published its schedule?

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A:  Make a reservation with us in the normal way; We will check and confirm hotel availability, and take a normal deposit from you to reserve the holiday.  If there is a problem with flights when they do become available, you have up until 90 days before the start date of your holiday to cancel your booking with us and receive a full refund of your deposit, or to change your start date.

What’s the difference between a single room supplement and a lone traveller supplement?

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A: A single room supplement is the additional price payable for single occupancy of a hotel room.  A lone traveller additional supplement is payable when a person is walking the route alone.  Mainly because luggage transfers cost us the same however many people are in the party.