European Vacations

Who are European Vacations Ltd?
European Vacations are a European tour operator that has been trading successfully for the past 5 years. We have had many thousands of passengers travel with us each year to a variety of European destinations.

What hotels do we stay in? Why can you not let me know which hotels I will be staying in?
We cannot name hotels because we require the flexibility to negotiate with hotels that have availability and are willing to offer their rooms at specially discounted prices. If we were to name hotels we would lose our buying power with the hotels and not be able to offer you the holiday. However o ur carefully selected charming hotels offer you a good and modern standard of accommodation. All rooms have private facilities, bath or shower, WC, telephone and some feature Sat TV.

Why do you require a refundable deposit?
This only applies at certain times of the year. If we do not charge a refundable deposit some people will book a holiday with free travel and accommodation and not show up for the holiday - this means empty seats on the coaches and a lost holiday opportunity for someone else. This refundable deposit policy prevents this problem, and the money is given back to you on day two of your holiday in Euros.

How & when do you pay the refundable deposit back?
The deposit is paid back in Euro's on day two of the tour

Do I have to pay anything extra?
You are not obliged to pay for anything extra. We will make available to guests optional services such as a meal plan, peak season supplements, pick up supplements as well as a full excursion schedule for most days during the tour. These are all optional, and we find that a significant percentage of passengers find these convenient and add to the enjoyment of their holiday. These options also represent exceptional value for money.

How can European Vacations give away FREE travel and accommodation to European destinations?
A conventional tour operator will have a significant budget for advertising and marketing in order to fill their tours. At the end of the day it is the customer who pays for all this. We like to think differently, we would rather provide you with free travel and accommodation rather than pay for advertising. Then when you are on holiday with us you may decide to utilise some of our exceptional value services such as our comprehensive tour schedule and convenient meal plan, both of which are excellent value for money and quality, these we find add to the enjoyment of your holiday, from this we make some revenue.

It is very expensive for companies to recruit new customers and at the end of the day we want you to sample our holidays so that you become a repeat passenger in future years. Not only that but introduce our holidays to your friends. We also work with many companies who want to reward customers with free holiday travel and accommodation, you may of in fact received one of these certificates. Each one of these certificates has been paid for by the sponsoring company to enable you to travel on one of our tours.

Do I need travel insurance?
Yes, each passenger is required to have valid Travel Insurance for their holiday, either from European Vacations Limited or from a bone fide third party.

Do I need a passport?
Yes, each passenger requires a passport.

Is European Vacations ABTA Bonded? What happens to my money if you go out of business?
In compliance with travel regulations, European Vacations contracts with IGI Insurance Company Limited , Market Square House , St James's Street, Nottingham NG1 6FG ( Certificate No. TOF/IGI/0000168 ) who provides an annual blanket coverage for tour operator insolvency for European Vacations. So you can rest assured you money is safe at all times. A copy of the insurance certificate can be obtained from our office.

Can I pay by Credit card? Why do you not take credit cards?
Due to the very low margins that we work on with these promotional holidays, we do not take any payments with credit cards, as the credit card companies charge high commissions for this service. They are approximately 3.5% on credit cards which is unacceptable too us and it is a business decision not to take them for payment and this has been acceptable to our clients for over the past five years.

Is Food Included?
No food is included but we do offer half board as an optional supplement

Can I take my pet?
We are not able to accommodate pets on our tours

What facilities are available on the coach?
All our modern coaches have air conditioning, WC, Bar and video system

When do I get my tickets?
We will send you your travel documents 10 days prior to your departure.

Can I book a particular seat on the coach?
Any special requests are noted and passed on to the coach operator. We regret that such requests cannot be guaranteed, and we cannot accept bookings contingent upon them.

Where can I park in Dover?
Secure parking is available from Relyon Car Parking. Contact number 01304 201227.

Can I transfer to another holiday?
Wherever possible we will allow you to transfer you to another tour.

What is the minimum age for passengers on the tour?
All participants must be aged 18 or over.

Can I pay for the excursions during the tour?
You may book excursions when you place your booking. However you can always book excursions whilst on holiday with the tour guide.

How much walking is involved on the excursions?
As each guide tour is different we advise that you speak with your tour guide to
determine the details of individual tours.

What disabled access and assistance is available?
Any disability requiring special attention must be reported at the time of booking. We will make reasonable efforts to accommodate the special needs of disabled tour participants, but we are not responsible for any denial of service or lack of facilities by carriers, hotels, lodges, restaurants, or other independent suppliers. Coaches and mini/buses are not equipped with wheelchair ramps. We regret that we cannot provide individual assistance to a tour member for walking, dining, getting on and off coaches, and other transportation vehicles or other personal needs. Travellers who need such assistance, must be accompanied by a qualified companion.

How long are we on the coach and how often do we stop for rest stops?
The coach will make frequent rest stops. Our comfortable and modern luxury coaches are equipped with air conditioning, wide panoramic windows, reclining seats, bar, hot drinks machine, toilet and wash basin.

Why do I have to pay a seasonal supplement?
At peak times of the year we are required to pay our suppliers an additional charge for their services. These additional costs we have to pass on to travellers, this is in common with other tour operators. We also offer the opportunity for travel without a Seasonal Supplement. This works on the basis of cost effective ticket and accommodation availability at the hotels. Within 18 months of returning your Booking Application you will receive notification of a date 30 - 90 days before departure. You must confirm acceptance by telephone and return the fully completed forms by registered mail within 36 hours. Please be assured if at the time of the offer you find the date inconvenient you will be given another 2 alternate dates. A refundable deposit of £ 50 per person will be required which will be repaid on day 2 of the tour.

What ferry company do we travel with?
In order for us to maintain our buying power with suppliers we cannot name suppliers in our literature, otherwise you could be disappointed, however we guarantee that the quality of ferry will be comparable to that featured in our advertising.