If you cannot find an answer to your question below, or would like some information about organising a bespoke walking holiday in the UK, please do get in touch. We would be delighted to hear from you!
Why should I choose Discovery Travel?
As enthusiastic walkers ourselves we understand what’s needed to create a fantastic holiday. As a relatively small-scale, family business you’ll receive a level of personal service that the larger companies just can’t offer – the number of repeat bookings we receive is testament to this. We get excited about planning your holidays and greatly enjoy the process of getting to know our customers and their needs – just give us a call and find out!
Is my payment safe?
In accordance with the Package Travel Regulations 1992, all customers booking with Discovery Travel Holidays Ltd are fully protected for all the monies paid towards your holidays with us. In the unlikely event of our insolvency, all deposits and balance payments are protected and will be refunded.
What sort of distances am I likely to cover?
We have ready-made itineraries for many walks that range in daily distance from 7 miles to 20 miles or more, enabling you to choose the ideal hike for you. Our walking holidays can also be adapted to your needs if you’d rather walk less or more each day. Contact us for further information.
What kind of accommodation should I expect?
We use carefully selected B&Bs, guest houses, inns and small hotels. In choosing your establishments, the emphasis is on comfortable and well-appointed accommodation with friendly hosts who have good knowledge of the local area and understand the needs of walkers. Being easily accessed from the walking route is also important, as is the ability to get a good evening meal locally.
En-suite accommodation is always sought as a first choice. Occasionally, all en-suite options are booked out, in which case rooms with private bathrooms are sought. Customers are always consulted about non-en-suite options before details are finalised.
Sometimes in larger towns and cities, larger hotels are used if our usual local options are full.
Do you transfer my luggage for me?
Yes! We will get your luggage transferred door to door each day. Our standard priced holiday includes one piece of baggage per walker, each bag weighing up to 20kg maximum. Our “What’s Included” page provides more details.
If you wish to have more than one bag per person transferred, we can arrange that subject to an additional charge for each extra bag being moved. Please get in touch if you need this service.
Do I need to be really fit?
Our holidays are aimed at people who are reasonably fit, but they are intended to be enjoyed rather than endured. Most customers seek a nice blend of challenge and relaxation. If you are not walking regularly, don’t worry, but it is a good idea to do some preparatory exercise that includes walking the kind of distances you will be undertaking during your holiday and, given that many of our holidays do involve hills, includes some up and downhill stretches.
How do I judge if a walk is suitable for my fitness level?
Included in the Itinerary and Trail Details pages of each route are the following pieces of information about the walk to help you decide if a particular walk is at the right level for you:
- daily distances
- descriptions of the type of terrain you will cover and the ease of navigation on the route
- an elevation chart that indicates the topography of the trail
- data on the total metres of ascent and descent during the walk
It’s our view that this information, along with your own knowledge of your levels of fitness and strength, is the most appropriate way for customers to decide if a particular walk or itinerary is right for them.
Discovery Travel does not provide a grading system to describe its routes along the lines of “easy, moderate, strenuous etc”. One person’s moderate is another person’s strenuous, or vice versa, so we don’t see the purpose in that type of grading.
If for any reason you are still uncertain about the suitability of a route for you, please don’t hesitate to contact us for a chat about it. Likewise if you want to undertake a route but feel the daily distances are too much for you, get in touch and we can discuss options for an itinerary better suited to your needs.
I want to travel alone, is this possible?
Yes! Solo walkers can book any of our holidays and many of our customers choose to walk alone. Solo walkers do pay a supplement per night which covers the higher cost of accommodation for single people and situations where the cost per head of moving bags is higher than if in a group. See our Booking Information page for a full explanation of our pricing.
How do I get there and back?
Travel to your first night’s accommodation is not included in the holiday, unless specifically arranged with us. We are happy to assist customers with advice on travel options and you will find links to useful travel websites on the “Travel Info” page for each holiday. Please do contact us if you need help planning your travel to and from a walk.
Do I need holiday insurance?
Travel insurance is not included in the holidays that we sell. We strongly recommend that you take out holiday insurance. It is prudent to take out your policy as soon as you have booked your trip with Discovery Travel and we have confirmed that all your accommodation has been booked, as deposit payment are non-refundable once we have confirmed that all the accommodation for your trip has been reserved.
Do I start walking the day I arrive?
All our ready-made itineraries are based on customers arriving at the start point the day before they start walking. Some customers do request itineraries that mean they arrive at the start point and start walking the same day. We are able to arrange this upon request.
Can I have rest days/extra nights during the trip?
Yes. You can choose to spend extra nights in whichever location(s) you prefer. Prices for extra nights are displayed on each walk itinerary. Simply indicate the place(s) where you wish to spend more time and we will calculate the price accordingly. We provide suggestions for good places to spend more time on the “Extra Days” section of each walk itinerary. If you would like further help planning rest days, please do get in touch.
Will you charge me to pay by credit card?
No, there are no hidden charges, the price we quote is the price you pay.
If a transfer is required to get me to my accommodation, will I be charged extra for this?
No, Discovery Travel covers the cost of any walker transfers that are booked in cases where accommodation cannot be found within easy reach of the trail. Such transfers are kept to a minimum and are only used when no alternatives exist.
Can I walk just part of a trail?
Yes, part walks are no problem. Please contact us and we can advise what is possible and provide a price.
What meals are included in the price?
All of our holidays include breakfast. Packed lunches and evening meals are paid for directly by customers during their walk. For a full run down of what is included in our standard package, see our What’s Included page.
Can Discovery Travel organise holidays for groups of 8 or more walkers?
Yes! One of the things we specialise in is organising walks for larger groups. Please contact us to find out more.