Frequently Asked Questions

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FAQs

1. WHY SHOULD I BOOK THROUGH ORIGINAL TRAVEL, RATHER THAN BOOKING THE TRIP MYSELF?

There are four main reasons to book through us; (i) our first hand knowledge of the destination in question, (ii) having one point of contact for all arrangements, (iii) value for money and (iv) financial protection. The Original Travel team has spent several years sourcing and selecting the very finest hotels, airlines and activities from around the world and has first hand experience of every trip we offer. We are a 'one stop shop' to arrange everything, and one point of contact to make bookings or changes means you can have peace of mind. We have negotiated agreements with our suppliers (airlines, hotels, ground handlers, activity providers etc) where we make our margin 'below the line'. As a result we are confident you should never pay more to go on a Big Short Break than you would by arranging the trip independently (that's of course assuming you had the time to research, plan and book the trip in the first place). Finally, and perhaps most importantly, our ATOL bond means you benefit from financial protection. For more details on this, see FAQ 2.

2. WHAT IS ATOL BONDING?

ATOL - which is short for "Air Travel Organisers' Licensing" - exists to protect the public from losing money or being stranded abroad because of the failure of air travel firms. In the highly unlikely event of our insolvency, the CAA will ensure that you are not stranded abroad and will arrange to refund any money you have paid to us for an advance booking. ATOL was first introduced in 1972 and it gives comprehensive consumer protection to 28 million people in the UK who buy flights or air holidays each year.

3. WHAT DOES ORIGINAL TRAVEL DO TO COUNTER THE ADVERSE EFFECTS OF AIR TRAVEL ON THE ENVIRONMENT?

Air travel is a major source of atmospheric pollution. Carbon dioxide emissions from aircraft are one of the fastest growing contributors to rising levels of the greenhouse gases which cause global warming. Aircraft emissions cause particular damage because they are pumped directly into the upper atmosphere where they have nearly three times the environmental impact of equivalent emissions released at ground level. As passenger numbers around the world increase rapidly from year to year, so too does the environmental impact of aviation. Original Travel is committed to reducing this negative impact as much as possible. We have teamed up with Climate Care to help our clients offset the environmental cost of their trips. Original Travel clients will be offered the choice of paying a small surcharge in order to offset the CO₂ emissions of their air travel. (We have worked out the 'climate cost' of each of our destinations - long haul obviously costs more than short haul). The money raised is then passed to Climate Care, which works as a repair service for the climate - it runs a variety of projects that reduce the amount of CO₂ in the atmosphere, thus making your trip 'climate neutral'. The charge will be on an 'opt-out' basis, i.e. the Climate Care surcharge will appear on your invoice, but you have the option not to pay - rather like the service charge in a restaurant. Climate Care's projects are located in the developing world. This means that all the emissions reductions that you pay for go over and above the cuts in greenhouse gases that the UK government is already committed to making. The projects avoid, reduce or absorb greenhouse gases by either: promoting renewable energy (cutting out fossil fuels); promoting energy efficiency (applying technologies that use less energy); or reforestation (absorbing and storing CO₂). Climate Care's projects make a real difference to the climate, to communities and to the local environment. All projects are monitored and verified by a third party to ensure the highest standards of environmental integrity.

4. DOES ORIGINAL TRAVEL DO HOLIDAYS OTHER THAN SHORT BREAKS?

While Big Short Breaks are our core business, we are a tailor-made tour operator with an extensive network worldwide, first-hand knowledge and experience of over 100 different countries worldwide, and have now launched our Beyond the Big Short Break programme - a cherry-picked selection of our favourite longer haul destinations.

5. HOW 'ORIGINAL' ARE ORIGINAL TRAVEL?

In the last couple of years we have organised holidays as diverse as a trek to the North Pole, altitude marathon training in the High Atlas, a polar bear safari in the Arctic, a club cricket tour to Sri Lanka, honeymoons into the heart of Uganda, Namibia and Patagonia, and even a 80-person bobsleighing trip for a leading UK company. We relish a challenge, so if there's something special you would like to organise, let us know and we will do our best to make it happen.

6. CAN ORIGINAL TRAVEL ARRANGE CORPORATE AND INCENTIVE TRIPS?

We see the Big Short Break as ideal corporate and incentive territory. We are constatntly putting together trips from simple 6 poeple weekends to far more outlandish 80 people trips. We like to think that we can really live up to our Original Travel brand.

7. WHAT PARTNERSHIP RELATIONSHIPS DOES ORIGINAL TRAVEL HAVE?

Original Travel work closely with several companies. We helped develop the immaculate new dive hotel book Dive in Style over the last two years and were instrumental in putting together the destinations listed. The 26 trips that ultimately made the grade are grouped under the heading Original Diving in the Beyond the Big Short Break section. We are also the concierge partners for Mr & Mrs Smith, The ultimate collection of hand-picked, beautiful and stylish hotels in UK and Europe, providing flights, transfers and activities on the ground for Mr & Mrs Smith cardholders. As one of the few BA preferred tour operators we have access to all the best flight deals, which we then pass on to clients going on our bespoke trips.

8. WILL I NEED A VISA, AND/OR VACCINATIONS FOR MY HOLIDAY?

We will inform you of any visa and passport requirements, and will offer advice on vaccinations required. We do however recommend that you seek a qualified opinion from your GP for further inoculation advice.

9. IF I GET INSURANCE BY BOOKING AN ORIGINAL TRAVEL HOLIDAY USING MY CREDIT CARD, OR ALREADY HAVE AN ANNUAL INSURANCE POLICY, SHOULD I TO TAKE OUT ORIGINAL TRAVEL INSURANCE AS WELL?

Credit card companies' insurance coverage often offers the very lowest cover on the market. Furthermore several of Original Travel's holidays involve activities that you are unlikely to be covered for under your existing policy. We will not sell a holiday to someone who is not sufficiently covered. We can issue policies that provide the very highest level of insurance cover for your holiday and for the activities you will be enjoying.

10. ARE ORIGINAL TRAVEL HOLIDAYS CHILD-FRIENDLY?

While several of Original Travel's trips, such as those in the Original Escapes, Original Skiing and Original Cities sections almost all cater for children, some of the holidays are adventurous by nature, and so may not be appropriate. Please consult us for further advice on the particular holiday you are interested in.

11. WILL I BE JOINING A GROUP ON MY ORIGINAL TRAVEL HOLIDAY?

All Original Travel holidays are tailor made and entirely private. They therefore do not involve you joining groups on set departure dates. This leaves you with the freedom to do as much or as little as you would like, for as long as you want and indeed whenever you would like to do it.

12. WHAT IS ORIGINAL TRAVEL'S POLICY ON HOLIDAYS THAT HAVE BEEN BOOKED TO COUNTRIES THAT HAVE SUBSEQUENTLY BEEN PUT ON THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE'S 'WATCH LIST'

Original Travel will either a) refund your holiday in its entirety subject to any cancellation charges as set out in the Terms and Conditions or b) offer you an equivalent holiday to a different destination either refunding or charging you any difference in cost with the original holiday. Original Travel can bear no responsibility for those who insist on going ahead with their travel plans despite the Foreign and Commonwealth Office advice.