Holiday Information
Travelling with children
We regret we cannot accept bookings for children younger than 12 years of age on the date of departure as the holidays in this brochure are not suitable for children. Single parents or other adults travelling with children (under 18 years of age) should be aware that some countries require documentary evidence of parental responsibility before allowing lone parents to enter the country or, in some cases, before permitting the children to leave the country. Further information on exact requirements can be obtained from the relevant embassy of the country/countries to be visited. Children must have their own individual British Citizen passport.
Gratuities
Tipping is customary for obtaining good service in the majority of the countries that Titan visit. For service in restaurants, etc this can range between 10 - 20% depending upon the country you are visiting. Guidelines for tipping local guides, your tour manager and driver will be provided in our information pack sent prior to travel. Please refer to the cruise information page for further tipping guidelines.
VIP Home Departure Service
You will be advised of your pick up time with your final documents. On rare occasions, for operational reasons, we may have to amend these times and reserve the right to do so. However, we will always endeavour to provide at least 5 days notice to any changes to your pick up time to avoid any inconvenience.
Baggage
Please note that if your holiday includes Titan’s VIP Home Departure Service®, only one suitcase and one standard piece of hand luggage per person will be allowed. Your suitcase should conform to the following maximum dimensions: Height 58cm (23"), Length 73cm (29"), Width 25cm (10"). Safety requirements dictate that suitcases may only be stored in the luggage compartment of our vehicles. We are unable to accommodate more than one suitcase per person, or any oversized pieces of luggage. Titan Travel reserves the right to decline carriage and must advise clients travelling with excess baggage, that should separate or additional transport arrangements be necessary, then these will be at the client’s own expense. To avoid any problems with our transport arrangements, possible delay to your journey and inconvenience to your fellow travellers, please ensure that these baggage allowance conditions are adhered to. If your holiday does not entail using Titan’s VIP Home Departure Service® then the applicable airline baggage allowances apply as stated on your Joining Instructions. Please refer to your Joining Instructions as certain tours may have luggage restrictions.
Flights
Seating - Although every effort is made to secure seating on the aircraft to satisfy requests, we cannot guarantee that your choice of seats will be available or that seats together can always be obtained.
Onboard meals - On short haul flights, British Airways only provide a complimentary drink and small snack on flights that depart after 10am local time.
Direct flights - Where the term ’direct flight’ is applied, this refers to a fl ight involving no change of aircraft, however the aircraft may make stops en-route. Where a fl ight is indirect
this will be advised to you, although airlines do change their schedules from time to time.
Making your own flight arrangements - Please note that if you make your own international flight arrangements and join one of our tours in the destination, Titan’s VIP Home Departure Service® does not apply.
Special requests - These should be advised at the time of booking. Although we endeavour to meet special requests, this is dependent upon our suppliers and we cannot guarantee that your requirements will be met.
We cannot accept any booking that is conditional upon a special request being met. Requests for extra legroom on aircraft are so frequently requested that it is unlikely to be available. Special meal requests are rarely available on short haul flights.
Meals
Where meals are included, please note that there may be a set or table d’hote menu and as part of a group booking included meals are generally eaten together at a designated time. When a choice menu is offered, it is possible that you will have to make your meal selection in advance. Please note that when requesting vegetarian meals or special dietary requirements, it should be appreciated that the choice is likely to be limited. The standard of breakfast in various countries will differ to the standard set in the UK. An additional charge may be made for fruit juice or hot
dishes one may expect in a UK hotel. Continental breakfast usually consists of tea/coffee, rolls and jam. A buffet breakfast usually consists of tea/coffee, a choice of breads, rolls or croissants, cereals, fruit, cheeses and cold meats.
Breakfast Option
The breakfast option packages offered for North America provide a breakfast, where not already included, in each hotel during your stay. The included breakfast may be either continental style (cereals, croissants, fruit, juice, tea and coffee etc), or in some hotels a full hot breakfast/ buffet is provided.
Fitness Requirements/Disabilities and medical conditions
You must let us know if you or anyone in your party suffers from a serious medical condition or disability before a booking is made. Titan Travel cannot provide individual assistance with boarding coaches or other forms of transport, baggage handling, walking or other personal requirements, etc. and clients should be confident that they can do these tasks unaided. We are happy to give advice and assistance with the choice of your holiday, which will be dependent upon the nature of any disability. In order to ensure your enjoyment of the holiday, we ask all clients to provide full details of any disability or special requirements at the time of booking. Some suppliers such as airlines and cruise lines may request certification from your GP to confirm that you are fit to travel. We regret that we cannot be held liable for any costs you may incur as a result. Clients must have their own collapsible wheelchair to fit throughhotel/cabin doors and must be accompanied by a travelling companion who is able to assist them. Measurements of wheelchairs and mobility aids must be given at the time of booking. Regrettably we cannot accept motorised wheelchairs or mobility aids.You are urged to contact our Sales department for further information if you have any difficulty in walking or mobility problems and they will be pleased to advise you on the suitability of any particular holiday.
Should your travel needs change from the time of making your booking you must advise us as soon as possible.
Altitude
Some holidays involve visits to places at altitude, which may affect certain medical conditions. Our Sales department can give details of these tours if requested.
Walking
Due to the historic nature and layout of some towns together with current transport regulations, access to places visited and hotels by coach may be limited particularly in Europe. Hotels may also be located in hilly terrain. Clients are advised that a significant amount of walking may be involved. Many of the places visited are extremely old and there are often cobbled streets, uneven steps and terraces. It is important that you take extra care when walking and wear appropriate footwear.
Rail travel
Please note that our holidays featuring rail travel are not suitable for wheelchair users, those with walking difficulties or significant health problems. Although we do try and secure luggage handling at railway stations, unfortunately, porters and trolleys may not always be readily available. Clients should, therefore, be aware that they are responsible for their own luggage and should be aware that they may have to carry their own luggage to and from the station entrance to the trains. We therefore recommend trolley suitcases with a retractable handle and built in wheels. We cannot guarantee that your choice of seat will be available or that seats together can always be obtained. Clients on overnight services should be aware that accommodation is compact; twin berths are usually bunk beds.
Coaches
Although we do try to provide coaches with toilets on board wherever possible, we regret that this facility cannot be guaranteed. It is also possible that, in certain parts of the world, the toilet may have to remain locked at the discretion of the driver where disposal points are not easily accessible. Regular stops are made on every tour for the comfort of all on board. Please note single travellers are likely to be seated alongside another single traveller.
Legal requirements regarding the use of seat belts on coaches varies from country to country. We believe Health and Safety is paramount and in the interests of our clients` welfare, we have decided that we will not use any seat that does not have another directly in front of it, unless a seat belt is fitted. The Tour Manager will continue to implement the system of seat rotation however; this may exclude certain seats where seatbelts are not fitted.
Accommodation and facilities
Accommodation in hotels is in twin/double bedded rooms, the majority of which have private bath/shower and toilet although occasionally this will be shower and toilet only. On cruise ships, accommodation is in cabins with shower and toilet only. Please note that in rainforest, safari and desert locations accommodation may be in lodges or campsites where standards may vary and toilet facilities may not be en suite. Please note that where we provide details of guest room facilities at hotels in our brochures, we cannot guarantee that all rooms will be equipped with all of these.
Upgraded rooms - Please note that all upgraded rooms are subject to the hotel’s availability at the time of the request and is only guaranteed once we have confi rmed this to you. The room facilities and upgrade descriptions are correct at the time of going to print.
Star rating - Where a star rating is given, this is a local star rating and so standards can very from country to country.
Single Rooms - Despite the fact that single rooms carry a supplement, single accommodation is sometimes not of the same standard as twin/double accommodation, particularly in Europe due to the age and character of many hotels. Single rooms may not always be in the same area of the hotel as a twin/double and the single supplement does not necessarily mean a twin/double room will be provided for single occupancy unless specifically stated.
Triple Rooms - When booking triple rooms, it should be recognised that a third person is required to either share existing beds or an extra bed is placed in the room which can be a camp-style bed or a sofa bed. The addition of an extra bed can sometimes make accommodation slightly cramped. NB. Rooms with 3 beds may not be available at all hotels. If a bed share is not appropriate and an additional single room has to be booked, this will be
charged as an extra.
Swimming Pools - Where a hotel has a swimming pool, the period when the pool is available is at the hotelier’s discretion and is often seasonal. This may be affected by weather conditions or essential maintenance. These situations are beyond our control and the published dates are therefore not guaranteed. If a pool is expected to be out of use for a considerable period, we will endeavour to inform you as soon as reasonably possible. Please note that towel charges may apply.
Pre-bookable Excursions
For your convenience, our most popular optional excursions are available for you to pre-book and pre-pay prior to your departure. These excursions will still be available to book locally with your Tour Manager. Please note that the operation of the excursions is subject to minimum numbers and the operation of some excursions is subject to favourable weather conditions. If your pre-booked excursion is cancelled you will receive a full refund on your return home.
Noise, development and local functions
There may be redevelopment, expansion, building or road works taking place in the vicinity of your hotel during your holiday and associated noise can be unavoidable. This may occur without warning to us. If we know in advance of any impending work that could cause you disturbance, we will make every effort to inform you as soon as possible. Hotels rely on several forms of revenue to remain in business and naturally weddings, dinners and other functions may take place during your stay. If you do have a complaint at your hotel or indeed for any other service, you must tell your tour manager or the hotelier who will try and solve the problem on the spot.
Holiday duration
The duration of holidays is described in number of days and in all cases includes the day of departure from the UK and the day of arrival back in the UK.
National and local holidays
During local and national holidays, certain facilities and museums may not be available and therefore sightseeing tours and shopping may be limited.
Safety
Your safety and security is our first consideration. In the event of the Foreign Office advising against travel to a certain country, we would act on this advice. However, we do recommend that you check Foreign Office Travel Advice before you make a booking and this can be found on the Internet at www.fco.gov.uk/travel.
Although we take every precaution in looking after you on tour, the responsibility for your personal safety and welfare and the care of your possessions is obviously the same as that which you exercise whilst at home. Extra care should be taken when walking around cities, especially at night and we recommend you stay in well lit, populated areas. It is also wise to avoid carrying valuables or wearing expensive jewellery.
Overseas standards
It is important to remember that, in certain countries, standards are often quite different from those we are accustomed to. Restaurants and hotel services are often quite different, roads are often little more than bumpy tracks and poverty is ever-present. Energy conservation measures may mean that hotels are obliged to limit services such as air conditioning, water and electricity. The legal and safety requirements of some countries are of a lower standard than the UK. These facts are readily recognised by seasoned travellers and are often well explained in good travel guides.
Privacy and data
We want all our clients to enjoy completely successful holidays. However, any client with a medical condition or disability or a dietary/religious requirement must be aware that information supplied to us will be passed to other companies and persons who supply the various parts of our travel arrangements. The suppliers may, depending upon your choice of holiday, be based outside the European Economic Area where controls on data protection may not be as stringent as in the UK. We will not, however, pass this information to any party that is not responsible for your travel arrangements.
Health
Requirements can change without notice and some inoculations or precautions, although not compulsory, may be advisable. Local conditions are subject to change and we suggest that you consult your GP or one of the specialist vaccination centres for more detailed information. The Department of Health also offers travellers health advice on www.nathnac.org/travel/index.htm , www.fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk or www.dh.gov.uk/travellers.
The DoH leaflet ‘Health Advice for Travellers’ is also available from main post offices or by calling 0300 123 1002. We strongly recommend that if you are concerned about DVT or any other health issue you should consult your GP. It is essential that you have comprehensive insurance that covers you for any medical treatment or repatriation costs whilst on tour.
| Country |
Tetanus |
Typhoid |
Polio |
Malaria |
Cholera |
HepatitusA |
Yellow Fever |
| Argentina |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
|
yes |
yes~~ |
| Brazil |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
|
yes |
yes |
| Cambodia |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
|
| Caribbean* |
yes |
|
|
|
|
yes |
|
| Chile |
yes |
yes |
yes |
|
|
yes |
|
| China |
yes |
yes |
yes |
|
|
yes |
|
| Costa Rica |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
|
yes |
|
| Cuba |
yes |
yes |
yes |
|
|
yes |
|
| Ecuador |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
|
yes |
yes |
| Egypt |
yes |
yes |
yes |
|
|
yes |
|
| Fiji |
yes |
yes |
yes |
|
yes |
yes |
|
| Hong Kong |
yes |
yes |
yes |
|
|
yes |
|
| India |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
|
yes |
yes |
| Japan |
yes |
|
yes |
|
|
|
|
| Jordan |
yes |
yes |
yes |
|
|
yes |
|
| Kenya |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
| Mexico |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
|
yes |
|
| Morocco |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
|
yes |
|
| Namibia |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
|
yes |
|
| Panama |
yes |
yes |
yes |
|
|
yes |
|
| Peru |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
|
yes |
yes# |
| Seychelles |
yes |
yes |
yes |
|
|
yes |
|
| Singapore |
yes |
yes |
yes |
|
|
yes |
|
| South Africa |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
|
yes |
|
| Tanzania |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
| Thailand |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
|
| Vietnam |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
|
| Zambia |
yes |
yes |
yes |
yes |
|
yes |
yes |
* Some Caribbean destinations may require further immunisations.
~~ If your travels include Iguazu Falls or other border regions with Brazil.
# If your holiday includes Iquitos (Amazon).