The information below is designed to help you to get the best from your holiday and to answer those many questions that occur to you now that you've made your travel plans.

Your tour price does not includes a transfer from the airport to the hotel from where your tour starts on our scheduled tour programme. This you need to book independently. We do provide transfers on customsed (tailor-made) packages providing you arrive within the specified time limits given to that tour. Please refer to ‘transfer policy’ in the FAQs section of our web site for exact details.

If you are eligible fo a free transfer, or have booked on, please make sure that we have your flight arrival details . If booking through a travel agent, they will notify us but, if booking with us direct, you must notify us yourself in plenty of time.

If we are transferring you, a Back-Roads Touring Co. Ltd representative will meet you at your airport of arrival. Please look out for someone holding a 'Back-Roads' sign with your name. If for any reason you do not meet up as you come out of the Customs Hall, ask the airport information desk to page the Back-Roads' representative and wait at the official meeting point for them to find you. If you find you have been waiting over 30 minutes, please ring the Back-Roads office (44 208 566 5312 – replace the 44 with a zero if dialling from within Britain) in case there has been a traffic problem with resulting delays in our courier getting to the airport. Please note that we will not refund taxi fares if you leave the departure area without our sanctioning use of a taxi.

All tours depart from our departure hotel at 8.30 AM. If you've made alternative accommodation arrangements, you must inform us so that we can advise you on pick-up details. Alternatively, you make your way independently to the designated Back-Roads Touring Co. Ltd hotel.

Well, the first thing to note is that old travel adage "you'll only need half of what you do eventually pack"! So, a good tip is to unpack everything when you've first packed and then re-pack about half (you'll then have room to put all those gifts you'll be buying!). In any case, please restrict your luggage to one suitcase, and one piece of hand luggage per person.

You may find it useful to bring a small piece of portable luggage for use as an occasional overnight bag thus avoiding the unpacking of a larger suitcase on single overnight stops.

On the additional information provided for the individual continental tours, you’ll find some further information on weather conditions that will help you decide on the sort of clothing you might need.

The major fact you have to appreciate is that you're about to sample a 'foreign' culture and things will not be as they are at home. This certainly applies to our accommodations. Most visitors find the rooms smaller than they are used to, and the mysteries of the plumbing intriguing! Although you'll find that most accommodations have shower units (and baths), they will sometimes exasperate, especially in the older accommodations. Similarly, beds are often smaller and less hard/soft than you may be used to. Nearly all accommodations are 'en suite' but please note, this can sometimes mean that you have a separate bathroom connected with or adjacent to your bedroom, not actually inside it. In the rare cases where bathrooms are shared, and you'll have been advised, you'll never be sharing with more than one other room.

There is only one way to treat these differences - as part and parcel of the different culture you've come to experience. So, … 'go with the flow'.

The name, addresses and telephone numbers of all Back-Roads Touring Co. Ltd accommodations are printed on the Accommodation List that you should have received approximately 45 days before departure. If you have not received such a list, please contact us. Please note, accommodations may sometimes have to be altered at the last moment due to the composition of the group you're travelling with and you'll usually be notified of any alterations prior to departing your country of origin.

Those who might wish to go to church, or other place of worship, may not find it possible unless we are in a fixed location on the relevant day. We'll, however, do our best to assist where we can.

The climate in the British Isles is sometimes described as ten months of bad weather and two months of winter! It's unfair. Our Northern European springs are coolish, so you'll need a warm sweater and coat. The summer months can be chilly in the evenings so, once again, a sweater would be wise.

In France you'll find the spring and autumn months relatively mild and less humid than those in Britain, however, the summer months can be very hot and very few of the smaller hotels and restaurants in Europe boast air conditioning. Dress for warm weather on Provence tours.

Our Italian tours run in the Spring and Autumn when the weather is generally pleasant and warm. Please note, however, that tours in April and October can experience rain, and in October it can be chilly in the evenings. It’s advisable to bring a sweater and waterproof jacket.

The advice given above for Italy applies. If you’re on a tour of Northern Portugal, then warmer clothing is recommended.

Evening entertainment will be varied. You'll certainly be visiting local pubs. Theatre and cinema visits will be possible in city locations. Special evening entertainment will be offered as optional extras where it exists. For example, there is a very special cultural banquet in South Wales which we recommend and costs £25.00 per head. Your guide will probably need some free time on the occasional evening but you'll find plenty of alternative things to be occupying yourself with!

Back-Roaders come from a wide geographical area and you'll find yourself sharing your experiences with Americans, Australians, New Zealanders, South Africans, Canadians and British participants. Groups traditionally get on very well together and people travelling alone will quickly make friends. As with all group tours, whatever the size, party members are asked to be considerate of their fellow holidaymakers.

Back-Roaders' ages range from 30-something to our oldest passenger to date, an incredibly fit and healthy 84-year old.

You could be travelling with small groups of friends, couples or with individuals travelling alone.

Meals throughout the tours are of the highest standards and you'll find this to be one of the highlights of the tour. Full 'English breakfasts' are served in the British Isles, except London, but there are always 'healthier' options for those who prefer such. Continental breakfasts are served in London, Dublin and in France. Lunches are taken (at your own expense) in pubs, bistros or as picnics. Three course dinners are served each evening except where noted in the tour itinerary. 

Dinners are not included in your tour price on the day of arrival (unless specifically itemised on your tour itinerary) and last night of tour in the departure city. There is one night on tour where you’re left to your own devices, usually an 'Organised Independence' day when we know that you'll prefer some independence.

If you have any specific dietary requirements, please let us know in advance and we'll do our best to accommodate your needs.

Please note you’ll find that you’re dining later in the evening than you’d normally do at home, and as dinners are regarded as an ‘occasion’, you’ll also be seated at the table longer.

You are not bound to give gratuities,  but obviously many tourist and hospitality services expect some measure of tipping. Your tour director will advise you of appropriate amounts, if required, where we have not tipped on your behalf. You may, of course, wish to tip your Back-Roads Touring Co. Ltd guide/companion. There is no set amount and it is left to your discretion of how well you feel he/she has performed for you.

Our website provides you with a suggested day-by-day itinerary. This should be regarded as flexible and tentative as your guide will often change the daily order according to weather conditions and events that may be happening in a particular area. We cannot guarantee all highlights mentioned as we may arrive on days when attractions are closed, without prior notice, or because of local holidays. There will, however, be many other attractions included that we simply do not have the space to mention. If you've any extra special things you'd like to see, or places you've longed to visit, or relatives to catch up with, then please let us know and we'll do our very best to see if it can be arranged.

Guides will sometimes, with the prior agreement of the group, venture to places where they themselves may never have been, or down new routes. This adds to the general 'unplanned' and flexible feel of the tours. It wouldn't be a Back-Roads Touring Co. Ltd tour if the guide didn't get ‘lost’ occasionally!

You must have medical and general insurance. If, in the unlikely event, you're taken ill at anytime, you'll find the European medical systems to be amongst the finest in the world. For European residents this is a free service. For overseas visitors, a charge will be made. For this reason, you're advised to take out medical insurance.

Please note; your indiviual insurance should also cover theft as operators cannot offer a policy to cover items that might be lost or stolen while on tours from the coach or from accommodations.

This is a difficult one to advise on because much will depend upon the amount of social and gift spending you'll want to do. Apart from your lunches (which will cost approximately £7.00 to £10.00 per day), alcohol and soft drinks, all your other dining expenses are covered. There is a number of optional theatre nights out on each tour and you should budget approximately £20/£25 per ticket. You may wish to go into some attractions independently of your tour but these are normally only a couple of £s or Euros in the UK, Ireland and France. London can certainly be one of the world's most expensive cities, so don't underestimate the amount you'll need if you're planning to spend time in the city.

For tours in the British Isles (inc. Ireland), you wil find plentiful ATMs, but you're also advised to bring a small supply of UK sterling travellers cheques which can be changed at all banks and will be accepted for payments as cash at some larger shopping centres (cash is obviously preferred by smaller shops). Travellers cheques of smaller denomination (£10/£20) are recommended. Major credit cards are widely accepted in Britain and Ireland. In France, Italy, Germany, and other EU continental destinations, your travellers cheques should be in Euros or US$. Major credit cards are accepted in most places. A small amount of US$ can always be exchanged by your tour director in an emergency.

Banks in the UK, Ireland and France are not always open on Saturdays and never on Sundays so, if you're arriving over a weekend, please ensure that you have a small amount

of local currency in cash with you on arrival. Banks and exchange booths are, however, open in many airports although this cannot be guaranteed.

Your guide/companion, or staff at our accommodations, will normally be able to assist with carrying your luggage. On occasion, where assistance is not readily available, you may have to be responsible for your own suitcases. Please do not bring oversized or heavy cases that would be difficult to carry up narrow or steep flights of stairs (historic properties seldom have elevators!). Your guide, who can assist, will not carry oversized baggage that might lead to an injury and therefore to an inability to carry on with the tour.

Many will no doubt wish to buy souvenirs and gifts. We'll always try to ensure that we advise you on the 'best buys' and you'll never be led to shops simply because they offer guides commissions. If you find that you're buying more than you'll wish to carry home with you, Back-Roads will be happy to arrange shipping for you at the relevant cost (UK only).

Unless on a chauffeur tour (where you'll be travelling in a comfortable, multi-passenger vehicle), you'll be touring in a 13 to 16 seat mini-coach. If, however, the number of participants on any tour is particularly low, we reserve the right to use a smaller vehicle. We try to limit the amount of driving we do each day, apart from scenic touring, and the average day is a leisurely one commencing at 09.00 AM and returning to our evening stop by approximately 5.30 PM. There are, obviously, occasions where you'll expect longer driving times when we, of necessity, have to cover greater distances between night stops.

You are responsible for your own transfers unless their inclusion is specifically stated in your tour itinerary. We are always happy to book an airport transfer for you provided we are supplied with the relevant flight departure times in a timely manner. It is best to book a transfer well in advance. Taking local taxis, booked through hotel concierge, can prove expensive.

Please note, airport transfers can only be arranged from either our own hotel or other centrally located hotels.

You'll be picked up for transfer normally 3 hours before the time of your flight (unless flying from London Gatwick where it'll be 4 hours).

• Visas, Inoculations, Flight Tickets and Passports;
• Medication - aspirin, prescriptions;
• Medical Insurance;
• General Holiday Insurance;
• Eyeglass and Contact Lens - suppliers for lenses;
• Camera, Film;
• Umbrella;
• Clothing: Anorak, Sweater, Raincoat, Walking Shoes or Sneakers;
• Travellers Cheques;
• Local Currency;
• Adapter / Voltage Transformer for Electric Shaver;
• Sense of humour!