PREFERRED TRAVEL SERVICES

Tel (UK)
0116 2793929
(office hrs 9-5.30
Mon-Fri, Sat 9-1)

Email mail@preferredts.com

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	LOCAL DEPARTURES
We feature direct flights from 20-plus airports right across the UK: in most cases, we do not impose regional flight supplements. Airport-Hotel transfers are included, and will be operated by car, coach or minibus as appropriate. Latest known flight times will be advised at time of booking. Many regular travellers arrange to meet up with friends from other areas, who fly from a different airport and meet up on holiday. We can even arrange for you to share a room with a friend from a different part of the UK.
	PRICES GUARANTEED
Sometimes we have to change prices, but once we have confirmed your booking, your holiday price is fully guaranteed. Please refer to our booking conditions for further information.
	PROTECTION
The air holiday packages shown are ATOL protected by the Civil Aviation Authority. Our ATOL number is 5537. Please see our booking conditions for more information. As well as holding an ATOL (Air Tour Organiser’s Licence), we are also members of ABTA, the Association of British Travel Agents, Membership No W3692. If you wish, go to www.atol.org.uk and www.abta.com

Back in 2000, we helped our first private group. Our very, very first Preferred travellers were a group from Hornchurch in Essex – they came back three more times, before the organiser retired. Though he then travelled as an individual, still with Preferred Travel Services. Normally things work the other way – customers travel with us, and then decide to organise a group. This happened with a group of family and friends from Newcastle, with a group of fellow National Trust Members from the West of Scotland…and many, many more.

Steve West (groups@preferredts.com – 0116 2793929) is your initial contact. Your call will be answered quickly and in person between 9 and 5.30, Monday to Friday, 9-1 on Saturday.

Tailor-made private group departures normally need a minimum of 25 passengers, particularly if travelling by coach. Though on city stays, and walking holidays, we have catered for groups as small as 12 members.

For smaller groups, we can arrange for you to have places on one of our regular departures. Every group in excess of 10 people will in any case receive a personalised quotation.

Our expertise in regional departures (our regular programme offers holidays from over 20 U.K. departure airports) helps us make convenient travel arrangements for private groups from all regions.

If travelling by air, we can arrange connecting travel to the airport for you. The coach can pick you up where you like (within reason, and as long as there is somewhere for it to stop safely!).

We are here, above all, to help. We can assist with paperwork, with production of posters or leaflets.

As holders of an ATOL (Air Travel Organiser’s Licence), and ABTA members, all money is protected. We observe all European and National Regulations. You, and your members, need to travel with confidence. We will also help ensure that you do not fall foul of the laws and regulations that are affect group organisers these days.

Some examples follow. We have expertise in many areas of Europe (and further afield), and in different special interests too. If we don’t know an area you wish to travel to, we will tell you! Our permanent presence in both northern Spain and Italy will help us smooth your path, and arrange special visits if you are travelling to those areas.

1. WALKING GROUPS: some of our walking groups like to travel on their own exclusive date, others prefer to enjoy the company of fellow-walkers from across the UK. If you wish, you can have both: travel to a hotel on a date when we have other walkers, but (from 12 customers) have your own exclusive walking guide for the walking excursions. Our normal brochured walks may well suit your interests and fitness: but we ALWAYS use locally-based walking guides so it is no trouble to amend walking itineraries to suit.

2. STUDY and CULTURAL groups: over the years we have catered for adult education groups (geology, fine art, prehistory, botany, archaeology… to name but a few). Other private adult groups came to Preferred for wildlife, railway events, flower shows, and even Formula 1 grand prix events – one of our directors has great expertise in this area. U3As, Probus groups, or just a group of friends – please contact us, we are happy to help.

3. INCENTIVE GROUPS: Incentive travel is a small but significant part of what we do and one of our directors has a wealth of experience and continues to provide programmes for a global company. In just the same way as our holiday itineraries are unusual and have those litlle extra ingredients that make the difference, our incentive programmes also benefit from our imagination and experience.

4. GROUPS OF FRIENDS OR COLLEAGUES, or CLUB MEMBERS. These are perhaps those we encounter most frequently.

That’s a good question! It could be the lacemakers one of our directors took to a lace making workshop in Holland – he hadn’t come across the Dutch word for lacemaking before! Or the University Geologists who have been to the French Alps, Tuscany, and Madeira. In terms of departure points, we once had a tour where the joining instructions involved people parking their cars (almost 20 of them) in the driveway of a private house in Surrey!