General Travelling Information | Bales Worldwide

To download or view our detailed before you travel guide, click here.

Pre-departure preparation

In addition to the general information provided below, Bales Worldwide (“we”) will send you confirmation of your booking and follow this up with tour notes prior to your departure. About two weeks before your departure you will receive your e- tickets receipts, itinerary with flight details, and labels.

Passport, Visa and Immigration Requirements

Passengers must carry passports valid for 6 months from their return date. Holders of passports which are not British should take particular care as visa requirements may differ and it is most important that your passport contains the correct visa for your journey. You should let us know, at the time of booking, what kind of passport you hold, if you would like us to advise you accordingly. However, it is the personal responsibility of the passengers travelling to make sure his or her passport is valid and contains the necessary visa and travel documents for his or her journey. As visas are issued within a time limit, we strongly advise that no visas are obtained prior to eight weeks before your departure date. We emphasise that your specific passport and visa requirements, and other immigration requirements, are your responsibility and you should confirm these with the relevant Embassies and/or Consulates. We do not accept any responsibility if you cannot travel because you have not complied with any passport, visa or immigration requirements.

Health

Special needs/Pre-exisiting medical conditions

The nature of our holidays means that there is inevitably a significant amount of embarkation and disembarkation from vehicles, the negotiation of steps, etc. Travellers who will require assistance or who are not independently mobile should contact us before booking to discuss their precise requirements with us so that full advice can be given. The essence of group travel is the provision of equal amounts of assistance, attention and advice to all members of a group and this may not always be possible if individual travellers require increased assistance

High Altitude

Some of our itineraries reach altitudes of over 2440 metres (8000 feet) and it may be inadvisable for any passenger suffering from high blood pressure or respiratory problems to undertake these. If in any doubt, we would advise you to consult your doctor before booking on any of these holidays.

Health and Safety Standards

We take health and safety abroad very seriously and have specially appointed staff who assess and monitor the safety standards for all aspects of your holiday.  Many of the destinations we feature are to less developed countries and health and safety does not conform to British standards. Bearing this in mind, we recommend that you take a few sensible precautions at your hotel (such as checking where the nearest fire exit is and exercising caution when entering the swimming pool). More comprehensive literature regarding health and safety will be enclosed with your final travel documentation and we strongly urge you to read this carefully prior to your departure.

Cost of holiday includes:

a) Transportation

All travel by economy class air services (from London back to London) (excluding foreign airport taxes and airline fuel surcharges), cruise boat, rail and coach as indicated.

b) Transfers

Transportation between airport and hotel (and vice versa).

c) Accommodation

In twin or double bedded rooms (or cabins/berths on cruise boats/trains) with private bath or shower and toilet (where available). Single accommodation is not available in some of the places we visit. The right is reserved to substitute hotels for those named in the brochure when necessary.

• Sharing - Individuals who wish to share a twin bedded room should advise us at the time of booking. Initially the client will be booked on a single basis and charged as such. The position will be finalised at 4 weeks prior to departure when, if another sharing person has been found, the single room supplement will be refunded.
• Single and triple rooms - Whilst the facilities in these rooms are comparable to those of the twin or double bedded rooms, it should be noted that single rooms may not always be in the same area of the hotel as the twin or double bedded rooms and may tend to be on the small side. In the case of triple rooms, this usually consists of a standard size twin or double bedded room with an extra bed which may be of a camp bed type.

d) Meals

For ease of reference, meals included in any given itinerary are specified each day.

e) Sightseeing

Excursions are detailed in the itineraries (except optional excursions where details can be obtained directly from the provider of such optional excursions), including guides, cars, coaches and entrance fees for places visited. Visits to local shops or emporiums are sometimes made during or at the end of the main sightseeing excursion without any obligation for clients to make purchases.

f) Tipping

Tipping is included in the cost of your holiday only for included services on holidays accompanied by a tour manager (porterage, transfers, hotel and restaurant staff and included sightseeing). Personal tipping, as always, must remain a matter for the discretion of the individual. Tipping is not included for tour managers, optional excursions, extensions, unescorted holidays and/or Tailor Made holidays.

g) Local Escort

The service of a local escort in all matters pertaining to the tour operation of an escorted holiday.

Cost of holiday does not include:

Passport and visa charges, any foreign government airport taxes (we will arrange for these to be paid for your convenience, and add them to your invoice), coaches in the UK, single room or cabin supplements, insurance, optional excursions, personal items such as wine, spirits and laundry.

Website accuracy

All the information given in our website has been thoroughly checked. However we realise that there may be subsequent changes due to circumstances beyond our control and occasionally a holiday may not operate as planned. An airline may change its flight schedule half way through the season thereby upsetting the whole itinerary which we hastily have to amend or a hotel may be taken over or even closed down unexpectedly causing us difficulty in finding one of a comparable standard. Government action has been known to affect holidays in certain areas and the weather can be unpredictable. Should there be any changes within a holiday on which you are booked to travel, we shall do our best to keep you informed of the situation prior to departure. The travel arrangements featured in our brochure are planned up to two years in advance. We reserve the right to alter any of the prices and services offered in our website at any time prior to the issue of our Confirmation Invoice when a contract will exist. Any such changes will be advised at the time that you make your booking.

International Air Transport Association

The itineraries in this brochure use the regular airlines of IATA as appropriate.

Data Protection Act

In order to process your booking and to ensure that your travel arrangements run smoothly and meet your requirements, we need to use the information you provide to us (such as name and address, passport details and any special needs/dietary requirements, etc). We take full responsibility for ensuring that proper security measures are in place to protect your information. We must pass the information on to the relevant suppliers of your travel arrangements such as airlines, hotels, transport companies, etc. The information may also be provided to security or credit checking companies, public authorities such as customs and immigration if required by them, or as required by law. Additionally, where your holiday is outside the European Economic Area (EEA), controls on data protection in your destination may not be as strong as the legal requirements in this country. We will not, however, pass any information on to any person not responsible for part of your travel arrangements. This applies to any sensitive information that you give to us such as details of any disabilities, or dietary or religious requirements. If we cannot pass this information to the relevant suppliers, whether in the EEA or not, we cannot provide your booking. In making this booking, you consent to this information being passed on to the relevant persons. For further information regarding the protection of your privacy and how we use the data provided to us, please see the terms of our Privacy Policy.