Trafalgar welcomes guests from all over the world to have an amazing, shared travel experience. While we can’t share details of who you’ll be travelling with and how many people are on your tour in advance of your tour, you can see our average group sizes below.  You’ll meet your group at your tour welcome when you start your trip.
 
Europe trips: An average of 40 to 45 guests and a maximum of 53 
United States and Canada trips: A maximum of 52 guests 
Australia and New Zealand trips: A maximum of 50 guests 
Asia trips (except Sri Lanka): A maximum of 32 guests
Sri Lanka trips: A maximum of 48 guests
Africa trips: A maximum of 36 guests
Latin America trips: A maximum of 40 to 45 guests 

One of the many benefits of choosing a Trafalgar tour is the support that is with you at every step from our amazing, experienced team.

On your tour you’re supported by a two-person Travel Director and Driver team with you for the duration of your trip and take care of every little detail. They also handle all your logistics, bookings, tickets, transport, hotel check-ins, and more – so all you have to do is enjoy your holiday.

We also connect you with our network of Local Specialists in many locations as outlined in your itinerary, for that insider angle on destinations and venues you’re visiting.

Your Travel Director is your guide and support on the road. Travel Directors come from a variety of backgrounds and countries, but they all share a passion for travel and the countries that you’re visiting and showing you what the guidebooks can’t – a true insider’s perspective of each destination. Each Travel Director has been through a bespoke training program and many have at least five years’ experience under their belt before they guide our tours.  

Trafalgar is proudly rated Platinum by independent review site Feefo, much of which can be attributed to our incredible team of Travel Directors and Drivers, so you can be sure of being guided by a passionate, incredible team.  

Trafalgar’s Travel Directors, Drivers and Local Guides all speak English when leading our tours. Many also speak a range of local languages to engage with the locals in the countries you’re visiting and lead your experience seamlessly.  

You’ll receive an email from Trafalgar with an introduction to your Travel Director, and some helpful pre-travel tips, approx. 12 days before your tour departs.  

Your Travel Director will then follow up with a separate introduction email, with exact details including a reminder of where and when to meet, within the week (usually approx. 5 days) before your tour departs.    

For guests travelling to Asia & Africa with Trafalgar, you’ll meet your Travel Director on Day 1 of your tour, at the location outlined in your Travel documents.

There are plenty of ways your Travel Director will share info with you in person throughout your tour, this includes on the coach, guiding your orientations, at venues, at your hotel, meals and more.

In addition, your Travel Director may use WhatsApp Communities as an additional way on top of the in-person ways they will communicate with you, to share updates and reminders like where to meet, photos and more, direct to your device. If your Travel Director is a WhatsApp user, you will be advised in your introduction email if they are, and they will add you to your tour community when you start your tour.

Please note that WhatsApp is an app available on smart phones and require data or WiFi to use. Trafalgar is not responsible for any data roaming or mobile phone charges at any time during your tour. Please contact your mobile service provider to find out how much it will cost to use your phone internationally in advance of leaving home and starting your tour and what options are available to you on your existing plan. You might consider disabling data roaming or purchasing a prepaid service or SIM to keep control of costs or only using your mobile when WiFi is available.

Your Travel Documents will be available in My Trafalgar Travel Portal account if your profile is complete (emergency contact details and passport details have been supplied) approx. 21 days/3 weeks prior to departure.

Your Welcome meet time is outlined on your itinerary under day 1. You’ll also find these details in your Travel Documents/e-Documents, which will be available approx. 21 days/3 weeks prior to departure. Please note that Travel Documents are only made available once your My Trafalgar Travel Portal account is complete (emergency contact details and passport details have been supplied).

If commencing a trip in London, you will receive details from our European Guest Services team on sightseeing timings along with when your Tour Director will meet you on departure morning from London.

How much coach travel there is each day depends on your itinerary and the distance between the destinations. On our tours we rarely spend longer than a couple of hours on the coach without a photo stop, visit or sightseeing so you can stand up, stretch your legs and see the sights.

Regardless of where in the world your tour visits, we do our best to ensure your coach is as comfortable as it can be. However, there can be differences depending on where in the world you're visiting:

Europe, North & South America, Australia & New Zealand trips

We pride ourselves on having the best-in-class fleet of fuel-efficient coaches. The high vantage point from your coach’s window means you can take in all the glorious scenery, whether it’s a vast rural landscape or an urban city centre. Facilities you’ll enjoy are:

• Reclining seats
• An on-board restroom
• Charging points (please note that these are power points, and not USBs)
• WiFi
• Air-conditioning

Africa & Asia trips

Africa and Asia tour vehicles do not have Wi-Fi. On Asia trips, there are no onboard rest rooms, but we always ensure there are regular rest stops.

In addition to your suitcase, which gets stored in the coach hold, you can bring one piece of carry-on luggage onto the coach with you.

Our coaches do not have the same interior luggage space both in the overhead compartments and underneath the seats as airplanes. Therefore, due to space restrictions hand luggage with telescopic handles or wheels are not permitted on our tours.  Your hand-luggage must be small enough to either fit under your seat or in a small overhead compartment like a backpack, purse or tote bag.

There are a number of things you may wish to bring on the coach with you, including a travel pillow; something to read, sunglasses, your phone, headphones if you'd like to listen to music, etc. Please see your My Trafalgar Travel Portal account or our Luggage Page for more.

Africa trips: Please note that East Africa safari vehicles cannot accommodate regular luggage dimensions and weights. We kindly ask our guests to travel with a soft-sided bag or medium-sized suitcase.

To ensure fairness and enhance your coach experience and interact with your fellow travellers, Trafalgar practices a daily seat rotation system.

Your Travel Director will facilitate this, and it enables you and your fellow travellers to enjoy the panoramic views from a different seat and provides opportunities to get to know each other and make new friends each day.

You can see your hotel details for night 1 and throughout your tour in your Travel Documents/e-Documents, which will be available approx. 21 days/3 weeks prior to departure. Please note that Travel Documents are only made available once your My Trafalgar Travel Portal account is complete (emergency contact details and passport details have been supplied).

Trafalgar hotels are a mix of 4&3-star properties and our array of trusted partners across the world include Sheraton, Hilton and Best Western amongst many others.   

In addition to the extensive trusted accommodation partners, on many tours, you will find yourself overnighting in Stays with Stories accommodation; properties with character that speak to the heritage of a destination.

Official check-in times vary from hotel to hotel and their own policies but is generally between 2-3pm as standard. Should your flight arrive in the early morning, you may find yourself arriving at the hotel before your room is ready.

If your room is not ready, the hotel will be able to suggest how any spare time could be used to sightsee, relax or enjoy local restaurants while your room is being prepared. Hotels are usually able to store your luggage so you can go out and explore while you wait to check into your room.

If you’re arriving early at your start city, there is always the option to pre-book the night before to ensure your room is available for the morning.

When arriving at your first hotel, check in at the main reception desk as you usually would. Please let the check in desk know you are travelling with Trafalgar.

Throughout your tour, your hotel check-in will be managed by your Travel Director, who will advise you on procedures and hotel features before your arrival at each property. They will also secure keys and oversee the delivery of your luggage to your room. To make your check-in as smooth as possible, please remember to share your passport details in your My Trafalgar Travel Portal account.

Throughout your tour, your hotel check-in will be managed by your Travel Director, who will advise you on procedures and hotel features before your arrival at each property. They will also secure keys and oversee the delivery of your luggage to your room. To make your check-in as smooth as possible, please remember to share your passport details in your My Trafalgar Travel Portal account.

Photocopies of documents 

Some hotels are required to keep your passport at reception throughout your stay owing to government, country or local laws. You are therefore recommended to bring a photocopy of your passport and any visas with you when you travel. 
 
A useful tip is to photocopy your airline tickets, credit cards and your driver’s license etc. as this can speed up replacements on those rare occasions that the originals are lost. Even easier is to scan your documents and send them to yourself as attachments to your email so that you have access to them if needed. 
 
Room Keys

Many hotels use magnetic key cards. These may be required to use the elevator. In many hotels, key cards also operate the lighting and air-conditioning. The card is usually inserted into a slot or box located just inside the room in order for the electricity to function.  
 
Checking out of your hotel 

Always make a last-minute check of safe deposit boxes, drawers, wardrobe and bathroom before departing each hotel. If you've consumed any items from the mini bar or accessed pay-TV, etc., then you are responsible for paying incidental expenses before departure. We recommend settling any bills in the evening to ensure a smooth departure the following morning.  

We select our hotels for their quality, impeccable service and comfort, and the majority of them have air-conditioning. Air conditioning is uncommon in the UK and Ireland. It may not be included in a few hotels in the northern Alps of Europe and some lodges in US National Parks due to colder climates or historic infrastructure.

Most hotels offer a laundry service; in some cities, laundromats are also available. However, it’s sensible to try and pack enough clothing to avoid having to do laundry, as it can sometimes be costly or inconvenient to do throughout your tour.

Complimentary Wi-Fi is available in most hotel guestrooms and/or communal areas. On some occasions, the Wi-Fi may need an access code from hotel staff. Your Travel Director will provide you with details when checking in to each hotel.

As part of our contract agreements with our trusted hotel partners, Trafalgar’s accommodation is generally a ‘standard’ room type (please note that our accommodation partners may have differing naming conventions for this standard room type). If you wish to request an upgrade, you would need to do this by contacting the hotel directly, and any upgrades will be at your own cost, if the accommodation has availability to do so.

Please note that our hotel partners do not receive our guest lists to allocate specific rooms to our guest until about 7 days before the group's arrival. If you wish to request an upgrade, it is recommended to make this request directly with the property no earlier than this timeframe.

Trafalgar includes breakfast as outlined in your tour itinerary and is a mix of continental and hot depending on the hotel you’re visiting.

On arrival at your hotels, your Travel Director will advise you of the location of the breakfast room and the opening times, alongside any departure time requirements.

If you would like to have your breakfast in your room or any room service throughout your stay, please note that this will be at your own cost for both the breakfast of choice, and any associated room service charges. Please note that not all hotels will offer room service.

To check what you’ll be getting up to in your arrival destination, please visit your tour itinerary to see what’s in store. And our The Real Word Travel & Lifestyle Magazine has plenty of articles and suggestions for many cities we visit across the world.  

Yes, for your ease and comfort porterage is included throughout your trip (one item per guest). So you will only have to bring your hand luggage on and off the coach each day. On arrival at each hotel, your hold luggage (one item per guest) will be delivered to your room by a hotel porter. We recommend keeping any items you wish to access immediately in your hand luggage.

When you meet your Travel Director or Destination Expert you will be given a red luggage tag that will help with identification of your bag.

This information is included in the day-by-day itinerary for your trip. You can view this online, within your My Trafalgar Travel Portal account or in your Travel Documents (available approx. 21 days/3 weeks before your tour departs). Please note that Travel Documents are only made available once your My Trafalgar Travel Portal account is complete (emergency contact details and passport details have been supplied).

We can accommodate vegetarian guests and can assist with diabetic, gluten-free and other medically-recommended diets. Please advise us at the time of booking of any specifics.

If you forgot to do this when you booked, please advise us of any specific dietary requirements in your My Trafalgar Travel Portal account under ‘Personalise your trip’ as soon as possible, so that your Travel Director is aware of your requirements before you even start your tour.

Hotels and restaurants will be told in advance and suppliers will do their utmost to provide alternative options, although this cannot be guaranteed.

Unfortunately, we’re unable to supply meals in accordance with strict religious requirements. We can’t provide salt-free, Kosher, Halal, requests for specific dietary supplements such as soya milk, and high protein or low-carb meals.

We recommend you pack a reusable water bottle for your trip to reduce your plastic waste usage and for your convenience.

The majority of countries in Europe have safe drinking water. In Eastern Europe, you may find alternative water options are recommended in some areas. Your Travel Director will advise when the use of bottled water vs drinking water is recommended.

There will be multiple rest stops throughout the day where you can refill your bottle with water or purchase a drink. We also recommend the app Tap - Find Water Anywhere on your phone, which shows you the nearest refill station.

To learn more about our sustainability initiatives, how you can be a more conscious traveller and how we MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® here.

As part of your tour, all accommodation, coach transport, your Travel Director and Driver, and so much more is included. You can see everything in detail, including what experiences both included and Optional are available on your upcoming tour within the Trip Itinerary section or within your Travel Documents which will be available approximately 21 days/3 weeks prior to departure. Please note that Travel Documents are only made available once your My Trafalgar Travel Portal account is complete (emergency contact details and passport details have been supplied).

Yes. Each of our itineraries are individually crafted to offer perfect balance of inclusions, downtime and discoveries of the places you’re in and the duration of your tour. We also give you the opportunity to tailor your trip with Optional Experiences.

Optional Experiences are additional add-on experiences that are booked and paid for (credit card or cash) when you are on your tour. As Optional Experiences are not pre-bookable, this allows you the flexibility to pick and choose what you feel like when you’re on your trip.  

You can see what experiences are available on your upcoming tour within the Trip Itinerary section.  If you would like to exclude yourself from an included experience please ensure you speak with your Travel Director, so they are aware of your plans. They will make sure you are aware of any necessary times or meeting points. Please note we cannot provide any compensation or refunds, if you decide to not take part in an included activity or meal.

Trafalgar trips feature a range of experiences as outlined in your itinerary for an amazing all-round travel experience.

Iconic experiences are the must-see experiences included in your trip itinerary as part of your tour price.

Be My Guest experiences are unique local experiences included as part of your tour price, exclusive to Trafalgar and there’s one on every tour. Step into the lives of your hosts who open their homes, wineries, farms and more to share stories about their families, history and their communities, over good food and great hospitality.

MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experiences are conscious travel experiences, included on each and every tour as part of your tour price. They are chosen with great care, based on the positive social or environmental impact they have on their communities and those who experience them.

Optional Experiences are additional add-on experiences that are booked and paid for (credit card or cash) when you are on your tour.

Optional Experiences are additional add-on experiences that are designed to offer an addition insights into the culture and character of the areas you’re visiting and provide some wonderful highlights to your travels.

They are booked and paid for (credit card or cash) when you are on your tour and unique to the destinations that you’re visiting to complement your included experiences. Optional Experiences do not overlap with your included experiences outlined in your itinerary.

As Optional Experiences are not pre-bookable, this allows you the flexibility to pick and choose what you feel like when you’re on your trip.  

You can see what experiences are available on your upcoming tour within the Trip Itinerary section and in your Travel Documents (available approx. 21 days/3 weeks before your tour departs).

Can I prebook Optional Experiences?

Optional Experiences are unable to be pre-booked, which allows you the flexibility to pick and choose what you feel like when you’re on your trip.  The majority of Optional Experiences will be offered to you by your Travel Director at the beginning of your trip.

Some may be subject to change, depending on the time you are travelling or local circumstances including weather and days of the week. Further information will be provided by your Travel Director when you’re on your tour.

If you would like to see what is available, along with pricing for your Optional Experiences, please see your tour itinerary. You’ll also find these details in your Travel Documents/e-Documents, which will be available approximately 21 days/3 weeks prior to departure. Please note that Travel Documents are only made available once your My Trafalgar Travel Portal account is complete.  

Can my Travel Director recommend other things to do in my free time?

Yes, in addition to the Optional Experiences on offer for your tour, your Travel Director is on hand to make any recommendations of extra things you might like to see, do and experience on your tour based on your preferences.

When booking your arrival flights, if you are planning on using our included Airport Transfers please ensure you arrive at least two hours before the last departure time.

Your Welcome meet time is outlined on your itinerary under day 1. Your Travel Director will confirm the location via their welcome email, generally 3-5 days before your tour departs. You’ll also find these details in your Travel Documents/e-Documents, which will be available approximately 21 days/3 weeks prior to departure. Please note that Travel Documents are only made available once your My Trafalgar Travel Portal account is complete (your passport and emergency contact details have been entered).  

Our itineraries are planned and booked and organised with our suppliers well in advance of travel. With this in mind, no refunds can be made for absences from a trip, including experiences such as missed meals or sightseeing.

At Trafalgar we plan each itinerary carefully to ensure you make the most of every day of your holiday. This includes ensuring that the group is on-time for planned entries to experiences and sightseeing, so your group enjoys your holiday to the fullest.

On tour, your Travel Director will communicate your plan for the day ahead and go out of their way to ensure that those all-important timings are clearly explained. Your Travel Directors will communicate how they will share this information with you when you start your tour. They will also provide you with a contact information should you be in need of assistance.

Departure time: This is the time when everyone is seated comfortably and the coach is pulling away from the hotel or rest stop. It’s important to make sure you allow time for bathroom visits, settling bills and slow elevators in order to make your departure time and not hold up the group.

Sightseeing is included in your itinerary and will generally involve a fair amount of walking and standing. There are a number of terms used to describe sightseeing activities in the itinerary and there are slight differences in their meaning:

Sightseeing trip: A Local Specialist will accompany you on a trip of a city or site and share their local knowledge and passion for a destination.

Orientation tour: Places of interest are pointed out, allowing you to go and explore them on your own.

See: Observe sights while passing by on your coach, cruise or train.

View: A brief stop to enjoy the sights and take some photos.

Visit: A stop with time to enjoy a specific site.

“Why not see” or “perhaps enjoy” “you can opt/choose to” “time to relax and discover”: These phrases are include and not limited to the terms referring to Optional Experiences not included in your tour price, but which are available for an additional fee and are bookable on your tour. Your Travel Director will be happy to provide you with information regarding these, or other ways in which to spend your free time.

Your porterage, tips and gratuities are included as part of your tour price and taken care of by your Travel Director. If you do, however, feel that your Travel Director and Driver have helped enhance your trip – gratuities can be shared at the end of your trip directly with the team on your tour, or pre-paid within the ‘Add extras’ section within your My Trafalgar Travel Portal account under ‘Prepaid Gratuities’.  

There is no option to pre-pay gratuities on our Asia and Africa trips. If you would like to thank your Trafalgar destination expert, this can be done on tour.

Your porterage, tips and gratuities are included as part of your tour price and taken care of by your Travel Director for anything included as part of your tour experience. There are however a few instances where individual tipping is welcome:

In general, if you’re unsure on tipping, don’t go any higher than 10% (unless of course that the service was so fantastic you feel you want to do so). Servers may not receive tips when left on a credit card, so always try to tip in cash whenever possible.

Hotel Services
It is customary to tip hotel staff for room service deliveries if the charge has not already been added to the bill. Where ice machines are not available and you receive ice from the bar, a small tip to the bartender is always appreciated.

Local Specialists
Local Specialists are experts in their fields and take our guests on guided adventures with behind-the-scenes insight. They help bring the magic to our trips and tips are appreciated but not required. As with any service, it is up to you to decide.

Eating and Drinking
Tips and gratuities will be taken care of by your Travel Director for all meals included in your itinerary. When you are exploring on your own, it's helpful to know regional norms around tipping.

In North America, it is customary to tip for a variety of services. A restaurant is usually tipped 15-20% of the total bill before tax. Other services like taxi drivers normally receive 10%. Your Travel Director can also answer any questions you may have regarding when and how much to tip.

In Europe, there is no obligation to leave a tip, but between 5% and 10% is normal in most European restaurants. Make sure to check that a service charge hasn’t already been added on as this is becoming more common. Also, bear in mind that tipping is only necessary at a table service restaurant. When eating out at a pub or fast food where you order from a counter, tipping isn’t necessary or expected.

Complimentary WiFi is available on the majority of our coaches and your hotel will also provide WiFi access. Any passwords and access codes and or instructions will be provided either by your Travel Director on arrival at your hotel, or provided directly by the hotel on arrival.

Trafalgar is not responsible for any data roaming or mobile phone charges at any time during your tour. Please contact your mobile service provider to find out how much it will cost to use your phone internationally in advance of leaving home and starting your tour and what options are available to you on your existing plan. You might consider disabling data roaming or purchasing a prepaid service or SIM to keep control of costs, or only using your mobile when WiFi is available.

Making telephone calls from your hotel room can be very expensive. A pre-paid calling card is an easy way to save money when making telephone calls if you are not using your mobile phone. Calling cards are readily available for purchase in most stores - please ask your Travel Director for further information.

Each of our tours has an Activity level which gives an overview of the amount of walking that is required each day. Our leisurely trips will typically feature between 1 - 2 miles of walking per day, our balanced trips between 2 - 3 miles per day and our dynamic trips usually feature over 4 miles per day.

When walking there can be uneven terrain, steep inclines or steps, or times when more walking is required than others. The activity level and amount of walking will vary, so it is important that you bring adequate footwear to ensure your comfort and safety.

Please note that not all itineraries can accommodate a motorised scooter and it is a requirement to advise Trafalgar of this at time of booking. While we try and accommodate any requests, we also have limited space within the coach to transport items and in some destinations may not be suitable for motorised scooters.

If you've already booked your trip, please contact us as soon as possible to discuss your requirements.

When you travel with Trafalgar, you can travel with the reassurance of support alongside you at every step. In the case of any unexpected illness your Travel Director will assist you with any medical assistance e.g. doctor’s visits or hospitalisation should you require it.

Trafalgar also has dedicated Guest Support or Operations Departments in every continent, and will contact you to offer assistance and advice, help you to coordinate with your travel insurance company and keep in touch until you are able to re-join the trip or return home. This support and service from your Travel Director and Operations departments is included in the cost of your trip.

Please note, any support from Trafalgar is not a replacement for travel insurance, which is strongly to travel with Trafalgar. Any medical, hotel or travel costs incurred as a result of any illness is at your own expense.

Switching off from your day-to-day routine is all part of the holiday experience and a tour is the perfect way to relax and leave it to us. Your Travel Director will ensure that things run seamlessly on your trip, however it is a good idea to take precautions to avoid undesirable situations.

Personal Belongings
It is important to remain cautious when it comes to your personal belongings like your passport, mobile phone, credit cards and cash.

Never leave them on the table in restaurants, bars, hotel lobbies and public places (breakfast rooms) when you’re travelling, and keep them safe and secure and out of sight unless in use. Some recommended ways to do this is a discrete money belt with a zip that is not easily accessible or visible.

Bags
Keep your bag with you at all times. Wear it across your chest and ensure the bag is on the front of the body when you walk through crowded places.

Passport and Documents
Make sure your passport is always safe. Keep it on your person on travel days.
A money belt worn under your clothing is the safest place to carry your passport, as well as other important documents, a spare credit or debit card, larger cash amounts and any emergency contact lists for any credit/ bank cards that you use.

Many hotels provide safety deposit boxes for your use on longer stays, but be sure to reclaim them before checking out. Make a photocopy of your passport and important documents and keep them separately from the originals.

Cash
Only carry as much cash as you need at any time and avoid displaying large numbers of notes when making payments.

Hotels
When leaving your room, securely shut all windows and close the door to your room as you exit, with enough force to ensure it properly locks. Remember to keep your room key safely on you. On arrival at a new hotel, familiarize yourself with escape routes and locate the nearest fire exit to your room. Always know how to raise the alarm.

Situational Awareness
Avoid confrontational situations and large gatherings and if at any time a situation doesn’t feel right, walk away.

Hostile Situations
In the very unlikely situation you find yourself in the vicinity of a hostile incident, leave immediately and contact the police. If you are unable to leave, find somewhere to hide, lock the door and keep as quiet as possible. Remember to turn your phone to silent and contact the police.

Trafalgar is a founding partner of the TreadRight Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation established in 2008. So far, the charity has donated more than US$2 million to help underprivileged communities and support sustainable tourism around the world. Find out more about how we MAKE TRAVEL MATTER®.