We are looking forward to welcoming you on one of our tours in 2022. As the global covid situation evolves, we are working hard to make sure every element of your travel is covered and we are regularly reviewing our policies to comply with local protocols.
Are you travelling on one of our tours in the next few weeks?
Our policies are designed to bring you peace of mind and to protect the health of every member of the group. We hope you’ll find them easy to adjust to.
Our covid-19 vaccination policy (updated 28th December 2021)
- Our customer feedback has indicated that the majority of our travellers would feel safer travelling in exclusively vaccinated groups. Furthermore, in the course of the last year, we have seen how vaccines have had a positive effect in reopening international travel and become a standard entry requirement for most destinations.
- From 1st January 2022 all clients joining an Esplora Travel group tour will need to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 and have completed their vaccination course at least 14 days prior to the tour start. They must also comply with any local entry requirements. (See the FCDO website for current entry requirements by country).
- From 1st January 2022, all our tour leaders, drivers and local guides will also be required to be fully vaccinated and will be asked to follow health and well-being measures to protect everyone on tour.
- “Fully vaccinated” can either be two doses of the currently approved Covid-19 vaccines or the approved single-dose Janssen Covid-19 vaccine. A single dose of any other vaccine will not be accepted. A third, booster dose is also highly recommended before travel.
- We may ask for a copy of your vaccintation certificate prior to the tour start. In any case, you should carry your certificate with you at all times while on the tour and you may be asked to produce it on entry to hotels, museums and restuarants.
- While indoors in hotels and public areas or traveling in our minibus or other vehicle you will be required to wear a face mask that covers your nose and mouth.
- While on tour, if your leaders consider it advisable for any reason you may be asked to take covid-test. This may be a home-kit or a pharmacy controlled test. Home-kits can usually be purchased locally but we advise you to bring with you at least one home-testing kit anyway.
- Insurance. It is your responsibility to ensure you have appropriate travel insurance in place before you join a tour with us. Whilst we hope you never have to claim, the policy will ensure you’re able to relax knowing you’re protected should you need it. When travelling with us, your insurance should include medical cover for medical expenses related to COVID-19, as well as repatriation, cancellation and curtailment and full cover for any and all pre-existing medical conditions in the countries you are due to visit. You will be asked to send us a copy of your travel insurance policy and we recommend you bring a printed copy with you for reference.
- Our protocols are subject to change as we work to ensure all of our practices evolve in line with latest advice. Rest assured, our primary focus is always to protect the health and well-being of our guests and staff and the people in the communities we visit.
We understand just how important it is to deliver complete peace of mind to our customers – from the moment you book right up to the time you get home from you holiday. Here is what we pledge:
Book with peace of mind
- Book with our flexible booking conditions
- Your deposit and balance payments are fully protected by IPP insurance
- We are members of ABTA, (membership number: Y6134) giving you peace of mind when booking
Look forward to your holiday
- Reschedule your booking free of charge any time up to 75 days before departure
- Unlimited reschedules allowed
- If it is less than 75 days to your tour departure and your need to reschedule, get in touch with us and we will do what we can to help.
- Contact us if you require advice regarding your travel insurance
- If travel restrictions are imposed or “essential travel only” cited, you can choose to either carry forward your booking to any date in the future or receive a refund in line with Esplora Travel booking conditions.
Travel in comfort
- Travel in a small, friendly group – a maximum of 12
- Travel in ‘covid compliant’ minibus and staying in ‘covid-compliant’ hotels
- Al-fresco dining where possible
Some common questions:
If you are already booked on a tour, we will do everything we can to run your tour as planned. But if you don’t feel comfortable about travelling at the moment, get in touch and we will happily reschedule you to a later date.
If you need to cancel, we will refund your tour money on the basis of the Terms and Conditions under which you booked. But if you are able to avoid cancelling your tour, saving it for a future date, not only will you have something to look forward to, but you will have secured an excellent deal on your trip price (it is inevitable that flight tickets and tour prices will increase next year).
Firstly, although you may have “travel insurance” thrown in with your credit card payments, in practice, it hardly ever covers you when you need it.
The great news is that several travel insurance companies are now offering cover against Covid, so hopefully, if you choose your insurer carefully, the battles we have all heard about in the media, will become a thing of the past. At Esplora Travel, we have always required clients to have adequate travel insurance, and we think Covid has made that even more essential.
When purchasing travel insurance, you should consider the following questions:
• What if a travel ban comes into force in the days before my departure?
• What if I receive a positive CPR test the day before I travel and therefore have to cancel?
• What if I receive a negative test result but my travel partner receives a positive result? Can I still claim on insurance if I no longer want to travel?
• What if, albeit with a negative test result, the day before my scheduled departure the NHS tells me I need to self-isolate for 10 days and I am no longer able to travel?
Ideally, your travel insurance should cover these eventualities – though, of course, if you are lucky enough to have been vaccinated, some of the questions may no longer apply.
Also, only a handful of policies will cover you for “cancel for any reason”. If you think you may require this, check the wording carefully before you buy.
Travel Insurance must be purchased in the country in which you are resident, and so who you chose will depend on where you live.
Furthermore, each provider typically offers a variety products and you will need to study each of them carefully to chose the one that best fits your need. Which one you decide on will depend on factors such as your age, the frequency (and destination) of your international travel, your medical condition and your attitude to risk.
If you live in the UK, some of the companies we can recommend are: ABTA Travel Sure, Cambell Irvine, Saga, Global Travel Insurance and the Post Office. Or you can go through a broker – such as BrokerSure.
If you live in the USA, many of our clients in the past have used (and recommend) Tin Leg. “Cancel for any reason” (CFAR) is an optional coverage available in Tin Leg’s Gold and Silver plans. This upgrade lets you cancel for a reason not listed in the base policy and will provide a reimbursement of 75% of your trip costs.
For UK passengers, the place to look is here.
