Many thanks to all Kirker customers for your patience over the last 2.5 years and for your continued enthusiasm for travel – your support and positive approach is very much appreciated. We are currently experiencing a significant increase in the number of new enquiries which has resulted in a very high number of calls – so please do be patient, or do send an email to the appropriate person (firstname.surname@kirkerholidays.com), giving your telephone number so we can call back.
The relaxation of international travel rules has made the logistics for fully vaccinated travellers much more straightforward, and it is now possible to plan holidays to all key Kirker destinations in the certain knowledge that you will receive a very warm welcome on arrival. Whilst the dynamics of the Brave New World continue to settle down, some airlines and airports are facing short-term challenges but please remember two key points: i) in spite of some sensational news headlines, only a very small proportion of the total number of travellers are affected, and ii) if a flight is amended, it is Kirker’s job to ensure an alternative is found, and our responsibility to pay for any extra cost involved and make sure our client is totally satisfied with the outcome.
The UK government has removed travel restrictions for the vast majority of European destinations and we keep an eye on the FCDO advice – click here to check the Government website for the latest update – but please never hesitate to telephone our office for first-hand advice from members of the Kirker team who have been travelling recently – they would be delighted to share their knowledge about how best to plan your itinerary. In recent months we have made a number of visits to Italy, including the islands of Sicily and Sardinia – and travelled by rail and Orient Express to Milan and Venice. We have also visited France, Spain, Portugal, Malta, Gibraltar, Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. You can watch some short videos of our recent travel experiences on our YouTube Channel.
In terms of looking after clients who have booked already, it is Kirker’s responsibility to ensure that we keep you up-to-date and informed of all relevant aspects of travel procedures, and we will provide detailed instructions of the current travel requirements with your travel documentation which is normally despatched 10-14 days before your departure.
We can assure you that we shall be doing our best to exceed your expectations every time you travel on a Kirker holiday – and look forward to hearing from you soon.
Ted Wake & Andrew Layard
Joint Managing Directors
N.B. Some useful tips:
When you depart the UK to a Schengen-area European destination your UK passport must meet two requirements. It must be less than 10 years old from the issue date (NB this is irrespective of the printed ‘expiry date’). It must also have three months validity left on the day of your return (this is measured up to the printed expiry date). If you are unsure about the validity of your passport you can check the government website (www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice), consult the Post Office passport service (www.postoffice.co.uk) or contact the Kirker office.
Testing: In the event that you do require a Covid test for your destination of choice, we have negotiated special prices for tests with Randox Health: enter Coupon Code KIRKERRANDOX at https://www.randoxhealth.com
Insurance: It is important that you are appropriately insured, and a number of specialist travel insurance providers, such as Campbell Irvine (click here), are currently offering a full cover travel policy (including protection against Covid interruption before your departure and during the holiday).
If you would like further guidance on travel, Kirker is a member of ABTA, AITO and we also have an ATOL licence – please do look at their websites for supplementary information.
If your query is about a Cultural Tour or Music Holiday please email lucy.ayling@kirkerholidays.com, or telephone 020 7593 2284
