FAQ |
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| Many of our customers ask us similar questions when choosing and booking their holiday. In this section, you will find a selection of these common questions, organised by type of holiday. We hope the FAQ will help you answer your queries. Of course, if you have a question which isn’t dealt with here, please contact us. |
| Practicalities |
| How many people will be on the trip? Can I register for a trip as a single guest? When is the best time of the year to go on a trip? Are there any hidden items not included in the price? What happens in case of emergency? Can I extend my holidays? Can I customise my trip? Can we arrange our own flights? Where am I picked up? |
| Special Interests |
| Can I go with my family and my children? Are there places of cultural interest en route? Any trips appropriate for a stag/hen party? I’m a corporate client, what can you offer? We’re students, and we want to have different fun? Do you tailor holidays? |
| Other |
| What level of fitness is required? What kind of walking notes do you provide? Will I get Lost? What do I need to bring with me? How is the route selection made? How heavy will my day pack be? What kind of accommodation is available? What is the food like? |
| Practicalities |
How many people will be on the trip? |
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Can I register on a trip as a single guest? |
| The answer is “Yes” you can. Usually,on a Self Guided trip, there’s a supplement due to the extra cost of a single room for example. But our policy is simple and is reflected in Our Ethic. “One Foot Abroad” is committed to fair and transparent prices and the supplement for a single guest is available on all our trips. Just send us an e-mail and we’ll provide you with a detailed dossier containing exact information regarding the pricing. |
When is the best time of the year to go on a trip? |
| Our trips run when it is the most suitable time of the year to go, thus ensuring maximum enjoyment, nice weather and good climatic conditions. Obviously, the best time of the year will depend on the location of each trip. For our trips in the Moroccan desert, winter can be more appropriate. On the contrary, for our trips in the Tatras Mountains in Poland, summer is best. |
Are there any hidden items not included in the price? |
| In the detailed dossier, you are provided with a list of all the items included AND all the items NOT included. That means no unpleasant surprises when booking with “One Foot Abroad”. |
What happens in case of emergency? |
| Injured high up in the mountains? Lost in bad weather? A hotel refusing to accommodate you? Well, for the vast majority of these incidents, the walking notes on a Self Guided trip, or the certified guide on a guided trip, will help you, going to the closest hospital booking into the next hotel, rescuing you from the mountains. But, “One Foot Abroad” likes to foresee the issues before they come up.. Our Walking Grades will help you to choose the right level of difficulty for you, limiting the possibilities of injury. Our knowledge of the area makes a massive difference when it comes to choosing our business partners on the ground. Also, as additional security and for your own peace of mind, it is our policy to ask for mandatory personal insurance when going on holidays with us. The most important thing is your Safety and we are committed to that. We give you an emergency phone number that is available 24/7. And we stand by it. |
Can I extend my holiday? |
| Yes, our holidays are very flexible. We can extend your holiday either by putting side to side two “One Foot Abroad” holidays, or by customising your “One Foot Abroad” holiday, as detailed in “Can I customise my trip?” In addition, you can go on your own holiday either before or after your “One Foot Abroad” holiday. We don’t include flights in our packages for this very reason. You can choose your own dates, and also minimize prices of your flights by taking the airline of your choice. Alternatively, you can extend your holiday by tailoring your trip with us. In a time of low cost airline companies, this option is definitely the best for our customers. |
Can I customise my trip? |
| “One Foot Abroad” trips can be customised. You can extend your holiday (see “Can I extend my holiday?”). This means you can extend your trip either before or after your “One Foot Abroad” trip. You can also ask for alterations during your “One Foot Abroad” trip. Such alterations include, but are not limited to; accommodation, special interests, rest days, etc. If in doubt, contact us at info@onefootabroad.ie In addition, we offer plenty of options on the vast majority of our trips, in order to cater for your desire to customise, and obviously depending on local infrastructures. |
Can we arrange our own flights? |
| Yes, “One Foot Abroad” lets you arrange your own flights, so you can take advantage of low cost airlines (Ryanair, Easyjet, etc.). Also, you can extend (see Can I extend my holiday?) your holiday and therefore benefit from the most flexible dates for flying. |
Where do you pick me up? |
| The place we’ll pick you up from is clearly stated in your detailed dossier. As a rule of thumb, you’ll be expected at the Hotel selected on Day 1 of your holiday, and we’ll bid farewell at the Hotel selected to the last day of your holiday. “One Foot Abroad” also organises an optional transfer from/to the nearest airport where you’ll be picked up at the airport’s meeting point. |
| Special Interests |
Can I go with my family and my children? |
| The real answer is that depends on the trip. We have designed some walking trips for families. The family friendly trips are those categorised as “Easy”, with good climates and guided trips (See Tatas Freedom), leaving time for other activities.
We strongly recommend our multi-activity trips for families, where activities can be selected according to the age of your children. In a multi-activity trip, the chosen resort caters for kids, where activities are organised together with other kids by professionals They have a cr’che where you can safely leave your child and enjoy a glass or two of wine. See our Multi-Activity trip in Les |
Are there any cultural interests on the route? |
| We always attempt to include other specific interests in our walking holidays. After considering the natural aspects of the route selection, all the other interests are looked at. In the walking notes, you will find information on the flora and fauna and all local cultural interests. In addition, we have specifically designed some routes to experience the culture as an adventurer. This is particularly the case in the “R.L. Stevenson Trail in the Cevennes“, where you follow in the footsteps of the eminent writer. “Provence: Luberon” is a walking trip where we walk through the scenery painted by Van Gogh, and visit the country where he lived with Gauguin before his death. In our “Castles of the Loire valley” trip you can visit incredible castles every day, including those at Chambord, Cheverny, Blois, etc.”Tuscany: La Dolce Vita” is a historic and architectural feast. “The Way to Saint James of Compostela” is a deeply spiritual trip along the iconic Pilgrim Route. |
Any trips appropriate for a stag/hen party? |
| Well, yes! The multi-activities trips are a perfect way to celebrate and party. The resorts offer a lot of different pubs and clubs, open til the early hours of the morning! And during the day, adrenaline on tap with activities such as paragliding, rafting, bungee-jumping, etc.If you dare! See our Multi-Activity trip in les 2 alpes |
I’m a corporate client, what can you offer me? |
| Adventure is the best way to bind a team together. In this sense all our trips are appropriate for corporate outings. If you wish to have excellent restaurants and wine, with an “a la carte” menu of activities to suit everyone, we strongly recommend the multi-activity trips. In a multi-activity holiday, your party can individually select its activities day by day. The accommodation ranges from self-catering to luxury chalets, with nights rich in entertainment and many restaurants pubs and discos to choose from. See our Multi-Activity trip in Les 2 Alpes here. |
We’re students, and we want to have different fun? |
| Tailoring a holiday can mean extending a holiday or customising a holiday. Creating a holiday from scratch while it demands more effort, is also possible. We tailor holidays from scratch for Groups of 6 or more. Talk to us about your idea by phone or at info@onefootabroad.ie On a walking trip, you can explore a region in depth and discover its many features in detail, while enjoying a bit of a challenge. Our trip “Discovery of the high Tatras“, we can do quite cheaply. This is one of our our most affordable trips where you can choose self catering accommodation to match your budget. The area is a festive one, with Zakopane and all its nightlife as a central base.
On a multi-activity trip, you can combine fun and adrenaline by doing something different every day. And go out every night! See our Multi-Activity trip in Les 2 Alpes. |
Do you tailor holidays? |
| Tailoring a holiday can mean extending a holiday or customising a holiday. Creating a holiday from scratch, while it demands more effort, is also possible. We tailor holidays from scratch for Groups of 6 or more. Talk to us about your idea by phone or at customise@onefootabroad.ie and we’ll come back to you with a suggestion and a quote. |
| Other |
What kind of fitness level is required? |
| We offer a range of various walking holidays, from Easy to Moderate to Challenging. Each grade is described in great detail in our “Walking Grades” Chapter, together with the Preparation, if necessary. As a general rule, everybody will find their own challenge. This is the great thing with walking – there’s an Everest for everyone. So, whether you are 14 or 80 years old, whether or not ou have not exercised regularly or trained well, you’ll find what is best for you. |
What kind of walking notes do you provide? |
| 3 weeks before the departure date of your trip, we’ll send you a Holiday Pack. This pack contains all the information about your holiday, including the walking notes and maps. These walking notes are extremely detailed, describing the route on a “step-by-step” basis. Our notes are checked regularly and updated accordingly. In addition, we welcome customer feedback on our walking notes. To see what the walking notes look like, have a look at the example on “Walking Notes”. Maps are the best available on the market in terms of design and visual bearings. Their level of detail is usually 1/25000 or in some case 1/50000, which are excellent scales for walking. |
Will I get Lost? |
| For Self Guided trips, we provide you with a detailed dossier, walking notes together with a map, usually at the 1/25000 scale, or else at 1/50000. Therefore it is virtually impossible to get lost! Our routes follow mostly marked paths. If the choice of path is not obvious at any one time, we encourage our customer feedback and amend our walking notes accordingly. |
What should I bring with me? |
| Depending on your destination and on the altitude of your walking holiday, clothing can vary greatly. The detailed dossier will list any specific clothing items that are recommended for your chosen walk. As a rule of thumb, it’s better to have more than not enough, and don’t forget, your bag is carried for you, and that you’ll only have to carry a light bag during the day. For all trips, carrying sun cream, sunglasses, appropriate walking boots and rain gear is recommended. |
How is the route selection made? |
| The route selection is made by our “One Foot Abroad” specialists. They have personal knowledge of the ground, which is our main asset. The route is selected on a walking interest basis, taking you through the most beautiful and characteristic landscapes of the region.Things that you couldn’t see otherwise will be opened for you and you’ll be happy to have left your vehicle behind. The route also ensures a high level of comfort and tradition in the accommodation along the way. We include special interests on the route, such as cultural interests (see “Are there any cultural interests on the route?”) |
How heavy will my day pack be? |
| Your backpack during the day will be very light, consisting only of water, a packed lunch, sun glasses, sun cream, rain gear and a warm jumper (plus any extra items that are at your discretion, like binoculars for example). When you arrive at your hotel, your luggage will be waiting for you and you get the chance to freshen up before an excellent meal in the restaurant that evening. In summary, we believe that the comfort you gain by walking with a light pack (only about 4kg) enables you to take more pleasure from the day, enjoying the views, breaking easily to contemplate the flowers or the animals. Also, this makes walking holidays possible for people who can’t or don’t want to carry heavy loads. |
What is the Accommodation like? |
| This is a very important question, and “One Foot Abroad” has selected the walking routes in order to offer you the best accommodation available locally for each trip. We select accommodation based on comfort, facilities and character. For example, we always give preference to hotels awarded with a quality label and/or recommended by recognised guidebooks. In addition, we try each hotel, to ensure the quality of the service we provide. Please have a look at our “Virtual Holiday” where you can see pictures of our hotels. Our selected hotels are also chosen on the quality of their menus, where possible. We place emphasis on regional products and traditional dishes for a true culinary delight (see “What kind of meals?”). Obviously, these kinds of hotels are available for the vast majority of our walking holidays, but it could happen that for a specific destination or at a specific stage, the accommodation is more basic. In this case, let’s not forget that the day was fabulous and that next day will be even better. |
What is the food like? |
| The food served by the hotel is definitely an important criterion in our hotel selection. As said in “What kind of accommodation?”, meals are typically made from fresh regional products and served in traditional dishes. You’ll definitely get a good taste of the region you visit. For example, in Provence, typical Provencal dishes such as “Bouillabaisse” (a tasty fish stew) are available. It’s delicious, comforting and nutricious after a day’s walk!!! For lunch, you’ll either have the opportunity to choose your own place to stop, or else we’ll provide you with a substantial picnic lunch. |
