Advantages: Very Cheap
Disadvantages: When something goes wrong you find out why

...You only really find out how good a company is when something goes wrong: I had booked through Travel City Direct for my flights to Florida this year. On arrival at the airport at 7:30 am, Saturday we were told that the plane was delayed until 6pm due to hurricane problems. No problem - nothing they can do about that,. However, what followed (over the next 56 hours) was almost comical. 1 Throughout the day we were told that we would fly that night. We were repeatedly told that we would not be 'dumped' as the Virgin passengers had been (their flight was postponed 24 hours and they were all told immediately to go home) 2 At 6 pm it became evident that we might not fly. We were told we would fly but if not, they would ensure we had hotel accomodation. They told us to gather at 8pm for an announcement. 3 At 8pm all 450... Read review

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Advantages: Wide Holiday Choice
Disadvantages: Only West Country branches

...Department and IT Departments. This is also where LET’S GO TRAVEL was established in 1985, by Simon Maunder, who is the Managing Director. The other Operational Director, the Commercial Director, is Robert Pocock. There is also a Board of Non-Executive Directors, which includes PHILIP SCHOFIELD. (Yes, THE Philip Schofield, who we all love to watch on lots of T. V. programs these days!) Or maybe you don’t like to watch him, but I think he is quite a nice fellow! (Taken the place of Noel Edmonds!!!) The colour scheme in the LET’S GO TRAVEL shops is very bright, in purple and yellow. The Travel Consultants have a smart uniform….dark purple skirt or trousers and jacket, and a patterned yellow and purple blouse. They all wear a name badge which also states their position in the company, either trainee, consultant or manager... Read review

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Advantages: Wherever you go in the country you should expect the same standard of accomodation and facilities.
Disadvantages: The quality of these can vary wildly!

...Once upon a time, these hotels were Premier Lodges and Travel Inns. Premier Lodges used to be owned by Scottish&Newcastle (brewers by trade) and Travel Inns by Whitbread (previously a brewer by trade, now more of a leisure provider). Premier Lodge and Travel Inn used to be the hottest competitors for the top spot in budget hotel chains, and Premier Lodge previously always won. Since Scottish&Newcastle has ceased to exist, all of its bars and pubs have been successfull in remaining pretty much whatever they were before, with the sale of each having little effect, while Premier Lodge, as the Company's only venture into the accomodation side of hospitality, was thrown into the lurch, which had a major effect on staffing, support system reliability (such as Head Office/food suppliers/staff payroll) producing a negative effect... Read review

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Advantages: Independent, Specialist, Tailor-made travel
Disadvantages: Expensive!

...The observant amongst you may just have noticed that I have been to Iceland for a holiday recently. The dedicated amongst you may well have read my reviews on Reykjavik. The broke amongst you will doubtless be hoping that I am not going to write any more about a place you cannot possibly afford to visit. Well, you needn’t worry, there will be no more rambling on about geysers and northern lights and the like from me. Instead, I am going to ramble on about the travel company I booked my holiday through: Yes Travel (and no, you probably won’t be able to afford anything to do with them, either). Yes Travel are a specialist, independent travel agency based in sunny Peterborough, who spend their days arranging for people to have tailor-made holidays in Iceland and Norway. They have been doing so for 4 years, after stepping in to fill... Read review

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Advantages: The free books are worth having
Disadvantages: Adverts, Adverts, oh did I mention the adverts

...I’ve read this magazine before, but I can’t really remember whether I was that impressed or not? The only reason that I actually have a copy of Julys edition of Company in my grubby little hands is because of the free book that came with it (Venus Envy by Louise Bagshawe) and the fact that it was a total impulse buy. I was actually only interested in buying the Daily Mail but finished up coming out of WHSmith with not only the paper but Company, The Net, Hello, Web User, 6 First Class Stamps and a Shaggy CD (see op for reasons why!!) And so, here I sit, yet another glorious sunny day (2nd one this year, boy are we spoilt or what??) just having finished reading this magazine. I’m bored!! I’ve done the sleep thing…..I’m not in a very Charlotte Bingham book kinda place, and I just haven’t got the strength or energy to go indoors... Read review

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Advantages: *
Disadvantages: -

...HOW MANY TIMES A YEAR DO YOU TRAVEL? Travelling is my life. I started when I was 12 going, by train, for summer holidays to my uncle in Paris. And I repeated that trip every year till I got 18. At 20, in 1966, I was lucky enough to get a job with an important company in the United States of America. I moved there for job training and then I started my travel around the world. Today I make around 70 trips per year, mostly outside of Europe, staying away from home 300 days and taking more than 200 flights. This year I have already been twice in the States, four times in China, once in North Korea and in many other places within and outside Europe. Basically my trips are for business even if sometime I add one or two days for sightseeing when I go to a new destination. FOR HOW LONG DO YOU GO AWAY? Up to 25 years ago... Read review

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Advantages: save megabucks
Disadvantages: can be a hassle getting cheap tickets

...I am sure that many regular train travellers know how to get cheap fares, but it amazes me how many people pay the full whack Here are a few tips 1. Planning is everything There are four basic ticket types - full fare, which you never want to buy if possible - industry-wide discounted fares like Savers and Supersavers - Company-specific discounts - others, such as Rovers, Seasons etc The worst thing to do (unless you like hiding from the ticket collector in the toilets) is to get on a train withouit a ticket. This might work on a short hop but not long distance. You will probably be charged full fare, on some trains like GNER they will definately charge the highest. On Virgin trains and some others they may sell you a walk-up discounted ticket like a Saver, but increasingly train companies are withdrawing from... Read review

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Advantages: Wide choice of destinations, do all the hard organising, safe and convenient
Disadvantages: Can cut corners, pot luck with fellow travellers, possibly over priced

...to the flora and fauna. Additionally and crucially they had excellent language skills which allowed them to build rapport with the group and helped it to gel during the first few days. I mention this in particular as I spent 6 days in China with a competitor company and that local guide could not communicate beyond the most basic of English. Both of my trips had very busy itineraries that would have taken a lot of research, planning and organisation to put together myself. The Exodus write-ups proved to be extremely accurate in every way, including even the estimated travel times between one point of interest and another. My Costa Rica itinerary covered most of this small country including areas only accessible by boat. In Thailand the trip covered Bangkok, Chiang Mai, a trek around hilltribe villages, Kanchanaburi (bridge over River Kwai... Read review

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Advantages: “I’m out here a thousand miles from my home….
Disadvantages: “….walking a road other men have gone down.”

...and health permitting. Q. Do you organise your holidays yourself or do you go to a travel agency? A. Both, but increasingly we do it ourselves. Only for complex journeys in places with which we are not familiar would we use a travel agent. We do use tour operators – going direct, not via a travel agency – for particular specialised purposes, like Inntravel for walking holidays, as I have described in an opinion about that company. For a typical week’s visit to somewhere in Western Europe it wouldn’t occur to us to book through an agent. It’s actually easier, in our view, to do it ourselves by phone and/or internet. Q. Do you prepare your holidays in advance by reading guide books and studying maps? A. Yes, though we don’t always plan every stage of the journey... Read review

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Advantages: Loads of them!
Disadvantages: Not all the open-tops can be covered in case of London rain...

...First I should make it clear I did not use this company as a tourist. I live just outside London. But I’ve never done any of the tourist stuff, so being on a gap year I hadn’t planned on, and with very little to do, I decided to indulge in a spot of research, riding the buses, speaking to tourists and asking the people on the pavement awkward questions. A 24-hour ticket for the Big Bus Company costs £17 for adults and £8 for children, but family groups of two adults and two children get an £8 discount. Children are aged 5-15, and under 5s ride for free. You ticket is valid for 24 hours after you buy it, and if you don’t want to use it immediately, you can buy an “advance” ticket which you get one of the people at the bus-stops to validate when you start using it, and your 24 hours start from then. They have over 80 bus... Read review

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