In just over 12 weeks I'll be heading to Scotland for the 1st of my 2 tours in the UK. I make the final payment in 3 weeks time and will be picking up tour documents sometime in June.
TravelMarvel Tour - Edinburgh, the Highlands & Islands.
Visited my TA earlier this week and booked my extra accommodation nights in Edinburgh and London. Will be staying at the Parliament House Hotel pre tour, before walking for about 2 or 3 minutes to the tour hotel. Saved myself just under $100 on that one. Have booked the Ibis Edinburgh Centre South Bridge for the 2 nights between the tours. That’s about a 10 minute walk between hotels but will take a taxi to the Malmaison Tower Hotel in Leith, as that’s a 9 minute drive away. In London, I have booked The Tower Hotel, which is near Tower Bridge.
When we checked the first tour, it’s still not a guaranteed tour, so I’ll keep my fingers crossed that is will become guaranteed but suss out a Plan B, just in case.
It's been a couple of months since I first visited my TA and booked my tours. I re-visted her near the end of October to book flights and travel insurance.
The 1st Travel Insurance quote was interesting, being well over $2,000. Much more than I was prepared to pay through that insurer. We had put in the UK as the place I was visiting. After I knocked that quote on the head, Carole then entered Scotland & England as the countries to be visited. The quoted changed down to $1500, which was still expensive but we couldn't get it any lower, so I paid. I could have shopped around but I have had to claim on Covermore once before and knew that they were very good re most claims. As long as I don't fall over after having a couple of drinks and develop head injuries, I should be okay.
Now for the flights. Ended up booking a British Airways combo. Qantas CBR to SYD (I detest Sydney airport. Unfortunately I couldn't get a flight via MEL). British Airways SYD to SIN and SIN to LHR. Also BA, LHR to EDI. On the way back home it's British Airways from LHR to SIN, SIN to SYD and Qantas SYD back to CBR.
I'm flying in a day before the TravelMarvel tour starts, in case of cancellations and/or delays and will be spending a night in London at the end of the BackRoads tour, as my flight out isn't until early evening and we don't get back to London until mid afternoon.
I've got an appointment with my TA Carole Parker, in mid January, to book the extra accommodation, pre and post and hopefully that will be everything sorted, until I have to make the final payment, sometime in late April 2024.
