Why book your holiday with a tour operator?

Travel is surely one of life’s most rewarding pursuits. It’s a chance to “admire the heights of mountains, the mighty billows of the sea, the broad tides of rivers, the compass of the ocean, and the circuits of the stars”, as St Augustine once wrote.

Holiday planning, however, isn’t without its hurdles. It requires navigating visa formalities, finding hotels and flights that align with your itinerary and budget, arranging tickets, tours and transfers – all this before stepping foot on foreign shores. Heaven forbid something unexpected happens once you’re abroad.

Entrusting your holiday to a tour operator enables you to forgo these stresses and focus on the joys of travel. Choosing Cox & Kings – the world’s oldest travel company – brings with it additional benefits. Here are the top reasons to book your holiday with a trusted tour operator.

Financial security

With a trusted tour operator, the money you’ve committed to your holiday is secure. Cox & Kings is ABTA bonded, ATOL protected, covered by the European Package Regulations, and runs a CAA-approved trust account. This means you can enjoy your holiday knowing you have complete protection.

Expertise

While much can be gleaned from browsing the Web, there is nothing quite like first-hand knowledge. By booking with a long-standing tour operator, you benefit from the expertise of well-travelled consultants. Cox & Kings’ specialists are passionate globetrotters in their own right, with the destination knowledge to offer expert advice, recommendations, and answers to all your questions.

Exclusive access & Signature Experiences

It is all too easy to stay on the beaten track while abroad, ticking off the same landmarks, tasting the same food, and rarely interacting with the locals. How do you get under the skin of a destination, to better understand its character? That is where a tour operator can help. Cox & Kings promises truly insightful travel that goes beyond the guidebooks. Thanks to its long-standing relationships with communities around the world, it is able to weave unique and adventurous activities – called Signature Experiences – into every tour.

24/7 emergency support

Life is wont to throw the occasional spanner in the works. When an emergency occurs on holiday, to whom do you turn for help? The best tour operators afford you a round-the-clock point of contact. Cox & Kings’ emergency support ensures that, should the unexpected occur, expert assistance is always just a phone call away.

Convenience

Travel operators offer you one convenient point of contact for all your holiday arrangements, taking care of everything from hotel bookings to local guides. With Cox & Kings’ escorted tours, you join a small group of like-minded travellers on ready-to-go itineraries – complete with curated accommodation and pre-arranged activities. Alternatively, opt for private travel for a tailored approach, where every element of an itinerary is shaped around your wants, needs and passions.

Global network & local guides

As part of the Abercrombie & Kent group, Cox & Kings has a presence on the ground in over 30 countries, as well as a network of hand-picked local guides, drivers, and experts in everything from archaeology to wildlife. This means guests enjoy a safe, seamless, and educational travel experience.

Service & reputation

Not all tour operators are created equal, so we advise choosing a company with a long-standing, positive reputation among its guests. Cox & Kings is the world’s oldest travel company, and has won 18 accolades at the British Travel Awards in only the past five years, as voted for by the public. Guests are guaranteed an award-winning level of service, as standard.

Value for money

Contrary to what some assume, booking with a tour operator doesn’t necessarily mean paying over the odds. In fact, industry connections can often translate to better rates. It is Cox & Kings’ policy to keep prices as low as possible, with ground services, flights and hotels contracted at highly competitive prices – without sacrificing the high standards our guests expect.