Thanks for booking a family holiday
Congratulations on making your preliminary booking with Activities Abroad. We are thrilled that your family will be travelling with us and thank you for choosing one of our award-winning holidays.
Your booking details are currently with one of our Family Travel Expert and once they have finalised all of the details of your booking and emailed you with a formal quote, they will give you a call on the number you provided in order to take your deposit.
All bookings are subject to availability and are only finalised when you have received your formal confirmation from our team. Please do not confirm any additional arrangements or transportation until informed that you are able to do so.
We aim to contact you to confirm all details within two working days (usually much, much quicker) and if you have any questions in the meantime please do not hesitate to contact us on 01670 789 991. Our opening hours can be found here.
Please note we are receiving an unprecedented number of enquiries at the moment and so please do bear with us if it takes us a little longer than normal to respond to your request. One of our experts will be in touch as quickly as possible.
We will be in touch very soon.
Our Local Partners
Our partners overseas are completely integral to the creation and implementation of all of our family holidays. Without this input from local experts we would not be able to create such exceptional experiences for families in such remarkable locations.
Our families always comment on the local team that they meet when they are on holiday as they add such a wealth of insight to a holiday, we always want our families to really get to experience the best that a region can offer and in the best possible way and our local guides help is to achieve this.
We visit all of our destinations and count our overseas partners as our friends; some of our staff even spend their holidays with their families at our destinations. They have such a passion for the areas in which they live and work and by getting to know them and their destinations we can share this with our clients.
We work soley with the best possible guides and instructors
We are of course very choosey about who we work with and safety is absolutely central to all we do. We work solely with the best possible guides and instructors, they may not always be the cheapest, but they are the best at what they do, we do not compromise.
We hope that through our wonderful relationships with our partners, your family will have the most memorable holiday possible.
Local guides
Since day one we have always employed local guides to run the activities you enjoy so much on an Activities Abroad holiday. The reasons are threefold;
1. Local guides are absolutely crucial to both your enjoyment and your safety. We could never send you white water rafting or dog sledding with somebody who doesn’t know the local terrain like the back of his or her hand. There is much said about the value of local knowledge but when it comes to adventurous activities it is vital that your guide knows exactly what they are doing and where they are going.
2. We believe that the local economy should benefit from your presence and by employing local people, we help provide employment and incomes in what are often rural areas with very few opportunities.
3. The additional advantage of local guides is that they can illuminate your activities with tales of the local history, culture, fauna, flora, environment and, whisper it quietly, children very often find themselves being unwittingly educated while on holiday (shh...we won’t tell if you don’t).
RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL
Activities Abroad is part of The Artisan Travel Company (our parent company). Right from the beginning all the way back in 2002 we have held strong beliefs and a keen focus on responsible tourism.
Our Responsible Tourism Policy is outlined below and puts on paper what we implement across our business. The policy is always under review and amended in line with best practice. Whilst we do our very best with the resources that we have, we always know that there is more to be done to make our operations both at home and overseas as responsible as possible.
This policy is always available to our guests and it is issued to all of our suppliers in order to ensure that the core principles are adhered to and upheld throughout our supply chain and that our clients are aware of our stance on certain practices etc.
Our policy is divided into three primary sections: social, economic and environmental responsibility.
It is important to outline here the general approach which The Artisan Travel Company takes to responsible tourism. It is based on the theory of the triple bottom line, a phrase coined by John Elkington a world leading authority on corporate responsibility.
In short the triple bottom line is where the profitability of the company and the positive economic impact of our holidays in a destination is as equally valued as the company's environmental and social performance. Where many tour operators may well simply quote Elkington as a tick box in a policy we endeavor to provide tangible evidence that we are putting this into action. Responsible tourism is at the core of what we do.
As an independently owned company we have the luxury of being able to determine our own priorities and our own bench marks for success and have the ability to ensure that this ethos is central to everything we do.
Social Responsibility
Firstly we ensure that wherever possible we use local guides, local transport providers and locally owned accommodation providers. This gives our clients a much more intimate relationship with the destination in which they are visiting, provides local people with employment and ensures that wherever possible the economic benefits of the tourists' visits are received in the local communities. We do not want this money to act as compensation to the communities for our clients' visits, but as payment for excellent services provided. We also hope that by helping to provide local employment we will also be helping to preserve remote communities where otherwise younger generations may tend to move towards larger urban areas for work.
Importantly we feel very strongly that the local guides in particular are better qualified than anyone to talk about the destinations in which they work and to operate within a region which they know like the back of their hands. These factors both enable them to take pride in the area they work as well as improving safety levels in many of the activities as the guides generally have years of experience rather than weeks. In some destinations you may encounter some expatriate Britons but they live and work within these regions and have invested heavily in the destination.
- We also ensure that throughout our operations anyone involved with The Artisan Travel Company:
- Has a safe and clean environment in which to work
- Is paid fairly for their work
- Is not given an unreasonable amount of work
- Is treated with respect and equality by all clients and members of staff
- Is not discriminated against for reasons of colour, race, gender, religion or disability
We want to ensure that our clients get the best possible experience and so it is vital for us to develop long term and successful partnerships with suppliers that are productive and fair for all parties involved.
Economic Responsibility
We always utilise locally owned accommodation and activity providers wherever possible. We like to stay off the beaten track and provide a more unique experience for clients so this all goes hand in hand.
Wherever possible we try to avoid using large hotel chains as we want the money generated by tourism within a region to remain within the region rather than leaking overseas.
The areas in which we operate tend to be rural and so employment opportunities can be more limited than in larger towns. A local hotel can provide a vital source of employment in a town and help stem the flow of people from these communities to urban environments. In turn this helps to sustain the economies of small rural towns. We ensure that wherever possible our accommodation providers and activity guides source produce locally when meals are included and if not then we recommend local restaurants to clients. We want to utilise the tourism multiplier effect wherever possible in order to widen the economic benefit of our presence.
When it comes to souvenirs we will always try to inform clients of some of the locally produced handicrafts to look out for and try and encourage them to purchase goods from the region if they wish to take something home. We also ensure that we discourage the removal of natural souvenirs such as shells etc. Our clients are informed about souvenir trades that may be detrimental to the environment or that perhaps do not provide their workers with appropriate working conditions.
In some countries we feature; bargaining for goods is the local custom and we give guidelines to clients to help them negotiate prices which are both fair to them and the seller. We discourage any form of aggressive haggling.
By ensuring that the economic benefits (wherever possible) are felt by the people in the areas in which our holidays operate then we improve our relationships and show our commitment to a destination. This in turn enables us to improve the experiences in a destination as this mutual cooperation fosters excellent working relationships.
Environmental Responsibility
This is the section that most people will associate most strongly with responsible tourism and it is certainly the most high profile area.
Tourism and the environment must be managed and the relationship monitored. It is something which we take into account throughout the planning, the operation and the evaluation of a holiday.
Firstly we are a niche operator; we do not send hundreds of clients into one destination during a week. It is not the way in which we operate, nor will it ever be. Large groups are not conducive to successful and high quality holidays and during our small group holidays the group size is always made appropriate to the nature of the environment and the proximity of our guests to the local population. We do not want local people to feel they have been invaded!
We work in remote areas and in many places which can only be described as pristine wildernesses. The impact of unmanaged tourism in these areas can be wholly detrimental
Working with local people obviously provides us with a huge advantage in this respect. Our guides' pride in the regions is always tangible and they ensure that the 'leave no trace' ethos is continually expressed to clients and visibly implemented during the activities.
When we plan our holidays we do so with the environment in mind. We deliberately leave out certain activities if we feel that their impact on the environment is to its detriment. The group sizes which we offer are designed with our clients’ experience in mind as well as the likely impact on a natural area.
We assess a hotel's facilities with regards to the environment and have developed an audit to enable us to document the processes and facilities in places in each of our hotels with greater accuracy and in order to help provide our clients with further information.
Where possible we always include group transportation. Not only is this obviously more economical for clients but it reduces emissions. We also ask clients to consider the use of public transport such as trains and buses on their free days (when available).
When planning hotels we ensure that we familiarise ourselves with all means of arriving in a destination, whether by train, sea or by road. When flights are involved we encourage clients to offset the emissions caused – in fact we encourage this for all methods of transport.
We dedicate additional time and money to ensuring that the impacts of our holidays are positive and that the environments we operate in remain unspoiled by our presence.
Financial Protection
We know that for families, a holiday will be one of the most important investments you make in a year. We also understand just how important it is that you know that you are all financially protected and that your money is completely secure. You can rest assured that we will provide you with all of the above and more.
We understand just how important it is that you know that you are all financially protected and that your money is completely secure
The British Travel Industry is strictly governed and so there are many factors in place to ensure that your holiday experience and your finances are protected.
Many of our holidays include flights and these always depart from the UK. If your holiday is flight inclusive, then it is protected under our ATOL license (License number 6865).
If you are a fulltime UK resident and you book a ‘land only’ (i.e. a non-flight inclusive package where you arrange your own flights) then your money is protected through our ABTA bonding (ABTA number Y6261).
We are very happy to arrange holidays for people located anywhere in the world. The vast majority of non-UK residents arrange their own travel to the UK and make a booking with for a flight inclusive package departing from the UK for convenience but also to benefit from our financial protection. If you would like to arrange your own flights directly to your chosen holiday destination then this would not be covered by our ATOL financial protection and you would need to ensure your travel insurance provides sufficient cover for your needs. This does not affect our booking terms and conditions.
We are also members of AITO (Association of Independent Tour Operators) and abide by their terms of membership.
Additional information from the CAA relating to our ATOL license:
We hold an Air Travel Organiser's License issued by the Civil Aviation Authority (ATOL number 6865). When you buy an ATOL protected flight or flight inclusive holiday* from us, you will receive an ATOL Certificate.
This lists what is financially protected, where you can get information from and who to contact if things go wrong. We, or the suppliers identified on your ATOL Certificate, will provide you with the services listed on the ATOL Certificate (or a suitable alternative).
In some cases, where neither we nor the supplier are able to do so for reasons of insolvency, an alternative ATOL holder may provide you with services you have bought or a suitable alternative (at no extra cost to you). You agree to accept that in those circumstances the alternative ATOL holder will perform those obligations and you agree to pay any money outstanding to be paid by you under your contract to that alternative ATOL holder. However, you also agree that in some cases it will not be possible to appoint an alternative ATOL holder, in which case you will be entitled to make a claim under the ATOL scheme (or your credit card issuer where applicable). If we, or the suppliers identified on your ATOL certificate, are unable to provide the services listed (or a suitable alternative, through an alternative ATOL holder or otherwise) for reasons of insolvency, the Trustees of the Air Travel Trust may make a payment to (or confer a benefit on) you under the ATOL scheme. You agree that in return for such a payment or benefit, you assign absolutely to those Trustees any claims which you have or may have arising out of or relating to the non-provision of the services, including any claim against us, the travel agent or your credit card issuer where applicable. You also agree that any such claims may be re-assigned to another body, if that other body has paid sums you have claimed under the ATOL scheme.
*Many of the flights and flight-inclusive holidays on this website are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. But ATOL protection does not apply to all holiday and travel services listed on this website. Please ask us to confirm what protection may apply to your booking. If you do not receive an ATOL Certificate then the booking will not be ATOL protected. If you do receive an ATOL Certificate but all the parts of your trip are not listed on it, those parts will not be ATOL protected. Please see our booking conditions for information, or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to: www.atol.org.uk/atolcertificate.
If you have any questions relating to financial protection, please do not hesitate to contact us as this is an area we have extensive knowledge and expertise. We will be more than happy to discuss and take you through any concerns that you may have.
Contact us by phone, email or use the contact form below
Artisan Sales
01670 785085
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Artisan Customer Services
01670 785085
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Sorry, we can't find the page you are looking for.
This is probably because the page doesn't exist any more, or you have typed something wrong in the address bar.
Alternatively, we have broken something and need to fix it...
Don't worry though, here are some handy links to get you back on your way:
Travel Safety
woeifjwoeifjwoeifjwoeifjwoeifj
Visa and passport requirements
oijefoiwejofiwjoefiwjeowjeiofjwf
Travel insurance
woiefjwoijfwoijojfj woiejfo wifjwoi fwoiefj
How fit do I need to be?
wjefo wij foiwejf owf foijefoiwfowjwofjwioefj woefw
Travel health
oije foiwjfo wfiowj fowijefowijfwoefj w
What to pack
wpoefi pwokf pwokfwopfk pwoefkwope fkiw
Airport parking
powefi pwokfwpofk wpokf wpofk wpoefk wopefk pw
Airport Hotels
powe fpowk efpowk efpwoke fopwek fp
Airport Lounges
wpoefk wpofkwpoefk wpefk wopewopefko p
Chauffeurs and VIP services
powekfp wokfpwo efwopkopekfpwoefk opw
Content Here for Inspiration Page
Introduction
Activities Abroad have been providing thrilling, yet safe, family activity holidays since 2002. In that time, we have developed a fantastic range of exciting, year-round, multi-activity holidays that we have gradually tweaked and improved over the years in response to our clients’ and our suppliers’ recommendations. As a result, we have won Best Small Family Holiday Company and Best Small Activity Holiday provider at the British Travel Awards for two consecutive years and last year, we took home Best Small Activity Holiday Company for the third year running! These awards are decided by public votes so we must be doing something right! Rather than rest on our laurels, we are continually striving to improve every single itinerary we feature.
A fantastic range of exciting, year-round, multi-activity holidays.
Naturally, our family holidays revolve around the school holidays and as a result, we offer both summer and winter trips designed specifically for active families. From multi-activity trips in Europe and further afield, to dog sledding and chasing the Northern Lights in Finnish Lapland, we offer exhilarating and unforgettable family holidays, which you will still be discussing around the dinner table for years afterwards.
Our expertise and experience in the activity holiday sector mean that we have built up a trusted range of suppliers in all the destinations we feature and as parents ourselves we cannot place enough emphasis on the safety and organisational sides of our trips.
First and foremost, we run strict and comprehensive safety checks on every element of your holiday. If we are going to send your family white water rafting or dog sledding then you can rest assured that you are doing so with the best in the business.
If we are going to send your family white water rafting or dog sledding then you can be rest assured that you are doing so with the best in the business.
Secondly, family holiday time is far too precious to waste getting organised in the destination. We remove all of the stress and tell you where you need to be and at what time each day; everything else is taken care of. There’s no need to traipse down to the local tourist office or scour the local activity providers for prices and durations and whatever else is required, we do that for you so that you can maximise your holiday time with your family.
That’s what we do best, we make sure that you share fabulous and safe experiences and return home with a host of wonderful family memories.
Activities Aboard – why choose us?
Here is our proud boast: we have seen teenage boys talking animatedly with their parents on our holidays. We know it sounds unbelievable but it is absolutely true!
So, apart from extracting more than just grunts from teenagers, where do we start?
Experience – we’ve been running family activity holidays since 2002.
Family – these holidays are created by families for families.
Awards – Best Family Holiday Company, Best Activity Holiday Company 2013 and 2014 and Best Activity Holiday Company 2015.
Age Matching – you can enquire about the age of the other children on the holiday that interests you. We will try our best to age match when possible but we can always provide the information beforehand, so you know who your kids will be having fun with.
Trust – we offer complete financial protection through ATOL and ABTA and proud members of AITO.
Safety – we check every supplier, every activity, every driver, every hotel and guesthouse. We leave no stone unturned.
Respect – our suppliers aren’t hard-nosed business people, they are our partners and good friends. We work together to provide great family holidays.
Fair Trade – we pay a fair price to our suppliers regardless of where we operate in the world. Basically, we look after the people who look after you.
Passion – you have no idea how much a “4 out of 5” review hurts us…we strive for perfection.
Independent – we are one of the few remaining independent adventure and activity companies.
Knowledge – we send as many of our staff as possible to as many destinations as possible because there is absolutely no substitute for experience or local knowledge. When you want to discuss a particular holiday, you can always talk to somebody who has been to the destination, slept in the hotel, enjoyed the activities, met the locals and sampled the food. Many of us take our children with us so we can give you a true family perspective.
Award-Winning Holidays
Our sincere apologies but sometimes it’s hard to not be a tad smug. The British Travel Awards are decided by public votes so we are absolutely bursting with pride to have won some of the most prestigious awards for three consecutive years! Let’s face it, when you are a Family Activity Holiday Company, these are the two awards you want to win the most.
The British Travel Awards are decided by public votes so we are absolutely bursting with pride to have won some of the most prestigious awards for three consecutive years!
Our free comparison service
Scour the market and a few other operators may appear to offer slightly cheaper trips than ours. We urge you not to be misled by cheap “headline” prices because you will almost certainly end up paying more in the destination. Beware too of “Optional Activities” because they come at a price and add considerably to your overall holiday cost.
We are so confident in our product knowledge, and the exceptional experiences that we include, that we welcome the opportunity to compare our itineraries. Very often, you’ll find that where we offer four hours of white water rafting, cheaper companies offer half that time. Similarly, our winter holidays never include the five-minute “taster” sessions that are often included in other operators’ programmes.
We’ll be delighted to compare any quotes you have obtained elsewhere and our comparison service is completely free and without obligation. We’ll even tell you to book elsewhere if we think that is best for your family…but we’ve not had to do that yet!
Our heritage
We’ve been creating holidays since 2002 and over the years, the range and diversity of our holidays have grown considerably.
We originally started as a Family Activity Holiday company selling multi-activity trips in Greece, Turkey, Spain and France. Looking back, our first ever brochure was a pretty amateurish affair but everybody has to start somewhere.
We soon expanded into more destinations and also operated adult-only group trips before experimenting with a few winter trips we had discovered on our travels. Back then, activities such as dog sledding and snowmobiling were rarely heard of here in the UK but we soon realised that there was a rapidly growing market for such experiences and before long we were also producing a Winter Holiday brochure.
Our travels have allowed us to identify growing trends within the holiday market. Our experiences north of the Arctic Circle led us to set up our dedicated Northern Lights hunting brand – The Aurora Zone. In fact, we were the first company in the UK to offer such trips and while many have followed suit in the last few years, we pride ourselves on still being THE Northern Lights company.
With the huge success of The Aurora Zone, our business had become very concentrated on the winter months and we recently moved to balance the seasonality of our trips by creating The Artisan Travel Company. Artisan Travel offers trips throughout the year for people who want their holiday to be a genuine experience. Each trip has been handcrafted in conjunction with our local suppliers to ensure that our clients see the absolute best of their chosen destination.
Activities Abroad specialise in summer and winter family activity holidays, The Aurora Zone provides dedicated Northern Lights hunting trips and Artisan Travel is all about unforgettable experiences for adults all year round.
And that’s where we are right now. Activities Abroad specialise in summer and winter family activity holidays, The Aurora Zone provides dedicated Northern Lights hunting trips and Artisan Travel is all about unforgettable experiences for adults all year round.
Our Expert Team
Our philosophy for Activities Abroad from the very outset was to bring together a dedicated team of experts that, above all, shared the spirit of family adventure holidays. Our staff have joined the team and tried out the holidays, so they can talk to guests about the holiday destinations, accommodations, activities, and anything else you may need to know about your holiday, with hands-on experience.
We are a unique tour operator based in the Northeast of England, with an experienced travel team, with a diverse range of backgrounds, and loads of experience.
Travel Website Development
