Read all about the News and Views from our Partners

Hurtigruten, the world’s largest expedition cruise company, has today announced a series of short break expedition cruises around the British Isles in September 2020. MS Roald Amundsen, the world’s first hybrid expedition cruise ship, will be the first expedition cruise ship to depart from a UK port, since the country entered Coronavirus lockdown in March.
The series will consist of four sailings departing from Portsmouth (2nd September), Liverpool (7th September), Glasgow (12th September) and Liverpool (17th September).
• The hybrid-powered expedition cruise ship will visit hand-picked destinations such as the Isles of Scilly, Fowey, Rathlin Island, Fort William, Oban, Fishguard and Waterford.
• This series will operate at a reduced maximum capacity of 350 guests (approximately 65% of total berths).
• Prices start from £999 – more information can be found here

As they prepare to welcome guests back to their villas and hotels, Simpson Travel are firmly focussed on ensuring they have done everything possible to make travel safe and enjoyable in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic. Their Simpson Safe page outlines what to expect this summer when travelling to each of their destinations. With a range of gorgeous villas and boutique hotels in France, Italy, Mallorca, Corsica, Turkey and Greece you’re bound to find something to suit whether you’re travelling as a couple of part of an extended family group. And don’t forget to quote “SILVER” to receive £50 savings off your booking.

Cruise & Maritime Voyages (CMV) is offering the opportunity to sail to the top of the world on board the cruise line’s latest new flagship Amy Johnson. The stylish Amy Johnson carries just 1450 guests and a smaller ship is ideal to witness the amazing natural spectacle of the North Cape, Spitzbergen & Land of the Midnight Sun. Departing from the convenient London Cruise Terminal in Tilbury on 22 July this epic 16-night voyage explores a host of unusual places in Norway and deeper still into the Arctic Circle. Fares are from £1294pp.
Explore the North Cape in detail with an optional selection of fascinating CMV excursions to maximise the visits ashore. Amy Johnson calls at Bergen, Norway’s second largest city, Trondheim, Narvik and Tromso before the natural treasure trove of wildlife and stunning scenery in Longyearbyen. She calls at Honningsvaag for the chance to visit the North Cape, Europe’s most northerly point, and Land of the Midnight Sun. The seaside charms of Kristiansand and picturesque Rosendal completes this remarkable journey.

Our partner and Awards finalist Travel Department has created a new range of Light & Relaxed small group European tours departing from a range of UK regional airports. Book your 2020/21 holiday by 30 June 2020 and enjoy savings of up to £150 per booking with our code exclusive to silver travellers. Secure with a flexible deposit that lets you change any tour or departure date at no extra cost. (Terms & conditions apply.) European destinations include Spain, Italy, France, Croatia and Malta with prices from as low as £479 pp with flights, transfer, accommodation and guided tours.

Save up to £500 per couple with Railbookers Great Escape Sale. From a close-to-home getaway, a multi city break or a trip further afield, there’s a holiday to suit everyone.
Couples can save £300 on any three to six night rail holiday, save £400 on trips seven to nine nights in length, or save £500 on itineraries including 10 or more nights.
Examples of their rail holidays include Grand Inverness & the Highlands – a 5 night break including First Class rail travel, 1 night aboard the Caledonian Sleeper, sightseeing tours of Inverness, Loch Ness, the Isle of Skye and more; and an 11-night Italian lakes and Swiss Mountains tour travelling from Rome to Zurich with breathtaking views and experiences along the way. Sales ends Friday 10 July!

Reconnect to the joy of travel with confidence with our partner Trafalgar. They have just launched their Best of Europe 2020 Series – a selection of their best-selling immersive trips, chosen by travel experts, that connect guests to the heart of the places they visit. Exclusive to UK travellers only with groups of 12-26 like-minded travellers and enhanced hygiene and distancing measures for your wellbeing. You can book with confidence thanks to their no-risk deposit protection and flexible change options. Past guests enjoy a 5% discount.

Azamara are now making the world’s hidden treasures within reach, and they’re now even closer with their new, limited-time offer.
You can embark on a journey to your dream destination across the globe and receive a $500 onboard credit when you book by July 22, 2020. Additionally, you’ll receive 50% off the cruise fare of your guest on select voyages!
Let your inner explorer lead the way, whether it takes you to the charming waterfront promenades of the Mediterranean or the steep fjord walls of Northern Europe.
Wherever in the world you choose to explore, reap the benefits and savings of this limited-time deal. What’s more it’s applicable to all Azamara voyages!

For a limited time, a number of Insight Vacations 2021 Europe & Britain trips are available at 2020 prices when booked by 28 September 2020, plus you can enjoy 10% Early Payment Savings on select trips. Book with confidence knowing you are free to change your travel plans up to 30 days before departure. If your dream holiday is not part of their preview collection you can still enjoy your 2021 holiday at 2020 prices by pre-registering your place.

See the world with a new perspective through their rare and unique experiences and savour authentic dining like never before. VIP private UK door-to-door private transfers and their experienced Travel Directors and Well-being Director ensure a seamless, stress-free holiday from start to finish. Where will you go?

Their Easy Pace tours offer relaxed starts to the day’s activities and more time to explore on your own, like this Easy Pace Italy. Country Roads journeys delve deeper into a country’s culture and history, taking you off the tourist track, like their Country Roads of Croatia. They also offer Discovery Journeys, ideal for first time visits to a region, and Regional Journeys to explore one region or country in depth.

You can now book your place now aboard Saga’s first purpose-built river ship.
Spirit of the Rhine offers award-winning boutique cruise experience, but on the riverways of Europe. All backed by premium value for money, with so much included in the price.
The ship launches Spring 2021, but the cruises are on sale now!
This new luxury ship is exclusively for Saga guests, and offers a wealth of exciting features, all backed by premium value for money. It’s time to discover your Spirit of the Rhine.
You can read the brochure and find out more here:

2020 has led to many people rediscovering the pleasures of walking and reconnecting with the natural world. Hedonistic Hiking – Gourmet Guided Walking Tours is all about this and more – fully inclusive walking holidays in some of the most beautiful parts of Europe with a touch of luxury thrown in.
Tours are graded so there is an itinerary to suit different levels of fitness. In June 2021 hike in the stunning mountains between Nice and Turin, exploring the Mercantour National Park and the Maritime Alps, or head for the gently rolling vineyards of Tuscany in September.
All tours feature fabulous accommodation with the very best food and wines the regions have to offer.

Sani Holidays look forward to welcoming you to Sani Resort in Halkidiki, Greece soon with the eagerly anticipated news that Porto Sani, Sani Asterias as well as Sani Marina, are opening on 1st July 2020 with Sani Beach, Sani Club and Sani Dunes to be announced in the coming weeks.

Combining world-class health and safety measures and carefully planned regulations, a contactless guest journey has been created for your safety and wellbeing with the #OnlyatSaniProtocol.
Despite these changes the unique experience that awaits you and your family remains the same. Sani Resort is where Holidays begin and you hope they will never end.

G Adventures Marine tours connect travellers to the world’s greatest aquatic destinations abroad small, intimate ships and yachts.
Each tour has been carefully designed to deliver unparalleled access to out-of-the-way ports and islands, and to foster meaningful connections with local people and cultures in a way you simply won’t get from a large cruise line.
For a limited time, tours departing before Dec. 31, 2020 can be cancelled and rebooked up to 14 days prior to departure and those departing between Jan. 1st 2021 and June 31, 2021 can be cancelled and rebooked up to 30 days prior to departure. Terms and conditions apply.

Our partner Jules Verne has some great savings on 2021 tours! Save up to £300 pp on Images of India – an amazing 18-night tour of India including the Taj Mahal, Golden Temple, royal Rajasthan, hill stations, tigers, 8 UNESCO World Heritage sites, heritage hotels and special events. Staying in Mumbai , Udaipur, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Ranthambore National Park, Agra, Delhi, Amritsar, Shimla and Delhi.
Save up to £200pp on their Kenyan Safari – a classic 9-night tour of the savannah grasslands, highlands and glittering lakes of East Africa, staying in Nairobi, Aberdare National Park, Lake Elementaita, Masai Mara and Lake Naivasha.
Save up to £150 pp on their 7-night Coasts, Lakes and Capitals of Croatia and Slovenia visiting picturesque landscapes and exploring the vibrant city of Zagreb and the elegant Ljubljana, the emerald blue Istrian coast and the blissfully beautiful Lake Bled.

YACHTING IN GREECE | SAILINGS AS OF JULY 24, 2020
SUMMER 2020 LAST MINUTE OFFER
Variety Cruises are looking forward to resuming Summer 2020 operations, starting with Greece and the Jewels of the Cyclades cruise on the 24-cabin M/S Galileo.
Book now & save 25% off official rates, PLUS enjoy Euros 100 Shipboard Credit.
There’s something special about being under sail around the Cyclades. There will be some places you will undoubtedly have heard of but, for the most part, you keep to the ‘small is beautiful’ philosophy which means straying off the beaten track. This itinerary gives you a complete kaleidoscope of Greece ranging from the Golden Age to contemporary island life.

Employee-owned Alfa Travel is preparing for a return to travel with new pickup points in the Midlands and Yorkshire and a new interchange for departures from the South. New weekender breaks are among their 2021 collection with 3 nights dinner, room and breakfast from £119 pp including coach travel. For customers’ reassurance, they have also published new safety procedures for their coach travel, interchanges and Leisureplex Hotels.

Explore some of the world’s finest cruise destinations with Orbital Travel, specialists of bespoke river, coastal and ocean cruise holidays.
From the magnificent waterways of Europe, Croation coastal cruises, Indian Ocean and Fiji to the Iconic Great Barrier Reef in Australia, their destinations and cruises have been handpicked based on the variety of tailor-made options that surround them. With over 50 years’ experience,
A Nile cruise enables you to visit all of the major sites and monuments that Egypt has to offer.
Highlights include the Karnak Temple with its famous Hypostyle Hall, the Valley of the Kings where the boy King Tutankhamun was buried, Kom Ombo with its double Temple dedicated to Sobek and Haroeris and the Temple of Isis on the beautiful island of Philae.
And, of course, should you wish to experience more of what this captivating destination has to offer or personalise
your holiday in any way, with their Cruise & Stay service you can do just that.

Lockdown has been difficult for many isolated people who have been unable to spend quality time with others. Now that things are easing and it’s possible to visit other locations, Driving Miss Daisy UK is ready to get you out and about. If you feel anxious about travelling, their qualified, licensed and trained Companion Drivers can put your mind at rest, taking time to make sure you feel well supported and not rushed, so you can enjoy perhaps your first encounter out for some weeks.
Knowing how important your safety and welfare is, they can guarantee the best hygiene standards will be in place. Companion Drivers will be wearing face coverings and with their vehicles regularly cleaned after every client, to the standards set by the NHS, you can feel assured they are doing their utmost to maintain cleanliness.
They can now take you to all the appointments you may have, many shops which have now reopened in most locations and perhaps parks or gardens, such as the National Trust for a welcome change of scene. We anticipate more locations opening from early July which will include the leisure and hospitality industry, so we are ready and waiting to assist you with perhaps a much needed short break from home.
If you are anxious to leave your home at the moment, but would like a friendly face to chat to, or help with some every day chores, we can spend time with you whilst observing social distancing.

A Eurocamp holiday is the perfect place to unwind and enjoy SPF – Space, Protection, Freedom – surrounded by nature. Your self-contained holiday home is fully equipped with all the essentials and private decking area. Extra-thorough cleaning inside your accommodation and around the parc helps ensure safety. Stay in for dinner and choose from preparing a home-cooked meal with fresh local produce, alfresco cooking on the barbecue, or a takeaway from the on-parc restaurants. 2021 holidays now on sale in gorgeous European locations inlcuding France, Spain and Italy. Your holiday is ABTA and ATOL bonded for your protection.

Trust travel companies and tourism authorities to do the right thing on your behalf and be willing to adapt where is necessary, says Riviera Travel’s Will Sarson in this Q & A session with Jeannine Williamson. New holiday enhancements and destinations for river cruise passengers are among the initiatives being introduced by Riviera Travel, a Silver Travel Advisor partner company which provides river cruises and escorted European and worldwide tours. Will says,
“One of the main innovations we have for our river cruise guests in 2021 is the launch of Riviera Plus. This is a fantastic set of enhancements for those booking upper deck cabins, including a portable Wi-Fi hotpot, in-cabin sparkling wine, nightly aperitif and more. We are also excited to launch a new itinerary, Amsterdam, Cologne and the Best of Holland & Flanders, giving our guests a year-round opportunity to sail along the Dutch waterways. On our escorted tours, we will be offering smaller group versions of our holidays for those who prefer a bit more space – more news on that soon!”

Fancy a break from the TV and tinsel this Festive season? Let Kirker Holidays waft you into a world of cultural joy, warmth and elegance with stays in Rome, Vienna, Venice, Paris, Bavaria or the Côte-d’Azur, either in the atmospheric Yuletide run-up or over Christmas itself. Enjoy the cities’ cultural riches without the summer crowds but with the insights of expert tour leaders hand-picked for their cheerful wit and wisdom.
We rather like the sound of their The Oldie Trip to Vienna and Budapest. Join Christopher Wentworth-Stanley, opera expert, art historian and writer for The Oldie, for a fascinating festive itinerary starting in Budapest, a city with a turbulent history as proud royal capita, Then Christopher will share his entertainingly encyclopaedic knowledge of neighbouring Vienna, as you explore the city of Mozart, Haydn, Brahms and Beethoven, enjoying majestic art and architecture as well as traditional Sacher Torte and strudel…