About your booking - Before you travel

Before you travel

Honeymoons and special occasions
The nature of our carefully selected properties makes many of them particularly suitable for special occasions. Should you have any specific requests, such as Italian spumante, please discuss them with us when making your reservation. We can also suggest different itineraries or combinations of villas and hotels to help you celebrate your special occasion.

Club Class upgrades
For those wishing to travel in extra comfort it is possible to arrange upgrades on scheduled flights from the UK to Italy with British Airways, Meridiana, Air Malta and Alitalia. For more information, please ask at time of booking.

Chauffeur drive to your UK departure airport
We can arrange a stress-free journey to and from most UK airports from as little as £70 return if you live within 30 miles of the airport. A uniformed chauffeur will drive you in a comfortable saloon car and help you with your luggage. You’ll be telephoned the day before departure to confirm your pick-up time.

Additional airport services
In conjunction with our partners Holiday Extras we can offer a comprehensive pre-departure service including car parking, airport hotels and use of VIP airport lounges at many UK departure airports. You may wish to book direct via our website link Holiday Extras. Alternatively, our sales team will be happy to reserve any of these facilities (subject to availability). Please note that payment for any Holiday Extras must be made at the time of booking.

Airport Parking:
choose from many car parks ‘on and off airport’ at most airports across the UK. Prices start from £4.00 per day.

Airport Hotels:
stay overnight, before you fly at one of 104 hotels at 23 airports, many with parking facilities. ‘Stay and Park’ prices start from £25.50 per person.

VIP Airport Lounges:
relax before your flight by prebooking an airport lounge and enjoy first-class comfort. All drinks (except champagne), snacks and newspapers are included from just £17.50 per person. Please note that some airport lounges may have age restrictions for children.

Booking your holiday

To discuss your holiday to Tuscany please call us on 0208 392 5854.

A member of our specialist team will check the availability and dates of your selected accommodation and discuss your requirements with you.

Our office hours are 9.00am – 5.30pm from Monday to Friday and 10.00am – 2.00pm on Saturdays (during certain periods our hours will be extended to 4.00pm).

If these hours are not convenient to you, we will endeavour to call you at a more suitable time. Please note that the office will be closed on Sundays, statutory Bank Holidays and from 1.00pm on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.

In order to secure the property of your choice, we advise you to book as early as possible. Accommodation and flights during the school holidays are particularly popular, so it is advisable to consider a second choice.

Placing an option
In order to let you co-ordinate your holiday arrangements with friends and family, we may be able to hold an option for your choice of accommodation for a short time before you confirm your booking with us. In this case you will be given an option number as a reference. Please note we cannot hold options for long, as this unfairly restricts availability for other customers.

Checklist for making a booking
To enable us to assist you efficiently, please have the following details ready when you call us:

  • Preferred dates and times of travel
  • Number of adults, children (2 – 11 years inclusive) and infants in the party
  • Accommodation required (and any preferred alternatives)
  • Flights and car hire required
  • Correct names exactly as printed in your passports, for booking of all flights
  • Age of all children on date of travel
  • Details of any special dietary/mobility requirements for flights and hotels if applicable
  • Details of any special requests that you may have (car upgrades, cots & highchairs, child car seats, double/twin bed, rooms on lower floor etc)
  • Details of your own travel insurance (including the policy number, name of insurance company and 24 hour emergency telephone number) in the event you opt not to take out our insurance
  • Credit/debit card details for deposit or balance, and for authorisation of your villa security deposit if appropriate

Paying for your holiday

Booking confirmation and deposit
In order to confirm your booking a deposit of at least £125 per person is required. If we have to buy in flight seats for your booking, we will ask you to pay an increased deposit to cover the costs of the flight in addition to the £125 per person deposit. The exact amount will be quoted to you at the time of booking and this payment will be non-refundable. Furthermore, at this stage we need to take payment if you take out our travel insurance

Unless specifically requested, we do not issue a receipt for deposit payments. This will be shown on your confirmation invoice, normally sent to you within 7 days of receipt of the deposit.

Balance payments
The balance payment for your holiday must be paid at least 8 weeks prior to your departure (or at the time of booking your holiday if your departure date is within this period). The date this payment is due will be on your confirmation invoice.

Please be advised that we do not issue reminders for this payment.

Payment methods
We accept debit cards (Maestro, Switch and Delta), personal cheques and credit cards (MasterCard, Visa & American Express*). All payments made by credit card will be subject to a 2% charge, reflecting our incurred costs (*except payments made by American Express, which are subject to a 3% charge).

For payments by cheque, please make cheques payable to Simpson Travel and remember to write the booking reference number on the back.

If you are sending a cheque, we will request your debit/credit card details as security to hold the reservation, until receipt of payment.

The cheque should reach us within 5 working days at 46 Sheen Lane, East Sheen, London, SW14 8LP.

Final documentation
Your travel documents, including your airline tickets, car hire voucher, driving directions (if applicable) and itinerary will be sent to you at least two weeks prior to your departure.

Please check them thoroughly and advise us immediately if there are any discrepancies.

Pricing your holiday

Holiday prices can be found on each individual property page.

All prices are per person for one or two weeks and vary according to how many people are travelling (excluding infants).

Self-catering holidays
Two-week holidays: if you are booking a two-week holiday in one of our properties which crosses two date bands, please take the applicable ‘2 week’ price from each date band, add them together and then divide by two.
Twin-centre holidays: take the ‘2 week’ price per person based on the arrival date at each property, add them together and divide by two.

Hotel holidays
Take the ‘3 night’ price applicable for your first stay (based on the date of departure from the UK). Then add to this all subsequent ‘extra nights’ (at the same or additional hotels) at the rate for your actual stay.

Combining Self-catering and Hotel holidays
Take the ‘1 week’ price per person based on the arrival date at your chosen self-catering property and then add the hotel ‘Extra night’ price based on the dates of your stay.

Please note that there is a £25 per person administration fee for all multi-centre holidays.

Accommodation only
On certain dates, we may be able to offer ‘Accommodation only’ prices (excluding flights and/or car hire). Please contact us to check availability and prices.

Extra car hire/transfer costs for 2-centre holiday
Please note that if car hire is not included in the cost of the two properties then as additional transfer cost will be applicable.

Your self-catering holiday price includes:

  • Accommodation for the guests named on your invoice
  • Complimentary welcome pack
  • The assistance of our local representatives
  • The use of our specially prepared information book in your accommodation
  • Government and local taxes
  • Return flights from the UK to Sicily (subject to possible flight supplements)
  • An air-conditioned car or private return transfers.
  • Air Passenger Duty, Italian and UK airport taxes

Your self-catering holiday price does not include:

  • Accommodation for guests not named on your invoice and guests exceeding the maximum occupancy
  • Any breakages, damage, losses, extra cleaning or outstanding accounts which have occurred during your stay
  • Heating costs in Tuscany & Umbria in the cooler months
  • Visas for non-EU passport holders
  • Holiday Travel Insurance

Your hotel holiday price includes:

  • Hotel(s) accommodation with breakfast (or breakfast and dinner if half board) for the guests named on your invoice
  • Return flights from the UK to Italy (subject to possible flight supplements)
  • An air-conditioned car or private return transfers
  • The assistance of our local representatives
  • The use of our specially prepared information book in your accommodation
  • Government and local taxes
  • Air Passenger Duty, Italian and UK airport taxes

Your hotel holiday price does not include:

  • Accommodation or breakfast for guests not named on your invoice
  • Transfers in Florence, Venice and Rome (our city hotels may be able to arrange this for you, so please ask)
  • Additional extras in the hotel e.g. meals and bar
  • Visas for non EU passport holders
  • Holiday Travel Insurance

Guests travelling alone

Please ask us for a quotation on any of our holidays if you are travelling alone, and we would be pleased to help. Please note that many of the hotels we feature may not offer single rooms, so often a double room is given for single occupancy and a supplement will apply. Guests staying in single rooms will also have to pay a supplement. We will advise you of applicable prices and room types at the time of booking.

Children/infants

Whether you are travelling with an infant, small child or teenager we will be happy to advise you on the suitability of your chosen accommodation.

Infants An infant is a child that is under 2 years of age on the date of return travel. There is a charge of £50 per infant on all our holidays. Cots and high chairs are provided free of charge in our self-catering properties (please take your own linen). However, some hotels may charge for cots and we will advise you of any extra costs at the time of booking.

Child concession Please note that we pay the same price for a villa or apartment irrespective of whether it is being occupied by adult only or adult and children. However we try to be as flexible as possible and offer child concessions at Le Filigare and Villa Verderama on flight-inclusive holiday prices.

The ‘child’ concession rates above apply to children from 2–11 years inclusive. Please also note that many hotels offer reduced rates for children if they share the same room as their parents. Please us ask for a quotation on your chosen hotel.

Travel insurance

We require that all our guests have comprehensive travel insurance when they travel, and we strongly recommend that this is taken out at the time of booking your holiday, to cover you for certain cancellation charges.

Please add the applicable premium to your deposit payment if taking out our insurance. If you choose not to take out our insurance policy you must provide us with the full details of your own policy at the time of booking, or before you travel.

Please note that certain travel insurance offered via credit cards is not comprehensive, so please ensure you are fully covered before you travel.

EHIC card

All UK residents can apply for an EHIC card (formerly known as an E111), entitling you to some medical treatment at certain hospitals at a reduced or zero cost when temporarily visiting an EU country. You can apply for a card free of charge via their website www.ehic.org.uk or by calling 0845 606 2030. You can also pick up an application form from the Post Office. Please note however that it is essential that you take out comprehensive travel insurance to cover you for medical emergencies.

Passports/visas

It is your responsibility to be in possession of a valid passport (preferably with the expiry date at least 6 months after your return travel date) and of any necessary visas. EU citizens do not need a visa to travel to Italy. If you are a non-EU citizen then you should check with your own embassy for the entry/re-entry requirements necessary for your journey.

Please note: children not on an accompanying parent’s passport before October 1998 are now required to hold their own passport if they are under 16 years old.

If you do not yet have a passport, it is recommended that you should apply for one at least six weeks before your holiday. The UK passport office has to confirm your identity before issuing your first passport and they will ask you to attend an interview to do this.

Foreign Office advice before you travel

If you’re worried that political unrest or a natural disaster may affect the safety of the country you are visiting, then please check with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) or ask your ABTA travel agent. The FCO telephone number is 0870 606 0290. You can also view the FCO website at www.fco.gov.uk/knowbeforeyougo for essential travel advice and information.

Your security – ABTA/ATOL bonding

Simpson Travel is a member of ABTA (membership number W5698) and we also hold an ATOL licence (number 5858). As such we are fully bonded according to ABTA’s rules and abide by ABTA’s Code of Conduct. In order to ensure that the monies you pay for your holiday are protected we will issue a confirmation invoice showing the details of the services that you have booked including the price and the amount of money paid by you. You should check these details carefully and contact Simpson Travel (or your travel agent) immediately if there are any discrepancies. Please see www.abta.com for a copy of the Guide to ABTA’s Scheme of Financial Protection.
Simpson Travel - The Road Less Travelled
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