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1. Why a personally guided tour, as opposed to a coach tour or self-drive holiday?

2. What is included in the price we are quoted?

3. Are there any other costs and what is meant by a "fixed price quotation"?

4. When and where can the tour start?

5. Can we spend time in London or elsewhere on our own before the tour starts?

6. Is it advisable to stay in London and take day tours out from there?

7. What about France and mainland Europe?

8. What about Ireland?

9. Can we stay longer at a particular place or attraction during the tour if we wish to?

10. Is there a mileage limit or any restrictions?

11. What standard, types and quality of accommodation can you arrange for us?

12. Can MIDWAY provide us with transport to our hotel when we arrive in Britain?

13. Can the MIDWAY transfer service pick up at locations other than Airports and Seaports?

14. Is there a baggage limit when we book a tour or transfer?

15. Can MIDWAY cater for the physically challenged or impaired?

16. Are there any restrictions on smoking?

17. What about insurance?

18. How can we pay and are there any special terms or conditions?

1. Why a personally guided tour, as opposed to a coach tour or self-drive holiday? Back to top
Coach tours are really a compromise, attempting to satisfy the requirements of anything up to 70 people at any one time. The vehicles are large and have to keep to the main highways, thereby denying the coach passenger many of the interesting and picturesque places to be found along the minor roads, back lanes and byways.

Your MIDWAY tour is planned especially for YOU, taking in the sights and places YOU particularly want to see. YOU can stop and move as YOU wish without having to consider others, even to the point of amending the itinerary day by day. This level of flexibility is just not possible with coach tours.

Self Drive holidays do not provide the independence one might expect, and with fuel currently costing £5 (8-9$) a gallon they are not as low-cost as many expect. High volumes of traffic, and congestion on main routes and in cities is making driving in Britain more difficult and very tiring by the day. For those who are unsure of their route or local traffic regulations it can be an absolute nightmare. On a self-drive holiday one person spends the whole trip trying to keep to the correct side of the road, and contending with Britain’s legendary roundabouts plus other quirky regulations, Another person has to spend their holiday staring at the pages of a map that is usually far too small a scale for the purpose. They go home having missed so much, and feeling as though they have just completed ten rounds with a heavyweight boxer.

MIDWAY provides total independence and freedom, without any of the problems associated with Self-Drive. Our expert drivers skilfully take care of you, around the busy and congested city streets, the main highways and the narrow country lanes. The headaches of parking problems, speed cameras, and security, are non-existent for you. In addition, your Driver-Guide will take you to places many of which are well off the regular tourist routes, and are inaccessible to those without expert local knowledge. You get so much more out a tour with Midway than you could possibly contemplate or achieve when driving yourselves, and this not only makes the whole holiday an extremely pleasurable experience, it is considerably more cost effective.

2. What is included in the price we are quoted? Back to top
It is easier to tell you what is not included… meals or snacks other than those provided in your accommodation package, entrance fees to optional attractions, and gratuities - are not included.
MIDWAY prices always include – all vehicle expenses (including fuel currently 7-9$ a gallon), unlimited mileage, parking & toll fees, inland ferry charges, the services of the Driver-Guides and his/her associated expenses, complimentary quality souvenir road atlases, comprehensive road risk & public liability insurance, setting up costs and administration fees and government tax where applicable. (VAT, currently 17.5%).
MIDWAY offers –

A FULL PACKAGE – Total MIDWAY service, and accommodations with dinner & full breakfast.
PART PACKAGES – Total Midway service, and accommodations with breakfasts on

3. Are there any other ‘hidden’ costs and what is meant by a "fixed price quotation"? Back to top
There are absolutely no ‘hidden’ charges or costs. MIDWAY do not apply a "service charge", and the Driver-Guides gratuity is at your discretion.
Once MIDWAY has quoted you a price it is fixed. You will not be expected to pay any more than you are quoted providing you make your reservation within the quotation validity period, and the tour and accommodation details remain the same.

4. When and where can the tour start? Back to top
Your tour can start anywhere in Britain. If you choose to start from the airport or seaport on your arrival in Britain your MIDWAY Driver-Guide will be waiting in the arrivals concourse to greet you. We deal with the baggage - all you do is relax and enjoy yourselves. Should you arrive late in the day we will drive you to a local hotel to spend the night before starting the tour, which can also help adjustment to the time difference.

5. Can we spend time in London or elsewhere on our own before the tour starts? Back to top
YES - of course. MIDWAY will meet you on arrival and drive you to your central London hotel, and you can spend time in the Capital before embarking on your tour. If you prefer to tour with us first, and spend time in London afterwards, the tour will terminate at your London hotel. We will of course return to take you to the airport on the day of departure. Our recommendation is that you tour the capital prior to the start of your tour.

6. Is it advisable to stay in London and take day tours out from there? Back to top
Day tours out of London are not cost-effective unless you are staying in the capital and have only one or two days to spare. The traffic conditions in London are such that you will waste much of your valuable time journeying in and out of the Capital, and in consequence, the area you can cover in a day is somewhat limited. You can achieve much more if you spend time in London, and then take a 'proper' MIDWAY tour staying overnight out of the Capital. Bear in mind that accommodations in London are more expensive than in the countryside, and prices for general touring are considerably less than London daily rates. A MIDWAY full 7-day tour, can cost almost half one would pay for 7-days in London with day tours out.

7. What about France or mainland Europe? Back to top
You can include mainland Europe in your tour if you so wish. Your MIDWAY guide to France will be British and speak French fluently - you will have no problems with the language.

8. What about Ireland? Back to top
Midway provides Guided Tours of Ireland. You can visit Southern Ireland only, or include it within a tour of England, Scotland & Wales. Alternatively you may prefer to arrive in London and fly home from Shannon or vice-versa, as our aim is to be as flexible as possible to your requirements.

9. Can we stay longer at a particular place or attraction during the tour if we wish to? Back to top
YES - of course you can. IT IS YOUR HOLIDAY AND OUR AIM IS TO HELP YOU MAKE THE MOST OF IT. Usually it presents no difficulty to amend or rearrange the itinerary or route to take in unscheduled or longer than planned stops, but where accommodation has been reserved you must meet the commitment.

10. Is there a mileage limit or any restrictions? Back to top
THERE ARE NO MILEAGE LIMITS, but touring is generally based on an average of 8 hours a day. Your Driver-Guide has a flexible attitude towards his working hours and will do everything possible to further your enjoyment of the tour, but you should appreciate there are statutory regulations in Britain & Ireland for your own safety, regarding driving hours and rest periods for professional drivers.
By arrangement with your Driver-Guide, the vehicle can be available to you DURING SOME EVENINGS at no extra cost. You may decide to visit a theatre or restaurant, or enjoy a quiet drink with the locals at a country inn, the choice is yours.

11. What standard, types and quality of accommodation can MIDWAY arrange for us? Back to top
MIDWAY can arrange accommodations to suit all tastes and budgets including -

• Quality B&B's, Farmhouses, Guest Houses and Inns of all grades from 'Budget' to 'Superior/DeLuxe'.
• Small Country or Town Hotels of all grades (1 to 5-Star) and of course...............
• Top Quality Exclusive Country Houses and Mansion Hotels

You may prefer to "Mix-&-Match" a variety of establishments in order to give added interest to your holiday, but in the final analysis THE CHOICE IS YOURS. All places MIDWAY recommend are regularly inspected and approved by the British Tourist Authority, and have private (en-suite) facilities with bath tubs or showers.
PLEASE NOTE - some smaller accommodations do not have porterage, and if you choose to stay at these you may have to help carry your own baggage. If this is likely to cause difficulty please let us know in order that we can make alternative arrangements.

12. Can MIDWAY provide us with transport to our hotel when we arrive in Britain? Back to top
Yes - MIDWAY offers a comprehensive transfer service to and from any location in Britain. Regardless of the distance involved or the time of day or night If you are staying in London for a while before taking a tour with MIDWAY, the cost of your transfer on arrival is usually included in the tour package.

13. Can the MIDWAY transfer service pick up at locations other than Airports and Seaports? Back to top
Yes! - We can collect you from any address or location in Britain and convey you to the destination of your choice, regardless of the time of day, or the distance involved. You may have been staying with friends and require taking back to an airport, or simply need transferring from hotels in one location to another, whatever your requirement we will be pleased to help.

14. Are there a baggage limits when we book a tour or transfer? Back to top
Providing we are notified in advance MIDWAY can cater for any amount of baggage. You should be aware extremely excessive amounts can sometimes increase costs, and we must know how much baggage you will during in order to provide you with a fixed price quotation, You should also re-confirm your baggage amount at the time of reservation in order that we can allocate a suitable vehicle.

15. Can Midway cater for the physically challenged or impaired? Back to top
Providing we are told at the onset of the nature of any disability, we can provide tours and transfers for most people. We can cater for wheelchairs or karts, and can arrange accommodation with suitable facilities.

16. Are there any restrictions on smoking? Back to top
YES – legislation dictates that smoking is totally prohibited in MIDWAY’S vehicles. Please let us know at the onset if you require 'smoker friendly' accommodations, because many places, especially B&B's, Guest Houses and Small Hotels are now adopting a totally 'no smoking' policy.

17. What about insurance? Back to top
MIDWAY is fully insured and has comprehensive road risk and public liability cover. Guests must however, provide their own baggage cover and health-sickness-accident insurance. For peace of mind we strongly urge all Guests to take out cancellation insurance. In case of difficulty finding a suitable insurance company please contact us and we can help you arrange this.

18. How can we pay and are there any special terms or conditions? Back to top
You can pay by Sterling Bank Draft available from your local bank or by VISA/MASTERCARD. Credit card transactions will be subject to a small handling charge. We regret we do not accept American Express or Diners credit cards. A deposit of 10% of the total price is required with your reservation and the final payment will be due 3 months prior to commencement of service. Payment for transfers is required one month prior to service. There are no special terms and conditions and definitely no hidden extras but we do have a strict cancellation policy. For peace of mind we strongly recommend our clients obtain cancellation insurance. Please contact us and we can give you advice on cancellation insurance.