Paul Pershore

Attention of Paul Carter - thank you for your letter enquiring about my Mexico trip.  I was extremely pleased and impressed with all the arrangements you made on my behalf.  Everything worked well and I had a superb room at El Dorado.  I was especially impressed by the H & K representative who met me at the airport on arrival - Katja - who managed to find me in the crowd and escort me to my car.  She gave me details of my pick up for the return to Cancun from my hotel and then also left a note in my room 2 days before to remind me of this.  All in all it was a very enjoyable week with no worries on my part.

Sincere thanks for all your hard work to ensure it all went smoothly.

Fiona Mitchell

Travel Tips

List of Travel tips

Don’t forget to check the travel adaptor you need for the country you are travelling to!

Book your excursions before you travel to ensure you get the excursion you want on the day you want

Book a lounge pass its a great start to the holiday

Use meet and greet parking take the stress out of the start of your holiday

Always take a couple of copies of your passport – leave one at home with family and friends and take one with you.

Put a coloured ribbon round your luggage as it helps when trying to find your case at the airport.

Put spare underwear/clothes/toothbrush in your hand luggage.

Leave a copy of your travel plans at home.

Carry a coin for the airport trolleys.

If you are lost always ask 2 people the way and if they both give the same directions there is a good chance they are correct.

If you have an early flight consider an airport hotel and parking that way you can relax the night before.

But a local sim card for your phone – its much cheaper to text and phone. If you have smart phones remember to switch off your ‘data roaming’ to avoid running up large bills.

If travelling to tropical climates wear natural fibres like cotton never polyester

Mix your packing up so if a case goes missing every member of the party still has clothes to wear.

Always carry a good book

When flying long haul buy water airside the cabin crew never give you enough water and it helps avoid dehydration.

When car hire is completed always make sure your car is seen and checked by the car hire company before handing over the keys

China - Carol

Carol

I just thought I would drop you a line to let you know that Anne & I had a terrific trip.  The arrangements were impeccable and we were able to pack as much as possible into the time we were there. This was due in no small measure to the Travelsphere Rep., Steve Rodaway who was the consummate professional and nothing was too much trouble , he really did go the extra mile to make sure everyone got all they wanted from the trip.  I would be grateful if you would pass these comments to Travelsphere.

My thanks also to you for making the arrangements for what has been a memorable trip.     

Kind regards

Susan Sinclair

South Africa Chris Leamington

South Africa January 2012

Carrick Travel recently arranged a trip to South Africa involving a stay in Capetown, a tour of the Garden route and a stay in the Kruger National Park.

 Christine Edgeller was so helpful beforehand – tailoring the holiday to our needs. The holiday was superb and, as we always expect of Carrick, all the arrangements were perfect – flights, transfers, hotels and guides.

The only problem we had – we had to transfer game lodges in the Kruger because of flooding – was sorted out before we knew there was a problem.

This was the 5^th long haul holiday that the Carrick Leamington office has arranged for us and we haven’t been able to fault any of them. Everything has been perfect.

Keith and Mary Thompson

Tracy Lea Kenilworth

Hi all,
This is just a quick update on my trip to Greece because half of you have probably already been there but it also serves as a log for me to remember the trip
I travelled with a company called Cosmos because they not only did a pretty diverse trip around Greece but also linked up with a cruise company to do a 5 day trip on the ‘Louis Crystal' that took me around the Greek islands so I got a good overview of Greece. I chose to travel the last two weeks of October because the weather would be cooling down and yet the sea would still be warm.
It was a good choice because the days were hot and sunny and the sea probably at its warmest. Another advantage of going later in the season was that the coach was only half full so there was plenty of room to spread out and on our excursions we could all get a look in. On our 1st full day we had the option to take and island tour for the day, it turned out to be a 10 hour trip taking in the islands of, Hydra, Poros and Aegina. This was a good choice, not only was the weather super but you get the chance to meet other passengers face to face as you relax on deck and there was a group of Australians who were great company and a pleasure to know.
Our travels started with an early morning trip to the Acropolis before all the coaches from the cruise ships arrived and ironically as we were leaving, a party following a ‘Discovery’ lollipop arrived and Discovery coach No2 was parked next to our coach in the car park but I didn’t spot anyone I knew (I know a lot of crew from this ship). Most days were an early start but this was a big advantage, to get to these sites before the other tourist arrive is worth the effort, not only do you get better photo opportunities but it is also cooler, I would hate to make this trip in the height of the season, it was hot enough when we were there and mainland Greece is a very hilly place with a lot of steps to climb.
Our coach trip took us to the, Corinth Canal, Epidaurus (major amphitheatre), Mycenae, Sparta, Mystra, Olympia, Delphi, and Meteora. It was good to stand on the same spot where this years Olympic flame was lit, the same flame that past my house earlier in the year. Travelling between these sites you realise just how mountainous Greece is and I was amazed at how loaded the olive trees were. Mainland Greece is well worth seeing, there is so much history there and the scenery can be quite impressive but not for me in the heat of the high season.
The 5 day cruise was an experience, the passengers were multicultural which made announcements longwinded, the selfishness and disregard for others, from some passengers spoilt the otherwise excellent shows. The dining experience was open sitting and you never knew who you would be next too but the food was acceptable and the service fortunately swift. The itinerary however suited me although our allotted time at each port was limited. We first visited Mykonos said to be a swinging island but we had to leave at 9pm before the party started. Day two took us to Turkey and the ruins of Ancient Ephesus, these ruins of white marble were spectacular, it must of been amazing in its day. The following afternoon we got to visit the beautiful island of Patmos.
Day 3 we had the whole day at Rhodes and I took a trip to Lindos where we were soaked by a thunder storm, the afternoon was spent swimming and visiting the walled city of Rhodes. Our final day took us to Crete and Knossos in the morning and although Crete is said to be a beautiful island, I found Knossos and the queuing back at the port disappointing. Our final stop, late afternoon was to be Santorini we were all hoping the weather would improve for this iconic destination, we were not disappointed. Santorini is much bigger than I expected, it must of been one hell of a bang when that went off, but it is a stunning place that more than matched my expectations. We stayed ashore until dark, which is quite unusual for a cruise ship visit, so we had the added bonus of watching the sunset. It was a perfect end to a most enjoyable trip.
All for now, next trip will be the Amazon in March 2013, - Rich.

Helen at Cheylesmore

Hello Helen


Just wanted to let you know that we had a wonderful time in Russia - it far exceeded our expectations so thank you for your help and recommendation.


I'm not sure if you want feedback but it may be useful for any future customers. Our first surprise, when being met at Moscow airport, was to find that our group consisted of a total of four people! At first we thought this might be a bit awkward but in fact it turned out to be ideal as we really did feel as though we were being treated to a personal tour. Apparently the most they ever usually have is about ten or twelve people. We have since heard from an acquaintance, who went with Regent Travel and they had over 30 in their group and were transported everywhere by a coach - nightmare!


Both Damara (Tamara), our guide in Moscow, and Tatiana, in St Petersburg, were brilliant. They both spoke excellent English and were so knowledgeable about Russian history and art. We were never rushed and they had obviously put a lot of thought into all the tours, so that we were never overwhelmed by names and dates but really came away with stories that stayed with you. Our drivers were always prompt and courteous and Tatiana kindly arranged last minute tickets and transport for us to see 'Swan Lake' at the Hermitage - certainly one of the highlights!


The Hotel Budapest was modest, perhaps in need of some refurbishment but we did have use of the facilities of the Peter I next door. Staff were courteous and food was very good and plentiful. The location was excellent and we could easily walk up to Red Square to see the sights and there were a vast array of designer shops and malls nearby (for window shopping only!!)


Red Square was amazing, particularly when all lit up at night, and we were both surprised by how safe and relaxed we felt walking about - something I had perhaps been a little apprehensive about. The Kremlin and Armoury tour was another highlight, along with Damara's wonderful introduction to the history of Russian art at the Tretyakov Gallery.


The last day in Moscow was perhaps the only day that was lacking. After checking-out from the hotel, we had a visit to the Metro system and we were then taken to the Old Arbart, which we didn't find particularly interesting - unless you wanted more souvenir shopping. So we were then left with a very long afternoon and evening before being collected from the hotel lobby at 10.30pm for our overnight trip on the excellent sleeper train.


The Ambassador, in St Petersburg, was a much better hotel with good facilities and excellent public areas. The buffet breakfasts were really good - the only thing we found a little strange was the lack of choice for our evening meal. It seemed that the 'Intourist group', which had now grown to six, were treated totally differently from other diners, with no choice of menu (although they did find an alternative if, say, you didn't eat fish or whatever). On the last evening the restaurant was being used for a function and we were shown to a table at the back of a side room and offered a choice of spaghetti or spaghetti. Other diners, meanwhile helped themselves to the extensive buffet, which we thought was a bit odd. Still, only a minor blip.


All our tours in St P were excellent. Again, we were given plenty of time and Tatiana was charming and so interesting to talk to, with a real passion for her country. She introduced us to the wonderful pie shops - which became a firm favourite for a lunchtime snack - and took us round beautiful churches and cathedrals and of course the magnificent Catherine's Palace. What a stunning building, made even more impressive by a chill day, with sunshine, blue skies and golden leaves.


The weather, in fact was good throughout. Perhaps one or two grey days with a little rain but a wonderful time to visit. A lack of tourists meant we encountered no queues and had plenty of time and space to wander and take in all the sights.


All in all, a wonderful tour - please do pass on our thanks to Intourist and their wonderful guides.


Add it to your list of places to visit, Helen. You won't be disappointed!



With kind regards



Val and Michael Goldstraw

Uzbekistan- October 2012. Liz Pierrepont

Uzbekistan- October 2012.


We have just returned from a 10 night adventure to this fascinating country organised by Page and Moy (Travelsphere) and we'd just like to thank Carrick Travel for their brilliant recommendation for the more adventurous traveller who would like a totally different experience.

The organisation was brilliant and we can't praise our 2 guides enough. Tami was our UK guide and was efficient, informative and above all extremely caring and attentive. Annait our Uzbek guide was a fount of knowledge and enlightening anecdotes. They bith certainly enhanced our holiday experience.

The country itself is fascinating not least because of its turbulent history. We visited Khiva, Bukhara, Samarkand and Tashkent and saw spectacular architecture and amazing desert scenery. We were regaled with tales of Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, Tamerlaine, Marco Polo and more recently the Uzbek's experience in the Russian and Soviet Empire!

All in all a fabulous experience for history lovers and those who want a holiday with a difference.

The hotel standard and food were also better than anticipated and we can definitely recommend the national dish, Plov!

Finally, a mention of the warm, dignified and very welcoming Uzbek people- wonderful!

Many thanks again to Carrick Travel for a fantastic trip.

Liz and Derek Pierrepont, Nottingham