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Booking a tour
If you are considering reserving a place on a Gothic Image tour, we do hope the following information will help to ease your preparations and also give you a good practical sense of what to expect on our journey together. On booking, you will receive full details pertaining to your chosen tour.
This information applies to longer tours only: From Avalon to Camelot, Sacred Scotland, Mysterious Wales and Enchanted Ireland.
The tours begin and end at an airport - London Heathrow (From Avalon to Camelot and Mysterious Wales), Glasgow (Sacred Scotland) and Shannon (Enchanted Ireland). The specific time and meeting place for your tour will be sent to you when you book. At the end of the tour, you will be dropped at the airport by 10am, allowing you to join a flight leaving from 12.30pm.
All travel on the tour will be by comfortable coach, and you are looked after by your main host Jamie George
On this website there is an itinerary for each tour. This is as detailed as possible. There will be places we visit that are not on the itinerary and places that will be pointed out to you as we travel. We reserve the right to vary the itinerary as necessary, to provide the best possible experience under the circumstances prevailing at the time. In general we will endevour to have lunch at around 12.30pm and dinner at around 7pm each day. With the busy itinerary we have, the distances we cover and the magic of the places we visit, it is impossible to be precise about time!
We always ensure that we spend a good amount of time at each site so that we may benefit fully from the ambience and the subtle magic of the experience. These are not 'now you see it - now you don't' kinds of tours, just for seeing the sights. Our focus is on experiencing the 'spirit of place' and the peculiar enchantment that each site offers, and learning something from it.
The pace of each tour is not rushed. There are some areas such as Glastonbury Tor and Tintagel where we climb a number of steps, but otherwise each site is easily accessible and within walking distance from the coach. Nevertheless, you will get some physical exercise!
We'll be staying in comfortable first class hotels, selected for their traditional fayre, historical significance and warm atmosphere. All rooms have private facilities. Should you have any queries, problems or requests please do not hesitate to ask Jamie or the hotel reception desk. Room service and bar bills can be settled on the morning of departure from the hotel.
You will probably know that British weather is inclined to be somewhat changeable and unpredictable! In addition, some locations, such as hilltops and islands can be exposed to whatever weather prevails at the time. In general temperatures are 15-20°C between May and September. It is advisable to pack light clothing along with a warm jacket and woolly sweater, waterproof walking shoes or boots, waterproof jacket and hat. There may be opportunities for swimming, so come prepared. Other items you may wish to bring are: travel alarm clock, voltage adapter, camera, tape recorder for talks and a journal for your thoughts. Most hotels supply a hair dryer but you may wish to bring your own (with voltage adapter!). Dress is informal for dinner, so that should save on packing, but please bring a dress-up outfit for the farewell evening.
Your bags will be transferred from the coach into the hotels and to your rooms at each destination. Please ensure that when checking out of the hotel, your bags are left outside your room before breakfast. This will reduce delays and ensure the smooth running of the tour.
In general, the cost of the tour includes gratuities to hotel staff, including porters. In UK and Ireland, tipping is voluntary. If you feel you have received special service which should be acknowledged, then this is of course left to your discretion. This also applies to lunch staff and, if you wish to leave a tip, then 10% of the lunch bill is normal. It is customary in our country that appreciation is shown to the driver at the end of the tour - a general guideline is £3 per person for each day of the tour.
There will be a good choice of excellent cuisine throughout the tour. Vegetarians are fully catered for, and should you have a particular special diet that you require we shall do our best to fulfil your needs. Please advise on reservation.
There will be time for retail therapy on the tour. The unit of currency in Britain is the Pound Sterling (£) and in Ireland it is the Euro (€). Most retailers accept VISA, Mastercard and other cards such as American Express. The most favourable rate of exchange is to be obtained through the ATMs (Automatic Teller Machines) at banks. Bank opening times are usually between 10am and 4pm Monday to Friday. Store opening times are from 9.30am to 5.30pm Monday to Saturday. Some but not all stores open on a Sunday, especially in country districts.
If you are joining the From Avalon to Camelot tour, or if you're intending to pass through Glastonbury, do visit our bookstore Gothic Image in Glastonbury High Street. There you will find a large selection of titles, many of which are relevant to our journey. We also sell music under the auspices of Changing World Music and cards, tarot, divination tools, jewelry and so on. We also have a publishing wing, Gothic Image Publications which produces books such as our Traveller's Guide series, which are useful companions to our journey. To view or order any of our titles online go to www.gothicimage.co.uk.
On these tours we visit inspiring locations where the ancient spirits of each place still reside. In addition, some of you will be returning to the homes of your ancestors. This can raise spiritual and emotional issues. On our tours we seek to build a supportive atmosphere, and your fellow travellers will also tend to be of a supportive and understanding disposition. At different sites that we visit, you will be given opportunity for reflection and peace. This inner dimension is what makes these tours especially memorable - a pilgrimage and nourishment for the soul.
To find out more about me, Jamie, and our other tour hosts, click Our Hosts. I look forward to meeting you - we will have a wonderful journey!
Sincerely,
Jamie George
Tour Director
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