NEWS
New ESTA charge introduced from 8 September 2010
Monday 09 August 2010 - 13:56
U.S Customs and Border Protection have recently announced that all visitors to the USA applying for ESTA from 8 September 2010 will have to pay a mandatory US $14 fee to cover system administration and travel promotion. The fee will be levied upon application and can be made by credit or debit card. This will not apply to travellers updating an approved ESTA.
Mexicana Airlines files for bankruptcy
Thursday 05 August 2010 - 17:08
Mexicana Airlines have today filed for bankruptcy and all sales have been suspended.
Trailfinders guarantees to make good any money paid to Trailfinders in the event of airline failure and we are in the process of contacting affected Trailfinders clients with alternative options available.
Update - Collapse of Goldtrail
Monday 19 July 2010 - 10:22
Goldtrail, a tour operator specialising in holidays to Greece and Turkey, went into administration on Friday.
Trailfinders has no relationship with, nor is in any way associated with this tour operator and none of our clients have been affected.
This news highlights the importance of making holiday arrangements through a reputable tour operator. Trailfinders hold an Air Travel Organisers license (ATOL) granted by the Civil Aviation Authority. This ensures that in the very unlikely event of our insolvency you will be able to continue with your holiday as planned or be refunded in full. Additionally, we have entered into a voluntary and binding agreement with the CAA to protect clients' funds in the event of the financial collapse of an airline. Trailfinders, unlike most agents, does not charge a fee or insurance for this protection. Click here to read more about Trailfinders consumer protection and our financial guarantee.
Trailfinders turns 40 - NEW competition is launched
Friday 16 July 2010 - 18:09
Trailfinders turns 40 on 12 October this year and to celebrate we're giving away £400 of TF travel vouchers every week from now until 6 October.
All you have to do is find and click on one of our jazzy 40th logos, answer one simple question and you will be entered in to a prize draw the win a £400 TF voucher or a luxury holiday to the stunning Le Touessrok, Mauritius.
Click here for more details, and to commence the hunt...
Delhi airport gets brand new terminal
Thursday 01 July 2010 - 12:55
On Saturday 3 July India will unveil its biggest airport terminal, Terminal 3 or T-3, at Indira Ghandi Airport in Delhi.
The new INR 127billion (£2 billion) terminal is set to be the eighth largest in the world, offering a capacity of 34 million passengers per year. The structure is built on eight levels and features over 6 kilometers of conveyor belts, 89 travelators and 48 immigration counters to get people from touch-down to exit within a target of 45 minutes.
Trailfinders can tailormake your perfect India holiday - call 0845 050 5882 to speak to a specialist consultant or click here to see our latest India offers.
Update - The Wizarding World of Harry Potter opens!
Tuesday 29 June 2010 - 11:16
After more than five years in the making, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter has opened in Universal Resort, Orlando.
Visitors will be swept into the adventures of Harry Potter, touring Hogwarts castle, shopping in Hogsmeade and dining in the Three Broomsticks. Other adventures will allow them to fly with Harry, ride on a dragon, sample Butterbeer and experience all the magic and adventure of the Harry Potter books and films.
Trailfinders can tailormake your next holiday to Orlando, giving you a choice of hotels, private homes or villas with car hire and discounted flights. Call your local travel centre for details.
Trailfinders Win Gold at Chelsea Flower Show
Tuesday 25 May 2010 - 14:23
Trailfinders, proud sponsors of the Trailfinders Australian Garden by Fleming's at this years RHS Chelsea Flower Show, is delighted to announce it has been awarded a Gold Medal accolade.
Visitors to the show, which runs until Saturday, will see that the Trailfinders Australian Garden aims to reunite the love Australians have for outdoor living with modern architecture and greenspace. The spa and the swim up bar, both firsts at the show, are dominated by the foliage of Strelitzia alba and the vibrancy of Strelitzia reginae.
Trailfinders is the UK's No. 1 tour operator for travel to Australia.
Tiger Tourism to continue in India
Thursday 06 May 2010 - 12:06
In last weeks media there were reports that the Indian Government wanted to stop tourism in the country's world famous tiger reserves.
India’s environment minister has denied these reports, adding “our policy is to develop a set of guidelines for eco-tourism where tourism takes place in a sustainable way, linked to the carrying capacity of the reserves. We are not at all interested in stopping tiger tourism.”
Hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over the world travel to India every year to catch a glimpse of a Bengal tiger, one of the world’s most endangered species, and a ban would have dealt a heavy blow to the country’s tourism industry.
Deepwater BP Oil Spill, Gulf of Mexico
Wednesday 05 May 2010 - 13:55
Whilst not underplaying the ecological damage caused by the oil spill, it is important to point out that tourist destinations on the Gulf coast remain unaffected.
Louisiana, Mississippi & Alabama
Louisiana as a tourist destination remains unaffected by the spill. Its affected coastal areas are not inhabited by humans and are only accessible by boat or air. New Orleans is 100 miles inland from the affected areas. The Mississippi and Alabama coasts are also unaffected at this time.
Florida
Currently, there are no impacts to Florida’s 2,276 miles of tidal shoreline and 663 miles of beaches and the only area under any threat is the northern Florida 'Panhandle'. The main Gulf Coast tourist destinations, including Clearwater, St Pete Beach, Sarasota, Tampa, Fort Myers and Naples, are all far to the south of this.
Volcanic Ash affecting airports in Ireland and Scotland
Wednesday 05 May 2010 - 08:51
Since 16.30 yesterday the volcano in Iceland has expelled denser, coarser ash higher into the atmosphere. As a result the IAA has advised that Dublin airport will be closed to flights from 11:00am today until at least midnight tonight. Galway , Ireland West (Knock), Donegal and Sligo will all have flight restrictions in place until at least midnight tonight. Between 13:00 and 19:00 it is expected that Belfast International and Belfast City airports will be closed.
At this stage both Cork and Shannon airports are still open.
Trailfinders are monitoring this situation closely and will post any changes to the above on this page.
Clients who are due to travel out of the above named airports today are advised to contact their local travel centre for assistance.
Floods in Nashville
Tuesday 04 May 2010 - 10:01
Nashville, Tennessee has been hit by a tornado and flash flooding over the weekend, leading to parts of the city being evacuated. There have been reports that at least 23 people were killed in three southern states over the weekend.
Trailfinders is liaising with clients who are currently in Nashville. Anyone due to travel to the area this week should contact their local travel centre via phone or Viewtrail.
Celebrity Eclipse sets sail
Monday 26 April 2010 - 11:40
Following its official naming ceremony on Saturday, the Celebrity Eclipse will welcome its first paying guests today.
The latest £500million premium cruise ship from Celebrity Cruises will offer a real grass lawn, the AquaSpa by Elemis, a Hot Glass Show and an Art Gallery on its 13 passenger decks. She is set to sail from Southampton to the Mediterranean, Russia and Scandinavia throughout the summer, changing to cruises of the Caribbean in the winter.
Celebrity Eclipse cancelled the first leg of her celebrations to assist some UK holiday makers to return home when they were stranded by last weeks' volcanic ash situation.
For latest offers on Celebrity Eclipse cruises with Trailfinders please click here.
Update - Airlines schedules begin to return to normal
Friday 23 April 2010 - 10:28
Following the lifting of restrictions on Irish airspace Air Traffic Control services have resumed in Ireland and the UK.
Airlines are now starting to work towards normal operations but due to the scale of disruption it will still take some time for flights to resume their normal schedules.
We advise all Trailfinders clients due to depart today, or over the weekend, to check the status of your flight on your airlines website. If the flight on which you have a confirmed ticket is due to depart you must go to the airport as normal. If your flight is cancelled or if you need further information please contact your local travel centre by phone or by Viewtrail.
Trailfinders is open every day and will continue to offer assistance to our clients who are in Ireland or abroad.
We appreciate the patience of our clients at this difficult time and we will continue to update this site with the latest news.
Change to entry requirements for Cuba
Thursday 22 April 2010 - 17:40
As of 1 May 2010 - all visitors to Cuba will be required to have proof of medical travel insurance cover upon entry to the country. Failure to do so can result in immediate refusal of entry.
Click here for details of Trailfinders Comprehensive Travel Insurance
Rovos Rail train derails - South Africa
Wednesday 21 April 2010 - 17:21
Trailfinders is aware that a train run by Rovos Rail, a luxury tourist train in South Africa, has derailed near to Pretoria resulting in two fatalities.
It has been confirmed that no Trailfinders clients were involved in the accident. At this stage future services are not expected to be affected but the situation will be monitored and clients will be kept up to date.
Volcanic Ash - Visa information
Monday 19 April 2010 - 17:41
If you are in a situation where your visa for the country you are visiting will expire before you depart due to the volcanic ash situation, we would advise that you contact Immigration locally (normally at the airport) They will assist and can check whether or not a visa extension is necessary.
Trailfinders clients requiring any assistance should contact their local travel centre.
Change to visa requirements for visitors to Qatar - Qatar
Friday 09 April 2010 - 17:36
As of 1st May 2010 all nationalities who wish to travel to Qatar will now need to obtain a visa in advance.
No visa is required for those transiting Qatar providing they do not leave the airport transit area. Travellers looking to obtain a visa should contact the Qatar embassy at:
1 South Audley Street
London
W1K 1NB
Opening hours 10.00 AM -13.00 PM - Monday to Friday
Telephone: 020 7493 2200
