(A UNIT OF NOVA GROUP OF COMPANIES)

NOVA TRAVEL

                                                         Solo travellers group tours

This Nova Travel collection of small-group tours has been specially created for solo travellers who enjoy exploring fascinating parts of the world in the company of like-minded people.

All accommodation on these solo holidays is based on single occupancy of twin / double rooms. There are no single supplements and we have sought out good quality hotels that offer the most reasonable prices for individual travellers.

Our aim in creating these solo holidays is to offer the opportunity to discover extraordinary places in style, at sensible prices, in good company and with complete peace of mind.


The benefits of travelling with Nova Travel on a Solo Travellers group tour

Airport representatives: For all group departures where six or more people are travelling on the same flight, a Nova Travel representative is available to assist with check in and any seat requests you may have during the main check-in period.

Local tour managers: Nova Travel tour managers are carefully selected for their travel experience and organisational abilities. Your tour manager will meet your group on arrival in the destination and will escort you throughout the journey. In some destinations such as China, Peru and Russia, different tour managers accompany different legs of the trip.

Expert local guides: On most tours, in addition to the services of the tour manager, Nova Travel escorted group tours also benefit from the knowledge of local guides who accompany each excursion. In some cases, where appropriate, the tour manager will also act as the local guide. Where possible, your entrance fees are included in the holiday price.

Scheduled flights: Nova Travel uses only the services of scheduled airlines for all international and most internal flights. All prices are based on Economy Class flights; however, Nova Travel offers excellent upgrade rates if required and details of these are shown on the tour itineraries. Flight schedules mean that some early morning departures or arrivals may be unavoidable.

Regional air connections & flight upgrades: Most Nova Travel holidays are based on flights that are possible to connect with those flights from regional airports for a supplement. In addition,Nova Travel can offer favourable prices for upgrading to Premium Economy, Business and First Class. This supplement information is included on the tour page.

Comfortable land travel: For road journeys, Nova Travel uses buses of a size appropriate to the number of people in the group, with air conditioning where available. For rail journeys in developing countries, our groups are booked in the best available class on the train – in Europe we book standard class.

Small group sizes: Many tour operators run groups of 40 or more passengers. At Nova Travel we keep our groups much smaller – typically between 8-15 passengers and a maximum of 25. Our smaller groups offer many advantages: everyone can hear the guides easily; we don’t have to use large hotels, restaurants and vehicles; there is less time spent waiting for everyone to gather on excursions and, not least, small groups are less intrusive to other people.

Meals: Nova Travel seeks to strike a good balance between organising meals for the group and giving people the freedom to choose where and with whom to eat. Our Single Travellers tours generally include breakfast daily, a welcome dinner at the beginning, and a farewell dinner at the end of the trip as standard, plus some other meals. These organised meals offer the chance to get to know other members of the group, while, on occasions when meals are not included, there should be opportunities to join up with other members of the group if you choose.

Single supplements: There are no single supplements payable on Nova Travel Single Travellers tours.

Extensions: Nova Travel is happy to arrange for you to extend your stay after the main tour. We have suggested extension options for most tours in this brochure. However, our specialist consultants would also be delighted to design a tailor-made extension for you, either pre- or post-tour, to fit in with your interests. Group tour extensions are operated on a private basis, unless other members of the main tour group choose to take the same extension, in which case the relevant services may be shared.


Tour & accommodation standards

The standard and style of accommodation varies from place to place and tour to tour. Below we have listed the three categories of Nova Travel tours found in the Solo Travellers programme – the category for each tour is displayed just above the itinerary.

Superior: Most Nova Travel tours fall under this category and are based in 4- or 5-star accommodation, or the best available.

Standard: These itineraries typically feature 3- & 4-star accommodation throughout.

Discovery: This type of holiday is best suited to the hardier traveller, as it will typically include some quite basic accommodation, possibly longer and rougher road journeys and, in some cases, more arduous activities, such as trekking.


Private travel for solo holidays

For those who prefer to travel at their own pace or who wish to explore places not included in the group itineraries, Nova Travel has many years of experience organising tailor-made private holidays. Our expert tour consultants are all regional specialists who will be delighted to suggest ideas to complement your own, and to organise the most appropriate programme to suit your interests, time and budget.

If travelling on a solo private tour, on arrival in the destination and at each new destination on your journey, you will normally be met at the airport (unless you are in transit), station or quay by a Nova Travel representative who will then accompany you to your hotel, help you check in and confirm the itinerary for your stay. For all road journeys, you will have your own car and driver. This allows you to travel in comfort and to stop off along the way if you see something of interest or if you would like a break. On excursions, you will be accompanied by your own private English-speaking local guides, allowing you to ask as many or as few questions as you like with the emphasis on your own particular interests.