FAQs

We’d recommend that at the time of your booking and before your holiday, you check the most recent updates for your chosen destination by reading through the FCDO travel advice. You may also find useful information at FCDO Travel Aware.  

Important information: From Sunday, November 10, 2024, there will be a new mandatory border check as part of the Entry and Exit System (EES). Please take some time to review the guidance provided at Travel-europe.europa.eu/ees and Gov.uk/guidance/eu-entryexit-system before your holiday. 

Please note that it is your responsibility to check the following (in good time before departure): 

• Passport validity 

• Travel insurance  

• Visa/waivers required for entry, such as ESTA for USA travel and/or ETIAS for EU travel) 

• The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (“FCDO”, https://www.gov.uk/travelaware) (applicable to UK residents); 

• UK Passport Office (0870 5210410 or https://www.gov.uk/browse/citizenship). 

• Embassies, High Commission and/or Consulates; 

• Own doctor. 

For more information, please see our booking conditions. 

From Sunday, November 10, 2024, there will be a new mandatory border check as part of the Entry and Exit System (EES). Please take some time to review the guidance provided at Travel-europe.europa.eu/ees and Gov.uk/guidance/eu-entryexit-system before your holiday. 
 
The first time you use the EES you will scan your passport at the automated gates on arrival into Europe and you will have your fingerprint scanned and photograph taken. This will be kept on file so you will not have to take this extra step each time you go to Europe, unless you renew your passport. All non-EU nationals travelling to a European country (excluding Albania, Andorra, Cyprus, Georgia, Ireland and Montenegro), will be subject to EES checks at the border. If you have EU residency, you are exempt from the EES. If you are travelling by Eurostar, the EES system will be in place at St Pancras, and you will not need to be checked again on arrival in Europe.  

If you need to amend your booking, please contact us as soon as possible. We will make every effort to satisfy your requirements, but this may not always be possible. There may be additional costs incurred with amending your booking.  

View our full terms and conditions. 

Cancellations must be made in writing, either by letter or by email to cancellations@hfholidays.co.uk. A cancellation will take effect from the date that written notice is received at our office. Cancellation fees may be applicable. Please view our full terms and conditions.

Groups of 10-plus guests can enjoy all sorts of fabulous savings and benefits. For further information, contact our Groups Team from Monday to Friday, 9:00am – 5:30pm and Saturdays from 9:00am 1:00pm on 020 8732 1260 - or by emailing groups@hfholidays.co.uk. 

Yes, all our Europe and worldwide holidays ‘with flights’ are ATOL protected. 

The majority of our guided walking holidays offer a choice of daily walks. Our walks are graded from 1-6 with 1 being the easiest and 6 the most challenging. A lot of different factors can influence the difficulty of a walk though, including daylight hours, terrain, altitude, and weather conditions.

To show the difficulty (and ease) of our walking holidays, each is graded on a scale of 1 to 6, with 1 being the gentlest and 6 the most challenging. You’ll find a correlating walking grade on each of our individual holiday descriptions. For more information, read our blog: Our Walking Grades Explained.

We assure walks for every fitness level on our guided and self-guided walks. Our walking grades are designed by our expert HF Holidays Leaders. 

Our touring special interest holidays can involve walking and active sightseeing. Our Rambles with a Sketchbook and Mind & Body holidays will take you over generally flat and even terrain, although you should prepare for some short ascents and descents.  

On our Discovery Tours, you’ll spend a lot of time on your feet and away from the bus. Rest assured, we factor in coffee stops and chances to sit down and relax. 

Comfortable (ideally broken-in) walking boots with ample ankle support and a good grip are highly recommended. You’ll also need to bring a waterproof jacket, rucksack, water bottle, and hat. You may also want to bring specialist walking socks, walking poles, and gaiters. 

There’s a Discovery Point at all country houses offering a wide range of local area maps, route guides, and easy-to-follow information for self-guided walks. All our walk directions have been carefully prepared by experienced HF Holidays Field Advisors and highlight detailed route notes, photographs, and an annotated map.  

Please note that guests on a self-guided walking holiday will be responsible for their own transport to and from the walks (using public transport or local taxi services). 

If you’re on a guided walk, you will not need to know how to read a map. Self-guided walks are supplemented with walk directions from our Discovery Point. For lowland walks, our walk directions will suffice. However, we’d strongly advise you to carry an additional map if you’re venturing into the mountains.

We’re proud to own and manage 15 UK country houses, including cosy Victorian manors, elegant Georgian mansions, converted farmhouses, lakeside hideaways, and more. For walkers, the locations are perfect. You’ll be just a skip away from some of the UK’s best-loved national parks or Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and within easy reach of postcard-pretty villages, big-name attractions, and well-trodden trails.  

Check in is from 4pm. Unfortunately, we cannot greet guests earlier. 

Our individually-designed country houses assure well-appointed guest rooms in up to three categories: Classic, Premium, or Superior. All have tea and coffee-making facilities, free Wi-Fi, hairdryers, TVs, and en-suite bathrooms with toiletries. For an extra charge, our more spacious Premium and Superior guest rooms offer upgraded amenities such as bathrobes, slippers, and enhanced views of the surrounds. 

Upgrade to a Premium Room from £20 per person per night  

Upgrade to a Superior Room from £25 per person per night  

Find out more about our room upgrades  

All houses assure well-appointed en-suite guest rooms in up to three categories: Classic, Premium, and Superior. We also have a licenced bar in each house, as well as menus that put focus on dishes made with fresh and seasonal ingredients. Some houses have indoor or outdoor pools; others tempt with sublime gardens that offer free rein to wander. 

You’ll also find a comfortable lounge area, plus handy boot and drying rooms for your convenience. Additionally, Discovery Points are located at each house, complete with local area maps, route guides mapped by our HF Holidays Field Advisors, and information for self-guided walks.  

Full-board comes as standard in our UK country houses. This includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You’ll also enjoy a cream tea on arrival and a hearty breakfast on departure day.  You can select a made-to-order, cooked full-English breakfast, or a delicious selection from the cold breakfast buffet. For lunch, you can expect on-the-go packed lunches. For communal evening meals, you’ll enjoy three-courses - all with at least three options.  

N.B. Full-board is inclusive of cream tea on the day of arrival until breakfast on departure day.  

The team at our country houses can cater for special dietary requirements. Please let us know at the time of booking so we can give you guidance and prepare for your needs.

All country houses have a licensed bar with a selection of alcoholic beverages and soft drinks. 

We offer complimentary Wi-Fi in the public areas at all country houses.

Complimentary parking is offered at most of our country houses. Please refer to the ‘getting here’ tab on each country house web page for more details. 

We have EV charging points at the 15 of our 16 country houses which have car parks. Prices to charge your vehicle are available when enquiring on checking in.

While evening entertainment varies from house to house, the HF Holidays pub-style quiz held after dinner on Wednesdays is a weekly staple. Your HF Holidays Leader may be around for tips on guided and self-guided walking routes, as well as offering recommendations of visit-worthy local attractions. 

If you would like to buy anything on-site (including drinks from the bar), you can pay by cash or card.

Sorry, but we do not allow dogs on our guided walks. However, well-behaved dogs are welcome on self-guided walks from three of our UK country houses. For a fee of £10 per night per dog, up to two dogs may accompany you on your stay in one of our pet-friendly rooms. Read more here. 

Our family walking holidays are perfect for families of all shapes and sizes. We’re big on choice, so you’ll get to pick from up to four walk options each day. We offer walks for little legs, trails for older children, and hikes that’ll keep the whole clan happy. Best of all, under 11s go free. T&Cs apply.

We’re well-versed in designing holidays that spark curiosity and adventure, especially for those who love trying out new things. Whether it’s painting, music, cycling, yoga, reading, cookery, or bridge that appeals, our group guided activity breaks will get you learning a new skill – or improving on one.

No. All that’s needed is enthusiasm. Most holidays are available to all levels, from beginners to the more experienced. Others are designed for a certain level of experience or skill. Read more about selecting a special interest holiday that ticks the boxes for you here. 

The requirements for our special interest holidays vary according to the type of holiday you’re booking. Please refer to the relevant web page for the holiday you are interested in and click the essential information tab for more information. This information will also be detailed in your trip notes which you will receive prior to departure. 

While facilities vary, we hand-pick our partner hotels with great care for their location, comfort, food, and easy access to our walking routes.  You’ll find in-depth information about each hotel on the itinerary.

Our holidays in Europe are all half-board with breakfast and evening meals included. You can expect a buffet-style breakfast with hot/cold dishes or regional specialities. In the evenings, dinner includes either buffet meals or à la carte options.  

Our worldwide holidays offer a flexible meal plan, depending on your location. You can expect either half-board or full-board at our partner hotels, depending on your booking.  

Most of our overseas partner hotels can cater for special dietary requirements. Please let us know at the time of booking so we can give you guidance and prepare for your needs.

Anyone who is booking a holiday on behalf of a group of 10-plus guests is the group organiser. In this role, you’ll be the main contact for your group and responsible for making payments. We will not communicate with other individual group members.

We cater for families, friends, clubs, colleagues, and anyone looking for an immensely rewarding group holiday in the UK, Europe, or the rest of the world. To classify as a group, you need to have 10-plus guests.

Browse our website or brochure to gather ideas about location, departure dates, and the sort of activities you and your group fancy doing. You can contact our Groups Team from Monday to Friday, 9am – 5:30pm on 020 8732 1260 - or by emailing groups@hfholidays.co.uk

Yes. They will chat through the options with you and advise on the destinations best suited to your group. Once you have finalised your choice, they will send you a quote including the group discounts and other benefits your group is eligible for.

Once you are happy with your quote, your Account Manager can reserve your preferred accommodation while you confirm your final group numbers and collect deposit payments. If during this period the numbers of your group change, your quote will be amended accordingly.

Please discuss any special requirements you have with your Account Manager prior to booking, for example (but not limited to) ground floor rooms, coach access, or medical needs.

Please speak to your Account Manager about any special dietary requirements that your group members have. Our country houses and most of our overseas partner hotels can cater for special dietary requirements. Please let us know at the time of booking so we can give you guidance and prepare for your needs.

If you chose the 'without flights' option for your overseas holiday, hotel transfers are not provided in these prices, but a private transfer can be arranged at a supplement. If you choose to book 'with flights', prices are based on departures from London, but other regional airport departures can be quoted at a supplement. For most of our overseas departures, we have an allocation of seats on flights. When our allocation has been sold, we can often book additional seats. However, this may result in an additional supplement or less favourable timings. Where significant changes to timings or routes occur, we will advise you of the alternative arrangements as soon as possible. Please contact your Account Manager for the most up-to-date information. If your group would prefer to travel earlier or later, or on a ‘bespoke flight’, we may be able to arrange this at a supplement, depending on the flight cost. Prices are on request. Please contact your Account Manager for more information.

Your current departure airport terminal will be shown on your confirmation and on your final travel documents. Please check this information before you travel.

If you’ve booked a holiday with us that includes flights, this will include a hold baggage allowance of at least 20kg. The actual size and weight allowance of checked-in hold luggage will depend on the airline you’re flying with.

The size and weight of your hand luggage depends on the airline you’re flying with. Actual cabin baggage allowances will be advised during online check-in process. Please note there are restrictions to items that can be carried in hand luggage at UK airports. Please read here for more information.

There are restrictions on the amounts of liquid that can be taken on-board. Please read here for more information.

We will advise check-in instructions on your final travel documents.

Please refer to the conditions of carriage website page for the airline you’re flying with.

If available, please use the online check-in as soon as it opens. If you’re checking in at the airport, please allow at least two hours prior departure for European holidays and three hours prior to departure for worldwide holidays. This also allows plenty of extra time to pass through security.

By becoming an HF Holidays member, you’ll be joining a co-operative with over 45,000 like-minded members who share a love of the great outdoors. Anyone over the age of 18 can become a member. There’s no annual subscription. You just need to purchase a minimum of 100 x £1 shares. Please note that all membership applications must be made in writing.  

You can decide which of our four membership categories suits you best: Standard from £100 minimum, Investment from £1,000 minimum, Investment Plus from £3,000 minimum, or Group from £100 minimum. Read more here.

When you become an HF Holidays member, you’ll be rewarded with exclusive benefits; from helping to decide the way things are done to enjoying a wealth of special offers and discounts. Additionally, you’ll avoid the £30 non-member fee on our holidays.

For extra peace of mind, we offer our members a price pledge. This exclusive members-only benefit means you can be sure of the best value price at the time of booking. In the unlikely event that you find an identical HF Holidays break, with the same duration, location, and date, advertised at a lower price, you can claim the difference. View the full T&Cs here.

We have around 800 experienced HF Leaders, all of whom share a passion for the great outdoors. All have outdoor first aid certificates and have passed a rigorous four-day residential assessment before leading our holidays.

To become an HF Holidays Leader, you’ll need to be a great communicator who can work closely with our country house teams. You’ll also need to make a minimum commitment to lead for three weeks, every two years, and pass our navigation skill assessments. Read more about can find out about current opportunities. 

All our holidays are suitable for solo travellers. For special interest holidays where partners or groups are required for the activity (such as dancing or bridge), our leaders will be happy to arrange a partner for you on arrival. 

Whilst our Classic single rooms do not incur a single supplement, the number of rooms are limited. We also offer Premium single rooms, which you can upgrade to for a fee, subject to availability.  

However, our double or twin rooms incur a supplemental charge when booked for single occupancy. This is to offset the cost of maintaining the room. 

Additionally, we offer a selection of solo holidays that incur no single supplement on double/twin rooms. 

We are incredibly proud to be a Certified B Corporation (or B Corp). This means we’re a business that has reached the highest standards of social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. But we're not resting on our laurels. We see it as our responsibility to minimise our emissions, not just for this year but every year to come. We're working with sustainability experts, ecollective, to reduce the carbon intensity of our product by 5% each year. Our ambition is to be net zero by 2040 – earlier if we can. Read more here.

Our tread lightly guided walking holidays are the perfect choice for those looking for a holiday with a minimal carbon footprint. We offer transport-free guided walking breaks for the more eco-conscious traveller at a wide selection of fabulous destinations.

We advise you to follow the latest government guidance. A full country list is available here www.gov.uk/coronavirus.

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