FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

On 23rd June 2020, Leger Holidays purchased the Shearings brand. This includes the Shearings website, social media sites and customer lists. Only details of those customers who had opted in to receive information from the Shearings brand was transferred across. Everyone who receives marketing information from us will have the opportunity to opt out of any further communications.

Shearings will now operate as a sister company to Leger, offering brand new fully escorted tours to the UK and Europe.

Unfortunately, all holidays that were booked before 22nd May 2020 are cancelled and will not be rescheduled. Please click here for more information on the options available to you to claim compensation for your cancelled trip (subject to terms and conditions).

If you had a holiday booked with Shearings before 22nd May 2020, it has now been cancelled and is in the hands of the administrators. Please click here for further information on the options available to you to claim compensation for your cancelled trip (subject to terms and conditions). This also covers Holiday Credit Notes and bookings made with travel agents.

The Specialist Leisure Group operated several businesses that sold holidays and other travel arrangements under many brand names, including National Holidays, which have all ceased to trade. Shearings is the only one of these businesses that Leger Holidays has acquired.

If you had a booking with National Holidays or any other brands in the SLG Group, please click here for further information on the options available to you to claim compensation for your cancelled trip (subject to terms and conditions).

All staff who were employed by the SLG Group were unfortunately made redundant due to the Group going into administration on the 22nd May 2020.

We sympathise greatly with those who have lost their jobs, and whilst former employees were not part of the acquisition, we hope that as we begin to operate tours again, and as the business grows, we will no doubt have requirement for additional resource and it may create many more jobs.

Our new brochure is available to view online or you request a copy by clicking here.

If you have a query about a holiday or would like to make a booking, contact our Reservations team here with your requirements and contact details. Alternatively, you can call 01709 249 699 to speak to a member of our team.

Yes. You can use our simple availability and booking engines to find and book your holiday. Once you’ve chosen your holiday, click on the departure dates tab and select book now. Follow the instructions to then make your booking.

Yes you can. Either call in or telephone their office with your holiday requirements.

We accept payment by credit card or debit card. You can also send us a cheque by post, made payable to Shearings.

No, unfortunately we do not accept PayPoint.

The date that your balance is payable by is shown on your confirmation invoice. You will receive a reminder for this by email.

Your balance will automatically be collected on the balance due date shown on your confirmation invoice, from the card you most recently made a payment with. This will be the same card as used to make the deposit payment, unless you have since made a further payment with another card. You will receive reminders in advance of the due date.

If the last card you paid with is due to expire before the balance due date, you will need to make your balance payment by other means. You can pay online at any time with a debit or credit card via your MyBooking account, or by making a bank transfer to the account shown on your confirmation invoice. If paying by bank transfer, please ensure you include your booking ID and surname in the payment reference otherwise there may be delays in allocating your payment.

You can find a full list of or joining points by clicking here

Our UK tours operate on alternate departure schedule, split between north and south. This is to ensure we are able to operate our tours efficiently, no matter where you depart. We offer alternate dates as close as feasibly possible to each other.

Certain excursions are included in the price of your holiday. If you choose not to go on an included excursion, for whatever reason, no refunds will be made.

This depends on which tour you book. Prices are given with the itinerary for the tour and sent out with Travel Documents 5 days before departure. Approximate prices can be given by our Customer Service department by calling 01709 249 686.

Optional excursions can be booked with your coach driver or Tour Manager and operate strictly subject to availability and demand. Some optional excursions are pre-bookable due to demand when making your reservation. The running order of included and optional excursions may be altered without prior notice.

Payment is only accepted in local currency (information on prices and currency will be advised with your travel documents 5 days before departure).

Yes, you will receive one with your Travel Documents, which are sent 5 days before departure.

We only ever charge a supplement if a hotelier imposes this charge to us as a company. Single room supplements are a bone of contention within the travel industry and we would like to assure you that we proactively seek accommodation with low or no single room supplements for our guests.

As SLG also owned their own hotels, they had the freedom to set their single supplement charges to stimulate demand. Unfortunately, as we contract our hotels, we are not able to do this and the set charge is imposed on us by the hotel owners.

Yes, you can find our full collection of self-drive breaks by clicking here

We believe that our holidays may not be suitable for children under 6 years old, or 8 years old for our European tours, however we will consider individual requests on application. Customers aged 18 and under at the time of travel must be accompanied by an adult, parent or guardian aged over 18 years old.

Dogs are allowed on a selection of our self-drive holidays only. This applies to any former Coast & Country hotels where well-behaved dogs are welcome throughout the building. Dogs are not permitted on board our coaches, with the exception of assistance dogs.

For Music & Theatre Breaks bookings, you will need to advise us at the time of booking if you have a wheelchair/mobility scooter and require an accessible/companion seat. This can only be arranged if we are made aware at the time of booking – unfortunately, we will not be able to arrange this on the day of the performance.

For Event Getaways, please note that event dates are subject to change. We reserve the right to amend the date or operate the holiday without the event if the event cancels beyond our control. Most events require a certain degree of mobility as there will be walking from the coach park and around the event itself. Most events are open-air. To make your break as enjoyable as possible, we advise you wear weather-appropriate clothes and footwear suitable for being outdoors all day.

If you are a British citizen and are going on a UK holiday, you are not required to have insurance. If you are a non-British citizen and are going on a UK holiday, you are required to have an insurance policy in place or return a signed indemnity form to us prior to travel.

For all travellers on European tours, you must either have a travel insurance policy in place or return a signed insurance indemnity form to us prior to travel.

Please contact our Customer Service department on 01709 249 686 for a copy of the indemnity form if you are not taking any cover.

Yes, you can arrange your own travel insurance. You must provide us with the name, policy number and details of the emergency and medical repatriation telephone number relating to such a policy within 14 days of booking.

The insurance Shearings offers is for United Kingdom residents only.

You are not required to declare your medical conditions. However, to be covered for any medical conditions you have or have had, you must be able to answer NO to questions 1. to 4. and YES to questions 5. and 6. a) and b) below:

1. Are you aware of any reason why the trip could be cancelled or cut short (such as the health of a close relative)
2. Are you travelling:
   a. against the advice of a medical practitioner, or b) for the purpose of obtaining medical treatment.
3. Have you been given a terminal prognosis.
4. Are you receiving or awaiting treatment for any bodily injury, illness or disease as a hospital day case or in-patient.
5. If you are on prescribed medication, are your medical condition(s) stable and well controlled.
6. If you suffer from stress, anxiety, depression or any other mental or nervous disorder, have you received written confirmation (at your cost) that you are fit enough to take this trip by either:
   a. a registered mental health professional (if you are under the care of a Community Mental Health Team), or
   b. a consultant specialising in the relevant field.

If you are travelling outside of the United Kingdom:
You must telephone the Towergate Medical Line on 0344 892 1698 if anyone to be covered by this policy, or any person upon whose health the trip depends:

1. Has or has had a medical condition (excluding childhood and minor ailments not requiring treatment).
2. Is taking prescribed medication.
3. Has or has had any medical condition still requiring periodic review.
4. Is awaiting any tests, treatment, investigation, referral or the results of these.

The Towergate Medical Line office hours are 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday excluding Bank Holidays. PLEASE NOTE - You must also notify the Towergate Medical Line immediately of any changes in medical circumstances arising between the date the policy is issued and the time of departure for the trip. You may have to pay an additional premium to cover your medical conditions. This applies to all destinations including trips solely within the United Kingdom (being defined as England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Isles of Scilly).

There is no age restriction on the insurance taken out through Shearings.

This depends on which tour you book, prices start from £29pp which includes Insurance Premium Tax (IPT). Please call our Customer Service department on 01709 249 686 for the correct price of insurance for your tour.

For UK tours, front row seats can be reserved for £20pp (all durations) and second row seats can be reserved for £15pp (all durations).

For European tours, front row seats can be reserved for £15pp (up to 6 days duration), £25pp (7 and 8 days duration), £30pp (9 to 11 days) or £35pp (12 days or more).

For European tours, second row seats can be reserved for £8pp (up to 6 days duration), £15pp (7 and 8 days duration), £18pp (9 to 11 days) or £22pp (12 days or more).

For both European and UK tours, central view seats are available to pre-book free of charge. These offers are only available for bookings of two or four persons, and are subject to availability.

Guaranteed front or second row seats cannot be reserved on transfer journeys to/from the interchange. Occasionally, front and second row seats may be on a request-only basis.

Please note: children under 15 years of age are not permitted to sit on the front seats of any coach.

On some coaches, the legroom on front seats, central view seats and seats directly in front of the washroom may be slightly less than that available on other seats due to the presence of a modesty board in front.

If your tour is cancelled or merged for any reason and front or second row seats or central view seats or table seats are not available on your tour, you will be refunded any supplement paid. No other compensation will be payable.

Alternatively, we can take seating requests on your booking. However, requests are not guaranteed. All seat numbers are confirmed on travel documents approximately 5 days prior to departure.

We guarantee that all passengers on the same booking will be seated together on the main tour coach. Seats on the transfer coaches to and from the interchange are not allocated.

Transfer coaches are routed approximately 2-3 weeks before departure. The route taken depends on where passengers are booked to travel from on any particular date. If you require further detailed information regarding the route to the port you can contact our Customer Service Department on 01709 249 686 two weeks before you are due to travel. With regard to the route taken by the main tour coach, this is determined by the driver.

All main tour coaches have on-board toilets. Transfer vehicles to and from the interchange may not have on-board toilets.

All coaches feature air-conditioning. Should the air-conditioning system break down for a period exceeding 12 hours, compensation will be awarded up to a maximum of £10 per fare-paying passenger per tour.

All our coaches and transfer vehicles operate a 'no smoking on board policy'. The use of electronic cigarettes is strictly forbidden.

In the interest of fellow guests, do not take hot food or ice cream on board.

Customers’ own alcohol cannot be consumed on board our vehicles.

Depending on the location of your pick-up point, you may be picked up by coach (not necessarily the one you are touring on), minibus, taxi, National Express or Megabus service. You may then be taken to another centralised pick-up location or service station. We operate passenger interchanges, where you will meet the tour coach you are holidaying on and then continue on with your outbound journey. Similarly, on the way home, you may also change transfer vehicles at another location, to take you to your final drop off point.

We’re currently working on our interchange programme in time for our October departures. We will provide more information as soon as locations are confirmed.

Your allowance is one medium sized suitcase per person, which should weigh no more than 20kg when full. We may refuse to carry larger or heavier cases. Hand luggage should be stored in the overhead racks aboard the coach. Nothing should be stored under your seat.

For operational reasons, we use both the ferry and Eurotunnel. This will be confirmed in your travel documents approximately 5 days prior to travel.

• The journey time from Dover to Calais via the ferry is approximately 90 minutes.
• The journey time from Folkestone to Calais via Eurotunnel is 35 minutes.
• The journey time from Hull to Zeebrugge by North Sea Ferries is approximately 12 hours 30 minutes.
• The journey time from Hull to Rotterdam by North Sea Ferries is approximately 10 hours.
• The journey time from Hollyhead to Dun Laoghaire/Dublin by Irish Ferries conventional ferry is 3 hours 15 minutes or 2 hours by fast craft.

Yes, you can.

We do not own the hotels. The hotels that were formerly owned by SLG have been acquired by another company who we will work with to offer accommodation for our holidays.

We are unable to disclose who has taken over the hotels at the moment until the company themselves announce the acquisition, however, we can confirm that they will be up and running and open for our first departures in October.

If you prefer, you can join the tour at the hotel. Depending on the tour destination, we may require a copy of your passport for identification purposes and you must advise us at the time of booking. No reduction in holiday cost will be given if you should choose to do this.

All hotel rooms benefit from private bathroom facilities.

Some hotels have tea and coffee making facilities. Please check the tour pages for more information or call our Customer Service Department on 01709 249 686.

Most hotels have a lift, please call our Customer Service Department on 01709 249 686 for more information.

Some hotels have ground floor rooms. Please email for information on individual hotels or call our Customer Service Department on 01709 249 686.

Your hotels will supply towels in your room.

We are unable to guarantee that the hotel will be able to meet your dietary requirements. We find that the majority of European countries do not generally cater for vegetarians and that the meal supplied may well be what everyone else is having, minus the meat.

We will, of course, endeavour to arrange for a vegetarian meal at the hotel. We do however suggest that you advise us of your dietary requests at the time of booking, and recommend that you speak to the receptionist on arrival with regard to your request.

Entertainment will be at the hotel’s discretion, following the ever-changing COVID-19 guidelines. We are unable to confirm if entertainment will be available on any departure dates.

For most of our UK tours, UK British passport holders will not need to bring a passport. We will advise you in your travel documents whether you need to bring it. For all other passport holders travelling on a UK tour, you will need to bring your passport.

A full passport is required by everyone travelling to Europe, including infants and children. Please remember, British passports can take up to 10 weeks to obtain.

Non British citizens should check the passport and visa requirements with the consulate of the country being visited or travelled through. You can also contact 'Action Visa' on 0207 939 8100 for more information.

You will require local currency to use during your holiday. Check with your travel agent, foreign exchange or bank or call our Customer Service department on 01709 249 686 if you are unsure of the currency required for an individual country.

Exchange facilities are not guaranteed in any of the hotels we use. Check with your travel agent, foreign exchange or bank for further details.

Credit cards are widely accepted. However, in some smaller shops, bars, restaurants and hotels, credit cards may not be accepted so you are recommended to take some local currency with you.

We do have holidays that are suitable for wheelchair users, however the person using the wheelchair will need to be able to get on and off the coach if a coach tour is booked. Our coaches are not suitable for someone who is wheelchair reliant as we can only take folding wheelchairs that are stored in the luggage compartment.

We cannot guarantee that assistance will be available for the disabled person/wheelchair user and such bookings will only be accepted if that person is travelling with an able-bodied person who is fully able to attend to the needs of his/her co-traveller.

Excursions on our tours visit places of interest and public buildings. These may not be able to accommodate people with walking difficulties and wheelchair access may not be available. Excursions which include sightseeing tours may involve walking long distances and sometimes over cobbled or uneven surfaces.

The accommodation we use on our tours may not have ground floor rooms and in some instances lifts will not always be available. Occasionally access to your hotel may involve walking distances from the coach park and some hotels have a flight of steps to the Reception.

It is very important that checks are made with regard to the suitability of a tour for you prior to you make any booking with us.

Our coaches are not suitable for someone who is wheelchair reliant as we can only take folding wheelchairs that are stored in the luggage compartment. However the person using the wheelchair will need to be able to get on and off the coach if a coach tour is booked.

We cannot guarantee that assistance will be available for the disabled person/wheelchair user. Space for wheelchairs is limited to 2 per coach.

Such bookings will only be accepted if that person is travelling with an able-bodied person who is fully able to attend to the needs of his/her co-traveller.

Please advise at the time of booking that you will be taking a wheelchair in order to check for safe stowage space.

For Music & Theatre Breaks bookings (part of our Mini-Breaks collection), you will need to advise us at the time of booking if you have a wheelchair/mobility scooter and require an accessible/companion seat. This can only be arranged if we are made aware at the time of booking – unfortunately, we will not be able to arrange this on the day of the performance.