Vacations Blog

In my capacity as the UK director of operations for One World Tours Limited, over time, it came to my attention as to what a minefield in can be booking a holiday in a destination like Egypt through the myriad of’internet’ based travel firms ; especially local Egyptian companies

I thus though it could be useful to suggest a kind of’checklist’ of things to search for and questions that should be asked’prospective’ holiday suppliers. 

1.  Are they a travel agent or a Tour operator ? 

especially at a local level, service from a tour operator is often higher than that of an agent as tour scheduled through local agents’can’ risk the undeniable fact that the agent is only passing on your booking to a 3rd party.  This is not always the case, but it’s's something to think about.  Comeback if you have Problems is also to be considered as an agent can blame the third party and vice versa. 

2.  Do they require a deposit or are they offering payment in full on arrival ? 

If the company you are potentially booking thru accept payment in full on arrival, it implies one thing – your aren’t scheduled.  While will a company risk booking hostels, tour guides, drivers etc on the of chance you can basically turn up ? 

three.  Do they accept mastercards as payment ? 

This is vital whether you are counting on paying that way.  Accepting credit cards ( particularly in travel fields ) will probably mean the company has been pretty well vetted and certainly will be offering you some added assurances ( and of course protection )

4.  Do they offer Testimonials…  ? 

The second half of this question perhaps the most significant part,’Do they offer Testimonials…and are you able to contact them’ ?  If their testimonials are genuine then surely there isn’t any reason why they can not be contacted. 

five.  Do they have a recognized dispute mechanism ? 

Any forward thinking and honest company will know that there will always be the odd problem.  Having a dispute procedure in place shows the company won’t just try and fob you off, but from the ground up, they will try to fairly take care of any problems you may have. 

Hopefully these five things may help you regarding your future plans when thinking about a visit to a country such as Egypt.

How many wonders have you visit during your lifetime? Visit famouswonders.com and see the top wonders of the world and also have a look at Egypt travel tips.