A Taste of Adventure - Escorted Breaks
An escorted break can provide the best of many worlds – companionship and the chance to see places you may not have otherwise chosen. You may even learn a new take-home skill!
Share a passion
- Foodie heaven awaits in Puglia. Discover traditional bread-making and olive oil tasting, and join cooking classes. Dine alfresco in trattorias in Alberobello, where you’ll stay in a traditional trullo (small round stone house). Prestige Holidays offers a seven-night Charming Trulli holiday, which includes flights, breakfast, three lunches and five dinners, excursions and entrance fees, from £1,495.
- Join other military history enthusiasts on an escorted tour of the Western Front in Belgium and France to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the end of WWI. Expert Nigel Jones will bring to life all aspects of this devastating conflict, including life in the trenches and the war poets. Departing 10 July 2018, Historical Trips offers five days’ full board from £1,450, including the ferry from Dover to Calais.
Walk this way
- Enjoy some of the best views in the world from the Walk of the Gods on the Italian Amalfi coast. This grand finale of a leisurely eight-day break also takes in traditional villages surrounded by lemon groves, the charming town of Sorrento, the slopes of Vesuvius (by bus!) and the best of the region’s food. Responsible Travel offers a variety of departure dates, costing from £1,019, which includes flights and some of your meals.
- The peaceful Western Cycladic islands of Sifnos and Milos (pictured above) beckon on a Ramblers break. Walk among the olive trees and vineyards of Sifnos, then take in the dramatic volcanic landscape of Milos – both surrounded by azure seas. Ramblers offers 15 days from £1,699, including flights, B&B, dinners at local tavernas, transfers and a local guide.
Going solo?
- Travel on Moscow’s art-adorned metro, stopping off at Red Square and the Kremlin (pictured above). Then board a train to St Petersburg, home to the Hermitage gallery. Solos offers seven nights’ B&B from £819, including some excursions; flights are extra.
- Enjoy Malta’s capital, Valletta, the Silent City of Mdina (Malta’s old capital) and the nearby isle of Gozo. Friendship Travel offers seven nights’ B&B from £995, with flights and leisurely sightseeing.
Stay and Explore
- Take the train to Lake Lucerne in Switzerland. Then enjoy escorted trips via train or boat to Rigi, Interlaken and the Gotthard Pass. Ffestiniog Travel offers a six-day break from £1,640, including rail travel, half-board and excursions.
- Stay in the fishing village of Cascais in Portugal and take excursions to Lisbon and the gardens of Queluz. Titan Travel offers eight days’ half-board from £1,049, including flights, excursions and Titan’s VIP door-to-door travel service.
Northern climes, southern sun
- Try a four-centre tour of Norway’s stunning western fjords. Travel by boat and bus, explore the towns of Bergen (pictured below) and Alesund, and enjoy the fjords, mountains, glaciers and lakes. Inghams offers 11 nights from £1,559, including flights, half-board and transfers.
- The magic of Marrakech and Fez are just two highlights on the Grand Tour of Morocco. Over two weeks, you’ll take in mosques, medinas, souks, mountains and the coastal town of Essaouira. Jules Verne offers 14 nights’ B&B (plus nine lunches and 12 dinners) from £1,845, including flights and guides.
Try a cruise
- A cruise can be a great way to make new friends. If you’re new to cruising, try a taster, such as P&O Cruises’ two-night cruise from Southampton to Belgium (visiting Bruges) on 1 December, from £299 in an inside cabin, all-inclusive.
- Go for the adventure of a lifetime on a Fred.Olsen fly-cruise to the eco- wonderland of the Amazon in Brazil. Fly to Barbados and join the Braemar for a 14-night cruise. Witness the Meeting of the Waters, where the Tapajos and Amazon rivers flow side by side, spot elusive caimans and pink dolphins, and walk along rainforest trails. Departing February 2018, the Amazon River Adventure costs from £999 for an interior cabin, including meals and entertainment. Excursion costs are not included.
3 tips from the experts
- Avoid the single-supplement charge by travelling with single travel specialists – or look out for no supplement on selected holidays with other companies.
- Ask your travel company about the others on the trip, to check the mix is right for you.
- Meet like-minded people on a specialist hobby break.
Photo credit:4Corners
