FAQs

There is no specific upper age limit, 18 is the minimum age. Our travellers are interesting people, leading all manner of different lives. Wine knowledge ranges from having a keen interest all the way up to seasoned tasters. The common shared interest is, typically, great food and great wine. We aim to create an easy and convivial atmosphere, much like travelling with friends.

Not at all. All you need to enjoy an Arblaster & Clarke tour is passion about wine! All sorts of people travel with us – from experts to amateurs to the merely curious. Our tours are sociable holidays with a relaxed atmosphere. You will be able to discover the wine regions of the world, through the wines and the people who make them. There is usually time to visit museums, art galleries and markets etc to learn about the history and architecture in a short space of time as well.

Very much so, many clients travel on their own. Arblaster & Clarke Wine Tours are ideal as you will be surrounded by sociable travelling companions and will never have to dine alone in the evening, unless you wish to of course! We have single places available on all our tours and these are often the first to fill. We insist on double/twin rooms for sole travellers and only pass on the extra room cost (as the price of a hotel room is the same if there are one or two people in it so the room cost is divided by two when sharing). On our Champagne Weekends, for early bookers only, there are two single rooms available for no supplement. These rooms are not available after 6 months before departure and are offered strictly in order of confirmed booking.

All of our tours are physically active and they are carefully planned to minimise the amount of time spent on the road. You need to be able stand for periods of time at wineries, there can be quite a lot of walking and there are often steps at the cellars. If you are over 70 or no matter what age you are if you have any difficulty walking or there is anything that will make it difficult for you to take part in any part of the tour unaided, you must discuss this with us prior to booking. Likewise you must inform us should any of the above become the case after you book. The coaches are not adapted for wheelchairs. If you use a wheelchair, you must notify us before you book so that we can advise you if the tour is suitable or what arrangements we may be able to make to accommodate you. Where you do have mobility limitations, please ensure that you book with a travelling companion who is willing and able to assist you on tour as, regrettably, our on tour team will be unable to offer individual assistance in such cases.

For bookings made by telephone or email, payment can be made by card, cheque or bank transfer (payable to Arblaster & Clarke).

We accept payment by Access, MasterCard, Visa & American Express credit cards: Visa and Connect debit cards. There is a 2.5% charge to cover the cost of Credit Cards but no charge for Debit Cards. You may provide your card details by phone or by fax. We also accept payment by bank transfer. We do not accept post-dated cheques, nor do we keep your card details.

Yes, but as we incur costs from the time we confirm your booking, the cancellation charges (as detailed in our Booking Conditions) will apply based on the date we receive your written notification. If you wish to cancel your booking, please email admin@winetours.co.uk or call +44 (0)1730 263111 immediately.

On all tours the ‘basics’ that are included are wine visits, generous wine tastings, a range of meals with regional wines and well-chosen accommodation and a Wine Guide plus a Tour Manager as described on each itinerary. We do not include all meals to leave you freedom of choice and also not everyone enjoys two heavy meals every day. Where we can obtain competitive fares we include travel from the UK with pre-payable departure taxes normally included, but as this restricts your flexibility we do not include travel on any of the long haul tours, leaving you total freedom for length of trip and departure dates and points. We can always either book travel for you or point you to a firm that specialises in travel to that particular area of the world. The specification varies from tour to tour, so do ask to see the detailed itinerary.

If it is physically impossible for a tour to take place, of course it will have to be cancelled. This includes natural disasters, Foreign Office advice against a destination, airlines cancelling routes, strikes, adverse weather and fuel shortage are just a few examples that could cancel the tour. In these cases clients will be offered immediate refunds or alternative travel arrangements. It is part of our job as a Tour Operator to overcome obstacles and to minimise their impact on our Clients.

We will be happy to quote on alternative travel arrangements, and can book these for you for a small booking fee. Flights will then be payable in full and non-refundable in the event of alteration or cancellation.

If you are looking for a longer holiday or want a few days to relax pre or post the tour, you can either simply choose to stay longer before or after the trip in the tour hotel, which we will be pleased to book for you if you advise us at time of the main booking, or we will be pleased to put you in touch with our recommended travel partners for any other arrangements or provide you with details of the arrangements that we can make.

Our aim is to give clients great experiences and if you tell us what you want, we will do our best to supply it. We often help to celebrate anniversaries and birthdays. If you’d like us to add flowers, a cake or champagne (please advise your budget), we can arrange this for a small administration charge. If the holiday is a surprise, please mark the booking form with the different address or instructions so that we can help keep the secret! If there is something that is important to you for your enjoyment of your holiday, please do ensure that you put this in writing to us at the time of booking.

Although we do not advertise specific discounts for group bookings it’s worth getting in touch if you are planning to bring a larger party on a bespoke or scheduled wine tour. We are able to offer a range of services, discounts and personal touches. These include discounted or free places for group organisers, special group transfers, discounts on future holidays, or simply a bottle of champagne in your hotel room to welcome you on tour…