old uk travel agents

The lost airlines and travel agents that used to take Brits on holiday

We look back at some of the travel agents and airline companies who had been taking us to our holidays for decades

• 18:00, 26 APR 2022

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Some of the companies might be gone but they're definitely not forgotten. From big-name brands like Thomas Cook to Lancashire's Airtours airline, which ones do you remember?

There are certain moments that everyone looks forward to, one of which is getting off a plane to a sunny welcome in a foreign country. From the moment you take that first step into the sun, you instantly get the 'holiday feeling' and forget about what could have been a pretty long journey to get there.

We look back at some of the travel agents and airline companies who had been taking us to our holidays for decades, but unfortunately didn't make it to 2022. Make sure your tray tables are up and your seats are in an upright position, and take a look at these five missed holidaymakers.

READ MORE: Trouble in Kinderland: The Scarborough adventure park that locals campaigned to close

Lunn Poly was once the biggest travel agent in the United Kingdom. It was originally created by two already successful travel agencies named the Polytechnic Touring Association and Sir Henry Lunn Travel before being combined to become Lunn Poly in 1965.

It became a innovator in the travel industry by splitting leisure and business travel into separate departments. The high street shops were dotted around the country and specialised in package holidays, where as offices were set up to serve the needs of the business industry.

Some might remember the company's long running television campaigns that featured people on the holidays they offered. One person would say, "Lunn Poly? Get away!", to which the other person would disappear into thin air and reappear in the vacation spot.

Read more Teesside nostalgia features here.

Monarch Airlines

Monarch Airlines started out in 1968 when air travel was only really feasible for rich families. During the seventies there was more demand for cheaper package holidays, which is where Monarch continued to excel as it was cheaper compared to other airlines.

In 2004, the airline switched to becoming a low-cost operator after struggling to compete against the other low-cost carriers who offered seat-only fares rather than package holidays. When Monarch went into administration in 2017, it left 110,000 passengers stranded around the world - leaving the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) and the government to bring people back home.

Britannia Airlines

Beginning life under the name of Euravia, Britannia Airways carried passengers to destinations around the globe from Palma to Barcelona and Canada. It even flew out to long haul destinations that were slightly more difficult to reach like Natal and Brazil.

It re-branded as Thomsonfly after a reorganisation of TUI's UK operations, who took over the airline in 2000. It eventually ceased operations in November 2005.

British Midland

In 1964, the Midlands-based airline named Derby Airways was bought out the Manchester-based scheduled charter line Mercury Airlines and officially became known as British Midland Airways. It was the first airline to introduce a domestic business class option, which it called "Diamond Euroclass".

After some confusion surrounding the airline name both in the UK and internationally, it rebranded to BMI and eventually integrated into British Airways in 2012.

Also known as First Choice, Air 2000 was founded in 1987, although First Choice officially commenced operations in 2004 as the charter airline for TUI.

It only lasted four years but was a big player in the travel industry, carrying six million passengers in 2006 alone. It was the first airline to operate the Boeing 787 Dreamliner in its rotation but, due to delays, the airline merged with Thomsonfly, who inherited its planes.

Which holidaymakers do you remember? Do you remember booking a holiday with Lunn Poly? We want to hear your memories in the comments below.

Photos from 1990s capture the changing landscape of Teesside through the decade

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Six holiday companies from the 90s from Lunn Poly to Monarch Airlines

We look back at some of the travel agents and airline companies who used to take us on holiday

• 14:57, 29 APR 2022

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Some of these travel companies might be gone but they're definitely not forgotten.

There are lots of memorable moments associated with holidays, like your first family trip abroad, or the time you got engaged in Rome, or backpacked through the mountains of Peru - but can you remember who you flew with? Unfortunately, not all of them made it to 2022.

From big-name brands like Thomas Cook to smaller airlines like Lancashire's Airtours, which ones do you remember? Make sure your tray tables are up and your seats are in an upright position, and take a look at these six missed holidaymakers.

READ MORE: Photos that will take you back to the 90s cafés and restaurants of Hull

Lunn Poly was once the biggest travel agent in the United Kingdom. It was originally created by two already successful travel agencies named the Polytechnic Touring Association and Sir Henry Lunn Travel before being combined to become Lunn Poly in 1965.

Some might remember the company's long running television campaigns that featured people on the holidays they offered. One person would say, "Lunn Poly? Get away!", to which the other person would disappear into thin air and reappear in the vacation spot.

Sign up to the FREE nostalgia newsletter and get the latest stories direct to your inbox every Sunday.

• Monarch Airlines

Monarch Airlines started out in 1968 when air travel was only really feasible for rich families. During the seventies there was more demand for cheaper package holidays, which is where Monarch continued to excel as it was cheaper compared to other airlines.

In 2004, the airline switched to becoming a low-cost operator after struggling to compete against the other low-cost carriers who offered seat-only fares rather than package holidays. When Monarch went into administration in 2017, it left 110,000 passengers stranded around the world - leaving the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) and the government to bring people back home.

Britannia Airlines

Beginning life under the name of Euravia, Britannia Airways carried passengers to destinations around the globe from Palma to Barcelona and Canada. It even flew out to long haul destinations that were slightly more difficult to reach like Natal and Brazil.

It re-branded as Thomsonfly after a reorganisation of TUI's UK operations, who took over the airline in 2000. It eventually ceased operations in November 2005.

British Midland

In 1964, the Midlands-based airline named Derby Airways was bought out the Manchester-based scheduled charter line Mercury Airlines and officially became known as British Midland Airways. It was the first airline to introduce a domestic business class option, which it called "Diamond Euroclass".

After some confusion surrounding the airline name both in the UK and internationally, it rebranded to BMI and eventually integrated into British Airways in 2012.

READ MORE: East Park's lido that kept Hull locals cool during the hot summers of the 70s

Also known as First Choice, Air 2000 was founded in 1987, although First Choice officially commenced operations in 2004 as the charter airline for TUI.

It only lasted four years but was a big player in the travel industry, carrying six million passengers in 2006 alone. It was the first airline to operate the Boeing 787 Dreamliner in its rotation but, due to delays, the airline merged with Thomsonfly, who inherited its planes.

Read more nostalgia stories on our dedicated page here.

The airline started life at Southend Airport with one single plane. It grew to be the second-largest airline at Gatwick and Dan-Air was the first in the UK to have a female pilot in command, as well as being one of the first to carry a live dolphin.

They were often confused with being a Danish airline, until they began adding 'London' to the fuselage of the aircraft. In 1992 they were bought out by British Airways, bringing an end to the much loved cheap and cheerful brand.

Did you work for one of the airlines? Do remember booking watching the Lunn Poly ad on television? We want to hear your memories in the comments below.

Take a stroll through '80s Hull with these fantastic unearthed photos

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The package holiday revolution

From city breaks to far-flung adventure trips, many tourists today take for granted the ease with which one can book a package holiday or escorted tour. But when did this trend first begin? Here, Dave Richardson explores how a new breed of mass-market tourist emerged blinking into the sun in the middle of the last century...

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With few exceptions, the trickle of British people who went on holiday abroad before WW2 were looking for adventure or to better their minds, not to lie around on beaches. Foreign holidays were almost exclusively for the wealthy, starting when the aristocratic ‘grand tour’ of Europe became particularly fashionable in the 18th century. The hardships were many, but by the mid-19th century the coming of the railways made mass travel affordable. In 1841, Thomas Cook organised his first excursion, by train from Leicester to Loughborough. By 1855 he was leading tours to the continent and by 1866 to the United States, with his first round-the-world tour following in 1872. The focus of such excursions was usually on culture, adventure or health.

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By the turn of the century the first commercially organised British ski trips were heading for the Alps. Sherlock Holmes creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle chose the Reichenbach Falls, above the Swiss mountain resort of Meiringen, for Holmes’s apparently fatal tussle with arch-rival Professor Moriarty, reflecting the growing popularity of walking holidays at that time.

The First World War halted most leisure travel, but as Europe started to recover after 1918 the first commercial flights took to the sky. By 1939 Thomas Cook was advertising holidays by air with a week in Cannes, in the south of France, costing £15/5s (about £930 in today’s money) – well beyond the financial reach of most people.

The Second World War again brought foreign holidays to a standstill, but tour operators of the 1930s including Thomas Cook, ski holiday company Inghams and Travel Club of Upminster found there was latent demand – which would be boosted by ex-servicemen wanting to revisit places in which they had fought. Travel Club resumed holidays to Europe in 1947, and its founder, Harry Chandler, recalled: “I painted a glowing picture of what Switzerland was like – plenty of food, shops full of goods, virtually pre-war conditions and a complete contrast to England at that time with its shortages, electricity cuts and hard times”.

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Travelling by rail or road across war-torn Europe wasn’t easy, and when a Russian émigré named Vladimir Raitz set up Horizon Holidays in 1950, he decided that his customers would fly from London to Corsica rather than undergo the 48-hour journey by rail and sea that he had made the previous year. By chartering a series of weekly flights to a beachfront campsite, he is generally considered to be the inventor of the package holiday.

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The journey time by Douglas DC-3 aircraft, at a top speed of 170 mph, was a mere six hours, including a refuelling stop in Lyon. Horizon soon faced competition, but not from Thomas Cook, which preferred to operate cultural and adventure tours while acting as an agent for rail, sea, coach and air companies. Universal Sky Tours was set up in 1953, while pre-war companies including Sir Henry Lunn Travel and the Polytechnic Touring Association, which later merged to form Lunn Poly, also expanded into air travel.

The first charter flights certainly cut journey times dramatically compared to overland travel, but they were unreliable and expensive – and uncomfortable in bad weather. Other challenges facing charter flight pioneers were a shortage of suitable hotels, and a licensing regime requiring package holiday prices not to undercut the regular return air fare, which was very high. A company called Wings, set up in 1955 by the Ramblers’ Association, advertised package holidays to Portugal costing 49 guineas for two weeks (around £1,180 today), but had to withdraw them from sale after objections by British European Airways (BEA). BEA’s return fare to Lisbon, not including accommodation, was £54/18s (around £1,239). Restrictions on package holiday pricing lasted until the 1980s, by which time the demand for cheap holidays abroad was unstoppable.

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The big change came in the 1960s, as hotel construction developed rapidly in many Mediterranean countries but especially in Spain, where the fascist dictator General Franco saw tourism as a way of enriching a ‘backward’ nation. At the same time, larger and faster aircraft were becoming available to charter, bringing economies of scale, and restrictions on taking currency abroad were eased, though not yet abolished.

The booming economy and sense of fun and adventure that marked the 1960s encouraged tour operators of many kinds, with coach tours making use of better roads and rail tours continuing to be popular. But the most rapid growth was in air travel, with non-stop flights reducing the journey time to the Spanish island of Mallorca to four, and then three hours – whereas the journey by rail and sea a few years earlier took nearly 48 hours, including an overnight ferry from Barcelona. The arrival of the first jet aircraft in charter fleets by the mid-1960s reduced that journey time to two hours, which remains unchanged today.

Many of the package holiday pioneers were people who simply enjoyed travel themselves and fancied the idea of turning it into a business. They included a London taxi driver named Aubrey Morris, who set up Riviera Holidays, and three siblings whose Lord Brothers package holiday firm operated at first from their council house in Wimbledon, before rapid growth and relocation to Regent Street in the West End. Other pioneers were hardheaded businessmen, including Ted Langton of Universal Sky Tours and Norman Corkhill, whose Gaytours company (the word gay in this case meaning ‘merry’) started by selling end-of-season holidays to Blackpool’s seaside landladies.

When the Thomson Organisation, a Canada-based corporation with widespread media interests in the UK, decided to buy into the travel business in 1965, this was seen as a turning point. Big business saw the potential of package holidays, as Thomson acquired Riviera Holidays, Universal Sky Tours and Gaytours, names that disappeared within a few years. It also acquired Universal Sky Tours’ own charter airline, Britannia, and by the end of the 1960s Britannia was taking delivery of state-of-the-art Boeing 737 jets that transformed the economics and image of package holidays.

Thomson Holidays was soon to become market leader, its position secured after the demise of Clarksons, part of the massive Court Line group, which went bust in 1974 after the first global oil crisis hit demand and forced up prices. Clarksons grew rapidly from the mid-1960s, being the first major package holiday operator with a ‘pile-it-high, sell-it-cheap’ mentality. It led the way in Spain by funding the construction of hotels for its exclusive use, especially in Benidorm, as the resort grew from a village into a high-rise tourist city. But by the time it was taken over by Court Line – which also acquired Horizon during the oil crisis – Clarksons’ margins were wafer-thin. It looked like the all-too-brief era of package holidays had reached a premature end.

It was easy to start a tour operation in the 1960s – you needed no experience, and no financial backing. Only the airlines that provided the flights were licensed. Fly-by-nights came in and sometimes went bust, leaving people out of pocket or stranded abroad. Regulation and financial monitoring came slowly, and the government had to set up an emergency fund to rescue the customers of Clarksons and other failed operators. The money was recouped through a levy on all air packages, as regulation was tightened. Only in recent years have people lost money again in the collapse of travel firms, but they were not travelling on packages. A failsafe system to protect people when an airline goes bust has never emerged.

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Despite the Clarksons collapse, the UK had got into the package holiday habit and it wasn’t long before other companies were growing to rival Thomson – especially Intasun, which shared Clarksons’ price cutting approach. By now people expected rock-bottom prices, and half-finished hotels, poor food and sanitation and other ills of an industry had developed too quickly.

Some travellers distanced themselves from the ‘sun and sangria’ image of the package holiday, but there were plenty of alternatives. City breaks, pioneered by companies including Time Off and Travelscene, were becoming popular. Skiing became mass market, with people visiting the same countries on ‘lakes and mountains’ holidays in the summer. Escorted tours had continued to grow, especially by coach and air but less so by rail. Adventure tour operators started to offer overland travel to Asia and Africa, appealing to a new generation who had the cash but wanted the organisation.

The biggest growth, outside sunshine packages, was in faraway or ‘long-haul’ holidays, led by a Swiss company called Kuoni, which started operating from the UK in the mid-1960s. Advances in aviation made faraway places increasingly accessible, with the Boeing 707 jet, which made its debut in 1958, cutting journey times dramatically. The Boeing 747 jumbo jet, first seen in the UK in 1970, was also a game-changer. With more than 400 seats it brought vast economies of scale, and ushered in the era of cut-price tickets. Tours and stay-put holidays were soon made affordable almost anywhere in the world. The United States and former parts of the British empire were the first to be discovered, but soon British people on some kind of package were turning up in the most unlikely places.

The 1980s were an era of huge growth in package holidays, as Intasun tried to knock Thomson off its perch. New technology made reservations simpler, and there was corresponding growth in the number of high street travel agents, with Thomas Cook being overtaken by Lunn Poly, part of Thomson. Discounting became rife as the last price controls were abolished, with Intasun becoming almost as big as Thomson until Thomson bought the then number three, Horizon. Intasun’s flamboyant founder, Harry Goodman, became a media personality, acquiring many other companies and setting up his own airline, Air Europe, to operate not only charters but also regular scheduled services, in advance of European Union deregulation of air travel.

But Goodman’s International Leisure Group (ILG), as it had become known, did not survive to reap the benefits of deregulation. It went bust in 1991, a major factor being the Gulf War of 1990–91 and Saddam Hussein’s threat to shoot down western civilian aircraft.

As in 1974, it appeared that the era of package holidays could be over – but it was not to be so. Another company, Airtours, grew rapidly to replace ILG as Thomson’s main rival. Airtours’ many innovations included charter flights to the Caribbean and mass-market cruise ships, and it also acquired tour operators in other countries as a foretaste of the multinational tour operations of the future. In the late 1990s, four large tour operating groups including Thomson, Airtours and First Choice went on a spending spree and snapped up many smaller names. The fourth player was Thomas Cook, which belatedly moved into mass-market tour operating by acquiring Sunworld, a company set up by ex-ILG people.

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All looked set fair for the 21st century, but the 9/11 terror attacks caused global panic and hit travel hard. At the same time, ‘no-frills’ or ‘low-cost’ airlines that grew out of deregulation in the mid-1990s started turning their attention to package holiday routes, having already undermined city break packages. Online booking of EasyJet, Ryanair and other airlines led to a boom in ‘do-it-yourself holidays’, with many online firms now offering accommodation bookings and resort transfers to go with the flight. The golden age of package holidays was finally over, with the ‘big four’ becoming the ‘big two’ in 2007 as Thomson merged with First Choice, and Thomas Cook with Airtours.

After more than four decades Thomson remains a market leader, although the TUI brand will replace it in 2017. Thomas Cook, which celebrated its 175th anniversary in July 2016, has experienced a turbulent few years, and package holiday operators – which gave so many people their first taste of foreign travel – have a much lower share than a decade ago. Escorted tour operators are generally faring much better, as more enter middle age with disposable income and time to spare. Many medium-sized companies have disappeared, but there are still plenty of small tour operators offering the kind of holidays that their owners enjoy. In some ways, then, the wheel has turned full circle.

Dave Richardson is the author of Let’s Go – A History of Package Holidays and Escorted Tours (Amberley Publishing, 2016)

This article was first published on HistoryExtra in July 2016

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Bankruptcy of U.K.’s Largest Travel Operator Strands Thousands of Vacationers

The U.K. government is undertaking the largest repatriation effort since WWII to bring home 150,000 Thomas Cook customers

Jason Daley

Correspondent

Yesterday, hundreds of thousands of travelers around the globe found out that they were potentially stranded when Thomas Cook, one of the largest and oldest travel agencies and charter airlines in the world abruptly announced it was bankrupt. The firm immediately began liquidating assets and laid off its 22,000 employees. The event has put the British government on the hook for bringing 150,000 of its citizens home, the largest repatriation effort by the country since World War II.

Patrick Collinson at the Guardian reports that the 178-year-old travel company has experienced financial troubles for the past decade after merging with another travel group called MyTravel. Cook absorbed that company’s substantial debts while at the same time contending with increasingly competitive online travel hubs. That, plus a decline in bookings following Brexit uncertainty, all led up to the situation on Monday. When the company was denied a $250 million loan from private investors to stay afloat, it led to the immediate dissolution of the company.

Ben Perry at AFP reports that the bankruptcy has forced the government to step in. In a project dubbed Operation Matterhorn, the U.K. government and Civil Aviation Authority are lining up private flights to bring people home. “All customers currently abroad with Thomas Cook who are booked to return to the UK over the next two weeks will be brought home as close as possible to their booked return date,” the government wrote in a statement. It's not clear what, if any, type of arrangements are being made for non-U.K. travelers.

Any future travel plans arranged through Thomas Cook are canceled and customers will be refunded, mainly through government-back insurance, as Ceylan Yeginsu and Michael Wolgelenter at The New York Times report. The insurance will also reimburse hotels for customer stays, but some resorts don’t appear to have been made aware of that. Nightmare scenarios from people currently on vacation are slowly coming to light. Ian Westbrook at the BBC reports that all guests booked through Thomas Cook in one hotel in Spain had been locked out of their rooms and forced to pay out of pocket if they wanted to get back in. Several couples of elderly people were reported sleeping on couches in the hotel lobby. Molly Olmstead at Slate reports that up to 50,000 people are currently stuck on various Greek islands.

The New York Times reports that the shuttering of the company could have major impacts on certain destinations that rely heavily on Cook’s travel packages. The island of Crete, for example, receives 400,000 visitors booked by Cook annually. The Canary Islands receives about 3.2 to 3.6 million visitors via Cook charter flights each year.

Thomas Cook was started back in 1841 by cabinet maker Thomas Cook of Leicestershire, a supporter of the temperance movement. At that time, he arranged for a special train to carry supporters 12 miles to a temperance rally. As CNN reports, Cook continued to organize trips to temperance events and Sunday schools until 1845 when he organized his first commercial trip to Liverpool, complete with a travel guide for the event.

From there, things snowballed, and a decade later Cook was organizing trips to visit continental Europe, the United States and Egypt. In 1872, the company, continued by Cook's son, even put together the first round-the-world tour. Over time, it became the largest tour operator in Britain. It was considered so important that, after World War II almost bankrupted it, the tour agency was nationalized from 1948 to 1972.

When the company asked the government for a bailout this time around, the Boris Johnson administration said no. The New York Times reports that U.K. transportation secretary Grant Shapps pointed out that the company was billions of dollars in debt, and that a short-term bailout would not have saved it in the long run.

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Jason Daley | | READ MORE

Jason Daley is a Madison, Wisconsin-based writer specializing in natural history, science, travel, and the environment. His work has appeared in Discover , Popular Science , Outside , Men’s Journal , and other magazines.

Savvy Travel Advice

Thomas Cook History: The Tale of the Father of Modern Tourism

Last updated: March 21, 2021 - Written by Jessica Norah 42 Comments

Do you know who Thomas Cook was and what contribution he made to the history of travel? Perhaps you have heard the name, seen it on the travel agencies that still carry his name, or maybe you’ve even taken a Thomas Cook tour. But my guess is that, like me, you don’t know too much about the man or how he fits into the history of travel.

Thomas Cook was a passionate man who was born into a world where most working class people worked long 6-day weeks and never traveled more than 20 miles from their home towns. Thomas would begin work at age 10, laboring in a vegetable garden for 1 penny per day; but with a lot of determination and hard work, this working class man would eventually build one of the largest travel companies in the world.

This post is dedicated to the memory of Thomas Cook and his role in history and will give you a good overview of Thomas the man, Thomas the travel pioneer, and a glimpse of what it was like to travel in the Victorian age.

Table of Contents:

Who was Thomas Cook?

Thomas Cook was born in 1808 in the small town of Melbourne, England but would be best known for his time living in Leicester. He would finish his schooling at age 10 to begin working, often for only a penny a day, to help support his family.

Throughout his life, Thomas Cook would work as a Baptist preacher, carpenter, furniture maker, printer, publisher, political advocate, and travel organizer. As a Baptist preacher, he would walk thousands of miles and earned so little that he often worked in the dark to conserve candles and oil.

After seeing the effects of drunkenness at an early age, Cook believed that alcohol abuse was one of the major roots of the many social problems in the Victoria era and would spend much of his time and talents supporting the Temperance movement in England for the rest of his life. In fact, Cook’s beginnings as a travel organizer would come about because of his temperance beliefs.

In 1841, he would arrange for a special train to take over 500 people from Leicester to Loughborough to attend a temperance meeting. For 1 shilling, passengers got round trip train travel, band entertainment, afternoon tea, and food. Not a bad deal!

T he Birth of Thomas Cook & Son

Then in 1845, he would organize his first railway excursion for profit, and the following year he would begin offering trips outside England to Scotland, a country that captivated Cook and would remain one of his favorite destinations. For many of his early passengers, this was their first time aboard a train and the furthest distance they’d ever traveled from their home.

His trips kept getting bigger and in 1851, Thomas got the chance to organize railway travel and travel accommodations for people from the provinces to travel to London to attend the Great Exhibition orchestrated by Prince Albert. Thomas would transport over 150,000 people to London during the 6 months of the exhibition. This was one of the largest events in England and one of the largest movements of people within Britain!

Up until this point in time, most people in the provinces would be unlikely to travel to a town 20 miles away, let alone to the city of London. It must have been quite a shock for many people, who likely had never attended an event bigger than a county agricultural fair, to witness the Great Exhibition, where many of the greatest industrial inventions of the time were on display, in the bustling capital city of London.

His early tours would be marketed towards the working class, but later his company would go on to escort more middle class passengers and even organize travel for royalty, the military, and other important figures given his increasing reputation for being able to efficiently organize travel.

Interestingly, a large percentage of Cook’s travelers would be single or unescorted women who likely would not have been able to travel on their own (remember these are the days of Gone with the Wind ), but being part of an escorted tour provided them with both protection and independence.

Cook would rapidly expand operations, escorting tours throughout Europe, North America, and even led the first commercial tour around the world. But perhaps no destination was more sacred to Thomas than his tours to Egypt and the Middle East. Here Thomas could witness firsthand the Biblical lands he had read and preached about all his life, and spending time in the Holy Land was truly a realization of many of his dreams as a young man.

A Man with Many Personal Obstacles and Struggles

Although Thomas Cook & Son would thrive and go on to become one of the largest travel agencies in the world, things did not work out as well for Cook in his personal life. Thomas’ father died when he was very young as did his stepfather, and young Thomas was left to be raised by his widowed mother.

As an adult, he would suffer the tragic sudden death of his only daughter Annie—a young woman on the cusp of marriage—who shared a close relationship with her parents. Thomas’ wife would suffer a long period of ill health following her daughter’s death, eventually dying and leaving Thomas alone with his own failing health that left him almost blind.

In his later years, he had a very strained relationship with his only son and business partner John Mason Cook. Thomas felt that he was being pushed aside in his own company and eventually John Mason Cook would take over all operations from his father. The father and son never truly reconciled and spent very little time together towards the end of his life.

While Thomas’ poor health and eyesight made it increasingly difficult, he continued to be active in travel and temperance activities until near the end of his life. His son would continue to expand the travel business.

What was it like to Travel During the Victorian Era?

Thomas lived during the reign of Queen Victoria—the Victorian era—and while romantic imaginings of spending time aboard the famous Oriental Express, sailing on luxury White Star Line steamships, and staying in grand palatial hotels may have been partially true of the wealthiest of travelers, these are far from the accommodations you could expect as a working class or middle class traveler.

Before widespread railway transport, the stagecoach reigned as the quickest way to get around and only the wealthy could afford such conveniences. So poorer people often walked, hitched rides on the back of wagons and carts, or, if lucky, rode a horse or donkey. In the early days of railway travel, third class train accommodations were open wagons, some without seats, where passengers would have to worry about the wind, sun, dust, locomotive smoke, and glowing hot embers.

During Cook’s travels—particularly his early trips—you would need to worry about germs and disease as very little was understood about germs at the time and the lack of widespread refrigeration and hot water heightened the chances of disease. Restaurants, flush toilets, and even running water were not staples in Great Britain, let alone the rest of the world. Communication was slow and done primarily by postal mail, sometimes taking weeks to confirm reservations or transmit a message back home.

However, things were not all bad. During Thomas’s life so much would change that would make travel faster, cheaper, and more comfortable than ever before. Improvements in the postal service, use of the steam engine, opening of the Suez canal, and the great expansion of the railways would make it possible for Thomas Cook to accomplish things that would not have been possible a generation before him.

Thomas Cook’s tours, with their discounted organized group rates, made it possible for a lot of working and middle class people to travel for the first time.  Cook believed that travel could help educate and enlighten people who, like him, often did not have a proper school education, eliminate prejudices and bigotry, and be a healthy leisure alternative to visiting pubs, gambling halls, and whorehouses.

However, these new travel opportunities for the lower classes was not something that was widely appreciated by many of those in the upper classes of society. Until the nineteenth century, popular tourist destinations were almost exclusively the playground of the wealthy who could afford the time away and expensive cost of travel. The upper classes did not want to mix with the lower classes when traveling.

As Thomas Cook and others began to offer affordable excursion tours to popular destinations such as English country homes (e.g., Chatsworth House), the Rhine River valley, the French Riviera, Egyptian pyramids, and the Swiss Alps, wealthy travelers complained about what they saw as a bunch of uncouth, uneducated common people invading their exclusive travel paradises.

They criticized Thomas Cook and the excursion travelers, and this criticism likely wounded Thomas, who although he strongly believed in the right for all people to be able to travel, he also strived to be accepted by the upper echelons of society. Despite his success, he never was accepted by the upper classes as he was not of gentle birth, but was a working man and a Baptist in a country still largely controlled by wealthy Anglicans.

However, despite all the criticism, the demand for discounted organized travel would only continue to increase. The number of travelers from London who crossed the Channel to continental Europe rose from 165,000 in 1850 to 951,000 by 1899. Travel agencies and organized travel were here to stay.

Why Thomas Cook was a Travel Pioneer

Thomas Cook was a travel pioneer who built one of the largest travel businesses in the world, a business that started very humbly as a way to transport travelers to nearby temperance meetings. Thomas was able to “organize travel as it was never organized before” and with the help of the railways and the steam engine, he was able to do it on a scale that would have never before been possible.

Although not the first to come up with most of the ideas, Thomas would make things like travel vouchers, traveler’s cheques, and printed guidebooks common and widespread. Cook would use his talents as a printer to print travel advertisements, bulletins, magazines, guidebooks, and train timetables.  In fact, Thomas Cook Continental Timetables would be published from 1873 to 2013 (last edition was published in August 2013) and were for many decades considered the bible for European train travelers.

His religious fervor would make him seek out exotic locations such as the Middle East and his determination would lead to Thomas Cook & Son opening offices around the world. Perhaps his greatest legacy is that he helped make it possible for a new group of people to engage in leisure travel. Cook understood well the drudgery of hard work and trying to support oneself on a meager income, and his tours provided working and lower middle class people the opportunity to explore a world they could have only have read about otherwise.

The Thomas Cook & Son name continued to exist as a travel company, offering travel tours until 2019. The company traded for 178 years. But it had not been a family-run business by the Cook family since the 1920’s when Thomas Cook’s grandsons, Frank and Ernest, sold the company to the Belgian Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits et des Grands Express Européens, operators of most of Europe’s luxury sleeping cars, including the Orient Express .

In the 1940’s it would become state-owned by the British Transport Holding Company. It would continue to change hands over the years. In 2001, it would become owned solely by C&N Touristic AG, one of Germany’s largest travel groups, who renamed the company, Thomas Cook AG.

Thomas Cook became one of the world’s largest travel agencies and the oldest in the UK. Its famous slogan developed by advertising expert Michael Hennessy: “Don’t just book it….Thomas Cook it” became well-known around the world.

The Bankruptcy and Closure of the Thomas Cook Travel Agency in 2019

Sadly, the travel agency and airline that carried the Thomas Cook named declared bankruptcy in September 2019, leaving about 150,000 British travelers “stranded” all over the world (as well as a number of other nationalities). Perhaps the most devastating effect has been the immediate loss of thousands of jobs for people in the UK and abroad.

The travel agency, however, was properly insured and protected and most of those who booked a trip can apply for a refund, and those left “stranded” on trips were repatriated by the UK. It was the largest repatriation effort since World War 2.

In October 2019, it was announced that all the Thomas Cook travel agency offices in UK will be taken over by Hays Travel and rebranded under their name. Most of the reopened offices are being staffed by former Thomas Cook employees. Hays Travel is now the largest independent travel agency in the UK, and you can read more about them here .

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on all sectors of the global travel industry and Hays Travel was forced to close its travel offices in the UK for a large part of the year. Many of the former UK Thomas Cook offices have now been permanently shuttered and many of the employees who had been rehired were sadly made redundant. You can read more about that here .

Although the future of the Thomas Cook name in travel may be uncertain, I would be very surprised if the name does not continue to be associated in some way with a travel agency.

In fact, although all the UK based companies have stopped trading, some Thomas Cook owned resorted, like Cook’s Club are still operating. Some of its subsidiaries in some other countries are still trading as normal but are also in danger of closure.

What I Learned from Reading about Thomas Cook

Thomas Cook was a quite extraordinary self-made man. He had so many occupations and business ventures and so many setback and failures, even declaring bankruptcy at one point, but he was so persistent and never gave up. He was a passionate man who fought for his Baptist faith, beliefs in equality for all people, and for temperance.

In addition to being impressed by the determination and innovativeness of Thomas Cook himself, I was also quite intrigued in the ways that travel has changed and the ways it has not. We have come a long way since Thomas Cook escorted his first tour as we can travel so much lighter, faster, and more conveniently than would have seemed possible to Victorian age travelers who would accept unheated train cars, month-long ocean crossings, and hotels without hot water.

Cook, a teetotaler until his death, would likely be shocked by the tourism industry’s promotion of sun, sea and sex and the partying and drinking associated with many travel destinations. Indeed, many of these locations are the most popular destinations for British travelers on package holidays.

However, some things have not changed very much. Criticisms of organized travel remain with the notion that independent travel is better and people love to make the subjective “traveler” versus “tourist” distinction.  There are also still locations that remain primarily the playgrounds of the wealthy although never like during the Victorian age. Travel remains class segregated as those who can afford to do so can fly in first class seats, dine in the finest restaurants aboard ships, and sleep in the best cabins with little need to spend much time with other class passengers.

One of the things that I found perhaps the most interesting was the destinations promoted by Thomas Cook still remain, with few exceptions, major tourist destinations today. The country house of Chatsworth House is one of the most notable country houses in England today and people are still flocking to the Scottish highlands, Paris, Rhine River Valley, Swiss Alps, Egypt, the ancient city of Petra, Australia, and most of the other destinations promoted by Thomas Cook in the 1800’s.

While things have changed in some ways beyond recognition, many of the world’s wonders and great destinations continue to awe visitors as they must have awed those first pioneer tourists led by Thomas Cook.

Want to Learn More about Thomas Cook and Victorian Age Travel? 

Resources about Thomas Cook (I used these in writing this article) :

-Hamilton, Jill. (2005). Thomas Cook: The Holiday Maker . The History Press.

-Piers Brendon. (1991). Thomas Cook – 150 Years of Popular Tourism . Martin Secker & Warburg Ltd.

-Withey, Lynne. (1997). Grand Tours and Cook’s Tours – A History of Leisure Travel, 1750 to 1915 .  William Morrow & Co. [This book focuses on a broader view of the history of travel including a lot of attention to Thomas Cook tours and their impact on tourism]

-A great Wikipedia link to some of Thomas Cook’s Traveler Handbooks: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cook%27s_Travellers_Handbooks

Another book related to Thomas Cook on my to-read list:

-Swinglehurst, Edmund. (1974).  The Romantic Journey – The Story of Thomas Cook and Victorian Travel . Pica Editions.

So what do you think about Thomas Cook and the Victorian Age of Travel? If you are interested in another article on travel during the Victorian age, check out our post on t wo American women who race around the world in less than 80 days .

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Baskin Post author

February 28, 2024 at 3:26 am

Wow, so fascinating to read about the history of Thomas Cook, the visionary behind modern tourism. I definitely learned a lot from this about how His legacy continues to shape travel and hospitality industries, very educational post!

Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author

February 28, 2024 at 10:20 am

Thanks for taking the time to comment and glad to hear you enjoyed our article on Thomas Cook. And yes his contributions to the travel industry can definitely still be seend today!

Best, Jessica

Chandra Gurung Post author

May 9, 2023 at 4:15 am

Very interesting post, thanks for the great travel History !!

May 13, 2023 at 8:06 am

Hi Chandra,

Glad you enjoyed our post on Thomas Cook, thanks for taking the time to comment!

Karim Post author

October 29, 2022 at 3:01 pm

Thanks for your blog post on Thomas Cook, very helpful, nice to read.

October 31, 2022 at 10:04 am

Thanks for taking the time to comment, glad you enjoyed our post on Thomas Cook and a bit of the history of the man and his company 😉

Jeanne Gisi Post author

May 24, 2022 at 1:06 pm

While cleaning out some boxes filled with mementos of my travels over the years, I came upon an Itinerary prepared by Thos. Cook & Son for a 6 week European trip in 1965 for my parents & I (I was 13)! It was so fascinating to see the level of detail for each stop, which included England, France, Italy, Spain & Germany; and the beautiful cover & fancy paper used to produce the itinerary. I went looking on the internet to see if they were still in existence & found your blog, which I found so informative about the founder & the many iterations the company had gone through. Probably the most amazing detail in this itinerary was discovering that for hotels in 4 different cities, train rides, rental car & private transport for the entire trip was shown at $328 per person! Astounding! Appreciated reading your historical information about this venerable company.

May 25, 2022 at 5:10 am

So glad you enjoyed our article on the history of Thomas Cook.

Oh, wow, that must be wonderful finding old treasures from your family travels. I love things like that. And yes a 6 week trip for $328 per person (about $3,000 per person in today’s money) would still be a good value today for all that was included for a 6-week trip. And it would have taken longer to put together an itinerary then as the travel agent would have needed to call or mail for inquiries and reservations rather than clicking buttons on a computer.

Yes, Thomas Cook has gone through a lot in recent years. Hays Travel purchased most of the Thomas Cook offices/stores and hired back a lot of the staff in 2019. But then of course the COVID-19 pandemic came soon after, and many of the stores have since re-closed and a number of people had to be let go. For example, our local travel store (in Bath, England) went from a Thomas Cook to a Hays Travel to being empty again in about a year’s time. It will be interesting to see what will happen with traditional travel agencies like this as international travel goes back to 2019 levels and if they will continue to flourish in the face of online competitors.

Ruth Deeks Post author

March 21, 2021 at 8:39 am

Very interesting. My parents who were Baptist missionaries in India had told me that Thomas Cook was a Baptist and gave a special rate to missionaries travelling by boat to and from India, the journey taking 5 weeks approx. I am talking about the 1930s to 1950s. What a shame the The Thomas Cook co. was sold out of the family and went bankrupt.

March 21, 2021 at 9:05 am

Glad you enjoyed our article on Thomas Cook and the history of his travel business. He is an interesting man combining his religion with travel.

Yes, it is sad that the Thomas Cook business went bankrupt. Sadly, the UK travel company which took over most of the Thomas Cook offices in the UK, Hays Travel, has now had to close many of these offices in 2020 due to the coronavirus. This has also sadly left many of the former Thomas Cook employees, many of which were then re-hired by Hays Travel, without a job again. It’s been a very tough couple of years for UK travel agents. Hopefully, 2021 will be a better year for them.

Uwingabire Faustine Post author

November 28, 2020 at 1:03 pm

Hello I was inspired by the theory of Thomas Cook, but wanted to know above all that why was he important in tourism industry?

November 29, 2020 at 7:05 am

Glad you enjoyed our post on Thomas Cook and learning about his life. Hopefully you found your answer about why Thomas Cook was important in the tourism industry from the article. But if not, I’d go back and read the “Why Thomas Cook was a Travel Pioneer” section as that covers a good summary of his achievements related to travel and his importance in the tourism industry.

If you have any further questions, please let me know!

Seba Campos Post author

July 30, 2020 at 6:49 pm

Hi! I am a tourism student from Argentina, I really liked your article and it was extremely revealing for me. I’m working on the Thomas Cook story.

Do you have any information about his family? Why did they decide to sell the company? Why did your son remove him from the company? Thank you so much!

August 1, 2020 at 5:28 am

Glad that you are finding my article helpful in writing your paper on Thomas Cook.

If you are looking for additional information, I’d recommend checking out one of the books about Thomas Cook such as this one by Jill Hamilton published in 2005. The books will give you more details and context than you’ll find online. You should be able to buy it online through Amazon or ebay.

The Thomas Cook company website used to have some good historical information but that information has all been removed since Thomas Cook closed in the UK.

Hope that helps, Jessica

Colin Post author

October 6, 2019 at 5:41 am

Hi Jessica, I was just searching about Thomas Cook after the recent bankruptcy as I was one of the people affected. Luckily for us, we were not on the tour and it was booked several months away, so it seems all will be well in terms of getting our money back. We also have plenty of time to rebook our holiday, so we are luckier than most.

What a great post and what a detailed history of Thomas Cook and his travel company. I have used Thomas Cook to book holidays for years and never knew anything about Thomas Cook, the man or his background. This was a very interesting read!

October 6, 2019 at 6:09 am

Sorry to hear that you were one of the people affected by the Thomas Cook bankruptcy and closure. But I am happy to hear that it sounds like you will receive a full refund for your booked trip and will have plenty of time to rebook your holiday.

So glad you enjoyed our post. Yes, the history of Thomas Cook as a person is very interesting and he was definitely a pioneer in the field of tourism. I am sure the Cook name will continue to be associated with a travel company in one way or another in the future since it is so well recognized worldwide.

Happy travels, Jessica

Eran Post author

December 26, 2018 at 10:21 pm

Hi, Great post! Towards the end of it you mention that a lot of things haven’t changed in travel. However, I think in recent years, with the rise of low-cost flights, now tourism is more reachable to all segments than ever before…

December 27, 2018 at 3:37 am

Hi Eran, Yes, it is amazing how much hasn’t changed and in other ways how much things have changed since the time of Thomas Cook!

I do think that low cost travel has enabled more people to travel, but in more recent times it is probably more due to better economic conditions in countries than things like budget airlines, as we are seeing huge increases in the number of travelers from places like India, China, and Latin America. Travel for leisure is commonplace in many countries, but still remains something for those with money as much of the world’s population can not often afford to travel internationally for leisure. According to Hans Rosling, it is estimated that only the richest 1 billion people in the world live where they can easily afford airplane tickets, and 2 billion people spend less than $2 a day.

Interesting to look at travel from a global perspective as it can be easy for Western people to take it for granted.

Alok kumar mandal Post author

August 17, 2018 at 8:15 am

very interesting and useful facts about Mr. Cook…

August 17, 2018 at 11:32 am

Hi Alok, Yes, Thomas Cook was an interesting man and we the see the effects of his legacy on modern travel all over the place, especially since we are now living in the UK. Best, Jessica

Bryant Kerr Post author

November 4, 2017 at 10:08 pm

I have a old traveling trunk that have the names Colonel Thomas Cook and Sons the other name is Lieutenant Colonel Rodger Young military number 03443 79 New Delhi does anyone know anything about this trunk

November 7, 2017 at 8:29 am

Hi Bryant, I don’t know anything about the trunk, but there is a fairly well-known American from Ohio that was in the military named Rodger Wilton Young although not sure if he was ever in New Delhi. There was also a Thomas Cook who served at the Addiscombe Military Seminary in 1837. But the Thomas Cook & Sons are probably just the ones that arranged the travel so you’ll probably have better luck tracking down Young. Best of luck!! ~ Jessica

Taranath Bohara Post author

January 31, 2017 at 5:09 am

I love this guy Thomas Cook, who helped bring affordable tourism to the world. Many people are involved and have followed his principles. He was a great who taught the lesson of tour and travel. Great blog post!

January 31, 2017 at 6:20 am

Hi Taranath, Thanks for taking the time to comment. Yes, I really love the story of Thomas Cook and I don’t think a lot of people know the influence he had on the modern tourism industry but at least his name is still carried on in the company he founded. Glad you enjoyed our article! Best, Jessica

LOUIS GEEN Post author

January 31, 2017 at 9:11 am

Could this be the same man? I am a Freemason and a member of the Port Natal Masonic Lodge in Durban, South Africa. The Lodge is almost 160 years old, having been consecrated on 12th August 1858. According to our records Thomas Cook was Master of the Lodge during the Masonic year 1883 – 1884. The Lodge is in possession of a beautiful oil painting of Thomas Cook that was donated by him to the Lodge. Until I discovered Thomas Cook’s name in the Port Natal Lodge’s records, I was not aware that the Father of Modern Tourism resided in South Africa. Could our Thomas Cook be the same man that turned tourism into the industry it has become?

January 31, 2017 at 10:22 am

Hi Louis, How interesting and thanks for commenting again on this post! It is possible of course as Thomas Cook lived from 1808-1892, but I don’t think that Thomas Cook was a freemason and I don’t remember reading about him spending time in South Africa. Thomas Cook is a fairly common name. However, I am no expert, and to find out for sure, I’d contact the Thomas Cook Group and they should be able to easily verify if the painting is of the same Thomas Cook of the travel agency. Let me know if you have any difficulty contacting them and I’d love to hear what you find out even if it turns out to be another Thomas Cook! Best Jessica

Tim Post author

June 7, 2016 at 7:22 am

Thanks for all this information on Thomas Cook! I am looking to for copy of one of the recommended books on Amazon!

travelcats Post author

June 13, 2016 at 7:30 am

Hi Tim, You are very welcome for the information on Thomas Cook. Amazing story and an important person in modern travel history and the current state of tourism. Good luck finding the book! ~ Jessica

Kerstin Post author

May 24, 2016 at 6:43 am

Meanwhile, Diccon Bewes has written a book on Cook’s Grand Tour of Switzerland, which I highly recommend to anybody interested in Victorian era travel: Slow Train to Switzerland , ISBN 9781857886092.

May 24, 2016 at 7:27 am

Hi Kerstin, Thanks for that book recommendation. I have not read it but it does have good reviews and I think it would be great for those readers interested in Thomas Cook tours to Switzerland or early mass tourism to the Alps! Best, Jessica

Louis Geen Post author

November 12, 2014 at 1:26 am

Thomas Cook was certainly an interesting character. Another interesting fact about this amazing man is that he was a Freemason and that he was Master of the Port Natal Lodge in Durban, South Africa, from 1883/1884. The Lodge now 156 years old, still exists and has in its possession a beautiful oil painting of Thomas Cook in its original gilded frame, which he donated to the Lodge.

November 15, 2014 at 9:28 am

Hi Louis, I did not know this. I don’t recall any reference to the freemasons or even South Africa during my readings and research on Thomas Cook. Do you have a reference for this for those interested in reading more about this? I couldn’t find any info about the lodge online.

Nic Post author

November 7, 2013 at 9:03 am

The quotes from Thomas Cook are great.

November 7, 2013 at 10:14 am

Agreed:) I really like the one in the green box.

Meghan Post author

November 6, 2013 at 6:24 pm

This is so interesting! I’m always so fascinated by stories about travel in the past. I recently learned that it wasn’t until the last few centuries that people began traveling for pleasure. I’ve even read that in some parts of the world, people think it is a little strange for a person to travel just because, and not for some business or personal errand. But all this information I never knew. I’ve never even heard of Thomas Cook until now. Thanks for sharing!

November 7, 2013 at 10:12 am

I know, it is so interesting to read about travels in prior centuries. That’s interesting about how some people see travel as strange today but I imagine in places where people have very little money, leisure travel is not much of a possibility.

bevchen Post author

November 5, 2013 at 11:51 pm

I knew only some of this. It’s very interesting!

November 6, 2013 at 7:20 am

Yes, it is a fascinating history.

Meredith Post author

November 5, 2013 at 9:52 pm

Wow, I had no idea! I’d heard the name but didn’t fully realize the history behind it. I feel like I owe him a big thank you! Even now there are some places in the world that would’ve been difficult for me to see without a tour group. Fascinating!

November 6, 2013 at 7:19 am

Yes, there are definitely several places in the world that make more sense with organized travel or travel guides than on your own. Thomas Cook’s company actually also helped people book unecorted independent travel and just made all the travel arrangements, allowing people to do it on their own. BTW, did you see how he was also captivated by Scotland (made me think of you).

Kate Post author

November 5, 2013 at 5:19 pm

Not only am I amazed I didn’t know any of this, but I am fascinated as to how much history there really is behind Thomas Cook!

November 5, 2013 at 7:21 pm

Yes, it really is an interesting history. The British, like Thomas Cook, were really the pioneers that started the modern tourism industry. It didn’t hurt that the British Empire stretched across the world:)

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How 25 years of the Web inspired the travel revolution

The introduction of the worldwide web not only fundamentally changed the travel experience, it also turned an entire industry on its head as new brands emerged to take advantage of it, while many existing players were left struggling to keep up with a blistering rate of change. As increasingly empowered and connected consumers have demanded more from their travel providers, what have been the most important developments over the past 25 years?

In March, British computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee wrote a proposal for what would eventually become the World Wide Web. For a bit of fun, visit the Wayback Machine to see how some of the early brands looked when they first appeared online.

Similar to the Yahoo listing-style of the time, Travelweb.com emerged as the first comprehensive catalogue of hotel properties around the world and, a short time later, included a component to make bookings. The site was created by a relatively small team under The Hotel Industry Switch Company's (THISCO) John Davis, a key figure in the history of online travel, who formed one of the industry's major reservation technology providers, Pegasus. The site was conceived primarily as a showcase for what the company did behind the scenes, but its uniqueness made it popular with many early visitors to the web. Davis left Pegasus in 2008 and is now CEO of RoomKey , a multi-hotel chain-backed search engine.

US travel writer Jeff Greenwald triggered what has since evolved to become a cottage industry for dreamers, travellers and countless others the world over: travel blogging . He posted a 1,600-word article called One Hundred Seconds of Solitude on behalf of Global Network Navigator , the first commercial web publication, from a tourist bureau in Mexico.

A basement business in Palo Alto, California, known as Internet Travel Network (ITN), laid claim to having overseen the first airline ticket booking made over the web, for a flight from San Francisco to Las Vegas. ITN was the forerunner of GetThere , a company which later sold to airfares distribution provider Sabre – a path trodden by many of the pioneers at the time, who were quickly snapped up by those powering much of the non-web technology around in the industry. In GetThere's case, it was for a cool $757m in 2000.

Viator Systems (now Viator ) launched a travel technology business to help provide bookings for destination tours and excursions via the web. Twenty years on, this incredibly fragmented part of the industry still lags behind its air, hotel and car hire cousins.

To some extent, Lonely Planet was the major gatekeeper of the written word when it came to travel guides prior to the web. But it soon realised that if it was to capitalise on the emergence of the internet, it had to get online quickly. The web may not have democratised the selling of travel, but it certainly levelled the playing field when it came to accessing travel information – with big brands no longer having control over audiences via travel agent brochures or advertising campaigns. Lonely Planet's reasonably successful expansion to the web inspired hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of similar travel guide brands to appear online, each promising unique advice and, of course, tips on discovering "untouched places".

Microsoft, the most high-profile technology company on the planet at the time, realised there was probably something in this early momentum and unveiled its attempt at an online travel agency, known as Expedia . The rest is history. The site set the pace for countless imitators and now has myriad sister brands in both the leisure and corporate travel industry.

Two Stanford University students, Larry Page and Sergy Brin, started examining the rest of the web to find a way to index pages based on popularity with other users and websites. The result was Google. A relatively slow burn in its early stages, Page and Brin's creation eventually swept aside almost all other search engines and became the first place that online consumers went to. As a result, travel providers spend billions to advertise alongside the search results. It was the beginning of a love-hate relationship with the industry that continues to this day.

Inspired in part by US carrier Southwest , easyJet and Ryanair changed the European airline industry forever with their take on the low-cost airline model – cheap, cheerful, expansive and ambitious. "Book on our website" started to replace "Book through your local travel agent".

As online travel agencies took root in the US, in Europe two bright young things created an iconic web brand. Brent Hoberman and Martha Lane Fox led the brash and playful Lastminute.com into the still somewhat new world of web commerce, cementing the idea in the minds of consumers that travel can be bought over the internet with ease and, well, at the last minute. A listing on the London Stock Exchange and a busy period buying countless other brands eventually led to US counterpart Travelocity (owned by Sabre) buying it in 2005 in a deal which valued the company at almost £600m.

US site FareChase appeared on the scene with a different slant on the online travel shopping experience, spawning countless other (and more successful) brands in the years to come. Known as metasearch in the industry, FareChase was a simple travel search engine which collected fares from booking sites (agencies, airlines, hotels). It was later bought by Yahoo and laid the groundwork for the likes of Sidestep , Kayak , TravelSupermarket , Skyscanner to follow.

Not many could have guessed a business located above a pizza parlour in Massachusetts would eventually become one of the most popular travel websites in the world, not to mention the most disruptive influence on the hotel industry ever created. TripAdvisor , the original and still by far the biggest social travel site on the web, was incredibly simple – travellers left reviews of hotels; fellow travellers found the reviews and could make a decision on whether to stay at a property based on what they'd read. Hoteliers freaked out, but travellers loved this new "wisdom of the crowds".

Many travel figures now point to the 9/11 tragedy as a pivotal moment in the history of online travel. As the industry evaluated how it would deal with new security measures and cope with a downturn in both leisure and business trips, web brands became the marketplaces for air and hotel suppliers trying to offload huge amounts of unfilled inventory – a strategy that has pretty much continued to this day. It seems remarkable now, but airlines in particular discovered the web was the easiest and most expansive way of communicating with confused and nervous passengers.

Priceline , the US online travel agency which formed with the "Name Your Own Price" idea in the late 1990s, began its gradual surge to global dominance with the purchase of Active Hotels and then, in 2005, Booking.com . The two acquisitions spearheaded an international and renewed focus on hotel bookings for Priceline and ensured the over-arching Booking.com website became the envy of the industry and is now one of the most widely known brands on the web.

A plaything of Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg that quickly became a fully baked business, the launch of Facebook heralded the beginning of a new concept in the online travel experience: sharing. Travellers turned to Facebook (and later Twitter , FourSquare , Pinterest , Instagram et al) as a platform to, let's face it, show off to their "friends" where they had been or were planning to go on holiday. Most consumer-facing travel companies now have a presence on at least one of these networks, allowing them to interact with customers and – still in its relative infancy – make bookings

Though not directly responsible for the evolution of online travel, the launch of the Apple iPhone – giving the users access to the web via their handsets – had a huge influence on what became the start of travel services on mobile devices. Its apparent coolness, like that of the iPod a few years earlier, ensured that the mobile web became accessible to the masses. The corresponding App Store also triggered the creation of a mind-bending number of travel-related applications.

AirBedAndBreakfast (which soon changed its name to Airbnb ) quickly became a darling of the second wave of travel brands hitting the web in the late 2000s. The idea of creating a virtual marketplace where property or house owners could share their space for short-term rents struck a chord with a new breed of travellers looking for a different way of seeing in a destination.

Thinking of imaginative ways to combine Twitter with travel wasn't lost on the good folk of this particular publication, with writer Benji Lanyado going to Paris on what became the first of a series of TwiTrips around Europe and the US. Lanyado was taken on a guided tour of the French capital using only recommendations from his followers on Twitter. For the industry at large, it was another demonstration of how powerful "real-time" communication was becoming.

After taking the travel industry's advertising dollars for over a decade, Google ramped up its interest in the travel industry with the $700m acquisition of airfare search technology company ITA Software . The deal signalled the start of a debate which is still raging: can it be a provider of independent search results, sell keyword adverts and have its own travel services, and led to the launch of search tools for flights and hotels, plus the acquisition of respective travel and review services, Frommer's and Zagat .

Few modern travel businesses are more of a time and a place than HotelTonight , which hit the ground running in early 2011 with a mobile app that allowed users to find a vacant room in a city for the same day and have it booked at the touch of a button on the device.

KLM may be just another very large global airline, but when it comes to social media and commerce it has arguably pushed the boundaries more than any other carrier. It reached a peak of sorts in 2012 when it started Meet & Seat , a way to select where you sit on a flight based on the social profiles (LinkedIn or Facebook) of fellow passengers.

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List Of All Travel Companies In The UK

Are you looking to travel in the UK but not sure where to start? Check out this list of all the major travel companies operating in the country. From budget airlines to luxury tour operators, we’ve got you covered.

The travel industry in the UK can be traced back to the early 1900s, when Thomas Cook started offering organized trips to Europe.

Over the years, the industry has continued to grow and evolve, with new companies and products always emerging.

Today, a vast array of travel companies operate in the UK, from major airlines to small tour operators.

Travel Companies In Alphabetical Order

• ABTA – The Travel Association
• ACE Cultural Tours
• Alan Rogers Travel Group
• Atlantic Star Airlines
• Audley Travel
• Big Bus Tours
• Brighton City Airways
• Butlin’s
• Camps International
• Canadian Affair
• Carnival Corporation & plc
• Clarksons Travel Group
• Cosmos Holidays
• Cox & Kings
• Cunard Line
• Dean and Dawson
• Directline holidays
• Elegant Resorts
• Ffestiniog Travel
• First Choice (UK)
• Flight Centre UK
• Great Rail Journeys
• Haven Holidays
• Hays Travel
• Hertfordshire Rail Tours
• Holidaybreak
• Horizon Travel
• James Villa Holidays
• Jet2Holidays
• Keith Prowse
• Kiss Flights
• Kuoni Travel
• Lastminute.com
• Leisuretime
• Love Holidays
• Lowcostholidays
• Mark Hammerton Group Ltd
• Martin Randall Travel
• Momentum Adventure
• MyTravel Group
• Newmarket Holidays
• NST (company)
• On the Beach (business)
• Park Holidays UK
• Park Resorts
• Sail Croatia
• Scott Dunn (tour operator)
• Southall Travel
• Sunshine.co.uk
• Swan Hellenic
• Teletext Holidays
• Ten Lifestyle Group
• Thomas Cook’s Rugby Club
• Thomas Cook & Son
• Thomas Cook Group
• Thomas Cook Holidays
• Thomson Travel Group
• Trailfinders
• Travel City Direct
• Travel Counsellors
• Virgin Holidays
• Wilderness Scotland
• XL Leisure Group

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Elevated Travel Experiences

Old sod travel curates memorable, 5-star experiences..

Every trip begins with you. We are dedicated to providing groups, families, companies, couples and golfers from around the world with unforgettable, five-star experiences. Our dedicated travel experts are specialists in Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales. We listen and work with you to create the European escape of your dreams. Our passion for the countries, their culture and scenic beauty is what we love to share and what makes our trips the most authentic experience you can have in Ireland and the UK.

What To Expect From Old Sod Travel

Magnificent Travel Tailored For You

We believe that no two journeys should be the same. Our travel experts will be with you every step of the way to plan your ideal getaway.

Memories To Last A Lifetime

Stay in 5-star hotels, eat at world-class restaurants and experience timeless attractions with customized trips to every corner of Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales.

Old Sod Destinations

“Truly Authentic!”

“Legend and Lore”

“Never Far”

“Strikingly Beautiful”

"I can not begin to explain how wonderful my vacation to Ireland was. From a beautiful hotel, wonderful meals, private drivers and personalized tours, my trip was truly a once in a lifetime experience and the PERFECT 50th birthday experience. I will recommend Old Sod to everyone I know!"

"Lori Sherwin, of Old Sod Travel, put together a terrific visit to Ireland this March for myself, my daughter, and my two grown granddaughters. As I discussed my goals for this trip, Lori listened carefully and created an itinerary for us that suited us perfectly."

— Carolie F.

Travel plans designed for you.

Multi-Generational

Ancestry Trips

Travel Journal

Tom’s Travels: Northern Ireland

Day 1: Belfast After 5 days of business meetings, my wife Beth finally arrived to join me in Belfast. She had been to The Republic of Ireland 4 times but had yet to venture north. After hearing me rave about the brilliant scenery along the Antrim Coast and Donegal we decided it was time for…

Recent Logs

Tom’s travels – day 5.

Day 5 was not the best day of the work portion of my first trip to Scotland in 3 years.…

Tom’s Travels – Day 4

After a short walk from our Hilltop private home, I enjoyed a great breakfast back in the main building and then I was off visiting properties again.

Luxury Travel Elevated.

The Old Sod Collection has extraordinary destination across Europe. Experience the best in luxury travel with The Old Sod Collection's suite of destination experts.

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All sorts of holidays to choose from:, holiday types.

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UK Travel Agents & Reviews

• Featured Tours
• Travel Agents

Customers rate Zicasso's travel referral service  5  on a scale of 1 to 5 based on  1540  reviews on Trustpilot

We match you with top tour companies that specialize in the trip you want,  whether it's a customized private tour or a group tour.

Our UK travel agents craft quintessential English experiences showcasing the history, culture, and famous destinations in this dynamic region.  Discover cosmopolitan London and ancient Stonehenge. Hike wild Windermere fells. Learn local tales at a British pub. Step into the halls of Downton Abbey filming locations. Sample award-winning spirits at centuries-old distilleries. Handling all logistics and designing trips just for you, our travel agencies in the UK curate dream travel experiences.  With care and insider access, our UK travel agencies create personalized journeys engaging you in the places and people shaping England, Scotland, and Wales.

Discover our UK travel agents, the top 10% of local specialists

Our UK travel agents craft quintessential English experiences showcasing the history, culture, and famous destinations in this dynamic region. 

Discover cosmopolitan London and ancient Stonehenge. Hike wild Windermere fells. Learn local tales at a British pub. Step into the halls of Downton Abbey filming locations. Sample award-winning spirits at centuries-old distilleries. Handling all logistics and designing trips just for you, our travel agencies in the UK curate dream travel experiences. 

With care and insider access, our UK travel agencies create personalized journeys engaging you in the places and people shaping England, Scotland, and Wales.

Life-Enriching Travel

Trips curated by the world’s top destination experts

Concierge-level service leading up to and during your trip

Unique, exclusive experiences and insider access

Zicasso in the News

Aeneas' Travel Agency

 Based on  8  reviews

Destinations:

Verified review.

Zicasso’s tour operator was nothing short of exceptional to work with. From the early stages of planning, communication was seamless. The lovely travel planner helped plan the most magical trip. Every accommodation was out of this world, the meals were amazing, and the itinerary was outstanding. We traveled with two babies and they helped plan a wonderful, magical trip. We enjoyed Scotland so much and are looking forward to traveling there again with the same travel company! They even planned a sweet surprise for my four-year-old’s birthday that was so special for her. We were just so pleased with everything.

Adam's Travel Agency

 Based on  101  reviews

The trip was wonderful. Our Zicasso tour operator was great and really responsive during the trip. I loved the app, which made everything so much easier and clearer, and having everything in one place on our phones was so nice.

Mario's Travel Agency

 Based on  482  reviews

We loved finally seeing Italy (at least parts of it) and would love to see more. The time change and jet lag were a little rough on our two kids, but they adjusted and had a great trip. The history in Rome was so impressive and we learned a lot. The guided tours were excellent. Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast were beautiful and a nice change of pace from Rome. We also loved visiting Pompeii. Of course, there was great food, wine, and lots of gelato. Though the weather is fickle, spring seems to be a great time to visit as it isn't crowded like the summer and definitely not hot. Private or small group guided tours are the way to go to smoothly see sites and be educated. It was lovely taking the train to Naples as well. The only big change I think we would make is passing on the winery near Vesuvius. It was great to check out an Italian winery, but not this one. They kept us waiting a long time for a tour and lunch. The tour was lame and short, lunch was just ok, and the wine was mediocre. However, one bright spot was that the estate made red wine vinegar, which was delicious, and we were able to buy a few bottles. Working with Zicasso’s tour company was a pleasure. Our travel agent really paid attention to what we were looking to do and our family style, and she arranged a great itinerary. The hotel choices were really nice and perfect for our needs. There were a couple of scheduling hiccups on the trip and the tour company’s responsiveness and efforts to help were fantastic.

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Jane's Travel Agency

 Based on  7  reviews

Our trip, starting and ending in Edinburgh and looping through the Highlands with an emphasis on the Isle of Skye, Inverness, and Speyside, was very enjoyable, much to the credit of our travel agency. We were awed by the sheer beauty of the Highlands, the warmth and friendliness of the Scottish people, and the country's fascinating historical sites.  Our culinary experience was outstanding, with a variety of traditional dishes and contemporary cuisine prepared by world-class chefs. As could be expected, distillery visits gave us an opportunity to enjoy a range of whiskey flavors and styles. Jane, the owner of the travel agency, was accommodating in creating the ideal itinerary, finding superb lodging and dining experiences for us, and helping us through last-minute bookings due to a flight cancellation.  Our driver/guide was personable, knowledgeable, timely, and professional. He entertained us with amusing Scottish lore, local and regional information, and eagerly adjusted the itinerary as needed to suit our personal tastes and interests.

Neil's Travel Agency

 Based on  49  reviews

The trip was wonderful and the support from the travel agency was unstinting. From the first day, they were quickly responsive and continually exceeded our expectations. We had no hiccups along the way, so we didn't need to call on them during the trip, but I am confident they would have sorted any issue that arose.  Their reputation was reinforced by our guide in Bath, who said they were a great company to work with and emphasized that anybody who "picked up the phone" would provide the high level of service we'd experienced.

Tom's Travel Agency

 Based on  140  reviews

We absolutely loved working with Zicasso’s travel agents. They offered some great experiences and accommodations that I would have never considered, and did it all within our budget. We can't wait to go back to Ireland or make our first trip to Scotland, and I will definitely be calling Zicasso’s company for the next trip!

Jeff's Travel Agency

 Based on  53  reviews

On this amazing planet, one can find an abundance of places with spectacular scenery. Scotland is one of those. However, what you can’t find is our travel team. Had it not been for their professionalism and expertise, we would have probably buzzed along in our own car, going ooh and ah, and missing all the wonderful spots that made our trip so memorable. In the planning, Zicasso’s travel agent was always attentive and quick to respond with a suggestion or a nay or yay. Our travel agent was delightful company. She is a historian, geologist, and geographer, all rolled into one, with a great sense of humor. At one point we got stuck in an unprecedented weather event. Not to worry, our travel team was on it with an alternative, so we really didn’t miss much. But the icing on the cake is how much they care about their clients. It is obvious they love their country and want to share it with everyone. And they did, to the fullest and utmost extent!

Anne Marie's Travel Agency

 Based on  131  reviews

Our anniversary trip to Scotland and Ireland, planned by Zicasso’s travel company, was unforgettable! Our travel agent was very easy to work with! She made several adjustments to our itinerary at our request and also to address some of the vendor's changes, such as one of our flights (originally from Inverness to Dublin) and one of our "in a local home, dinner and cooking lessons" (originally in Scotland). She was cognizant of my budget constraints and suggested I do some of the driving myself to reduce the cost of private drivers. Then, during our trip, little things like a wine and cheese board in our room upon our arrival in Edinburgh were very much appreciated! Also, when things didn't go as planned (flight delay from Aberdeen to Dublin), she was available (at 2am Pacific time) to help smooth out the bumps! Even the way our trip itinerary built up to a subtle crescendo with our stay in a castle made this a trip we will never forget!

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Your UK Travel Agency

Discover the best of England, Scotland and Wales with Nordic Visitor, a leading UK travel agency. Prepare to explore historic cities, age-old castles and idyllic countryside on a tour that your dedicated, UK-based travel consultant will arrange for you. With their insider knowledge and 24/7 support during your trip, you’ll have an unforgettable escape.

Ways to Travel in The UK

Choose the travel style that works for you and explore the UK your way.

Self-drive Tours

Take the wheel and uncover the UK’s highlights at your own pace.

Small Group Packages

Learn from your knowledgeable local guide on a small group trip.

Top UK Tours

Experience the UK’s must-see spots on recommended itineraries created with insider knowledge.

Wonders of Britain

Classic Britain

England, scotland & wales, express britain, complete britain.

Spring Sale

Browse our UK special offers to save 10% in 2024.

Get in touch with one of our local travel experts

Whatever your needs, we are here to help. If you have any questions about our packages or services, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Nordic Visitor Reviews

Read these testimonies from our lovely guests who visited Scotland with us.

Gerri United States

Nordic Visitor provided a Scottish adventure with a good variety of stops at historical and culturally significant... read more

Nordic Visitor provided a Scottish adventure with a good variety of stops at historical and culturally significant locations. I enjoyed the scenery as we went along roads that the larger tour buses could not go. They also accurately worked in the timing to miss the large tours at the sites. I had several of the best meals that were included in the package. Save your time and effort and hire Nordic Visitor to plan your tour.

Carleen United States

Everything went so smoothly, from pick-up at the airport to getting the rental car to checking into the... read more

Everything went so smoothly, from pick-up at the airport to getting the rental car to checking into the accommodation. Planning with Rebecca & the Edinburgh team was easy - questions were always answered quickly. We were also extremely grateful that we were able to check into our first hotel early. Thank you all!

Your Dedicated British Travel Agency

Rely on our UK-based destination experts to organise an adventure you’ll never forget. They’ve travelled the routes and enjoyed the activities you’re about to experience. Our travel consultants regularly check your accommodation, local transport and licensed tour guides to ensure you get first-rate service.

Quick Facts

Why Book With Us

Book With Confidence

Secure your trip your way with Nordic Visitor. Book a tour with as little as 10% deposit. With a 20% deposit or more, you will receive our Cancellation Protection free of charge. You can also pay the full price right away to guarantee today’s exchange rate. Terms & conditions apply.

Trusted local travel experts

Since 2002, Nordic Visitor has been crafting unforgettable trips in Northern Europe. As experienced British tour operators, you can be sure that we have carefully chosen every accommodation, route and attraction. Plus, your personal UK-based expert will have plenty of local knowledge to share with you.

Great reviews

Our dedicated teams deliver excellent service quality, and this is reflected year after year when TripAdvisor awards us with their Certificate of Excellence. We also take great pride in our customer feedback: 97% of our travelers say they would recommend us to friends and family.

You are in good hands

Relax knowing there will always be a travel expert on call 24/7 to handle any unforeseen situations. Whether it’s an unexpected event or weather issue, you can contact our dedicated helpline. If needed, we’ll rework your itinerary and re-book any activities, while keeping you safe and informed.

Full financial protection

With Nordic Visitor, you have peace of mind knowing your holiday arrangements with us are 100% financially protected. Your payments are safeguarded as we comply with European Union laws on Package Travel regulations. This guarantees you a refund in the unlikely event of insolvency.

Handpicked hotels

No matter whether you choose Comfort Plus or Superior accommodation, you’ll sleep well knowing that we’ve handpicked each place you’ll stay. Plus, every hotel, B&B and guesthouse has been selected for its location close to the city centre and attractions, with access to parking.

Flexible tour options

Our travel experts have crafted these UK trips so you’ll get the most out of them. But you can also make adjustments to your itinerary. Why not extend your stay at stops along the route, upgrade your accommodation, and add optional activities? Personalise your tour online or speak to your travel consultant.

Your UK Tour Highlights

However you decide to travel, let the UK’s historic cities and rambling countryside capture your imagination. Discover England, Scotland and Wales on these expert-curated getaways and soon you could…

• Visit iconic London attractions including Buckingham Palace , Big Ben and Westminster Abbey
• Roam Oxford – known as “the city of dreaming spires” – and go punting on the River Cherwell
• Enjoy the view from York ’s medieval walls before checking out the city’s vibrant markets and cosy pubs
• Step back in time when you visit the world-famous monument of Stonehenge , dating from 2,500 BCE
• Stroll cobbled streets in Edinburgh ’s Old Town and admire dramatic scenes in the Scottish Highlands
• Cruise Lake Windermere and tour Beatrix Potter’s home in the gorgeous Lake District National Park
• Soak up Welsh heritage at Conwy Castle and spend time in the pretty seaside town of Llandudno
• Explore the UNESCO city of Bath , well-known for its elegant Georgian architecture and the Roman Baths
• Surround yourself with natural beauty in national parks, such as the Peak District and Snowdonia (Eryri)

Frequently Asked Questions About UK Tour Packages

You might have a few questions before booking your UK trip with Nordic Visitor. Read on for answers to these common queries.

It’s good to know that when you choose Nordic Visitor, you can Book With Confidence , safe in the knowledge that your payments are protected. If you want to learn more about our processes and payment details, don't miss our booking terms and FAQs .

1. What countries are in the United Kingdom?

The United Kingdom (UK) is made up of 4 countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Great Britain includes England, Scotland and Wales.

2. Is the UK safe to visit?

Much like other countries in Northern Europe, you’ll find the UK is a safe place to travel. Similar to many European and Nordic countries, the UK ranks among the 40 safest nations in the Global Peace Index . You’ll find there’s also a modern healthcare system in place.

3. What is the best time of year to go to the UK?

While there’s no bad time to explore the UK, we recommend visiting sometime between April and October. In the UK, this spans spring, summer and autumn, and it’s when attractions have their longest opening hours.

Plus, temperatures are at their warmest from April to October – all the better for soaking up the sights. But, like the rest of Northern Europe, it’s worth remembering the weather can be changeable no matter the season.

Summer – June, July and August – is the most popular time of year to visit the UK. Not only because you’ll get the most daylight hours, but also because this is the warmest season.

In the countryside, you’ll see lush woodland and hillsides carpeted in purple heather. Meanwhile, the cities are bustling with visitors from around the world. You’ll also be able to take your pick from countless festivals celebrating the arts, food and more.

If you’d prefer to experience the UK at a quieter time of year, we recommend travelling in spring or autumn. After the chill of winter, April and May bring the joy of blooming flowers and longer days.

Or, visit during the autumn months of September and October, to see the trees turn fiery shades of orange and red. And if it gets chilly, just head for one of the snug pubs or cafés the UK is renowned for.

Read more about what to expect as the seasons change in this blog on the best time to visit the UK .

4. How many days do I need for my trip?

The amount of time you should spend in the UK depends on what you’d like to see and do during your visit.

If you’d like to experience more than one country within the UK, we recommend allowing at least 7-10 days for your trip. This way, you’ll have time to discover some of the top attractions in England, Scotland and Wales. And you’ll get to stay in more than one place.

Meanwhile, if you prefer exploring at a leisurely pace, you’ll want to give yourself longer, around 2-3 weeks. By spending more days at each stop, you’ll be able to delve deeper into the UK’s history, culture and landscapes.

Travel with Nordic Visitor and you can pick the length of trip that suits you from these UK tour packages. Plus, you could extend your time in the UK by adding extra nights to your itinerary.

5. Where are the top places to visit in the UK?

The UK might seem small, given that it's just over a third of the size of Texas, and half that of Spain. But when it comes to culture, history and natural beauty, you’ll find that this group of British countries has so much to offer.

Plus, with distinct landscapes and different nations within easy reach of each other, you can experience a lot on one trip. To get you started, here are some of the UK’s must-visit spots:

England • London • Bath • Oxford • York • Stonehenge • Lake District National Park • Peak District National Park

Scotland • Edinburgh • Glen Coe • Glenfinnan • Isle of Skye • Loch Ness • Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park

Wales • Llandudno • Prestatyn • Snowdonia (Eryri) National Park

Find out more in this article about the best places to visit in the UK . If you’re interested in exploring Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland as well, check out these 10 top spots on the Emerald Isle .

6. What are the top things to do?

With stunning scenery, lively cities and ancient historic sites, you’ll be spoiled for choice when deciding what to do in the UK. You could immerse yourself in postcard-perfect countryside, soak up local knowledge on guided city tours, and so much more.

Discover our local experts' top recommendations for things to do in the UK :

• • Visit museums and galleries that range from world-renowned attractions to hidden gems
• • Dive into the mysteries of the past as you explore prehistoric forts and Neolithic stone circles
• • Marvel at craggy peaks, glittering lakes and rambling forests in the UK’s national parks
• • Get a glimpse into the UK’s rich heritage when you visit fascinating Roman and Viking sites
• • Sample UK cuisine, whether it’s freshly caught fish and chips or a refined tasting menu
• • Take an invigorating walk by the coast and let the salty sea breeze blow the cobwebs away
• • Punctuate your days touring the UK with the much-loved British tradition of afternoon tea
• • See how kings and queens lived throughout the ages as you tour grand castles and palaces
• • Head into a relaxed pub at the end of the day to share stories over a glass of something local
• • Hunt for TV and movie filming locations from the likes of Harry Potter , Bridgerton and Outlander

7. What’s the best way to travel in Britain?

The best way for you to discover the UK depends on the kind of travel experience you’re looking for.

For instance, if you want the freedom to go at your own pace, then a self-drive tour of the UK is ideal. And although you’ll be taking the wheel yourself, you can relax knowing we are just a phone call away. If you need assistance during your trip, you can reach us anytime on our 24/7 helpline.

You’ll also have your own dedicated travel consultant to book your accommodation and arrange car hire with a tried-and-tested local partner. Plus, get a road map with recommended attractions and the suggested route for your trip drawn by hand.

This makes a self-drive tour the perfect way to see the UK’s must-see sights with opportunities to stop whenever you like along the way.

If you’d rather not drive, why not explore the UK in a guided group? Touring the UK with a knowledgeable guide leading the way, you and your fellow travellers will discover the UK together. And with a group size of up to just 15 guests, you’ll be able to travel in a comfortable minibus and get more time with your guide.

For the ultimate personalised travel experience, you could opt for a private tour of Scotland with your very own professional guide.

8. Who are Nordic Visitor’s UK travel experts?

Nordic Visitor’s travel experts are your eyes and ears on the ground. When you explore with us, you’ll get a dedicated travel consultant who’ll handle the details of your booking. This means you can relax and look forward to your trip while they organise your accommodation, local transport and excursions.

Not only that, but they have plenty of insider knowledge to share with you. Let your travel consultant know what your interests are and they’ll be happy to advise you on the experiences you won't want to miss.

For some insider information on your UK trip, read these  travel tips from a local expert .

9. What is included in a Nordic Visitor tour of Britain?

When you take a trip to the UK with Nordic Visitor, your travel package includes: • Accommodation • Daily breakfast • Local transport as detailed in your itinerary • Activities included in your tour package (with the chance to add optional excursions) • Personalised itinerary and printed guide with information about local attractions and practical travel tips • Access to our 24/7 helpline for on-trip support when you need it

Depending on the travel style you choose, your Nordic Visitor tour package will also come with:

• Self-drive tours
• • Car rental with a trusted supplier
• • Unlimited mileage
• • CDW insurance
• • Authorisation for 2 drivers
• Small group tours
• • A professional, English-speaking driver-guide
• • Transportation in a comfortable minibus
• • Some meals, as mentioned in your itinerary
• • Entrance fees to attractions specified in the itinerary

10. Does Nordic Visitor have a flexible booking policy?

Yes, Nordic Visitor offers optional cancellation insurance which protects your payment. If you need to cancel your trip before you arrive, you won’t lose any money you’ve already paid us. Depending on the terms and conditions, you’ll be given a partial refund along with travel credit you can use with us in the future.

What’s more, with our cancellation insurance we’ll rebook your entire tour once if you need to change dates, without additional fees. Learn more about this risk-free, flexible booking policy in our Book with Confidence terms .

If you don’t have cancellation insurance with us, check out our normal booking terms . And we always recommend taking out personal travel insurance to cover you on your trip.

11. Why use Nordic Visitor instead of booking everything myself?

At Nordic Visitor, we’ll save you time and effort by planning your getaway for you.

When you arrange a trip yourself, you have to carry out all the research and book each part of your tour separately. And if you need to change your itinerary, you’ll need to do the legwork yourself.

Plus, as we're a UK-based travel agency, England, Scotland and Wales are on our doorstep. In other words, when you book with us you can be sure you’re getting an authentic travel experience organised by local experts.

Our travel consultants have designed your itinerary to ensure you take the most convenient and scenic route between stops. They’ll also book you into high-quality accommodation, and share their insider tips with you. You can rely on them to feature the top sights and hidden gems that you wouldn’t otherwise know about.

So why not book with Nordic Visitor and let us take care of everything on your behalf? This way you can relax and look forward to your adventure. What’s more, during your trip you’ll have access to our 24/7 helpline. So you can contact us at any time if something unexpected crops up.

12. Do I need a visa to travel to the UK?

Whether or not you need a visa to visit the UK depends on the length of your stay and your nationality. For example, if you’re a citizen of the USA, Canada, Australia or an EU or EEA country, among others, you won’t require a visa. But it’s essential that you bring your valid passport for entry into the UK.

You can check if you need a visa on the UK government website.

13. What sort of accommodation will I stay in?

We understand that where you stay is important, after all, it’ll be your home away from home during your trip. This is why our travel experts use their local connections to ensure you stay at excellent places throughout your tour.

In the UK, this includes a mix of gorgeous historical properties and contemporary retreats. Expect a warm welcome and a location that’s right in the heart of things. Not to mention a tasty breakfast each morning.

We carefully select each hotel, guesthouse and B&B for its high standard of comfort and cleanliness. Plus, on self-drive tours, you’ll have access to parking. This will either be on-site or at a convenient location close to where you’ll be staying.

Exactly where you’ll be staying on your trip depends on the level of accommodation you pick and availability.

14. Can I choose the arrival date?

Of course! With Nordic Visitor’s UK self-drive tours , you can begin your trip anytime from April to October.

For guided small group trips in the UK , select the departure that works best for you from a list of start dates between August and September. If you want to travel at a specific time of year, book early in case your preferred departure is filled.

You can check each tour’s availability calendar online to see what dates are bookable.

15. Will Nordic Visitor book my flights to the UK?

Flights aren’t included in these UK tour packages. This gives you the flexibility to choose where you’d like to fly from, along with the flight times and prices that work best for you. If you have any questions about your journey to the UK, don’t hesitate to ask your local travel expert for advice.

Before booking your tour package, we highly recommend checking what flights are available. But please wait until after your trip is confirmed to make your travel arrangements.

Once you’ve received an email confirmation from your dedicated consultant, you can go ahead and purchase your preferred flights.

16. What should I pack for my trip?

No matter when you decide to visit, you can expect the weather in the UK to be changeable. So while the driest weather is between April and October, it’s worth being prepared for both rain and shine. Not to mention the fact that the temperature can vary a lot, depending on the season and where you are in the UK.

For instance, at the height of summer in London, you might experience temperatures over 30°C (86°F). Meanwhile, at the same time of year in the Scottish Highlands, the average temperature is around 15-17°C (59-63°F).

If you plan to spend time outdoors, pack these essential items and you’ll be covered from spring through to autumn:

• Comfortable hiking shoes or boots
• Waterproof jacket and trousers
• Warm, insulated jacket
• Fleece or woollen jumper
• Cosy hat, scarf and gloves
• Light base layer tops
• Lightweight trousers or shorts
• Sunglasses, sun hat and sun cream
• Reusable water bottle
• UK plug adapter

You might also want to bring a couple of smart outfits for dining out in the evening.

About Nordic Visitor Tours

Nordic Visitor was established in 2002 and is now one of the leading tour operators in Europe. Since then, we’ve been creating memorable travel experiences for our guests in Northern Europe. We’re passionate in our belief that your trip should be memorable for all the right reasons.

With an office in Edinburgh, you can rely on our local knowledge as a top travel agency in the United Kingdom. Our UK tours include:

• Quality-checked accommodation: No matter where you’re staying, you can rest easy knowing that we have vetted each hotel, guesthouse and B&B to ensure it meets our high standards.
• Travel guide:  Our detailed travel guide is jam-packed with helpful information. Expect insider travel tips and practical advice for travelling in the UK. Not to mention a round-up of top attractions and hidden gems that you won’t want to miss.
• 24/7 helpline:  Every Nordic Visitor tour includes access to our 24/7 helpline. Enjoy peace of mind throughout your trip, knowing there’s always a travel consultant within reach.
• Flexible itineraries: Experience the best of the UK on tour packages that have been carefully crafted by our destination experts. You can tweak your trip by adding extra nights, optional activities and accommodation upgrades.

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100-Year-Old Woman Mistakenly Identified as Unaccompanied Minor on Flights Due to Glitch with Birth Year, 1923

"I’m going through my second childhood," jokes the centenarian in an Instagram video

Gayle Kirschenbaum

At 100 years old, Mildred Kirschenbaum still enjoys traveling — but since reaching her milestone birthday last August, she’s had an unusual experience flying.

The centenarian, who once owned a travel agency in New York and is still a registered agent,  says she now shows up as an “unescorted minor” due to a glitch in the airlines’ computer systems.

“The code is two digits for the month, two digits for the day, and two digits for the year. I was born in 1923. So I put in 23,” Mildred explains in a video posted on the Instagram account of her daughter, Gayle.

“Soon as I check in, I’m an unescorted minor,” she continues. “The supervisor has to come. And they have to see me right through security. No one seems to know how to correct it.”

Mildred, who’s previously gone viral on social media for sharing advice on life and longevity, adds with her trademark humor, “I’m going through my second childhood.”

While the birth year error requires extra time to sort out at the airport before boarding, she tries not to stress too much over it.

“I allow myself a half hour at the counter,” she tells PEOPLE. “I'm not going to get myself worked up with it.”

The Florida resident shared the video ahead of a May trip to New York, where Gayle lives. But she’s taken multiple flights since turning 100, including traveling to London in September for a transatlantic cruise. And a quick jaunt to New York for an appearance on Sherri, hosted by Sherri Shepherd , just last week.

While the mother-daughter duo often fly Delta, they say the problem isn’t limited to one airline — nor was it caused by a booking mistake on Mildred's part.

“I was busy blaming her, saying, ‘Let me see what you did. You probably put it in incorrectly,’” Gayle tells PEOPLE. 

However, Gayle then called a travel agency her mom is connected to and was told, “That's how it is. It's two digits in the system." 

She adds that it now happens “every time" Mildred flies, no matter how they book the flight.

Delta confirmed to PEOPLE that because of how several legacy, industry-wide back-end booking and ticketing systems are built, the fields for customers' birth years only have the capacity for two digits instead of four.

"While it’s clear this customer is young at heart, she’ll simply have to check in with a friendly Delta agent at the airport to get her boarding pass," a representative for the airline told PEOPLE in a statement. "We appreciate her understanding and we’d love to hear her points on longevity and why she likes to travel as Delta marks our own 100th birthday next year.”

Gayle says she thinks the video she posted of her mom "has woken up the industry,” noting, “I'm hearing from people in the aviation IT area saying, ‘We're working on this.’”

Gayle has also heard from other relatives of centenarians who’ve had similar experiences.

“This happened to my mom too,” one commenter, who said her own mother was born in 1913, wrote on Gayle’s Instagram post.

Gayle says her social media followers also appreciated her mom’s playful take on the frustrating situation.

“They all love her attitude,” she says. “She makes light of everything.”

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Gayle describes Mildred — with whom she recently collaborated on a book, Mildred's Mindset: Wisdom from a Woman Centenarian — as “incredibly resilient and fearless” and “absolutely not her age.”

“Travel is in our blood, I have to tell you,” says Gayle, a photographer, writer and filmmaker, who made the 2015 documentary Look at Us Now, Mother! “We have had great adventures all over the world.”

“When you don't have this fear, you get to enjoy a lot of things in life and have a lot of adventures,” she adds.

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