Frequently Asked Questions
General
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Why should our club book with Sports Tours?
We are one of the leading specialist Sports Tour Operators in the United Kingdom and Europe and have been organising tours for over 31 years. We have a real passion for sport, and this combined with a philosophy based on the commitment to provide the very best sports tours and festivals, both at home in the UK and overseas.
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Are your tours financially protected?
Absolutely! Sports Tours LTD is a fully bonded member of ABTA, the Association of British Travel Agents so you can be sure that the finances for your trip are in safe hands. By booking a package trip with Sports Tours your trip is automatically bonded by ABTA and protected by the ABTA Financial Protection Scheme. If in the unlikely event that Sports Tours Ltd were to cease trading you will be able to retrieve any monies paid through the scheme. In addition, should your group be in the unfortunate position of being on tour at the time, the scheme guarantees to cover the cost of the remainder of your trip and to get you home safely.
For groups travelling on an international tour via flight, Sports Tours are bonded by ATOL, the Air Travel Organisers Licence. As above, should Sports Tours or the airline cease trading prior to or during your trip you are financially protected and will be provided an alternative flight, should this be available, or your money back for your trip.
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How do I get a quote?
Please call us on 01708 565014 or email info@sports-tours.co.uk to discuss your tour. We can provide information to help you select your preferred destination, provide you with itemised costings, suggest the best available tournament or look at ways to save money.
Insurance and Booking Conditions
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Do I need insurance?
It is a necessary requirement for all groups going on tour to have adequate travel insurance. Be sure that this cover will insure for all activities that you intend to take part in whilst away on tour. Not only does travel insurance provide the cost of emergency medical cover while you are away, it can also cover lost or stolen luggage, the costs of cancelling, delaying, or cutting your trip short and personal liability.
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Do you offer travel insurance?
For your financial security, you must have insurance when travelling with us, whether it be your own or the insurance we provide through Aviva. We highly recommend our insurance because it’s tailored specifically for sports groups and offers cover for Covid related cancellation and curtailment.
If you’re unsure about any aspect of the cover provided, or you or any of your group member’s circumstances are such that you think the cover will not be valid, please contact us on 01708 565014.
All insurance is a single trip policy (valid only for your booking with Sports Tours).
Click to view:
Sports Tours is a partner of David Roberts & Partners (Insurance Brokers) Ltd | Chancery House | Slaidburn Crescent | Southport | PR9 9YF. David Roberts & Partners (Insurance Brokers) Ltd is Authorised & Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. FCA register number is 143840.
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What happens if we cancel?
If you or any of your party members decide they need to cancel, our normal cancellation terms and conditions will apply. Once the deposits are paid, cancellation fees apply:
- Once deposits are paid: Any cancellations prior to 84 days prior to departure will be charged loss of deposits.
- From 84 to 29 days before departure: 75% cancellation charge
- From 28 to 15 days before departure: 90% cancellation charge
- From 14 to 1 day(s) before departure: 100% cancellation charge
The cancellation fees for flight tours depends upon the cancellation terms of the airline.
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Can we change passenger numbers?
Numbers can be changed from when you pay your initial deposit, up until you pay the individual deposits. Once the individual deposits are paid, the booking is then confirmed. If you wish to add passengers or reduce your group size after deposits have been paid, speak with your Tour Co-ordinator who will assist you with the arrangements.
UK Tournaments
General
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Are your tournaments sanctioned by The FA and the RFU?
Yes. We adhere to the rules and regulations set out by the governing bodies on elements such as age groups, match duration and total duration of match play each day.
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How many games will we play each day?
Each team will play up to 5 games per day – the duration of the games depends on the number of teams in each age category. However, each team will play up to the maximum number of minutes per day, as stipulated by The FA or RFU.
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Do you accept local teams into the tournaments?
We do accept local teams, but spaces may be limited and the number of spaces available depends on each individual tournament. Please get in touch for more information.
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Do players receive a medal/trophy?
All players will receive a participation medal and there will be winners and runners up trophies.
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Will there be a celebrity in attendance?
Touring teams will be awarded their medals by a sporting celebrity at the presentation.
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Is transport included?
No, unfortunately we do not offer transportation packages from your home town to the tournament location.
Health & Safety
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Will there be medics at the tournament venues?
All our events are attended by qualified medical personnel.
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Are your staff DBS checked?
Yes – all staff are DBS checked.
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Do you provide referees?
Of course – all our referees are qualified.
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What I.D do we have to bring for the players?
We ask that you bring Club/League cards OR a photocopy of a passport for all players involved in the tournament. Age checks may be carried at any point during the tournament.
Payment and Booking Process
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How does the booking process work?
Once you’ve decided with your Tour Consultant your chosen trip, we’ll provide you with a final quotation detailing the trip inclusions and prices.
We understand that you’ll need time to co-ordinate the finer details with club and to collect deposits and so, in order to reserve your trip accommodation, we ask for a £320 deposit to be paid.
Once paid we will hold your trip requirements for up to 4 weeks, giving you time to confirm passenger numbers, collect first deposits and confirm your accommodation requirements. To help, we will provide you with access to our online ‘Customer Hub’ for you to input passenger details, arrange passengers into different accommodation types and access payment details.
After 4 weeks we require you to complete our booking form to confirm the trip details. Our team will support you in completing this document.
Once complete, that’s it! You’re booked in and ready to go. Details on payment deadlines are below.
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What is the deposit structure?
The initial deposit is £320. At this point we will reserve accommodation and your place in a tournament for 4 weeks. After 4 weeks we would then require further deposits of £40pp to confirm the booking.
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When is the balance due?
The final balance for all tours is due 12 weeks prior to your departure date.
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Do you have an online portal?
We do have an online portal for clients to manage their bookings. The portal is used to input the names and details of your group, view tour documents and access payment details.
International Tours & Tournaments
General
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When is the best time to go on an international tour?
Any time during the “regular season” for your particular sport is perfect for a sports tour. For example, for a football tour, you can travel between the end of August and start of June. The best time to tour would be towards the end of the season, between Easter and the end of May.
Unfortunately, many clubs shut down over the summer months, so we are unable to organise tours from the middle of June to the middle of August unless there is a specific tournament you are interested in. -
Do I need permission from the FA/RFU to tour internationally?
Yes, you will need permission to tour abroad. You can find out more about this by visiting your local FA or RFU websites.
Transport
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Is transport included in our international package?
Yes! All our international tours will include transportation as required. Dependent on your tour budget, there are many different ways of arranging your trip transportation. This may include:
- Travel by UK coach including ferry or Eurotunnel crossings to France.
- Flights from the UK with International coaches to transport your group throughout your itinerary.
- Travel as foot passengers by ferry or Eurostar with International coaches to transport your group throughout your itinerary.
Transport will always be provided for your tour fixtures or tournament days. Should you wish to add excursions to your trip that require transportation, we can of course arrange this for you.
Full details of all trip transportation will be included in your tour quotation.
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How do ferry crossings work?
Our friendly team will book your groups travel arrangements for you. We work with all local providers to ensure you have a safe and pleasant crossing into Europe. Your final tour documentation will contain useful advice on what to expect when crossing into Europe from any of the UK’s ports.
Timing’s of your crossings cannot be guaranteed on booking but will be made in accordance with your trip itinerary.
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Can you arrange my flights and transfers?
We would always advise that your flights are booked with Sports Tours. In doing so, your flights will be financially bonded through the ATOL protection scheme.
When booking flights with Sports Tours, check-in for your flights will be completed by Sports Tours.
Ahead of booking flights, our team will confirm the dates, times and flight route with you prior to booking. There is no need to conduct lengthy flight research, our team will conduct a full search for you to present the best flight options available to you.Where flights are not currently on sale, we will detail the flight budget that has been included in your trip quotation. Once flights are on sale, we will aim to find flights for your group within the allocated flight budget. Where this is not possible there may be an increase in tour price to account for this.
Upon booking we will advise on the related airlines luggage and hand baggage policy. These vary by airline.
Where groups have chosen to travel on tour by flight, International coaching will be included to ensure we can carry out your chosen itinerary. -
How do we get around on tour?
Regardless of whether you travel by coach, train or air, a coach will be on hand to transport you to and from fixtures or excursions throughout your trip.
If you are travelling from the UK by coach, the coach will stay with you for the duration of the trip.
If you are flying or travelling by train, a local coach company will provide the transfers during your tour.
Sports Arrangements
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What fixtures are included?
For a friendly tour package, 2 friendly fixtures are included as standard. Alternatively, if you are entering a tournament, tournament entry for one team is included as standard. If you require more fixtures, or have more than one team touring, fixtures and tournament entries can be added at an additional cost.
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How do the age groups work?
Please see this page for information on junior age groups in Europe.
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What happens if I get injured on tour?
If any member of your party gets injured on tour, please call the emergency services, and then call the Sports Tours 24-hour emergency contact number. Our representative will be on hand to assist. We recommend speaking with your travel insurance provider as soon as possible as they may assist with the organisation of your medical needs and cover costs.
Meals and Accommodation
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Are meals included?
Please check your quotation document for a clear breakdown on what meals are included. In general, holiday park bookings are on a self-catered basis as your apartment/cottage will have kitchen facilities available. Hotel bookings are generally made on a bed and breakfast basis and can often be upgraded if required.
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Can we stay in a variety of standards of accommodation?
Yes, speak with our team about the standards of accommodation available for your chosen destination. We understand that families and clubs come in all types and sizes, so speak with us about the most suitable options for you.
Excursions and Extras
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Can we arrange excursions through Sports Tours?
Certainly! Please speak to your Tour Consultant about the options available depending on your itinerary. You may have time to visit a theme park, water park or do a stadium tour. We can also look into other activities such as paintballing or go-karting. By booking your excursions with us we can seamlessly build this into your trip itinerary, taking the pressure off you as the trip organiser.
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Will we get an itinerary for our trip?
Yes. Prior to your departure your Tour Co-ordinator will provide you with all the necessary documentation for your trip, including a full itinerary document broken down into days and times. We aim to provide final itineraries 4 weeks prior to your departure, however where fixture arrangements are required, this may be closer to your departure date.
In the build-up to your trip we are happy to provide you with a draft-itinerary to give you a good idea of how the trip could run.
Payment and Booking Process
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How does the booking process work?
Once you’ve decided with your Tour Consultant your chosen trip, we’ll provide you with a final quotation detailing the trip inclusions and prices.
We understand that you’ll need time to co-ordinate the finer details with club and to collect deposits and so, in order to reserve your trip accommodation, we ask for a £320 deposit to be paid.
Once paid we will hold your trip requirements for up to 4 weeks, giving you time to confirm passenger numbers, collect first deposits and confirm your accommodation requirements. To help, we will provide you with access to our online ‘Customer Hub’ for you to input passenger details, arrange passengers into different accommodation types and access payment details.
After 4 weeks we require you to complete our booking form to confirm the trip details. Our team will support you in completing this document.
Once complete, that’s it! You’re booked in and ready to go. Details on payment deadlines are below.
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What is the deposit structure?
Coach Tours:
The initial deposit is £320. At this point we will reserve accommodation and your place in a tournament for 4 weeks. After 4 weeks we would then require further deposits of £60pp to confirm the booking.Flight Tours:
For flight tours the initial deposit is also £320 followed by a £150 per person deposit or the flight price (whichever is higher). 4 weeks later we would require an additional £50 per person to secure the booking. -
When is the balance due?
The final balance for all tours is due 12 weeks prior to your departure date.
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Do you have an online portal?
We do have an online portal for clients to manage their bookings. The portal is used to input the names and details of your group, view tour documents and access payment details.
Extra support
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Can you help me organise a parents’ evening?
If you would like to arrange a parents’ evening, please let us know. Where possible a member of our team will gladly be in attendance to provide more details on your trip destination and to assist you with any questions they may have. Contact us if you’re interested in this option.
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Will I have Sports Tours’ support whilst on tour?
Whilst on tour with Sports Tours you have access to our 24-hour Emergency Phone Line, giving you instant support whilst you’re away. This phone line is manned by a member of our team who will have access to your trip itinerary and trained to respond to emergency situations.