FAQs

Please note that it is your responsibility to check the following (in good time before departure):

• The validity of your passport. For details and information on how to renew your passport, call the UK Passport Office on 0870 5210410 or visit  https://www.gov.uk/browse/citizenship
• You have adequate travel insurance cover
• Visa/waivers required for entry, such as ESTA for USA travel
• Any relevant advice on your destination from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (“FCDO”, https://www.gov.uk/travelaware) (applicable to UK nationals only – non-UK travellers should check with their own foreign office);
• Location of Embassies, High Commission and/or Consulates in your chosen destination(s)
• Vaccination advice and fitness/eligibility to travel with your GP

Coming soon: The European Union will be implementing a new mandatory border check as part of the Entry and Exit System (EES). The actual start date is yet to be confirmed. Please take some time to review the guidance provided at Travel-europe.europa.eu/ees and Gov.uk/guidance/eu-entryexit-system before your holiday.

The first time you use the EES you will scan your passport at the automated gates on arrival into Europe and you will have your fingerprint scanned and photograph taken. This will be kept on file so you will not have to take this extra step each time you go to Europe, unless you renew your passport. All non-EU nationals travelling to a European country (excluding Albania, Andorra, Cyprus, Georgia, Ireland and Montenegro), will be subject to EES checks at the border. If you have EU residency, you are exempt from the EES. If you are travelling by Eurostar, the EES system will be in place at St Pancras, and you will not need to be checked again on arrival in Europe.

If you need to amend your booking, please contact us as soon as possible. We will make every effort to satisfy your requirements, however, this may not always be possible. Any request to change arrangements must be made in writing by the person who made the booking, or their travel agent, before the final balance payment date. You can amend your booking to the same holiday on a different date, or to a holiday of equivalent value, once.

If your amendment includes a change of travel date or location, your total holiday cost will be recalculated and based on the current advertised price. We cannot carry over previously applied promotions, except for the Welcome Home promo code, if applicable to your booking.

Where we can meet a request, all changes will be subject to payment of an administration fee of £40 per person per change, as well as any costs and charges incurred by us and/or incurred or imposed by any of our suppliers in making this change. Costs could increase the closer to the departure date that changes are made and could be up to 100% of the holiday price.

If changes are requested after the final payment balance date of your booking, or if we are unable to assist you and you do not wish to proceed with the original booking, we will treat this as a cancellation by you. A cancellation fee may be payable in accordance with our booking conditions clause 7.

If you wish to make a change to your booking, please contact us as soon as possible. 

View our full terms and conditions. 

Cancellations must be made in writing, either by letter or by email to cancellations@hfholidays.co.uk. A cancellation will take effect from the date that written notice is received at our office. Cancellation fees may be applicable. Please view our full terms and conditions.

Groups of 10-plus guests can enjoy all sorts of fabulous savings and benefits. For further information, contact our Groups Team from Monday to Friday, 9:00am – 5:30pm and Saturdays from 9:00am 1:00pm on 020 8732 1260 - or by emailing groups@hfholidays.co.uk. 

Yes, all with-flight package holidays benefit from ATOL bonding so you are fully protected. If you choose land only, you will be responsible for making your own travel arrangements, including your flights and airport transfers at your destination. Holidays without flights are still ABTOT bonded, but any independently purchased flights don’t benefit from our ATOL protection. For full details see our booking conditions. 

The majority of our guided walking holidays offer a choice of daily walks. We have walking itineraries to suit every ability, from leisurely ambles to leg stretching challenges. A lot of different factors can influence the difficulty of a walk though, including daylight hours, terrain, altitude, and weather conditions. Please refer to individual itineraries for details. If you’re unsure which is the right itinerary for you, please give us a call and we’ll be happy to help. 

Each holiday grade is calculated using distance and ascent as the dominant determining factors. Grades are then adjusted where necessary to account for terrain. Read about our walking grades for guidance on the typical max distance and ascent you might encounter on your walk and the pace you should be able to walk at over flat ground. 

For those that struggle with descent more than ascent, when descent is greater than the ascent on a walk, it will be detailed in the itinerary notes.  

All walk details can be found on our website. Please read through the itinerary details fully to ensure you find the right holiday for you. If you’re in any doubt about which grade suits you, please contact us and we’ll be happy to help. 

Whether you're a newcomer or keen walker, we offer walks to suit all paces and experience levels. For the majority of our holidays, we not only offer a wide range of walks but a daily choice. Please consider your fitness levels to ensure the walking grade you choose reflects the ability of everyone in your group. Walking grades can be checked online on each holiday page, or please call us if you are not sure which grade suits you. 

Our special interest holidays can involve walking and active sightseeing. Please refer to the individual itineraries on our website which will detail the distance and ascent of any walks during the holiday. 

Our Discovery Tours are focused on full days of sightseeing rather than walking. However, be prepared to spend a lot of time on your feet and away from the bus. Rest assured, we factor in plenty of coffee stops and opportunities to sit down and relax. 

Comfortable (ideally broken in) walking boots with ample ankle support and a good grip are highly recommended. You’ll also need to bring a waterproof jacket, rucksack, water bottle, and hat. You may also want to bring specialist walking socks, walking poles, and gaiters. Please check out the ‘More Information’ tab on the individual holiday web page and you’ll find details of the packing list there. 

At each of our country houses you’ll find a Discovery Point that offers a wide range of our easy-to-follow routes and maps for self-guided walks in the local area. All our walk directions have been carefully prepared by experienced HF Holidays Field Advisors and feature detailed route notes, photographs, and an annotated map.   

Please note that guests on a self-guided walking holiday will be responsible for their own transport to and from the walks (using public transport or local taxi services). 

If you’re on a guided walk, you will not need to know how to read a map. Self-guided walks are supplemented with walk directions from our Discovery Point. For lowland walks, our walk directions will suffice. However, we’d strongly advise you to carry an additional map if you’re venturing into the mountains.

From cosy Victorian manors and elegant Georgian mansions to former farmhouses and lakeside retreats, we’re proud to own and manage 15 characterful country houses across the UK. 
 
All our houses in England have a minimum Visit England rating of 3 or 4 stars, with equivalent quality recognition for our properties in Scotland and Wales. 

For walkers, they’re perfect. Located in some of the UK’s best-loved national parks or National Landscapes, our houses put you in easy reach of postcard-pretty villages, big-name attractions, and well-trodden walking trails. We’ve got handy boot and drying rooms for all your walking needs and with full-board dining included on every stay, you can relax knowing everything is taken care of. 

Check in is from 4pm. If you arrive early, we will be happy to store your luggage should you wish to explore the local area. Alternatively, you can relax in our comfortable bar and lounge areas. 

Guest rooms are available in up to three categories: Classic, Premium, or Superior. All have tea and coffee-making facilities, free Wi-Fi, hairdryers, TVs, and en-suite bathrooms with toiletries. Each category’s size, design, layout and view reflect each property’s unique character and location. Nevertheless, all are perfect for stealing some much-needed relaxation time. See our guest rooms page for more information. 

For an extra charge, our more spacious Premium and Superior guest rooms offer upgraded amenities such as bathrobes, slippers, and enhanced views of the surrounds. You can also take advantage of our ‘Choose your room service’ to stay in your favourite room for an extra charge of just £30 per room. 

Upgrade to a Premium Room from £20 per person per night   

Upgrade to a Superior Room from £25 per person per night   

Choose your room from £30 per room 

Find out more about our room upgrades 

Each of our 15 UK country houses boasts its own unique style, layout, and design. However, all our houses have comfortable lounges, well-appointed dining areas, and fully licensed bars.  

Outside you’ll find free on-site parking (except at Nether Grange, Alnmouth), gorgeous grounds and gardens, plus handy boot and drying rooms. You’ll also find indoor and outdoor swimming pools at selected houses (see individual country house pages for details). Additionally, Discovery Points are located at each house, complete with easy-to-follow self-guided walking routes mapped by our HF Holidays Field Advisors. 

All of our UK country house stays are full-board, so you can enjoy a cooked or continental breakfast every morning, generous packed lunches, delicious three-course evening meals, and a cream tea with freshly baked scones on arrival day.  

We’re proud to serve a wide range of dishes made with fresh, seasonal ingredients, aiming to source the best produce available and using home-grown herbs and vegetables from our own gardens whenever possible. Full board is inclusive of cream tea on the day of arrival until breakfast on departure day.   

The team at our country houses can cater for a wide range of special dietary requirements. Please let us know at the time of booking so we can give you guidance on what we can offer and prepare for your needs. 

We always have a vegetarian or vegan option available on our daily menu. 

All country houses have a licensed bar offering a selection of craft beers, soft drinks, local spirits, and award-winning wines. 

We offer free Wi-Fi in the public areas of all country houses. 

Free on-site parking is offered at all country houses except Neher Grange in Alnmouth, Northumberland, which does not have a car park. Please refer to the ‘getting here’ tab on each country house web page for more details. 

We have EV charging points at 14 of our 15 country houses which have car parks. Prices to charge your vehicle are available upon enquiry when checking in. 

We aim to offer an activity on two evenings per week. While evening activities vary from house to house, the HF Holidays Big Pub Quiz held after dinner on Wednesdays is a weekly staple.  
 
Our knowledgeable HF Holidays Leaders host guided walking information briefings before dinner on arrival days. They’ll fill you in on all the details about the following day’s guided walking options and also be on-hand to give tips on self-guided walking routes as well as visit-worthy local attractions.

If you would like to buy anything on-site (including drinks from the bar), you can pay by cash or card. 

Well-behaved dogs are welcome on self-guided walking holidays at four of our UK country houses – Nythfa House in the Brecon Beacons, Selworthy in Exmoor, Dolgellau in Southern Snowdonia and Longmynd Hotel in the Shropshire Hills. For a fee of £10 per night per dog, up to two dogs may accompany you on your stay in one of our pet-friendly rooms. Unfortunately, we do not allow dogs on our guided walks. Read more here. 

At HF Holidays, we are dedicated to providing an enjoyable and relaxing holiday experience which includes a safe and welcoming environment for all our guests, employees, and visitors. We aim to find a balance between consideration for the potential allergies and phobias of some guests with our aim for inclusivity and legal obligations.

As such, we are currently only able to welcome assistance dogs at three of our country houses, located in the Brecon Beacons, Exmoor, and the Shropshire Hills. At these properties, we have ensured there are adequate facilities to accommodate assistance dogs, both with dog-friendly guest rooms and outdoor spaces.

However, access to the communal indoor spaces at these three properties may be limited. There is no additional charge for an assistance dog to accompany you on your holiday. If you’d like to know more, please contact our Sales & Support Team for further details prior to your booking. Read more here. 

Families are welcome at our UK country houses. Our family walking holidays are perfect for families of all shapes and sizes, but we also welcome children to our country houses at any time of year.  

We’re big on choice, so you’ll get to pick from up to four walk options each day. We offer walks for little legs, trails for older children, and hikes that’ll keep the whole clan happy. Best of all, under 11s go free. T&Cs apply. 

We’re well-versed in designing holidays that spark curiosity, especially for those who love trying out new things. Whether it’s painting, music, cycling, yoga, reading, cookery, or bridge that appeals, our group guided activity breaks will get you learning a new skill – or improving on an existing one. 

Whether you’re a beginner or an expert, we have a holiday for you. Many holidays are available to all levels, from beginners to the more experienced. Others are designed for a certain level of experience or skill. Individual web pages will highlight whether prior experience or expertise is required. Find out more here. 

The requirements vary according to the type of holiday you’re booking. Please refer to the relevant web page for the holiday you are interested in and click the essential information tab for more information. This information will also be detailed in your trip notes which you will receive prior to departure.

Beyond the 15 country houses that we own and manage, we work with carefully selected partner hotels that allow us to offer you even more incredible places to walk, sightsee, and explore. We use partner hotels on selected UK breaks such as Guided Trail and Island-Hopping holidays and on all European and worldwide trips. 

Most of our partner hotels can cater for special requirements, but it is important you advise us of any allergies and dietary restrictions you have at the time of booking. 

At HF Holidays, we believe where you stay is as much a part of the experience as what you see and do. We maintain the same high standards at our partner hotels as we do at our exclusive properties, ensuring that each one is carefully selected by our expert teams. 

The majority of meals are included on our European and worldwide holidays. You can expect a buffet-style breakfast with hot/cold dishes and/or regional specialties. In the evenings, dinner includes either buffet meals or à la carte options.  

Please check the ‘What’s included’ section on each individual holiday webpage for more details.  

Most of our partner hotels can cater for special requirements, but it is important you advise us of any allergies and dietary restrictions you have at the time of booking. 

Groups of 10-plus guests can enjoy all sorts of fabulous savings and benefits. For further information, contact our Groups Team from Monday to Friday, 9:00am – 5:30pm and Saturdays from 9:00am – 1:00pm on 020 3974 8865 – or by emailing groups@hfholidays.co.uk. 

Anyone who is booking a holiday on behalf of a group of 10-plus adults is the group organiser. In this role, you’ll be the main contact for your group and responsible for making payments. We will not communicate with other individual group members. As a thank you for being the group organiser, you are also entitled to additional benefits. Our Groups Team will be happy to discuss these with you. 

We cater for families, friends, clubs, colleagues, and anyone looking for an immensely rewarding group holiday in the UK, Europe, or the rest of the world. To classify as a group, you need to have 10-plus adults in your party. 

Yes. They will chat through the options with you and advise on the destinations best suited to your group. Once you have finalised your choice, they will send you a quote including the group discounts and other benefits your group is eligible for. Your Account Manager will be available to assist you right up until the day of departure. 

Once you are happy with your quote, your Account Manager can reserve your preferred accommodation while you confirm your final group numbers and collect deposit payments – you will have 6 weeks to collect the deposits. If during this period the numbers of your group change, your provisional booking will be amended accordingly. 

Please discuss any special requirements you have with your Account Manager prior to booking, for example (but not limited to) ground floor rooms, coach access, or medical needs. 

Please speak to your Account Manager about any special dietary requirements that your group members have. Our country houses and most of our partner hotels can cater for special dietary requirements. Please let us know at the time of booking so we can give you guidance on what we can offer and prepare for your needs. 

If you choose the ‘with flight’ option for your holiday, you benefit from financial security thanks to full ATOL protection. Our ATOL-protected flight packages include both hold baggage (20kg minimum) and return airport transfers as standard. For more details, please visit our ‘Why fly with us’ page. 

If you choose the 'without flights' option for your overseas holiday, hotel transfers are not provided in these prices, but a private transfer can be arranged at a supplement. If you choose to book 'with flights', prices and options on our website are for guidance only for group travel. We can also quote for alternative flight arrangements to those offered on our website. Prices will be offered on request. Please contact your Account Manager for more information. 

Your current departure airport terminal will be shown on your confirmation and on your final travel documents. Please check this information before you travel.

If you’ve booked a holiday with us that includes flights, this will include a hold baggage allowance of at least 20kg. The actual size and weight allowance of checked-in hold luggage will depend on the airline you’re flying with.

The size and weight of your hand luggage depends on the airline you’re flying with. Actual cabin baggage allowances will be advised during online check-in process. Please note there are restrictions to items that can be carried in hand luggage at UK airports. Please read here for more information.

There are restrictions on the amounts of liquid that can be taken on-board. Please read here for more information.

We will advise check-in instructions on your final Holiday Departure documents. 

Please refer to the conditions of carriage website page for the airline you’re flying with. 

If available, please use the online check-in as soon as it opens. Check-in information to will appear on your final holiday departure documents.  If you’re checking in at the airport, please allow at least two hours prior to departure for European holidays and three hours prior to departure for worldwide holidays. This also allows plenty of extra time to pass through security. 

At HF Holidays, our mission is to create shared holiday experiences that inspire fun, friendship, and an active enjoyment of the great outdoors.  

Join our community of over 48,000 members who share a passion for the countryside. As a co-operative, we put our members at the heart of everything we do, ensuring your holiday experience reflects the values you care about. 

When you become a member, you’ll be rewarded with exclusive benefits; from helping to decide the way things are done to enjoying a wealth of special offers and discounts.

The membership application is straightforward. You can apply online through the HF Holidays website or request a paper form. After completing the application and purchasing a minimum of £100 x £1 shares, you’ll become a member. Find out more here.  

You can decide which of our four membership categories suits you best: Standard from £100 x £1 shares minimum, Investment from £1,000 x £1 shares minimum, Investment Plus from £3,000 x £1 shares minimum. Read more here. 

As a member, you’ll be helping shape the future of our co-operative while enjoying several exclusive benefits. For more details click here. 

For extra peace of mind, we offer our members a price pledge. This exclusive members-only benefit means you can be sure of the best value price at the time of booking. In the unlikely event that you find an identical HF Holidays break, with the same duration, location, and date, advertised at a lower price, you can claim the difference. View the full T&Cs here. 

We have around 650 experienced HF Holidays Leaders, all of whom share a passion for the great outdoors. All have outdoor first aid certificates and undergo a rigorous four-day residential assessment before leading our holidays. 

To become an HF Holidays Leader, you’ll need to be a great communicator who can work closely with our country house teams. You’ll also need to make a minimum commitment to lead for three weeks, every two years, and pass our navigation skills assessments. Read more about our current opportunities. 

All our holidays are suitable for solo travellers. For special interest holidays where partners or groups are required for the activity (such as dancing or bridge), our leaders will be happy to arrange a partner for you on arrival. 

At our UK country houses, Classic single rooms do not incur a single supplement, however, the number of rooms are limited. We also offer Premium single rooms, which you can upgrade to for a fee, subject to availability.   

Our double or twin rooms do, however, incur a supplemental charge when booked for single occupancy. This is to offset the cost of maintaining the room.  

Additionally, we offer a selection of solo holidays that incur no single supplement on double/twin rooms. 
We also have a limited number of single rooms available at our partner hotels for a supplement. 

If you can’t find the room you’re looking for, call us and we’ll help you find the best room to suit your needs. Please also visit our solo travellers page. 

We are incredibly proud to be a Certified B Corporation (or B Corp). This means we’re a business that has reached the highest standards of social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. But we're not resting on our laurels. We see it as our responsibility to minimise our emissions, not just for this year but every year to come. We're working with sustainability experts, ecollective, to reduce the carbon intensity of our product by 5% each year. Our ambition is to be net zero by 2040 – earlier if we can. Read more here. 

Our tread lightly guided walking holidays are the

Our tread lightly guided walking holidays are available at selected UK country houses and are the perfect choice for those looking to minimise their carbon footprint. Walks start and end on the doorstep of our country houses, and with no need for transport, these holidays are kinder to the environment and offer more flexibility. 

We also offer Rail Adventures, with travel to and from your holiday by train, helping to lower your carbon footprint, and giving you the opportunity to feel rested and relaxed before your holiday commences. 

We have partnered with sustainability experts, ecollective, to publish a carbon score on our website, demonstrating the carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted by each traveller, which includes everything in the holiday package, from accommodation and transport to meals and Tour Managers. HF Holidays is committed to providing full transparency for customers to compare travel options and make an informed choice. 

At HF Holidays, we have worked with sustainability experts ecollective to help us measure the carbon footprint of every single one of our holidays around the world.   

ecollective is committed to helping businesses fight the climate crisis. They do this by making it as simple as possible to measure carbon performance today, and providing tools to improve it tomorrow, so we can use these calculations as a starting point to actively reduce our carbon footprint each year. 

Carbon calculations are never perfect, but our aim is to make our measurements as accurate as possible to help us reduce them. We’re constantly improving our data with the most up-to-date numbers as carbon research and knowledge improves, which means the numbers can change over time.  

While nothing stands still, by making more sustainably- minded holiday choices and by choosing shared holiday experiences, we can, together, prolong the active enjoyment of travel and the great outdoors. 

Shared transport 

Opt for public transport and enquire about shared transfers to travel to and from your chosen destination, especially for short distances. Trains and buses have a much lower carbon footprint per passenger compared to flying. If there’s a need to fly, you can also consider choosing direct flights and avoiding business or first class, as they have a higher carbon impact per passenger.  

Engage in activities that support local communities and businesses.  

We have increased the use of local guides on our holidays to reduce transport to overseas destinations. We also work with our overseas partners to support local businesses wherever possible. For example, our Tea Trails & Backwaters of Kerala holiday supports the Community-Based Responsible Tourism project.  

This initiative ensures local communities benefit directly from tourism by engaging guests with experiences such as dinner with a local family. These activities are hosted and owned by the community, empowering locals to sustain their way of life through responsible tourism. 

And for every day of your trip on our On The Trail of the Incas tour in Peru, two trees per guest are planted as part of a reforestation effort in the Lares area, co-ordinated by ECOAN. 

Avoid single-use plastics when eating on-the-go. 

We’ve removed single-use plastic in our UK country houses and now use only plant-based packaging on guests’ daily packed lunches.  

Consider holidays that offer shared travel and social dining opportunities 

Our holidays encourage sociability and community, operating in a sustainable format with shared transport to and from walks alongside communal dining tables at mealtimes. 

Shared dining tables help reduce environmental impact by optimizing space and resources. By seating multiple parties together, we can reduce the need for extra tables, tableware, and furnishings, lowering demand for materials and energy. Communal dining also helps to cut down on food waste, while simplifying service operations for greater efficiency.  

At our country houses, we also prioritise working with suppliers who have a commitment to net zero in the sectors of food, beverage, linen, and waste. 

Choose a certified B Corporation 

We are proud to be a certified B Corporation, which puts us in the top 4% of UK travel and hospitality companies committed to ensuring that our business practices have a positive impact on communities, people, and the planet in the places we travel to.  

Find out more about our B Corp status here 

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