Our sold out tour in 2023 was a huge success, and we are back again for 2024 with another fantastic trip to our favourite cities and towns in Northern England, including of course our almost real "Weatherfield" that we all know like our own backyards. If you haven't yet come along with us in person to actually walk on the cobbles and in the ginnels, we hope this will be your year ! We are also hoping to get authorization from ITV to put on a special trip in mid August for teachers who can't take advantage of our regular tours. Please send us an email to kmonteith@coronationtravel.com if you are interested in this.    

Join our very popular and exceptionally entertaining and kind Tour Host/ Manager NEVILLE MACKAY  on this 5 Day trip to Northern England and the working sets of Coronation Street in Manchester, England. Neville is from Nova Scotia, and owns a very successful floral shop by the name of My Mother's Bloomers in Halifax.  www.mymothersbloomers.com .In addition to being a world class florist and floral designer, he is a motivational speaker, an international floral judge, a television and radio personality , an author and a cherished friend to many.  

If you have never travelled before with "Our Neville" ,prepare to be entertained and looked after royally, and to have a friend for life. Our very own star Neville MacKay has been working with us for many years, and we are thrilled that he is returning again this year, to look after all of our valued clients. Have a look at the following website and short video clip, and learn a bit about Neville in his own words. 

www.voxagency.ca/neville-mackay

Our home for the duration of this trip is the fantastic 4 star Holiday Inn Manchester City Centre . The hotel is very highly rated , and in a very convenient central location in Manchester, perfect for getting to just about everything with ease. By staying in one central location for the duration of our trip, there's no more packing and unpacking and dragging luggage every day or two. You can unpack , and settle in for 5 days , and let our experienced coach driver and guides show you around Northern England , and of course get you to the cobbles of Weatherfield.  

You'll get to meet some of your favourite Corrie Stars on the set, chat with them, take loads of pictures, and perhaps watch some actual filming. ITV always goes out of their way to make our visit very special, and we've never been disappointed .  

Our dear friend Mark who is known in Manchester as " Mr. Corrie" , will be giving us a great tour of Manchester to start off our week, along with a tour of many locations that have been used in and around Manchester for filming. 

We have a few special surprises in store for you over the course of this week, and we know you will have a fun, and very memorable trip with a lot of cherished memories and new friends. 

For all of us who grew up during the 60's,  we' have an even more exciting trip to Liverpool than in past years ,with a professional guide who is a Beatles and British Rock enthusiast .We hope to be able to get to hear one of the iconic Beatles Tribute bands in the Cavern Club on Mathew Street and of course see so many of the places where the Fab Four grew up. 

This is a great opportunity for many folks to get to walk the cobbles , rub shoulders with some of your favourite cast members, and see some of the gems in the Northern part of England, without having to take two weeks of your vacation time for a longer and more expensive tour.

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You don't want to miss this trip !

Please remember this is a land only trip , meaning the tour starts and ends at our hotel in Manchester. Airfare is not included.  You will need to arrange your airfare to arrive in Manchester on September 2nd  by mid day, and depart from Manchester on September 7th.

Book your flights to arrive in Manchester throughout the day on Sept 2nd. Our home for the next 5 nights will be the lovely 4 star centrally located Holiday Inn Manchester City Centre Hotel. Guests will receive complimentary wi-fi in all rooms. 

Due to its central location and professional and courteous staff, as well as great amenities, the hotel is one of the top rated choices for those wanting to be close to everything in the centre of Manchester. Just a 5 minute walk to Manchester Piccadilly Train Station and a short 15-20 minute drive from the airport. 

Check in is available at 3 PM , but if your flight arrives earlier in the day, you are welcome to leave your luggage with the hotel concierge until 3 PM. 

We will be hosting an informal Meet & Greet Reception in the Wilson Suite from 6-8 PM this evening.  

Go grab yourself a bite to eat and do a little wandering downtown before our get together this evening. You are just a couple of minutes walk from a fantastic shopping and pedestrian mall behind Primark, and a fantastic outdoor food market in Piccadilly Gardens.  It's best to conquer jet lag by forcing yourself to stay up until at least 8 PM this evening to adjust your internal clock. Then you'll be sure to fall asleep quickly and be ready for your first full day tomorrow. 

Our Tour Host Neville MacKay will be in the lobby to greet you at 5:45PM and show you to our Welcome Reception. 

Come enjoy a few hor's d'oeuvres and a glass of complimentary wine or beer, say hello and pick up your name tags , and get to meet a few of your fellow travelers and Neville. 

A big welcome to those of you who are travelling with us for the first time, and a sincere "welcome back" to those of you who have been on one or many of our past tours. We are delighted to be sharing this time with you, and trust you will go back home having had a fun and amazing vacation and lots of great memories and new friends !

We will start our day at 8:30AM this morning as we have an exciting day ahead !

We will  be joined by our Corrie expert Mark who will take us on a fabulous tour through Manchester to see many of the locations that are used for off studio filming. Mark has so much inside information your head will be spinning ! Even though we've done this tour many times, he always amazes us with yet more new tidbits and experiences. Always interesting, fresh and fun, the time just evaporates when we are with Mark. 

Mark will take us to locations that will bring back a flood of memories surrounding many different storylines and events. Pay close attention as he often has insider knowledge of how scenes were actually filmed to look realistic. It's just fascinating !

Once we finish our sightseeing and Corrie locations tour, we will be heading to a local Garden Nursery and Gift Shop/Cafe called Daisy Nook. 

Enjoy some time to browse in this delightful shop for some treasures to take home , or a light snack or tea/coffee in the cafe , before we board our coach back to our hotel around  12:30/1 PM.

The rest of the day is free for you to do a little more exploring or shopping. Maybe those football ( soccer) fans might want to get a glimpse of Old Trafford , the home stadium of the Premier League Manchester United football team. 

Neville usually takes a walk up to very colourful Canal Street one evening  to see the vibrant sights and sounds with anyone interested in tagging along. Perhaps he might decide to wander up there this evening...it really is worth seeing . 

If Canal Street doesn't interest you, why not take a walk or cab it over to Annie's Restaurant at 5 Old Bank Street for an evening snack and a brew at this restaurant owned by "Our Fiz "-  (Jennie McAlpine )and her husband Chris. Lots of times Jennie is in the restaurant ,and very happy to chat with folks- especially those who have come all the way from Canada.  It's about a 15 minute walk. If you choose to go for dinner, reservations are recommended.  

B    

After a full breakfast in our hotel,  our coach will depart at 8:30 AM en route to the historic Roman city of Chester .Our delightful guide for the day will keep us well informed of notable sights and history along our one hour route.

 Chester is a compact, walled city that is a sheer joy to explore, with lots of ruins, inviting shops and beautiful scenery.  

As Chester is completely walled, our coach is not able to travel into the city centre, and our sightseeing tour will be a guided walking tour. As the streets are cobbled and uneven in spots and there are a few slight hills to climb, and lots of old ruins , the walking tour is not recommended for anyone with mobility issues. Please check with us before booking to decide overall if this tour is a good fit for you.   

After our walking tour, there will be lots of time to enjoy a lovely lunch, and then a leisurely stroll through the streets , some shopping in the historic two tiered "Rows" or a walk along the banks of the beautiful River Dee, which shares a border with Northern Wales. 

You might choose to take a leisurely cruise on one of the Chesterboats that operate one hour narrated sightseeing cruises up and down the river. From the water you get to see a different perspective with the many luxurious homes and inns that dot the banks of the river.

We have allowed sufficient time in this lovely city, for you to thoroughly enjoy all its charms without being rushed.

For a truly decadent experience, and one of Neville's favourite things to do in Chester, pop in to the ultra glamourous  Grosvenor Hotel Chester right in the city centre, and enjoy a mug of their creamy hot chocolate. It's pricey, but oh so good !

We will leave this beautiful city about 4 PM to return to Manchester. 

B

We are off again after breakfast this morning on our short 1 hr trip to Liverpool.

Be ready to board our coach for an 8AM departure.  

Liverpool is famous for its port, the Albert Dock area, and of course for producing one of the greatest music groups ever, The Beatles.

We will meet our Liverpool Beatle's expert guide this morning  and enjoy a fabulous sightseeing tour by coach, highlighting the history of this industrial city ,and many of the sites linked to the famous four. On our 2023 tour this was one of the favourite days ,as our guide had so many wonderful tidbits about the Beatles to share with us. Many things we had never read in books about the four lads . 

We stop for a visit at the present day Cavern Club on Mathew Street, where it is still a venue for up and coming bands. You can often get to hear a new band as there is a band playing there almost non stop. Even if you are not a Beatles fan, take this opportunity to grab a t-shirt or souvenir from The famous Cavern Club to take back home for a Beatles fan ! 

We will get to see the outside of some of the childhood homes of the Beatles, Strawberry Field , Penny Lane, and the statue of Eleanor Rigby dedicated to all the lonely people. We will also see the magnificent 2018 bronze statues of the Beatles in front of the Pierhead Museum and the Royal Liver Building with the two Liver birds Bertie and Bella who watch over the citizens of Liverpool . We will be stopping for a short photo opportunity at these popular sites . 

On our route today, we will drive by John Lennon's Aunt Mimi's house where he spent a good part of his young life, and the Liverpool Institute where Paul McCartney and George Harrison attended , next door to the Liverpool Art Academy where John Lennon went, as well as Stuart Sutcliffe. The schools were both closed and in disrepair in the mid 80's , and in 1992 Paul McCartney bought both buildings and opened the Liverpool Institute of the Performing Arts in 1996.  Perhaps as was the case in 2023, we will get to chat with Paul McCartney's neighbour again who lived just around the corner from his childhood home on Forthlin Road.  

Our sightseeing tour will end at approximately 1 PM at the Albert Dock in front of the Beatles Story Experience. You can chose to experience the life, times, culture and music of the Beatles at this very popular venue , or spend time back at the Cavern Club, browsing the many shops and eateries on the Albert Dock, or just browse in the gift shop attached to the Beatles Experience for some Beatles souvenirs.

For those not interested in the Beatles Story, a visit to the International Slavery Museum or the Merseyside Maritime Museum might be of interest. At the Merseyside Maritime Museum , you might possibly take an hour and choose to take a narrated tour up and down the Mersey River ,on one of the ferries made famous by Gerry and the Pacemakers in their hit song of 1965. They actually do play the iconic song "Ferry Cross the Mersey" and it"s a fantastic way to spend an hour, for about 10 pounds. 

Liverpool One is a mammoth shopping area with hundreds of shops just a 10 minute walk up from the Albert Dock area if you need some retail therapy.   

After a full day, our coach will depart at 4:30PM and head back to our hotel in Manchester.

If you wish to stay on in this wonderful city until later this evening , trains from Liverpool Lime Street station to Manchester Piccadilly Station are frequent and only cost about 10 pounds.

(B)

Make sure you enjoy a great breakfast in the hotel this morning as you will no doubt be too excited to eat much lunch ! 

Have your phones and cameras charged and ready, as our coach will depart the hotel at approximately 11 AM this morning for ITV Studios and our private tour of the inside and outside sets of Coronation Street. We will let you know the day before exactly what time we will be leaving for the studios.

We will most likely be at the studios until about 2:30 PM today. You might want to bring along a little snack to eat on the coach as we won't have an opportunity to stop anywhere for lunch until after we leave the studios.

Make sure you wear good solid footwear ( no high heels or flip flops please ) as it is a working studio and there are a lot of cables and wires and equipment on the floors. 

Please remember this is a privileged visit that only a very few fans are able to experience. We are one of only two companies worldwide that ITV gives this permission to, and we ask you to please refrain from creating any loud noise while we are on the sets , and especially during any filming. Respecting the few rules while we are on the sets, will hopefully ensure we can continue to visit in years to come !  

Please don't wander off from the group, or touch any of the props. It is important that we all keep up with the group and stick to the scheduled time we have. 

This day has brought many past tour members to tears as they got to rub shoulders with personalities who have been part of their lives for many years. 

We never know what actors we will meet, or how many......but ITV never disappoints us , and always has a special treat in store for us ! 

Some years we have had as many as 20 different cast members milling around, chatting, taking photos with our guests, and enjoying being among some of their Canadian fans.  Some actors have even come in on their day off when they know we will be visiting. We have often been invited to watch the actual filming of a scene, and one year became part of a special documentary celebrating ( Our Rita) Barbara Knox`s 50 year anniversary on the show, called Rita and Me. For die hard Coronation Street fans it truly is a dream come true....and even if you are not a hard core Corrie fan, you will be swept up in all the excitement and thoroughly enjoy the experience !

We have lots of time to wander in and out of all the sets unless they are currently filming in one of them while we are there...the Kabin, Dev`s, The Bistro, Audrey`s, Roys Rolls , Streetcars, Preston`s Petals and the inside set of Tyrone and Fiz`s, Sally and Tim`s, Ken Barlow`s, The Platt`s, Gary and Maria's .... and this year we will also get to see the Weatherfield Police Station, Costa Coffee ,and Speed Daal , Victoria Gardens and several other new additions to the outside sets. 

It's a full afternoon, and folks just about float onto the coach when it is time to leave.

This really is the epitome for Coronation Street fans, and we are so pleased to be able to share it with you ! 

After we leave the studios and head back to the hotel, the rest of your day is free for you to enjoy as you wish.  Perhaps time to do a little souvenir shopping in nearby Arndale Shopping Mall, ( open until 9 PM) or if you didn't yet get to Annie's, you may want to head there before returning to our hotel for our farewell dinner.

The huge Trafford Centre shopping complex is about 6 km out of town and can be accessed by catching a local bus from Picadilly Gardens, a short 3 min walk from the hotel. The shops are open here until 10PM. 

Whatever your choice, make sure to join us at 7PM for our farewell dinner. Time to reminisce and have some fun with your new found friends before we say farewell to England and go our separate ways.          

 (B) (SD)

Well as they say , "all good things must come to an end", and it's time to bid farewell to Jolly Old England and our new friends .

Enjoy one more wonderful breakfast in the hotel this morning if you don't have an early morning flight or train. Please just remember to check out of your room by 11 AM. 

Whatever your plans, we want to thank you sincerely for choosing to travel with us. 

Safe journeys and good health until we meet again.

B

TOUR CANCELLATION POLICY  

If cancellation is due to an insurable reason (illness of a passenger, traveling companion or immediate family member), the cancellation penalties (including the non refundable deposit) below may be submitted through your chosen insurance provider. Please remember that preexisting medical conditions are never an insurable risk. Change-of-mind is not covered through insurance. Insurance premiums are totally non-refundable. Please read your chosen insurance brochure in full. We cannot stress enough the importance of protecting yourself with insurance. Don’t risk travelling without it.  

CANCELLATION PENALTIES

Deposit Amount is totally non refundable - Please take out cancellation insurance to protect yourself.

121 Days Plus before departure -Deposit   

91-120 Days before departure 75% of total tour cost  

0-90 Days before departure 100% of total tour cost

We require a minimum of 33 passengers for this tour. 

PLEASE READ and UNDERSTAND

Despite meticulous months of planning and confirming every detail on every one of our tours, there are things that sometimes occur over which we have no control. Health and travel advisories, traffic, weather and last minute emergencies and current conditions with our suppliers and venues, sometimes make it necessary to alter or substitute or even cancel the services as outlined in our brochure. Every attempt is always made to inconvenience our guests as little as possible by substituting equal quality services should the need arise ,to the best of our ability. Any such necessary alterations or substitutions or cancellations due to factors beyond our control, does not constitute grounds for cancellation or postponement of a clients’ booking or a refund of any or a portion of tour costs.

Please read and understand the following IMPORTANT TERMS & CONDITIONS

Our tours always require at least a minimum of 25 tour participants to operate. Some tours will require 30 or 35 participants and the exact number for each tour will be stated. Please do not book your airfare until we have guaranteed the departure with our minimum numbers. We cannot be held responsible for any cancellation penalties imposed by the airlines or any travel partners or hotels you have booked independently.

Foreign Exchange Fluctuations : VERY IMPORTANT TO READ AND UNDERSTAND

All of our suppliers on this tour are based in the UK, and are paid by us in pounds

( GBP) and for this reason our tours are priced in pounds ( GBP) converted at the most recent rate of exchange at the time our brochure is published , to Canadian Dollars ( CAD).

When pricing our tours for retail sale, we always allow a bit of a margin to compensate for fluctuations in the rate of exchange ( ROE) between GBP and CAD between now and the time final payments are due to suppliers. We purposely do not use a much higher rate of exchange than the current one, in an effort to keep your pricing as low as possible.

We don't normally experience huge swings in the ROE , however on occasion we lose significant funds when the GBP gains strength and our Canadian dollar weakens, as was the case in 2023.

For this reason, to maintain the health of our tour and company, on occasion we have to look at applying surcharges should the ROE fluctuate and cause significant costs that were not accounted for.

We have used a ROE of 1.70 to price this tour in October 2023. Should the ROE between GBP and CAD go to 1.75 , a  $50 per person surcharge will be added to each person's booking and will have to be paid with their final payment. 

Should the ROE continue to rise between now and the end of June 2024, for each 5 point increase over the 1.70 rate of exchange, the $50 surcharge will be added. So for example, if the rate of exchange goes to 1.85 by the 15th of June 2024 , we will have to add a surcharge of $150 per person, or $50 per every 5 points above the 1.70 rate of exchange. 

This is not a surcharge that we wish to levy, but we have no control over world markets and exchange rates. We choose to do this , rather than charge everyone a much higher rate right at the beginning. We hope you understand, and know that surcharges will only be implemented if and when needed to cover unforeseen  costs. Any surcharges unfortunately, do not constitute grounds for cancellation of your tour. All our same conditions and penalties remain the same.             

Your Deposit Is Non Refundable
A ) However, in the event Coronation Travel had to cancel the tour , due to not having the minimum numbers required to operate the tour, or not being able to supply the key services described in the tour or reasonable substitutions , all deposits and funds paid will be refunded.
B) In the event that due to a political unrest situation, or a war or a health crisis or pandemic occurs, and our tour cannot operate as scheduled, this does not constitute a cancellation by Coronation Travel, and no refund of initial deposits will be made . Non refundable deposits are in place for the original tour dates only, and may not be rolled over to a future tour. Original deposits are paid to suppliers upon the client’s original booking to secure services. Coronation Travel has no control over deposits that have been paid to suppliers to contract services, and will not be held liable for the return of any deposit, unless it is because of a situation as in A) above .

Please purchase Trip Cancellation Insurance to protect yourself should you have to cancel for any medical reason. Please note Trip Cancellation Insurance does not cover you for any pre-existing medical conditions. There are a few travel insurance companies that will cover you for change of mind, but premiums are generally considerably higher. We do not sell travel insurance. Travel agencies and on line insurance companies such as RBC, Blue Cross, AIG and John Ingle offer competitively priced policies. Please read your policy inclusions and limitations and carry your provided wallet card with you at all times.

Your spot on the tour is not confirmed until you have paid your deposit. Please book early. The sooner you book, the sooner we can guarantee the departure.

EMERGENCY MEDICAL TRAVEL INSURANCE

All tour participants must carry a minimum of Out of the Country Emergency Medical Insurance and provide the Policy Holder and ID Numbers to us by the final payment date . As stated above, we strongly suggest that every participant takes out Trip Cancellation Insurance to protect you in case of an unexpected medical emergency. Please note that if cancellation is due to an insurable reason, you can claim both the non -refundable deposit amount plus any cancellation penalties incurred for all components of your trip through your insurance provider. 

This is a land only tour which starts and ends at our central hotel. Please arrange to arrive at the hotel by 3 PM on DAY 1, and depart after breakfast on the final day.

Contractual Arrangements
All services described herein are organized by Coronation Travel, in collaboration with very respected and established travel partners such as hotels, coach companies and attractions.

We are guests of ITV during our private visit to the sets of Coronation Street in Manchester, and as such must adhere strictly to all their rules and regulations while we are on their working premises.

As it is a working set, guests must be cognizant of cables, monitors, moveable sets and structures, and must take care at all times when on the sets. ITV, its staff, producers, technicians, actors or any person associated with ITV or Coronation Travel shall not be held liable for any bodily injury or harm to any person visiting as a guest on ITV’s studio filming locations and working sets. Please ensure solid footwear is worn during the visit, and refrain from any loud, abusive or excessive noise which could interfere with filming. Please ensure you stay with the group at all times while on the sets, and follow their instructions, including not touching any of the props on tables and keeping up with the group. 

Notice is hereby given that all arrangements made on behalf of customers are made by the organizers on the sole condition that the organizers shall not be held responsible for or have any liability whatsoever for any injury, death, accident, delay, loss, harm or irregularity which may be occasioned through acts of the organizers or any company and/or persons engaged in carrying out arrangements and services described herein or otherwise in connection herewith. The information contained in this brochure is correct to the best of the organizer’s knowledge, but the organizer accepts no liability for any inaccuracies therein, the organizers reserve the right to alter any itinerary or service at any time without penalty to the organizers. The organizers accept no responsibility whatsoever for any additional expenses incurred by the passenger due to delay, omissions, rerouting, changes in the schedule of the airlines or other events resulting from improper documents carried by the passenger, or by any act of government or any authority, strike, civil disturbances, political unrest or Acts of God. Any additional expenses or cancellation shall be borne by the customer. The organizers reserve the right to withdraw or refuse any service to any customer at the discretion of the organizers. The provisions contained herein and in the stated Terms and Conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Province of Prince Edward Island and the laws of Canada applicable therein. Payment of deposit is taken as acknowledgment to the above terms.

Air Carrier Responsibility

The passenger contract in use by any airlines concerned when issued shall constitute the sole contract between the airlines and the purchaser. Airline schedules are subject to change. No airfares are included with this tour unless it is specifically stated in the itinerary that a flight from point A to Point B will be included.
Any airfare arrangements over and above itinerary inclusions, will be individual requests for assistance and will carry a $50 plus HST booking fee. Coronation Travel will not be liable for any changes to flights or fares and surcharges imposed by the air carrier for any flight .

By registering for a Coronation Travel Tour and paying the required deposit for the tour , I am agreeing that I have read and fully understand all the Terms and Conditions as stated above, including the foreign exchange surcharges that may end up being required.

MAILING ADDRESS  

Coronation Travel

34 Warburton Dr

Charlottetown, PEI  C1A 8Z6

902 440 1131

Email :  kmonteith@coronationtravel.com   

Text to : 9024401131

website https://www.coronationtravel.com       Facebook : Coronation Travel and Tours to Coronation Street    Twitter  : @CoronationTrave

Please Note * As we are not always in the office, the best way to contact us is to email us at kmonteith@coronationtravel.com, or send us a text to 902 440 1131.  

Should I tip my Tour Host/Manager , Driver and individual step on guide ? 

In a nut shell , the answer is yes , if you feel they have done a great job 

How much ?

Tipping is always a personal decision, and usually falls into a range that you select based on the level of service you received 

Here are a few guidelines for tipping in the UK :

Coach Driver - A friendly and helpful driver who gets you safely to and from your destination ,offers helpful information ,  always helps people on and off the coach and is always prompt should receive a tip of £3-£5 per person per day of driving depending on the level of service. For this tour our driver will be with us for 4 full days and 2 partial days . Therefore a rule of thumb for great service would be to tip £5 for 4 days and £3 for two partial days ...so a total of £26 pounds or $40 CAD total.

Tour Host/Manager - Your Tour Host or Manager not only looks after you while you are on the coach, but every moment you are on the tour. He or she is the glue that keeps a tour humming along and is always working behind the scenes to fix or avoid any snags that could quickly de-rail the tour. Days are very long for a Tour Host/Manager who doesn't sleep or relax until every one on the coach is safely tucked into bed and everything is all taken care of for the next day. A great Tour Host/Manager is worth his/her weight in gold . 

A rule of thumb for tipping your Tour Host/Manager is £5-£7 per day per person . Our Tour Host/ Manager will be looking after each person for 8 days. The minimum per person per tour should be £40, ( $60 CAD) with the maximum being £56 ( $85 CAD)  for outstanding service. 

For step on Guides who are with us for a full day, a minimum of £3 per person per day ( $5 CAD) is recommended with £5 for great service  

For guides who do a 1-2 hr walking tour £1-£2 per person. ( $2 - $4)  For smaller groups of under 10 people the higher £2 ( $4) per person is recommended, while for larger groups, the £1 ($2)  per person is adequate. 

So as an example, for this tour you should plan to set aside a minimum of £50 or $100CAD to divide up between Tour Host/Manager , Coach Driver, and  3  step on guides ( Manchester, Chester and Liverpool.)  The largest portion should go to your Tour Host/Manager , with the coach driver receiving the next largest amount . In pounds this would translate to £25, £16 and 3 guides x £3 .

These are just guidelines , and you can certainly choose what you wish to tip. But please do remember, in most cases these folks do work very hard to ensure your vacation is as worry free as possible.   

Here is a helpful article on tipping in general in the UK 

https://www.globalcoachtours.com/blog/ArticleID/10/tipping-guidelines-in-britain

What Clothes Should I Pack 

Pack whatever clothes you would be wearing at home in late August/early September. A light rain jacket and comfortable walking shoes - don't bring brand new shoes - make sure they are well broken in ! A light weight sweater is always good to have on overnight flights as the cabin can get cool. 

Bring one or two dressier outfits for any special dinners and in case you want to go to a special concert or theatre in your free time. 

Leave your expensive jewelry at home, just in case.  Just remember, this is your hard earned vacation, and you want to be comfortable . 

Travel Tips 

It's always a good idea to take a photo copy of the first two pages of your passport, just in case you ever lose it or it gets stolen. It is much easier to get a replacement if you have this information with you. Keep it somewhere else from where you keep your passport. 

Bring a spare pair of eyeglasses with you, just in case your current ones get lost, broken or stolen. 

It's always a good idea to bring an extra prescription for any medication you need to take. We have had cases where people have left medication in the bathroom in a previous hotel room .

Speaking of medication , please do list any medication you need to take and any medication you cannot take , or allergies , on your registration form in the appropriate section. We are not being nosey, we are just making sure that if there was any situation whereby you needed medical assistance and couldn't speak for yourself, our Tour Host /Manager would have access to this information to pass along to medical authorities. 

Please do bring along any non prescription meds you are accustomed to taking , such as Tylenol . But if you do run out and need to get over the counter meds, please remember that In the UK, " Night Nurse" is like our Tylenol PM for sleep , and Paracetamol is like the Tylenol we take for pain.

Here are a great couple of tips from Neville who was actually mugged in Quito and was so thankful he had done this. 

When you check in to the hotel, take one of the business cards with the hotel address on it and put it together with a £20 note in your shoe. That way you will always have the hotel address and phone number ,and a bit of cash to get there in case you do get your purse or wallet and phone stolen.

VERY IMPORTANT please note , the electrical current is different in the UK.

Be sure to pack the appropriate travel plug adapter that fits the local sockets, as well as a voltage converter. The UK has it's own plug and socket system TYPE G, which is unlike the rest of Continental Europe. As opposed to our 120V 60 Hz in Canada, the electricity in the UK is 230V 5hz....so even if you get the correct plug adapter , if you don't also get the converter that steps down the voltage, you will fry your phone or flat iron !  You can get travel plug adaptors with voltage converters at places like Best Buy or Amazon. Don't wait until you get to the UK to buy one , as they will be reverse from the ones sold here, and will be virtually useless with your appliances.

A small telescoping umbrella is always a good thing to have, as well as a small backpack or cross body bag to keep your valuables right in front of you.

Please do not travel without travel insurance. Trip cancellation is optional but highly recommended, but proof of out of the country emergency medical insurance is mandatory for this trip.

Please don't wander off by yourself at any time without letting someone know where you are going and what time you will be back . 

Before travelling, check with your cell phone provider to see how much  an international plan is  so you can call home if need be or your family can reach you. Unfortunately most plans are pretty expensive. 

If your phone is unlocked ( make sure it is before you go ) you can purchase a sim card in the UK and just swap your existing sim card with that one. Just make sure you bring along an envelope to store the tiny sim card in until you get home , and don't lose it ! 

Here is an article on the newest thing called  E Sim Cards....I've never tried it but it looks pretty easy to set it up. No more having to swap Sim cards .

https://www.traveltomtom.net/destinations/europe/united-kingdom/best-prepaid-uk-sim-card 

One of the cheapest and easiest ways to keep in touch with people while you are away is through messaging apps like Facebook Messenger and Whats App. As long as you have a wifi connection you can talk to people anywhere , but you won't be able to use your Canadian phone plan to make a phone call without incurring big charges. The last thing you want to do is make a call from your hotel room to the family back home. Long distance and International long distance is very expensive from hotel rooms. 

if you happen to have an older phone that still works, why not think about bringing that and just getting a UK sim card to pop in. That way if you lose your iPhone 7 it won't be nearly as much of a disaster as if you lose your new iPhone 14.

If you have any older pound sterling notes , most places in the UK will no longer accept them. But do bring them with you, and go to a Post Office right away where they will exchange them for new notes. They will exchange up to £300 at a time.

The best post office to head to, is the Manchester Spring Gardens #26 one, just up one of the side streets in the pedestrian shopping mall on Market Street  and around the corner from a Barclays Bank.  About an 8 minute walk from the hotel. 

Coach Etiquette 

Some seats on a coach are considered by some to have better views and vantage points for sightseeing. In order to give everyone a fair chance to experience the views from each angle, we will be rotating seats daily . We will ask folks to all move back 3 rows and across the aisle from where they sat the day before. Those who were seated in the last 3 rows the day before will move up to the front, and so on. 

Once in your seat for the day, we would ask that you remain in that seat for the entire day for sanitary reasons. The surfaces of the coach will be all wiped down after the end of each day, but not throughout the day. Every little bit helps, and we thank you for understanding. 

Please do stick with the group and don't wander off to look at something and get left behind. It's a scary feeling being in a place you don't know and getting separated . Always keep your eye on the group if you stop for a moment . Please let someone know if you need to make a quick dash to a washroom , and the group will wait for you before moving on. 

We have all been on those tours where the same two or three people are always the ones missing when the Tour Manager does the headcount before leaving an area. Please don't be one of those people that everyone else is constantly having to wait for. Be courteous by being on time. Keeping up and being on time for departures will help us all have an enjoyable tour. Sometimes we are on a fairly tight schedule, and each 5 or 10 minutes we have to wait for stragglers could mean we might have to miss a planned stop entirely. When departing the coach for a stop, you will be told how long we will be stopping for, and what time to be back at the coach, and where the coach will be parked. Please do listen to your Tour Host/Manager's instructions , and always keep track of the time.   

Luggage 

Pack light ...you will be dragging your luggage through the airports by yourself. Leave room for the treasures you want to bring home. Most airlines these days do not give you any free checked bags , and charge crazy amounts . Make sure you check with your airline regarding checked luggage allowances and fees well in advance . 

Rolling clothes sometimes keeps them from wrinkling as much and keeping the number of pairs of shoes you bring to a minimum can cut down on luggage weight substantially....as can swapping out full size bottles of shampoo and conditioner for travel sizes, or just purchase when you get there and throw away what you don't use. If you do pack any liquids in your suitcase, make sure they are in sealed plastic bags- like freezer bags. 

If you are planning to purchase liquor to bring back, its always a good idea to have a few extra large plastic bags on hand to use to put liquor in, and then use your clothes to wrap around the bottle to shield it from bumps. 

A low cost luggage scale is worth its weight in gold, as are the new tracking devices which you place inside your luggage so you always know where it is , even when the airlines don't ! Both these items can be purchased on Amazon very inexpensively.

Don't pack your passport or any medications you need in your checked baggage. Especially in this day and age when luggage horror stories have been happening the world over. Make sure you pack your medication, any valuables, your passport, cash and credit cards, a light sweater or jacket and a full change of clothing in your carry on bag , and keep it with you at all times.

Tour Host /Manager 

As a courtesy, we ask that if you have an issue with something like your TV is not working in your room or there is a burnt out bulb , please notify the front desk and not your Tour Host/Manager. If however you have notified the front desk several times ,and nothing has been done , we ask that you let your Tour Host/Manager know the next morning, so that it can be dealt with.  

Tour Hosts/Managers work very hard for very long days , and often just need some down time after dinner is finished. and during free time. 

Unless it is an emergency that really cannot wait until breakfast the next morning, please let your Tour Host have some rest so that he/she will be bright eyed and ready to tackle anything the next morning ! Thank you for respecting this request.    

How Much Money Do I Need to Bring ?

Only carry small amounts of cash with you. Order a few pounds sterling to have with you when you first land in Britain , enough to give tips and maybe buy a coffee , but for the rest you will most likely be using your credit card. With ATM machines everywhere these days, you can withdraw what you need for just a day or two, and you can have it in local currency without having to go to a bank or Currency Exchange kiosk in the airport where exchange rates are not always the most favourable.

Here are a great couple of tips from Neville who was actually mugged in Quito and was so thankful he had done this. 

When you check in to the hotel, take one of the business cards with the hotel address on it and put it together with a £20 note in your shoe. That way you will always have the hotel address and a bit of cash to get there in case you do get your purse or wallet and phone stolen.

Returning Back to Canada 

Remember after you have been out of the country for 7 days, you are allowed to bring home the equivalent of $800 CAD when you return to Canada. In that $800 total you can have 1.5L of wine, or 1.14 L of spirits, or 8.5L of beer.  

You can also bring 200 cigarettes, or 50 cigars , or 200 grams of tobacco. The total of all your items including liquor and tobacco can not exceed $800. 

You cannot bring fresh produce or any meat products back to Canada. 

If you purchase something fragile as a gift for someone , consider asking the store to ship it to your residence as a gift.  

While you are outside Canada, you can send gifts free of duty and taxes to friends at home in Canada under certain conditions.  

Gifts you send from outside Canada do not count as part of your personal exemption, but gifts you bring back in your personal baggage do and are treated like any other purchases. 

Hopefully some of these little travelling tips and tidbits will be helpful.    

As of the date of publishing this brochure, October 28th,2023 there  are no mandatory proof of vaccination legislations in either Canada or the United Kingdom.

While still recommending social distancing and facial masks, neither Canada or the UK have made this mandatory at this time. 

It is up to individual businesses whether or not they require that a face mask be worn in their establishment . We recommend that you bring a face mask with you just in case.

Coronation Travel will at all times follow the restrictions and mandatory legislations imposed by both Canada and Britain for the duration of this trip. 

Unless mandated or legislated, Coronation Travel will not be requiring proof of vaccinations for Covid 19 or any other vaccinations , nor mandating that facial masks be worn on coaches or in any group settings or gatherings during the dates of this tour.

We support the use of facial masks for any individual tour participants, however will not make them a requirement, unless legislation changes.

We , along with our coach company partners will do our utmost to protect the health of our tour participants, by ensuring regular sanitization of surfaces and opening of windows whenever possible to encourage clean air exchange.

To protect the health and well being of everyone on this tour, we request that all passengers refrain from boarding the coach or participating in group activities if they are feeling unwell. Unfortunately, we are not able to offer refunds for any portion of the tour missed due to sickness, or any other reason. We strongly suggest that everyone look into an out of the country emergency medical insurance policy that has coverage for illness due to virus' such as Covid-19.  

Should any restrictions change before the departure of this tour, we will notify all participants .

As we continue to live and operate alongside COVID-19, the virus continues to create a set of challenges that are unfortunately outside of our control. We continue to review the travel restrictions imposed by government advisories worldwide on a regular basis.

Should your tour be impacted and unable to operate . we will contact you at the email address you provided with your tour registration as soon as possible after we receive notification. We will work diligently to recover and return to you the funds you have paid for your tour over and above the initial deposit, which shall remain non-refundable. 

Again, we strongly advise all participants to take out travel insurance that will cover cancellation for any reason, including the non-refundable deposit. 

Please rest assured that our hygiene protocols on this trip meet the requirements put forth by world health and local authorities, including the World Health Organization (WHO).

We ask that you please take personal responsibility for your wellbeing. This begins with packing any personal protective equipment and sanitizers that you require due to your own health or age. Please adopt physical distancing and hygiene practices throughout your pre-trip travel arrangements and follow all health instructions whether physical signage, or requests from our staff, once you are travelling with us.

In choosing to travel with Coronation Travel, you voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19.

Let’s help keep each other safe and healthy.

Below are the most recent health advisories from both the Government of Canada and the Government of the United Kingdom.

Published on September 26th , 2022

 TORONTO — The Canadian government announced Monday it will no longer require people to wear masks on planes to guard against COVID-19.

Transport Canada said the existing rules for masks will come off Oct. 1

“We are able to do this because tens of millions of Canadians rolled up their sleeves and got vaccinated,” Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said.

Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said the negative attitudes of some passengers have made it hard for airlines and crews to enforce the mask mandate in recent months, and cited that as a factor in the decision.

Government officials also confirmed Canada is dropping the vaccine requirement for people entering the country at the end of the month. 

 Government of Canada / Gouvernement du Canada

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COVID-19: Travel, testing and borders

Return or travel to Canada

COVID-19 emergency border measures have ended

For all travellers entering Canada by air, land or marine mode on or after October 1, 2022:

• Proof of COVID-19 vaccination is not required
• COVID-19 pre-entry and arrival tests are not required
• Quarantine after you enter Canada is not required
• Using ArriveCAN is not required
  • if you’re flying into Toronto Pearson, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Halifax or Montréal-Trudeau international airports, you can still use ArriveCAN to complete your Advance CBSA Declaration to save time upon arrival
• Pre-boarding tests for cruise passengers are not required
• As always, travel documents are required
• Health checks to board planes and trains are not required
• Wearing masks on planes and trains is not required
  • It's still strongly recommended that you wear a high quality and well-fitted mask or respirator while you travel

If you have symptoms of COVID-19, you shouldn't travel to Canada.

If you feel sick or experience any symptoms of COVID-19 during your travel to Canada or upon arrival, you should:

• inform the flight attendant, cruise staff or a border services officer upon arrival. You may be referred to a Quarantine Officer for a health assessment and further direction.
• avoid taking public transportation
• check provincial or territorial requirements for what you need to do if you’re symptomatic or have tested positive for COVID-19

Travelling in and out of Canada

• International travel advice and advisories
• COVID-19 and international travel
• Proof of vaccination
• Find out if you need a visa

Wearing masks on planes and trains in Canada is not required.

• It's still strongly recommended that you wear a high quality and well-fitted mask or respirator while you travel

Situation in Canada

• COVID-19 guidance, vaccines, limiting the spread
• Summary data about travellers, testing and compliance

The Government of Canada will continue to monitor the situation. See the COVID-19 border measures backgrounder.

In the UK:

  GOV.UK

Covid 19 travel restrictions removed in the UK

The government will remove the remaining COVID-19 international travel restrictions for all passengers from 4am Friday 18 March.

From:Department for Transport, Department of Health and Social Care, The Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP, and The Rt Hon Grant Shapps MPPublished14 March 2022

• from 4am 18 March no-one entering the UK will need to take tests or complete a passenger locator form
• remaining managed hotel quarantine capacity will be fully stood down from the end of March, making the UK one of the first major economies to end all COVID-19 international travel rules
• contingency plans put in place to manage any future variants of concern (VoCs)

The government will remove the remaining restrictions on international travel for all passengers ahead of the Easter holidays, the Transport Secretary announced today (14 March 2022).

As one of the first major economies to remove all its remaining COVID-19 travel restrictions, this is a landmark moment for passengers and the travel and aviation sector.

From 4am Friday 18 March, all COVID-19 travel restrictions will be lifted, including the passenger locator form (PLF) for arrivals into UK, as well as all tests for passengers who do not qualify as vaccinated. This change, therefore, removes the need for unvaccinated passengers to take a pre-departure test and a day 2 post arrival test.

This step reflects the decisions taken by the government, as set out in the Living with COVID plan, and the success of the UK’s vaccine and booster rollout, with 86% of the population having received a second dose and 67% of the population with a booster or third dose.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said:

The UK is leading the world in removing all remaining COVID-19 travel restrictions, and today’s announcement is a testament to the hard work everyone in this country has put in place to roll out the vaccine and protect each other.
I said we wouldn’t keep travel measures in place for any longer than necessary, which we’re delivering on today – providing more welcome news and greater freedom for travellers ahead of the Easter holidays.
I look forward to continuing to work with the travel sector and partners around the world to keep international travel moving.

Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said:

As we learn to live with COVID-19, we’re taking further steps to open up international travel once again ahead of the Easter holidays.
We will continue monitoring and tracking potential new variants and keep a reserve of measures that can be rapidly deployed if needed to keep us safe.
We can remove these final restrictions thanks to the incredible success of our vaccination programme, which has seen more than 8 out of 10 adults across the UK boosted.

To ensure the protection of public health, the government will maintain a range of contingency measures in reserve, which would enable it to take swift and proportionate action to delay any future harmful variants of COVID-19 entering the UK should the need arise.

In future, the government’s default approach will be to use the least stringent measures, if appropriate, to minimise the impact on travel as far as possible – given the high personal, economic and international costs border measures can have – and the contingency measures will only be implemented in extreme circumstances.

Given the current state of the pandemic and a move towards global travel volumes returning to normal, the remaining managed hotel quarantine capacity will be fully stood down from the end of March.

Tim Alderslade, Chief Executive of Airlines UK, said:

Today’s announcement sends a clear message to the world – the UK travel sector is back. With travellers returning to the UK no longer burdened by unnecessary forms and testing requirements, we can now look forward to the return to pre-COVID normality throughout the travel experience.
We’re grateful for the timing of the announcement as we prepare to welcome back passengers this Easter and summer, for which we know there is huge pent-up demand, and for the UK’s leadership in being the first major aviation market to remove all remaining restrictions. The time to return to the skies – to enjoy all that makes aviation and international travel great, for families and businesses – is now.

Karen Dee, Chief Executive of Airport Operators Association, said:

A return to restriction-free travel is good news for passengers and should allow for aviation to take significant steps towards recovery. People should feel encouraged to book their long-awaited holidays, trips to see relatives and friends abroad they haven’t seen for a long time and travel to rekindle business ties with other countries.

 Steve Heapy, CEO of Jet2.com and Jet2holidays, said:

Two years after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, today’s announcement marks international travel finally returning to normal. The removal of passenger locator forms and testing regimes means that customers can at long last enjoy hassle-free travel, just like they did before the pandemic.
With Easter just around the corner and summer fast approaching, this announcement comes at the perfect time. Since restrictions started to be eased at the beginning of the year, we have experienced strong, sustained demand and the complete removal of forms and requirements will boost that demand even further.

Additionally, UKHSA will continue to closely monitor the prevalence and spread of harmful variants and keep international data under review.

While there will be no border health measures on arrival in the UK from 18 March, other countries are at different stages in the pandemic and many still require passengers to comply with requirements.

Travellers should continue to check GOV.UK travel guidance including Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) travel advice to keep up to date with other countries’ entry requirements. 

For the latest and most up-to-date information on COVID19, visit the Government of Canada's webpage or call the coronavirus information line: 1-833-784-4397.

https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19.html