Also, I notice during booking there is an option for an excursion to Ypres, but this isn't mentioned anywhere in the text, ie what it involves, or where it fits into the rest of the holiday.

Oh, on the first evening it mentions about a "welcome drink". What happens about dinner on that day?

I've been looking at the JY website and brochures for several years now, but never had the courage to actually book anything. I'd never been on holiday by myself before, but recently I've done a few short holidays in the UK alone, so now I have a lot more confidence to try going abroad with JY.

Sorry for taking a bit of time to come back to you, I wanted to make sure I had all the right information.

The Bruges excursion, is for you to spend the day enjoying the sights that appeal to you. The Tour Manager will join you on the coach and point out some of the main sights of the city on arrival.

On the Ypres excursion you will enjoy the Last Post ceremony which has been taking place since 11th November 1929 under the archway of the Menin Gate. The Menin Gate was built on the site of the medieval Hangoart Poorte, but there was no actual gate at the time of the Great War. British troops marched through this area to the front to defend the Ypres Salient. The Menin Gate is the British Memorial to the missing and shows the names of 54,896 soldiers who died between 1914 and 15th August 1917. Every evening at 20.00 the last post is sounded by buglers of the fire brigade. There will be time to enjoy dinner in a local restaurant which will be at your own expense.

Dinner on day 1 is not included in the price of this holiday. Normally the Tour Manager will ask each of the travellers if they would like to make a reservation at a local eatery.

I'm sure many of our members will share with you their thoughts and opinions of Just You holidays, they are a very friendly bunch.

If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

Kindest regards,

Julia

I first came to JY because of your Egypt holiday, as is somewhere I'd really like to go, but I never found the courage to book it. I decided it might be best to try a shorter, nearer to home holiday first to see what they're like (and the Lille/Bruges one appealed to me), then maybe later book something further away. That's if you are still doing Egypt by then as it doesn't appear to be in the latest brochure. I see plenty of other places I'd like to go in your brochure though.

Anyway, back to Bruges. I am this close >..< to booking it. I just need to decide when to go. 🙂

Not a problem - I can also confirm that if you do decide to take the Ypres excursion it is on the evening of Day 2. I understand that there is a restaurant at the hotel so it would be possible to dine there.

Lille & Bruges is a nice tour to "dip your toe" with Just You, short enough to try something new and close enough to home. Sometimes we do "rest" tours for a year or two so it may be that we aren't running Egypt for 2014 but it could return in the future, and it does sound like you have a contingency plan in place too.

If you've explored the forums, you'll see that many of our members share where they would like to travel, and you'll probably notice that, based on the feedback, our product team try to create something that ticks as many boxes as possible. Whilst it isn't always possible to create a holiday, we do try. So, my point is to be vocal about where you would like to go, if someone has mentioned a destination that appeals to you, join the conversation. We can create many tours, but for them to be the right tour for you, we need you to have your say.

Please let us know which date you do decide to book - you never know, there may be a fellow traveller on the forum.

Kindest regards,

Julia

Just two more questions: when/how do I book JY insurance? And how big is the groups size usually for this holiday?

In answer to your questions....

When/how do you book JY insurance - ideally you should book your insurance (with Just You or an alternative provider) as soon as possible. You can book Just You Insurance by calling one of our holiday advisors, and they will tell you more about the policy and arrange this for you should you choose to use us

Group sizes. For the Lille & Bruges weekend we'll take up to 35 people on the tour. We have a group leaving today with 22 travellers.

If there is anything else I can help with, please let me know,

Kindest regards,

Julia

It is a bit of an unanswerable question as every person budgets differently but things you should consider when you are looking at budgeting for your trip.

Included in the price of your holiday are three breakfasts and one dinner so you'll need to budget for one dinner and a couple of lunches. There are plenty of eateries that suit different budgets, when I went to Bruges I worked on the basis of UK prices and it wasn't far off (although this was a couple of years ago).

There are two optional excursions on this trip, Ghent and Ypres which you can book before you leave the UK and therefore not have to worry about when travelling.

On top of that, you'll just need to think about taking any currency for any souvenirs to bring home.

Major credit card are widely accepted but please inform your provider before travelling to avoid any problems on your trip.

I hope that goes some way to helping you think about how much currency to take with you even if it doesn't give you an exact amount.

Have a wonderful time and please let us know how you get on with your first holiday abroad.

Kindest regards,

Julia

I have to account for two dinners, not one, don't I? As the only included dinner is on the Sunday, and there is Friday and Saturday nights to account for.

BTW how many people are booked on this trip (4th of October)?

In terms of numbers there are 18 of you booked and it looks like it has been closed so there will be no more travellers joining this group. There are three men and the rest women with ages from late-thirties to late-eighties.

Julia

Kindest regards,

Julia

I have noticed that you have added an extra optional excursion to Ypres. This excursion was never mentioned in the brochure. I have been told by a Just You representative that this tour is going to be the evening of Day 2.

This means on Day 2 there are 2 optional excursions for the same day?

I want to see Lille but the way the program has been organised most of the tour will be in Belgium now. Are we going to be given a tour of Lille or do we have to make our own way around.

I have been on many Just You holidays before. I have always enjoyed them and met a lot of great people. This is the first time I have felt apprehensive. When I booked this tour I did it thinking Lille would be a big part of the package and it looks like now it's not. So for me to see Lille it looks like I'll have to make my own way around and this won't give me a lot of time to spend with the group either. Something I have always looked forward to in a Just You holiday. I just wish whoever organised this trip had done the Ypres evening on the first night instead of two on the same day.

Please advise if I will be given any assistance to see Lille or will I be left to my own devices. Something that is really worrying me.

A tour of Lille is not included in the price of this holiday however the Tour Manager will be able to assist you in what to see and do in Lille if you choose not to take the optional excursions (although the Tour Manager will be accompanying those who have booked the optional excursions).

I understand that the hotel is a stones throw from the centre of Lille and you are only a very short walk away from the lovely squares that this city has to offer.

I have forwarded your message on to our overseas team so that your comments about the Ypres excursion can be considered for future departures/

Please don't be too worried, not all of our travellers opt to take the optional excursions and you may find that there are a group of you that would prefer to stay and explore Lille.

Kindest regards,

Julia