I am sure I read somewhere that the groups meet the night before departure to get to know each other. ! Have I been dreaming ? I phoned the office today re something else and I mentioned this but the person I spoke to had never heard of this ! Please someone tell me this is not just wishful thinking

Hi Mary Elizabeth,

This isn't something that we offer.

However, you may have seen travellers here on the community arranging to meet each other for drinks/dinner the night before if they are staying in a hotel the night before their holiday.

It's always worth putting a post out on the community about your holiday to see if any of your fellow travellers are online and staying the night before your travel.

Kindest regards,

Julia

Not living close to an airport I often stay over the night before so try arrange meet ups the night before via this forum. Done this at both Manchester and Heathrow on a few occasions it certainly beats sitting in a airport hotel room yourself.

Doesn't always work as not everyone uses the forum but would say on three out of every four trips i end up meeting some of my holiday companions, had between 3 and 6 turn up.

Already know of one person staying at the same hotel on my next trip in April.

Heathrow usually arrange the meet at the Three Magpies on Bath Road for a meal, its near a few hotels (Park Inn, Renaisance, Holiday Inn, Radisson, Sheraton Skyline, etc) but also on the Free Bus route so even had people coming to join us that were staying at hotels near terminal 5.

Mick

years ago when I first started using JY 2006 JY offered hotel , meal and meet up deals, as I live near Heathrow I went for the meal to meet some of the group before flying the next day. they I think used to be popular but then with the extra cost I think people decline and maybe JY discontinued it. From my travels I know there are women in particular would like this to be on offer now, as it is hard enough to turn up at the airport alone let alone spending a night before in a strange area on your own in a hotel, YES, many group up from being on here and arranging a meal etc, but many people who travel do not use this facility.

So Mary you were not dreaming this used to be on offer many years ago!

Cindy

Hi Mary Elizabeth

I don't think you were dreaming as this was offered by JY several years ago. I had a pre holiday get-together at Gatwick for a Lake Garda holiday which was an extra & included an evening meal with a JY rep joining us, very good it was too, but I think it was discontinued some years ago

Regards

Barbara

Hi Mary Elizabeth

Meeting up before the flight is a great idea. I've only done 1 JY tour and I was lucky to have found fellowtravellers using this forum. One was Mick W who replied to this thread earlier. (Hi Mick). I stayed overnight at the same hotel as him and we arranged to meet up with 2 ladies for a meal in the Three Magpies the night before. It's a great way to start your holiday and it helps on the morning of the flight if you see a friendly face. Not all of JY traveller use this forum though. Best thing I can suggest is like others have said and that's to post a message in this forum asking for others who are on the same tour. It worked for me and it works a lot for others too.

Paul

The only time I have done this was for the Slovenia Mountains and Coast trip last May which Mick also went on. I had been in contact with him prior to the trip and as I also was staying over the night before he suggested meeting up for a meal at the 3 Magpies. We were joined by Sue who was also on the trip and Cindy (Nixon) and Sally who I had met the previous year in Cilento also came for the meal.

Great way of meeting up before hand and as Mick, Sue and I travelled to the terminal on the free bus the following morning it was great to meet some people before the actual journey.

If I am travelling from Heathrow again I shall certainly post beforehand to see if anyone wants to meet up the night before.