At the moment the team are working on a little project for travellers who are new to the solo travel experience, that being said, a night before at the airport it isn't something we would rule out - I'm sure you're aware that the team listen to what the community are saying.

Kindest regards,

Julia

Jaya

Avocet

I think that they have been shelved in recent years as people can get a much cheaper deal for a night stop etc,but perhaps that's what JY are looking into.

I do know that those that use these boards often arrange via this website to meet up, even though I have not gone on tours I have met up with 4 people who have been going on a tour,on separate occasion for a meal, it's nice for me to chat about tours and see people and I HOPE it's nice for them that they can have a meal and a chat with someone if they have got a night stop at LHR.

I would say that out of the USA tour I was first booked on, very few people booked this even though it was widely advertised etc.

Cindy

Best wishes,

Bob

JY used to do this service, on my very first holiday back in 2005 I stayed at a hotel at Gatwick to meet the TM and others on the trip and have dinner together but there was only 3 of us who took advantage of it, since then I have booked my own choice of hotel. Perhaps it was dropped because it wasn't that popular.

Avocet

I think the price was the cause of this JY service falling in popularity. I once made independent arrangements to stay overnight prior to a JY holiday, coincidentally this was the one being used by a JY organised event. JY were charging an awful lot more because, of course you have to pay for the tour manager.

I'm happy to travel to the airport and overnight alone as I've done this many times. I can see how daunting this would be for somebody who hasn't done it before though. Maybe there's a halfway point. Perhaps JY could suggest an airport hotel and those interested meet at Reception at a pre-arranged time for dinner which would be cheaper and offer a bit of moral support.

Perhaps JY could point people towards the forum on the paperwork, informing them that these things happen.

Many holidays non forum users stay over and often tell me they were sat in hotel on their own and wish they had read the forum.

This was an excellent start to the trip and also exchanging emails helped to build up the excitement of going on the holiday. It is good to talk to your friends about an upcoming holiday. But it is not the same as discussing it with people who are actually going.

I think the idea of a “halfway point” arranged or encouraged by JY is very good. I don’t think it is necessary to involve the tour manager. I defiantly think it would encourage some nervous first time bookers.

For first timers, having an overnight stay or just travelling to the airport and having to face all the hustle and bustle can leave you feeling quite lost and is something we all have to face and I'm not sure what the ideal answer would be. What another 'rival company' does may work for them, and to get everyone to stay at the same hotel is quite an achievement, how did they do that !? There was no mention of how much it all cost, that would be interesting to know, but what JY used to do obviously didn't work for them.

To my knowledge JY are not in the practice of recommending hotels so it is difficult to point people in the right direction unless they have contact through the community and a great many people do not use the website so they will still be completely on their own.

Another suggestion might be for JY to have a meeting point at a certain time at the airport which is clearly marked on the paperwork so people can check in together for moral support if they want to, not forgetting there is usually a JY rep there to help anyway, although this wouldn't help the problem of staying the night in a hotel.

Avocet

I have done that and agree it is first class idea, and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Hi Jaya

It is optional, you don't have to do it if you don't want to, and about 25% of travellers don't - myself included for the last holiday I had with them.

Sylvia

Rae

Even then I would be far too anxious to socialise at this point. Once I've checked-in then I can start to relax a bit.

I have done many tours over the years but I still get nervous! Is anyone else like this?

:blush:

I'm so nervous at the start of a tour. I have to totally focus on leaving the house, getting to the airport and checking in. I couldn't cope with an extra layer to this discipline! I, too, live a bus-ride away from LHR and would only book an hotel at LGW if it was an early flight.

Even then I would be far too anxious to socialise at this point. Once I've checked-in then I can start to relax a bit.

I have done many tours over the years but I still get nervous! Is anyone else like this?

:blush:

Hi I've done 10 JY tours and have visited over 40 countries and I still get nervous at the beginning of a tour! I don't really relax until I'm in the air or fully relax until I've collected my suitcase at the end of the flight! We're all different but the important thing is that our little anxieties don't get in the way of going on holiday or having a great time!

Cheers,

Bob

:thumbup:

Thanks, Bob! I'm not quite so well-travelled as you are but I'm working on it. Nothing would deter me from travelling - I'm off next week with JY and I have my next 4 tours booked up to next March. My pre-tour nerves are old friends now.

:thumbup:

That's brilliant - good for you! I hope to keep travelling as long as health and finances allow - which may not be for too many more years, you never know! So I'm maximising my holiday experiences while I can. Safe travelling and have fun!

Cheers,

Bob