Before we press 'restart' on our holidays, we’re carrying out extensive checks on the safeguards in place in each of our destinations. We are working to ensure our hoteliers, taxi drivers and other suppliers are compliant with local health regulations, and are asking them to self-certify against an Inntravel checklist that they are taking extra precautions. We will only work with suppliers who can sign this checklist.

We can also recommend an insurance policy that can be purchased at the time of booking which provides cover for coronavirus illness and repatriation while overseas. This currently doesn’t cover for Covid-related illness prior to departure on new policies.

2020 hasn’t been an easy year, yet throughout the uncertainty our dedicated team have continued to provide the highest standards of personalised customer service – and this will never change.

Although we’re delighted that so many of you have chosen to defer your holidays until 2021, since the start of the crisis we have been among the few travel companies who have swiftly provided refunds for the trips we couldn’t operate where this has been the preferred option – and we will continue to do so going forward.

So if your destination country locks down or requires quarantine on arrival, or if the UK as a whole locks down and re-imposes a travel ban, we will offer refunds or free re-booking, no quibble.

Our commitment to doing the right thing by our customers has earned us praise from consumer champion, Which?

Although we like to think that we have always been flexible, we are now offering fee-free rebooking up to the day before travel, meaning that where we're operating your holiday but you are unable to travel because of Covid-related issues, we won't charge you the normal Inntravel amendment fee. We will only require that you meet the costs we’re unable to recover from our suppliers (such as flights, other international travel and late cancellation charges), and any charges imposed by our suppliers for making a change on your behalf (such as changes to flights).

This applies where there is a requirement to self-isolate due to governmental advice (such as NHS Test & Trace), if you or a member of your party fall ill with Covid before departure, or if you are subject to a localised lockdown.

We have also reduced the balance payment date from 8 weeks to 4 weeks before the holiday is due to start until 1 December, so decisions can be made much later.

When booking or re-booking for the future, there won’t be any surprises with inflated prices as we are providing our Summer 2021 holidays at 2020 prices. And, for peace of mind, all our customer payments are protected by ATOL or ABTA. Additionally, though we are a relatively small company ourselves, we have the security of Hotelplan – one of Europe’s premier travel groups – and a larger co-operative family behind us.

Being self-guided, our itineraries are built around you and your wishes and promise a truly individual holiday experience. We can organise private transfers from the airport instead of using public transport if that’s what you would prefer, and it’s down to you to choose who you holiday with – travel solo, as a couple or with a small number of friends or family.

Because we handle each booking individually, you can, for the vast majority of our itineraries, choose the travel method that best suits you. So, if you’d like to make the journey from home to holiday by car – perhaps to one of our destinations in France, Germany or Switzerland – we can arrange the Channel crossing and, for trips involving multiple hotels, organise a transfer back to the first to collect your car.

A large number of our holidays take place amid Europe’s quieter corners, where other visitors tend to be in short supply. Benefits include the chance to enjoy unspoiled scenery; to visit villages unchanged by the passing of time; to gain insights into traditional local culture; and to try authentic – and delicious – regional cuisine.

As well as our holidays on the continent, we offer a good range of 4- and 6-night UK walking breaks – perfect for exploring somewhere new closer to home. The breaks span the length of the country: from the wild moorland of the Peak District to the castle-studded Shropshire Marches and Dorset's idyllic landscapes.

Sustainable tourism has been at the heart of our business from the very start, and we take our responsibilities seriously. To this end, we almost exclusively use family-run hotels and taxi companies, and all our holidays offer the chance to support the local economy – be it by buying your lunch at a village bakery, or calling into a small winery for a tour and tasting.