Travel advice: guide to tour operator ownership

By Sophie Butler Published: 1:38PM GMT 08 March 2010

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The Holiday Cottages Group has paid for Britain"s long-established self-catering and boating dilettante Hoseasons

Just over a week ago the Holiday Cottages Group paid for Britain"s long-established self-catering and boating dilettante Hoseasons in a understanding value some-more than �50 million. Hoseasons will turn piece of the expanding portfolio of this large self-catering group, piece of an even incomparable US-owned organization called Wyndham Worldwide, that already includes Cottages4you, Canvas Holidays and Blakes. French villa dilettante Bowhills and Dales Holiday Cottages will additionally be piece of the deal.

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Over new years, most big ride companies have paid for not as big rivals. How do such buyouts affect holidaymakers? Sometimes not at all: infrequently the backup of a absolute association at the back of your engagement with a auxiliary can be reassuring.

At alternative times, though, the subject of distinctness can be an issue. You might hold that you"re engagement with a small dilettante when you"re not: it"s no fluke that report about the primogenitor association is mostly formidable to find in brochures and on websites.

If you would rather bypass the multinationals and be certain that you"re shopping from a association that"s expected to be indeed eccentric and a dilettante in the field, hit the Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO) (020 8744 9280; www.aito.co.uk) Its dependent British network of agents (aitoagents.com) is a great source of advice.

Otherwise, as a guide when booking, here is a list of the big debate operators and the "small" companies that come underneath their umbrella.

Tui Travel: Thomson; First Choice; Hayes & Jarvis; Sovereign; Sunsail; Citalia; Crystal; Exodus; Headwater; Portland Direct; Simply Travel.

Thomas Cook: Thomas Cook; Airtours; Sunset; Manos; Club 18-30; Neilson; Thomas Cook Signature; Cresta; Elegant Resorts; Pure Luxury.

Cosmos: Monarch Holidays; Archers Direct; Avalon Waterways.

Holiday Cottages Group: Blakes; cottages4you; Chez Vous; Country Cottages; Welcome Cottages; Canvas Holidays; Individual Travellers Company; French Life.

Readers" queries

J D, from Sutton Coldfield, writes

Our Baltic journey includes a revisit to St Petersburg. Is it loyal that if we revisit independently, we have to get visas, but not if we book an outing on the cruise?

Sophie Butler replies

Yes, it"s true. Cruise-organised seaside excursions will embody visas, differently you"ll have to request for your own prior to you travel.

C A, from Surrey, writes

We have found the mental condition legal holiday end in Tortola, in the British Virgin Islands (BVI). We can fly approach to Antigua but find the air tie from there unreliable. Any suggestions?

Sophie Butler replies

BVI Tourism (020 7355 9585; bvitourism.co.uk) suggests a licence from Antigua (see Island Birds at islandbirds.com) or drifting around the United States.

R L, by email, writes

I"m a sincerely new wheelchair user. Do you know of any great websites for formulation ride in Britain?

Sophie Butler replies

A new website launched by OpenBritain and DisabledGo (www.openbritain.net) lists sum of permitted hotels, restaurants and open transport.

F F, from Winchester, writes

My crony and I ride together but cite not to share rooms. How can we equivocate stand in room rates and supplements?

Sophie Butler replies

Try Bed and Fed (bedandfed.co.uk) for b & bs with prices on a per-person, per-night basis, in any case of room occupancy.