Whether it’s Europe, North America or South America, Trafalgar’s At Leisure holidays transport you deep into
the local landscape and lifestyle, while unlocking a unique insider’s perspective on the cultures,
customs and cuisines you encounter along the way. This innovative style of travel combines the
very best of hassle free, guided holidays with the freedom to take your own path. We ensure you
enjoy the things you’ve always dreamed of, as well as authentic experiences you never would have
imagined possible. All at your leisure, of course.
Travel is about being free. Free to explore, to taste and experience the world as you wish. Trafalgar’s At Leisure holidays are designed to
provide the relaxing benefits of a fully guided
holiday, plus the liberty to spend your free time
however you like. From sleeping in to
off-the-beaten-path excursions, At Leisure
doesn’t just unlock the treasures of each
amazing destination – it’s the key to discovering
them on your own terms.
Here are some of the ways At Leisure builds in freedom and
flexibility to create a refreshingly different holiday experience:
Plenty of free time to explore on your own, while still
having your Travel Director’s guidance should you need it.
Stays of 2 – 3 nights on average and up to 6 nights in some
destinations, so you spend minimal time unpacking and
more time soaking up the ambience of each incredible
place you visit.
Departures no earlier than 9am on most travelling days,
creating a leisurely pace throughout your holiday.
In-depth sightseeing with Trafalgar’s knowledgeable
Travel Directors and Local Guides.
Complimentary hop-on/hop-off city sightseeing, where
available, providing great flexibility in how you spend
your free time.
Smaller, more intimate groups for locally guided
sightseeing in select locations.
Combine all this with our planning expertise, local knowledge
and unrivalled value for money and At Leisure provides the
ultimate holiday for the independent-minded traveller.
At Leisure In Europe
When you travel At Leisure in Europe, you’ll have time to linger in each amazing destination and at every fascinating
sight as we reveal its rich history, vivid pageantry, intriguing customs and glorious scenery. You’ll enjoy a leisurely
journey through quaint villages and vibrant cities in a growing number of countries as our At Leisure collection
expands.
In the Netherlands, you’ll have the opportunity to savour the incredible spectacle of the Floriade
horticultural festival that’s held only once every ten years. We’ve also expanded into Egypt with a fabulous itinerary
that will see you relaxing at a major resort on the sparkling Red Sea Riviera and experiencing an unforgettable
stargazing dinner in the desert!
At Leisure In USA & Canada
North America is a continent full of natural marvels as well as
some of the world’s most exciting and diverse cities. Our At Leisure holidays take you to destinations that range from
the Canadian Rockies to Southern California and from the
West Coast wine country to the great cities of the East. And
on each itinerary, we take you to the heart of these places
and reveal their wonders from a unique insider’s point of
view.
In Jasper National Park learn about Rocky Mountain
wildlife in a fun interactive presentation with a Local Expert.
Taste, create and bottle your own personal blend of wine
to take home from a Sonoma winery. Soak up the history of
Boston with a three-night stay to savour every nation-building
landmark and story.
At Leisure In South America
With its mystical cultures, passionate people and spectacular
landscapes, South America is a land of magical possibilities
and you can uncover the mysteries of this exotic destination
through two fabulous At Leisure itineraries. Both include the
iconic sights and sounds of South America – like a Carnivalstyle
extravaganza in Rio de Janeiro and a heart-fluttering
tango show in Buenos Aires.
But you’ll also enjoy insider
experiences like our Be My Guest dinner at the home of
a notable Argentine family and a visit to a Chilean winery
for the ultimate vineyard-to-glass wine experience with the
winemaker. Of course, you’ll also have ample opportunity to
explore on your own while staying in such superb locations
as right on Copacabana Beach in Rio and at a spa resort near
the spectacular Iguassu Falls.
When you travel with us At Leisure, you’ll enjoy all
the advantages of our vast experience in creating
exceptional holidays, as well as the time to go
your own way in each remarkable destination. It’s
the perfect balance and you’ll find it a unique and
much more enriching experience than you could
ever have on your own.
Stay A While
To enhance your enjoyment, we plan each itinerary with at–up to
six nights in some! This gives you time to feel part of the
local culture and deepen your understanding of the people,
places and stories of each city or region you visit. With
minimal packing and unpacking, you’ll have more time to
enjoy your wonderfully relaxed holiday.
Incredible Value
Travelling with Trafalgar not only guarantees you quality
and reliability – it also makes financial sense. Our buying
power means we can negotiate bigger discounts and pass
these savings on to you. Whether it’s hotels, transportation,
attractions or dining, you’ll enjoy much better value on
an At Leisure holiday than if you were to make all these
arrangements yourself.
Share The Fun With New Friends
While you have plenty of time to explore on your own, your
At Leisure holiday also gives you the opportunity to share
your experiences and forge wonderful new friendships
with English-speaking travellers from around the world. As
you enjoy fun times and make new discoveries together,
you’ll find the group camaraderie truly enriches your
holiday experience. To meet people before you travel
visit our Trafalgar Online Community, read posts in our
Online Forum from fellow travellers and register for My
Community, your private travel group portal.
Sit Back And Take It Easy
You’ll find every journey with us blissfully stress-free. Unlike
travelling on your own, there’s no need to read maps and
timetables or worry about foreign road rules, parking or
directions. With At Leisure, you’ll enjoy the ultimate in
relaxed, hassle free travel as you are chauffeur-driven by the
friendliest and safest Coach Drivers in the business. And
when your itinerary includes internal flights, you’ll be whisked
between locations with ease and efficiency, saving you
precious time for enjoying each stunning destination.
First Class Travel Highlights
From the finest hotel accommodation featuring twin rooms
and private facilities to the ease of having pre-paid all hotel
baggage handling, service charges, tips and local taxes, you’ll
enjoy First Class treatment all the way with Trafalgar. You’ll
travel by luxury, air-conditioned coach featuring reclining
seats and an onboard restroom. You’ll have the services of
one of our professional Travel Directors throughout your
journey and you’ll receive a stylish wallet, travel documents,
keepsake booklet and map. Also, if you have booked your
flights through Trafalgar, complimentary airport transfers are
provided on the arrival and departure days of your trip.
Your At Leisure holiday is full of authentic
local discoveries. The hidden places off the
beaten path, the local people you wouldn’t
otherwise meet and the traditions you may
never experience travelling by yourself. You’ll
enjoy the deeper insights we provide through
our fully-guided sightseeing. Plus, you’ll have
ample free time to delve further into each
amazing place on your own. It all adds up to
richer sightseeing experiences that will stay
with you always.
Exclusive Hidden Treasures
Sometimes, the most amazing sights are just around the
corner, but how would you know where to look or that they
were even there? Even with time to search, you may never
find these secret gems. But our Travel Directors know them
and they love to reveal these Hidden Treasures on every
At Leisure itinerary. Exclusive to Trafalgar, these authentic
local experiences would never happen if you were travelling
on your own. Watch our new DVD and see how these magical
moments create a truly unique sightseeing experience.
The Finest Travel Directors
We pride ourselves on having some of the finest and most
experienced Travel Directors in the world. These friendly
professionals have the local knowledge to do what the
guidebooks can’t – give you a true insider’s perspective on
each destination and create a holiday experience you simply
could not have on your own. With their diverse range of
talents, they also act as your personal concierge to make your
holiday seamless and hassle free.
You Won’t Miss A Thing
With At Leisure sightseeing, in Europe, North America and
South America we provide state-of-the-art audio headsets
that allow you to explore at your own pace while still listening
to your guide’s commentary. No straining to hear over
surrounding noise. No need to even stand near your guide.
You’ll hear every word with complete clarity so you can simply
relax, wander and take it all in.
Deeper Local Insights
To further enhance your experience, entertaining Local
Guides will join you in various destinations to share stories
and knowledge of their home towns and local traditions.
At other locations, you will enjoy the company of Local
Experts such as interpretive guides, indigenous storytellers,
professional naturalists, geologists, historians and other
specialists in their field. Their talks will give you real insights
into the local history, culture, natural landscape and wildlife
in such diverse destinations as San Francisco’s Haight Ashbury ‘Flower
Power’ neighbourhood and Chartwell, the home of
Sir Winston Churchill.
Fascinating Local Specialities
Our At Leisure holidays include Local Specialities to give
you the opportunity to learn about the unique crafts or
traditions of the places you visit. Watch the remarkable art of
glass-blowing in Venice, learn about Brazilian gems and see
them transformed into sparkling jewels in Rio and in Napa,
California, sample locally produced olive oil and wine.
Complimentary City Sightseeing
In one major city on At Leisure holidays (where available),
we provide a complimentary ticket for hop-on/hop-off
sightseeing so you can spend a day exploring as you please.
This gives you the opportunity to pursue other interests like
shopping for shoes in Milan or spending time at the Museum
of Fine Arts in Boston. It’s all part of our aim to give you as
many choices as possible for easy, hassle free enjoyment of
your leisure time.
Flexible Free Time Choices
Each At Leisure itinerary is planned to give you the most
flexibility in choosing how you spend your leisure time. If you
don’t have definite plans, your Travel Director is always there
to help with insider tips on local activities, attractions and
off-the-beaten-path sights, many of which will be within easy
walking distance.
Personalise Your Holiday
Your At Leisure itinerary includes all the important elements
of the perfect holiday, plus we give you the opportunity to
personalise your trip. On every itinerary, we offer a range
of optional excursions that you can choose to join in,
depending on your tastes and interests. Optional excursions
offer unforgettable highlights of a region at the most
competitive prices. For instance, in Banff you could take
an eye-popping scenic helicopter flight over the Canadian
Rockies. In Paris, you could enjoy the sensational Moulin
Rouge cabaret from some of the best seats in the house.
Your At Leisure holiday presents you with
wonderful opportunities to experience the true
flavours of a country or region and to dine as the
locals do – savouring several leisurely courses
accompanied by lively conversation.
We intentionally leave lunches and many nights
open, so you’re free to take this culinary journey
on your own. If you’d like suggestions on the
best local restaurants, bistros, eateries and pubs
to try, your Travel Director has a wealth of insider
tips to share with you. They’ll fill you in on tasty
local specialty dishes, point you in the right
direction and even make a reservation for you.
Be My Guest
- A Trafalgar Exclusive
Trafalgar captures the true essence of a destination with our
exclusive Be My Guest dining Experiences. These special
treats give you a unique opportunity to savour authentic
dishes of a region at exclusive, off-the-beaten-path dining
venues. You’ll be invited into family estates and working
establishments, where you’ll mingle with your hosts and
sample tasty local specialities.
For example, in the beautiful Tuscan countryside, visit an organic olive estate owned by the Miari Fulcis family - wealthy Italian nobles headed by the matriarchal Countess
and her son, Count Francesco (pictured right). Join the
count’s eldest son for a tour of the garden, villa and olive
mill before sitting down to a delicious home-cooked Tuscan
dinner. Or in Buenos Aires, be invited into the elegant
mansion of a local family to see their art collection and then
visit the kitchen where you’ll learn about empanadas and join
the cook in preparing this tasty Argentinean favourite. Savour
your creations along with other hors d’oeuvres while sampling
wines from some of Argentina’s most famous estates.
A Warm Welcome
On the first night of your At Leisure holiday, your Travel
Director will host a Welcome Reception where you can
get to know your travelling companions over a couple of
glasses of wine, beer or soft drink. Depending on your
itinerary, this friendly get together may be held at the hotel, a
neighbourhood bar or a local restaurant. In Europe, North
and South America it will include a light meal featuring
regional cuisine.
Delectable Everyday Dining
You’ll begin every morning with a hearty breakfast and have
the time to savour every mouthful. In Europe you'll wake
up to a delicious buffet including a selection of hot items,
cereals, pastries and fruit. We include selected lunches and
dinners, often featuring the culinary delights of the various
regions you visit. When travelling in certain wine-growing
regions of Europe and North America, regional locally
produced wine will be served with all your included hotel
dinners.
Highlight & Farewell Dinner
Also included in your At Leisure holiday is a range of Highlight
Lunches and Dinners where you will dine on delectable
regional specialities in quaint local restaurants, often
accompanied by local beer, wine and soft drinks. A wonderful
example is at a famous Napa Valley cooking school where you
will join top chefs in preparing a four-course gourmet meal
and then dine on the delicious result! At the end of your trip,
our Farewell Dinner is the perfect occasion to say goodbye to
your newfound friends and toast an unforgettable holiday.
With At Leisure holidays, most travel day
departures are no earlier than 9am, so there
won’t be a rush to check out. And on nontravel
days you can sleep in late, knowing that
everything is so close to your hotel you’ll have
ample time to enjoy a leisurely breakfast before
heading out for the day’s adventures.
A Good Night’s Sleep
At Trafalgar, we know that a good night’s sleep is essential
for a truly relaxing holiday. That’s why every hotel on your
itinerary is carefully selected for quality, impeccable service
and comfort to ensure you feel well rested every day of your
trip. Your hotels are always First Class or better, and include
such world-renowned names as InterContinental, Westin,
Sheraton, Hilton, Marriott and Radisson.
Close To Attractions
We have specially designed each itinerary to minimise your
travel time and maximise your enjoyment. This means your
hotels have been carefully selected to allow quick and easy
access to local sights, attractions and venues. In Las Vegas,
you’ll stay amid the non-stop action right on the strip.
And in Venice, your hotel location puts cafés, markets,
shops, amazing architecture and historic landmarks all just
a stroll away.
First Class Quality & Service
Each Trafalgar property is inspected and monitored by
our Product Team, who ensure the meticulous standards
we expect from our hotel partners are maintained for your
every comfort and satisfaction.
As a Trafalgar guest, you will be treated to First Class
service every time. Upon arrival, you will find you have
already been checked in, your luggage taken directly to
your room and all hotel tips, gratuities and porterage taken
care of in your holiday price, leaving you nothing else to do
but enjoy your visit
