The Foreign & Commonwealth Office

Though Falcon & Sachz receives a great deal of information about conditions on the ground from its local representatives, the final decision to travel in a region is dependent on the guidance of the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO). If you would like to know the current travel advice for any country, you can visit the FCO’s website.

Know Before You Go

Falcon & Sachz actively supports the Know Before You Go campaign by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO), to help you stay safe overseas. Before you travel, we recommend you take a look at the FCO website, which is full of essential travel advice, holiday tips and up-to-date country information.

As well as ensuring you are prepared for your time spent travelling, you should also consider the following checklist for the most important aspects before you go away.

1. Always check the FCO’s travel advice pages before booking your holiday and before departure date for changes in any travel advice.
2. Find out the address of the nearest embassy, check their website and their opening times.
3. Make sure you have travel insurance that covers everything you need it to.
4. When travelling within the European Economic Area, make sure you take a free European Health Insurance Care (EHIC card) for free or reduced emergency care – but you will still need full travel insurance. Call 112 in any EU country to contact the emergency services.
5. Check with your doctor or GP as to whether you need any vaccinations.
6. Make sure your passport is valid. For certain countries it must remain valid for six months after the date you travel. Check that you have all the correct visas necessary.
7. Make a note of your passport number and consider taking a photocopy (stored separately) or storing a digital copy on a secure online site such as email account or online storage.  
8. Tell family and friends where you are going and pass them your contact details, insurance details and itinerary. Ensure you fill in the emergency contact details section in your passport.
9. Check as to whether traveller’s cheques are appropriate and keep a separate note of their numbers and. Ensure you and travel companions have enough money to cover any unexpected emergencies.  
10. Take a good travel guide. If driving, make sure you licence is current and valid, and that you understand the driving laws of the countries you are visiting.
11. Information on duty-free allowances and banned goods can be obtained on HM Revenue & Customs Travel site.

When you are travelling, bear in mind the following:

1. Consider what you are doing at all times and trust your instincts. Do not take unnecessary risks.
2. Do not display items of value, such as mobile phones, cameras, cash or jewellery. Consider using a lock on your luggage. Or put your valuables and travel documents in a safe environment or place.
3. Respect the environment.
4. Enquire about local customs and dress, and behave accordingly.
5. Be careful taking photographs, videos and binoculars, as such activities can be misunderstood or may be prohibited.
6. Enquire about local customs and dress, and behave accordingly.
7. Consider taking your mobile phone with you. Check with your service provider (call roaming charges can be expensive) before leaving that it will work abroad, and use it to store helpful numbers, including the embassy or consulate and local law enforcement agencies such as the police.
8. Check whether it is safe to drink local tap water.
9. Always stick to bottled water and avoid salads, non-peeling fruit and ice. Ensure you buy water from reputable stores only.
10. Use judgement when buying and eating food not prepared by yourself.
11. Respect the environment.

Your safety is our priority

Planning and being on a holiday entails the same responsibility for your personal safety and possessions as you do at home. We strongly advise that you look at the FCO’s foreign travel advice before you book your holiday and travel.  On the FCO’s website you can choose your destination and find advice including entry requirements, customs and local laws.

We’re here to ignite your sense of discovery and adventure. However, please be aware some destinations – including hotels, public transport or local food vendors – do not always meet British/ European expectations or health and safety standards. We stronlgy urge our Destination Management Agencies as well as suppliers comply with local regulations and laws, so it’s judicious to keep this in mind to shield yourself and your travelling companions.

Acknowledgement of Risk – Travelling during the Covid-19 pandemic:

Please note that by making a booking with us, you acknowledge that you have booked your holiday and are travelling during the Covid-19 pandemic, and as such you confirm:

• you acknowledge and accept that there is a heightened risk associated with travelling during a global pandemic, including a risk you may contract Covid-19;

• you have checked and are aware of the latest travel advice from the UK government in relation to your chosen destination (which can be found here: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice and https://travelaware.campaign.gov.uk), and have made an informed decision to book your holiday

• you shall comply with all rules, regulations, laws and requirements imposed on you, whether by governmental or regulatory authorities, suppliers, airports or ports, in relation to Covid-19, including (but not limited to) any requirement on you to self-isolate, whether in destination or upon your return to the United Kingdom; to submit to a Covid-19 test (including temperature testing or a swab test); or to provide contact details for the purposes of track and trace; 

• you have purchased specialist travel insurance which includes cover for certain Covid-19 related issues or incidents which may affect your travel arrangements, and you have read and accept the insurance policy wording and understand what you are and are not covered for;

• where you make a booking to a destination subject to the FCDO advisory against non-essential travel, you accept that once your booking has been confirmed, if you decide not to travel due to the FCDO advisory, you will have to pay our standard cancellation charges as shown in cancelation clause of our booking conditions;

• where, at the time of booking, your chosen destination is exempt from the FCDO advisory against travel, you acknowledge that this may change with very little or no notice, and if it does, you will not have the right to cancel your booking and receive a full refund. If you choose to no longer travel in these circumstances, you will have to pay our standard cancellation charges as shown in cancellation clause of our booking conditions.

• Please note that nothing in this Acknowledgement limits or excludes your statutory rights. In the event that we are prevented from performing your holiday contract due to Covid-19, for example if the destination goes into lockdown and we are no longer able to provide your holiday, we will comply with our obligations as a package organiser under the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018.
• You confirm that you are authorised to accept this Acknowledgment of Risk on behalf of yourself and all travellers named on your booking.