Pax Travel is devoted to the organisation of pilgrimages for groups small and large with the benefit of specialist knowledge gained through many years' experience in this field. Our itineraries are constantly revised and rethought so that even though these pilgrimage paths have been followed many time over hundreds of years the approach is fresh and, we hope, always sensitive to the needs of those who join our groups.

Now that you have decided to embark upon your project you will want to ensure that it runs smoothly from the prior organisation and administration right through to the end of the pilgrimage. As we appreciate that this can prove a streeful enterprise for the group leader, we have outlined a step-by-step procedure to aid you in the preparation required for your tour, but of course we will be on hand to advise you at any time.

Fill in our Group Enquiry Questionnaire here

Putting the itinerary together

1)  Choose the time of year you wish to travel, NB: half-term dates are very popular with all travellers and so hotels and flights are sometimes available only at a premium, causing prices to be higher during these periods and choice of flights and accommodation is more limited.

2)  Allow enough time for organising the pilgrimage, a year normally works well as this gives you the breathing space to get people interested, committed and then informed. It also means that more people can fit this tour around other plans they may have and that they have a chance to save for it. However, we are always happy to deal with late requests and will do our utmost to meet them, but
we may be limited in what we are able to offer.

3)  Once you have worked out all these details, fill in our Group Enquiries Questionnaire here with as many details as you can. If details such as your budget, probable number and preferred dates of travel are omitted it will make it very difficult for us to come up with a quotation that is suited particularly to your requirements.

4)  On receipt of your completed questionnaire we will work as quickly as we can to submit a quotation and a provisional itinerary for you to peruse.

5)  Once you have approved the programme or have given us amendments, we will produce copies
of a brochure specifically designed for your group plus booking forms for you to distribute at your initial meeting.

Promoting the Pilgrimage

1)  Start by advertising to any potential members of your group through posters at the church or local community buildings, in newsletters, etc., including details of an initial meeting for all those interested.

2)  Hold a meeting to introduce the pilgrimage/tour, do not be discouraged if you do not get a great
crowd at first because it is surprising how a few people can spread the word, but it is vital that you are as enthusiastic and positive as possible. We will help you with resources for this meeting by lending a video or coming in person to outline the itinerary and answer any questions.

3)  DO start collecting deposits as soon as you can either at the first meeting or by imposing a deadline, as without them Pax Travel cannot guarantee any of the details in the provisional
programme.

4)  Each person should fill in a booking form and make sure to include any details on this form of any dietaryor physical condition that we should need to know about, e.g. being vegetarian, having an allergy, heart condition, finding prolonged or uphill walking difficult. Please encourage people to be frank as this will help you to be fully informed and avoid potential problems. Names should be
filled in on the form as they appear on the passport.

5)  Booking forms should be returned to us, but the tear-off section with conditions of booking should be readand retained. A deposit (usually £90 per person) should be remitted with the booking form and this is non-refundable except in the very unlikely event of us having to cancel the tour.

6)  For those who do not already have travel insurance, we offer a suitable policy, details of which are providedwith the booking form, and the premium should be sent with the deposit. Those who are already covered for travel should put these details on their booking form. We do insist that anyone who travels with us is adequately insured and that they declare any relevant medical information.

7)  The balance of the payment is not due until 8 weeks before departure for which each person will be invoiced, or you may pay the whole amountwith one cheque if you prefer (some groups find this interval useful for collecting by instalments and investing the monies in an interest-bearing account to raise funds to pay for extras).

Finalising the details

1)  Do keep us informed with progress on the tour even if it is not quite as you had hoped, or you had originally forseen. We really do want the news, good or bad! If we know that there is a problem, then we can normally solve it, and lack of numbers only rarely means that the tour has to be cancelled, but the more time we have to find a solution, the better.

2)  It is very good to have at least one other meeting for all the group members before departure apart from the initial one, to iron out possible glitches or anxieties and to refresh memories about the itinerary. Some groups find that regular meetings are a very good preparation, allowing time for more in-depth discussion about aspects spiritual, cultural and practical.

3)  Detailed day-today itineraries will be prepared for you and sent in advance of the tour of be handed out by the courier at the start of the tour.

4)  If you need help in organising a coach transfer from your point of departure to the airport we will be happy to do this for you.

5)  At the airport either the courier of a Pax Travel representative will be there to help you with the check-in.

6)  During the tour, if you do not have a courier accompanying you, then you will have contact numbers in case of any emergencies or major problems.

Last but not least, we are aware of the contribution of the group leader toany successful tour/pilgrimage, and our aim is to be fully supportive of you and be on hand at any stage to offer advice or help, so do always feel free to contact us