Accessibility and support for Saga Holidays

Hotels can vary in terms of the facilities they offer to guests with reduced mobility or another disability.

It's therefore essential that you discuss your requirements with one of our Travel Advisers at the time of booking. They will be able to check the hotel's suitability for you to make sure you make the right choice.

If a particular room type such as an adapted room or a room with a walk-in shower is required as a result of any disability, we will contact the hotel to check if such a room is available and endeavour to secure it for you where possible before you commit to a booking. We will do the same if there is a particular feature you require, such as a fridge for medication. Please note that an extra cost may apply if an adapted room is only available in an upgraded room type.

Saga's representatives and the hotel staff are unable to provide any level of personal care. Therefore you may choose to travel with a companion who can provide the assistance you need. Please be aware that both we and our suppliers reserve the right to request that you travel with a companion where we consider it necessary for safety or operational reasons.

It is important to be aware that most river vessels and small ships do not have lifts and the stairs between decks can often be steep.

Some excursions involve a fair amount of walking, sometimes over uneven surfaces.

Please also note that on river cruises and small ships it's common for two or more ships to moor alongside each other at a berth, and on these occasions you'll need to walk through the other vessels when embarking or disembarking. We are not able to confirm in advance when this will be the case.

If you have a disability or reduced mobility and are considering a river cruise or a small ship cruise, please contact one of our advisors on 0800 300 400 to discuss the suitability before booking.

Each of our tours has been given a rating from 1 to 3 with 4 being the most strenuous. You will see these ratings within the holiday details both in our brochures and on the website. It is really important that you contact us if you are in any doubt regarding the suitability of a tour but please use the following information as a guide:

Grade 1: Leisurely

Our slowest and most leisurely tours. You’ll only need to unpack once as our holidays in this grade will be based at just one hotel for the entire holiday. A combination of fascinating included excursions and free days makes this ideal for those seeking a relaxed experience. Inclusions may consist of sightseeing tours, visits to museums, landmarks and cultural sights, as well as gentle boat cruises or short train journeys. We’ll aways include rest time after each included activity.

A minimum requirement for included tours is being able to embark and disembark coaches, trains and boats without assistance, walk unaided at a steady pace or stand up to 30 minutes at a time, negotiating steps, and uneven, but mainly flat ground, including cobbles. You can opt to remain and the hotel and enjoy the facilities if you prefer.Pace 2 – These moderately-paced trips may involve longer journeys and walks of three to four hours over uneven terrain or small ship or river cruises involving gangplanks and ladders.

Grade two: Relaxed explorer

Our holidays in this grade will stay in between one and three locations, usually with multiple nights in each location. Itineraries include a mix of included activities and free time to relax or explore on your own.  These holidays are perfect for those who want to take it easy but also want to enjoy longer-day excursions, including guided walking tours, that really get to the heart of the destinations you’ll visit.  There’ll usually be rest time after an included activity (please refer to the itinerary).  

You’ll need to be able to walk unaided for up to one hour on walking tours, negotiating steps, gradients and uneven ground, particularly cobbles. Tours with safari elements may be in this grade and you’ll need to be able to embark and disembark safari vehicles without assistance.  Safaris will normally have early morning starts, but we’ll ensure regular rest stops are in place. 

Grade three: Moderately active

A good level of fitness is required. You’ll be staying in multiple locations on your escorted holiday, in destinations around that world that have varying standards and climates. From cold and icy to hot and humid, you’ll need to be comfortable in a variety of conditions.  

Some activities will take all day and may include extended walking tours. We may also have activities on consecutive days. Terrain will vary dependant on your destination and could be rough, especially when exploring archaeological sites, national parks or coastal areas.  

We’ll also include free time for you to recharge or to explore independently, and we’ll always include rest breaks on longer activities. You’ll need to be able to undertake several hours of activities each day on varied terrain, with prolonged periods of standing, and there’ll be some early starts and later finishes and consecutive one-night stays. These holidays are not suitable for those with significant mobility issues, although you may be able to abstain from activities on certain tours if you choose to do so. Small ship cruises also fall into this category due to the steep steps onboard, the requirement to walk across ships when in dock; and the included walking tours.

Grade 4 : Active explorer

Some of our most active holidays are at this grade. Similar to Grade 3, these holidays may also include areas of sustained higher altitude. If you enjoy active holidays and are prepared to be on your feet walking and standing for extended periods on potentially challenging terrain, including longer walks and hikes, then this grade is suitable for you.    

Some destinations may be relatively remote, meaning support might be a little further away.  There’ll be free time too, but the focus on these tours is to see more and do more. Be prepared for an increased number of early starts and later finishes, and more one-night stays on consecutive days.

Excursions will vary in terms of how active they are. They can range from panoramic tours where the majority of sightseeing will take place from your vehicle, to strenuous activities covering uneven terrain and walking distances of over a mile.

We'll send you a detailed itinerary for your holiday at least eight weeks before departure with information regarding excursions. If you're in any doubt as to the suitability of the excursions, please contact us and we will be happy to discuss these with you.

If you require a wheelchair or scooter to take part in an excursion, this will need to be collapsible so it can be safely stored in the coach. You'll also need to be able to fold or dismantle your wheelchair or scooter yourself and lift it into the coach's luggage hold, or be accompanied by a travelling companion who can do this for you.

While we always try to use the most comfortable, well-equipped vehicles for our excursions, we are often limited by what's available in a particular destination. So regrettably, if you're unable to manage the steps on to a coach or other vehicle, you will not be able to join the excursion. This is due to the variety of vehicles used dependent on destination. In addition, as the vehicles used for excursions differ from place to place, there may be restrictions as to what mobility aids can be carried.

If you need to travel with an assistance dog, please make sure you let us know at the time of booking, whether you are travelling overseas or within the UK. If you've already booked and now need to notify us of this please contact our Customer Care team free on 0800 988 5877.

If you're due to fly, it's essential that you let us know if you plan to take your assistance dog with you on the flight as soon as possible.

A safety harness should be taken on the plane to enable your dog to be secured during take-off and landing.

An airline may ask for confirmation that your dog has been trained by a recognised dog training organisation. In the UK these organisations are members of Assistance Dogs UK.

An assistance dog will need to comply with the rules of the Pet Travel Scheme, on international flights to other EU countries. For those outside the EU, you will need to check local quarantine rules.

All accommodation will differ in terms of suitability so it's important to discuss this with us prior to booking.

If you need to take a wheelchair, mobility scooter or any other type of mobility aid on your holiday, please let us know at the time of booking as we'll need to make the necessary arrangements with your hotel or ship and any transport providers such as airlines.

If you've already booked and now need to notify us of any special requirements please contact our Customer Care team free on 0800 988 5877 You must provide at least 48 hours notice if you have any special requirements.

Some airlines may have restrictions relating to equipment - these can vary depending on who you fly with. The same may apply to other forms of transport such as rail travel and coaches used for transfers and excursions. Please let us know at the time of booking so we can look into any restrictions for you.

If you are flying and use a mobility aid such as a wheelchair or scooter, you will need to give us some information in advance about the equipment, including its make and model. This will be passed onto the airline to ensure that it is loaded and stowed safely during the flight and is not a fire risk.

If you are booking our VIP door-to-door car service, which is included with certain holidays, we will make sure a suitable vehicle is arranged, as long as you let us know of any mobility limitations at the time of booking. If you plan to take a wheelchair, scooter or any other mobility aids or medical equipment, please make sure you inform us as soon as possible.

If you have a disability or reduced mobility, you are entitled to support under Regulation 1371/2007 when travelling by rail.

If you are booking rail travel to take you to your departure point or UK hotel, you will find all the details of the help available on the National Rail website.

Help is available from the moment you arrive at an airport and can cover:

• Your journey through the departure airport

• Boarding the aircraft and during the flight

• Disembarking the aircraft

• Transferring between flights and travelling through your destination airport.

If you would like us to arrange any assistance at the airport or on the aircraft, please let us know at the time of booking, or if you've already booked and now need to notify us of any special requirements please contact a member of our Customer Care team on 0800 988 5877 Please provide at least 48 hours notice if you require assistance.

For more information by specific airline, please refer to our online check-in guide.

If you have a disability or reduced mobility you are entitled to support, commonly known as 'special assistance', when travelling by air.

Your right to special assistance applies when:

• You fly on any airline from an EU airport

• You fly on an EU registered airline to an EU airport

This means airports and airlines must provide help and assistance, which is free of charge, to ensure you have a stress-free journey.

Special assistance is available to anybody who may need help to travel such as the elderly, people with a physical disability, such as wheelchair users, and those who have difficulty with social interaction and communication, such as those with autism or ADHD.

When you arrive at the airport you will need to make your own way to one of the assistance points in the terminal.

Airports must have assistance points at various places in the airport boundary – this may include drop-off points, car parks, train stations and bus terminals. If you park at a medium/long term car park you will usually need to make your own way to the terminal using the airport's bus service. In the UK, these vehicles are generally accessible by a ramp so that people using wheelchairs can board but please contact us to discuss this if you've already arranged car parking or mention it to us when you book your car parking.

Airlines may decide that for safety reasons you must travel with a carer. This can be a travelling companion of your choice who is able to provide the assistance you require.

Your travelling companion will usually need to buy their own ticket. However, the airline should make all reasonable efforts to ensure that you and your companion can sit next to each other.

Airlines are responsible for communicating essential information about a flight in accessible formats.

If you require a personal or alternative type of safety briefing it is important that you notify us in advance so this can be arranged.

If you use a mobility aid such as a wheelchair or scooter, you will need to give us some information in advance about the equipment, including its make and model. This will be passed onto the airline to ensure that it is loaded and stowed safely during the flight and is not a fire risk.

Some airlines may have restrictions relating to what equipment and how much you can take - these can vary depending on who you fly with. Please contact us so we can look into any restrictions for you.

Many airlines will want to see a medical certificate if you are taking large quantities of medication. You must have a certificate if you are taking more than 100ml of medicine in liquid or gel form through security.

ou should be able to use supplementary oxygen if you need to. Airline policies vary and some will provide oxygen for you to use, but a charge may apply.

If an airline allows you to bring your own oxygen (usually contained in a Portable Oxygen Concentrator - POC), in most cases there will be no charge for this. However, as all airline policies differ please check with us at the time of booking. If you've already booked and now require the use of oxygen, please contact our Customer Care team free on 0800 988 5877.

Airlines must accept all assistance dogs for air travel without charge, unless a second seat is required. Dogs will normally sit in the space on the floor in front of the seat. If it is not possible for the dog to sit there or the dog is of a larger breed, then an airline may charge for a second seat in order for there to be enough floor space for the dog to lie down. It's essential that you let us know if you plan to take your assistance dog with you on the flight as soon as possible, ideally at the time of booking or by calling our Customer Care team on 0800 988 5877 if you've already booked.

A safety harness should be taken on the plane to enable your dog to be secured during take-off and landing.

An airline may ask for confirmation that your dog has been trained by a recognised dog training organisation. In the UK these organisations are members of Assistance Dogs UK.

An assistance dog will need to comply with local quarantine rules. See Gov.uk for information on taking your dog abroad.