Coach Holidays with Alfa Travel

Alfa in the Greek Alphabet is the first letter, well, Accommodation, Leisure, Friendship and Accessibility come first in my ‘Alfa’ alphabet too. Alfa encompasses all these attributes.

The talk on the coach is “Where have you been to with Alfa?” and “Where have you booked for your next tour?”. These conversations start on the coach before you set off on your trip, so friendships start to build as you start your tour.

Glynis outside the Alfa Coach with the Silver Travel bagAlfa Holidays have excellent, convenient pick up areas and that is what people love about this coach company. The coaches then head for the ‘feeder’ areas which are normally a service station on the motorway to decant the people on to other coaches that go all around the country. The operation is well-organised and you do not handle your cases after giving them to the first driver at your pick-up point. You see them again when you get to your hotel bedroom – now that is service.

Alfa Travel is not only a coach company as they are in partnership with Leisureplex Hotels that have 21 hotels all over the United Kingdom. Alfa Travel also now have river cruises and self-drive hotel breaks which are becoming very popular. Check out the brochure on their website www.alfatravel.co.uk for the comprehensive round up of holidays in the UK, Ireland and Europe. The holidays are affordable and such good value that repeat customers are coming back time after time.

Alfa caters for the senior traveller market, but more and more people are finding the trip to the airport or sea ports uninviting and would rather be driven through our lovely countryside without the stress of driving themselves, but if you do want to drive yourself to one of the lovely well-appointed hotels then Alfa can arrange this for you. Many senior travellers are finding that they can take three or four tours with Alfa for holidays around the UK throughout the year without ‘breaking the bank’.

The coaches are comfortable with air conditioning and an onboard toilet. Comfort stops are regular and necessary on longer journeys. Our trip to Eastbourne took over 5 hours so a good book or magazine is recommended to pass the time away, but the comfort of the coach does help you to relax and have a snooze – bliss.

Glynis on the Pier with the Tower Hotel in the back groundOur hotel in Eastbourne was the Queens, a large Victorian building situated by the Eastbourne Pier, a well-located hotel near to the beach and bus stops that can take you around the area or a short walk to the town centre with a wealth of shops and theatres.

The hotel has a welcoming reception and two restaurants that cater for coach tour holidays. The staff work wonders with so many residents to cater for. The rooms are large and for a supplement you can pay for a sea view room which is worth the extra. However, all the rooms are well appointed for a three-star hotel. There is no Wi-fi in the rooms but that is available in the reception rooms on the ground floor. The bar and lounge are very comfortable and adjacent to the ballroom area. Entertainment is provided every evening with the ever-popular Bingo session that is very well attended.

Alfa is an employee-led organisation, which means that the employees have shares in the company and can vote for future action that involves the company. This enables the staff to have a say in what is being done and how hotels and tours are run, which in turn gives the customer a better deal as the staff have a vested interest to make your holiday a success.

For disabled passengers coach tours can be a challenge. However, Alfa do allow you to put a wheelchair in the hold of the coach and patience is shown when entering and leaving the coach by other passengers. It is not a coach for severely disabled passengers. At the hotel the entrance is accessible for a wheelchair and as the restaurant and room are up a short flight of stairs the hotel does have a wheelchair hoist in the lounge area to get the disabled person to the next level to the lifts for the bedrooms.

The Pavillion at BrightonIncluded in the price Alfa organise day trips out from the hotel to places such as Battle, Hastings, Rye and Brighton. If you wish to go on the tours that is fine and a day out to all these lovely places is a treat. But if you wish to stay in Eastbourne outside the hotel is the city tour hop on hop off bus – £7.50 for 48 hours for concessions and the buses that take you to Brighton the X12 – £7 day return. So, if you wish to explore or walk the downs at Beachy Head then the choice is yours.

Glyn’s tip:  When on a coach tour ask the driver for his mobile telephone number just in case you get lost or something happens to stop you getting back to the coach on time or if you have forgotten where the pick-up point is.

A B C the alphabet is ‘elementary’ but whichever way you look at Alfa Travel Holidays they are the obvious choice for the growing band of travellers who want a good value, safe, convenient and satisfying holiday. Whether you go on a coach tour or a trip on a river cruise or pop over to Europe for a longer tour, Alfa is a good place to start, enjoy. Plus, Alfa have just launched their new brochure which is packed with inspiring holiday ideas for 2019!

Silver Travel Advisor recommends Alfa Travel.

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Glynis Sullivan

Traveller and writer for Silver Travel Advisor

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