What is a tailormade holiday?

You may have heard of the term tailormade holiday or tailormade vacation, but then asked yourself, what is a tailormade holiday? When travel agents and tour operators use the term, what exactly is tailormade travel?

Our definition of a tailormade holiday is a trip that is built out of the various elements of flights, hotels, transport, guiding and experiences and is then entirely personalised to you. Of course, this is a simplified breakdown. You will find that many travel companies claim to offer ‘tailormade’ travel experiences, however they are limited to only certain hotels, or package together a range of different ‘modules’ rather than a truly bespoke travel package.

The term ‘Tailormade’ means made to fit the needs or specifications of a particular situation, object, or person—or seeming as though it was made that way. In its most literal sense, tailormade is used to describe a piece of clothing made by a tailor, especially a suit. A tailormade garment like this is made specifically to the measurements of the person that it’s for so that it fits them perfectly.  Therefore, a tailormade holiday or vacation should be one that is designed for the person and one that fits them and their needs perfectly.

You may also see the terms bespoke holiday planning or bespoke vacations. This all refers to the same type of travel planning.

So what then are the advantages of a tailormade holiday over an ‘off the peg’ package holiday?

When considering the benefits of bespoke travel arrangements, we have come up with the following list. These are the best reasons to book tailormade travel.

You can use a local travel expert to make suggestions based on their first-hand knowledge of the destination. Our team will listen and ask questions until they’re happy they have what’s needed to make that bespoke, perfect experience you’re after.

The departure date and the exact duration of the holiday can be chosen by you. You can make sure that your trip fits in with your schedule and that you spend your time off wisely and doing something you want.

You can select the style and standard of accommodation and work out the most suitable day to day activities for you. We hand pick our destinations and activities using our first-hand knowledge and our local experts’ experience and then pass this on to you.

Tailormade means complete choice. You choose the airline that you want to fly with and the class of travel you want. We give you the options and you choose what is best for you.

We can arrange a private local guide and car at your destination, allowing complete flexibility of timings and activities. If there is a language barrier or you need specific information on a subject, this is the best way to travel. From researching family trees to bird watching and even learning how to cook a specific local dish, we can help.

How does booking a tailormade holiday work?

To begin with, tell us about your travel ideas and we will use our first hand-hand destination knowledge to work together with to create a holiday itinerary that is unique and works for you.

We will prepare a no-obligation personal holiday proposal for you to consider.

Once we’ve got your feedback about these ideas, we’ll propose one in finer detail. We’ll outline what we suggest you do each day and where to stay but should you not be happy with our suggestions, well we’ll just keep changing and altering things until you are. Or we go back to the drawing board.

The important part is that we work with you to make sure it’s just right, before you book. Although the choice is yours, we are on hand to help with every step of your holiday; from your flights and transfers, accommodation and meals, to your activities and bucket list experiences.

Are Tailormade Holidays more expensive?

There is no right or wrong answer to this question. As a rule of thumb, they may be a bit more expensive than a package holidays. However, tailormade offers great value as it can be designed with a specific budget in mind.

Any extra cost is easily outweighed by the benefits. As we mentioned previously, you get the priceless expert advice of travel professionals, private drivers, your choice of accommodation, knowledgeable guides, and hidden ‘insider’ experiences.  Add into the mix that the entire trip is organised for you, and any extra costs seem great value for money.

In addition, you are going to be avoiding some of the worst parts about travelling! There should be no getting lost, reduced chances of missing a transport connection, guides who stop you from falling into a tourist trap, no being overcharged by taxis and the end of searching endlessly for ATMS or legitimate currency exchanges.

To summarise, tailormade holidays offer you choice, flexibility and independence. Using local travel experts such as we do at Our Local Tour means that that dream holiday can be attained and in an ethical and sustainable way.