Our Policies & Style

Martin Randall Travel was founded in 1988 by Martin Randall, a graduate of the Courtauld Institute of Art. There are now 28 staff. In addition, we work with some 100 freelance lecturers and tour managers.
There are two main strands to the business: small-group tours for a maximum of 22 participants, all accompanied by a lecturer. Each has a particular emphasis covering the visual arts, gardens, music, history, geology and gastronomy. Even the walking tours have a cultural focus. With around 160 tours each year, they constitute the largest area of our activities. Secondly there are the all-inclusive music festivals. These are festivals which we devise and organise ourselves in various cities or regions of Europe, and which now number four or five each year.
We are renowned for our first-rate client care and unobtrusive efficiency which leads to the highest levels of customer satisfaction. In 2009, for the third time in four years, Martin Randall Travel was Travel Company of the Year, based on customer satisfaction surveys among members of the Association of Independent Tour Operators. There are no hidden extras. The price covers nearly everything, including wine with meals and all tips. Our tours are considered good value for money. We do not levy surcharges for fuel or for any other reason. 

Ours are active holidays. Whether exploring archaeological sites, looking at architecture in cities or simply getting to a concert hall, walking is an unavoidable element of all our tours and festivals.
They are also group holidays. Like a convoy, a group moves at the speed of the slowest participant. Slow walkers reduce the time available at sites and museums and so can diminish the enjoyment of the other participants.
The amount of walking varies from tour to tour. On some there really is quite a lot, maybe including streets that are steep or poorly paved. Archaeological tours necessitate scrambling over ruins and rough ground. More usually it is just a case of getting from one place to another within a town. Coaches can rarely penetrate historic town centres or get right to the entrance of a site, country house or concert hall.
Our tours and festivals should not present problems for anyone who manages everyday walking and stair-climbing without difficulty. But please consult us if you have any doubts about your ability to cope. If for any stage of the tour, including the airports, you would like the use of a wheelchair, then these tours are unlikely to be suitable for you. However, we can study individual cases and assess the feasibility of a wheelchair user participating in a particular tour but only if you arrange for fellow travellers to assist you. It is also likely that you would not be able to cope with our tours if you habitually use a walking stick.
Age limit. We regret that applications from people aged eighty-one or over at the time of the tour will not be accepted. We know this is a harsh and somewhat arbitrary rule, but it has proved effective in reducing instances of tours being spoilt for the majority because of the inability of one or two individuals to cope with the demands of the tour.