Betheltours

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you organise everything?
We organise as much as we practically can for you, but of course there will be some local arrangements, gathering passenger information and distributing instructions etc. that you will need to do. Throughout the process we offer guidance and assistance where you may need it and we are always available to answer any questions or offer further advice or instructions.
How much does a trip cost?
The total cost of your trip may vary according to time of year, choice of accommodation, size of group and other factors. Typically, most trips average around £270-£300 per adult. Usually, single rooms are extra, children are cheaper, and very young children may be free. Contact us for pricing for your group.
Who can come on the trip?
It’s entirely up to you who you choose to approve for your trip, ideally in agreement with responsible brothers in your congregation. If any non-baptised, interested persons are approved to join the trip, they should be reminded of any expected standards of behaviour eg. no smoking, appropriate attire etc.
Can we visit Kensington/Greenwich/the theatre etc?
We will provide you with a suggested itinerary based on years of experience of what is practical and enjoyable to include in the limited time you have available. If you want to include any alternative locations in your itinerary, just let us know and we will do our best to accommodate you in consultation with your Tour Manager/Guide. We reserve the right to refuse to organise or supply a Tour Manager/Guide for certain locations or activities if we deem them impractical or outside of the available budget.
Will I receive a free trip/part of a trip?
As the local organiser of a large group, we can waive your Betheltours fee as long as there will still be a minimum of 40 full-paying adults in your group. You may choose to the value of the free place for yourself, or to reduce the costs for any needy members of your group (2 Corinthians 8:14)

Coach Travel

Are coaches wheelchair accessible?
For those with moderately limited mobility, all coaches have sufficient storage space to stow wheelchairs away and seats can be reserved close to the door. For those with severely limited mobility, some coach hire companies have access to specialist coaches with a wheelchair lift, although this may add significantly to the cost of hire.
How often do we stop on the journey?
This will depend on where you are travelling from, the route you take and your coach driver. Usually you will not drive any longer than 2.5 hours between stops. We will agree stops with your driver before your trip, and if an extra stop is needed in an emergency, just inform your driver.
Can we take food on the coach?
This will depend on the coach hire company, check with your driver at the start of your journey if you haven’t been informed ahead of time. Usually cold food is permitted but hot food may not be. Please remember to keep the coach tidy and to regularly remove rubbish when you have a stop and at the end of the day.
Is there a toilet onboard the coach?
Typically, the Executive Coaches we use include an onboard toilet, but this is subject to availability. It’s best to think of the onboard toilet as “emergency only” and remember that frequent stops will be made throughout your journey for comfort breaks.
Who has to wear a seatbelt?
The coach company is required to announce that seat belts are provided and tell you to wear them, if over 14 years of age. Seated passengers 14 years of age and older are responsible to ensure that they wear a seat belt if there is one available. As a passenger you may get a fine of £500 for not wearing a seat belt and can be awarded two penalty points.
Should child seats/booster seats be used on the coach?
Child car seats and booster seats are not required by law when travelling by coach and are not provided as standard, however, if you wish to bring your own child seats and booster seats then they should comply with all the usual regulations and must be compatible with a standard three-point safety belt.
There is no statutory requirement for children under the age of 14 to wear a seat belt or child restraint when travelling by coach, but they should always be actively encouraged to wear them when they are available. This is not only for their own safety, but the safety of others in the vehicle.
Children under the age of 2 may travel on a parent/ guardian’s lap. Subject to the size of your group, you may decide to allow children under 2 to travel free, unless the parents wish to reserve a seat for them.
Some coach companies may have more stringent safety policies than required by law, they may require parents travelling with a child on their lap to sign a disclaimer before being permitted to travel, please cooperate with any requirements of the coach driver.

Hotel Accommodation

Are accessible rooms available at hotels?
All hotels have accessible rooms, but they may be in limited supply, so remember to inform the hotel as early as possible if any are required.
Are family rooms available?
This will depend on the available hotels. Most hotels we use will accommodate 3 or 4 persons in a room, but family rooms are usually the same as twin rooms, containing two queen-size beds. Most hotels will not be able to offer 3 or 4 completely separate beds in the same room, so you will need to consider sleeping arrangements in making your choice of room.
Almost all hotels will allow you to request neighbouring, or even adjoining, rooms where family rooms are not available. Hotels may require at least one full-paying adult per room.
A cot for very young children can usually be added to any room at no extra charge.
What ages are classed as ‘children’?
When providing you a price proposal, we will include varying prices for adults sharing a room, adults in a single room, and children of various ages. The age brackets we use for our full package prices may differ from any advertised age brackets at the hotels we use. This helps us to cover the other fixed costs of your trip while fairly distributing the cost among your whole group and still keeping costs affordable for families.
Is there a single supplement charge for rooms with only one person?
Most hotels will charge a single supplement for a room that is below full occupancy and this is reflected in the prices we offer you.
Does the hotel have a swimming pool/leisure facilities?
Most of the hotels we use include a swimming pool and leisure facilities, but this is subject to availability and we may offer you a hotel without these facilities if it helps us to keep to your budget.
Will my dietary requirements be catered for?
Hotels are generally very accommodating to most dietary requirements, but it would be prudent and considerate to please give us plenty of notice so that they can be prepared for your needs.

Guided Time in London

Are all areas of the time in London accessible?
All the main venues we visit are wheelchair accessible, this includes the British Museum, the boat on the river Thames and the majority of museums, art galleries, shops and restaurants where free time is available. The British Museum (and some other venues) have a limited supply of wheelchairs available for visitor use.
Other locations may not be as accessible. Around London, it would be best for each wheelchair user to have an assigned helper to assist with kerbs, ramps, roads and crossings.
Is it safe in London?
We recommend exercising the same precautions you would exercise in any large city. Know where your belongings are, take good care of any valuables and be alert to your surroundings. Your guide will supervise your group for most of the day, and you will be in the company of trustworthy friends and family, but in public spaces it is still advisable to “prove yourselves cautious as serpents and yet as innocent as doves.”
The coach should be either attended or locked at all times, so you may be able to leave items securely on the coach during your free time. This can be confirmed with individual coach drivers on the day.
Is there a dress code?
At the British Museum we ask that you dress more smartly. We recognise that you must dress comfortably and practically for the rest of the day, so we do not expect very formal clothing. Open collars are permitted for brothers, and smart trousers for sisters similar to the current ministry/meeting standard.
During the "sight-seeing" parts of your tour, we ask that you still dress “smart casual” with no visible slogans on clothes. We suggest no jeans, t-shirts, leather jackets or trainers, but this is not a strict requirement. We require that you wear no ripped, faded or customised jeans, excessively oversize or overly tight clothing. We want you to feel comfortable, appropriate to the weather, yet neat and respectable.
When you visit Bethel, it is generally expected that you will dress as you would for a theocratic school or a platform assignment, this includes collar and tie for brothers and skirt/dress for sisters, similar to the former ministry/meeting standard.

About Betheltours

Are you officially endorsed or approved by Bethel/Watchtower?
No, we are not, and nor are any other tour operators. A tour of Bethel can be booked by anybody at any time completely free of charge through jw.org. We simply support your visit to Bethel with a range of associated and supplementary services.
Are you connected with Meander Travel or Magnify Tours?
No, we are not. We have known and respected Meander Travel (and later Magnify Tours) since their inception and have often used them to deliver our Museum tours. These days our Museum tours are delivered in cooperation with our sister company, Bible Tours.
Are you connected with Bible Tours?
Yes, we are. The only other company we have any direct ties with is Bible Tours.
How long have you been doing tours like these?
We first began guiding tours of the British Museum and assisting others with planning their visits to Bethel over 40 years ago. Since then we have helped with 100s of tours and over the years we have built up a wealth of experience and knowledge that we can use in helping you to plan your trip.

Want to know more?

Complete the form on our contact page and we’ll get back to you very soon.

Get in touch

Ready-made trip formats with comprehensive guiding, admissions and trip planning, to make the most of your visit to Bethel with an upbuilding weekend of activity and association.

Navigation

Betheltours Ltd is registered in England and Wales with company number 11812773Registered Address: 1 Oak Lane, Carlisle CA1 3SW | Email: gro.sruotlehteb%40ofni | Phone: 07800 900 426

Website designed and built on We Love Websites by Philip Osborne

Ready-made trip formats with comprehensive guiding, admissions and trip planning, to make the most of your visit to Bethel with an upbuilding weekend of activity and association.

Navigation

Betheltours Ltd is registered in England and Wales with company number 11812773Registered Address: 1 Oak Lane, Carlisle CA1 3SW | Email: gro.sruotlehteb%40ofni | Phone: 07800 900 426

Website designed and built on We Love Websites by Philip Osborne

Frequently Asked Questions

Will I receive a free trip/part of a trip?

As the local organiser of a large group, we can waive your Betheltours fee as long as there will still be a minimum of 40 full-paying adults in your group. You may choose to the value of the free place for yourself, or to reduce the costs for any needy members of your group (2 Corinthians 8:14)

Coach Travel

This will depend on where you are travelling from, the route you take and your coach driver. Usually you will not drive any longer than 2.5 hours between stops. We will agree stops with your driver before your trip, and if an extra stop is needed in an emergency, just inform your driver.

Is there a toilet onboard the coach?

Typically, the Executive Coaches we use include an onboard toilet, but this is subject to availability. It’s best to think of the onboard toilet as “emergency only” and remember that frequent stops will be made throughout your journey for comfort breaks.

Who has to wear a seatbelt?

Should child seats/booster seats be used on the coach?

Hotel Accommodation

All hotels have accessible rooms, but they may be in limited supply, so remember to inform the hotel as early as possible if any are required.

What ages are classed as ‘children’?

Is there a single supplement charge for rooms with only one person?

Most hotels will charge a single supplement for a room that is below full occupancy and this is reflected in the prices we offer you.

Does the hotel have a swimming pool/leisure facilities?

Most of the hotels we use include a swimming pool and leisure facilities, but this is subject to availability and we may offer you a hotel without these facilities if it helps us to keep to your budget.

Will my dietary requirements be catered for?

Hotels are generally very accommodating to most dietary requirements, but it would be prudent and considerate to please give us plenty of notice so that they can be prepared for your needs.

Guided Time in London

Is there a dress code?

About Betheltours

No, we are not, and nor are any other tour operators. A tour of Bethel can be booked by anybody at any time completely free of charge through jw.org. We simply support your visit to Bethel with a range of associated and supplementary services.

No, we are not. We have known and respected Meander Travel (and later Magnify Tours) since their inception and have often used them to deliver our Museum tours. These days our Museum tours are delivered in cooperation with our sister company, Bible Tours.

Are you connected with Bible Tours?

Yes, we are. The only other company we have any direct ties with is Bible Tours.

How long have you been doing tours like these?

We first began guiding tours of the British Museum and assisting others with planning their visits to Bethel over 40 years ago. Since then we have helped with 100s of tours and over the years we have built up a wealth of experience and knowledge that we can use in helping you to plan your trip.