Frequently Asked Questions

Initial inspiration from laterallife is free. Please contact us for a no obligation consultation at your home or office. We would be delighted to design a bespoke journey to match your brief and budget.

Special trips like sabbaticals or multi-destination experiential holidays are complex in so many ways. With the opportunity to take a once-in-a-lifetime trip there are many things to consider beyond the hotels and information you can find online. In fact, many of the travel experiences we provide are simply not available to book online. When away for a long time, perhaps months, you do not want to move from one generic hotel to another. You will want variety and contrast between each location and a mix of activities to keep all the family interested and inspired. In addition, you will want passionate local guides who go beyond the standard city tour, drivers who do not terrify you and vehicles that are well maintained and comfortable for the terrain on which you are travelling. Furthermore, you may wish to meet local people who invite you into their homes and workshops, while staying at amazing historic properties which we have vetted personally. In short, insight and experiences that go beyond the internet offerings.

Piecing together weeks or months of travel is complicated. You may be exploring one country or several continents. There are flight schedules to consider, departure days of expedition boats, availability in remote lodges and hidden retreats and of course your personal preferences. You will want a familiar meal from time to time but you will also want to sample some delicious freshly-prepared street food from a dependable vendor, or perhaps a special occasion dinner in a memorable private setting; laterallife and its tried and trusted partners around the world can arrange all these and more for its discerning travellers.

Our research tells us that our wholesale prices can be 40% cheaper than the best rate posted to consumers on the website. Our in-country partners, with their local knowledge, connections and bulk buying power can acquire rooms at rates which are simply not available to the public directly.

Of course flights can get cancelled and there can be local difficulties whilst you are away. If this happens, we shall let you know promptly and make appropriate plans to change your itinerary mid-trip at minimal extra cost. 24-hour access to solve any problem which may arise is not something which comes with an internet-booked holiday.

Travel agents sell ready-made holiday packages off the shelf. By meeting you in person we can get to understand your own unique interests and family requirements and build a trip around your preferences. There are no charges however many times we meet with you before you decide to book with us. For us at laterallife, it’s just not possible to plan a successful trip by phone or email without getting to know you face to face.

That’s fine. Sabbaticals are often spread over two or more years due to work and family commitments.

As the name implies, laterallife specialises in these. You can see lots of sample itineraries on our website laterallife.com

Flexibility is one of our key strengths. We once changed the departure date of an 8 week sabbatical trip with only one week to go!

Absolutely. There are lots on our website but we are happy to provide testimonials for specific trips where possible.

We can arrange everything that’s needed to make sure even the smallest adventurer has a safe and wonderful trip. Our youngest ever traveller was 6 months old at the start of the family’s voyage and 18 months old on his return and swimming like a fish! [/toggle] [toggle title=”Is it too early to start planning? I don’t want to waste your time.” state=””] It is never too early to dream or plan. We regularly start planning sabbaticals and longer trips up to 3 years ahead.

Rarely, but we have organised a 3 month sabbatical with only 4 weeks’ notice. It is better to plan ahead as far as possible so that there is good availability for flights and preferred accommodation options, but we are usually able to source all the elements required to make a memorable trip even at short notice.