By clicking a retailer link you consent to third party cookies that track your onward journey. If you make a purchase, Which? will receive an affiliate commission which supports our mission to be the UK's consumer champion.

Hays Travel

See how it fares for beach/resort holidays, all-inclusive holidays, city breaks, walking holidays, family holidays, cultural tours, escorted tours and self guided tours
Which? Team

Who is Hays Travel?

Hays Travel  is the UK’s largest independent travel agent – it grew its portfolio dramatically when it bought out all the Thomas Cook stores when the travel company went into liquidation in 2019. Offering fly and flop holidays, city breaks and far-flung tours, the company prides itself on customer service and value. To book a trip, you have to call or pop into a store, you can’t book online. Hays Travel has 450 physical branches dotted across the UK. 

Find out more: What is a package holiday and why should you book one?

Which? verdict

Hays Travel is a Which? Recommended Provider for beach/resort holidays and family holidays, and its short-haul holidays are some of the cheapest around. A real bargain.

Book with Hays Travel

Hays Travel refund, cancellation and surcharge policy

Hays Travel is a Which? Recommended Provider (WRP) which means that as well as being one of the most highly rated holiday firms in our survey it has also guaranteed to offer a full refund, or free changes, if the Foreign Office (FCDO) changes its advice about your destination.

It has also promised that in 2024 it won’t apply any additional surcharges to holidays that have already been booked. 

Hays Travel customer ratings

HolidayWhich? Recommended Provider?Customer score
Beach/resort holidayYes80%
All-inclusive holidayNo71%
Escorted tourNo81%
Self-guided tourNo80%
City breakNo79%
Family holidayYes78%
Cultural tourNo77%

Using the table: Customer score: Based on a combination of overall satisfaction and how likely people are to recommend the company. In August 2022, we asked 8,361 Which? Connect panel members and the public to complete an online survey about their experiences of booking and going on holiday in the past two years. In September 2023 we asked 1,918 Which? Connect panel members about their experiences of an all-inclusive holiday.

What’s Hays Travel like?

It’s not easy to provide great customer service for holidays costing under £100pp a day (short haul) but Hays Travel does. 

It might help that it still has 450 physical branches around the UK. Customers were genuinely surprised at the time and effort advisors took in finding the ideal holiday for clients. This was reflected in the customer feedback: ‘the excellent member of staff genuinely wanted to find the best holiday to meet both my needs and my daughter’s needs’ one happy holidaymaker said. Another group found that Hays Travel went ‘above and beyond’, printing travel documents when their own printer failed. 

In the beach/resort holiday category, it gets five stars for its customer service, transport, organisation and description matching reality. And with an average price per day of £98pp, Hays Travel  is the cheapest Which? Recommended Provider for both beach/resort holidays and family holidays. 

Hays Travel also received solid scores for its all inclusives, escorted tours, self guided tours, cultural tours, city breaks and walking holidays, though other companies out performed it in these categories. 

Holidays with its ‘Peace of Mind Guarantee’ can be amended for free, for any reason, up to 14 days before departure.

Should I book with Hays Travel?

Yes. Hays Travel’s excellent customer service and organisation has earned it Which? Recommended Provider Status for its beach/resort and family holidays. 

Book a beach break with Hays Travel and you’ll no doubt bag a bargain. And our survey results suggest you’ll have a brilliant getaway too.

Travel agent reviews

Latest News In

Which? Travel

View all news