travel with confidence scheme

Travelling with Confidence Grant Programme

Please note: We are asking organisations interested in applying for funding through these programmes to submit their Stage One application by 8 October 2024 . We cannot accept new Stage One applications for this round of funding beyond this date.

We are committed to continuing our support for disabled people through these six programmes, using £50 million of the donation we received this year. This new funding will be available for charities and organisations, including existing grant-holders, to apply for in 2025 .

Who can apply?

A growing number of large and small charities are now providing travel training schemes.

Through our new Travel Confidence Grant Programme we will help them, and travel providers, to make an immediate impact for disabled people.

Examples of grant funding from this programme could include (but are not limited to):

• Grants to improve awareness of responsibilities and influence policy and practice in the transport sector
• Funding to embed a user-led approach to inclusive design and delivery of transport services
• Grants to scale, promote awareness of, and increase access to, travel training programmes that increase skills, knowledge, confidence, choice and control when travelling
• Grants to support the development of accessible tools and technology solutions that support journey planning and in-journey navigation

Charities and organisations can apply for grants from from £100,000 to £1.5 million. To ensure fair and transparent awarding of funding, each application will be assessed consistently against our criteria.

Why are we doing this?

In a transport system that is not yet fully inclusive, disabled people have told us that they are not fully empowered or supported to travel independently.

4.4m disabled people say that services ‘not going where I need to go’ is a challenge.

The design and delivery of transport services are not led by the needs and experiences of disabled passengers, and a lack of user engagement by transport providers and planners often results in inaccessible design and delivery of infrastructure, services, and vehicles.

Through our research, disabled people have told us that negative in-journey experiences, such as poor staff attitudes or public behaviour, disempower them and put them off making journeys by public transport.

A Scope report found that 1 in 5 of those who had requested assistance 24 hours in advance found it did not turn up. Scope’s Travel Fair Report found that 54% of respondents felt anxious ‘always’ or ‘often’ when using public transport.

Travel training programmes provide a range of support from general travel awareness, to planning and completing an end-to-end journey.

Travel training equips individuals with coping mechanisms and skills to build resilience against challenges, and prepare for changes that can possibly happen during day-to-day travel.

Statutory help, in relation to transport, drops significantly for many disabled people when they reach a certain age or stage in life. This is especially true for those who have the ability or skillsets to benefit most from these travel training schemes.

Guidance for applicants

If you would like any of the following documents in an alternative format such as Easy Read, please complete our  Grants to Organisations and Charities online form and an allocated Grant Manager will get back to you.

To be considered for a grant from the Travelling with Confidence Grant Programme, complete the Stage One Application Form within the guidance for applicants section and email the completed form to [email protected] . Should you have any questions, we would be happy to discuss. Complete our online form  and an allocated Grant Manager will review and get back to you.

Please note we cannot accept or respond to applications received by any other method.

When you place an application for a charitable grant, it will be allocated to a Grant Manager for consideration. We aim to respond to all Stage One applications within eight weeks of receiving them. Please wait for your Grant Manager to contact you to update you on the status of your application.

Your questions answered

Why have motability foundation created grants to charities and organisations.

In 2022 we launched six grant programmes to provide even more support to other charities and organisations in areas where our research and engagement have shown opportunities to have the greatest impact for disabled people. These grant programmes help to address the challenges that disabled people face accessing transport right now, while we continues our research and innovation work into longer-term solutions to make all transport accessible.

We are using £50 million of the donation we received in 2021 to expand our support for charities and other organisations for the next three financial years ending March 2025.

Who can apply for a grant to charities and organisations?

They have been designed to provide even more support to other charities and organisations in areas where our research and engagement have shown opportunities to have the greatest impact for all disabled people. They help to address the challenges that disabled people face accessing transport right now, while we continue our research and innovation work into longer-term solutions to make all transport accessible.

How do you apply for a grant to charities and organisations?

To be considered for a Community Transport, Wheelchair Sector, Active Travel, Reducing Barriers to Driving or Travelling with Confidence Grant from the Charities and Organisations Grant Portfolio, complete the Stage One Application Form which can be found here and email the completed form to [email protected] .

To be considered for Research Grant complete the Research Grant Stage One Application Form which can be found here , and email the completed form to [email protected] .

General enquiries should be submitted via the online contact form . Please note we cannot accept or respond to applications received by any other method.

We aim to respond to all Stage One applications within eight weeks of receiving them. The handling times for Stage Two applications are dependent on the complexity and size of the grant requested. Please wait for your Grant Manager to contact you to update you on the status of your application.

When will my grant application be processed?

We aim to respond to all Stage One applications within eight weeks of receiving them. The handling times for Stage Two applications are dependent on the complexity and size of the grant requested.

If you have any questions regarding this processes please contact us via our online form .

Does Motability Foundation support applications for full cost recovery?

Yes, Motability Foundation recognises the benefit of full cost recovery grant-making, and Grants to Charities and Organisations are available on this basis.

Who can apply to our Travel Confidence Grant Programme?

• Grants to improve awareness of responsibilities and influence policy and practice in the transport sector.
• Funding to embed a user-led approach to inclusive design and delivery of transport services.
• Grants to scale, promote awareness of, and increase access to, travel training programmes that increase skills, knowledge, confidence, choice and control when travelling.
• Grants to support the development of accessible tools and technology solutions that support journey planning and in-journey navigation.

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Motability Foundation - Travel with Confidence Grants

Aims/priorities:  The funding aims to help the growing number of large and small charities that are now providing travel training scheme for disabled people.

The following are examples of what could be funded under this scheme:

• Improving awareness of responsibilities and influence policy and practice in the transport sector.
• Embedding a user-led approach to inclusive design and delivery of transport services.
• Scaling, promoting awareness of, and increase access to, travel training programmes that increase skills, knowledge, confidence, choice and control when travelling.
• Supporting the development of accessible tools and technology solutions that support journey planning and in-journey navigation.

Who can apply?  Medium to large charities and organisations with established ways of working may apply.

To be eligible, applicants must:

• Have been active for at least three years.
• Be fully incorporated with a charitable purpose and undertaking research to support disabled people with their transport needs.
• Have had an annual income of at least £150,000 per annum over the past three years.
• Hold reserves of between three and twelve months of operating costs.

Priority will be given to organisations who:

• Have well-established ways of working that make a demonstrable difference to the lives of disabled people.
• Are making both an immediate and longer term impact on the lives of disabled people.
• Are providing solutions to the challenges set out in the routes to impact.
• Can demonstrate that their application takes into account the views and needs of their beneficiaries and that they will continue to be involved during the delivery of the work.

Grant amount:  Grants of £100,000 to £1.5 million are available. They can be split over one, two or three years.

The final date for grant payments is the conclusion of the three year funding period on 31 March 2025.

Application process:  Motability Foundation is asking organisations interested in applying for funding to submit their Stage One application by 8 October 2024. New Stage One applications for this round of funding cannot be accepted beyond this date.

There will be a new application round in 2025. Information on the application window will be provided when it becomes available.

There is a two-stage application process:

• Stage One application form - decisions expected within around eight weeks.
• Stage Two application form - issued to successful applicants, with a timeframe for decisions confirmed by a member of the Grants Team.

The time taken to assess an application will vary depending on the amount of funding requested. All decisions to award grant-funding are made by dedicated sub-committees, and applications will be tabled at the next available opportunity once checks have been completed.

Applications for grant-funding of:

• Less than £1 million are assessed by a sub-committee that meets on a monthly basis.
• More than £1 million are assessed by a sub-committee that meets quarterly

Full guidelines and the Stage One application form can be found on the Motability Foundation website .

Deadline: Tuesday 8 October 2024.

Contact information:  Email:  [email protected]

Website:   Travelling with Confidence Grant | Charitable Grants | Motability Foundation

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Ticket refunds and changes

Changing or refunding train tickets.

If you’d like to change your ticket or want to get it refunded, the process you’ll need to follow depends on the type of ticket you have.

Did you know that if you get to your destination station 15 minutes or more later than scheduled because one of our trains was late or cancelled for any reason, you can apply for Delay Repay compensation ?

You can get any ticket refunded if you decided not to travel because your train was cancelled or delayed.

Under the National Rail Conditions of Travel , if your train was cancelled or delayed and as a result you decided not to travel, you can claim a refund on unused tickets. You won’t be charged an admin fee.

To request a refund, please follow one of the options below, depending on your ticket type and where you brought your ticket.

Select an option below to find out more about ticket changes and refunds:

Advance tickets

• Anytime, Off-Peak and Super Off-Peak tickets

Book with confidence

First class tickets, season tickets, corporate travel, national rail travel vouchers.

Advance tickets can’t be refunded unless you decided not to travel because your train was cancelled or delayed.

If you need to change the day or time that you’re travelling, you can amend your ticket up to 18:00 the day before you travel, fee-free.

You can still make changes after 18.00 the day before you travel. Changes after this time will be subject to our terms and conditions regarding a change of journey and normal fees will apply. Changes can be made up to the departure of your first booked service.

The process you’ll need to follow depends on where you bought your ticket and which delivery option you selected:

If you bought an Advance ticket on our app or website, there’s currently no fee for amending your journey under our Book with confidence scheme. However, you may have to pay extra if there’s a difference in price between your current ticket and the new ticket.

We’ve introduced self-service ticket exchange for Advance tickets on our app. You can now make changes to your booking up to 18.00 the day before you travel, without incurring a fee.

Step 1: Go to the ticket that you want to change in your wallet and select ‘change travel date or time’. 

Step 2: Select a new date and/or time. Your origin, destination and route will remain the same. The exchange summary will indicate ‘New Order’, ‘Exchanging’. It will tell you if you need to pay because there’s a price difference. 

The exchanged ticket will now be available in the app wallet. The original ticket will be removed.

For changes to Advance tickets after 18.00 the day before you travel, please phone Customer Relations on 03333 211 202 and select option 2. These will be subject to our terms and conditions regarding a change of journey and normal fees will apply. Changes can be made up to the departure of your first booked service. 

Any changes made to Advance tickets after your first booked service has departed are invalid.

Refunds are only permitted on Advance tickets if your original service is delayed or cancelled, and you no longer wish to travel.

Mobile tickets or e-tickets

Phone Customer Relations on 03333 211 202 and select option 2.

Email your new TfW booking reference along with the booking reference of your journey to be refunded, your reason for changing your ticket, your name and the email you used to book to [email protected] . We aim to respond within 2-5 working days.

Paper tickets If you bought your tickets online and have collected them, you can:

Email your new TfW booking reference, a photograph of the tickets to be refunded cut in half, your reason for changing your ticket, your name and the email you used to book to [email protected] . We aim to respond within 2-5 working days.

Post your new booking reference, your tickets to be refunded, your reason for changing your ticket, your name and the email you used to book to: Freepost TFW RAIL REFUND REQUEST

For paper tickets, there’s currently no fee for amending a journey under our Book with confidence scheme. However, you may have to pay extra if there’s a difference in price between your current and new ticket.

Visit a ticket office The quickest way to change your paper ticket is to take it to your nearest station ticket office .

Paper tickets - please visit a ticket office You can make changes to your ticket by taking it to your nearest station ticket office . You may be charged £5 to make a change.

Mobile tickets or e-tickets To make changes to mobile or e-tickets, please contact the retailer you bought the tickets from.

I received a notification about my journey, click here for more information .

Anytime tickets, Off-Peak and Super Off-Peak tickets

Anytime tickets, Off-Peak and Super Off-Peak tickets are changeable and refundable.

If you bought your tickets on our app or website, there’s no fee for amending your journey or cancelling your ticket.

For paper tickets, changes are free under our Book with confidence scheme. However you may be charged £5 for refunds.  

Ticket changes

To change your ticket, first book a new ticket for your new travel dates and follow the process below to get a refund on the original ticket.

You will be charged for any difference in price between your ticket and the new ticket. You can amend your ticket up to departure.  

Requesting a refund:

Refund requests must be made within 28 days.

To request a refund, the process you’ll need to follow depends on where you bought your ticket and which delivery option you selected:

Paper tickets If you bought your tickets online and have collected them you can:

Email a photograph of the tickets to be refunded cut in half, your new TfW booking reference (ticket changes only), your reason for requesting a refund, your name and the email you used to book to [email protected] . We aim to respond within 2-5 working days.

Post your original tickets, your new TfW booking reference (ticket changes only), your reason for requesting a refund, your name and the email you used to book to: Freepost TFW RAIL REFUND REQUEST

Visit a ticket office - changes and refunds The quickest way to refund or change your paper ticket is to take it to your nearest ticket office at a station.

By post - refunds only Post your ticket, your reason for requesting a refund along with your name and address to: Freepost  TFW RAIL REFUND REQUEST

Paper tickets - Visit a ticket office You can still make changes to your ticket by taking your paper ticket to your nearest station ticket office . You may be charged £5 to make a change.

Mobile tickets or e-tickets To make changes to mobile or e-tickets please visit the retailer you purchased the tickets from.

Our book with confidence scheme allows you to make changes to all types of tickets, including Advance tickets, bought online or at a station, without any fee.

The option to exchange an Advance ticket for a travel voucher has been removed.

You’re able to continue to re-book your Advance ticket within our six-week booking horizon.

These terms and conditions apply if you bought your ticket with TfW:

Fee-free change of journey - you’ll need to pay any fare difference and changes must be made by 18:00 the day before travel; original origin and destination stations must remain the same, but you can change the date and time to travel on another service or day.

Changes to Advance tickets after this time will be subject to the normal terms and conditions regarding changing your journey; changes are permitted up to the departure of the first booked service, but normal fees will apply and any changes made to Advance tickets after the first booked service has departed are invalid.

Refund policies are unaffected by this change. This change permits Advance tickets to be exchanged for a different journey. Refunds are only permitted on Advance tickets if the original service is delayed or cancelled and you no longer want to travel.

You can continue to change non-Advance tickets to travel at another time without paying a fee.

If you’ve purchased a First Class ticket for one of our First Class train services and for any reason that service has not been provided, you can claim a refund from us.

You’ll be entitled to a refund of the difference between the First Class and Standard Class fare.

Please keep your ticket to claim your partial refund within 28 days of your travel date.

Please provide the details of your journey including the date of travel, your origin and destination in your correspondence.

Email your booking reference of your journey to be refunded, your reason for requesting a refund, your name and the email you used to book to [email protected] . We aim to respond within 2-5 working days.

Email a photograph of the tickets to be refunded cut in half, your reason for requesting a refund, your name and the email you used to book to [email protected] . We aim to respond within 2-5 working days.

Post your original tickets, your reason for requesting a refund, your name and the email you used to book to: Freepost TFW RAIL REFUND REQUEST

Visit a ticket office - refunds The quickest way to refund your paper ticket is to take it to your nearest ticket office at a station.

By post - refunds Post your ticket, your reason for requesting a refund along with your name and address to: Freepost  TFW RAIL REFUND REQUEST

• Season tickets can be refunded at any time. We’ll calculate how much based on the value left on your ticket.
• Any refund is calculated from the date the Season ticket is returned to us or the date we cancelled the Season ticket for further use.
• We do this by deducting the value of any other tickets you could have travelled with in the same time until you stopped using your Season ticket.
• Seven days (or more) left on your Season ticket valid between one and ten months.
• Three days (or more) left on your weekly Season ticket.
• For an annual Season ticket, there may not be any value left on it if it’s surrendered in the last couple of months of validity. Annual Season tickets have no refund value after 10 months and 12 days, although they are still valid for travel until the expiry date and you can continue to enjoy any Gold Card benefits along with it.
• Our normal Season ticket refund policy will continue to apply although the £5 admin charges have been removed from online bookings.
• You must request a refund no more than 28 days after the expiry of your ticket.

How to make changes or request a refund: You can make changes depending on where you bought your ticket and which delivery option you selected:

Smartcard Please send an email to [email protected]  and tell us:

Your Smartcard number.

Name and email address used on your web account.

The journey shown on your Season ticket.

Your last date of travel.

Paper tickets If you’ve already collected your tickets, please post it with your name, address and details of the last date of travel to: Freepost TFW RAIL REFUND REQUEST

Paper tickets Please pop into one of our ticket offices or Post your ticket with your name, address and details of the last date of travel to: Freepost TFW RAIL REFUND REQUEST

Smartcard Send an e-mail to [email protected]  and tell us:

Your name and full postal address.

The name and number on your smartcard.

The journey for which your ticket is valid.

If you’ve bought a ticket and choose not to travel, you can apply for a refund from the retailer or train company you purchased it from, unless the terms and conditions of your ticket (Advance tickets for instance) indicate it’s non-refundable. You’ll need to do this no more than 28 days after your ticket’s expired.

If you have booked your ticket through our Travel Management Services, please contact them at [email protected] . Please don’t cut up your corporate season ticket.

National Rail travel vouchers can be redeemed against the cost of train tickets at our ticket offices .

All railcards are non-refundable.

I bought my ticket from a Payzone retailer and want a refund

If you return to the Payzone retailer within 30 minutes of buying your ticket, you’ll receive a full refund with no admin fee.

If you return after the 30-minute period, there’ll be a £5 minimum fee, irrespective of ticket value.

You won’t receive a refund if the value of your ticket is less than £10.

Refunds for Payzone tickets are only available from Payzone retailers. There’s no limit on the value of a ticket for which a refund can be obtained.

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OBS and Cruise with Confidence Scheme

By Travelmadoldie , February 15, 2022 in Princess Cruises

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Travelmadoldie

I have recently used the Cruise with Confidence scheme to cancel our transatlantic cruise.

The FCC and the refund of the rest has already been done but we have lost virtually all of our On Board spend. I have contacted our Elite agent but he is adamant that this is correct.

I can’t find any reference in the scheme to OBS but maybe I’m missing them.

I would be grateful to learn if this happened to anyone else?

Link to comment

Share on other sites.

OBC (on board credit) is normally part of individual booking promotions. When you change bookings OBC normally does not carry over. 

  @Travelmadoldie        Please help us understand your comments or questions.

We want to help.

I agree with skynight -- OBC normally  do not carry over to a new booking.

You mention “scheme” is this the same as “policy”?

How about “Cruise with Confidence” is really “Book with Confidence”?

The FCC and the refund of the rest has already been done.   Please define “done”.

Your “elite agent” is really a travel agent?   Or is this a person from Princess?

Where all the guests fully paid and inside final payment?

Did you purchase Princess Insurance?

Thank you for your replies.

Sorry, should have been "Book" not "Cruise".

The cruise had been paid in full together with the credits accrued and have been repaid to us and the balance placed in our Princess account to use for the next cruise under the rules of the scheme/policy.

We use the Princess Elite staff to book our cruises.

We Brits cannot use the Princess Insurance.

So a mistake has been made previously as the On board spends have been transferred several times up until now.

1 hour ago, skynight said: OBC (on board credit) is normally part of individual booking promotions. When you change bookings OBC normally does not carry over. 

Adding: Unless it's Goodwill OBC. So yes... I just rebooked my 4/23/21 cruise to save 800 FCC (already applied to summer cruise + 211.12 to carry over to 3/2023 cruise), lost 150 OBC, and my 20 Goodwill OBC evaporated.  Having PVP research and reapply that 20 OBC. Will go back to Customer Service if she can't 

Not sure how it works on the other side of the pond 

Nit Pick, Princess uses Book with Confidence and Cruise with Confidence. And, yes, whenever you cancel a cruise, you lose any perks that went with it.

3 hours ago, Travelmadoldie said: Thank you for your replies.   Sorry, should have been "Book" not "Cruise". The cruise had been paid in full together with the credits accrued and have been repaid to us and the balance placed in our Princess account to use for the next cruise under the rules of the scheme/policy. We use the Princess Elite staff to book our cruises. We Brits cannot use the Princess Insurance. So a mistake has been made previously as the On board spends have been transferred several times up until now.

How long did it take to get all your credits back?

6 hours ago, Ombud said: Adding: Unless it's Goodwill OBC. So yes... I just rebooked my 4/23/21 cruise to save 800 FCC (already applied to summer cruise + 211.12 to carry over to 3/2023 cruise), lost 150 OBC, and my 20 Goodwill OBC evaporated.  Having PVP research and reapply that 20 OBC. Will go back to Customer Service if she can't    Not sure how it works on the other side of the pond 

Done. Fast. Think I'm going to like her too

I'm still waiting to hear back from Princess about my booking of the cruise I went on last week. I booked it two and a half weeks before sailing. I called the day after booking when balcony cabins were reduced to the same price as inside cabins. I spoke to nine different agents. The second one sent me a confirmation showing that I was getting $150 in OBC. I ended up getting just $25 for using an FCD. 

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Solo Traveler

Solo travel tips, destinations, stories... the source for those who travel alone.

Solo Travel Confidence: How to Be Strong, Capable, and Safe

February 6, 2023 by Janice Waugh

The question of solo travel confidence arises often. People wonder about safety, their ability to look confident, and what it might mean if they don't. There is the issue of last-minute jitters before getting on the plane and not being quite sure how to manage things on the ground.

Here is an excerpt from one reader's email.

…while allowing room for spontaneity, I've researched countless blogs, spoken with friends and friends of friends, tidied up loose ends at work and home. I've been ecstatic and energized and caught up in the whole process. I've dotted my i's and crossed my t's. I leave for Thailand in a week and all of a sudden I'm terrified. I'm that shadow of my young self, lacking in confidence and self-esteem, full of doubt …

Yes, the prospect of a solo trip can be exciting but also anxiety-inducing when the time comes to leave.

So how does one develop and maintain that confidence? I have some advice.

Table of Contents

7 Tips: Plan for Solo Travel Confidence

There are many things you can do before you leave that will build your confidence to travel solo.

• Go cold turkey on the crime shows.  These shows wildly overstate the threat of violence in the world. Yes, you must take safety seriously but take a break from the crime shows well before leaving on your trip so that your imagination doesn't run away with itself. Read:  Solo Travel Safety: 50+ Tips for Those Who Travel Alone .
• Do your research.  The more you know about where you're going, the more confident you'll feel. Study a map of your destination so that you have an idea of how your destination is laid out. Find out about local transit and the cost of taxis so that you know how you'll get around. Understand the currency and exchange rate so that you’ll be able to quickly do the math in your head to know what something costs in your own currency. Get a few phrases down so that you can communicate. Have a plan so that you know how you will spend your first day or two.
• Book your first few nights' accommodation.  Your accommodation is your safe haven. Whether it's a hotel, hostel, B&B, or apartment, book a place with great reviews before you leave so that you know you'll have a soft landing when you get there. Pro tip: arrive in the afternoon so that if it doesn't meet your expectations, you have time to make a change.
• Find your cheerleader.  When you’re getting nervous, talk to friends who are thrilled about your upcoming trip and stay away from those who are only lukewarm or even negative. Those enthusiasts will bolster you and contribute to developing your solo travel confidence.
• Sign up with your government . Check your government's advisory website and register with them as a citizen traveling abroad. Here are the pages for the  US and  Canada . It is highly unlikely that you will need their service but, if you're a bit nervous, the backup will put your mind at ease.
• Plan for communication . Whether you prefer email, text, phone, or Facebook, if you can find Wi-Fi (Starbucks, McDonalds, and more have free Wi-Fi) you can get in touch with home for free with a smartphone. WhatsApp is a good possibility. Most libraries can give you access to a computer and the Internet.
• Get a local contact.  Remember six degrees of separation? Well, that number was determined based on snail mail – long before Facebook. Now you likely have a friend of a friend just about everywhere in the world who is local and whom you could meet for a coffee or call should you have a moment of anxiety.

10 Ways to Travel with Confidence for Solo Travel Safety

Confidence is a traveler's armor. Lacking confidence makes you look like a good mark for a con artist or other undesirables. Being confident makes such people look elsewhere.

What if you're not really that confident? Sometimes, you need to fake it 'til you make it.

• Know that you're amazing . Many people are still astounded when they meet someone traveling solo. They think you're strong. To them you are exotic. Think that and know that and it will show in your body language without any effort at all.
• Smile . A worried look on your face does not project confidence. A smile does. Use it.
• Walk with your head up and with awareness.  Stand tall. Lift your torso up as though stretching your spine. Pull your shoulders slightly back so that they widen. Walk looking side to side as well as in front of you so that you appear very aware of your surroundings. In a café or other public space, scan your environment from time to time. Appearing aware of your surroundings can cause pickpockets and the like to look elsewhere for a mark. Read: Protect Yourself from Pickpockets: Keep Cards & Cash Safe .
• Be decisive . A hesitant person looks vulnerable. Be decisive in your actions and you will look confident. This may require a bit of research and map memorizing so that you know exactly where you're going, but it is worth it to help develop solo travel confidence.
• Look alert . You're safest when you have all of your senses working for you. You know it and so do others. Don't wear earbuds so that you can't hear what's going on. Don't be distracted by your mobile phone or reading a map on the street so that you don't see what's happening around you.
• Make a statement as a statement . When you make a statement, don't let your voice rise at the end as though it is actually a question. This suggests that you are uncertain of yourself and are looking for confirmation from the person you're speaking with. If you have a question to ask, that's fine. If you have something to say, say it with confidence.
• Make eye contact.  If you're speaking with someone, make eye contact so that they know you are a strong person. In more general situations eye contact is not necessary but don't hide your eyes either.
• Stand strong . When standing still, stand with your feet apart (as much as 12 inches) and your weight evenly distributed. If you're speaking with someone, face them directly to display confidence.
• Take up space.  Sit back in a chair and use the armrests if they're there. Resist the urge to fold your arms under your armpits or fidget with your hands. Put your hands on your hips or use them to emphasize a point as you speak. Lean against a wall but don't slouch against it. This way you look like you own the room. This is all called “power posing”.
• Act natural.  This is likely the most difficult point of all. Do all of the above as though it is absolutely natural to you.

If You're Still Having Difficulty Feeling Confident

• Be patient with yourself.  Take things slowly. Sit, watch, see how things function, let the rhythm of your destination catch you, and then go with it. Knowledge helps you travel solo with confidence.
• Pamper yourself . What do you find calming? Is it a cup of tea or coffee? Being by water? Reading a book? A massage or facial? Know what will calm you if you get nervous.
• Find what's familiar . There are international brands that look and work in a familiar fashion everywhere in the world. Think Starbucks or McDonalds. If you need a taste of home, go to one of these places for an hour.

Return Home More Self-Assured

Theodore Roosevelt said, “Each time we face our fear, we gain strength, courage, and confidence in the doing.” This statement is, to me, an absolute truth. With every trip, I feel a rise in my self-confidence.

Confidence comes from really knowing yourself and your own strength. Solo travel can certainly help with this. It presents the opportunity and freedom to:

• travel for your goals exclusively
• be spontaneous and pursue unique opportunities as they arise
• enjoy your own company

As you travel solo, being totally responsible for yourself, it’s inevitable that you will discover just how capable you are. As you push your boundaries, whether it’s by going to a restaurant alone for the first time or navigating a country where you don’t know the language, you will gain solo travel confidence. As you make every decision about your trip, your day, and your meals, your confidence in your ability to make good decisions will also grow.

Traveling solo isn't about what others see in you, it’s about what you see in you. And what you see will build your confidence.

Sharing is caring!

Publisher Janice: info @ solotravelerworld.com

Editor Tracey: tracey @ solotravelerworld.com

Sales Simon: simon @ solotravelerworld.com

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We’re committed to accessibility for everyone. Our assisted travel scheme Passenger Assist helps passengers with disabilities and older people who need a little extra help using our services.

The majority of passengers travel on our network without booking assistance (“turn up and go”)

If you do wish to book assistance our call centre colleagues are happy to help you with planning your journey.

You can contact us at any time of the day for assisted travel guidance or to request an assisted travel booking. To make sure we have staff available to help you, we recommend you book at least two hours in advance of travelling.

If your journey involves another train company, we may need to confirm part of your journey with them. If this is the case, we will discuss options with you.

If you do choose to travel “turn up and go” without booking assistance in advance, please make yourself known to a member of staff or use a Help Point when you arrive at the station.

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At Great Northern, we are committed to making sure everyone can travel with confidence. The industry assisted travel scheme ‘Passenger Assist’, enables disabled and older people who prefer to request their assistance in advance, up to two hours before their journey.

Many of our passengers travel on our network without booking assistance (turn up and go), which is something we’re proud of. No matter how you choose to travel, please make yourself known to a member of staff or use a Help Point when you arrive at the station.

How to book assisted travel with Passenger Assist

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Book via app

You can request assistance via Passenger Assistance by Transreport – a new smartphone app.

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Fill in our assisted travel booking form online

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Our assisted travel helpline is open 24 hours a day, except on Christmas Day. To make sure we have staff available to help you, we recommend you book at least two hours in advance of travelling. We can tell you about your nearest station with step-free access and give information about ramps and lifts. We can also arrange help both at stations and on trains, as well as provide train times and travel information. If you’d like help with planning your journey and booking a train ticket in advance, please call our assisted travel team at least seven days before you’d like to travel. If your journey involves another train company, we may need to confirm part of your journey with them. If this is the case, we will discuss options with you. Or, should you wish to contact other operators directly, contact details are available on National Rail’s website .

You can also request assistance via Passenger Assistance by Transreport – a new smartphone app. Find out more .

What to do when you arrive at the station

To offer you the best assistance possible, we recommend that you arrive at the station 20 minutes before your train is due to depart. When you arrive let a member of staff know, you require assistance, or you’ve booked assisted travel.

We can help you:

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We can also help with light luggage and let other stations know you are coming so that you are looked after when you arrive at your destination.

View our resources for further support whilst travelling .

Accessible facilities at the station

Make sure to check our station pages , for information on accessibility at your station.

You can also search for your station on this page , to see if there are any temporary reductions to the accessible facilities.

You can also watch our video to see what’s available at the station .

Our commitment to you

We are committed to working towards providing accessible travel for everyone, and our ongoing programme of access improvements will see more and more stations and trains becoming more accessible.

We know as an industry we can do better to give everyone the confidence to travel. We’re working hard to empower disabled people and others who require assistance by making our services easier to use and have set out our commitments in our Accessible Travel Policy.

For example, the notice you give to pre-book assistance is reduced to two hours before travel, although you’re always welcome to turn up at a station unannounced. All our staff are having improved accessibility training, we’ve enhanced our websites and signs at stations, and we are rolling out mobile assistance teams serving our smaller unstaffed stations.

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Our on-board staff are trained to help you if there is an emergency on the train. In most cases it’s usually safer to stay on the train and tell a member of staff that you need assistance. In an emergency, you should contact a member of staff, or press the emergency button to speak with the driver. We’ll advise you what to do and make sure someone comes to your aid.

We will work with the emergency services to get you off the train safely if you’re in any danger. Speak to our assisted travel team if you’d like to know more about our emergency procedures for disabled people:

If you’ve recently travelled with us using assisted travel and would like to provide feedback on your experience, you can do so through our online contact form .

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Travel and Chatter

Who We Are: Travel Experts That Only Write About Places We’ve Been

My name is Aletta, and my husband, Johan, and we are seasoned travelers. We have been traveling for more than 35 years. We are born and raised South Africans who have lived in the USA for the past 25 years. After our first trip to Europe 35 years ago, the travel bug bit us, leaving us with a yearning for more. We love travel so much that we always have another trip in the hopper. Our aim is to inspire others to not just travel but to travel with confidence.

Our travel destinations include Africa, Europe, and the USA! On our trips we visited 22 countries and most US states. In the next year we plan to visit Australia and South America. Find out more about us .

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ABTA Travel with Confidence campaign launch

ABTA - the Travel Association will launch its 2019 Travel with Confidence national advertising campaign on 25 December 2018, to support the industry’s busiest sales period of the year.

The campaign will launch with a series of four different radio adverts, aiming to encourage people to book with an ABTA Member while also increasing understanding of ABTA’s offer of support, protection and expertise.

The radio adverts are expected to reach more than 6 million listeners and each one has been developed specifically to target a different audience; one for families on Heart DAB, one for young people on Capital DAB and one for the over 55s on Classic DAB.

The fourth brand advert will be broadcast across all three radio stations, and will provide an overview of the benefits of booking with an ABTA Member. It also emphasises this support, protection and expertise means travellers can have confidence in ABTA and its Members.

All four adverts will also include a new ‘sonic identity’ developed for ABTA by Global; a short piece of music for people to identify the Association by.

The radio campaign will be followed by an online targeted advertising campaign on Youtube and via programmatic, which will run between January and February 2019. Holidaymakers can also visit ABTA’s website, abta.com, for tips on how to travel with confidence.

Victoria Bacon, ABTA’s Director of Brand and Business Development, said:

“As we move into 2019 people’s thoughts are turning to booking holidays for the year ahead and we want to remind them of the importance of booking with an ABTA Member, to ensure they travel with confidence.

“This year’s advertising campaign uses a multi-channel approach to reach holidaymakers right at the time of making their holiday decisions and also reflects the diverse range of holidays our Members offer for people across all demographics.

“I would encourage all ABTA Members to get behind the campaign by using the Travel with Confidence logo in their advertising.”

ABTA is the UK’s largest travel association, representing travel agents and tour operators that sell £37 billion of holidays and other travel arrangements each year.

ABTA has achieved Business Superbrand status for the last 12 years and according to independent research*, is the UK’s most trusted travel scheme among members of the public. The same research* also revealed that 3 out of 4 people feel more confident booking a holiday with a company that is a member of ABTA.

For further information, contact:

Tom Sommerfelt, Senior Media Relations Executive, 020 3117 0531

ABTA press office, [email protected] or 020 3117 0596

Out of Hours:  Contact the Duty Press Officer via pager: 07623 951 339

Web: www.abta.com

Twitter: @ABTAtravel

Notes to editors

About the research:

*Figures relating to brand awareness are from Arkenford Ltd ( www.arkenford.co.uk ) who specialise in leisure and tourism market research. The research generated a response from a nationally representative sample of 2,001 consumers using an online research methodology and related to holiday booking habits in the 12 months to August 2018. Fieldwork was conducted at end of July/ early August 2018.

ABTA has been a trusted travel brand for over 65 years. Our purpose is to help our Members to grow their businesses successfully and sustainably, and to help their customers travel with confidence.

The ABTA brand stands for support, protection and expertise. This means consumers have confidence in ABTA and a strong trust in ABTA Members. These qualities are core to us as they ensure that holidaymakers remain confident in the holiday products that they buy from our Members.

We help our Members and their customers navigate through today's changing travel landscape by raising standards in the industry; offering schemes of financial protection; providing an independent complaints resolution service should something go wrong; giving guidance on issues from sustainability to health and safety and by presenting a united voice to government to ensure the industry and the public get a fair deal.

ABTA has around 1,200 Members, with a combined annual UK turnover of £38 billion. For more details about what we do, what being an ABTA Member means and how we help the British public travel with confidence visit www.abta.com .

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Travel with confidence – hampshire crp and winchester go ld, concept and aims.

Hampshire Community Rail Partnership (CRP) and South Western Railway developed the ‘Travel with Confidence’ project to support adults with non-visible disabilities, those with anxieties about travelling post-pandemic, and those without confident access to rail. The scheme involved try the train trips, and led to the production of a resource, ‘Help is at Hand,’ to increase travel confidence by rail and bus.

One of the groups involved in the project was Winchester Go LD, a charity that supports adults with learning disabilities to live full and independent lives. For the second phase of the project, the CRP worked with Go LD staff to devise and deliver a mentoring programme in which Go LD members would deliver travel confidence sessions to groups of their peers from other local organisations, charities, and day care centres.

What happened

Winchester Go LD members were consulted to determine the challenges they faced when travelling by train. Feedback was also logged from other groups who had taken part in the initial Travel with Confidence project. This process identified issues such as knowing when and where to ask for help, and difficulties navigating both stations and trains.

The training and mentoring programme consisted of try the train trips, station visits and classroom sessions. Having been involved in the first stage of the programme, Go LD members benefitted from a supported, positive experience of rail travel and station environments, allowing them to become confident in the help that is available. Using their experiences of common travel barriers and ways they can be overcome, they used cue cards with simple visuals to talk groups through the processes of buying tickets, using station help points, using ramps to board and alight trains, and what to do in the events of delays or cancellations.

Since January 2023, 14 Winchester Go LD members have been skilled up as ‘travel trainers’, and supported by staff and volunteers, have led on the delivery of the programme, with 110 people from eight groups of their peers enjoying more than 30 trips by train. Members also co-produced a series of eight training videos to share their lived experience and top tips for other train travellers.

The project was the first time Winchester Go LD had been involved in a scheme shaped and led by participants, and the growth in confidence of its members was described as “immeasurable.” Acting as travel trainers has not only allowed members to pass on vital travel knowledge to support groups with similar needs, it has also developed vital professional and life skills including communication, leadership and social skills.You can find out more about the project  here .

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