Multi-Centre Holidays
One Journey, More Than One Place
A multi-centre holiday brings two or more places together in a single trip: a few days in a city before a week by the sea, a safari followed by time on the coast, or a journey through several islands.
Each part can be quite different from the last, in pace, in scenery and in the kind of place you stay, and that contrast is much of the appeal. What makes it feel like one holiday rather than a series of transfers is the planning: the order, the time in each place and the connections between them. That is where an independent UK travel agency like Auria can help.
Why combine more than one place
Some places are at their best in short, busy days, and others are for slowing down. Put the two together and each feels better for the other: you see a city properly, then arrive at the coast ready to do very little.
Distance is another reason. After a long flight it often makes sense to see more than one place while you are there, or to break the journey with a night or two somewhere on the way.
Combinations to consider
A few of the combinations people often ask about. They are starting points rather than a list: most places can be joined to another, as long as the journey between them makes sense.
- City and beach
- A few days of sightseeing and good food, then time by the sea: Singapore or Bangkok before the Thai islands, or Rome before the Amalfi Coast.
- Safari and beach
- Early starts and long days watching wildlife, followed by slow mornings on the coast: Tanzania with Zanzibar, or South Africa with Mauritius.
- Island hopping
- More than one island in a single trip, in the Caribbean, Greece or the Indian Ocean, joined by short flights or ferries.
- Several cities
- A journey through a country or a region by rail, road or air, such as Tokyo and Kyoto, or Sydney and Melbourne, with a few nights in each.
- A tour, then time to relax
- A tour or a road trip while you have the energy for it and quiet days at the end, such as a tour of Sri Lanka followed by a stay in the Maldives.
- A cruise and a stay
- Nights in a city before the ship sails or after it returns, or a stay added somewhere on the route that you would like to see more of.
- A stopover
- A night or two on the way somewhere far away, such as Singapore on the way to Australia or New Zealand, to break a long journey and see another place.
Getting the order and pace right
The same places can make a very different holiday depending on how they are put together. These are the things worth thinking about.
- The order
- The busier, more active parts usually work best at the start, while you are fresh, with the beach or the quiet stay at the end.
- Time in each place
- Allow for the travel days. Moving on every night or two can leave you feeling you spent the holiday in transit, so fewer places with longer stays often works better.
- The connections
- Flights between places, ferries, trains and transfers need to fit together, at sensible times and with enough room if something runs late.
- Where you stay
- Each part can have its own kind of accommodation: a hotel close to the sights in a city, a lodge on safari, a villa or a resort by the sea.
- The seasons
- Two places a few hours apart can have quite different weather at the same time of year, so the dates need to suit both.
- Flying home
- Arriving in one place and flying home from another can save going back the way you came.
How Auria can help
A multi-centre trip has more moving parts than a single stay, and each depends on the others. Some combinations are available ready-made from tour operators and cruise lines, such as a twin-centre holiday, a tour with time on the beach afterwards or a cruise with hotel nights before and after, and if one suits you, we can find it and book it. If not, our travel professionals can put the trip together around you: the flights, the places to stay, the transfers and connections between them, and the experiences you want along the way.
You can talk all of it through with one of our travel professionals before you book, and we look after the booking for you.
Thinking of combining more than one place?
Tell us the places you have in mind and roughly how long you have, and one of our travel professionals will help you work out how they could fit together.
