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Hays Travel review
Find out how Hays Travel fares across 10 categories, including as a high street travel agent - and for its beach holidays, all-inclusives and escorted tours - in our surveys of more than 23,000 holidays
What is Hays Travel?
Family-owned Hays Travel is the UK’s largest independent travel agent - it sells other firms’ holidays and is a tour operator offering its own holidays. It mostly sells fly-and-flop holidays in popular European destinations, but also offers city breaks and far-flung tours. Hays Travel has more than 530 branches across the UK.
Which? verdict
Hays Travel is a Which? Recommended Provider (WRP) as a high street travel agent and for its family holidays, where it is among the best options. It is highly rated as a provider of beach/resort and all-inclusive holidays, although some rival companies are better.
Book a holiday with Hays Travel
Hays Travel customer ratings
| Holiday type | Which? Recommended Provider? | Customer score |
|---|---|---|
| High street travel agent | Yes | 84% |
| Family holiday | Yes | 79% |
| All-inclusive holiday | No | 83% |
| Beach/resort holiday | No | 82% |
| Tailor-made holiday | No | 80% |
| City break | No | 77% |
| Self-guided tour | No | 75% |
| Solo holiday | No | 74% |
| Cultural tour | No | 73% |
| Escorted tour | No | 72% |
| Adventure/activity holiday | No | 78% |
Customer score Based on a combination of overall satisfaction and how likely people are to recommend the company. High street travel agents customer score based on an online survey carried out in October 2025 of 3,204 experiences from 2,577 respondents (Which? Connect and general public). Adventure/activity holiday customer score based on an online survey carried out in October 2025 of 2,499 experiences from 1,772 respondents (Which? Connect and general public). All others based on an online survey carried out in August/September 2024 of 19,958 experiences from 12,119 respondents (Which? Connect panel and general public).
We tracked the price of more than 20,000 holidays to find out exactly when to book to get the cheapest price – read our 28 ways to save on your next holiday
What’s a Hays Travel holiday like?
Hays Travel acts as both a travel agent (selling other operators’ holidays) and a tour operator (providing its own package holidays). You can book in store, over the phone or online.
It has been awarded a Which? Recommended Provider (WRP) endorsement as a high street travel agent, and its advisers can tailor-make a holiday that works for you.
For its own package holidays, its scores were a mixed bag, depending on the type of trip. It was rated one of the best family holiday providers, and ranked highly in our beach/resort holidays and all-inclusive holiday tables. However, it finished in the bottom half of our escorted tour, self-guided tour and cultural tour tables.
The majority of respondents who told us they had booked with Hays certainly had no issues with its ‘brilliant’ customer service. It received a flawless five-star service rating in the beach/resort holidays category. One loyal customer said: ‘We use the same guy - he’s a well-travelled person, who seems to be able to identify our needs.’
Unfortunately, its two-star ratings for accommodation in our beach/resort holiday table, and for value for money in our all-inclusive table, prevented it from being a WRP in those categories.
Hays Travel’s 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 guarantees 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 2026, it won’t apply any additional surcharges to holidays that have already been booked.
Should I book a holiday with Hays Travel?
For your family holiday and if you prefer to book in-store, yes. Hays Travel offers great customer service and organisation, which has earned it Which? Recommended Provider status for its family holidays and as a high street travel agent.
For other types of holiday, however, there are better options.
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