What do you do on a SwimTrek Holiday?

To put it simply, we island hop by swimming instead of taking the ferry! It's a wonderful and unique way to explore various island groups around Europe.

Why should I swim in Open Water?

Just as an indoor climbing wall is an excellent training facility for climbers, before they take on the challenge of the mountains, so the swimming pool is a good training tool to prepare us for the ultimate experience and enjoyment of swimming in open water.

What is Open Water?

Any natural body of water, i.e. rivers, lakes, seas and oceans

How fit do I need to be to come on a trip?

It is important at the start of the tour, that you are able to swim, at a steady pace for the average tour distance, which is stipulated on each trip's web page. This will ensure that you can complete most of the crossings and also help you maximise your enjoyment of the tour. Please take time to look at our detailed SwimTrek Training Plan to see suggested training distances to be achieved in the pool before your trip.  

What swim speed will I need to go at?

The great feature of a SwimTrek trip is the range of swimming speeds that are catered for. At the start of the trip, swimmers are grouped according to their swim speed. Generally, there are between 2-3 groups depending on the individuals on each tour. Therefore everyone is put into a group of their own speed and hence, there is no need to swim too quickly or too slowly. All groups are looked after by a safety escort.

What strokes do people swim?

Although the majority swim front crawl, we often have a number of breaststrokers as well. Having different swimming groups, means you can swim whatever stroke you want.

How far do I have to swim?

This depends on which trip you are on. The Trip Notes for each tour provide swimming distances on each of our crossings.  

How many hours a day will I be swimming?

This will of course, vary between trips and your own swimming speed, but you can estimate that you will be swimming between  2-3 hours a day.

Do I have to swim all the crossings?

No. You always have the opportunity, to catch a ride on the escort  boat at any time. Have a cup of tea or some juice and jump back in, if or when you want.

How are we looked after, on the swims?

You will be escorted on the crossings by a number of boats, which will provide safety cover and provide drinks and nutrition throughout the swim. The guides will also be on board to assist you in improving your technique. You can of course, at any time, get on one board one of the boats.

Any other swimming activities?

We don't just swim from island to island. There is also ample opportunity to swim some leisurely, yet stunning coastline swims in areas generally inaccessible from the land.  

Any non-swimming activities?

There are some great walks to and from the start/finish point of our swims, which are of an easy to moderate standard. Varied trips to local sights of interest combined with plenty of opportunities in the evening to go out in town and have a relaxing meal and drink with the group, make for an enjoyable time.

Swimming distances are in kms. How can I relate this to lengths of my local pool?

Most pools are normally 25m in length. However, 20M, 33M and 50M pools are also common. The table below, allows you to convert some swims into lengths, as if you were swimming the distance at your local pool.

                           Figures given are in lengths.

I don't think I could swim these distances!

You may think that you could not swim these distances in the pool. This could be down to the fact that you simply get bored, when going up and down the pool.

Giving yourself enough time to train before your departure, will allow you to achieve the distances on the trip. Use the SwimTrek Training Plan to steadily build up your endurance.

Also, with the greater buoyancy of sea water (making swimming easier!) and the psychological effect of seeing your target destination, ahead of you, swimming the distance in the sea is generally easier than in the pool.

I also want to improve my swimming technique.

There are a number of stroke technique differences between the pool and open water. Throughout the trip, we will continually work on improving your open water swimming stroke, through  demonstrations and lessons where required.

What about Marine life?

Encountering various marine life is one of the great joys of these trips. It's not simply head down and swim to the next island.  From sea turtles in Greece, dolphins in Scotland, seals in the Scillies and porpoises in Turkey, the sea life will enchant you.

Although generally absent from our  trips, Jellyfish can theoretically be present in all of the locations that we go to. However, most of the jellyfish varieties that we are likely to encounter are of the non-stinging type.

Do SwimTrek provide wetsuits?

Nothing beats swimming in the sea with just your costume and goggles on. However, we do have a stock of wetsuits specifically designed for swimming, should you wish to use one.

How big are the groups?

We run some of the smallest tour numbers in the travel industry. The maximum tour size for all our trips is never more than 14 people and  in most cases, usually 10-12. Within each tour, we will then split into two or three groups (according to swim speed), so you may well find yourself swimming across the ocean in a group of just four of you, accompanied by an escort boat.

What will my fellow swimmers be like?

Swimming, by its nature is a low impact, medium intensity work out, enabling a cross-section of ages to come on our tours. They may be anything from teenagers to the retired, alone or with a friend, experienced open water swimmers or those unfamiliar to being outside the swimming pool. You can rest assured, that the common love of swimming in the great outdoors, makes for a truly memorable trip.  

How safe is it?
On all of our trips your well-being is of paramount importance. Every aspect of your trip is constantly reviewed by our staff and our swim guides to ensure your trip is challenging, rewarding and carried out in a safe manner.

Who will lead the group?

All of our trips are run by experienced swimming guides, each with extensive experience of open water swimming and previous SwimTrek trips. Our lead guide will also be a qualified open water lifeguard and qualified swimming teacher.

Do you charge a single supplement?
None of our trips have a compulsory single supplement (although these are available upon request) and we will match you with a suitable companion of the same gender unless you request a single supplement.

How often do you cancel a trip?

As we travel in small groups, 95% of our trips operate - so you can be confident of going on the trip of your choice.

Where do we stay?

All our accommodation is of a good standard and based on twin share with en-suite facilities, where available. We realise that after a day's island hopping, nothing quite beats a good quality shower and a comfortable hotel, to relax in

Do I need to carry my luggage on the trips?

On all of our trips, you only have to carry a day pack during the day. Typically you will be carrying a light rucksack containing swimming gear, camera, sun cream and water. If changing hotels, your main luggage will be transported on our escort boat to the next nights accommodation.

How do I get to the start point for the trip?

On booking, you will be sent a detailed travel information plan on how to get to the start point for your tour. There is also an option of meeting up with your fellow travellers on departure.

Our office also has access to the latest fare information and is able to help you find the best value option for getting to your destination.

How safe are your destinations?

We constantly monitor the latest Foreign Office travel advice for each destination we visit.  If, a month prior to the trip, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office advise against travel to that area of the country, we will not operate the trip concerned and provide you with either a full refund of all fees paid or we will come up with an alternative trip for the same dates. FCO Travel Advice

Any books you could recommend?

The attached book review covers a selection of books all involved with open water swimming and the locations that we visit. SwimTrek Book Review

How can I get more information?

Trip notes for all our destinations are available on each trips web page. Alternatively, we are able to post or fax them to you. Our staff have a wide experience of the trips we offer and can provide first-hand advice and travel tips.

How can I make a booking?

Print out a copy of our booking form and booking conditions Simply fill in the form and send it to us, with the deposit to confirm your place.

I am unable to open any online forms

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