Part of TripClub
Getting there, and the airports that catch people out
Every destination's gateway, the routings that actually exist from the markets we sell to, and how long the road is at the other end. Including the four airports where the wrong flight quietly costs you a day of the programme you have paid for.
Not a booking link
What the flight desk actually does
- Holds the fare with the programme.
A wellness programme is booked months out and the flight usually is not — which is how people end up paying twice for the last seats in a Gulf wave. We price both at the same time and hold them together, so the trip has one deposit and one deadline.
- Routes for the transfer, not the fare.
The cheapest ticket into Kerala lands at 03:40 and costs you the first day's consultation. The cheapest way into Nicoya is San José and costs you five hours of driving each way. We will show you both and tell you which one we would take.
- Builds in the spare night where the weather demands it.
Paro is a visual-only approach hemmed by five-thousand-metre ridges. Dehradun closes in the winter fog window. Innsbruck diverts to Munich more often than any other alpine airport. On those itineraries we add a night at each end as standard rather than selling it to you as a fix afterwards.
- Books European rail when rail is the right answer.
Paris Montparnasse to Auray for Quiberon. Frankfurt to Baden-Baden. Geneva airport to Montreux, on a platform underneath arrivals. We ticket all three on the same booking as the long-haul, and we will say when the train beats the plane rather than selling you the plane.
- Rebooks you when it goes wrong.
One reference, one phone number, and the group's own ticketing behind it. You are not explaining to a wellness consultant at nine in the morning that your connection has gone.
Every destination
Gateways, routings and transfer times
The airport, how you get to it from the markets we sell to, how long the road is at the other end, and the one thing about each that a brochure will not tell you.
KeralaIndiaCOK
Getting there
Cochin International COK
Kochi — with Trivandrum (TRV) the better gateway for the southern coast
- London & western Europe
One stop through a Gulf hub — Dubai, Doha or Abu Dhabi. There is no direct service from the UK.
13–15 hours door to door - The Gulf
Direct, and frequent. Kerala has the densest Gulf connection of any Indian state.
4 hours - Delhi & Mumbai
Direct, several daily.
3 hours 15 from Delhi - Singapore & Kuala Lumpur
Direct to Kochi.
4–5 hours
- Transfer
- Two to four hours by road depending on the house — Palakkad is inland, the Chowara and Kovalam properties are an hour from Trivandrum. Included in every programme, with a driver we use year-round rather than a hotel taxi.
- Worth knowing
- Fly into Kochi and out of Trivandrum, or the reverse, if the itinerary suits — it is the same fare on most carriers and saves a four-hour repositioning drive. Arrive in daylight if you can: the first evening includes a consultation, and a 3 a.m. landing costs you a day of it.
RishikeshIndiaDED
Getting there
Dehradun (Jolly Grant) DED
Dehradun — 45 minutes from Rishikesh
- London & western Europe
One stop through Delhi or a Gulf hub, then the domestic hop to Dehradun.
14–16 hours door to door - Delhi
Fifteen flights a day, 55 minutes. The road is six hours and not worth it.
55 minutes - The Gulf
Through Delhi. There is no international service into Dehradun.
7–8 hours
- Transfer
- 45 minutes by road from Dehradun to Muni Ki Reti, or an hour to the houses up the valley. Included.
- Worth knowing
- Dehradun is a daylight-only airport in practice — hill weather closes it, and the winter fog window from late December through January cancels flights with little notice. Build a night in Delhi into any itinerary with a tight onward connection, and never plan to fly out on the morning of an international departure.
The Ayurveda coastSri LankaCMB
Getting there
Bandaranaike International CMB
Colombo — with the southern coast 90 minutes down the expressway
- London & western Europe
Direct from London on the national carrier, or one stop via the Gulf from everywhere else.
11 hours direct - The Gulf
Direct, several daily.
4.5 hours - India
Direct from Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.
1–3.5 hours - Singapore & Bangkok
Direct.
3.5–4 hours
- Transfer
- Ninety minutes to two hours to the Bentota and Beruwala coast on the southern expressway; three hours to the hill houses at Kandy. Included.
- Worth knowing
- Most long-haul arrives between 02:00 and 05:00 — an accident of the Gulf wave, not a scheduling choice. Ask us to hold the first night at the property from the previous day so the room is yours on landing; a five-hour wait in a lobby is a poor start to a treatment fortnight and it costs one night to avoid.
BhutanBhutanPBH
Getting there
Paro International PBH
Paro — the only international airport in the country
- Delhi & Kathmandu
Direct on the two Bhutanese carriers, which are the only airlines permitted to serve Paro.
2.5 hours from Delhi - Bangkok & Singapore
Direct from Bangkok; via Kolkata, Delhi or Kathmandu from elsewhere.
4 hours from Bangkok - London & western Europe
Two stops — a Gulf or Asian hub, then Delhi, Kathmandu or Bangkok onto a Bhutanese carrier.
18–22 hours door to door
- Transfer
- An hour from Paro to Thimphu; the Amankora circuit moves between valleys by road, and the Gangtey and Bumthang legs are long mountain drives or a domestic hop.
- Worth knowing
- Paro is one of the most demanding commercial approaches in the world: visual-only, hemmed by 5,000 m ridges, and flown by a small number of specially certified crews. Flights go in the morning and are cancelled or turned back for cloud without much warning. Never connect onward the same day, and hold a spare night at each end of a Bhutan itinerary — we build it in as standard rather than as an upsell.
UbudIndonesiaDPS
Getting there
Ngurah Rai International DPS
Denpasar — Ubud is inland and uphill from it
- Singapore, Kuala Lumpur & Bangkok
Direct, hourly.
2.5–4 hours - Australia
Direct from every east-coast city.
6 hours from Sydney - London & western Europe
One stop through a Gulf or Asian hub.
17–19 hours door to door - India & the Gulf
Direct from Mumbai and Delhi seasonally; otherwise via Singapore or Kuala Lumpur.
7–9 hours
- Transfer
- 90 minutes to two hours to Ubud, and it can be three in the afternoon traffic through Denpasar. Included, and we schedule around the jam rather than pretending it is not there.
- Worth knowing
- Visa on arrival for most passports, payable in the hall, and the queue is long behind a wave of arrivals — the e-VOA applied for beforehand skips it and we send the link. Bali also levies a tourist entry fee, paid online before you land.
Koh SamuiThailandUSM
Getting there
Samui USM
Koh Samui — a privately owned airport on the island itself
- Bangkok
Direct, roughly hourly, on the airline that owns the airport.
1 hour 10 - Singapore, Hong Kong & Kuala Lumpur
Direct.
2–3 hours - London & western Europe
One stop to Bangkok, then the domestic hop. Same-day connections work if the long-haul lands before mid-afternoon.
15–17 hours door to door - India & the Gulf
Via Bangkok, or via Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.
8–11 hours
- Transfer
- 20 to 40 minutes across the island. Included.
- Worth knowing
- Samui is a small private airport and its fares behave accordingly — they do not fall, and the last seats are expensive. The alternative is a flight to Surat Thani and a ferry, which saves a meaningful amount and costs four hours. We will price both and tell you which we would take, which depends entirely on what time your long-haul lands.
BeppuJapanOIT
Getting there
Oita OIT
Oita — with Fukuoka (FUK) the better long-haul gateway, two hours away by train
- Tokyo
Direct to Oita, or the shinkansen to Kokura and the Sonic limited express down.
1h40 flying, 6h by rail - Seoul, Shanghai & Taipei
Direct into Fukuoka, then two hours by rail.
1.5–3 hours flying - London & western Europe
One stop via a Gulf hub or Tokyo Haneda, then the domestic leg.
17–19 hours door to door - India & the Gulf
Via Tokyo, Seoul or Singapore into Fukuoka.
12–15 hours
- Transfer
- 40 minutes from Oita; two hours from Fukuoka by the Sonic limited express, which is a pleasant journey rather than a chore.
- Worth knowing
- A Japan Rail Pass is worth buying before you leave if Beppu is one stop in a longer itinerary and worthless if it is not — it must be bought outside Japan and it does not cover the fastest Nozomi services. We will do the arithmetic against point-to-point tickets and tell you which way it falls.
OkinawaJapanOKA
Getting there
Naha OKA
Naha — on the main island, with the north an hour and a half beyond it
- Tokyo & Osaka
Direct, very frequent — this is a domestic holiday route.
2h30 from Tokyo - Taipei, Seoul & Hong Kong
Direct.
1.5–2.5 hours - London & western Europe
One stop through Tokyo or a Gulf hub, then the domestic leg. Two flights minimum.
18–20 hours door to door - India & the Gulf
Via Tokyo, Seoul or Taipei.
13–16 hours
- Transfer
- 90 minutes up the expressway to the Motobu and Yanbaru houses in the north. A hire car is genuinely the better answer here and we will arrange one.
- Worth knowing
- Okinawa is a domestic Japanese holiday destination first and an international one second, which means Golden Week in early May, Obon in mid-August and the New Year period are full and expensive months out. It also means the fares are good outside them.
Baden-BadenGermanyFKB
Getting there
Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden FKB
Baden-Baden — with Frankfurt (FRA) and Strasbourg (SXB) the practical long-haul gateways
- London & the UK
Direct to Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden on a low-cost carrier, or to Frankfurt and 90 minutes by ICE.
1h45 flying - Continental Europe
The ICE network. Frankfurt 90 minutes, Paris 3 hours on the TGV, Zurich 2 hours.
2–3 hours by rail - India & the Gulf
Direct to Frankfurt, then rail. The best-connected European gateway from the subcontinent.
8–9 hours flying - North America
Direct to Frankfurt from most east-coast hubs.
8 hours
- Transfer
- Fifteen minutes from Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden; 90 minutes by ICE from Frankfurt to Baden-Baden Bahnhof, then ten minutes into town.
- Worth knowing
- This is a destination to reach by train, and we book European rail as readily as flights. Frankfurt to Baden-Baden is 90 minutes city-centre to city-centre with no transfer, no bag drop and no security queue, and it is very often cheaper than the connecting flight it replaces.
Karlovy VaryCzechiaPRG
Getting there
Václav Havel Prague PRG
Prague — Karlovy Vary is two hours west by road
- London & western Europe
Direct to Prague from every major city, hourly from London.
2 hours - The Gulf & India
Direct to Prague from Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi; one stop from India.
6–7 hours from the Gulf - North America
Direct seasonally from New York; otherwise one stop through a European hub.
9 hours - Germany & Austria
Road or rail — Nuremberg is three hours, Vienna four.
3–4 hours
- Transfer
- Two hours by road from Prague on the D6, and we send a car rather than putting you on the bus. The direct rail line is slower than the road and not worth it.
- Worth knowing
- A Czech spa stay of three weeks or more is the classical prescription and it makes the flight a small part of the cost — which is the argument for flying into Prague, taking two nights there, and arriving at the spa rested rather than off a red-eye.
Bad GasteinAustriaSZG
Getting there
Salzburg SZG
Salzburg — 90 minutes north by rail or road
- London & the UK
Direct to Salzburg, heavily seasonal — winter has many more flights than summer.
2 hours - Continental Europe
Munich is two and a half hours by rail and often the better gateway; Vienna is three hours on a direct train.
2.5–3 hours - The Gulf & India
Direct to Munich or Vienna, then rail.
6–8 hours flying - North America
One stop through Munich, Frankfurt or Vienna.
10–12 hours
- Transfer
- 90 minutes from Salzburg. The train comes into Bad Gastein station in the middle of the village and the mountain railway is a beautiful hour and a half.
- Worth knowing
- Take the train from Salzburg or Munich rather than a car. The Tauern line runs into the valley floor, the village is walkable and vertical, and a hire car spends the week in a garage.
QuiberonFranceLRT
Getting there
Lorient Bretagne Sud LRT
Lorient — with Nantes (NTE) and Rennes (RNS) the larger options, and the TGV to Auray the best of all
- Paris
The TGV to Auray in three hours, then twenty-five minutes. Faster than flying once you count the airports.
3h30 door to door - London & the UK
Direct to Nantes or Rennes, then rail; or Eurostar to Paris and the TGV across.
5–7 hours door to door - Continental Europe
Via Paris on the rail network.
5–8 hours - The Gulf & India
Direct to Paris, then the TGV from Montparnasse.
8–9 hours flying
- Transfer
- Twenty-five minutes from Auray station down the peninsula. Forty-five minutes from Lorient airport.
- Worth knowing
- Book the TGV rather than a domestic flight — Paris Montparnasse to Auray is a single train and the peninsula road is a slow, beautiful twenty minutes at the end of it. We ticket European rail on the same booking as the international flight.
MontreuxSwitzerlandGVA
Getting there
Geneva GVA
Geneva — an hour along the lake by train
- London & the UK
Direct to Geneva, very frequent from five UK airports.
1h50 - Continental Europe
Direct to Geneva, or the TGV from Paris in three hours.
1–3 hours - The Gulf & India
Direct to Geneva or Zurich from Dubai, Doha and Delhi.
6–8 hours - North America
Direct to Geneva from New York and Montreal; otherwise via Zurich.
8–9 hours
- Transfer
- An hour from Geneva airport by direct train — the station is under the terminal and the line runs along the water the whole way. We book it with the flight.
- Worth knowing
- Geneva airport has a direct rail platform beneath arrivals and a free transport ticket dispenser before customs. It is one of the few airports in Europe where the train genuinely beats a private transfer, and we will say so rather than sell you a car.
TyrolAustriaINN
Getting there
Innsbruck INN
Innsbruck — the clinics are in the hills immediately above it
- London & the UK
Direct to Innsbruck, heavily weighted to the ski season; Munich is the year-round alternative, two hours by road.
2 hours - Continental Europe
Direct to Innsbruck or Munich, or the rail network through Munich and Zurich.
2–4 hours - The Gulf & India
Direct to Munich or Vienna, then rail or road.
6–8 hours flying - North America
One stop through Munich, Frankfurt, Vienna or Zurich.
10–12 hours
- Transfer
- 20 to 30 minutes up the hill from Innsbruck airport to Lans, Igls and the Hungerburg. Two hours from Munich.
- Worth knowing
- The Innsbruck approach is a valley one and winter weather diverts it to Munich or Salzburg more often than any other alpine airport — the airline buses you on, but it adds three hours. If your programme starts the next morning, fly the day before.
The Nicoya peninsulaCosta RicaLIR
Getting there
Daniel Oduber Quirós, Liberia LIR
Liberia — two to three hours from the Nosara and Santa Teresa coast, and far closer than San José
- North America
Direct to Liberia from a dozen US cities and Toronto — this is the point of the airport.
3–5 hours - London & western Europe
One stop through a US hub, Panama City or Madrid into San José, then a domestic hop or a five-hour drive.
15–18 hours door to door - The Gulf & India
Two stops, almost always through Europe or the US east coast.
24–28 hours
- Transfer
- Two to three hours by road from Liberia — the last thirty minutes is unpaved and slow, and a 4×4 is not a luxury in the green season. Domestic flights to Nosara run daily in season and turn three hours into thirty minutes.
- Worth knowing
- Fly into Liberia, not San José. It is the single most useful piece of advice about this destination: San José adds five hours of driving each way for no gain. If the fare difference is large we will price the domestic connection from San José against it and show you both.
Before you book yourself
Four airports where the wrong flight costs you a day
Visual approach only, flown by a small number of certified crews, and turned back for cloud without much warning. Morning departures only. Never connect onward the same day.
Most long-haul lands between two and five in the morning, an accident of the Gulf wave. Hold the room from the previous night — it costs one night and saves five hours in a lobby before a treatment fortnight.
Not San José. Flying into the capital adds five hours of driving each way to the Nicoya coast for no gain whatsoever, and people do it constantly.
Daylight-only in practice, and the winter fog window from late December cancels flights at short notice. Build a Delhi night into anything with a tight international connection at the far end.
One booking
Flights, transfers, the programme and the days either side
Tell us where you are flying from and roughly when. We will come back with the programme quote and the air on the same page, itemised, so you can take either half and leave the other.
Get a quote with flightsflights@healandrest.com+91 93157 23375