Pebbles & Sands

Pebbles & Sands, bespoke travel agency in the United Kingdom

Pebbles & Sands is a British travel agency operating as a Hays Travel franchise and presents itself as specialising in the design of bespoke holidays and personalised travel experiences. The company is ABTA registered and sells travel services on behalf of Hays Travel Limited, relying on the latter's ABTA membership with number L3832.

In addition to itineraries built from scratch, the agency also assists those who have already found a package holiday online and wish to book it with professional support.

Origins: from Nice to Manchester

The founder's journey dates back to 2006, when she moved to Nice (France) to grow a small boutique travel company she had co-founded a year earlier. That firm, Nice Pebbles, focused on holiday accommodation in Nice and the French Riviera and went on to host tens of thousands of guests, as well as being recommended in travel guides and winning awards. After nearly two decades, and for reasons linked to Brexit and family, the founder returned to the United Kingdom and handed over Nice Pebbles to long-serving employees in France.

The creation of Pebbles & Sands is presented as a natural evolution: former Nice Pebbles clients, now retired, were looking for more distant destinations and wanted a service similar to the one they had known. The company thus presents itself as continuing that approach of personalised attention.

Services and way of working

The agency describes a method based on active listening: understanding the client's travel style, preferences and budget before proposing anything. From there it creates tailored itineraries, from city breaks to peaceful beach stays, including hiking or ski trips.

• Design of bespoke holidays and personalised itineraries.
• Management of package holidays already chosen by the client.
• Price matching: the company states that it tries to improve on the offer found by the client or, if that is not possible, to match it.
• Advice based on Hays Travel's network of resources.
• Support after booking, until the trip's return.

Geographical specialisation

The company declares in-depth knowledge of Nice and its surroundings on the French Riviera, gained from almost a decade of living in the area and twenty years of hosting guests. For other destinations, it relies on Hays Travel's resources and its own network of contacts.

The founder, who lives in the Manchester area and has two teenage children, notes that her own family holidays tend to be concentrated between October and April to escape the British weather, and mentions the United Arab Emirates, the United States and the Canary Islands as regular destinations. The agency offers to plan getaways outside the summer season.

Structure and financial protection

Pebbles & Sands Ltd operates as a franchise of Hays Travel, the owner and manager of the franchise. Hays Travel Limited is registered in England and Wales with company number 1990682 and VAT number 193167195, and its registered office is at Gilbridge House, Keel Square, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear SR1 3HA.

Editorial content of the site

The agency's website is organised around several sections: a personal introduction page, a travel journal with impressions and recommendations, a travel ideas section with itineraries and tips, a page on reasons to book with the company and a contact form. It also includes a downloadable brochure of its best tours and references to some of its trade partners.

Location and contact

Phone: 0161 738 1283 · Email: hello@pebblesandsands.com