I haven't got any experience of it but I do know that on the news last night they said that Thomas Cook are closing a lot of their shops as they are struggling, so I would maybe steer clear of there as a lot of companies who get in trouble stop accepting vouchers whether someone has paid for them or not xxx

Ria, Thomasc00k have closed some shops etc yes but they are not struggling financially. They are streamlining their business and are in a fine position financially.

Aww, thank you ladies, that's good to know x I'll have a look at some destinations and maybe take it from there x

Here's some information on protections that a reputable travel firm will have to protect you:

Good travel agents and tour operators will give you security through:
- an Air Travel Organisers Licence (ATOL)
- membership with an approved body such as ABTA; the Association of Bonded Travel Organisers Trust (ABTOT); the Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO); Bonded Coach Holidays (BCH); or the Federation of Tour Operators (FTO)
- a suitable insurance policy
- a protection scheme or trust fund for any payments you make in advance.

Many of the travel arrangements provided by these kinds of companies are protected in case of the financial failure of the travel company. You should, however, always ask your travel company if financial protection applies to your travel arrangements. If it doesn’t, the company may be able to offer suitable insurance to cover you.

If you have booked a ‘package’ holiday (usually a combination of transport and accommodation) in the UK then you will be protected by the Package Travel Regulations, which give consumers special protection where things go wrong or circumstances change in the period after the booking has been made.