Top 50 2024 - London - Janaway Travel

Janaway Travel might have been established in 1960, but its location in the heart of multicultural Camden Town means this supremely experienced travel agency has customers spanning all ages, nationalities and demographics.

Run by the “three Js” (owner John Warrington, plus colleagues Jane and Joanne), the team boast 110 years of expertise between them, and they travel overseas regularly to expand their product knowledge and enable them to make personal recommendations. Their experiences are shared in detailed blog posts on the website and in displays of their personal photos in the shop window, both of which bring in new customers. The three Js often draw upon their strong industry connections to organise extra touches such as flowers or bottles of fizz for clients in their hotel, and enjoy going above and beyond on special bookings, including organising no fewer than seven different birthday cakes for the daughter of a family staying in a luxury villa in Dubai last year. Clients can also take advantage of expert hand-holding with visas and submitting advance passenger information stand practice, and it’s not unusual for John or Jane to set an alarm for 3am to do online check-in in the middle of the night on behalf of a customer.

The team strive to book more sustainable hotels where they can, and are passionate about the benefits of rail travel, frequently booking Eurostar travel from St Pancras International just down the road. Janaway’s ethos of providing the same advice and care whether it’s a £130,000 luxury holiday or a bargain coach ticket has served the agency very well, with sales in 2023 smashing pre-pandemic turnover. And with lots of new customers discovering Janaway’s expertise for the first time this year, this 64-year-old business looks set for many more years of success to come.

janawaytravel.com