| What do you mean by Tour Hosts and "escorted" tour? |
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| Our Tour Hosts travel with you to make sure that your tour experience meets and, hopefully, exceeds your expectations. As it is not practical to send someone from our office on every tour, the Tour Host acts as the Rostad Tours' representative. This means helping with airport check-in, working with local guides, taking care of all the tipping during the tour and dealing with any problems that may occur. |
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| Will there be a guide? |
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| There are always professional local guides to look after the sightseeing aspects of the tour. Together with the Tour Hosts, they will see to it that you have an educational and worry-free vacation. |
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| Do I have to depart from the same city as the Tour Host? |
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| Not at all. We can arrange for you to fly from almost any major airport although the price varies from city to city. Be sure to let us know where you would like your travel to originate when you make your deposit. |
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| When and where do I meet the Tour Host? |
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| The Tour Host will usually have one or more meetings before the trip so people have a chance to meet fellow travellers and ask any questions. If not from your area, you will meet the Tour Host at the first common connection city. (eg. If you depart from Winnipeg and the host is from Ottawa you would likely meet in Toronto). |
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| How large are your groups? |
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| Our average group size is just under twenty-five passengers. Almost all of our clients have indicated that they prefer to travel in a smaller group and we base our tour prices accordingly. It may mean that our tours are slightly more expensive, but your added enjoyment of the tour is easily worth the added cost. |
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| How old (young) are the passengers on your tours? |
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| While we have had the pleasure of serving people whose ages ranged from seven to ninety two, the majority of our passengers are between fifty and seventy years young. |
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| What do you mean by all-inclusive? |
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| In most cases our tours include return airfare (add-ons available from all departure cities), accommodation in comfortable hotels, breakfast and dinner, sightseeing tours including entrance fees, professional tour guides, all tips, all foreign taxes, visas (for Canadian passport holders) if required, baggage handling, a travel gift, tour documentation and travel information. |
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| What is not included? |
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| Insurance, meals not shown on the brochure, Airport Improvement Fees in Canada, airline fuel surcharges, beverages and personal items such as phone calls, laundry and room service. |
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| How much spending money will I have to take? |
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| This will depend on a variety of details such as length of tour, countries you are visiting, number of meals not included, your appetite, and your passion for shopping. As a guideline, figure on $25.00 per day plus your souvenir budget. |
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| What if I need to cancel? |
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| Your deposit is completely refundable until the final payment date on almost all tours and cruises. If you decide to cancel prior to this date, you only need to call or write our office and we will send back your entire deposit. If you cancel after the final payment date, we will refund all the money you have paid less the applicable cancellation charge as shown on the tour brochure. We recommend that you purchase insurance at the time you make your final payment so you can be reimbursed for any cancellation penalties. |
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| Should I have insurance? |
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| We recommend that you make sure you have adequate insurance coverage in case of cancellation, unexpected medical expenses, and loss of or damage to your personal belongings. We offer a very competitive all-inclusive policy which you can purchase at the time of your final payment. |
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| What if I do not have a travelling companion? |
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| No problem. If you would like to have a room to yourself you can pay the single supplement. If you would like us to find a roommate, you should join the tour as soon as possible to give us time to find a suitable companion. On most tours, as long as you join the tour more than ninety days prior to departure, if we are unable to find a roommate you will only be charged one-half the single supplement. |
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| Can I extend my tour? |
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| Yes, we can make special arrangements before or after the tour provided we receive the details in writing at least ninety days before departure. There is no charge to make your first change except for any changes to airfare and taxes provided you request it at least ninety days before departure. |
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| When will I receive my travel documents? |
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| Your tour information packet will be forwarded approximately one month before departure. This will include a hotel list, a flight itinerary, a list of passengers, details on the type of money to take and the weather you are likely to experience while on tour. |
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| How much luggage am I allowed? |
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| You are allowed one suitcase and the total dimensions (length + width + height) should not exceed 60" and the weight should not exceed 23kg (50 lbs). Charter airlines and certain domestic flights often impose surcharges for suitcases that weigh over 20kg (44 lbs). You are responsible for your hand luggage at all times, so it is wise to keep the weight and number of pieces to a minimum. Airline regulations limit you to a flight bag or equivalent that does not exceed 9"x16"x22" plus one of the following items not exceeding 4.5"wide: a briefcase, purse or camera bag. |
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| Do all the tours have a religious overtone? |
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| Not really. Obviously, a tour to the Holy Land gives passengers the opportunity to better understand their Christian roots and learn more about the Jewish and Muslim faiths. Some of our tours to Europe explore the beginnings of the Reformation and/or visit sites relevant to Catholicism. However, the main purpose of all our tours is to give passengers the chance to visit new places and learn more about the local people and their customs. |
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