Travel Tips
To make the most of the time you spend overseas, it is important to be prepared about what to expect upon arrival. Travel & Company has gathered together the most vital information about your tour and listed it below.
Hotels
Travel & Company uses three- and four-star centrally-located hotels. We place a priority on booking hotels in good locations and safe areas, with convenient access to both local attractions and public transportation.
Rooming
T&C groups stay in three- and four-star centrally located hotels. We place a priority on booking hotels in good locations and safe areas, with convenient access to both local attractions and public transportation. Adults are assigned double rooms, unless otherwise specified during registration.
A Travel & Company bus group is typically made up of two, three, or four groups from around the U.S. who quickly get to know each other and feel part of one overall group.
Check-in time at most hotels is early to mid-afternoon. If you arrive overseas early in the morning, you likely have time to change money and do some exploring before you check in.
Meals
You will enjoy a variety of meals en route, mixing both native and familiar cuisines depending on your area of travel. Sample everything you can—experiencing new and different things is part of what travel is all about!
Most days you will be served a continental breakfast that includes a variety of fresh rolls, cereal, pastry, butter and jam, coffee, tea, or hot chocolate. In Australia and China, you will be served an American-style hot buffet breakfast. On trips to the Americas you may be served the traditional rice and beans. In some hotels in Britain, eggs or other items may be included. In Europe, the larger hotels sometimes serve eggs and other American-style breakfast items for an extra charge.
On most Travel & Company trips, you will enjoy lunch on your own. Be adventurous and experiment. Many travelers do what the locals do; instead of having an expensive restaurant meal, they buy fresh ingredients at a local market, then put together a sandwich and have a picnic lunch in a city park.
On most tours, beverages at dinner are not included. They are included on tours to China, Costa Rica, Peru, and occasionally other destinations. Sometimes your waiter may put soda or mineral water down on the table without being asked. Be aware that you will be charged for any beverages you consume, except at select meals that include wine and alternative beverages. You do not need to tip waiters at any meal provided by Travel & Company.
Although Travel & Company will try to accomodate special-needs meals including kosher, vegetarian and low salt, we cannot guarantee all requests.
On most trips, you will enjoy lunch on your own. Be adventurous and experiment. Many travelers do what the locals do: instead of having an expensive restaurant meal, they buy fresh ingredients at a local market, then put together a sandwich and have a picnic lunch in a city park.
Who Travels With You
Travel & Company groups average anywhere from 25 to 45 participants traveling together on a bus, led by a Travel & Company Tour Manager. Small groups are often combined to create one bus group. This is the group with whom you share your travel experience. You eat your included meals together, stay in the same accommodations, and travel together on the bus.
Emergencies
In a crisis situation, your group leader is the one most immediately responsible for obtaining help. Your group leader works with and is supported by your tour manager. Remember that you must reimburse your group leader and tour manager for any expenses undertaken on your behalf—for phone calls or taxi fare to replace a lost passport, for example, or for medical attention.
Travel & Company Offices
Travel & Company's head office is in Boston, with regional offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston and Sacramento. Our European headquarters is in London, and we also have an office in Paris. Our affiliated offices cover all of Europe, the Western hemisphere and the Pacific. Wherever you travel, you will never be far from ACIS administrative support.
Daily Bulletin
A daily bulletin is posted by your tour manager in each city, usually in the hotel lobby. It is your information pipeline, especially if schedules should change. Consult it regularly!
Punctuality
As a member of a large group, your punctuality is important. Coming down five minutes late in the morning can force your group leader or tour manager to go looking for you, and this can throw off the day's schedule for everybody. Bring a reliable watch and alarm clock. Don't count on morning wake-up call service.
Keeping in Touch
MAIL
If you're on a one-week trip, you probably won't have time to get mail from home, and postcards you send from Europe will probably arrive home after you do! When mailing something, make sure 'U.S.A.' is a part of the address.
PHONE CALLS & PHONECARDS
Calling home from overseas can be expensive. The best way to call is with the T&C/ACIS eKit Global Phonecard. By using the eKit card, you will save up to 70% on international and U.S. long distance calls compared to pay phones and hotel phones.* Simply charge up your eKit card with the credit card of your choice (Visa, MasterCard or American Express) as soon as you receive it, and start using it right away! As well as cheap calls home, the T&C./ACIS eKit Global Phonecard offers you FREE Email, FREE Voice Messages,** a FREE Secure Online Travel Vault that allows you to securely store details of your travel documents, plus the ability to listen to email over the phone and much more!
You can use your T&C/ACIS eKit Global Phonecard before, during, and after your tour, so the sooner you sign up, the sooner you can begin saving. Get started at: www.acis.ekit.com.
* Service unavailable in Costa Rica, Cuba, Egypt, Guadeloupe & Africa.
** Fees apply to voice message retrieval only.
Emergency Contact List
Your group leader will designate a primary contact for your group, whose full contact information will be provided to Trvel & Company. In the event of an emergency, T&C will contact this person, who will then be responsible for contacting all of the group members' families.
Emergency Phone Number
T&C maintains a 24-hour emergency number. Please contact your group leader or tour manager about any emergencies or issues you encounter. If necessary, the tour manager will contact T&C for assistance, to start the Emergency Contact List, or contact a family member.
Alternate Departures & Returns
In some cases, one or more group members may depart from a different U.S. city from the main group. Such participants pay a $150 fee plus the applicable program fee for that city, and cannot be guaranteed the same air routings as the main group. Such travelers are provided with an allowance for ground transportation to and from their arrival and departure airports overseas. Neither Travel & Company nor the group leader supervising the group is responsible for those 'subgroups' until they meet up with the supervising group leader at the first hotel. If such individuals wish to fly internationally with the main group, they must arrange their own transportation to and from the main group's airport. All alternate return requests must be received by T&C in writing 90 days prior to departure.
Returning Through U.S. Customs
When you return to the U.S., you generally go through U.S. Customs at the first airport at which you land, whether or not it is your final U.S. destination. If you have a connecting flight, re-check your luggage after you have passed through customs.
You are allowed to bring back $800 worth of articles purchased outside the country. If you exceed this limit, you are liable for duty payments, often about 10 percent of the value.
Many U.S. travelers take advantage of ship-home services offered by major stores overseas.
Included in the $800 allowance is one liter of alcoholic beverages provided that the traveler is 21 or older. No one under 21 may bring back any alcoholic beverages.