An American Discovers Europe: Travels and Adventures of an Expatriate

Optional Excursions Optional excursions are payable in cash currency to your tour leader whilst on tour.

Save - without compromising on quality - by booking directly with the leading tour operator How we make awesome trips affordable No intermediary: You book directly from the tour operator so you don't have to pay any travel agent. As a Europe leading bus tour operator we have 11 years of experience finding the best hotels for your budget and continuously optimizing our selection based on customer feedback. We book our hotels well in advance so we get great value rates that we can pass on to you! Thanks to the great number of people who travel with us each year, we can negotiate great deals that would be quite impossible for you to find on your own.

On tour costs Please refer to the tour itinerary for full details of what activities are included, which meals are included and what is excluded. Room Sharing Please note, by default all rooms are twin bed rooms. When you book for more than one person, we will by default group you together in a room unless you specifically request us not to. If you are unequal numbers 3, 5, 7 etc. If you are travelling alone there is no compulsory charge - you will share a twin room with another passenger of the same gender.

This can be added at the time of booking or by contacting our customer services team. Please note that the room provided may be a single room with a single bed. We can generally provide a triple room on request; however it is not guaranteed to be available in every destination. Please contact our customer services team to request a triple room.

Please note that in some hotels, the triple may be a double and a single bed, or the third bed may be a pull-out or bunk-bed. Where we cannot provide a triple room the rooming will consist of one twin room and the third passenger sharing with another single traveller of the same gender. Free-time In some destinations you will have a full free day, where you can choose to join our optional excursions or explore on your own. Meeting Point Your tour starts and finishes in London. Passport This should be valid for at least six months after you have returned home from your trip.

Other Tours 10 Days. Our tours are not suitable for young children, so we set a minimum age limit of 10 years old. However, at the discretion of Expat Explore we may consider younger children on certain tours if they meet certain criteria and a request is received in writing via email for consideration. Expat Explore reserves the absolute right to accept or decline a booking at our discretion. Are international flights included in the tour price? No, you will need to make your own arrangements to get to the meeting destination for the first day of your tour.

Make sure you keep departure times and possible delays in mind when booking flights. Please click here to visit Skyscanner - a useful tool for comparing prices from the vast majority of airlines. Are transfers included in the tour price? No, you will need to make your own arrangements to get to the meeting point for the first day of your tour. Please see the meeting point information for details on how to reach the meeting point, and for booking a transfer through Expat Explore. Can I access wi-fi on the tour? All of the hotels on this tour offer Wi-Fi, which is available free of charge as part of your Expat Explore tour.

In certain hotels this will be available in the hotel lobby only, while in others you will be able to get access in your room. The coaches do not have Wi-Fi on board.

If you intend to buy a local sim card to use while you are in Europe, please check with your service provider if your phone will work abroad. You can start and leave the tour at any point along the itinerary. For example, on a Europe multi-country tour, if you require a visa to visit London, you may wish to start at the first destination in mainland Europe Paris or Amsterdam and leave at the final destination Amsterdam or Paris so that you skip the UK and only need to apply for a Schengen visa.

It is important to tell us when booking, or as soon as possible after, if you intend to do this so we can send you the relevant meeting point information. Can you cater for my dietary requirements? Before the tour starts, you will receive an email from us requesting your dietary requirements. There is always a vegetarian option, which is a meal without meat. We try as much as we can to offer you the traditional local cuisine. Can you provide a triple room? Please note that in some hotels, the triple room may consist of a double bed and a single bed, or a double bed and a pull-out or bunk-bed.

Can you send me a quote? The price shown on the website for your departure date on the day you book is the price you will pay. If you would like to make a group booking for 10 or more people please contact us. Can you tell me the name of the hotels I will be staying in? On the tour page we have listed the hotels that we mainly use for our tours on our website, but this is not a definitive list. A full list of confirmed accommodation names and addresses for your particular departure will be emailed to you around 1 week before the tour starts.

If you are not starting the tour at the designated start point, and are instead joining later on in the route, please email us to confirm the details of the hotel where you should meet the tour. Do I get allocated a seat on the coach? Your tour leader will implement a seat rotation policy, so that everyone on board the coach gets the chance to have a different view from their seats each day. If you have any medical conditions that may be affected by where you sit, please discuss them with your Tour Leader, but note that the seat rotation policy will most likely mean that your request may not be honoured.

Do I need a visa to travel on this tour? Please see our visas page and your pre-departure information for more information. Do I need to change money before the tour?

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Please make sure you bring with you for the start of the tour the local currency ies you will need for at least the first three days, as there may not be an opportunity to change currency at the very beginning of the tour. You should budget for any optional excursions you wish to do in this period see 'Optional Excursions' tab above, these are paid in cash on tour unless stated otherwise and non-included meals.

Please refer to your pre-departure information for more information on the currencies you will require for your particular itinerary. No, we do not have these facilities. For security reasons, you will be required to keep your belongings with you at all times. Please bear this in mind when you are deciding what to bring. How can I get the documents I need to apply for my visa? Expat Explore can provide travellers requiring visas with visa support documents on a request basis.

Please note that you are required to pay for your tour in full in order to receive the documents. Once you have received confirmation that your booking has been paid in full, you can request your visa support documents by emailing info expatexplore. You can book online through our website or call our customer service team to make a booking over the phone. How many other people will be on my tour? It depends on how many other people book! There could be up to 51 other passengers, so you will have the opportunity to make lots of friends! How much luggage can I bring?

Due to weight and space limitations, you are allowed to bring one main piece of luggage weighing no more than 20kg, and one small soft bag for hand luggage. On all tours, you will have to carry your own luggage e. Please bear this in mind when you are deciding what to pack. How much spending money do I need for my holiday? This is up to you, of course, and will vary depending on how much wish to spend on snacks, drinks, souvenirs etc.

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We do not include entrance fees to attractions and museums. We do, however, provide you with free time to see everything you want, and our tour leaders will have all the information on pricing and locations so you can manage your own budget. Please refer to your tours specific pre-departure information and optional excursions guide for further details. How much time will be spent on the coach?

Many of the countries are vast and varied, and there will be some long driving days on your tour. This gives you the opportunity to enjoy watching the changing countryside as it rolls past your window, to share music with your fellow travellers, watch a few movies or get involved in some of the games and quizzes hosted by your tour leader.

Where possible, we have also included stops at points of interest. How much walking is involved in your tours? We believe the best way to get to the heart and soul of a city is on foot, surrounded by the people and the culture. For this reason, we do walking tours through most of the cities we visit. Many of the cities you visit are vast and old, often with steps and cobblestones. Our walking tours can last up to 3 hours with plenty of opportunities to take photographs and soak up the history of these fascinating places, but you do require a certain level of fitness to enjoy your tour to its fullest.

Is Europe a safe place to travel to? Europe has a low rate of crime and corruption, and travelling here is generally considered safe and hassle free. Your tour leader will be on hand to offer local advice on each area you visit. Is my deposit refundable? Your deposit payment secures your place s on the tour and the price you pay. Your deposit paid at the time of booking is non-refundable. Our full Terms and Conditions can be viewed online. Is travel insurance compulsory? Yes, and you are responsible for arranging your own insurance. Passengers and their personal property travel with Expat Explore solely at their own risk.

A suitable insurance policy should provide adequate cover for medical expenses arising through illness or accident prior to or during the holiday, and loss of holiday monies through cancellation or curtailment of the holiday or other insurable reasons. Clients should ensure that there are no exclusion clauses limiting protection for the type of activities in their tour.

It may be advisable to wear a money belt to store money, credit cards and passport. For a relatively small price, travel insurance provides you with the peace of mind so that you can enjoy your tour without any worries. To receive a quote from one of our preferred travel insurance partners, please visit WorldNomads for all nationalities or Hollard for South Africans.

Should I tip the tour leader and driver, and if so, how much?

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Whilst we fully understand that some nationalities are not accustomed to tipping, this is a normal part of culture in the places you will visit. Tipping has become an increasingly accepted practice in all areas of the service industry, but particularly in restaurants, bars and taxis worldwide.

If you take a walking tour with a local guide, tipping these guides at the end of walking tours and excursions is always appreciated, but not expected. Expat Explore crew members will transform your trip experience from good to exceptional, and where this is the case a tip even a modest one! It is sometimes easy to forget that they work hard to ensure that you have your once in a lifetime experience. If you feel that your Expat Explore crew have done a good job, and you would like to tip them, this would be highly appreciated.

Tipping is entirely voluntary and the above rate is offered as a suggested guide only. The tour I want is unavailable, what does this mean?

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If a tour is displaying as fully booked, then unfortunately at this point in time we do not have any available seats. However, we can sometimes add extra places, and we do occasionally receive cancellations, so if you cannot find an alternative tour or departure date, please contact our customer service team. What happens if I forget or lose my passport? Unfortunately, you will be unable to continue the tour and you should make contact with your closest embassy immediately to replace the passport. Your passport is an essential travel document, and should be kept safe at all times. What happens if I miss the coach during the tour?

You will have to make your own way to the next destination at your own expense. Please ensure you are on time for all departures to avoid being left behind. What happens if my visa gets rejected? Please allow sufficient time to complete the visa process at least 4 weeks. Should your visa application be unsuccessful, you will be able to change or cancel your tour, but standard terms and conditions and therefore fees will apply. This service provides protection against the denial of these two visas which means that if your visa application is rejected, you will receive some of your tour money back.

For more information please click here. What is included in the tour price? The tour price includes accommodation for the duration of the tour, transport by private coach, breakfasts and dinner as per your itinerary, ferry crossings where applicable , and guided walking tours and excursions as per your itinerary. On top of this, you will have a tour leader to assist you along the way with great tips and handy advice! What is the average age of your groups? We have a very wide range of ages on our tours, and do not restrict our passengers to certain age groups or limits.

A positive attitude and an open mind are more important than a number! What kind of accommodation do you use on your tours? We have searched and invested in excellent accommodation options, either located in cities or well placed with public transport connections. Clean linen is always included, so you do not need to bring a sleeping bag. The first official tour was held over Easter weekend in March Back then the National Express was used as primary transport medium.

After a packed weekend itinerary, they caught an overnight bus back to London to arrive bright and early on Monday morning - just in time for a shower and breakfast before getting back to work! From the very start Jakes and Carl knew that the secret of successful tours lies in knowing and understanding the passengers and their needs.

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In total, 12 Paris weekend tours departed in that year, as well as four Amsterdam weekend tours. By the end of that year, travellers had travelled with Expat Explore. September - First long Europe tour departs The first long Europe tour predecessor to the current Europe Explorer tour was a day tour that departed in September with 36 explorers in tow.

It was an experiment that included places Carl and Jakes had discovered over the past three years. July - First day Europe Escape tour departs The first day tour called Europe Escape departed on 22 July with 26 guests aboard. Up until this point, Expat Explore coaches were generically branded by a European coach line supplier.

For the first time Expat Explore tours were visible on the road and caught the attention of potential customers. From onwards, this resulted in a dramatic increase in the amount of Expat Explore tours on the road. The first regional tour was the 8 day Taste of Italy tour that departed in May with 23 passengers.

The itinerary included wonderful destinations like Rome, Lake Garda and Tuscany and continues to do so to this day. Keeping non-refundable flights and set leave dates from work in mind, they wanted to make sure that no one ever had to face the disappointment of a cancelled tour. Following this decision tours always departed as promised - even if just one person booked a seat! Very soon passengers started to see the value of our promise and guaranteed departures became an integral part of how we operate.

Since then every single Expat Explore tour has departed as planned. In the summer of a hotel in the Jungfrau Region of Switzerland came up for sale. Frequent travellers to Wilderswil and surrounds, Carl and his partner Ryan fell in love with the beauty of the Alps and purchased the hotel. Today Expat Explore welcomes over 15 passengers per annum.

We have 31 tour leaders on the road, leading passengers to over 35 countries on more than 50 different tour itineraries. Contact us Speak to a specialist. Thank you for likes! Expat Explore designs guided tours to Europe, U. K, Turkey or Greece at budget prices. Find out why the tours we offer are the most affordable and hassle-free way to travel. Expat Explore Travel was started by friends who share a passion for exploring. Expat Explore Travel offers the most affordable and hassle-free way to experience Europe, Turkey, Greece and beyond.

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