Ask us about the trip you are considering.
We are happy to answer any questions that you may have about our trips. Below you'll find the answers to some of the most popular questions that we receive. If you don't find the information you are looking for here, please don't hesitate to call us at 1-800-200-3887 or email us and one of our friendly and knowledgeable Guest Services Coordinators will be happy to assist you.
• I'm a single traveler. Will I feel comfortable?
• Can you create a custom journey for me?
• Does Classic Journeys offer any discounts?
• What if I don't want to participate in a scheduled walk or visit?
• How do I get to and from the trip?
• What is the best way to book airfare for my trip?
• Will my rooms have a private bath?
• I am vegetarian or have dietary restrictions. Can you accommodate this?
• How do you ensure the quality of your trips?
• What does Classic Journeys do to support responsible travel?
• I'm ready to make a reservation. What do I do next?
• Can I purchase a Classic Journeys gift certificate?
• Where can I find your terms and conditions?
• How can I purchase insurance for my trip?
Q: I’m a single traveler.
Will I feel comfortable?
A: Over a third of our guests travel on their own, so you'll fit right in. In your small group (just 10 guests on average and no more than 18), we typically have a mix of solo travelers, couples, and friends or family members traveling together. If you are like many of our guests traveling solo and prefer a room to yourself, you’ll find our single supplements are among the lowest in the industry. Learn more about how we cater to solo travelers.
Q: Can you create a custom journey for me?
A: Want to arrange a private tour for your family, friends or business or alumni
organization? We'll be glad to help—by creating a special edition of a tour you see on our website, or a totally unique itinerary based on the destinations and activities you want to include. Please call us at 800-200-3887 or email us with your wish list and let us help
you plan an unforgettable vacation.
Q: Does
Classic Journeys offer any discounts?
A: Like you, we like to travel well, but wisely. The Classic Journeys philosophy is to include fine amenities and exceptional services in every tour—at prices that compare to your advantage with those of other highly regarded tour companies that you may consider. In addition, we also like to reward guests who refer a friend or who arrange for a small group of friends to join us.
Please click here for more information on rewards for referring a friend.
Please click here for more information on a discount for your group
of friends.
Q: What if I don’t want to participate in a scheduled
walk or visit?
A: Our guides will offer you a range of options so
you can put your own spin on our pre-planned activities.
Just choose any variations that appeal to you. You may want
to linger longer over the frescoes in Assisi, while others
walk through the Umbrian countryside. We like to scout out
walks that can be abbreviated or stretched to your personal
taste. On most trips our minivans are nearby to offer a
lift. Our creative guides may also arrange other transportation,
like a fishing boat, a cable car or even a camel.
Q: How do I
get to and from the trip?
A: When you reserve space, we’ll send you a
confirmation package including detailed information on how
to get to and from the starting and ending points of the
trip. If you’d like our help with any of your travel
arrangements, our Travel Desk is expert at making your travels
carefree.
Q: What is the best way to book airfare for my trip?
A: Based on feedback from our guests and our own travel experiences, we've found the following online search engines to be very helpful for investigating and ticketing airfare to and from each of our trips. Each company has a toll-free number that you can call to speak with a real person if you prefer to do that rather than going on-line via your computer. Representatives are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• Expedia: www.Expedia.com, 1-800-397-3342 or 1-404-728-8787
• Orbitz: www.Orbitz.com, 1-888-656-4546 or 1-312-416-0018
• Travelocity: www.travelocity.com, 1-888-872-8356
Q: Will my
rooms have a private bath?
A: Yes. All hotels on all Classic Journeys have private
bathrooms.
Q: I am vegetarian or have dietary restrictions. Can you handle this?
A: Yes! An important minority of our guests are vegetarians, for example. Prior to any trip, we’ll send you a detailed pre-trip questionnaire. This is designed to provide us information on your expectations and any special requests or requirements you may have. In that pre-trip questionnaire, we ask you to advise us if you have any dietary restrictions, limitations or preferences. We’ll ask you to be as specific in that as possible. (For example, if you are vegetarian, let us know if that means you do not eat meat and poultry but you do eat fish, only legumes, etc.) We then pass that information along to our guides and restaurants so that you do not have to worry about it during the trip.
If you have specific concerns or questions, please call us at 1-800-200-3887 or email us at moreinfo@classicjourneys.com. We can accommodate most dietary requests, so please do not hesitate to let us know so that we can make your trip exceptional.
Q: How do you
ensure the quality of your trips?
A: As a tour operator, we research and develop our
own trips. We hire expert local guides who are well-connected
in their regions. They help create our tours so they have
a personal interest in your satisfaction. We encourage guides
to react to your interests and to unexpected events (like
a one-day festival or an invitation into a home) to make
your trip unique. Finally, we ask for and pay careful attention
to comments from our guests. We use input from previous
travelers to make sure your Classic Journey meets—and
exceeds—your expectations.
Q: What does
Classic Journeys do to support responsible travel?
A: We recognize that tourism can provide income to
local people, conserve the environment, and promote understanding
of other cultures. We are proud members of The Adventure
Travel Trade Association, The Ecotourism Society, the Better Business Bureau, IATA and ASTA's Tour Operator Program. Condé Nast Traveler singled out The Adventure Travel Trade Association
for its screening of member tour companies. And National
Geographic Traveler has complimented The Ecotourism Society
for setting standards by which consumers can judge tour
operators.
Q: I'm
ready to make a reservation. What do I do next?
A:
When you have decided that you'd like to join us on one
of our cultural walking adventures, culinary tours or family
journeys its easy to make your reservation. Simply call
us or fill out our on-line
reservation form. We'll ask you for a few quick
pieces of information and a deposit of $300 per person per
tour. Reserve your space in any of the following ways:
1) Call us toll-free: 1-800-200-3887
2) Web site: Complete the on-line
reservation form
3) Fax: 1-858-454-5770
4) Mail: Classic Journeys, 7855 Ivanhoe Avenue Suite 220, La Jolla, CA 92037
We accept personal checks or credit cards, including Visa,
MasterCard and American Express. Please make checks
payable to Classic Journeys.
Q: Can
I purchase a Classic Journeys gift certificate?
A: A Classic Journeys' tour is
the perfect gift for your favorite traveler. Gift certificates
are available in any amount and can be applied by the recipient
toward any Classic Journeys' vacation, pending availability.
Please click here for more
information on how to purchase a Classic Journeys gift certificate.
Q: Where
can I find your terms and conditions?
A:
You can review our terms and conditions on page 42 of our main catalog or by visiting
our Terms and Conditions
on-line. For terms and conditions unique to our private
and custom tours, please click here.
Q: How
can I purchase insurance for my trip?
A:
Travel insurance helps you plan that vacation you really need right now with one less worry. We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance from Travel Guard International. A great new benefit offered by Travel Guard is called "cancel for any work-related reason". And when you reserve your tour by January 31, 2009, Classic Journeys will even pay to add this coverage that protects you if you are required to cancel for any work-related reason. This added coverage comes with our compliments to add to your peace of mind as you make long-range travel plans. You simply select the "work-related" option when you purchase your policy, then email, fax or mail a copy of your policy to Classic Journeys. We'll deduct the cost of the work-related supplement from your tour price so that you pay only the normal trip insurance premium.
As America's leading travel insurance company, Travel Guard protects more than 6 million travelers each year. The fastest and easiest way to purchase your insurance is to click the Travel Guard link after you complete your Classic Journeys' reservation. Travel Guard will send you an insurance certificate. If you prefer to wait for your deposit confirmation package from us, we'll include with it Travel Guard's insurance application. Please keep in mind that the cancel for any work-related reason coverage and some other benefits are available to you only if you take out the insurance within 15 days of making your reservation with us.
*
For guests who live in Washington state or Oregon, TravelGuard
must be purchased within 7 days to receive these additional
benefits.