Tour Information
Practical information to help you plan and prepare for our scheduled, small-group tours.
Essential Features of Our Small Group Tours
Our Small Group Tours blend the intimacy of private tours with the camaraderie of group travel. With our small group sizes, you’ll never feel lost in the crowd, and our carefully crafted themes offer a deeper exploration without the impersonal feel of large bus tours.
Usually running from Saturday to Saturday, our tours are designed with easy travel logistics, especially for North American guests. Led by an experienced Tour Leader, we manage every detail from historical insights to site coordination, meals, and hotel logistics. We minimize packing days by staying at least two nights in most locations.
Each tour is paced to ensure you see plenty without feeling rushed, and we include free time in many locations for you to explore on your own. Transportation is in a moderately sized coach, or a spacious Mercedes van if there’s low participation.
What's Included in the Tour Price
- - Door-to-Door Transportation
- All-Inclusive Pricing with No Hidden Costs
- Skip-the-Line Access at Top Attractions
- Expert Tour Director- Specialized Site Guides
- Historical and Background Information
- Buffet Breakfasts Every Morning
- Included Lunches and Dinners as per Itinerary
- A Smile Throughout
- A Warm Hug at the End (or Grateful Handshake)
What's Not Included
- - Airfare
- Personal Travel Insurance- Meals Not Included in the Tour Itinerary
- Personal Expenses
- Extra Expenses Occurred with Late Arrival or Early Departure
- Gratuities
- Any Optional (very rare!)
- Extensions, Before or After the Tour
Activity and Mobility
Tours in Europe often involve a lot of walking, and ours are no exception. Many historic city centers restrict vehicle traffic, so the best way to explore these areas is on foot, with some public transportation options available as well. Additionally, many of our tours visit locations that are not easily accessible, such as medieval castles, hilltop towns frozen in time, mountaintops, and WWII underground bunkers.
While some of our tours are more access-friendly, all will require a good deal of walking. We strongly recommend comfortable walking shoes and advise that some tours may not be suitable for those with significant mobility challenges.
Please feel free to contact us to learn about mobility details of any tour.
Food and Restaurants
Each day begins with a buffet breakfast, included in the tour price. About half of the lunches and dinners are also included. The strategy is simple: when we’re on the move to a new location during lunchtime, meals are included to ensure a smooth transition. When we’re exploring a town, you'll have the chance to try local culinary experiences on your own.
Our dinner strategy follows a practical approach. On the first night in a new location, dinner is included. On most subsequent evenings, after you’ve had time to get to know the area, you'll be free to explore local dining options. We carefully select hotels with either an in-house restaurant or easy access to nearby dining.
Food in Europe is typically fresh, homemade, and richer than many travelers are used to, thanks to high-quality ingredients like real butter and cream. All included meals are at scratch-kitchen restaurants. Gratuities are covered, though you're welcome to leave a little extra if you’re particularly pleased with the service.
Accomodations
We carefully select our hotels to complement the flow and ambiance of each tour. Key factors in our choices include location, atmosphere, service quality, room size, variety of room configurations, bathroom setup, the quality of the breakfast buffet, and available amenities such as dining and bar options, either on-site or nearby.
Our gold standard is four-star hotels, though certain tours may feature optional five-star accommodations when it fits the experience, while one or two others may be just as perfect with quality three-star plus options.
Feel free to contact us to learn more about each accommodation choice.