Lost luggage! Flight delay! Now what?

Travel tips for transportation trials.

Travel will make you embrace the unexpected, even when the unexpected is sometimes what we try our best to avoid with careful planning. Lost luggage, flight delays and cancelled flights are unfortunately sometimes a part of the travel experience. Do not fear! There are remedies and here are some tips to you in case you have to deal with the travel mishaps life might throw at you.

Our Golden Rule: Print all your travel information and carry it with you in your hand-luggage!

We provide you with lots of important information that is intended to help make your travel easier. You will receive what we call the “Final E-Mail” about a month prior to your departure date, which provides you – among other important information – with the following useful documents. Make sure to read them, print them – or ask us to print them for you – and bring them in your hand-luggage. Though electronic copies are handy and efficient, there’s no doubt that paper copies can be the better choice when you are in a travel bind.

Your Getting to and Away (GTA) document, which will list

• the name, address and contact information of your starting hotel
• step-by-step information on how to get to your hotel
• the meeting time at the hotel on Day 1 of your tour
• the meeting place and time of your complimentary ExperiencePlus! shuttle for certain tours
• information on what to do and phone numbers to call if you are delayed or experiencing an emergency

Your Day 1 Daysheet, which will include

• your Tour Leader’s phone numbers
• the local emergency number

Your Hotel Itinerary

• with dates and addresses of all hotels throughout your tour
  • this will not only be useful to leave with someone at home, but also
  • you can provide your airline with this when you need to report lost luggage

Silver Rule: Stay calm and vacation on!

• Don’t sweat! I recommend the following mantra – “I’m on vacation, I’m on vacation – relax, it will all work out”. Your airline will deliver your luggage and there is usually a policy in place for a daily allowance or a specified amount of reimbursement in case of lost or delayed luggage, so you can buy things you need to tide you over your luggage-less days. It will also save you a lot of stress if you pack one change of cycling attire, shoes, and helmet in your carry-on. DO NOT pack prescription medicines in luggage that will be checked.
• If your luggage is still missing when the tour starts, Tour Leaders will help you facilitate communication with the airline and help clarify delivery. They will also be able to help you with obtaining items you need for the tour.
• Ask a local for help! If you don’t have a phone on you, if you can’t find your way to the train station, if you are looking for airport espresso – ask someone. It may not be how you were hoping to interact with the locals, but we guarantee it will be a rewarding adventure.