Expedition Tours – After you book

by Nadine Dirksen - Wednesday, June 6, 2018

We are thrilled you are joining us on this ExperiencePlus! trip!

Expeditions are all about long-distance exploration and the challenge of pedaling across continents. They include the best of what we know makes and excellent tour: good route design, local guides and insightful local experiences, with the added satisfaction of pedaling longer distances and crossing multiple countries.

Have questions? We have answers! Below you’ll find answers to the most common questions travelers ask us after booking

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What does ExperiencePlus! need from me?

Please do the following:

Fill out your Customer Information Form (CIF). This form includes our Liability Waiver and Traveler Code. We need one form per traveller and per departure.
Read and agree to our Insurance Notification Waiver
Read and agree to our Expedition Acknowledgement

Best to do this right after receiving your reservation confirmation e-mail!

What's my balance?

Take a look at your Invoice that we emailed to you with your reservation confirmation email.

Travel Insurance

The tour price does not include travel insurance. Travel Protection Policies offered by most major travel insurance providers include benefits such as Trip Cancellation, Trip Interruption, Emergency Medical and Emergency Evacuation/Repatriation, Trip Delay, Baggage Delay and more. View information on our recommended provider and obtain a quote here.

ExperiencePlus! adheres to its Terms and Conditions and will make no exceptions to its Cancellation and Transfer Policies. For a small percentage of the cost of your tour, your purchase of trip insurance gives you peace of mind and protects you from financial loss if you are unable to travel.

When should I get it?

In order to get the most out of the coverage available we recommend that you purchase insurance within the Time Sensitive Period (15 or 21 days of the date of your initial deposit/payment, depending on your chosen policy).

Your Payment Letter that we emailed to you with your reservation confirmation provides you with the necessary payment date and balance information.

Go ahead and purchase insurance even if your departure is not yet guaranteed to run (if we cancel the departure you will receive a full refund from the insurance company).

How do I get to the tour starting hotel?

Refer to the online itinerary of your booked trip, which will provide detailed arrival and departure information. You may also refer to the printed itinerary that we sent you by snail mail, but be sure to double-check the online version as we are always tweaking and improving our tours. If there should be a major change, we will of course let you know.

If you are making travel preparations further than 6 months to the tour start, please be sure to check with us, as there might have been changes.

Need help or got questions? We’re glad to help!

How can ExperiencePlus! help me with my travel planning?

Once your tour is guaranteed to run, we are happy to assist you in coordinating your transportation to and from the tour, as well as with reserving extra nights at your tour starting and ending hotels. If you’d like help, please e-mail us at least 30 days prior to your departure so we can make sure we have enough time to make your arrangements. Read more on our Traveler Services here.

If your tour departure is out further than 6 months, please check with us as there might be slight changes to the itinerary.

Not sure if your trip is guaranteed? Check your reservation confirmation email or contact us.

What about more general travel information?

Check out our extensive Travel Planning pages! You will find country-specific travel information, hotel recommendations as well as reading and movie lists and much more to help you plan.
Take a look at our blog for inspiration and stories from around the world to get you excited.

If your tour departure is out further than 6 months, please check with us before making firm travel arrangements.

Will I receive anything in the mail?

Right after your deposit payment, we’ll put an envelope in the (snail) mail with a lot of valuable information about your tour, some basic information that is important to know, and a Travel Checklist. The packet also includes a reminder to purchase Travel Insurance, lest you forget!

Make sure to double-check the online itinerary as there might have been slight changes. The print-out sent to you may be no longer accurate as we continuously tweak and improve our trips.

When is my Final Payment due and how will I remember?

Generally, your final payment is due 90 days prior to your departure. Refer to your invoice for the accurate due date. If you’ve paid your balance early or in full, your’re all set.

We’ll send you an e-mail reminder prior to the due date.

When will I get the Participant Roster and Hotel Itinerary? And who are my Tour Leaders?

About 2 weeks before your tour start date! We’ll send you a final e-mail with log-in details to access all this and more. Time to double-check your travel arrangements!

What should I pack?

Take a look at our Packing Lists!

I know your arrows are all I need to find my way and discover local secrets but can I get GPS-tracks too?

Though you’ll always be able to count on our trusty chalk arrows to navigate on your ExperiencePlus! bicycle tour, we also offer our tech-loving riders the opportunity to view and access GPS tracks of the tour route to their personal GPS devices using RideWithGPS.com for most of our tours. If available, invite links to the tracks will be included in your final departure information which is available about 2 weeks prior to your tour start date. Please note that currently, we cannot provide tracks for our South America tours.