• > How Strenuous are these Trips?
• > Group Participants and Tour Leader
• > Private Tours and Custom Dates
• > Local Transportation
• > Accommodations
• > Meals
• > Climate
• > Travel Documents
• > Flights
• > Airline Tickets
• > Money
• > Health
• > Luggage & Clothing
• > Resources
• > Communication

How Strenuous are these Trips?

Group adventures (with our Dutch groups) tend to be longer programs and are often more challenging than our private journeys in several ways. Participants, of all ages, take hearty hikes and will rent bikes to explore. The Dutch have spent their entire lives on bikes so even older travelers are good endurance. Be sure to ask the guide the nature of any hike and opt out if you feel it will be too much.  (This is also a great argument to lobby for bike paths in the States!). The infrastructures in many of the countries we visit can be very undeveloped compared to the States. Long road trips on bumpy roads can be uncomfortable for some travelers. On several of these trips, we spend a day or two in remote areas that may require a willingness to “rough it”. Roosters will crow, lights may dim, and a cold shower may be expected on these days. On some of our group adventures, we stay for a night or two in indigenous lodgings which can be basic or very primitive. Some have no formal bath facilities. Be sure to check the weather conditions for the dates you are considering at worldweather.org, and pack appropriate shoes and clothing for these trips. At most hotels there is no porter service and you must be able to carry your own luggage.

Our semi-private and private trips are less challenging. While these trips are also quite active, there are fewer physical challenges. Also some hotels and modes of transport are upgraded for the private/semi-private trips, and there is a little more one-on-one assistance from the guide.

Group Participants and Tour Leader

 Please consider the descriptions below before booking a trip with an international group.
On these trips, you will travel with groups of 8 to 20 travelers, of all ages, mostly from Holland and Belgium. These trips are great for our more active, independent minded travelers who welcome the added element, and occasional challenges of cultural immersion. This adds another element to your international experience. There are usually only one to four North Americans on any trip. We found that an even split of Dutch and North Americans sometimes created a cultural divide, and our intention is to blend travelers and to maintain the European feeling of these trips. True to the European style of travel is a diversity of ages represented in our groups. These active  travelers blend well and participants of all ages take hearty hikes, bike rides and welcome independent explorations. The Dutch are typically very social and have a great command of English. It is inevitable that the participants will lapse into Dutch from time to time at meals and on the bus, until they get to know you. The guide will help to integrate you, but you will enjoy this trip more if you are the type of person who is also comfortable initiating conversations, from time to time. If you have a travel partner, it will be easier to find your way into the conversations or at least to have a buffer during times when the group is chatting in Dutch. After a day or two, you will normally get your rhythm.  You can probably expect lively conversations about world politics, especially in today’s climate.  Depending on your personal politics, this can be lots of fun, or not. The Dutch tend to be fairly liberal minded.

Private Tours and Custom Dates

Custom dates can be arranged for your private group of 10 or more. Please inquire about discounts for larger groups. 

Local Transportation

When we leave Athens we will travel with our own comfortable bus driven by a local driver. In Greece the distances between our destinations are not great; in general it takes only a few hours to drive from one place to another. The longest drive of the tour, from Ioannina to Olympia, takes about seven hours. Further you will have the option, in several places that we visit, to rent a moped or a car to for example search for nice villages in the area. Do bring your driver’s license! During the tour of the Greek islands we will often make use of ferries, this is THE best way to travel from island to island. On almost all ferries you can enjoy the sun and the sea from the sundeck. The crossovers take anywhere from 1½ to 5 hours. You can see photos of some of the transportation we use on our website: http://www.djoserusa.com/transportation

Accommodations

In Greece we stay in clean tourist class hotels that are often located within walking distance of the centre of town. The reserved rooms are tidy and have their own toilet and shower. The hotels in Sparta and Aegina have a swimming pool, in Finikoundas we stay close to the beach. During the tour along the Greek Islands most hotels are situated at a convenient walking distance from the harbour. One time you will spend the night on a ferry, on the trip from Heraklion on Crete to Piraeus. During this 10-hour crossing you can make use of reclining chairs. The size of the group on the tour across the Greek mainland has a maximum of 22 participants. You can see photos of some of our accommodations on our website: http://www.djoserusa.com/hotels

If you are traveling alone you will be matched with a roommate of the same sex. Please note the cost of a single room listed in the cost descriptions. If you request a roommate, but we are unable to match you, there will be no penalty charge for the single room.

Meals

Only breakfast is included in the tour price, so that you can pick your own choice of restaurants for lunch and dinner. The guide can make recommendations. Greece is rightfully known for its especially varied kitchen. Besides dishes with broiled meat and stews and oven dishes with meat and vegetables (like moussaka) there is an enormous choice of fish that is fished from the Greek waters. Greece is further known for its delicious wines and ouzo, the aperitif with an anise seed taste.

Climate

Greece has a stable Mediterranean climate with a pleasantly warm springtime from March to June and dry, warm summers from June through October. In general it is warmer and dryer along the coast and in the capital Athens than it is in the inland areas that are situated at a higher altitude.

Travel Documents

Passport required. Visa not required for tourist/business stay of up to 90 days. (**90-day period begins when entering Schengen countries.) For additional information consult Consular Section of the Embassy of Greece, 2221 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20008 (202/939-5818 or 5800) or nearest Consulate: CA (310/826-5555 or 415/775-2102/4), GA (404/261-3313), IL (312/335-3915 or 17), LA (504/523-1167), MA (617/543-0100), NY (212/988-5500) or TX (713/840-7522). Internet: www.greekembassy.org

In the event you would like to use a passport expediting service, we recommend “It’s Easy.” This company offers Djoser customers a discount. Just identify Djoser, Inc. on your It’s Easy Forms as you referral source and they will take 10% off of the service portions of the passport and visa fees. (There is no discount over the government portions of the fees). For download forms and requirements please visit: www.itseasypassport.com. You will need to know the entry and departure dates which we provide for you on an itinerary. You will also need to list a contact name in each country, which you will also find in the literature we send you when you book a trip.  For a higher fee they can process your passport in a few days.

It’s Easy  (Passport & Visa Expeditors)
Satellite Airline Terminal
125 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10017
Phone - (212) 286-8500,
Fax (212)-490-3224
Website   www.itseasypassport.com
E-mail     mail@itseasypassport.com

Flights

We book our flights with top airlines. Most airlines will honor earned mileage. You will need to submit your mileage credit yourself upon receipt of your flight information. For airlines that allow advance seating reservations, we typically request aisle and adjoining seats unless otherwise instructed on your registration form. It is vital that you arrive at the airport early, according to the airline (often 3 hours prior to flight time). We do provide airport transfers (airport pick-up and drop off) in our destination country for those who book the Land/Air package. Flight times are subject to change. It is recommended that you book your domestic Add-on (connecting) flights through Djoser in association with the international flight. To avoid penalties for flight changes do not book your own domestic add-on (connecting flight) without first receiving a printed copy of your flight record from Djoser confirming your actual departure and return flight times.  You will find more about flights in the General Information section. Below you will find the usual flight times for the airline indicated.

Example of a Northwest/KLM flight:

Usual flight times – subject to change

Airline Tickets

You will receive your tickets or E-tickets 10-12 days prior to your departure date.
In case the airline uses E-tickets you will receive two documents:

•    A document that shows the E-ticket number & flight itinerary (sent by email & mail).
•    A receipt of the E-ticket (sent by mail).

The first document listed is needed to check in at the Automated kiosks. If you check in at the
E-ticket desk you don’t need any of the provided documents, you can simply show your passport and you’re good to go. Both the automated kiosk and the e-ticket desk insure a much faster check in than at the regular check in desks. It is important to hold on to your e-ticket receipt, as you might need it to claim your mileage credits (if the airline awards mileage for this particular flight).

Money

-Currency: the Euro. For the current exchange rate please refer to www.exchangerate.com.
-You can use you bankcard and PIN number: possible almost everywhere.
-Credit Cards: are accepted in many places.
As an indication for expenses that are not included in the tour price, like meals, entrance fees, optional excursions and personal expenses, a minimum allowance of $300 per person per week is highly recommended.

Costs in the larger cities are similar to costs in the U.S. or Canada. In the smaller towns it is somewhat lower. The entrance fees for museums and important sites cost from $6 to $11. With an international student card or with a senior pass the entrance fee is often reduced or entrance is free. It is common to tip for services.

Tipping
At the beginning of your trip, your tour leader will collect a “tip pot” of approximately $2 per land day, per person. So that you will not be burdened with tipping those who assist you along the way, this sum will dispersed by the tour leader as tips for the driver, local guides and hotel staff. The tip pot does not include the tip for the tour leader. A typical guideline would be $2-$3 per day but the amount is at your discretion and should be based on his/her efforts and your satisfaction level. We take pride in our Djoser guides who do their utmost to make your experience great. We ask that you bear in mind their extra challenge of a dual language group.

Health

While no innoculations are required, the CDC (Center for Disease Control) recommends the items below. Check with your doctor to see if it is necessary to  get all that are on the list See your doctor at least 4–6 weeks before your trip to allow time for shots to take effect.
•    Hepatitis A or immune globulin (IG). You are not at increased risk in Northern, Western, and Southern Europe, including the Mediterranean regions of Italy and Greece.
•    Hepatitis B, if you might be exposed to blood (for example, health-care workers), have sexual contact with the local population, stay longer than 6 months in Southern Europe, or be exposed through medical treatment.
•    As needed, booster doses for tetanus-diphtheria. Hepatitis B vaccine is now recommended for all infants and for children ages 11–12 years who did not complete the series as infants.
To contact Center for Disease Control (CDC) : http://www.cdc.gov/travel/  
or call CDC Traveler's Health at: 1-877-394-8747 or: 1-800-311-3435
Send an inquiry to CDC by clicking through this address:  http://www.cdc.gov/netinfo.htm

Luggage & Clothing

Since luggage space in the bus is limited we recommend that you bring not more than about 30 pounds of luggage in a frameless backpack or soft duffle bag. You must be able to carry your own luggage. For everybody’s convenience it is better not to bring a suitcase since these are hard to store in the bus. For the hikes in for example Kalambaka, the Vikos Gorge and the Samaria Gorge, it is smart to bring good, closed walking shoes. These do not have to be special hiking shoes, but it is important to have a closed shoe with a good tread that protects against sharp objects and prevents you from sliding on slippery stones. Sneakers can be slippery. During visits to monasteries women need to wear a long skirt and men need to wear long pants
Electricity: 220 volts.
Electrical outlets: the same as typical European plugs. You will need an adaptor.

Resources

Communication

-Calling: possible everywhere.
-Internet cafés: present in most cities.
-Mobile phones: there is good network coverage. Gather information from your provider before you depart.