Things to Know

Things to know before we go to

  1. A valid passport is imperative in order to participate!  Check the expiration date on your passport. Your passport must have 6 months validity left from your date of travel to be able to enter France.
  2. ETIAS  The rules of travel to most European countries have changed. They’ve been “trying” to implement this……..people from over 60 visa-exempt countries are required to have a travel authorization to enter 30 European countries for a short stay. ETIAS is currently not in operation and no applications are collected at this point.   It is linked to a traveler’s passport. It is valid for up to three years or until the passport expires, whichever comes first. If you get a new passport, you need to get a new ETIAS travel authorization. With a valid ETIAS travel authorization, you can enter the territory of these European countries as often as you want for short-term stays – normally for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.  We will keep everyone updated on this.
  3. We will need a minimum of 20 guests in order to book the trip. We will notify all guests when the minimum has been reached. We can take a maximum of around 30 guests.
  4. Signed “Event Release and Indemnity Agreement” and informational form are required by anyone participating.
  5. Trip insurance is highly recommended. The payment will not be refundable after the 50% is paid . We recommend that you look into travel insurance as early as possible – some companies may only allow you to insure your trip up to ten days past booking. Previous travelers have recommended this site for  insurance: https://travel.usnews.com/features/the-best-travel-insurance-companies
  6. Our luxury bus has a bathroom, A/C and space to hang jackets, etc., so everyone should be quite comfortable. We will have an expert guide and bus driver form the area on each trip.
  7. Accommodations
    Please let us know bedding preferences (king/queen or singles) and if you prefer ground/1st floor – minimal steps, walk in shower, bathtub, etc. There are elevators in the hotels. The rooms will have a blow dryer, safes & WIFI. Iron and ironing board available upon request. Don’t forget electric converters for personal battery chargers, and razors.
    Burgundy
    Hôtel Le Rempart Tournus
    Address: 2-4 Av. Gambetta, 71700 Tournus, France
    Website: www.lerempart.com/fr
    Phone: +03 85 51 10 56


    Bordeaux
    Hotel INdigo Bordeaux Centre
    Address: 18 Parvis des Chatrons, Bordeaux 33080, France
    Website: www.ihg.com/hotelindigo/hotels/gb/en/bordeaux/bodcc/hoteldetail
    Phone: +33 55 6017979
    Email: info@indigobordeaux.com
  8. For all trips, a complete breakfast will be provided each morning at the hotel. Various items (American and European style) will be available. Our lunches will be pretty extensive, so we suggest a “light” breakfast. The majority of the dinners will be provided at the hotel, but you will have a couple of free nights. Dinner is usually around 7:00 – 8:00, depending on the day’s itinerary. Wine is paired with our lunches and dinners, approximately 2 glasses per person.  (Of course if you would like to purchase additional wine you are more than welcome to 😊)
  9. Every evening, we will review the next day’s itinerary; we anticipate departure times between 8:00 and 9:00 each day.  We have full days planned so we ask everyone to be ready 15 minutes prior to departure time.   We try to allow “free time” on various days for any areas/sites you are personally  interested in but are not part of the tour. The local guide and Lil are happy to assist with these requests.
  10. What to wear:  The bus will have a compartment to hang and store a change of clothes, shoes, etc so you are able to “switch out” before/after certain lunches. Good walking shoes are recommended for most days.

    Burgundy & Bordeaux are lovely and pleasant during the summer months.  The average temperature is normally in the mid-70’s with always a chance of rain.  We suggest bringing a light rain jacket or compact umbrella just in case.  Suggested attire for the more elegant (Michelin) restaurants:  jacket/slacks/blouse/dress/skirt.

    Always a recommendation to pack your sunscreen and mosquito spray.
  11. Arrival for both destinations: The bus will be waiting to take us to the hotel once everyone has arrived! (Flight arrival time suggested will ensure time to pass immigration/customs and get your luggage to meet the group, load the bus and depart on time).

    Burgundy: Arrive on Monday, July 20th at Lyon-Saint Exupéry (LYS) airport.  The bus will be departing from the airport at approximately 1:00pm (exact time will be confirmed), so we ask you to plan your arrival time for no later than 12pm.  Detailed meeting spots will be discussed closer to departure.  (Hotel is about 1 ½ hour away)

    Bordeaux: Arrive on Thursday, July 30th at Bordeaux- Merignac Airport (BOD). The bus will be departing from the airport at approximately 2:00pm (exact time will be confirmed), so we ask you to plan your arrival time for no later than 1:00pm. Detailed meeting spots will be discussed closer to departure. (Hotel is about 40 minutes away)
  12. Departure information for both:
    Burgundy: Departure on Monday, July 27th from LYS. Departure should be arranged for no earlier than 12:00pm.
    Bordeaux: Departure on Thursday, August 6th from BOD. Departure should be arranged no earlier than 11:00am.
  13. Please advise if you are allergic or cannot eat any specific type of food; we will do our best to inform the restaurants and allow them to organize substitutions. (This can be noted on the informational form)
  14. To confirm your space, a $1000 per person non-refundable deposit (unless cancelled by tour operator). The first 50% payment is due end of February/beginning of March, and the second payment is due end of May/beginning of June. Checks can be made out to Burke Manor Inn.   Credit cards are acceptable with a 3% fee.
  15. We will have a little “get together” in June to answer any additional questions and for everyone to meet their fellow travelers.  
  16. Extra miscellaneous information
    1. Please allow leeway for flights. Unfortunately, you never know what will happen when traveling. Try to give yourself enough time to be flexible, so that you can easily collect your luggage, pass through immigration and customs, eat and relax if need be! You might want to arrive a day before just to get acclimated (happy to assist with an additional hotel night)
    2. The trip is “all inclusive” except for a few meals on your own, but we do recommend having a “few Euros” just in case you want to make a little purchase, where credit cards aren’t accepted (ie: chocolate croissant 😊) Your debit card or credit card will get you the best foreign currency exchange rate. Check to see if your bank has partnerships with European banks, because you may be able to withdraw Euros from an ATM with minimal transaction fees. 
    3. Service charges (tips) in restaurants are all included in the package price. We are always asked about “tipping”.  The guide and bus driver are well compensated, but if you want to tip them, of course you can! In the past we have been asked for envelopes, so we will provide them at the end of the trip for those who would like to use them.
    4. If you plan on attending more than one trip, we will be more than happy to assist with places to see, things to do in between, and recommendations for how to get from one place to another!