For all you need to know...
WHERE WILL MY TRIP DEPART FROM?
All trips departing from London leave from the Clink Hostel near King's Cross. Check in for most trips departing from London is at 6.00am and we usually return back to the Clink Hostel between 6.30pm and 8.30pm. Please check your itinerary carefully for exact details.
Clink Hostel: 78 Kings Cross Road, London, WC1X9QG
CAN I JOIN IN PARIS OR AMSTERDAM?
If it is more convenient, you can join your trip in Paris or Amsterdam (if either of them are the first stop of your trip). You must inform us or your agent at the time of booking so we know when you will be joining the trip.
WHAT DOES MY TRIP INCLUDE?
Europe trips - Coach transport, ferry crossings, accommodation, many meals, and
activities & extras such as local city guides as specified depending on your trip. Services of a Trip Leader and Driver plus on our EuroClub the services of an "On Site Chef" in Lauterbrunnen, Venice and Rome, and on our Russian, Scandinavian and EuroCamping trips an "On Road Chef".
Explorer trips - Local transport, ferry crossings, accommodation, some meals and the services of a Trip Leader.
WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED?
Your spending money, visas, personal travel insurance, medical fees, cost of optional activities & excursions, entrance fees to the various museums and sites visited (unless specified in the 'What's Included' section), flights, departure taxes, port taxes in Greece.
HOW MANY OTHER PEOPLE WILL BE ON THE TRIP?
Group sizes vary. As a guideline, an average trip will have about 35 passengers on board. However, the coaches are often full - especially in high season. Minimum numbers would not normally be below 20 passengers.
WHAT SORT OF PEOPLE WILL BE ON THE TRIP?
Our travellers come from all over the world and are aged between 18 and 30 something. Like you, they will be up for a great travel experience and meeting like-minded travellers. Roughly half of our passengers travel on their own.
WHAT VISAS WILL I NEED?
Obtaining correct visas is your own responsibility. Not having correct visas could mean you missing out on part or all of your trip. Please refer to the Visa section on our website (which should be used as a guide only) or ask your Travel Agent. Then, double check with the individual Embassies before you depart, remembering that visa requirements can change at short notice. For most of the countries where visas are required, it is NOT possible to obtain the visa whilst on the trip and some visas take 3-4 weeks to obtain. For trips going to Russia, Topdeck will provide invitation letters that you MUST have, to obtain your visa.
DO I NEED TRAVEL INSURANCE?
Yes. Travel insurance is compulsory on all our trips. Topdeck or your Travel Agent can arrange a policy for you at the time of booking. Your insurance policy must cover you for cancellation, liability, curtailment, loss of money, loss or damage to baggage or personal belongings and medical insurance including repatriation costs. You MUST bring your policy with you on trip. If you do not have one at the start of the trip you will be required to purchase a policy from Topdeck.
HOW DO EUROHOTEL TRIPS WORK?
On our EuroHotel Trips you will be staying at a range of 2*& 3* hotels, on a twin share basis with a 5% reduction for triple share. We have tried to select hotels that display the local character of the countries we visit and have avoided multi-national chain hotels. We have also tried to select hotels as centrally located as possible. Please bear in mind also,
that generally speaking European hotel rooms are smaller than you may be used to for similar standard hotels in Australia, New Zealand or Asia. More on EuroHotel
HOW DO EUROCLUB TRIPS WORK?
On our EuroClub trips you will be sleeping in multi-share accommodation with 2 to 4 persons of the same sex sharing. The Rhine Valley castle however has a variety of room sizes accommodating from 4 to 10. In certain hostels during peak season, some rooms may be larger depending on availability. The accommodation ranges from hostels and gasthofs to bungalows in some of Europe's best campsites. There are also some hotel upgrades on a number of trips. More on EuroClub
HOW DO EUROCAMPING TRIPS WORK?
On our EuroCamping trips you will be sleeping in dome-style tents on a twin-share basis. In some parts of Europe you will receive a free hotel or hostel up-grade. Our tents are very roomy and easy to put up and your crew will demonstrate this at the start of your trip. Air mattresses are supplied but you will need to bring a sleeping bag. On all trips we carry our own spacious cook tent. All cutlery and eating utensils are supplied. We use a roster to help prepare meals and clear away as 'many hands make light work!' You won't need to help our "On Road Chef" though as 'too many cooks... ' More on EuroCamping
HOW DO EXPLORER TRIPS WORK?
Our Explorer Trips concentrate on Regional Europe rather than "Round Europe Trips" and are so designed to give you an in depth insight into the countries visited. The group size is smaller, (average is 16) but group sizes will vary between 10 and 25. A mixture of coach and public transport is used and accommodation is generally in hotels or premium standard hostels. More on Explorer
WHAT WILL I NEED TO BRING WITH ME?
This depends on the type of trip you choose. Sleeping bags are a necessity on ALL EuroClub and EuroCamping trips. A common problem is people bringing too many things! Please refer to our suggested clothing list in the pre-departure information which you can download from our website. Please respect local customs at all times. Many cathedrals and basilicas have strict dress regulations to gain entry. Your Trip Leader will be able to advise you when and where. A sarong or similar is ideal as it can be kept in your daypack and can prove especially useful as a cover up. If you suffer from any medical condition please bring extra supplies of medication as it could be difficult to find in Europe, or may be sold under another name. Oh, and don't forget your camera, passport, visas and a positive attitude!
HOW MUCH LUGGAGE AM I ALLOWED?
Europe trips - Each person is allowed 1 item of standard size luggage plus a day pack (and sleeping bag if on a EuroClub or EuroCamping trip). The maximum weight of your main bag must not exceed 20kgs. Size must not exceed 70cm x 45cm x 25cm. Due to the strict weight regulations for coaches in Europe, passengers whose luggage exceeds 20kgs will be asked to offload the excess on the departure morning. Storage facilities are
available at the departure point in London but not in other joining cities in Europe so the best thing is to simply bring as little as possible.
Explorer Trips - We recommend the use of a rucksack as you will be required to carry your luggage, albeit for short distances, on a regular basis. The size will obviously vary according to the length of your trip but remember that as most trips start and finish in different locations you will not be able to store excess items!
WHAT ABOUT SPENDING MONEY?
Naturally everybody's spending varies. There are many souvenirs to be bought and a great social scene should you wish to join in! Many of your meals (including lunches on EuroClub & EuroCamping trips) are included, so this really just leaves the occasional meal and your personal spending to budget for. Throughout the trip, your Trip Leader will also inform you of optional activities which you can participate in, such as a gondola ride in Venice or an excursion up the Jungfrau Mountain in Switzerland. For a more detailed list and price guideline please refer to your personal itinerary. Most people budget on €45 per day including optional activities and some souvenirs.
DO I NEED TO CHANGE MONEY BEFORE I LEAVE?
We recommend that you change approximately €100 in cash before departure and approximately €30 into Swiss Francs (if your trip goes through Switzerland). This will cover you for spending money until you have the chance to change more. For most Eastern European countries you will need to take enough Euros cash for the duration as travellers' cheques are difficult to change and ATMs are scarce.
WHAT IF I'M A SMOKER?
Smoking is not permitted on our coaches; however, we stop regularly while travelling from place to place. Smoking is not permitted in any type of accommodation, including our tents.
HOW DOES THE FOOD FUND WORK?
On all EuroClub and EuroCamping trips a compulsory Food Fund is shown separately on each trip page. This is paid at the time of booking. Unlike other companies, in addition to the listed breakfasts and dinners, Topdeck also includes many lunches on travelling days whilst on your trip (EuroClub & EuroCamping trips only). This means you don't have to buy lunch at expensive motorway service stations which means a massive saving and gives you more money to spend on other things. Your Food Fund includes many meals at local restaurants giving you the opportunity to sample the local cuisine as you explore Europe. Water is fine to drink in central Europe; however, bottled water should be purchased in Greece, Turkey and Eastern European countries.
HOW DOES LOCAL PAYMENT WORK?
Some of our Explorer trips have Local Payment. This is paid to your Trip Leader, in cash, at the start of your holiday and is your final trip payment. Your payment will be in Euros for the European Explorer trips and in USD for Egypt, Jordan, Israel, and in GBP in Morocco. This local payment assists us with reducing costs of transferring funds. These savings help in keeping our prices as low as possible.
WHAT IF I'M ON A SPECIAL DIET?
If you have special dietary requirements e.g. vegetarian or vegan, we will make every endeavour to cater for your specific needs as long as you tell us or your agent when you book. Unfortunately in some places in Europe it is not possible to obtain certain special foods, and we cannot guarantee the variety of foods available when eating out. Our "On Road / Site Chefs" will put every effort into catering for your specific needs. There are
some diets we are unable to cater for such as religious diets, so if you are unsure please call us or ask your agent to check.
WILL I BE CONTACTABLE WHILE ON MY TRIP?
As well as having regular access to internet cafés throughout Europe, if someone needs to contact you in the case of an emergency, the Topdeck Head Office in London will be able to get in touch with your Trip Leader. Partnered with ekit, we also offer a wide range of communication tools and advice. Whether you choose the convenience and savings of our pay as you go roaming-friendly SIMs which work throughout Europe, or our Global
phone card, we're keeping the traveller in touch! More on eKit.
WHEN WILL I GET MORE INFO ABOUT MY TRIP?
Topdeck issues e-docs which you will be sent to you when you have paid in full for your trip. These include your detailed day-to-day itinerary and any vouchers you need for pre and post trip accommodation. In addition
to this, you MUST read the detailed pre-departure information relevant to your trip. This can be downloaded at any time from the trip page on our website. If you would like a copy posted to you, please contact your local Topdeck office. The pre-departure document contains a number of important points that you should be aware of. Please take the time to download and read it.
HOW MUCH TIME WILL I SPEND ON THE COACH?
We try to spend as little time on the coach as possible so that you have more time to enjoy the places you visit. Please remember though that Europe is a large place and it takes time to get around! On driving days between cities you will be on the coach during the day, stopping off to visit places of interest where possible. Strict driving rules were introduced in 2007 in Europe that limit the maximum number of hours your Driver can drive each day. They also limit the maximum number of days that can be driven before a day off must be taken. We have worked hard to make sure this does not affect your trip, but in some cities it means we will use public transport. The cost for this is included in your trip price and your Trip Leader will show you how to get around.
Please check the website before you travel for the most up to date information.
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