Frequently Asked Questions
Do you charge fees?
When you contact me to start planning a vacation, we start off with a free 30-min consultation (via phone, Zoom, or in person). If after that consultation you wish for me to plan your trip, there is a non-refundable fee due at that time. The amount of the fee differs depending on the type of trip but starts at $150.
Can you work within my budget?
The beauty of the free 30-min consultation is that we can talk about your budget and discuss if it is realistic for the details of the trip you have in mind. If the budget is a bit too low, you can elect to change destinations or to wait until you are able to save enough for the trip. If the budget is high, you can determine if you’d like to add on extra days, upgrade your components of the trip, or reduce budget size. To get tips on how to estimate a budget for a trip, check out this blog post I wrote.
How will I get my final itinerary for my trip?
Based on your preference, I can either email you your final documents, or print and mail them to you. The default option is for me to email them AND print and mail them so that you aren’t reliant on having cell phone service in destination to see your itinerary; however, if you would prefer to save paper, I can send them electronically only.
How do I cancel a trip?
If you end up needing to cancel your trip, you will be charged a cancellation fee (fee schedule is listed and agreed upon when we start working together). You must request and complete the Cancellation Request form to initiate the cancellation process. If only a percentage of the travel party wishes to cancel, they must request and complete the Cancellation Request form. You will be charged any cancellation fees/penalties from the supplier on top of the cancellation fee that I (Experience Culture Travel) charge. If only a percentage of people in a room decide to cancel, the remaining people may have to pay more than they originally were billed to keep their reservation (this is due to the hotel having to re-price the room to single occupancy, which is generally more expensive than what one person would pay for their portion of a double+ occupancy room).
When determining if you should cancel your trip, please keep in mind that travel insurance dictates which reasons will be covered for a claim. It is a good idea to review them again prior to submitting a cancellation request to me to ensure your reason for cancellation will be covered. You can also contact your travel insurance company ahead of time to see what information they will need in order to process the claim.
What do I do if there is an error on my final itinerary?
It is your responsibility to review the invoice and final itinerary within 24 hours of booking to ensure there are no errors or misspellings. If (within that first 24 hours) you have reviewed it and found an error or misspelling, please email kara@experienceculturetravel.com to inform me of the error at no charge to you. If you wait until after 24 hours, you will be charged a fee to correct any errors, and it may require complete cancellation (including any cancellation fees) and rebooking of the trip at the current rates.
What name will show up on my credit card statement?
Depending on the type of trip you book, you may not see Experience Culture Travel on any credit card statements after the initial planning fee. The payment authorization screen will indicate what entity will show up on credit card statements. If the supplier is listed as AmaWaterways, for instance, then you won’t see Experience Culture Travel on your statement, but will see AmaWaterways.
Can you itemize the costs of my trip package?
Most of the time, no. Much like ordering a meal at a restaurant, the package price cannot be broken out into the individual components. The pricing takes into account contractual agreements, overhead, and all other components of the itinerary items involved. In many cases, bundling your package together gives you a break in costs, much like if you order a la carte at a steak restaurant - the sides are much more expensive than at the restaurant where it is bundled with the meal.