WE WANT IN! HOW AND WHEN DO WE PAY?

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Click on the "Book Now" button to register and pay your deposit, or give us a call at 801-631-9993 with questions or to have us sign you up. All that is required to reserve your spot before it sells out is an $800 deposit per person. You are welcome to pay your remaining trip balance in full at anytime, or divide the balance into 4 equal monthly payments (however, payments in full must be completed 4 months before departure). (Example: Trip cost is $4,000. Trip is Oct 15. $800 deposit is made Jan 1. Remaining balance of $3,200 is divided by 4 months, for monthly payments of $800 due before June 15).

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If a payment is due in December, that payment will be skipped and spread equally among the other months (because we know that's an expensive month!).

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Payments can be made via credit card, or cash/check/Venmo (just give us a call to let us know). 

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Note about airfare:

For our group trips to Europe or Asia: approximately 5-months prior to departure, you will be contacted to book your airfare to/from your home city. Each guest has been allotted $1,200 for their international airfare. At that time you will be given all of your flight options. Depending on what you choose (flight routing, airline, class of service), you will receive a refund if your chosen airfare is priced below $1,200, or you will be charged the additional difference for any airfare chosen that is priced higher than $1,200. We GUARANTEE that we will find you airfare at or below $1,200 (or we will cover the difference). However, it is likely that your preferred route / airline/ class of service may be priced higher or lower. All fees for checked luggage and/or seat assignment not already included in your chosen airfare are the responsibility of the traveler. All of your other flights within Europe/Asia are already included in the price of your trip and will be booked together with the rest of the group. These group flights will INCLUDE one checked piece of luggage per person.

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WHAT IF WE HAVE TO CANCEL?

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We get it. Life happens. If you need to cancel, your airfare (if already purchased) and $800 deposit are not refundable (unless you can use your magical powers to convince the airline to refund your ticket). The deposit is however transferable to any of our other trips at any time in the future, or transfer to another person that wants to take your place (we will even help you find someone if we have people on the waiting list). The remaining amount of money that you have already paid for the trip can be refunded to you at:

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• Cancel within 4 weeks of paying deposit = 100% refunded INCLUDING the initial $800 deposit

• Cancel after 4 weeks of paying deposit and up to 151 days before departure = 100% refunded minus $800 Deposit (not including airfare if already purchased)

• Cancel 150-121 days before departure = 75% refunded (not including airfare if already purchased)

• Cancel 120-91 days before departure = 50% refunded (not including airfare if already purchased)

• Cancel 90-61 days before departure = 25% refunded (not including airfare if already purchased)

• Cancel 60-0 days before departure = No Refund Offered

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You may also transfer 100% of what you have paid (minus the airfare) to another person that wants to go on the trip up to 30 days prior to departure. Any cancellation closer than 30 days to departure is not eligible to be transferred. For those last-minute reasons, we refer you to your travel insurance if you purchased it.

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DO I NEED TRAVEL INSURANCE?

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We offer travel insurance as an add-on for those who would like it. We will provide you with all of the information upon booking, and you can make the decision to purchase trip insurance or not. It's totally up to you!

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HOW BIG ARE YOUR GROUPS?

 

We try to keep group size around 18 people for Europe, and 40 for Asia on our pre-plannned trips that are open to anyone. For private group trips, we require your group to be at least 10 people for Europe, and 20 people for Asia. 

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CAN WE HAVE OUR OWN PRIVATE GROUP?

 

Absolutely! We love taking groups that all know each other already. We can work with you to find dates that work best for your group, and can tweak our itineraries a bit to accommodate requests.

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DO YOUR TRIPS REQUIRE PASSPORTS AND VISAS?

 

All of our trips require a passport with 6 months of validity remaining at the end of the trip. We do not go anywhere a visa is required prior to departure. 

 

HOW DO YOU GET SUCH GOOD PRICING?

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One word, Relationships. Putting together killer itineraries and then negotiating face-to-face with the best vendors at each location is how we make the magic happen. Combine that with group sizes, and that's how we can deliver these adventures for a price point far less than you could do on your own.

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IS THERE AN AGE LIMIT?

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For private groups, you can bring along anyone you would like. For our pre-planned groups, you must be 12 years old (with a guardian if under 18). We occasionally have trips notated as "Family Trips", and any age is welcome to attend those trips with their guardians.

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WILL PRICES EVER CHANGE?

 

Our prices will only change from those prices printed on our website if airfare changes drastically. All prices are subject to change based on airfare prices at the time of booking.

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WHAT IS INCLUDED?

 

Everything noted in our itineraries is included and fully guided. A host from Epic Vacations is along for the entire adventure making sure all of the little and big details are arranged. We make sure all you have to think about is what to pack in your luggage (although we even give you advice for that) and we take care of all the other details so you can have a "think-free" vacation. This generally entails all flights, hotels, ground transportation, group activities, entrance tickets to venues, and many of the meals. 

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WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED?

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Spending cash, tips for local vendors, and anything noted in our itineraries that is not included. We try to keep these things to a minimum so that you can easily budget for your trip.

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HOW AND WHAT SHOULD WE PACK?

 

We will provide you with a comprehensive packing list after booking, as well as some good ideas of things to buy from Amazon to make your trip more comfortable.

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HOW MUCH SPENDING MONEY SHOULD WE BRING?

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Typically only a few hundred dollars per person for random shopping and food/beverage. We will provide you with our recommendation after booking.

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WHAT AIRLINES AND HOTELS DO YOU USE?

 

We use whatever airline we secure a good group rate with for your route and dates. If you prefer a specific airline, we will let you know what the additional cost will be to travel on that specific airline at time of flight booking.

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For hotels, we use 4 and 5 star properties (all of which we have personally stayed at before to ensure that they are at the best location for our activities, they are clean, and they are safe). 

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CAN WE USE OUR FREQUENT FLYER MILES OR HOTEL REWARD POINTS?

 

Absolutely, and this is a great way for you to save some money. We will work with you at time of booking to use what points you have and provide you with a discount equal to what we would have paid for that part of your trip. One thing to be aware of, when we negotiate our hotel rooms, we always include breakfast. If you use hotel reward points, you may need to pay for your own breakfast.

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IS TRAVELING WITH A GROUP ANNOYING?

 

Only if you naturally hate people :) Our itineraries are jam packed and you are too busy and engulfed in the cultures we visit to realize you are even in a group. We also make sure to give you free time to break off and be alone. Our daily itineraries are clearly communicated and we depart for activities on-time (even if it means leaving people behind so that the rest of the group does not have to wait). Many places we visit, we get you there and then tell you what time to be back for the transportation. You then explore that activity independent of the group. We have not had anyone from our trips give us feedback yet that their trip was horrible because of the group they were in. It is actually the opposite, people love being part of such fun groups and sharing this adventure with others, If you are kind, you may even make some new friends that you will travel with again.

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WHAT IF THERE IS AN ACTIVITY ON THE ITINERARY THAT WE DO NOT WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN?

 

If there is an activity on the itinerary that you do not want to participate in, just let us know up to 60 days prior to departure and we will refund to you the price we pay for that activity, and you can do something else during that time. Our activities have been carefully planned, and we only continue to do things that past travelers have rated as high. 

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WILL A GUIDE BE WITH US AT ALL TIMES?

 

Yes, but many times you will not even notice. We will be there making sure transportation is taken care of, hotel rooms are ready, activities are carried-out, you know when and where to meet, and you have someone to follow around the crazy subway systems, etc. Our expert guides will ensure that you wont have to worry about the logistics of the trip, and can focus on enjoying the cultures you are visiting.

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We also provide detailed itineraries at each new city you arrive at. These itineraries will provide you with not only logistical information, but educate you on the things you will be seeing and doing.

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WHY ARE YOUR TRIPS NOT IN THE SUMMER?

 

Price. We avoid the high tourist seasons and instead go in "shoulder" seasons to negotiate better pricing. If you want us to plan a private group for you, we can always let you know what the additional cost would be to go during the summer.

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WILL WE BE SAFE?

 

How safe you are depends on you. We stay and play in safe areas, but you could always venture out on your own to unsafe areas. As long as you do what we recommend, you should be fine. Doing things as a group also helps ensure safety. We also help you know how to eat and drink safely in the cities we visit. We all have loved ones at home that want us to return safely, and we do all we can to ensure a safe trip for all of us.

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DO I NEED TO GET SHOTS/VACCINATIONS BEFORE TRAVELING?

 

All travelers, regardless of age, must be willing to follow all government health requirements both foreign and domestic. At the time of travel, all travelers agree to be subject to vaccine requirements, health tests, screenings, health declarations, etc. as required by the governments of the countries we will be visiting, in addition to the requirements to return to the United States. These requirements change often, and will be communicated to the traveler by Epic Vacations whenever requirements change.         

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DO YOU HAVE PLANS TO COORDINATE GROUP TRIPS TO OTHER DESTINATIONS?

 

We are always asking people where they want to travel, and are always looking for new adventures. Also, we can always customize a private group trip to any location you want.

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IS THE FOOD AND WATER SAFE WHERE WE WILL BE GOING?

 

The places we eat as a group are clean. The water is safe in most places, and we will tell you when bottled water is best.

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CAN I BRING MY EMOTIONAL SUPPORT RABBIT ALONG WITH ME?

 

No. Leave your rabbit at home (someone really asked that). Let us know if you have a legit service animal, and we will accommodate.

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