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| 1. Do I need a passport? A visa? | |
| If you are an American or Canadian citizen, you need only a Passport. The easiest way to get a passport is through your local post office, County Court House, or Passport Agency. When applying, be sure to take with you: your genuine birth certificate, which includes the registrar's signature and a raised seal; two recent photographs that are 2" x 2", full face view, black/white or color; and ID, like your Driver's License. | |
| You may need a Visa for our European tours if you are not an American or Canadian citizen. If you are a citizen of another country, you must contact the appropriate consulates for each nation on the itinerary; and you must obtain these visas on your own. | |
| 2. How much luggage can I take? | |
| Due to limited space on the tour motorcoach, please bring ONE suitcase only and ONE carry-on. Please limit your suitcase size to no larger than 29" x 20" x 10" and your carry-on to no larger than 8" x 16" x 21". | |
| Keep in mind that throughout the duration of the tour, you are responsible for your own luggage, so do not pack more than you can carry. Laundry facilities are available in major cities. | |
| 3. What should I pack? | |
| The easiest way to make your tour stressful is to overpack! Download our suggested packing list here. | |
| 4. What about packing documents? | |
| Never pack your passport!Always keep it on your person! The same goes for travelers' checks, cash, credit cards and personal checks. Pack 2 extra passport photos if possible (in the event that you misplace your passport); photo copies of your passport's personal data pages and your airline tickets, unless you have an electronic ticket; a listing of your credit card and travelers' check numbers; and copies of any personal IDs. This info will be extremely valuable should you lose any actual documents. Always keep actual documents on you person, and never in your checked suitcase. | |
| 5. What will the weather be like? | |
| Just like the United States, Europe has unpredictable hot summers, cool summers, rainy summers, and dry summers! The weather, in general, is much like it is in most part of the US: sixties to seventies in May; seventies to nineties from June to August. It is generally cooler in England and warmer in Italy and Greece. The nations to which you travel in-between have moderate summer temps. You can always check on www.weather.com before you depart to see what the latest weather trends have been. | |
| 6. Can I buy my airfare from AESU? What if I buy it elsewhere? | |
| AESU offers great low rates on British Airways, United, Lufthansa, and US Airways. If you purchase AESU airfare, you will receive airport transfers. | |
| If you purchase airfare elsewhere, transferring to the first hotel, as well as to the airport in Athens, is your responsibility. | |
| 7. I know some meals are included…but what if I'm a vegetarian? | |
| The European tours include continental breakfast daily, lunches & dinner as per itinerary. If you are a vegetarian, or have special dietary needs, please inform your tour escort as soon as you arrive. All meals are pre-paid, so a substitute meal is always up to the goodwill of the establishment. We cannot guarantee that all special requests will be granted, but, in the past, most restaurants have been cooperative. Please keep in mind that vegetarianism has not "caught on" in Europe as it in the US, so substitute meals may not be as varied as a vegetarian meals are here. | |
| 8. How much spending money will I need? | |
| We recommend $50-$80 per day, depending on your spending habits. That money covers items of a personal nature, stamps, laundry, beverages with meals (except for coffee/tea at breakfast, water at dinner, and occasionally a glass of wine), meals not included on tour, and expenses for free-time activities (metro tickets, taxis, entrance fees). This amount does not include money for souvenir/gift shopping. | |
| We strongly recommend bringing a credit card (Visa, American Express, and Mastercard are the most widely accepted) as well as an ATM card. Check with your bank prior to departure to ensure your ATM card is usable in Europe. ATM cards have largely replaced the usage of travelers' checks and ATM machines are available everywhere in Europe. | |
| 9. How do I exchange money? | |
| Your tour escort will aid you in locating currency exchange stations, and can also advise you of how much money to change. Keep in mind that you can exchange only bills, not coins. Most European countries use Euros, some exceptions are countries like Great Britain and Switzerland. | |
| 10. What is the acceptable amount to tip? Whom am I expected to tip? | |
| Standard service charges of 15-20% are paid for by AESU; in restaurants on your own, tip approximately 10% UNLESS the service is included. Check your bill carefully for this charge. | |
| It is customary to recognize the tour escort and bus driver by complimenting them with $3-5 gratuity per day. Your tour escort and bus driver work very hard to make your tour the most memorable and best time of your life! | |
| 11. Should I purchase travel insurance? | |
| We highly recommend travel insurance. Your alumni association may offer travel insurance to you at a reduced rate. If not, AESU will offer our group travel insurance to you. Ask our reservations agent for details or click on this link: http://www.tripmate.com/wp390A/ | |
| 12. I don't have a room mate, what do I do? | |
| Our hotels are superior tourist or first class hotels, ALL with private bath/shower. The land package price is based on double occupancy. Our hotels have been especially selected for their European atmosphere, friendly hospitality, cleanliness and location. Usual accommodations are two sharing a room, however, if you're traveling alone, we will arrange for you to share a double at NO EXTRA COST. If you prefer to stay in a single room, our reservations agent can make arrangements for a single at the applicable single supplement. | |
| 13. Does AESU support ECO travel? | |
| Every traveler shares a common responsibility to preserve our planet's environment and respect its people. AESU enthusiastically endorses ASTA's 10 Commandments, which effecively reaffirm that responsibility. Let's live by these Commandments, to ensure our world's beauty is preserved for our generation and for generations to come. Thank you for the opportunity to travel together and to discover our remarkable world in a responsible manner. Over a decade ago AESU founded "TRAVEL FOR GOOD" -- many years before large travel companies became active in environmental travel. | |