What to Expect on a Leaping Hound Trip
It's important to us that everyone on a Leaping Hound trip feels comfortable and knows what to expect. We'll provide you with the info you need before and during the trip, whether you're a first-time traveler with questions about everything (totally fine! we're here to help!) or a seasoned adventurer who just needs a few reminders and refreshers.
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BEFORE WE LEAVE...We'll provide you with all the info you need before departure, including...
Packing Advice
Everything from expected weather conditions, to typical airline baggage rules, to packing method suggestions. Electronics Info
Using your cell phone in Europe, buying the correct power converter so you can use the outlets, typical wifi availability.... we'll answer all the questions you have on electronic use in the countries we're visiting. (Liz, a physicist, might want to talk about the differences between the American 120-V power and the European 220-V power, but you don't have to care. 🙂 ) Currency and Money Tips
What info you should provide to your financial institutions before you leave, the easiest and best way to convert your money to local currency, typical fees and costs you might not expect--we'll explore the money issues you might encounter on a trip abroad. Itinerary Updates
Which specific (awesome, 4-star) hotels we're staying in, expectations for day-to-day schedules, daytrip information, and suggestions for your free time--we'll help you envision what this trip will look like! Communication Details
Want to get to know your fellow travelers before you go? We'll have a group chat for anyone interested! We'll also host a live virtual meeting where we can all get together and talk, and you can ask any remaining questions you may have! |
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WHILE WE'RE THERE...
No matter which one you choose, every Leaping Hound group trip will have...
A True European Experience
In the "when in Rome" spirit, we make use of European cities' excellent public transportation and walkability to give you a more genuine sense of the places we visit. This also provides a more authentic experience than a tour where everyone is herded onto coach buses to travel from site to site. Small Groups
We think it's important to keep groups small. It allows us to easily travel together, on everything from high-speed trains to narrow passages between historic buildings to tiny, hidden-gem restaurants. It also allows you to really get to know your fellow travelers. For these reasons, Leaping Hound trips are limited to a maximum of 20 people (and even fewer on some trips!). A Price that Includes What You Need
The price of a Leaping Hound trip will cover lodging in 4-star hotels, train tickets between cities, public transit passes, entrance fees at the sites we visit, group meals, and more (you can always see a detailed list of what is included in the price on our individual trip pages, too). Our Guidance and Advice
In addition to leading you on all group events, we'll also provide you with directions, public transit information, and everything else you need to navigate the cities we visit. We'll make recommendations for everything from the best place to get a quick and authentic snack to the coolest spot for an evening cocktail, and are happy to help you navigate the details of booking any extra excursions you've got planned for your free time. Fun, Quirkiness, and Whimsy
We're professors, but we're not stodgy or boring. We could provide examples, but instead we'll let the pictures of Archer 2, our Star Wars Space Horse co-worker, speak for themselves. |
Our Cancellation Policy:
For personal, individual travel, cancellation policies will depend on details of the particular trip, and will be discussed before booking.
For our guided group tours, your deposit is non-refundable. All other payments are refundable through the registration deadline, minus a 4% fee.
What if you need to cancel after the registration deadline?
We ask all our travelers on group tours to purchase travel insurance, ideally a policy with 75% "cancel for any reason" coverage. We will provide quotes for travel insurance upon your registration for the trip, though you are welcome to purchase travel insurance independently from any other reputable insurance company, of course.
If you have to cancel your trip after the registration deadline for a covered reason such as illness or injury of yourself or an immediate family member, any payments you've made towards your trip may then be covered in full by the insurance. Additionally, if you have travel insurance with 75% "cancel for any reason" coverage, you can cancel any time up until 48 hours before departure and receive 75% of your payments back. (This type of insurance must be purchased shortly after your initial trip deposit, typically within 14 days.)
What if we decide we need to cancel a trip? We use guidance from the CDC, WHO, and the governments of the countries we're visiting to help us decide if a group trip should be cancelled for health or safety reasons. Additionally, if by the registration deadline not enough people are signed up (exact number will vary depending on the trip), we may have to cancel. If we have to cancel a group trip, anyone who has signed up will receive a full refund of any money they've paid us (or they can opt to apply it towards a future group trip, if they'd prefer).
For personal, individual travel, cancellation policies will depend on details of the particular trip, and will be discussed before booking.
For our guided group tours, your deposit is non-refundable. All other payments are refundable through the registration deadline, minus a 4% fee.
What if you need to cancel after the registration deadline?
We ask all our travelers on group tours to purchase travel insurance, ideally a policy with 75% "cancel for any reason" coverage. We will provide quotes for travel insurance upon your registration for the trip, though you are welcome to purchase travel insurance independently from any other reputable insurance company, of course.
If you have to cancel your trip after the registration deadline for a covered reason such as illness or injury of yourself or an immediate family member, any payments you've made towards your trip may then be covered in full by the insurance. Additionally, if you have travel insurance with 75% "cancel for any reason" coverage, you can cancel any time up until 48 hours before departure and receive 75% of your payments back. (This type of insurance must be purchased shortly after your initial trip deposit, typically within 14 days.)
What if we decide we need to cancel a trip? We use guidance from the CDC, WHO, and the governments of the countries we're visiting to help us decide if a group trip should be cancelled for health or safety reasons. Additionally, if by the registration deadline not enough people are signed up (exact number will vary depending on the trip), we may have to cancel. If we have to cancel a group trip, anyone who has signed up will receive a full refund of any money they've paid us (or they can opt to apply it towards a future group trip, if they'd prefer).
