Tour prices are per person in U.S. dollars. All hotel and cruise ship accommodations, motor coach transportation, sightseeing, admissions, shore excursions, port fees, luggage handling, cocktail hour, all-day soft drinks, wine with dinner aboard Le Ponant, and the services of the Tauck Director, local guides, drivers, and ship crew are included. A representative of Tauck will meet you at Barcelona International Airport and provide transportation to Le Méridien Barcelona hotel, regardless of the day and time of your arrival, provided you have furnished us with accurate flight arrival information at least two weeks before the start of the your tour. Tauck will also provide transportation from the Fairmont Monte Carlo hotel to Nice Côte d’Azur International Airport whenever you choose to depart.

Hotel and Ship Accommodations – The tour price includes all hotel and ship accommodations with private baths. The Tauck standard is to provide the best available accommodations without sacrificing value. Although the quality of the accommodations may differ slightly from place to place, our commitment to your comfort is unwavering. Two-bedded rooms are reserved in most hotels. Triples are two-bedded rooms with a rollaway cot and are not recommended for comfort.

On board Le Ponant, each stateroom includes either one queen bed or two single beds, which can be joined together as a queen bed, and a private bath with an enclosed shower only. A limited number of rooms have one queen bed and a convertible sleeper sofa.

Meals – Most meals are included as specified in the itinerary.

Aboard Le Ponant, breakfast and lunch are served buffet style on a canopied deck, while dinner is served in the panoramic, window-lined dining room. International cuisine is featured and complimentary wine is offered with dinner. Both restaurants accommodate all guests in one seating.

Tauck Director – Mediterranean Discovery is hosted by one Tauck Director for every 40 Tauck guests. Your Tauck Director is a professional, fully trained employee of Tauck.

Gratuities Included – All customary gratuities for the Tauck Director, restaurant, hotel and ship staff, and local guides and drivers are included.

No Options Sold – Your Tauck Director will assist you with information on free-time activities based on honest opinion and guidance, but they will not sell you anything. This means better value and a more relaxed and pleasant experience for you. 

Airfare to the tour departure point and from the tour ending point is not included. Airfare may be purchased from Tauck for travel originating in the United States.

Hotel Rooms Before and After Tours – To avoid jet lag and possible flight delays, you may wish to make hotel arrangements for the nights preceding or following your tour. As a service, Tauck will book additional nights for you on a space-available basis using special rates only available through Tauck. Hotel room charges will be added to the tour cost. If you wish to spend additional nights, please consult the Extend This Journey section on this website and discuss it with the reservations agent when you book your tour.

Luggage Responsibility – Although every effort is made to handle your luggage carefully, we cannot be responsible, assume liability or accept claims for loss or damage to luggage and personal effects due to breakage, theft, or fair wear and tear through hotel, airline and group carrier handling. It is important for your own self-interest and protection that you make certain you have adequate insurance to cover these eventualities. Please refer to the Tauck Protection Plan for more information.

Personal Expenses - Phone calls, room service, alcoholic and bar beverages, laundry and dry cleaning, airline excess luggage charges, vaccinations, individual airport transfers (when applicable), visa fees and services, airport and departure taxes, and other optional or incidental extras are not included and may be significant.

Airline Security Measures - In the U.S., you must provide identification in the form of a passport at the time of airport check-in for travel to international destinations. Your passport name must match the name on your tour reservation and airline ticket or you may be denied boarding.

If you are traveling from an airport outside the jurisdiction of the U.S, you will need to determine what travel documentation and identification is required for that particular airport.

Due to heightened security regulations, certain items such as a metal nail file, pocketknife, cigarette lighter, or tweezers, and some liquid, gel, or aerosol items may not be permitted in your carry-on luggage. Please call your airline prior to departure to obtain current information on non-permissible carry-on items and recommended airport check-in times.

 

You may also wish to visit the U.S. Transportation Security Administration Internet website to obtain more information on acceptable identity documentation and prohibited luggage items by clicking here.

Air Services – Airfare may be purchased through Tauck for travel originating in the United States. By using Tauck's air services, you agree that Tauck, in purchasing, selling or otherwise arranging air transportation, is acting only as your agent and is not liable or responsible for any accident, death, personal injury, illness, property damage, delay or other loss or expense of any nature whatsoever arising directly or indirectly out of any act of God, or any actions or omissions (including any failure to provide services) or default of, any carrier. All carriers are independent contractors and are not owned, managed, controlled or operated by Tauck. Your airline ticket constitutes a contract between yourself and the airline (and not Tauck), even if purchased through Tauck. Tauck is not liable for, and does not assume responsibility or accept claims with regard to, seat assignments, schedule changes, flight changes, cancellations, claims for a refund or reimbursement of airline ticket fees, or any other loss incurred by you for any reason whatsoever (including, without limitation to, bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or similar relief from creditors). Tauck must handle ticketing for Tauck's special fares, which are subject to availability and cannot be guaranteed until reserved. Special fares cannot be combined with any other promotional offer. Tauck's air services can only be purchased in conjunction with a Tauck tour. Tickets or e-ticket numbers will be mailed with final documents. If you cancel or change your air before or after departure, all airline cancellation and change fees will apply.

Cruise Regulations – International maritime security guidelines require that your passport information be provided to the cruise line prior to your embarkation. You need to provide this information to Tauck as soon as you book your cruise or boarding may be denied.

Holiday and Museum Closures – Museum visits and personal shopping time may be disrupted due to unforeseen circumstances or the many religious, state and local holidays locally observed.

Itinerary Changes and Price Flexibility – Tauck pledges to make every effort to operate your tour as advertised. Tauck reserves the right to alter or curtail the itinerary, or substitute sightseeing, hotels, and/or conveyances as deemed necessary. Any savings realized by these changes will be refunded to you. Any resultant added expense will be covered by Tauck. Although not expected, prices on this website may be modified due to unexpected significant external factors not forecast at the time of publication.

Journey Start and End Times are provided at time of booking. The tour begins at 6:00 PM at Le Méridien Barcelona on the first day of the tour. You or your booking agent will be advised of any change to this schedule. Your tour ends when you check out of Fairmont Monte Carlo on the last day of the tour. We suggest that you allow 2½ hours for flight check-in.

Membership will be granted to all persons. Tauck reserves the right to terminate the tour of any persons who are abusive of others or whose behavior disrupts the tour.

Photography on Tour – Occasionally, we will use photographs taken by fellow guests or your Tauck Director on your tour for promotional purposes. If you prefer that your photo not be used in any marketing activities, please notify your Tauck Director at the start of your tour. 

Air Conditioning – All the hotels, motor coaches, and Le Ponant are air-conditioned for your comfort. European air conditioning should be considered as a climate-control system; most have three settings for the fan, plus a "cool" setting. Very few of the European systems actually have a temperature setting. In general, the amount of cool air that is produced from a European air conditioning system may be less than what you may be accustomed to in your own living environment.

ATM and Credit Cards - We recommend that you contact your bank before you depart on this tour to determine whether you will be able to use your ATM and credit cards while traveling. When contacting your bank, notify them of your travel dates so that they will anticipate charges being made outside of your hometown and do not suspend your cards for what may appear to them as “suspicious” charges. We also recommend that you make a photocopy of the front and back sides of your ATM and credit cards to leave behind with someone at home who will assist you in the event your cards are misplaced, lost or stolen.

Clothing and Packing – The Mediterranean coast of France and Spain and the Balearic Islands have very warm, if not hot, summer days and evenings, though while at sea evening breezes do provide cooler temperatures. Dress for comfort and convenience with a flexible wardrobe. Casual, cotton clothing is always advisable, especially if worn in layers. A light jacket or sweater for evenings on deck is also recommended. Comfortable yet sturdy walking shoes that have already been broken-in are necessary, as many of the sites visited were built in antiquity and have uneven surfaces and cobblestone streets. For the welcome reception and the farewell dinner, you may wish to dress up a bit, but certainly be comfortable.

Shipboard attire is casual and informal. The usual dinner dress aboard Le Ponant is also casual and relaxed; while a jacket and tie is not required, shorts and bathing attire are not appropriate at dinner or other meal times. The captain's dinner aboard Le Ponant is an occasion for casual cocktail attire.

Valet laundry and dry-cleaning services are available for a fee at all the hotels on this itinerary; Le Ponant has laundry only, no dry cleaning.

We recommend that you pack an adequate supply of your prescription medication in its original container to last through your entire journey, together with a copy of your doctor’s prescription, or a letter from your health-care provider on office stationery explaining that the medication has been prescribed for you, a list of the generic name of your medication, your travel documents and a change of clothing in your carry-on bag to avoid any inconvenience in the event that your flight or luggage is delayed.

Hairdryers are located in all hotel rooms and shipboard staterooms. Hair curling and clothes irons are not permitted on board Le Ponant for safety reasons.

Following is a list of recommended items to pack for a cruise in the Mediterranean:

Elevation – Most time is spent at sea level.

Health – To enjoy all the tour has to offer, you should be in reasonably good health and able to walk reasonable distances, as some of the most memorable sightseeing can only be accomplished on foot. There is a moderate to significant amount of walking during our onshore excursions; for the most part, however, the amount of walking you do is at your discretion.

Some ship to shore transportation is by Zodiac (capacity 9 to 12 persons) or local tender. These are a safe means of transport; however, occasionally you will get wet with spray. Boarding Zodiacs can be difficult in inclement weather and for guests with knee or hip replacements.

Le Ponant has four decks and no elevator.

Le Ponant has a licensed and registered French physician onboard for professional and emergency services, which are available at customary charges. The ships' small infirmary is designed to provide medical care for certain temporary illnesses and accidents, and is not intended or capable of providing on-going treatment of pre-existing medical conditions.

We regret that we cannot accommodate wheelchairs on this cruise. We also cannot provide you with individual assistance for walking, dining or other personal needs. If you need such assistance, you must be accompanied by an able companion who will assist you.

Onboard the ship, certain outer decks have been designated as non-smoking areas. There is no smoking permitted in the interior of the ship.

Le Ponant is registered in France. Please check with your health insurance provider to determine whether you are covered while traveling. If you will not be covered under your current policy, we strongly suggest that you arrange for adequate coverage while on tour.

If you have a medical condition that might limit your participation in activities, please consult your physician for pre-departure health advice and notify Tauck as soon as possible, if you have not already done so. We will advise your Tauck Director accordingly.

If you are a citizen of the U.S., no vaccinations are currently required for travel to France, Monaco, or Spain. For complete vaccination and inoculation information, contact your physician, the public health service in your area, or the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia. The Travelers' Health Section of the CDC operates a 24-hour, prerecorded "Travelers' Health Hotline" at 877-394-8747 (toll-free in the U.S.). You may also log on to the CDC Internet website by clicking here.

If you are a citizen of another country, please contact an embassy or consulate of each of the countries visited to determine what vaccination(s) may be required for you to visit.

Luggage Restrictions -  

Checked Luggage – General

 

While it is common for airlines to allow passengers to check more than one piece of luggage per person, space constraints during your Tauck journey make it difficult to accommodate extra luggage. We ask that you limit your checked luggage to one average size suitcase per person.

In addition, airlines have adopted more strict policies in enforcing size and weight limits. Luggage exceeding maximum restrictions may require expensive overage fees, frustrating and hurried re-packing at the ticket counter, or even risk being left behind.

Many carriers require checked luggage not exceed a weight of 50 lbs (22.7 kg) per piece. Airlines revise luggage policies frequently and often without notice; therefore, Tauck cannot be held liable to the weight limit listed above. We urge you to check with your airline before traveling to determine current number, weight and size restrictions. It is also important to note that restrictions for luggage number, weight and size may vary with the same airline based on the class of service you select. First and Business Class ticket holders may have different restrictions than Coach Class travelers.

Tauck World Discovery cannot be held liable for additional fees or inconveniences imposed by the airline due to luggage number, weight and size policies.

Please be sure to attach your Tauck luggage tag to your suitcase before leaving home!

Carry-on Luggage – General

 

Although oversized bags and wheeled, carry-on luggage are popular for airline travel, they are often not convenient or appropriate for motor coach travel or for many on-tour flights. Most modern sightseeing motor coaches offer limited space for numerous or larger items. Space under seats or in the overhead rack is typically small, and designed to accommodate items like coats, hats, purses, and small camera bags, etc.

For your day-to-day travel while on tour, we recommend that you limit your hand luggage to a small, soft-sided carry-on piece, and only those items you need handy during the day such as purses, make-up, medications, cameras, film, etc. Items too large to fit under the motor coach seat or in the overhead rack must be stored in the luggage bays beneath the motor coach, and may not allow for access during daytime travel.

Travel Document Requirements – If you are a U.S. citizen, you will need a passport to enter the countries on this itinerary; however, you will not need a visa for the short duration of this tour. Please note that longer stays abroad for any purpose may require additional travel documentation.

If you are a citizen of another country, please contact a consulate or embassy of each of the countries on this itinerary to determine what travel documentation is required.

Tauck strongly recommends that your passport be valid for six months beyond the completion of your tour. In addition, Tauck recommends that you make at least two photocopies of all the travel documents that you bring with you. Include copies of the photo page of your passport that contains the date of issuance, the date of expiration and your citizenship, as well as both sides of your driver’s license. Secure one set of copies in the safe in your room while traveling and leave one set behind with someone at home who will assist you in the event your documents are misplaced, lost or stolen.

Travel with Children

Age Recommendations – Children 5 years of age or older at the time of travel are welcome on this Tauck journey. Based upon our experience with family travelers, for each itinerary we have a minimum recommended age to encourage comfort and enjoyment for all of our guests. All children must be accompanied on activities by a parent or guardian. At least one guest in the traveling party must be 21 years of age or older in order to make a reservation.

Babysitting – Tauck journeys are designed for adults and children to share the wonder of discovery together. However, our guests have occasionally inquired about babysitting services. If you are interested, your Tauck Director will put you in contact with the appropriate hotel staff with whom you may make babysitting arrangements, to ensure your precise needs are met. There is usually an additional fee for these services. Many hotels do offer babysitting services that may be arranged on site; however, babysitting services are not guaranteed at all of our hotels and are not available onboard Le Ponant. Please note that our Tauck Directors are not responsible for providing babysitting services.

Safety and Welfare Responsibility – We welcome the participation of child travelers on our exciting excursions. If you are traveling with a child on a Tauck journey, you have the sole responsibility for ensuring that that the child with whom you are traveling follows all rules of safety throughout the tour. By traveling with Tauck, you release Tauck, Inc. and our partners of all liability for any risks and/or injuries to the child with whom you are traveling.

 

If you travel into or out of the U.S. with children under the age of 18, you should be aware of the following: because of increasing incidents of child abductions in disputed custody cases and because children are at risk as possible victims of child pornography, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) strongly recommends that unless the child is accompanied by both parents, you should have a note from the child's other parent (or, in the case of a child traveling with grandparents, uncles or aunts, sisters or brothers, or friends, a note signed by both parents) stating that the parent(s) not traveling acknowledge that the parent(s), family members, etc. who are traveling into or out of the U.S. with the child have permission to do so.

CBP also suggests that this note be notarized. While CBP may not ask to see this documentation, if they do ask, and you do not have it, you may be detained until the circumstances of the child traveling without both parents can be fully assessed.

If there is no second parent with legal claims to the child (deceased, sole custody, etc.) any other relevant paperwork, such as a court decision, birth certificate naming only one parent, death certificate, etc., would be useful.

All children who are U.S. citizens should also have a certified copy of their birth certificate or baptism record for ID. Children over the age of 14 are also required to have a photo ID.

Many other countries also share this concern for children who travel without both parents. To ensure smooth travel, Tauck requires all guests to comply with the travel regulations of each country visited. This information is available from each country’s consulate.

Authorization for Emergency Medical Treatment

In the unlikely event of a medical emergency, a medical facility will require permission from the child’s parents to provide treatment. Therefore, we strongly suggest that you bring along a letter from both parents authorizing emergency medical treatment for their child.

Tauck is not responsible for the disruption of travel caused by improper documentation for any travelers, including children traveling without both parents. While there is no definitive format or standard for these letters, click here to view a sample letter for guardians or one parent traveling with a child.

  

Cell Phones - We understand and appreciate the value of instant communication when we travel; it keeps us in touch with friends and family, and it's a reassurance in the event of an emergency. However, the use of cell phones can be disruptive to a tour and to other guests who are enjoying their vacation. As a courtesy to others, we ask that you refrain from using your cell phone during motor coach travel or group functions. There are usually many opportunities to make or receive calls at times when it does not affect others.

Please contact your cell phone carrier to determine whether your cell phone service extends to France, Monaco and Spain.

Currency and Exchange Rates - The official currency in France, Monaco and Spain is the Euro. Local currencies are generally most acceptable as payment and can be obtained at Le Méridien Barcelona upon arrival. All convertible currency may be exchanged at banks and foreign exchange bureaus, which are generally located at hotels, airports, and railroad and bus stations. ATMs offer convenience, very good exchange rates, and are widely dispersed throughout the areas visited. For the best exchange rate, we suggest using major credit cards. American Express, Visa, and MasterCard are accepted in most locations on this itinerary. Travelers’ checks are not universally accepted and usually fees are charged to convert them. Contact your bank in advance of departure to determine whether you will be able to use your ATM and credit cards while traveling.

You may settle your shipboard account with U.S. currency, American Express, Visa, MasterCard and U.S. travelers’ checks. There is no foreign exchange counter on board Le Ponant.

To obtain the most current exchange rate, you may want to check your local newspaper or log on to the Internet website, “Oanda.com”, by clicking here.

Customs and Tax-Free Shopping – You should familiarize yourself with each country's specific required customs declarations before you travel. In general, you are not permitted to bring live plants, fresh fruits and other produce items into most countries.

 

France - France Guide

Spain – Travel.state.gov/travel

Monaco – State.gov

 

If you are a U.S resident who will be returning to the U.S. at the end of the tour, current regulations permit bringing back $800 worth of items duty-free, as long as you physically bring them with you. There are limits to the amount of alcohol that can be a part of this exemption. Certain restrictions apply to unaccompanied goods mailed from abroad to the United States. Please call your local customs office or consult the U.S. government's customs regulations as contained in their publication entitled Know Before You Go.

 

If you are a resident of another country, please refer to your own country’s rules and regulations regarding customs and duty-free shopping to ensure compliance upon your return.

 

France and Monaco currently levy a Value Added Tax (VAT) of approximately 19.6% on consumer purchases, and Spain 16%. (The tax rate may be higher for luxury items and lower for basic goods.) As a rule, if you are not a resident of the country (or of the country’s intergovernmental economic community, e.g., the European Union) in which the purchase is made, you may be entitled to a VAT refund and should inquire about the refund policy where you shop.

Electrical Current – The electrical current in France and Italy is 230 V, 50 Hz, AC; in Spain, 220 V, 50 Hz, AC. On board Le Ponant, the current is 220 V. If you bring electrical devices that are not compatible with these systems, you should bring the appropriate adapters and converters.

Internet Access is available in both of the hotels' Business Centers for a fee. The Fairmont Monte Carlo  also provides wireless access in the lobby. Aboard Le Ponant, satellite email may be sent or received for a fee; however, there is no internet access available.

Time Zones – All locations visited on this tour are 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (or Greenwich Mean Time). From late March to late October, these locations switch to Daylight Savings Time and are 2 hours ahead.

To read about current time in major cities around the world, we suggest you log on to the Internet website, “Timeanddate.com”, by clicking here.

Weather – Summer in the western Mediterranean and along the coast from Monte-Carlo to Barcelona ranges from very warm to hot, with temperatures often above 90°F (32°C) during the day and dropping only to 70°F (21°C) at night. Rainfall can occur anytime throughout the year, though June and July are the driest months.

 

To read about current weather conditions, we suggest you log on to the Internet website “Weather.com” by clicking here.

Cancellation Fees – Regardless of reason, cancellations of confirmed bookings result in Tauck incurring costly penalties and cancellation fees from our travel and hotel providers. Therefore, if you have to cancel a confirmed booking, Tauck will charge you a cancellation fee according to when your cancellation notice is received in its Norwalk, CT office. To help limit your liability, Tauck offers a Tauck Protection Plan.

If you choose to purchase Tauck’s Guest Protection or Cancellation Fee Waiver, you will have your cancellation penalties reduced. Click here for more details.

If you choose not to purchase Tauck’s Guest Protection or Cancellation Fee Waiver, you will incur cancellation penalties per person as follows:

 

60 days or more before departure
$1,100 per person (the amount of the deposit)

59-30 days before departure
50% of the cost of the tour per person

29-1 days before departure
100% of the cost of the tour per person