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, mineral water, soft drinks, laundry, airline excess luggage charges, vaccinations, visa fees and services, departure taxes, and other optional or incidental extras are not included and may be significant.

 

Airline Security Measures –

If you are traveling from the U.S., beginning in 2010, the U.S. Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) Secure Flight program will require that your name, as it appears on your domestic or international airline ticket, precisely match your name as it appears on the government-issued photo ID (i.e., passport or driver’s license) that you present during security screening. The ID name must also match any additional airline data, such as frequent-flyer information. For example, if you present your driver's license to security and it says John T. Smith, your ticket must also say John T. Smith; not John Thomas Smith, not Jack Smith, or any other variant. Your date-of-birth and gender information provided to the airline must also match your photo ID.

If you make your air travel arrangements through Tauck, please ensure that the name you provide us precisely matches your name as shown on the identification you will use while traveling. If you make your own airline reservations, please ensure that the airline has the correct information.

For more information on the Secure Flight program, please visit the TSA web site, www.tsa.gov, by clicking here.

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, pocket knife, 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.

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 embarkation. This information will be gathered in Istanbul prior to embarking the ship. Your passport will be held by the Windstar Purser for the duration of the cruise.

  

Holidays 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 forecasted at the time of publication.

Journey Start and End Times are provided at time of booking. The tour begins at 6:00 PM at the Ceylan Inter-Continental on the first day of the tour. You or your booking agent will be advised of any changes to this schedule. Your tour ends when you check out of the Hotel Grand Bretagne on the last day of the tour. When making flight arrangements, we advise you to allow at least 2 ½ hours for flight check-in.

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

Photography on Tour – Occasionally, Tauck 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 - The motor coaches used on this tour are air-conditioned for your comfort. The Windstar ships and all of the hotels on this itinerary have air conditioning. Please note that 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 experience in your own living environment.

ATM and Credit Cards - Tauck recommends that you contact your bank in advance of departing for 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 to be “suspicious” charges. Tauck also recommends 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 - As you prepare for travel, select a wardrobe that is light and cool but is adaptable and allows for layering. Most days are spent outside or in transit. Therefore, casual, comfortable, cotton clothing is recommended. Breezy days at sea and cool evenings will require warmer, layered clothing. A jacket and tie are not required for gentlemen aboard ship, but may be preferred or required at some local restaurants.

The "casual elegance" of a Windstar ship is also reflected in the way their guests dress. Windstar recommends that you wear imaginative, yet relaxed, stylish, yet comfortable, clothing as you would at an elegant land resort. For women's daytime wear, they suggest walking shorts, skirts, sarongs, lightweight tops and cover-ups; for evening wear - sun dresses, pants, or informal cocktail attire. For men's daytime wear, they suggest Bermuda shorts, polo shirts, and khaki pants; in the evening - lightweight trousers and short-sleeved dress or polo shirts. No suits or ties are required. Shorts, jeans, and t-shirts are not permitted in the restaurant or bistro during the evening.

Valet laundry service is available at the hotels listed on this itinerary. On board the ship, next-day laundry and pressing service is available; dry cleaning services, irons and ironing boards are not available. A hair dryer is located in each cabin.

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 names 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.

Following is a list of recommended items to pack for cruising on the Aegean Sea:

Elevation - The maximum elevation on this tour is 500 feet (152 meters). Most time on tour is spent at sea level.

Health - To fully enjoy this tour’s itinerary, you must be in fairly good health and able to walk reasonable distances, as some of the sightseeing can only be accomplished on foot, often over broken or uneven ground. Many of the sites visited were built in antiquity and have many steps and uneven surfaces. It is important that you wear sturdy, comfortable walking shoes that have already been broken-in. The amount of walking that you choose to do, however, is at your discretion. Additionally, you should be steady on your feet to circumnavigate the decks of the Windstar ship while cruising on the Aegean Sea. Some ship to shore transportation is by local tender. These are safe transports but occasionally you may get wet with spray.

Tauck is not able to accommodate wheelchairs on this tour. We regret that we 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 help you.

A doctor and limited medical facilities are available onboard. However, if you take special medications, please bring an adequate supply with you; they may not be available onboard. Medical services and all medicines (except acetaminophen, aspirin and anti-nausea pills) dispensed to you by the ship's doctor will be charged to your shipboard account. If you become ill during the voyage and the physician is unable to care for your needs onboard, you will be transferred to medical facilities onshore. Due to the limited medical facilities on the ship, Windstar Cruises will not accept reservations for infants 24 months of age or younger or for women who will be 27 or more weeks pregnant as of the time their travel with Windstar concludes.

The Windstar cruise ships are registered in the Bahamas. 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.

The Wind Star and the Wind Spirit do not have elevators.

Smoking is not permitted on the motor coaches or inside the ship, including inside staterooms. Smoking is only permitted on the outer decks in designated smoking areas.

If you have a medical condition which 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 U.S. citizen, no vaccinations are currently required for travel to Greece or Turkey. 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, U.S.A. The Travelers' Health Section of the CDC operates a 24-hour, pre-recorded "Travelers' Health Hotline" at 877-394-8747 (toll-free in the U.S.). You may also logon on to the CDC Internet website at www.cdc.gov.

If you are a citizen of another country, please contact an embassy or consulate of Greece and of Turkey to determine what vaccination(s) may be required for your travel.

Luggage Restrictions -

Special Luggage Restrictions for this Tour
Due to space constraints aboard Windstar and on motor coaches in Turkey and Greece, we recommend that you limit your hand luggage to one small carry-on, no larger than an average size knapsack, which will easily fit under your seat, as overhead racks are not wide enough to accommodate large bags.

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 on enforcing size and weight limits. Luggage exceeding maximum restrictions may require expensive overage fees and 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 weight and size restrictions. It is also important to note that restrictions for luggage size and weight 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 size, piece or weight 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 valid passport which will remain valid for at least six months after your tour ends. You are also required to obtain a visa to enter Turkey. Visas are available through the Windstar cruise ship onboard prior to your arrival in Turkey, or at the customs’ desk on arrival at Istanbul's International Airport (depending upon the direction of your itinerary). The cost of the visa is $20 USD per person; visas may only be purchased in U.S. dollars. Exact change is suggested.

If you are a citizen of another country, you should contact an embassy or consulate of Greece and of Turkey to determine what travel documentation is required.

Although Tauck generally recommends that your passport be valid for six months beyond the completion of your tour, Windstar Cruises has made this a condition of travel on their ships. In addition, we recommend 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. 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. For safety and security purposes, children under 18 years of age must be booked into a room with at least one accompanying adult. If you are traveling with a child on a Tauck journey, you have the sole responsibility for ensuring 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 court decision, birth certificate naming only one parent, death certificate, etc., will 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, group functions, and when sightseeing or when the Tauck Director is addressing the group as a whole. There are usually ample opportunities to make or receive calls at times when it does not affect others.

Please contact your cell phone carrier to determine whether your service extends to Greece and Turkey.

Currency and Exchange Rates - The currency in Greece is the Euro. In Turkey the currency is the Turkish New Lira although U.S. dollars are widely accepted.

In Greece, banks and exchange bureaus are widely available and travelers’ checks and major credit cards are widely accepted. ATMs are widespread and are generally the most cost effective and convenient method of obtaining euros.

In Turkey, currency can be exchanged at banks, exchange booths, post offices, airports and ferry ports; banks have the least favorable rates and highest commissions, but will exchange lesser known foreign currencies. ATMs are widely available in major cities and tourist areas. Visa and MasterCard are widely accepted. Travelers’ checks can be exchanged at some banks and exchange bureaus, but are not as welcome as cash or credit cards. U.S. dollars or euros are preferred.

We also recommend that you carry some cash in U.S. dollars, in $1, $5, and $10 denominations, for miscellaneous use when only a small amount of currency is required. Should you have any questions, your Tauck Director will be happy to assist you.

Onboard the Windstar ships, an imprint of your credit card will be taken upon embarkation in order to open your shipboard account. All charges throughout the cruise are signed to your stateroom. Only on the last day of the cruise can cash (in U.S. dollars only) and credit cards be used to purchase goods and services. There is no foreign exchange counter and no ATM machine onboard the ship. The ship uses U.S. currency only and will cash travelers’ checks and provide U.S. dollars.

To obtain the most current exchange rate, you may want to check your local newspaper or log on to the Internet website www.oanda.com.

Customs and Tax-Free Shopping – You should familiarize yourself with Greece and Turkey’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.

 

Greece – VisaHQ.com

 Turkey – VisaHQ.com

 

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 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.

Greece currently levies a 19% Value Added Tax (VAT) on consumer purchases; Turkey levies an 18% VAT. (The tax may be higher on luxury items and lower on basic goods.) As a rule, if you are not a resident of the country in which the purchase is made (or of the country’s intergovernmental economic community, e.g., the European Union), you may be entitled to a VAT refund and should inquire about the refund policy where you shop.

Electrical Current – The electrical current in Greece is 220 V, 50 Hz, AC, and in Turkey is 230 V, 50 Hz, AC. On board the Wind Star and the Wind Spirit, each stateroom is equipped with two 110 V electrical outlets. If you bring a small electrical appliance that is not compatible with these electrical systems, you should bring the appropriate adapter and converter required to operate your appliance.

 

 

To read about current weather conditions, we suggest you log on to the Internet website, www.weather.com. 

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 waived. Please   click here for more details.

If you choose not to purchase the Tauck Protection Plan, you will incur cancellation penalties per person as follows:

 

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

59-30 days before departure
50% of the cost of the tour per person, not including air (if applicable)

29-1 days before departure
100% of the cost of the tour per person, not including air (if applicable)