Health – While the pace of this tour is relaxed and leisurely, you should be in good health and able to walk reasonable distances over uneven terrain, as some of the most memorable sightseeing can only be accomplished on foot. For the most part, however, the amount of walking you do is at your discretion.

All of the hotels and resorts on this itinerary have an elevator, with the exception of the Harraseeket Inn. If you have difficulty walking, be sure to advise your Tauck Director at the beginning of the tour so that rooms close to the public areas or on the ground floor can be requested if possible.

The Mirror Lake Inn Resort and Spa is a non-smoking property. The hotel may charge a guest cleaning fees if the guest is found to have smoked anywhere in the hotel. These fees may be applied even after a guest has checked out.

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.

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 are a U.S. citizen, no vaccinations are currently required for travel within the U.S.

If you are a citizen of another country, please check with an embassy or consulate of the United States to determine what vaccination(s) may be required for your travel. You may also view the U.S. Department of State travel website by clicking here.

Luggage Restrictions:

Checked Luggage – General

While it is common that airlines 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 stricter policies enforcing number, 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 or size policies.

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

Carry-on Luggage - General:

Although oversize 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 – Grand Autumn New England begins and ends in the U.S. If you are a U.S. citizen, you must carry proof of citizenship such as your passport, a notarized copy of your birth certificate, a driver’s license with photo or your naturalization papers.

If you are a citizen of another country, you should contact an embassy or consulate of the to determine what travel documentation is necessary.

We strongly recommend that your passport be valid for six months beyond the completion of your tour. 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, date of expiration and your citizenship, as well as the front and back 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 – Tauck welcomes 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 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.

Special Travel Documentation for Children

Authorization for Travel

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 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.

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.


Destination Information

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 while on the motor coach, during group functions, when sightseeing and when the Tauck Director is addressing the group as a whole. 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 service extends to New York and New England.

Currency and Exchange Rates - The U.S. dollar (USD) is the unit of currency and is divided into 100 cents. Only major banks exchange foreign currency. ATMs are widely available and credit cards and travelers’ checks are widely accepted. Travelers’ checks should be taken in U.S. dollars to avoid hassles. Banking hours are generally Monday to Friday 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

To obtain the current currency exchange rates, you may want to check your local newspaper or log on to the Internet website, “oanda.com – The Currency Site”, by clicking here.

Customs and Tax-Free Shopping – Visitors to the United States (non-U.S. residents) are normally entitled to a duty-free exemption of $100 USD on items accompanying them. To find out more information on what information must be provided to U.S. Customs and Border Control (CBP) upon entry, please refer to the CBP internet website by clicking here.

If you are not a U.S. citizen, you should refer to your own country’s rules and regulations regarding customs and duty-free shopping to ensure compliance upon your return.

The individual states within the U.S. levy sales taxes on consumer goods and services. There is no federal Value Added Tax (VAT) system similar to that found in other countries that permit non-residents to obtain refunds of the sales taxes levied by each state.

Electrical Current – The electrical current in the U.S. is 110 V, 60 Hz, AC, which accommodates standard U.S. plugs having either two flat pins or two flat pins and a round grounding pin. If you bring electric devices that are not compatible with this system you should bring the appropriate adapters and converters.

Internet Access -

The Langham Hotel - High-speed Access in rooms for a fee
The Harraseeket Inn - Wireless access for a fee
The Mount Washington Hotel - Wireless access for a fee
The Inn at Essex - High-speed access in guest rooms for a fee
The Mirror Lake Inn - Dial-up access in guest rooms for a fee
Jackson Gore Inn, Okemo Mountain Resort - Complimentary wireless access

Time Zones – All locations on this itinerary are 5 hours behind Coordinated Universal Time (or Greenwich Mean Time). From mid-March to early November, these locations switch to Daylight Savings Time and are 4 hours behind.

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

Weather – New England has four distinct seasons and with each some rain or snow does fall. In autumn, from September through November, daytime temperatures range from 50 to 75 ˚F (10 to 24 ˚C), but temperatures above 80 ˚F (27 ˚C) as well as freezing temperatures are not uncommon. “Indian summer” is a name given to a period of sunny, warm weather in autumn not long before winter. The most widely accepted criterion for determining whether an Indian summer is occurring is that the weather must be above 70 °F (21 °C) for seven days after the autumnal equinox. In the mountains, late nights and early mornings may be chilly. By the shore, a short jaunt out onto the water or even relaxing seaside with an onshore breeze may require a jacket or sweater. To enjoy the changing color of the leaves be prepared for early morning frosts and even a day or two of summer-like weather.

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

If You Have to Cancel

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 our Norwalk, CT, office. To help limit your liability, Tauck offers Tauck Travel Protection.

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 information.

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