Topics:
What is included in the price?
Transport (new, small air-conditioned coaches – usually Isuzu Turquoise with 30 seats). accommodation / breakfasts in high-standard hotels (hotel details listed for every tour). tour manager throughout the trip. local guides (as specified in the program). the majority of dinners (listed in the program). all entrances and special cultural programs (specified for every tour). information leaflet` health insurance.
What are not included in the price?
Transport to and from Poland (the tours are land-based only); beverages during the dinners, 2-6 evenings we leave free for you to decide where to dine (if some people want to dine together, the tour leader can book a good restaurant in advance).
Can I book the tour just for one individual or are the tours only for groups?
It is mostly individual travelers who book our guaranteed-date small group tours (couples, single travelers, families of 2-3 members or friends), but sometimes 4-5 people book together. If there are more people who wish to travel together, they usually order a separate private tour with the same or similar itinerary and services.
Who will be my fellow travelers?
Usually people from English-speaking countries (the USA, the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland), sometimes also people from other countries who have very good command of English (e.g. Scandinavian countries, the Netherlands, Italy, Turkey, or India). People usually appreciate that the group consists of various nationalities. To date, our youngest participant was 10 and the oldest, 85, while the average age is 40-60. Our guests are open-minded and easy-going. We have been told that friendships begin during a tour with StayPoland.com.
Group members spend most of the time together and the fact is that the program is quite rich. However, at every major destination you have some free time. In addition, we schedule several evenings when dinners are not prepaid.
The tour manager stays with the group from the very beginning to the end. She or he knows Poland, loves the country, and is fluent in English and a licensed tour guide. We hire only the best guides, either Poles or English-native expatriots who have lived in Poland for a long time.
We appreciate any positive word of mouth and give 100 USD discount per room to customers who contact us after recommendation from previous fixed date tour customers.
To minimize the tour prices, we publish them in Polish zloty (the currency of our costs). It’s practical also from the customer’s perspective. Otherwise travel agencies are forced to artificially increase their rates in foreign currencies in order to avoid unfavourable future exchange rates changes. Our site shows the today’s exchange rate in any currency. The needed prepayment is just 20%.
In summary,
What are the benefits ?
Established in 1984, Golden Tours is the leading sightseeing company in the UK. Golden Tours are part of the international Gray Line family. We provide tickets to well-known attractions as well as an extensive range of sightseeing tours, rail products, evening tours, cruises, Paris by Eurostar trips - and much more. You will travel in luxury air-conditioned coaches, escorted by a professional guide.
By purchasing your tickets in advance on Goldentours.com you will be applicable to Golden Tours Best Price Guarantee, which means if you find the same tour or activity sold for less, we will refund the difference. Terms and Conditions apply. The benefit of buying attraction tickets in advance on Goldentours.com means you are able to purchase tickets to different attractions at the same time. Many of our entrance tickets are fast-track tickets so you can beat the queues and save time on your holiday!
Lastly, you live like a local which allows you to experience different lifestyles and cultures from the 'inside' rather than from the 'outside' like a tourist. Clearly, the best way to do this is to live like a local, where the locals live, rather than a tourist. Hotels tend to insulate you from any meaningful cultural experiences. Staying in a genuine home does offer you that experience.
What costs are involved?
No money changes hands when arranging Tour and so your stay will be free. The exception are tours that are also available for rent if you choose go that route.
What membership options do you offer?
There are three levels of membership: Standard, Plus, and Pro. All plans include a risk-free 14 day trial period. To compare the different plans click here.
What can I do as a Standard member?
As a Standard member you can list your tours, create a profile, manage your own list of favorite tours, and communicate with all other members. To send messages you must have your home listed with at least one photo.
What can I do as a Plus member?
As a Plus member you can freely communicate with all members in the community, that is, view and reply to messages and requests from other members -- as often as you wish, there is no limit. These conversations allow you to build trust between you and the other exchange party and freely discuss dates and other details relative to a tours.
What can I do as a Pro member?
As a Pro member you can freely communicate with all members in the community, that is, view and reply to messages and requests from other members -- as often as you wish, there is no limit. These conversations allow you to build trust between you and the other tours party and freely discuss dates and other details relative to a tour.
Do I need to sign up to use Tours?
You don't have to sign up to search and explore available tours. However, to list your own tour and send messages to other members you need to sign up, either for the free BASIC membership or the paid PREMIUM membership. The free BASIC membership doesn't cost anything, and we invite those who may be interested in exploring tours to sign up and give it a try!
Is there a limit to the number of tours I can arrange?
No, there is no limit. You can serve a tour as often as you want.
What can I do as a visitor (without signing up)?
As a visitor you can find, view, and explore all listed tours. You cannot list your own tour, maintain your profile, manage your own favorite tours, or contact any of the other members. For that and more you need to sign up.
How can I pass on my comments to Tours?
Please contact our customer services department at customerservices@goldentours.com who will be happy to hear your comments or alternatively you can write to us at: Golden Tours Limited, 58-60 Petty France, London SW1H 9EU.
How secure are my personal details?
Your personal details are entirely secure. Your personal information is submitted on a secure server with 128-bit SSL encryption and is used only in order to create your ticket and/or contact you if there is any problem with your booking. Your details will not be passed on to any third-party.
I received a swap proposal. Do I have to accept?
No, you are under no obligation to accept any proposal or request. Also, there is no need to rush to a decision. Take your time and carefully evaluate whether the home and the timing appeals to you. If not, be courteous and thank the member proposing the exchange. If you are not certain and need more information, ask questions, lots of questions, before agreeing to the exchange. It is not unusual to have a lengthy exchange of messages followed by a couple Skype sessions before the two families come to a final swap agreement.
What if I own more than one tour?
No problem. All plans allow unlimited properties. Additionally, your tours listing does not have to be your primary tour.
How do I search for a Tours ?
The easiest way to start a search is to enter any combination of a city, country, and/or postal code in the search box. our Site will then find the tours that best match those criteria and list them in descending order.
Alternatively, you can click on the quick links with popular destinations and get started that way.
On our homepage you also find a 'reverse search' capability. Essentially is answers the question, where can my family go? Let's explain with an example. Suppose you live in Rome, Italy. You enter Rome, Italy and then the system will provide you with a list of all members who would consider going to your place. It is an easy to way to explore the possibilities you have with your tour.
What if I have certain requirements?
To meet your requirements, our Site provides so called filters which allow you to filter your search results. The most common ones are 1) your travel dates, and 2) number people you travel with. These common filters are always available on the search page and home details pages.
On the search results page has additional filters on the left hand side. Any combination of these can be selected, such as, number of bedrooms, automobile exchange, property type (apartment, villa, boat, etc) and more. Avoid selecting too many filters as this will severely limit the number of homes returned in your search results. Too many filters may lead to no results at all.
How do I contact other members
There are two primary ways to contact other members: messages and pings™. (explained below)
How do messages work?
Each ToursGo member has their own private messaging area that only they can see.
Messages are text based, threaded discussions, similar to email. You will be notified by
email when a new message has arrived in your ToursGo inbox.
To help you communicate better, your messages follow certain steps. Intially your messages
are in a status called 'In Discussion'. Once a member proposes a tour (which includes dates) the status changes to
'Tour proposed'. The other party can then choose 'Tour agreed' or 'Tour denied'. A rarely used option is
'Cancelled', meaning the discussion was cancelled. To minimize travel plan disruptions, the "Cancel" option
should only be used in very rare circumstances.
What are pings™?
A ping is a query (or signal) to check if another member may be interested in tour with you. Pings are a convenience tool. They prevent you from writing messages when there is no chance of a serve. Those who receive a ping, can respond with a 'Yes' or 'No' pingback. Yes means they are potentially interested and No means not. Optionally, a pingback can contain a short 60-character message. Once a 'Yes' pingback arrives members typically start discussing details using standard messages. You can ping as many members as you like, but any particular member can only be pinged once every 3 months.
What is a Tour agreement?
Once a discussion is in 'Tour Proposed' status, you can start filling out a Tour Agreement. It contains details, such as, home addresses, arrival and departure dates, key pickup, emergency contact numbers, things to know about the house, and more. Each party gets their own copy of the agreement. These documents clearly establish the rules and expectations for each visiting party. It is best that each party completes and signs their copy.
What is a message Template
Next to each tour listing is a 'Send Message' box where you enter your message to the listing's owne r. To avoid having to write the same message over and over, you can create your own template message (under your Message area). Templates can save you considerable time and effort. The nice thing is that each message can still be adjusted before pushing the send button.
