Travel to Europe - Europe Vacation Packages

Yes. Combining travel to more than one of our True Trips destinations is an excellent choice. Please contact a True Trips Travel Expert for further details by email at info@truetrips.com, or when completing our customized travel survey inform us that you would like to travel to more than one country and we will design your itinerary accordingly.

We ask all of our potential guests to complete our customized travel survey. This will provide us with all of the important information we need in order to design a trip that best suits your needs and preferences.

Yes. True Trips offers unforgettable customized honeymoon packages for this special occasion. Please visit our Romance customized trips section for details about how True Trips can plan your ideal honeymoon to some of the most romantic destinations in Europe.

No. True Trips is dedicated to offering complete experiences based on authenticity and intimacy. We feel that if we were to book only hotels, our guests would truly miss out on the True Trips guidance that enables them to fully experience a destination’s local culture and beauty.

No. All of our itineraries are created individually for each request we receive. Whether you plan to travel solo, as a couple, with family or a group of friends, True Trips will work with you to design a customized trip tailored to your specific needs and interests. In order to begin planning, please complete our customized travel survey and we will design your itinerary accordingly.

The price we provide you for your trip does not include your international arrival and departure airfare. Although we would be more than happy to book your international flight, we encourage you to make these arrangements on your own. Based on experience, not only will you receive a much better rate by purchasing your international airfare in the country you depart from, you will also have more flexibility and control of your choices.

All domestic transfers as per your itinerary will be included for you, as well as any flights within Europe in case you combine two or more countries during your trip.

Participants in a True Trips itinerary must be ambulatory so that they can get on/off cars, air planes, trains and ferries. Depending on the location, some hotels have a large number of steps without the presence of elevators. Additionally, some hotel stairs are narrow. Some more remote locations (like islands and small villages) often have rough pavement and a large number of steps. If you are concerned about accessibility, please feel free to get in touch with one of our True Trips Travel Experts by email at info@truetrips.com or by telephone at 1-800-817-7098.

Yes. Working with a travel agent can enhance your trip by providing you with information and advice not available on our website. True Trips has relationships with some of the best travel agents globally and would be pleased to work with yours.

Our travel programs are of a potentially moderately rigorous nature, but definitely not strenuous. Depending on the destinations included in your itinerary, your trip may include air, ferry, train and car transfers, but you will not feel overwhelmed by the quantity of travel. Our trips are not a forced march and always allow for plenty of free time. Scheduled activities are not mandatory, except of course for transfers between destinations. In order to fully enjoy the experience in southern Europe, travelers must be physically able to endure warm temperatures, while certain activities in any True Trips destination may require physical endurance.

When filling out our customized travel survey we strongly advise that you mention your concern regarding any accessibility issues so that your True Trips Travel Expert can make appropriate adjustments and recommendations to your itinerary.

True Trips uses only the finest upscale hotels in each destination included in your itinerary. All of the hotels in our portfolio are considered to be among the best hotels in Europe. Excellent quality of accommodation, location, service, and hotel management are all evaluated when selecting a hotel affiliate.

Yes. All True Trips affiliate hotels are fully air-conditioned.

Some of the hotels included in the True Trips portfolio have specific non-smoking rooms; however, some boutique hotels do not have specific non-smoking rooms because they are small establishments with a limited amount of rooms. If non-smoking rooms are requested, the hotels will be informed so that the rooms are cleaned to a non–smoking standard.

We always suggest spending at least one night in the city you arrive in, and one night at the end of your trip. This allows for a stress-free arrival and departure. Any delay you may experience from your international flight may mean that you run the risk of missing your connecting flight, train or ferry. If you wish to make a direct connection from your international flight to another location, you will have to accept the risk involved even though we have advised you against it.

Part of exploring a country and its traditions means discovering local cuisine. For this reason, True Trips does not include daily pre-paid meals. Instead, in each of our destinations we have carefully selected a variety of restaurants, ranging from traditional to upscale, so that you are able to fully enjoy an authentic gastronomic experience on your own. True Trips does offer pre-paid meals at a variety of excellent restaurants. If you have selected to include one or more pre-paid meals at one of our affiliate restaurants, we generally do not limit the menu choices except on rare occasions; in most cases, you will make an unrestricted selection from the restaurant's menu. If your itinerary includes pre-paid meals, you will receive a True Trips restaurant voucher to present to the restaurant and will only be responsible for paying the alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages that you order. No other payment will be necessary on your part.

We advise all of our guests to consult the appropriate governmental agencies and embassies to determine applicable requirements. True Trips will assist in providing information to guests, but assumes no responsibility for advising guests of entry requirements. Cruise companies may refuse to embark or disembark a guest in the event that required documentation is not presented and shall have no liability whatsoever for a refund.

Our offices are open weekdays Monday to Thursday from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm Eastern European Time (EET), on Fridays from 9:00 am to 7:30 pm EET, and we are closed on the weekends. We do accommodate emergency calls for our guests when needed outside of our regular office hours. We would be happy to speak with you by phone in order to provide additional information - please do not hesitate to contact us at 1-800-817-7098 (dialing from the US) or at +30-210-61-20-656 (dialing from Greece or elsewhere).

There is no difference – we are the same team! True Trips is the single brand that describes our company as a whole. True Trips was born following the successful course of True Greece, founded by Christos Stergiou more than a decade ago. To learn more about us as a company, please visit What Is True Trips.

True Trips accepts American Express, Visa, and MasterCard. A direct deposit option is also available

Once you are ready to secure your trip, there are two options for you to choose from:

1/ Credit Card Payment in Euro (Expedited Booking): Please use our online payment option for secure payment by credit card - you can book your trip simply by clicking the “Book My TrueTrip” button in your preferred itinerary. If you need guidance or have any questions about the process, do not hesitate to give us a call at 1-800-817-7098.

Having charged your card, we will move ahead with placing your reservations and start the execution process. Note, this option does not include the cash discount outlined in your itinerary and thus the total price will be adjusted by waiving the 3% discount. Paying by credit card is a great option if you collect points, or if your credit card provider offers travel insurance – a couple of extra bonuses to keep in mind! We accept all major credit cards.

2/ Direct Deposit in US Dollars: If you would like to take advantage of the discounted trip cost by paying through a direct deposit, please give us a call at 1-800-817-7098 to provide us with your credit card details (only as a guarantee for your booking), and following our conversation we will email you the details on how to proceed with making a direct deposit in USD to our Bank of America account. In this case, only once we confirm receipt of your bank deposit will we proceed with placing your reservations and start executing your trip.

We strongly advise our guests to purchase a travel insurance package that best fits their needs and recommend considering a policy that includes a “Cancel For Any Reason” option.

A True Trips Welcome Package has all of the details of your trip, including your tickets, transfer information, and tour and activity schedules. It also includes all of our recommendations and tips for each of the destinations included in your itinerary. Your Welcome Package will be given to you by the driver that meets you upon your international arrival. Some travel itineraries require that we send a Welcome Package to our guest’s home address via courier, in which case they are typically received two weeks before the trip starts.

In an effort to offer our guests a local’s perspective in each destination, our Recommendation Guides are provided exclusively to our guests in order to complement their tailor made travel experience. Written and designed by our destination experts, for sophisticated travelers who are looking for an authentic experience, these guides cover the history, feel, and local discovery routes of each location included in your trip itinerary.

As of November 2006 all flights within the European Union (including domestic flights within a given country) are subject to the security measures concerning liquids and travel baggage arrangements. These security measures apply to all airports within the EU, with no exceptions.

Due to the extremely strict security measures there are restrictions on the quantity of liquids (if any) that can be taken through the security check points. For further information please visit the US Transportation Security Administration web page on transportation and airport security (www.tsa.gov) or consult the equivalent authority in your home country.

Before traveling please contact the United States Department of Agriculture (www.usda.gov) or the equivalent authority in your home country for detailed information on personal food and plant imports.

For scheduled True Trips transfers, our guests always travel comfortably with up-to-date, fully air conditioned, and clean vehicles appropriate for the territory, itinerary and number of people in the guests' party.

For air travel, we use airlines with modern aircrafts ranging from the Boeing 727, 737, 777 Airbus A200, A320, A330, and where appropriate BAe Avro RJ 100 to twin turboprop aircraft like the ATR 72 or BAe Jetstream 3102.

For ferry travel, we use comfortable, large, modern commercial ferries. We also use modern high-speed boats, hydrofoils, or catamarans where appropriate.

For train travel, we use modern high-speed trains.

Note, for domestic flights, ferry and trains we always book economy class tickets. If you would prefer to travel in business class, let us know during the planning stage of your trip and we will be happy to make the appropriate arrangements for you.

Although laws do vary from country to country, if you plan to drive in Europe we suggest that you have a valid International Driving Permit from your home country.

In the US, the U.S. Department of State has authorized two organizations to issue international permits to those who hold a valid U.S. driver's licenses: The American Automobile Association (AAA) and the American Automobile Touring Alliance. For more information, please visit the AAA website: http://www.aaa.com/vacation/idpc.html. It is the traveler’s responsibility to check with the equivalent authority in their home country for up-to-date information.

No. Due to complex legal issues True Trips is not able to book rental cars for its guests.

Credit cards and debit cards are widely used in Europe for restaurants and shops. Visa and Mastercard are more widely accepted; American Express and Diners are not as widely accepted. Discover Cards are not typically accepted. Because you will also visit smaller towns and villages that may only accept cash, we always recommend carrying a small cash balance with you.

There are typically an abundance of ATMs in each destination so that withdrawing cash is not a problem. We recommend consulting with your bank before your departure to ensure that you will be able to withdraw money from an ATM machine while in Europe and that no fees apply.

You are required at all times to carry an official piece of photo ID while in Europe. We recommend carrying your official Driver’s License or another piece of official photo identification. We do not recommend carrying your official passport with you and you may like to store these documents in your hotel’s safety deposit box. Considering common travel practice, we always recommend carrying with you at all times, a photocopy of your passport, ticket details, travel insurance, hotel address etc., as well as a 24-hour emergency contact number.

Even though there are currently no vaccination requirements for an international traveler to enter Europe, we recommend checking with your home country’s National Center for Infectious Diseases. In the US, the most up-to-date information for the Center for Disease Control (CDC) can be found at www.cdc.gov. Please let us know if you have a physical disability or require frequent or on-going medical attention. Please advise True Trips of your health situation at the time you book or at the onset of any new condition prior to your departure.

English is spoken throughout Europe and especially within most major tourist areas. All True Trips staff, guides and affiliates are fluent in English. However, do keep in mind that you may venture off to more remote regions at some point during your trip where communicating in English with the locals may be challenging.

The checked baggage allowance for Economy Class passengers is 1 piece of baggage, the total weight of which cannot exceed 50 pounds (23 kg). Each Economy Class passenger may carry on board the plane 1 item of hand luggage, weighing in the range of 12-25 pounds (6-12 kg). For further details that may be determined by your allocated carrier please contact True Trips for details once you have finalized your trip.

Connecting to WIFI is typically quite easy throughout Europe, with the exception of more remote locations or smaller towns. Most of the hotels included in the True Trips portfolio do offer wireless connection.

The international telephone code for the United States is 001 followed by the area code and phone number. Please do not forget when calling home that destinations in Europe are several hours ahead of US time depending on the specific state. Although you may call from the hotel please keep in mind that there may be a significant surcharge for international calls. For specific hotel contact information please visit the hotel website or contact True Trips.

The mobile phone operators in Europe use a GSM network so if your cell phone is compatible you should be able to use your mobile phone while in Europe through roaming. We strongly recommend that you contact the customer service department of your mobile telecommunications provider and inquire about switching on this function and any additional charges associated with this feature.

In the majority of cases, the answer is yes. However, there are some places where you should avoid disposing of any hygienic products in the toilet. These include almost all areas in Greece and Turkey, as well as some locations in Portugal, Italy, France and Spain. Typically there is a sign posted in the bathroom that will prompt you to use the waste basket instead of the toilet, but a safe rule of thumb would be to ask, especially when on islands or in small rural towns. These bins are emptied by cleaning staff regularly so you don’t need to worry about the potential of any unhygienic issues.

France is within the Schengen area. U.S. and Canadian citizens may enter the Schengen area for up to 90 days for tourist or business purposes without a visa. The passport should be valid for at least six months beyond the period of stay. Non-US or Canadian citizens should contact the appropriate French consulate for information on necessary documents required. The above requirements are subject to change at any time. It is the traveler’s responsibility to check with the equivalent embassy and its consulates for up-to-date information.

The best time of year to travel to France depends on your personal travel preferences. Travel during the Spring (April, May and early June) offers moderate temperatures comfortable for touring with thinner crowds and perhaps occasional rain. Summer time travel (mid-June, July, August, September) offers warm temperatures perfect for swimming, and warm evenings. Autumn and Winter (October through March) have lower temperatures with some rain, and in the mountainous regions light snow that is perfect for winter activities.

Average Daily Temperature by month (Fahrenheit)

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Paris	37	37	45	50	57	63	66	66	59	52	43	39
Alsace	34	36	41	46	53	59	64	62	58	49	42	35
Corsica	46	46	48	54	61	68	72	72	66	63	54	48
Marseille	45	46	51	56	64	70	75	74	70	62	52	46

Maximum Average Daily Temperature by Month (Fahrenheit)

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Paris	43	46	52	59	64	72	75	75	70	61	50	45
Alsace	38	43	48	54	63	69	73	72	68	58	47	39
Corsica	55	55	57	63	70	77	81	81	75	70	63	55
Marseille	52	54	59	66	75	79	84	84	79	70	59	54

Minimum Average Daily Temperature by Month (Fahrenheit)

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Paris	36	36	41	45	50	55	59	59	55	48	41	37
Alsace	30	32	34	37	42	50	53	52	48	42	37	31
Corsica	37	37	39	45	52	57	61	63	57	54	45	39
Marseille	37	39	43	46	54	61	66	64	61	54	45	39

Source: Internet

The official currency of France is the Euro.

Tap water is suitable for drinking in most locations in France, although we do recommend asking when in smaller towns. It is not recommended to drink tap water on the islands.

France is considered to be safe with a relatively low rate of street crime, however as in other large metropolitan and tourist areas throughout the world, common street crimes including pick-pocketing and purse snatching do occur. All True Trips guests should always exercise caution and good judgment when visiting foreign locations. For detailed and up to date information please visit the US Department of State website - France Country Specific Information.

Average Daily Temperature by month (Fahrenheit)

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Rome	45	48	50	54	62	69	74	80	70	61	74	49
Milan	40	35	43	51	57	64	72	70	61	54	40	33
Palermo	55	55	57	59	65	71	78	81	74	70	62	57

Minimum Average Daily Temperature by Month (Fahrenheit)

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Rome	39	40	43	47	54	61	66	68	62	56	46	42
Milan	25	27	34	40	49	65	60	61	54	44	33	26
Palermo	51	51	52	55	61	68	74	63	72	66	58	54

 

Maximum Average Daily Temperature by Month (Fahrenheit)

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Rome	55	56	59	63	71	77	86	85	79	71	62	57
Milan	44	47	56	62	70	77	81	82	75	62	52	45
Palermo	59	59	61	64	70	77	83	86	80	74	66	61

Source: Internet

2 Question: Answer: Italy is within the Schengen area. U.S. and Canadian citizens may enter the Schengen area for up to 90 days for tourist or business purposes without a visa. The passport should be valid for at least six  months beyond the period of stay. Non-US or Canadian citizens should contact the appropriate Italian consulate for information on necessary documents required. The above requirements are subject to change at any time. It is the traveler’s responsibility to check with the equivalent embassy and its consulates for up-to-date information. (URL to insert above: http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/what-we-do/policies/borders-and-visas/schengen/index_en.htm)

The best time of year to travel to Italy depends on your personal travel preferences. Spring time (April, May and early June) offers moderate temperatures comfortable for touring with thinner crowds and perhaps occasional rain. Summer time (mid-June, July, August, September) offers the warmest temperatures perfect for swimming, while evenings are cool. Autumn and Winter (October through March) offer lower temperatures, with rain and in some regions snow making for perfect winter sports weather.

 The official currency of Italy is the Euro.

Italy is considered to be safe with a relatively low rate of street crime, however as in other large metropolitan and tourist areas throughout the world, common street crimes including pick-pocketing and purse snatching do occur. All True Trips guests should always exercise caution and good judgment when visiting foreign locations. For detailed and up to date information please visit the US Department of State website - Italy Country Specific Information.

Tap water is suitable for drinking in most locations in Italy, although we do recommend asking when in smaller towns. It is not recommended to drink tap water on the islands.

Average Daily Temperature by month (Fahrenheit)

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Barcelona	45	48	51	58	64	70	75	76	72	64	55	52
Madrid	42	45	49	53	60	69	76	75	69	58	48	43
Andalusia	51	53	58	63	67	72	82	82	77	68	59	53
San Sebastian	47	48	49	51	56	62	66	65	64	59	52	49

Maximum Average Daily Temperature by Month (Fahrenheit)

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Barcelona	51	54	57	65	72	78	83	85	82	71	61	54
Madrid	50	52	61	66	73	82	91	88	81	68	57	52
Andalusia	59	63	68	75	81	90	97	97	90	79	68	61
San Sebastian	51	53	55	57	63	67	71	72	70	64	57	53

Minimum Average Daily Temperature by Month (Fahrenheit)

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Barcelona	40	42	45	51	56	62	66	68	59	57	50	43
Madrid	32	34	37	39	46	54	59	59	54	46	37	35
Andalusia	43	45	48	52	55	63	68	68	64	57	50	45
San Sebastian	42	43	44	46	51	56	60	61	58	53	47	44

Source: Internet

The best time of year to travel to Spain depends on your personal travel preferences. Spring time (April, May and early June) offers moderate temperatures comfortable for touring with thinner crowds and perhaps occasional rain. Summer time (mid-June, July, August, September) offers the warmest temperatures perfect for swimming, while evenings are still warm. Autumn and Winter (October through March) offer lower temperatures with some rain, and in the mountainous regions snow which makes for perfect winter sports weather.

Spain is within the Schengen area. U.S. and Canadian citizens may enter the Schengen area for up to 90 days for tourist or business purposes without a visa. The passport should be valid for at least six months beyond the period of stay. Non-US or Canadian citizens should contact the appropriate Spanish consulate for information on necessary documents required. The above requirements are subject to change at any time. It is the traveler’s responsibility to check with the equivalent embassy and its consulates for up-to-date information.

Tap water is suitable for drinking in most locations in Spain, although we do recommend asking when in smaller towns. It is not recommended to drink tap water on the islands.

Spain is considered to be safe with a relatively low rate of street crime, however as in other large metropolitan and tourist areas throughout the world, common street crimes including pick-pocketing and purse snatching do occur. All True Trips guests should always exercise caution and good judgment when visiting foreign locations. For detailed and up to date information please visit the US Department of State website - Spain Country Specific Information.