TOUR COST INCLUDES: A trip with Jefferson Tours and Charters includes all transportation, lodging, tours, local guides, entry and admission fees, tour director, all sightseeing, bellmen and dining room tips for meals included in the itinerary, and luggage handling for one large suitcase per person. Prices are per person, based on double occupancy. All tour prices are based on rates known at the time our catalog is printed and expected to be in effect at the time of departure. They are subject to increase without notice, if such rates change prior to departure.
NOT INCLUDED IN TOUR PRICE: Meals and tips other than those specified in the itinerary, maids, waitresses, valet and laundry service, phone calls, room service, alcoholic beverages and items of a personal nature. Gratuities for cruises, local guides and Tour Director and Driver are not included. Any gratuities are strictly voluntary and should be extended on an individual basis, not by passing a bag around as a group.
RESERVATIONS: How far in advance do I need to make a reservation? We suggest that reservations be made as soon as your vacation schedule is known. Many people wait too long and are disappointed that the date they want has been sold out. Most festival tours have only limited departures and are sold out long in advance. We feel that you do yourself and Jefferson Tours and Charters an immense favor by making your reservations as soon as possible. How do I make a reservation? 1) Select the Jefferson Tours and Charters of your choice and the date that is most convenient for you. 2) Call our local number 267-4007 or our Toll Free 1-800-633-4147 and confirm your reservation. 3) Mail your deposit check, made payable to Jefferson Tours and Charters, within 10 days of making your reservation. Your seat will be guaranteed.
DEPOSITS: Deposits are due within 10 days after making your reservation. Separate checks should be sent for each tour booked. Please DO NOT send cash in the mail. Balance is due within five days of receipt of itinerary and balance statement.
ROOMMATES: Each person making a reservation is responsible for finding their own roommate. When confirming your reservation for a tour, you should inform us if you have a roommate. Persons making a reservation without a designated roommate will be billed at the single rate. If either you or Jefferson Tours and Charters finds an acceptable person to share room costs, the cost of the tour will be reduced to the double rate and monies, if due, will be refunded to you. If a single room must be assigned because your roommate cancels (even at the last moment or while on tour), we must, of necessity, charge you the additional cost since the hotels make no allowances. If you prefer to have the privacy of your own room, you may do so for an additional charge as noted in our single price. The single rate applies to rooms only and does not include two seats on the motorcoach.
PICK UP LOCATIONS: In order to make your tour departure as convenient as possible, we pick up for our tours at the Hometown Buffet in Louisville, the Clarion Hotel in Clarksville, Indiana, the Wal-Mart in Frankfort and Marriott Griffin Gate Resort in Lexington. Please arrive at the pickup location at least 15 minutes prior to departure time. For groups of 20 or more, we will pick up at the location of your choice in any of our departure cities. For group pickups in locations other than our regular cities, there will be an additional cost per person. When making your reservations, it is important to give the correct departure location. No changes in pick-up locations will be accepted after the itineraries are mailed 30 days prior to tour departure as timetables are established at that time.
LUGGAGE: How much luggage may I bring? For your convenience and to expedite movement, each tour participant is allowed one (1) large suitcase, not to exceed 22 x 10 x 30 inches in size and not to exceed 45 lbs. in weight. Your large piece of luggage will be taken care of for you. It will be taken to your room each evening and picked up each morning. In addition, each tour participant is allowed one (1) carry-on piece of luggage (such as an overnight case or similar small bag), that you handle or carry-on yourself. This carry-on piece of luggage must not exceed 18 x 12 x 8 inches and must be able to be stored under your seat or in the overhead compartment. Your carry-on bag must remain in your possession while traveling. Please note that due to limited storage space, we are unable to accept luggage that exceeds that specified size or weight limitation. Due to limited space, absolutely no hanging bags will be allowed. Although every precaution will be taken to protect your belongings, Jefferson Tours and Charters cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage to baggage or belongings. We strongly recommend that you insure your baggage before leaving home. Due to the fact that state licenses to carry concealed weapons are not recognized in all states, concealed weapons or weapons of any kind are not allowed on the motorcoach or in the luggage compartments.
CLOTHING: How should I dress? We suggest that you travel as light as possible. Casual attire in wash and wear fabrics travel best. Slacks are very acceptable for ladies and sport shirts for gentlemen. Dress-up clothes are necessary only for shows or specific occasions listed in the itinerary. Easy walking shoes are a must and don’t forget your umbrella or raincoat in case of showers. You should always take a sweater or jacket to use on the coach and comfortable walking shoes are a must for any tour.
MEDICINES: If you are taking prescription medications, be sure to take enough to last the duration of the tour. Sometimes it is very difficult to get a prescription refilled while en route. We highly recommend that you carry all medications in your purse, pocket or in your personal carry-on, not in your suitcase. It would be wise to have in your possession a list of all medications you are currently taking in case of an emergency. The coaches are not equipped to store medications that need refrigeration.
PHYSICAL DISABILITIES: Any disability requiring special attention or treatment or hotel accommodations should be reported to Jefferson Tours and Charters when the reservation is made. We will request but cannot guarantee a handicapped room. Foldable wheelchairs and walkers are allowed on the tour, but must be stored in the luggage bays underneath the motorcoach. Wheelchairs and walkers are not provided by Jefferson Tours and Charters. Passengers intending to bring a foldable wheelchair or walker should Jefferson Tours and Charters at least 24 hours prior to departure. Unfortunately, the driver is unable to provide individual assistance to guests for walking, wheelchairs, or other personal needs. Travelers needing assistance must be accompanied by an able traveling companion who can assist them. Some of our tours include attractions at high elevations; please consult your physician about possible health effects.
DELUXE MOTORCOACHES: Jefferson Tours and Charters uses only the most modern deluxe motorcoaches available. They are climate-controlled, have comfortable reclining seats, foot rests, overhead storage racks, restrooms, public address systems and large viewing windows. All of our motorcoaches have video systems for your added touring pleasure. We try at all times to take the most popular and scenic routes so that travel itself becomes an enjoyable part of your vacation. There is never any straight through or overnight traveling. All passengers are insured while traveling aboard Jefferson Tours and Charters’ motorcoaches.
SEAT ROTATION: In order that everyone can enjoy a variety of views and have exposure to meeting other people on the tours, we rotate seats daily in a clockwise direction on all multiple day trips. One of the front seats is reserved for the Tour Director and will not rotate. In order not to show partiality among passengers, there can be no exceptions to our seating plan.
COMPREHENSIVE ITINERARIES: Jefferson Tours and Charters researches and plans each itinerary to include the “must see” sights of a given area as well as the little known, off the beaten path places that become the most memorable part of your experience. We try to insure that you have an exciting, fun, educational, and the most comprehensive and enjoyable travel experience you’ve ever had! Jefferson Tours and Charters reserves the right to change or modify the itinerary in order to provide a smooth operation and insure a successful tour. Should an attraction become unavailable during the year, we will substitute one of equal or better value. Occasionally an attraction will be changed for the sole purpose of improving the tour.
FULLY ESCORTED: Jefferson Tours and Charters employs a trained professional Tour Director to stay with you throughout your tour. He/she will handle all the details that make for worry-free traveling every day. Your Tour Director will point our points of interest, keep you informed on the history of each area, share in a joke, a song, or a game and make your ride on board the coach a pleasant experience.
DEVOTIONS: We begin each morning of our tour with a prayer. Whenever we are unable to attend church on a Sunday, the Tour Director will conduct a short, non-denominational devotion on board the coach while in transit.
PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP: It is now necessary for all motorcoach passengers to have a valid passport to enter Canada. A driver’s license is no longer acceptable. Grandparents traveling into Canada with children must bring notarized written documentation of permission from custodial parent.
WAITING LISTS: We take waiting lists on all tours, since we do have frequent cancellations. If the tour you request is filled, then we recommend that you sign up as a stand-by. You will then be placed on our waiting list and as soon as a vacancy occurs, you will be automatically placed and notified that you are confirmed on the tour. All vacancies will be filled from the waiting list in the date order in which they were received.
QUALITY ACCOMMODATIONS: Hotels are selected and continually monitored for their location, comfort, hospitality and style. Careful planning, research and experience are woven into the choice of each hotel. We maintain tight quality control on all our lodging accommodations so that your overnight stays will be an enjoyable part of your tour. As a rule, we request non-smoking rooms, but due to availability, we cannot guarantee that the hotel will honor these requests, since many hotels have gone to an entirely smoke-free environment.
RESPONSIBILITIES: All tours are arranged and operated by Jefferson Tours and Charters, Inc., by authority granted them by the Interstate Commerce Commission License Number 178716. Jefferson Tours and Charters, Inc. acts only as your agent in arranging and sponsoring the various accommodations that are made available, and assumes no responsibility nor liability in connection with the services rendered by any vessel, carriage or other conveyance, excursions, sightseeing events, restaurants, hotels or motels or any other accommodation, event or equipment used in the performance of the tour. Jefferson Tours and Charters, Inc. assumes no responsibility for any delay, accident, failure or sickness incurred while using any leased services.
Jefferson Tours and Charters, Inc. reserves the right to make changes in the itinerary or tour arrangements at any time, due to emergency or otherwise unknown situations. If Jefferson Tours and Charters, Inc. cancels a tour, it shall have no responsibility to participants beyond the refund of the monies paid to Jefferson Tours and Charters, Inc. by the participants. In case of events beyond our control, including but not limited to strikes, lockouts, revolts, wars, natural disasters, fires, closures of airports or hotels, or technical problems of transport, which force us to cancel the tour you have booked, you will be entitled to a full refund minus reasonable expenses for services performed. In any of the above cases, Jefferson Tours and Charters shall not be under any other obligation of liability to participants. We reserve the right to accept or decline any person as a member of any tour at anytime.
CANCELLATION POLICY: We at Jefferson Tours and Charters understand that at times, due to uncontrollable circumstances, it may become necessary to cancel a tour. In the event that cancellation does become necessary, the following policies will apply:
1) Jefferson Tours and Charters will have to charge any non-recoverable expenditures made on behalf of the participant at the time of cancellation. These costs would be for tickets, meals, hotels, etc. Hotels require a rooming list and full payment 60 to 45 days prior to arrival and show tickets are often purchased 60 days in advance. Many times, these monies are entirely nonrefundable. In addition to any non-recoverable expenditures, there will be a $10 per person handling fee to cover the cost of postage, processing fees, faxes, and long-distance telephone expenses. Cancellations made less than ten (10) business days prior to departure will be subject to the entire cost of the tour if a replacement cannot be found. Once the tour departs, no refunds will be made. Refunds are not given for any meals or attractions, etc., in which the traveler does not participate while on tour.
2) Please note that we are unable to transfer funds to another tour if non-recoverable expenses have been made on your behalf on the tour you originally reserved.
3) Refund checks will be processed at the end of each month. Please allow sufficient time after the tour returns to audit all hotel and attraction charges. At that time, we will make every effort to return any monies possible. If you have not received your refund 30 days from the return date of the tour, please call our office.
4) Refunds of monies paid on airline, cruise, or train tours will be made in accordance with the policy of the specific conveyance.
5) No refunds will be made for cancellations or other service interruptions due to the weather or other factors beyond Jefferson Tours and Charters’ control.
6) In certain instances, Jefferson Tours and Charters may cancel a tour. When this occurs, our travelers have the choice to either transfer their deposit to another tour or receive a full refund. Please note tour deposits are paid directly to hotels. Jefferson’s process for these refunds is 30 days.
7) Please note that we do not refund credit card transaction fees for payments charged to credit cards. We are sorry for any inconvenience. No exceptions will be made regarding our refund policy. For this reason, we recommend travel protection.
TRAVEL INSURANCE: We at Jefferson Tours and Charters recognize the need to protect your health, property, and trip investment. But what if something prevents you from continuing your tour and you are miles away from home? While it doesn’t happen frequently, travel insurance protects you from the dreadful experience of paying for return home transportation, hotel accommodations, food, and medical costs, should you need it, out of your own pocket.
Protect yourself so you won’t have to pay for things you didn’t plan. Travel insurance, like the policies from Arch RoamRight, can provide peace of mind during your away time. There are a variety of plans available:
- Pro Plan
- Pro Plus Plan
- Cancel Flex Plan
- On Trip Plus Plan
Jefferson Tours and Charters recommends that you purchase insurance before traveling on any vacation. We have more information available on the levels and costs, so please ask how to purchase it.
However, if you choose not to purchase travel insurance, please understand that Jefferson Tours and Charters will not be held liable for your expenses and will not compensate you if you are detained from traveling at any point of your trip, including the start, or at any point in between. You should also be aware that your personal insurance may not be accepted in some parts of the country, or in foreign countries like Canada where we occasionally travel.