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Tuesday, February 02, 2010

Tuesday, February 02, 2010

Just as the world is wonderfully diverse, so too are the ways you can experience it with Cosmos. Cosmos trips are designed to offer you the flexibility, choices and pace that best fit the way you want to travel.

Below are the varieties of travel styles you can experience with Cosmos tours.

PANORAMA:
Panoramas are escorted multi-country, multi-state, or multi-province tours. They are designed to allow travelers the chance to experience and compare a variety of cultures, take in "must see" sights, and create the most vivid memories all over the world at an on-the-go pace. Select the Panorama vacation that's right for you.

REGIONAL DISCOVERY:
Cosmos' most popular style, Regional Discoveries, are well-planned, in-depth escorted vacations that provide one-of-a-kind opportunities to experience the character, personality, and flavor of a specific region or country. Select a destination to find the Regional Discovery that's right for you.

CRUISE & TOUR:
Travelers will visit destinations in Europe and North America on our uniquely guided Cruise & Tours vacations. Thanks to a partnership with major cruise lines, these land vacations can be combined with a big-ship cruise to create an incredible journey on both land and sea. Don’t just skim the surface of your destination—become a part of it—as expert Tour Directors share the inside stories that bring the world to life.

JUST A WEEK AWAY
Make the most of your time away with shorter vacations that leave a long-lasting impression. Our more than four decades of travel experience has helped us edit these journeys so you can experience a seamless combination of must-see sights, local cuisine and culture, and some precious hidden gems.

ROMANTIC VACATION
Celebrate a special occasion and let us bring the world’s most enchanting destinations to life for you. Cosmos has the experience to create a journey that will have you falling head over heels for the world and its people. Allow the thrill of travel to capture your heart.

FIRST TIMER FRIENDLY
New to the world of travel? These vacations can serve as a perfect introduction. See the world’s most iconic sights—along with some intriguing surprises—every step of the way.

EXPERT GLOBETROTTER
If you’ve “been there, done that,” then these are the vacations for you! Avid world travelers rave about this collection of journeys that engage them deeper into the places they’ve already seen or take them further than before to some of the world’s most exhilarating, exotic destinations.

Tuesday, February 02, 2010

There is no need to enroll in French, Italian, German and Spanish classes for your European Tour. Your Tour Manager will fill you in on how to say some of the basics (eg. hello, please, thank you) in the native tongue of each of the countries you visit. It is often not only useful, but also polite to know a few of the basics in the local language and it’s a good idea to try and remember and uses these basics.

English is a widely spoken and understood as a second or third language amongst many Western Europeans, particularly those of the younger generations.

Western European Language Basics

These Languages are of use in….

French – France, Southern Belgium (including Brussels) parts of Switzerland

Spanish – Spain (Spanish will be understood in most parts of Spain, however Catalan and Basque are spoken in Barcelona and the North of the country)

Italian – Italy, parts of Switzerland, Albania

German – Varying dialects throughout Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein

Greek – Greece

Dutch – Dialects throughout the Netherlands and Northern Belgium

Here is our network of Europe travel destination sites:

| England Tours | Escorted Family Vacations | France Tours | Greece Tours| Ireland Tours | Italy Tours |  River Cruise | Russia Tours | Scandinavia Tours | Spain Tours

We also have specialty European Tour Operators sites:

Collette Tours | Contiki Tours | Cosmos Tours | General Tours | Globus Tours | Insight Tours | Tauck Tours | Trafalgar Tours

Sunday, January 10, 2010

When will I receive my tour documents ?

Clients often ask when they will get “more” information about their tour. I always tell them after final payment is made, they will receive their documents delivered to their home by UPS and not to expect anything from the tour operator in the interim. In certain cases, especially the luxury travel tours, preliminary documents are sent, as well as personal registration forms to be filled out.

What Day Does My Tour Start ?

Just thought of another confusing question among clients. Day 1 with the budget and first class tours is “always” the overnight flight to Europe, arriving on Day 2 – this means Day 2 is your first hotel night.

Day 1 with the Deluxe & Luxury Tours is the day you arrive in Europe to start your tour.

Be Flexible – it will save you money!

I would advise clients to try to be a little flexible in their planning a trip. Sometimes by simply shifting a departure date we can find special promotions that offer additional benefits. We can also look at comparable suppliers for a similar itinerary to see if there is additional value added.

Each Operator may have a different policy. Please check the operator site for more details. Operators: Abercrombie and Kent Contiki Tours | Cosmos Tours | General Tours | Globus Tours | Insight Tours | Tauck Tours | Trafalgar Tours

Wednesday, December 02, 2009

More than four decades ago, Cosmos virtually invented the budget vacation. Since then Cosmos refined the concept of low-cost travel packages. Although others have jumped on the budget-travel bandwagon, Cosmos prices are still the best value.

Traveling with Cosmos is far easier than going it alone but you still get to do what you want. Their team of experts has refined itineraries to combine the must-see sights with significant time on your own. Cosmos not only offers more choice of activities, they also offer longer stays in key cities for more flexibility in their itineraries. Cosmos provides air, accommodations, transportation and the services of a knowledgeable Tour Director for much less than if you booked them individually on your own.