INCLUSIONS & EXCLUSIONS:

Inclusions:

Included in the price of the Romania Adoption Homeland Tour are the following:

• All transportation costs upon arrival in Romania (including airport transfers)
• All lodging costs (based on double occupancy)
• A personal guide for the entire duration of your trip (airport arrival to airport departure)
• Daily breakfast
• All entries to tourist sites, important places, or museums visited by the group and included in the itinerary
• Arrival packet with country information and map  

Exclusions: 

Prices for this tour do not include the following:

• Airfare to and from Europe
• Airport taxes
• Travel agent fees (if you are using a travel agent to purchase your international airline tickets)
• Lunches and Dinners (unless otherwise noted)
• Snacks or drinks
• Passport fees
• Travel insurance (if so desired)
• Souvenirs
• Telephone calls or fees for internet usage
• Mini-bar or room service fees
• Laundry fees
• Tour leader gratuities
• Any other expense not expressly mentioned

DATES:

It is important that we mention that, unlike other tour companies, we do not count your flight to and from Europe towards your tour. Therefore, our twelve-day tour is twelve full days in Romania. You will need to count your flying days as extra days. This will mean a total of fourteen days to allow for your arrival and departure days.

Our Romania Adoption Homeland Tour is offered once every year based on demand. Below please find the dates for the next three years.  

2009: With flying days - June 21 - July 4

2010: Late June/Early July

2011: Late June/Early July 

PRICING & PAYMENT:

Pricing: 

• The land cost of our tour is $2,000 per person
• Children 12 years old and older are counted as adults. The cost for children 12 years old and younger is $1,850.
• The cost for a family of three adults is $1,925 per person.
• The cost for a family of two adults and a child is $1,900 per person.
• The cost for a family of four adults is $1,850 per person.
• The cost for a family of two adults and two children is $1,750 per person.
• For more than four family members or for other various combinations please contact us for more information.

Special Deals:

• If the total number of tour participants exceeds 12 people, everyone in the group receives a 5% reduction!
• If the total number of tour participants exceeds 20 people, everyone in the group receives a 10% reduction!

Tell your friends!! 

Payment: 

We require a $500 non-refundable deposit along with your Tour Registration Form by March 15. Your deposit counts toward your total trip cost and will be deducted from your final payment. Final payment must be made by April 21. Instructions are found below.

In the event that you must cancel your trip before April 21 your $500 non-refundable deposit will be good toward any other trip with us for the next 12 months. All cancellations from April 21 to May 21 will be entitled to a 50% refund of the total trip cost minus the non-refundable $500 deposit. Cancellations made after May 21 are entitled to a 20% refund of the total trip cost minus the non-refundable $500 deposit.

REGISTRATION:

To register for our 2010 Romania Adoption Homeland Tour please follow the steps below.

• Step One - Complete the Tour Registration Form
• Step Two - Return completed form with non-refundable $500 deposit by March 15. Return instructions are found on form.
• Step Three - The balance of your payment is due by April 21. Payment instructions for deposit are found on the Tour Registration Form. Final payment instructions will be included with your deposit receipt.

REFUNDS:

In the event that you must cancel your trip before April 21, your $500 non-refundable deposit will be good toward any other trip with us for the next 12 months. All cancellations from April 21 to May 21 will be entitled to a 50% refund of the total trip cost minus the non-refundable $500 deposit. Cancellations made after May 21 are entitled to a 20% refund of the total trip cost minus the non-refundable $500 deposit.  

Partial refunds cannot be granted for voluntary or involuntary missed portions of the tour such as meals, sightseeing, transport, etc., after the trip has commenced. Refunds cannot be granted to trip members who do not complete any portion of the itinerary for whatever reason.

In addition, we cannot be held responsible or grant refunds for late arrivals caused by flight delays of any kind or for any reason (weather, mechanical problems, etc). In the unfortunate event that this does happen we will make every effort to accommodate the late arrival but please be advised that extra costs may be incurred by the participant.

ORPHANAGE/BIRTH CITY VISITS:

Many families coming to Romania strongly desire to visit the orphanage or the birth city from where the adoption took place. We are happy to do all we can to facilitate these side trips from our main tour but several things must be understood by the tour participant:

• The feasibility of a side trip to your orphanage/birth city will depend greatly on where it is located in relation to our main tour.
• Extra costs associated with transportation, preparation, and a personal guide will be supported by the tour participant.
• We cannot guarantee a visit inside a Romanian state-run orphanage. Such a visit may be possible upon arrival but will differ from orphanage to orphanage.
• Many orphanages, especially orphanages for infants/young children, have been closed in Romania. It is very likely that the orphanage from which you adopted your child is now closed or being used for something else (offices, a day care, etc.).

Every situation is different and so we kindly ask you to contact us and provide us with more information about your wishes and desires and we will do all we can to facilitate your visit to the orphanage/birth city!

PERSONALIZED TOURS: 

For some, a trip back to Romania is a deeply personal experience. For some, the main reason for desiring a trip to Romania may be to specifically visit places important to the family, such as an orphanage or a birth city.

These types of personal motives sometimes exclude travel with a larger group.

For these individuals we offer personalized tours. These tours give you the freedom to choose where and when you go, whom you see, what you visit, and how long you stay. These tours can be tailor-made to your goals, purposes, and desires.

Because of the uniqueness of each individual and his or her preferences we ask that you contact us for more information. We will find out more about you and the trip you desire and will be happy to provide you with a custom-made trip.

ACCOMMODATION:

All accommodation costs are included in the price of the tour and are based on double occupancy. An optional single supplement is available for an extra $526 on this tour.

We would also mention that, while all accommodation used during this trip will be clean and up to Western standards, our hotel room is simply a place to lay our heads for the night. We will not stay here long before we move on to the next point in our program. Therefore the focal point of our tour will not be our hotel each night but the plethora of amazing sights we will see during the day!

BAGGAGE RESTRICTIONS:

Europe is not like America! Even more so Romania. It is very important for us to be mobile and to be free to enjoy our tour without having the enormous task of lugging around a huge suitcase. We know from experience that this only results in frustration, fatigue, and an overall unpleasant experience.

This is why we must limit baggage to one small piece per person plus a backpack. Anything that qualifies as a carry-on for the airlines qualifies as your one small piece per person. A backpack is a must as we will be doing a lot of walking and you will want to have your personal items on you.

Most hotel rooms come equipped with blow dryers and irons. Many necessities, such as extra shampoo, laundry detergent, and most certainly all food stuffs, can easily be purchased once in Romania.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

Romania is a walking country. People walk everywhere...and so will we! Please make sure before registering for this tour that you are physically fit enough to be able to walk several miles per day, be on your feet for several hours at a time, walk up and down stairs, and carry your own luggage.

We would also mention that in Romania certain conveniences that we may be used to in the United States are not always available, such as restrooms, drinks or snacks, or restaurants.

Please be mentally prepared to accept and enjoy Romania as it is - its magnificent wonders as well as its minor inconveniences!

TRAVEL DOCUMENTS & VISAS:

You are responsible for providing us with your full and correct passport information. Your passport must be valid for six months beyond the date you will return home. Please make several copies of your passport before your trip leaving a copy at home with a contact person, one in your main suitcase, one in your backpack, and one in your purse or wallet.

As of right now visas are not needed by U.S. citizens to visit Romania for stays under 90 days.

MONEY:

You will need money on our tour for lunches and dinners, snacks and drinks, souvenirs, and any other items of a personal nature. There are two ways to obtain Romanian money:

• Bring American dollars with you and we will exchange them at a money changing shop for Romanian Lei
• Bring your credit card/ATM card and we can use any ATM to withdraw Romanian Lei directly from your account back home

Which option you choose is entirely at your discretion. If choosing the second option, we strongly recommend that you contact your bank/credit card company and let them know that you will be travelling so that they do not freeze your account because of "suspicious activity".

TRAVEL/TRIP CANCELLATION INSURANCE:

We require each tour participant to be medically insured for this trip. First, please check with your health insurance provider to find out if you are covered while outside of the United States. If not, please allow us to recommend short-term travel insurance. A Google search will bring up many companies which provide short-term travel insurance. We have used IMG and have been pleased with their services so far.

We do not require but suggest you consider trip cancellation insurance. Trip cancellation insurance protects you from unforeseen events which could result in the cancellation of your trip.

For any questions of any kind please contact us and let us know and you will receive a prompt reply!