Note: Below is a sampling of the kinds of trips that we do. Unfortunately, because of Covid-19, we had to cancel this trip in March of 2020. However, it will give you an idea of the format for our trips. Stay tuned to this site for details on our next trip, tentatively scheduled for May of 2024.
AMSTERDAM-BOLOGNA-PARIS 2020 TRIP
Here are some details about our new trip. If you are interested in participating, be sure to scroll down to the section "How to Sign Up", or simply click here:
Dates May 13 to June 1, 2020 (trip calendar here)
Base cities visited Amsterdam, May 14-19 (5 nights--see photos here), Bologna, May 19-25 (6 nights--see photos here), Paris, May 25-June 1 (7 nights--see photos here)
Base trip cost of $5,750 includes:
•Airfare
Economy (coach) class from San Francisco International Airport to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, economy (coach) class from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport to Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport, economy (coach) class from Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, economy (coach) class from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport to San Francisco International Airport
•Rail and Bus Ground Transportation
Round trip Amsterdam Schiphol Airport-Amsterdam center, round trip Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport-Bologna Center, round trip Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport-Paris Center
•Hotel Accommodations
Assuming double occupancy— in Amsterdam (5 nights), Bologna (6 nights), Paris (7 nights)
•Breakfasts at each hotel
•Planning Advice and Support
Pre-trip planning advice from the trip directors—available by phone, text message, or email—right up until the trip departure. On-going support is provided by the trip directors during the trip.
We chose the three destinations and length of time staying in each place specifically to allow flexibility for our travelers. You can make changes by doing day trips or overnight stays to other locations. You will be able to swap out nights and exchange them for nights in those other locations. The three can serve as hubs, with many other nearby places easily reachable by high speed trains. For example, Florence is only 35 minutes away from Bologna by train. Travelers could opt to spend only 3 nights in Bologna and 3 in Florence. They could also go to Venice, or Ravenna on the Adriatic Sea, or Modena. The same is true for Paris. (London, Chartres, Brussels, St. Malo, Strasbourg, etc. are all easy to get to by train for a longer stay or just a day trip.) Out of Amsterdam, Delft, Utrecht, or Brussels are also completely doable by train. We want you to have lots of options and lots of fun! Note that your option to swap out hotel reservations needs to be arranged before your third trip payment (August 1, 2019) so that Independent Tours can do their planning for you well in advance of our travel. If you need us to make those separate travel arrangements for you, see the Individual Agreement and Info here.
1. Fill out the four forms linked below and send them to Kent Porter. You can either mail them, or send Kent an email attaching the completed and signed forms (they may be scanned). More information about the sign-up process can be found on the forms themselves:
Application (1) Trip Agreement (2) Informed Consent (3) CST Disclosure
2. Make the first payment of $750 ($4,750 if signing up after December 1, 2019) using one of the three methods indicated on the application forms.
Note that we have set up an extended payment schedule to make this trip more doable for many. For your information, here is the payment schedule for the basic cost of the trip (payment info page here and credit card payments):
•1st payment—$750 (of which $575 is nonrefundable after 6/1/19)—due now. •2nd payment—$1,000—due on or before June 1, 2019. •3rd payment—$1,000—due on or before August 1, 2019. •4th payment—$1,000—due on or before October 1, 2019. •5th payment—$1,000—due on or before December 1, 2019. •6th payment—$1,000—due on or before February 1, 2020.
Other links about the May, 2020 Trip
Amsterdam Day Trip Ideas
Bologna Day Trip Ideas
Paris Day Trip Ideas
Information About Tickets in Advance
Contact Kent Porter if you have any questions
AMSTERDAM-BOLOGNA-PARIS 2020 TRIP
Here are some details about our new trip. If you are interested in participating, be sure to scroll down to the section "How to Sign Up", or simply click here:
Dates May 13 to June 1, 2020 (trip calendar here)
Base cities visited Amsterdam, May 14-19 (5 nights--see photos here), Bologna, May 19-25 (6 nights--see photos here), Paris, May 25-June 1 (7 nights--see photos here)
Base trip cost of $5,750 includes:
•Airfare
Economy (coach) class from San Francisco International Airport to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, economy (coach) class from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport to Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport, economy (coach) class from Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, economy (coach) class from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport to San Francisco International Airport
•Rail and Bus Ground Transportation
Round trip Amsterdam Schiphol Airport-Amsterdam center, round trip Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport-Bologna Center, round trip Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport-Paris Center
•Hotel Accommodations
Assuming double occupancy— in Amsterdam (5 nights), Bologna (6 nights), Paris (7 nights)
•Breakfasts at each hotel
•Planning Advice and Support
Pre-trip planning advice from the trip directors—available by phone, text message, or email—right up until the trip departure. On-going support is provided by the trip directors during the trip.
A Flexible Trip
We chose the three destinations and length of time staying in each place specifically to allow flexibility for our travelers. You can make changes by doing day trips or overnight stays to other locations. You will be able to swap out nights and exchange them for nights in those other locations. The three can serve as hubs, with many other nearby places easily reachable by high speed trains. For example, Florence is only 35 minutes away from Bologna by train. Travelers could opt to spend only 3 nights in Bologna and 3 in Florence. They could also go to Venice, or Ravenna on the Adriatic Sea, or Modena. The same is true for Paris. (London, Chartres, Brussels, St. Malo, Strasbourg, etc. are all easy to get to by train for a longer stay or just a day trip.) Out of Amsterdam, Delft, Utrecht, or Brussels are also completely doable by train. We want you to have lots of options and lots of fun! Note that your option to swap out hotel reservations needs to be arranged before your third trip payment (August 1, 2019) so that Independent Tours can do their planning for you well in advance of our travel. If you need us to make those separate travel arrangements for you, see the Individual Agreement and Info here.
How to sign up:
1. Fill out the four forms linked below and send them to Kent Porter. You can either mail them, or send Kent an email attaching the completed and signed forms (they may be scanned). More information about the sign-up process can be found on the forms themselves:
Application (1) Trip Agreement (2) Informed Consent (3) CST Disclosure
2. Make the first payment of $750 ($4,750 if signing up after December 1, 2019) using one of the three methods indicated on the application forms.
Note that we have set up an extended payment schedule to make this trip more doable for many. For your information, here is the payment schedule for the basic cost of the trip (payment info page here and credit card payments):
•1st payment—$750 (of which $575 is nonrefundable after 6/1/19)—due now. •2nd payment—$1,000—due on or before June 1, 2019. •3rd payment—$1,000—due on or before August 1, 2019. •4th payment—$1,000—due on or before October 1, 2019. •5th payment—$1,000—due on or before December 1, 2019. •6th payment—$1,000—due on or before February 1, 2020.
Other links about the May, 2020 Trip
Amsterdam Day Trip Ideas
Bologna Day Trip Ideas
Paris Day Trip Ideas
Information About Tickets in Advance
Contact Kent Porter if you have any questions
