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	Frequent Questions
	Which are the means of payment at my disposal? What documentation do I need for traveling inside the European Union? What documentation do I need for traveling outside the European Union? What documentation do I need for traveling to the United States of the America? My nationality is not Portuguese. How should I proceed? Which vaccines should I have? Where in Portugal do I make an appointment for a traveler's health appointment? I am going to travel with minors. What additional documentation is necessary? I'll be driving during the journey. Will my driver's license be sufficient? How much time in advance I should make my reservation? How can I make a reservation? My friends won't be able to come with me on this trip. Can I still make a reservation just for me? If I make a reservation on my own, in a group journey, will I have that pay individual supplement? I am not sure about what trip I should book. How can I make the right decision? May I depart from Porto or of any other European city? Or return to a city different from the one I departed? Should I reconfirm my flight with the airline? What can I carry in the hand luggage? Why don't your trips include the price of the international flight? Why do the prices of the flights vary so much? What are local airport taxes and why are they not included in the price of the flight? I like one of your programs but I would like to modify some things. Is it possible? The country that I would like to visit in my next trip does is not be included in the programs on your site. May I still rely on you to you organize it? With how many people will I share the journey? Which is the best time of year for traveling to a specific destination? I would like to travel to a specific country in a time of year that does not appear possible in your program. Does that mean that I cannot go? Is the programs' availability guaranteed? Why don't your programs refer specifically which hotels will be used? Are the tour guides used in your travel arrangements Portuguese? Which the language utilized by the local guides in the course of the journey? Who should I contact if a problem arises during the trip? I would like to offer a voucher/gift certificate that may be converted in one of your services. Is this possible? May we create a wedding list for our honey moon trip? When will I receive the travel documentation and what does it include? When should I pay the full amount? If after reservation and deposit payment, I decide to cancel the trip, what implications are there? What is a cancellation insurance? What is High Altitude Illness? Which are the symptoms? How can I fight/avoid High Altitude Illness? Which are the means of payment at my disposal? You can pay for your traveling arrangements, using the following means of payment: • By banking transference, to the NIB 0033 0000 4539 2763 2080 5, sending us sent confirmation proof by email (traveltailors@travel-tailors.com) or fax (+ 351 21 757 86 70). • By check passed to "TravelTailors Portugal - Turismo Activo, Lda". • With credit card, only for regular flight payments that are included in a complete program. This option does not have extra costs, it requires photocopy of the credit card and of the document of identification of the client, as a filled debit authorization. What documentation do I need for traveling inside the European Union? Portuguese passengers shall carry valid Identity Card. "cédula pessoal" is not considered a valid document. Additionally in order to benefit from hospital medical aid in any country of the European Union (27 State-Members), Iceland, Liechenstein, Norway and Swiss, passengers should be carriers of the European Card for Illness Insurance, which, in Portugal, can be obtained in any "loja do cidadão", in Social Security services or requesting it by email to Social Security. More information here. What documentation do I need for traveling outside the European Union? The Portuguese passengers shall carry a valid passport - most countries require that the passport has at least 6 months of validity after expected date of return. Consult the embassy of the country of destination. Some countries require a Visa - in some cases, that visa is mandatorily obtained before departure; in others, it's obtained upon arrival to the country of destination. Please consult the relevant notes of your travel program and consult the embassy of the country of destination. We highlight that TravelTailors declines any responsibility for the refusal of concession of Visa. Finally, some countries have mandatory sanitary formalities, meaning, it might be required to present vaccine bulletin for yellow fever and/or others. More information here. What documentation do I need for traveling to the United States of the America? The citizens of Portuguese nationality do not need visa for traveling to the United States of the America, as long as they possess optical reading passports, which is automatically the case for all passports emitted after the 1st of January 2001. Additionally, it is mandatory to request prior authorization for the journey, which will have the validity of two years and might be used for multiple journeys to that country. This authorization (THIS) is requested through the site https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/ and since September of 2010 a rate of 14USD will be charged. In case the authorization is denied, you will have to request a visa to the U.S.A embassy. Please note that when traveling to the U.S.A., the client gives its express consent for transmission of all the information, including personal details, to the governmental authorities for air traveling control and security purposes. My nationality is not Portuguese. How should I proceed? If you are not Portuguese, and reside or not in Portugal, you should consult your Embassy or Consulate, in order to identify which are the requirements of entrance in the country to which you are traveling. You should inform TravelTailors of your nationality upon reservation as well of all possible visa requirements and procedures. For further information you may also contact the "Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras" (Foreigners and Borders Service) using the telephone 21 7115000 or consulting the respective site. Which vaccines should I have? The recommend vaccines depend on the geographical zone where you are traveling to. Whenever you are going to travel outside of Europe you should consult a traveler's health specialist. If you are traveling with your family, namely with infants and/or elderly people, you should bear in mind the special heath cares that they might need. The traveler's health consultations are provided by infectious illnesses and tropical medicine specialists. The appropriate vaccines, depending on destination, are the ones that protect against the following illnesses: cholera, diphtheria, Japanese encephalitis, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, influenza, rabies, tetanus and typhoid fever. The International Sanitary Regulation in force stipulates that the only vaccine that might be required of the travelers when going trough border control is the yellow fever vaccine. You may obtain more information in the World Health Organization site. Where in Portugal do I make an appointment for a traveler's health appointment? • "Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical" (Institute of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine) - R. Junqueira, 96 - Lisbon. Tel: 21 3652600. Email: info@ihmt.unl.pt. Website: http://www.ihmt.unl.pt • The British Hospital - R. Saraiva Carvalho, 49 - Lisboa. Tel: 21 3955067 • Clínica de Medicina Tropical e do Viajante - Av. Liberdade, 129, 7ºD - Lisboa. Tel: 21 3225622 • Centro de Saúde dos Guindais - R. Arnaldo Gama, 64 - Porto. Tel: 22 2002540 You may also find centers for international vaccination all around the country. Please consult contacts and operational hours here. I am going to travel with minors. What additional documentation is necessary? When minors travel accompanied by their parents, it is always necessary to carry ID cards for the minors, in order to enable filiation confirmation. Whenever minors travel unaccompanied by their parents, it is mandatory to carry an authorization for the effect. This authorization should be in writing, dated and signed by the persons exercising parent power legally certified, conferring powers to accompany the minors to a third party properly identified. For further details and download of the minute draft of the authorization you may consult here. I'll be driving during the journey. Will my driver's license be sufficient? In case you are going to drive at destination, check if your driver's license is within the expiration date and if it is recognized by the country that you are going to visit. Some countries, may require the International Drivers' License, which is valid only for one year. In order to obtain it, see here. You should gather information about the local legislation and comply scrupulously with the applicable Law of the country you are traveling to. Many countries have mechanisms for immediate enforcement of sanctions in case of infractions. How much time in advance I should make my reservation? It is always convenient to plan your vacation with plenty of time in advance, as a means of avoiding disappointment for the lack of availability of flights or hotels, and as a form of obtaining better price flights. We recommend that you do it at least three to four months prior to the date of departure, especially if you intend to travel in the month of August, in new year's eve or in the high season of the country where you to want travel to. How can I make a reservation? Whether you are aiming for one of the programs amongst our suggestions or you want something custom made for you, you should contacts-us by telephone or email, and we will give you all step-by-step indication. Namely, we will request that you fill a form with your personal details, contacts, and all pertinent information related with the intended trip. In order for a reservation to be considered "confirmed", you will have to make a deposit of 30% of the total price of the journey or 100% of the value of the air tickets, whichever is higher. Different conditions may apply in some specific programs, promotions or holydays, by imposition of the service providers. My friends won't be able to come with me on this trip. Can I still make a reservation just for me? Most of our travel suggestions are based in private programs with a minimum of two people, since the price for only one person in private would be very costly - normally the equivalent to the price for two people! Of course we can do it if that is your preference, however please consult us because we will certainly find you a small international group in which you can be integrated paying a normal price, even though occasionally not exactly for the same itinerary. If you contact us with enough time in advance, we'll be able to promote a trip with in the departure date and itinerary of your choice, trying to group other people in the same situation and with the same preferences. If I make a reservation on my own, in a group journey, will I have that pay individual supplement? Not necessarily. If you don't mind sharing a room with a person of the same sex, we will group the people in the same situation by order of inscription. Only if your reservation happens to be the last one and we cannot pair you with a same sex person, we will charge you the value of the individual supplement. I am not sure about what trip I should book. How can I make the right decision? Please read carefully the description on the programs that you might be interested in, as well as the files with helpful information associated with these countries that you may find on our site. If you still will have doubts, call us or come meet us or we'll meet you with an Atlas in our hands. Talking about your interests, what you already know, your budget, and the period in which you want to travel, will surely enable you to decide which will be your next trip. May I depart from Porto or of any other European city? Or return to a city different from the one I departed? Yes. Give us that indication upon booking the flights in order for us to determine the available flights, schedules that may fit in the program and price. Should I reconfirm my flight with the airline? The airlines might be forced to alter the schedules of departure at the last minute, therefore, flights should always be confirmed 24 hours before departure. Whenever the flights have been booked with us, TravelTailors and/or our local representatives will take care of that confirmation, except when specifically indicated in documentation provided to the client. Of any case you can always confirm the schedule phoning the airline, or accessing the Amadeus here using the reservation code stated in your electronic ticket. What can I carry in the hand luggage? The passengers should know the current rules of security relatively to hand luggage, namely the prohibition transportation of any dangerous goods (it includes pocketknives, little scissors and nail-clippers!), as well as the limitations to the transportation of liquids and gels(to include, among others, water, perfumes, creams, deodorant, tooth paste, gel...) stored in packages of capacity not over 100ml, properly packed in a transparent closed bag, that cannot exceed the dimensions of 19cmx20cm (ex: freezing bag) and capacity of 1 liter by passenger. Rule of thumb, the hand luggage is limited to 6kg per passenger. Why don't your trips include the price of the international flight? The price of the flights is really variable depending on the available tariffs at the time of reservation, the time of the year and the different applicable rates. This way, we believe that the information is more clear, given that you will be sure that do we do not inflate the prices in order to cover these likely variations. Additionally, there are travelers that opt for more economical flight solutions even if that implies several stops, while others only want to fly directly or just want to use specific airlines, being willing to pay for a more expensive flight. There are also some travelers that, for several reasons, might not want to leave from or return to Portugal but instead to a different destination. TravelTailors provides solutions to the different preferences and takes care of your flight reservations, informing you of the different available options. Nevertheless you have the option of acquiring just the land program. Along with every program you can find information about the estimated value of the flight. When you chose to proceed with an actual reservation, we will give you the prices of the available flight(s), as well as schedules, estimated stops and airline(s). This price can vary, at times substantially, very quickly, and can be only be guaranteed after flight reservation, which is only is possible with the information of first and last name of the passengers. In order to obtain to best tariff you should reserve the flight as soon as possible. We recommend at least three to four months before departure, especially if you are looking to travel in a high season (in Portugal or in the country of destination). Why do the prices of the flights vary so much? An important part of the price of the flight corresponds to the tariff, which varies depending on demand: even inside the economy class, airlines attribute different classes of reservations with different prices, despite the service being exactly the same. The first seats to be sold are the ones with the price associated with the lower priced class, and when these run out, the price of the following class will apply, and this process goes on until, successively, all tariffs are sold. That's why it is fundamental to reserve with the maximum time in advance so you may access the most favorable tariffs: for some destinations, if in high season, the lower tariffs will cease to be available even with more than four months in advance. In most of the destinations that we suggest the flight has one stop in an European city, so you must bear in mind that not only Portuguese people will be looking for those flights. Other price components are the fuel taxes (which vary according to the fuel prices), security and airport taxes. What are local airport taxes and why are they not included in the price of the flight? Some airports opted to charge locally directly to the passenger the respective airport taxes, in these cases it is not possible to include it in the price of the airline ticket. When appropriate, we try to provide that information in the travel program, however, bear in mind that sudden alterations might occur without our knowledge. I like one of your programs but I would like to modify some things. Is it possible? We are entirely available for adapting what are merely our suggestions, to your own personal taste, budget and available time, as long as it is attainable and that we consider that you will come back satisfied with the journey. That's why we are TravelTailors! You might want to shorten or lengthen a stay, eliminate activities or visits you are not interested in, add some others that are not included, request specific hotels - the effect of those alterations in regards to the initial proposed program will always be clear. The country that I would like to visit in my next trip does is not be included in the programs on your site. May I still rely on you to you organize it? Of course you may! We keep on adding news suggestions whenever we are able to present the best and more diversified there is to offer for each country, including ours, after exhaustive analysis and always counting on trustworthy local operators. If we still haven't got to the country you are looking for, you can count on us, since we have the necessary tools, and nothing gives us more pleasure than planning journeys (besides doing them ourselves, that is!). With how many people will I share the journey? With exception of the programs specifically identified as group programs, the journeys that we suggest and organize are private, meaning, only with those with whom you chose to share the journey - being companion, family or friends. Eventually, some portions of the journey will have to be integrated in a group of others tourists, namely in transfers or some specific visits. In those cases that will be indicated in the description of the program. Some of our suggestions are planned for groups, with previously set dates, with the purpose of obtaining a more attractive price, especially if you are traveling alone or in a party of two, as well as a means of promoting the interaction with others travelers, Portuguese, or of the most diverse nationalities. In these cases the groups will have a maximum of 12-15 people. Which is the best time of year for traveling to a specific destination? In each program you can find the months during which we consider that it makes more sense to travel to the country or countries in question. Nevertheless, within that period, there is the possibility of existing a particular season specially recommended for climate reasons: ask us. I would like to travel to a specific country in a time of year that does not appear possible in your program. Does that mean that I cannot go? Well, you can, and in some cases there are even some programs available in the market to that effect. But we prefer that you don't. If we did not include that trip in that month, is because normally the weather conditions are so adverse for the journey in question that we find that you will not come back satisfied. That might happen as a consequence of it coinciding with months of such intense rain that the roads may be affected and the journey depends on that mobility, or because the coldness is so severe that many hotels are closed and the services of mobility and guidance are limited, or because if your intention is going to the beach and in that month it's cold or raining cats and dogs all day... That does not necessarily mean that every month in which we've included that program the weather is going to be splendid! Is the programs' availability guaranteed? No. You should contact-us in order to do a reservation; subsequently, we we'll check availability for the intended dates for all services involved (flights, hotels, guided tours, etc). We'll always look for similar alternatives or adjustments to the itinerary in case the service providers have no availability for a particular service, and we'll always keep you informed on the status. You should bear in mind that the sooner you make your reservation better are the odds of obtaining availability, especially in the flights. Why don't your programs refer specifically which hotels will be used? Since we cannot guarantee the availability in specific hotels, the lodging can be booked in establishments of similar quality. Exceptionally, namely in case of reservations with short notice, it might be necessary to adjust the program using lower or upper category establishments, depending on availability, by means of the attribution of a discount or the application of a supplement. In any case, you just have to contact-us to know which hotels are planned for each location, and you may always request a specific hotel upon reservation, bearing in mind that in that case a supplement may apply if the tariff for that hotel are not within the price range of the program. Following the confirmation of the reservation and all services you'll be informed about the hotels booked. Are the tour guides used in your travel arrangements Portuguese? Generally, the programs that we propose include only local professional guides, the best experts on their region and on their culture. The guides in question are competent and reliable. In case it's necessary, the representative of the local operator will also be available. In some programs, properly identified and generally of a more adventurous kind, we propose set group departure dates and besides the local tour guides, you will have the accompaniment of a Portuguese (or other nationality depending on the group's nationalities) tour leader. Which the language utilized by the local guides in the course of the journey? In Latin America the guides speak Castilian; in the remainder of the world they speak English. In case you intend guides that speak another one language (namely Spanish, French or German), this is generally possible and it usually implies a supplement's charge. There are few destinations with available Portuguese speaking tour guides. Who should I contact if a problem arises during the trip? In the travel documentation that you will receive before departure, you can find the telephone numbers that you can use at any time, clearly marked, and that include the local representative, the insurance company and TravelTailors. Whenever possible, you should first try to solve the situation through the local representative or directly with the hotel or respective service provider, since they will obviously have more possibility of acting in a timely manner and finding a better solution. In case this is not feasible for any reason, do contact us. I would like to offer a voucher/gift certificate that may be converted in one of your services. Is this possible? Yes. You will be able to do it in two modalities: a) if you're aiming to give maximum liberty in the choice of the service, the voucher will have a value, defined by you, per example, 100 Euros and it will be valid for two years after the acquisition; b) if you want to offer a specific, predefined service, per example, a two nights stay in a specific Portuguese inn, the voucher will state just that (and not the cost) - in this case the validity varies case by case, but generally applicable for a specific season and subject to availability, which we will confirm when the person you offered the voucher to, contacts us to request the reservation. In any of the cases, the payment of the voucher is due at the time of the purchase and not when the service is used. May we create a wedding list for our honey moon trip? Yes. You just have to choose your trip, and let us know that you've included it in your wedding gift list. Each guest when contributing for the honey moon trip, receives an allusive card that will be delivered on the day of the wedding. Besides that, you will receive regularly a detailed list with the indication of the names of the participant guests and the total amounts. When will I receive the travel documentation and what does it include? After the reservation is confirmed and fully paid, we will deliver your travel documentation, which includes a booklet with practical information, detailed description of the itinerary, contacts, etc, the necessary vouchers and an exchange table, if applicable. When should I pay the full amount? Your reservation is valid upon receipt of 30% of the total price of the trip or 100% of the value of the airline tickets - whatever is higher. The client is obligated to settle the remainder up to 30 days prior to the date of departure. If the reservation occurs less than 30 days prior to departure, the total price of the trip shall be paid upon reservation. If after reservation and deposit payment, I decide to cancel the trip, what implications are there? Please consult the corresponding section in the General Conditions. What is a cancellation insurance? Under certain conditions, if you are unable to travel and you previously did a cancellation insurance, you will be reimbursed. These conditions are normally situations of grave illness or death of the insured person or direct relative, layoff, etc. The basic insurance that we include in all the programs that we suggest includes coverage for cancellation, although only for a 750 Euros coverage. In case you want to increase that coverage, please mention it upon reservation. What is High Altitude Illness? Which are the symptoms? The so called "High Altitude Illness" is a phenomenon that occurs to some people when found in high altitude areas, especially above 3000 meters, and it's a consequence of the fact that, normally, we grasp oxygen from an atmospheric pressure on a lower altitude level, and when we climb to a higher altitude, the pressure is different, requiring more of our body. It is necessary a period of adaptation to the new altitude, and the consequences of a bad acclimatization above certain altitudes might even be fatal. The itineraries of the journeys that you may find on this site that are carried out at high altitudes were always thought with the aim of diminishing the High Altitude Illness symptoms incidence. The first symptoms of High Altitude Illness are headaches and panting breath even with small efforts - these are normal symptoms that almost everybody feels. If besides these symptoms, you feel nausea, vomits, or loss of appetite (beginning of cerebral edema) or fast cardiac rhythm, violent cough or severe panting breath (beginning of pulmonary edema), you could already be in a more advanced stage of the illness, and should quickly move to a lower altitude. How can I fight/avoid High Altitude Illness? The best thing is prevention, which can be done essentially by drinking more water than usual, even if you are not thirsty, consuming meals rich in carbohydrates in order to replace energies, walking slower and trying to avoid doing abrupt movements, getting enough sleep, putting on enough clothes to protect yourself from cold, avoiding alcohol, refraining from taking antibiotics or sleeping pills.