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Smart Touring FAQ
Safety/Quality Assurance/Accreditation
General Rules and Rules of the Road
What's included in the trip price?
What are you doing to ensure that my child will be safe?
How large will my group be?
Who are the trip leaders?
What are the trips like/What will we be doing?
What kind of shape do I need to be in to enjoy my trip?
How should I train for my trip?
Can I really do this trip?
How do you accommodate varying abilities?
How do I sign up for a trip? Is a deposit required?
How do I reserve my trip online?
When is my balance due?
Do you offer financial assistance?
What are your bicycle and camping gear rental fees?
Do you offer any type of travel protection insurance?
Are flights included in the trip cost?
How can I arrange my travel before and after my trip?
Can we drive to the trip start?
What supervision is provided for the participants during travel to and from the trips?
May I come with friends?
Who carries the gear?
What will I need to bring?
How can I communicate with a participant while they are on a trip?
How can I communicate with home during the trip?
What is the drug and alcohol policy?
How is the food?
Will I need a passport or a visa if I'm traveling internationally?
What if I need to cancel my trip? What is your
cancellation policy?
What responsibilities do I assume as a participant?
What are Smart Touring's limitations of liability?
How can I get more answers?
Safety/Quality Assurance/Accreditation
Smart Touring is committed to ensuring that you and your children are
provided with a quality program that meets the safety standards set forth
in any American Camp Association (ACA) Program. We are currently undergoing
the process to become officially ACA certified.
All Smart Touring leaders are highly experienced and have been selected
to join our team based on their experience working with youth. They all
share highly developed outdoor and recreational skills, maturity, and
a commitment to running a safe and fun program. All leaders hold at least
the following certifications: First Aid & CPR for the Professional
Rescuer, or Wilderness First Responder/EMT, and are certified Lifeguards.
The average age of the leaders is 25.
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General
Rules:
1. You must stay with the group at all times.
2. You must inform the trip leaders of your whereabouts and must remain
with at least one other person.
3. There will be no drugs, alcohol, or tobacco use at anytime while on
the trip. Infringement of this rule will result in suspension from the
trip.
4. You must take care of your body: wear sunscreen daily and drink liquids
often.
5. Respect the people and places around you.
6. Remember - you are a member of a team! Exclusive relationships and
sexual behavior detract from the group dynamics and are not permitted.
Rules
of the Road:
1. You must follow all traffic rules.
2. You must wear your helmet at all times.
3 . Stay to the right as much as safely possible.
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What's
included in the trip price?
All nightly accommodations.
All meals, snacks and beverages between meals.
Expertise and services of professional guides.
Equipment and experienced guides on all additional activities.
All transportation during the course of the trip including ferries and
shuttles.
Incidental expenses during the trip such as taxes, dining and housekeeping
gratuities.
A maximum 5:1 guide-to-participant ratio.
National park and other entrance fees.
Our Satisfaction Guarantee policy.
A Smart Touring t-shirt.
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What
are you doing to ensure that my child will be safe?
While being out-doors can be fun, there are also some inherent dangers.
Our number one priority is safety and accident prevention. Smart Touring
leaders follow the guidelines set forth by the American Camping Association
to minimize risks. Also, our student to leader ratio is kept low to ensure
that attention can be devoted to each individual.
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How
large will my group be?
A maximum of ten participants and two guides, ensuring a
5:1 participant to guide ratio.
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Who
are the trip leaders?
All Smart Touring leaders are highly experienced and have been selected
to join our team based on their experience working with youth. They all
share highly developed outdoor and recreational skills, maturity, and
a commitment to running a safe and fun program. All leaders hold at least
the following certifications: First Aid & CPR for the Professional
Rescuer, or Wilderness First Responder/EMT, and are certified Lifeguards.
The average age of the leaders is 25.
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What
are the trips like/What will we be doing?
Our trips include bike touring, hikes, visits to museums, geology, botany,
group games and activities, journal writing, ecosystems studies, and more!
The programs vary from day to day and trip to trip, and are packed full
of activities, learning, adventure, self-growth opportunities, and fun!
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What
kind of shape do I need to be in to enjoy my trip?
Smart Touring adventures are designed for all abilities! Some trips are
more challenging than others and we suggest that you read about the individual
trip level or talk to one us about your current activity level and the
type of adventure you'd like. We'll help you choose the trip that's right
for you by asking detailed questions about your outdoor background, physical
activity, and preferred style of travel. We want you to be on the right
trip just as much as you do, so please call 435.640.1969 or e-mail info@smarttouring.com.
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How
should I train for my trip?
While you don't have to be an "athlete" to enjoy the trip, you
will get the most enjoyment from your trip if you are reasonably fit.
We encourage you to engage in some sort of aerobic activity three times
a week and to slowly increase the distance and difficulty of this activity.
A week or two before the trip you should be comfortable biking the distance
that is typical of a day on your trip. Refer to your trip itinerary for
specific distances. We also recommend that you get comfortable training
several days "back-to-back”, as we typically are active for at least
4 consecutive days on our trips.
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Can
I really do this trip?
General knowledge and experience operating a bike is required to join
the trips, although it is not required that you have bike-touring experience.
Even though these trips can be rigorous, anyone can do them if they are
determined and keep a positive attitude.
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How
do you accommodate varying abilities?
Each trip is rated for its difficulty level. Please review the trip descriptions
on the web site for more information. All trips have ratings, noting the
range of distances and options that are available on the trip. For each
trip, average daily mileages are calculated and rated as follows: easy,
moderately easy, moderate and challenging.
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How
do I sign up for a trip? Is a deposit required?
It couldn't be easier! You can download
our application and mail it to Smart
Touring 1852 Elberton Rd Garfield, WA 99130.
You can also email us at info@smarttouring.com. Or you can call us at
435-640-1969. We'll take care of everything for you and confirm your reservation
with a deposit of $400 per person. Deposits can be made by check, money
order, Visa or MasterCard.
To ensure trip availability, we recommend that you make reservations at
least 60 days prior to departure. The balance of the trip cost is due
30 days prior to departure and may be paid by check, money order or by
credit card. With your authorization, we can automatically bill your credit
card when the balance is due. If final payment is not received when due,
Smart Touring reserves the right to treat the reservation as canceled.
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How
do I reserve my trip online?
You can get our application form here
or you can send an email to apply@smarttouring.com.
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When
is my balance due?
The balance of your trip cost is due 30 days prior to trip departure and
may be paid by check, money order, Visa, or MasterCard. Please make checks
payable in US funds to Smart Touring. If you register for a trip within
30 days of trip departure, full payment is due at the time of booking.
If your payment is not received when due, Smart Touring reserves the right
to treat the reservation as canceled.
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Do
you offer financial assistance?
Yes. Please contact us for additional information at info@smarttouring.com
or by calling 435.640.1969.
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What
are your bicycle and camping gear rental fees?
Please contact us for additional information. Bicycle Rental Rates vary
depending on the different types of bicycles you wish to rent. This also
includes an option to buy. Sleeping bags with either cotton or nylon liners
and sleeping pads are available for $40. Panniers can be rented for $35.
Helmets are required of all riders and are available for $10. Rental bikes
must be reserved at least 45 days prior to trip departure to guarantee
availability.
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Do
you offer any type of travel protection insurance?
We strongly recommend you buy travel insurance to protect yourself against
losses caused by trip cancellation, loss or damage of baggage, non-refundable
airfare or emergency medical expenses. You may contact your local travel
agent or we will gladly arrange travel insurance coverage for you. Call
us at 435-640-1969 or email info@smarttouring.com
with any questions.
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Are
flights included in the trip cost?
Air travel to and from the trip start is not included in the package prices
and must be arranged separately by each participant. Offering our trips
without the flight allows you to shop for the best deals on airfare or
even to find a different mode of transportation. Because participants
come from all parts of the country we feel this is the best way to pass
along savings to you.
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How
can I arrange my travel before and after my trip?
Specific information regarding your trip meeting and ending times, transportation
to the assembly point, and driving directions are included in your Confirmation
Packet that is sent to you upon registration. If you wish to make airline
reservations before receiving your trip packet, please contact us for
trip starting and ending times.
For help in arranging air transportation, pre and post-trip hotels, rental
cars or rail tickets in conjunction with your Smart Touring trip please
contact your local Travel Agent or feel free to get in contact with us
and we would be happy to help.
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Can
we drive to the trip start?
Yes. Not only do you save money, you and your family can create a vacation
by making stops along the way. We will send along trip start information
in each Confirmation packet.
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What
supervision is provided for the participants during travel to and from
the trips?
All participants are greeted at the airport (or an alternate designated
meeting point if other transportation is used) upon arrival and are fully
supervised until the end of the trip, when they will be escorted back
to the airport security entrance for accessing the flight gate. Each trip's
begin and end location is listed in the Trip Confirmation packet.
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May
I come with friends?
It is comforting to go on a trip with a friend, although most participants
come alone. It is easy and fun to make new friends quickly on our adventures,
and we encourage you to come prepared to do so. In order to increase everyone's
group involvement, we limit enrollment to three friends per trip.
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Who carries the gear?
Each trip participant will carry all personal items including clothing
and toiletries. We recommend that personal gear be carried in panniers
attached to the rack of the bike. All of the group camping gear will be
distributed throughout the group. Panniers are available for rent or purchase.
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What
will I need to bring?
Besides your spirit of adventure, all you need to bring is your personal
gear. Don't worry, we'll send you a detailed clothing and equipment list
in your pre-departure information so you know what you'll need, or you
can get it here.
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How
can I communicate with a participant while they are on a trip?
You may leave a phone or email message with the Smart Touring staff 24-hours
a day. Messages will be checked daily by the leaders, and messages will
be returned immediately once checked. In the case of injury, illness,
or other problems, family members will be contacted immediately. There
will also be two mail stops along the way, which will be detailed in the
Confirmation packet.
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How
can I communicate with home during the trip?
You will probably want to bring a calling card along. There will also
be two mail stops along the way.
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What
is the drug and alcohol policy?
There will be no drugs, alcohol, or tobacco use at anytime while on the
trip. Infringement of this rule will result in suspension from the trip.
Upon suspension arrangements will be made for the participant's return
home at the parent's expense.
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How
is the food?
We understand that muscle-powered journeys require enormous amounts of
food. We consider our meals to be an essential ingredient to the success
of our trips. We guarantee that you will have good food and plenty of
it. Under the guidance of our trip leaders, everyone will be part of a
rotating crew that will help prepare the meals. Vegetarian options will
always be made available, and other special dietary needs can be accommodated
as well. Some meals will be enjoyed in restaurants as well, so you'll
have the opportunity to savor a variety of local cuisine.
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Will
I need a passport or a visa if I'm traveling internationally?
International travel requires a passport, or a US birth certificate. Your
Confirmation Packet contains details about required documents, if applicable
for your particular trip. Guests from countries other than the United
States should contact the closest consulate for the country to which they're
planning to travel to determine if a visa is required for citizens of
their country.
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What
if I need to cancel my trip? What is your cancellation policy?
If you cancel your trip, you must notify us in writing or by fax. We calculate
your refund on the day we receive written cancellation. All refunds will
be processed within 30 days of your cancellation. There is a non-refundable
processing fee of $50 per person for cancellation. This fee reflects only
the cost of administering a reservation and is not intended to be punitive
in any way. We realize the majority of those who cancel their reservations
do so out of necessity. For all cancellations, we will refund you the
following percentage of the total cost of your trip minus the $50 processing
fee.
Number of days prior to trip departure: Amount refunded per person
70+ days or more: 100% of total price
69-50 days: 75% of total price
49-29 days: 50% of total price
28-15 days: 25% of total price
14-0 days: Sorry, no refund
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What
responsibilities do I assume as a participant?
Participants are responsible for choosing a trip that suits their abilities,
level of fitness and state of health. All participants must provide the
Smart Touring office with signed release and medical information forms
prior to trip departure (no one will be allowed to start a trip without
this information on file). Finally, participants traveling with us are
expected to follow environmental guidelines and regulations in accordance
with leader direction as well as respect the rights and privacy of other
trip members. An individual may be asked to leave a trip if the leader
feels that the person's continuing participation may prove detrimental
to the individual or to the well-being or enjoyment of other guests.
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What
are Smart Touring's limitations of liability?
Smart Touring is not liable for bodily injury or property damage as a
result of (but not limited to): physical exertion for which a guest is
not prepared; forces of nature; travel by plane, train, auto, boat or
other conveyance, or by bicycle, ski, horseback, foot or other form of
active or adventure travel; consumption of alcoholic beverages; civil
unrest; terrorism; breakdown of equipment; high altitude; lack of or limited
access to medical attention in remote locations; and the adequacy of medical
attention once provided. Smart Touring is also not liable for: expenses
(e.g., meals, transportation or hotel costs) that are not specified as
included in the trip cost but may be required to get to or from a trip
start or end. Smart Touring reserves the right to make route and nightly
stay modifications as necessary to improve the quality of a trip or to
accommodate the comfort and well-being of guests. Participants grant Smart
Touring express permission to take photographs or film records of its
trips for promotional and commercial use, without remuneration.
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How
can I get more answers?
We are happy to answer any questions and can be reached at 435.640.1969
or email us anytime at info@smarttouring.com. We are also happy to provide
contact information regarding references of our staff and programs.
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