The Fine Print
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PLEASE READ CAREFULLY!
HOW TO MAKE A RESERVATION:
You may make your reservation by phone, fax, or mail.
Notch Above Tours, Inc.
824 West Lakeshore Drive,
Suite 3
Colchester, Vermont 05446
1-802-881-0661 • (802) 881-0661 • Fax: (802) 881-0663 • info{at}notchabovetours.com
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Departure And Pick Up Locations
All of the tours mentioned in this guide include round trip luxury motor coach transportation, unless the tour is via air service. Locations are indicated in your tour confirmation that is sent after full payment is made for the full-day tours or payment of deposit is made for multi-day tours. All parking is at your own risk and/or expense. Parking lot owners and Notch Above Tours shall in no way be responsible for any damages to your vehicle or bodily harm. Departure and return times will be included in the confirmation letter you receive after making your reservation. Notch Above Tours reserves the right to change departure locations and times. You will be notified of any changes. If you decide to change your departure location, it is important to let us know. In fairness to other travelers, we cannot wait for latecomers, so please arrive at least 15-20 minutes before the scheduled departure time. Return times are approximate and may vary depending upon traffic, weather and other conditions.
The following are current Notch Above departure locations** (tour dependent):
Berlin (Barre/Montpelier)—Exit 7 Park and Ride (Just off Interstate 89) Charlotte—Charlotte Park and Ride (just west of Route 7, Charlotte Train Station) Fair Haven—Shaw’s parking lot Glens Falls / Queensbury, NY—Aviation Mall (Exit 19 off I-87) Aviation Road Middlebury—McDonalds Plaza, Route 7, south of the village Port Henry—Park and Ride, intersection of Rt 22/9N and 903 Rutland—Holiday Inn, Route 7 St. Albans—Highgate Shopping Center, Exit 20 off I-89 Saratoga Springs, NY—Wilton Mall (Exit 15 off I-87) Route 50 North (Lot E) South Burlington—Anchorage Inn, Dorset Street, across from the University Mall (New Location) Vergennes —Kennedy Brothers, Route 22A Waterbury-Waterbury Park and Ride on Lincoln Street-fron I-89 at the light on 100 (at the intersection for the Best Western) turn right on to Lincoln Street, take first left after crossing a bridge. The Park and Ride will be on the left. Look for signs. White River Junction—Upper Valley Lanes and Games, Sykes Ave. (94 Bowling Lane)
** Not all departure points are included on every tour.
Notch Above’s WEATHER policy is to travel unless roads are closed. Rain, snow, sleet, or hail, the tour normally goes!
PLEASE NOTE: We make every attempt to be prompt with departure and return times, however at times, situations occur that prevent us from arriving and departing at exactly the time indicated in this guide. Please understand that the times listed are all approximate times, and we will do our best to make them exact times!
Plattsburgh, Rutland and White River Junction Shuttle Service
To make your travel more convenient, Notch Above is pleased to offer shuttle service to and from our departure locations. On multi-day (two or more day) tours, we will provide shuttle service from Plattsburgh to South Burlington and from White River Junction to Rutland (for tours departing from Rutland) and from Rutland to White River Junction (for tours departing from White River Junction). The cost is 20.00 per person round-trip. Advance reservations are required. Operation of the shuttle service is contingent upon a minimum number of travelers. Contact us for additional information.
Deposits And Payments
Advance reservations are required for all tours. Full payment is required when reserving a single-day tour. A 50% per person deposit is required on multi-day tours and final payment is due no later than 45 days prior to tour departure. Some multi-day tours require a larger deposit in order to comply with our suppliers’ policies. Payments may be made by cash, check, VISA, MasterCard, Discover or American Express. In some cases there are savings when payments are made in cash.
SPECIAL NOTE FOR BASEBALL TOURS:
Rain Outs/Cancellations: Notch Above Tours will not be held responsible for game changes due to weather delays, or other events beyond our control. When tickets are refundable, not exchangeable your ticket cost for the tour will be refunded. No other part of the tour cost will be refunded due to inclement weather/rainouts or other conditions beyond our control.
IMPORTANT NASCAR INFORMATION:
Reservations/Payment: Advance reservations are required for all tours. A deposit is required at the time of reservation: 300.00 per person for Richmond and 400.00 per person for Bristol. Payment: Check, VISA, MC or AMEX. The balance of payment is due no later than 45 days before departure.
Cancellations/Refunds: Please refer to the policies listed below in the cancellation and refund section.
Race Cancellation: Notch Above will not be held responsible for race cancellations due to rain or conditions outside our control. If a Sunday race is rescheduled and held on Monday, we will normally stay for the Monday race, which will add one day to the tour. Notch Above will make additional hotel arrangements, if available, at the client’s expense. If the race is rescheduled for another day or cancelled, we can only make refunds to clients if we receive refunds from the racetracks and suppliers.
NEW! CANCELLATION AND REFUND POLICY EFFECTIVE MAY 1, 2008:
We understand that you may occasionally need to change your travel plans due to unexpected events. We strongly recommend the purchase of Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance (see information below). Cancellations may be made by telephone or in writing. Please carefully read the following Notch Above Tours Cancellation Policy: Cancellations made 60 or more days prior to a tour will be assessed a cancellation fee of 200.00 for multi-day tours and 75.00 for one-day tours, plus any pre-purchased tickets. Cancellations made less than 60 days prior to departure on multi-day tours forfeit the deposit. Cancellations made less than 60 days prior to departure on one-day tours incur a cost of 25% of the tour cost plus the cancellation fee. Cancellations made 40 days prior to the departure date on any tour are 100% non-refundable. Additionally, there are no refunds for unused portions of your tour. Notch Above will purchase tickets for concerts, sporting events and other performances on behalf of our travelers. Once these tickets are purchased, they are non-refundable and become the property and responsibility of the traveler. If Notch Above must cancel a tour, all travelers will be notified and receive a full refund of payments made to Notch Above. Please note: We often co-sell tours with other travel companies whose cancellation policies may differ from Notch Above Tours. Please call for details.
AIRLINE TICKETS PURCHASED INDEPENDENT OF A TOUR:
Notch Above urges you to check airline cancellation policies before purchasing airline tickets. Tours can be cancelled for reasons including low enrollment. Notch Above accepts no responsibility or liability for cancellation penalties related to airline tickets purchased independently.
TRAVEL INSURANCE:
Through our membership in the Travel Alliance Partnership, we are able to offer our travelers a very competitively priced policy to help protect your investment in travel. The plan protects you if you need to cancel your tour for covered reasons prior to departure or if other covered unforeseen circumstances arise during your tour. A brochure with information is usually sent out or emailed to you when you make a reservation. Or simply contact our office for information. Insurance is offered through TripMate, a Division of United States Fire Insurance Company. Feel free to call their toll-free number if you have questions about the policy: 1-800-888-7292. Two important notes: 1. You must purchase the insurance within fourteen days after your initial deposit to waive the Pre-Existing Condition Exclusion. 2. Medicare does not cover expenses incurred outside the United States. That means Medicare does not cover expenses in Canada. If you have supplemental insurance, those expenses may be covered by that company (check directly with them). The TripMate policy applies to domestic and international travel, cruises and air.
For information on insurance plans, click here.
NATIONAL TOUR ASSOCIATION:
Notch Above Tours has been selected for membership in NTA, the premier association for group and packaged travel professionals. Each member must abide by a stringent code of ethics. NTA serves as a consumer advocate through membership requirements and education.
WHAT IS TYPICALLY INCLUDED IN A TOUR:
Luxury motor coach transportation, professional Notch Above Tour Manager, baggage handling on multi-day tours (one suitcase per person), all sightseeing, attraction fees, and meals listed as included in the tour description and taxes and gratuities for meals and attractions listed as included.
WHAT IS TYPICALLY NOT INCLUDED IN A TOUR:
Any alcoholic beverages you personally request with meals, any incidental hotel charges such as telephone calls and room service and anything listed as “optional” in the brochure as well as customary gratuities for the tour manager, driver and local guides.
Prices listed are subject to change. We do our best to avoid raising prices, but since tour prices are determined far in advance, we must reserve the right to add a surcharge or to modify or cancel a tour if we are faced with significant increased costs and/or currency fluctuations over which we have no control.
UPDATE ON FUEL SURCHARGES:
We pride ourselves in offering safe, fun and affordable vacations. Over the years we have struggled to maintain our pricing and have absorbed many increases in our costs to keep our prices at the lowest possible rates. However, as you are aware, gas prices are escalating at a record pace. We work closely with our transportation company to avoid any extra fees to our travelers. If fuel prices increase significantly from the time a tour is planned prior to the actual tour date, Notch Above reserves the right to add a fuel surcharge to the cost of the tour. We hope that gas prices will recede in the near future for everyone’s benefit. Thank you for your understanding.
GRATUITIES AND TIPPING:
Tipping may be awkward for some people. Your tour price typically includes gratuities for baggage handling (hotel porters) and restaurant servers. Gratuities for the tour manager, driver and any local guides are not included in the tour price and should be extended on a voluntary basis. Tipping the tour managers, driver and guides is a way of showing your appreciation for service, attentiveness and attitude. For your convenience, Notch Above provides gratuity envelopes in your pre-tour package. We discourage any solicitation of gratuities. If you encounter this, we recommend you offer no gratuity.
WHAT’S A "SINGLE" ROOM—AND WHY IS IT MORE EXPENSIVE?
Hotels frequently charge us a “flat” room rate (i.e. $x per room per night). We take that amount and divide it by the number of people who will be sharing that room. The per person amount is going to be less as the number of people in the room increases. Thus the rate for a single room is higher than the rate for a quad (4 people per room). Notch Above does not charge a “single” fee or any other fee for single travelers other than the additional cost of the hotel room(s). The cost of meals, attractions, transportation, etc. remain the same no matter how many travelers in your party. When requested, we will refer single travelers to other single travelers who ask us to help them find a roommate. With your permission, we provide those requesting this service with the names of any others requesting a roommate. We strongly recommend that you get together before the tour for coffee or luncheon to determine your compatibility. Once you both agree to share a room, you both need to notify us to inform us of that decision.
Triple and Quad Room Information: It is important to note that the number of beds in the room does not normally change as the number of people sharing that room increases. Two people in the room usually have two beds; three people have two beds; and four people have two beds. That means rooms with three or four people should assume there will be more than one person in each bed. Occasionally we can request rollaway beds for travelers who opt for triples or quads. Availability varies by hotel and there is often a fee for the additional bed.
PASSPORT AND BORDER CROSSING UPDATE:
International Travelers:
On June 1, 2009, the U.S. government implemented the full requirements of the land and sea phase of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. The rules require most U.S. citizens entering the United States at sea or land ports of entry to have a passport, passport card or other travel document approved by the Department of Homeland Security.
U.S. citizen children under the age of 16 will be able to present the original or copy of their birth certificate, or other proof of U.S. citizenship such as a naturalization certificate or citizenship card.
Groups of U.S. citizen children ages 16 through 18, when traveling with a school or religious group, social organization, or sports team, will be able to enter under adult supervision with originals or copies of their birth certificates or other proof of citizenship. See the Department of Homeland Security’s "GetYouHome.gov" for more information on the changing travel requirements.
U.S. and Canadian citizens under the age of 16, or under the age of 19 traveling with a school, religions or other youth group, may present a birth certificate, consular report of birth abroad, naturalization certificate or Certificate of Canadian Citizenship. Birth certificate may be an original, photocopy or certified copy.
The group should be prepared to present a letter on organizational letterhead with the following information:
- The name of the group and supervising adult,
- A list of the children on the trip, and the primary address, phone number, date of birth, place of birth, and name of at least one parent or legal guardian for each child,
- A written and signed statement of the supervising adult certifying that he or she has obtained parental or legal guardian consent for each participating child. The group should be prepared to present proof of such consent in the form of permission slips signed by both parents.
For general information, visit www.dhs.gov or www.travel.state.gov
TERMS OF SERVICE:
NOTCH ABOVE TOURS, Inc., acts only in the capacity of agent for the tour participant. We in no way represent nor act as agent for travel service suppliers such as hotels/motels, restaurants, sightseeing attractions and tours and transportation, and we accept no responsibility or liability caused by the defect or negligence or default of any company or person engaged in carrying out or performing any of the services involved. We cannot be held responsible for events beyond our control, such as (without limitations) acts of God, declared or undeclared war, strikes, government restrictions, terrorist activities, defects in vehicles, breakdown of equipment, delay, or cancellation of, or changes in itinerary or schedule.
We reserve the right to make changes in the published itineraries whenever, in our sole judgment, conditions so warrant, or if we deem it necessary for the comfort, convenience or safety of our tour participants. We reserve the right to withdraw without penalty any tour announced. Our sole liability upon cancellation of a tour is the refund of moneys paid.
We also reserve the right to decline to accept any person as a participant in a tour or to end an individual’s participation in a tour at any time when such an action is determined by the appropriate NOTCH ABOVE TOURS staff to be in the best interests of the health, safety and general well-being of the tour group or of the individual participant. Any dispute or controversy that might be the subject of any action in court shall be governed by the laws of the State of Vermont and shall be resolved through binding arbitration in accordance with the terms and conditions of Title 12, Vermont Statutes Annotated, Chapter 192.
Acknowledgment: I understand that this agreement with Notch Above Tours, Inc. contains an agreement to arbitrate. After consenting hereto, I understand that I will not be able to bring a lawsuit concerning any dispute that may arise which is covered by the arbitration agreement, unless it involves a question of constitutional or civil rights. Instead, I agree to submit any such dispute to an impartial arbitrator. Your partial or full payment or signature on a Notch Above Tour constitutes consent to all provisions of the conditions and general information listed here.
