Inclusive Prices
Tour prices are per person in U.S. dollars. All hotel accommodations, motor coach transportation, sightseeing, admissions, luggage handling and the services of local guides and drivers, and of the Tauck Director are included.
Child Discount – Children 11 years of age and under may receive a discount on the tour price. To qualify for a child discount, the child’s birth date must be provided at time of booking. No child discount is offered on the Tauck Travel Protection plans.
Hotel Accommodations – The tour price includes all hotel accommodations with private baths. The Tauck standard is to provide the best available hotels without sacrificing value. Although the quality may differ slightly from place to place, our commitment to your comfort is unwavering. Two-bedded rooms are reserved in most hotels. Triples are usually a two-bedded room with a rollaway cot or sofa bed when available; quadruples on this tour will be accommodated in two-adjacent double rooms unless otherwise requested. Adjacent, adjoining and connecting rooms are available by request only and cannot be guaranteed. Quadruple accommodations are not available for four persons 18 years of age and older rooming together. For safety and security purposes, children under 18 years of age must be booked into a room with at least one accompanying adult.
Meals – Most meals are included as specified in the itinerary.
Tauck Director – Patriots of America is conducted by a Tauck Director who remains with the group throughout the duration of the tour. Your Tauck Director is a professional, fully trained employee of Tauck
Gratuities Included – All appropriate gratuities for restaurant and hotel staff, local guides and drivers, and the Tauck Director are included.
No Options Sold – Your Tauck Director will assist with information on free-time activities based on honest opinion and guidance, but will not sell you anything. This means better value and a more relaxed, pleasant experience for you.
Not Included
Airfare to the tour departure point and from the tour ending point is not included. Airfare may be purchased from Tauck for travel originating in the United States.
Hotel Rooms Before and After Tours ― To avoid jet lag and possible flight delays, you may wish to make hotel arrangements for the nights preceding or following your tour. As a service, Tauck will book additional nights for you on a space-available basis using special rates only available through Tauck. Hotel room charges will be added to the tour cost. If you wish to spend additional nights, please consult the Extend This Journey section on this website and discuss it with the reservations agent when you book your tour.
Luggage Responsibility – Although every effort is made to handle guests’ luggage carefully, we cannot be responsible, assume liability or accept claims for loss or damage to luggage and personal effects due to breakage, theft, or fair wear and tear through hotel, airline or group carrier handling. It is important for your own self-interest and protection that you make certain you have adequate insurance to cover these eventualities. Please refer to Tauck Travel Protection for more information.
Personal Expenses such as phone calls, room service, alcoholic and bar beverages, mineral waters, soft drinks, laundry, airline excess luggage charges and other optional incidental extras are not included and may be significant.
Transportation to and from the airports is not included. The most efficient transfer is a taxi from Philadelphia International Airport at a flat rate of $30 USD per car. If you prefer, shuttle van services are also available. Transportation information is available at the Centralized Ground Transportation Counters located in each baggage claim area. The approximate shuttle van fare is $10-$15 USD per person each way. A 24-hour airport communications number is available for any questions regarding the airport. The number is 215-937-6937.
The most efficient transfer to the airports in the DC area is also by taxi. Taxi service may be arranged with the concierge at L'Enfant Plaza Hotel the night before your departure. The cost is approximately $18 USD to Reagan National Airport, $65 to Dulles International Airport and $70 USD to Baltimore/Washington International Airport. Shared van service with other guests is also available.
Additional Information
Airline Security Measures ― In the U.S., you must provide identification in the form of a passport at the time of airport check-in for travel to international destinations. Your passport name must match the name on your tour reservation and airline ticket or you may be denied boarding.
If you are traveling from an airport outside the jurisdiction of the U.S, you will need to determine what travel documentation and identification is required for that particular airport.
Due to heightened security regulations, certain items such as a metal nail file, pocketknife, cigarette lighter, or tweezers, and some liquid, gel, or aerosol items may not be permitted in your carry-on luggage. Please call your airline prior to departure to obtain current information on non-permissible carry-on items and recommended airport check-in times. You may also wish to visit the U.S. Transportation Security Administration Internet website by clicking
here.
Air Services – Airfare may be purchased through Tauck for travel originating in the United States. By using Tauck's air services, you agree that Tauck, in purchasing, selling or otherwise arranging air transportation, is acting only as your agent and is not liable or responsible for any accident, death, personal injury, illness, property damage, delay or other loss or expense of any nature whatsoever arising directly or indirectly out of any act of God, or any actions or omissions (including any failure to provide services) or default of, any carrier. All carriers are independent contractors and are not owned, managed, controlled or operated by Tauck. Your airline ticket constitutes a contract between yourself and the airline (and not Tauck), even if purchased through Tauck. Tauck is not liable for, and does not assume responsibility or accept claims with regard to, seat assignments, schedule changes, flight changes, cancellations, claims for a refund or reimbursement of airline ticket fees, or any other loss or expense incurred by you for any reason whatsoever (including, without limitation to, bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization of a carrier or similar relief from creditors) when purchasing or using the carrier’s services. Tauck must handle ticketing for Tauck’s special fares, which are subject to availability and cannot be guaranteed until reserved. Special fares cannot be combined with any other promotional offer. Tauck's air services must be purchased in conjunction with a Tauck tour. Tickets or e-ticket numbers will be mailed with final documents. Should you cancel or change your air before or after departure, all airline cancellation and change fees will apply.
Holiday and Museum Closures ― Museum visits and personal shopping time may be disrupted due to unforeseen circumstances or to the many religious, state and local holidays locally observed.
Itinerary Changes and Price Flexibility ― Tauck pledges to make every effort to operate your tour as advertised. Tauck reserves the right to alter or curtail the itinerary, or substitute sightseeing, hotels, and/or conveyances as deemed necessary. Any savings realized by these changes will be refunded to you. Any resultant added expense will be covered by Tauck. Although not expected, prices on this website may be modified due to unexpected significant external factors not forecast at the time of printing.
Journey Start and End Times are provided at the time of booking. The tour begins with a welcome reception and dinner at the Hyatt Regency Philadelphia at Penn's Landing at 6:00 PM on the first day of the tour. You or your booking agent will be advised of any change to this schedule. The tour ends at check out time at L'Enfant Plaza Hotel in Washington, D.C., on the last day of the tour. We suggest you allow at least 2 hours for flight check in.
Membership will be granted to all persons. Tauck reserves the right to terminate the tour of any person who is abusive of others or whose behavior disrupts the tour.
Preparing To Go
Air Conditioning ― All the hotels and motor coaches used on this tour are air-conditioned for your comfort.
ATM and Credit Cards ― We recommend that you contact your bank in advance of departing for this tour to determine whether you will be able to use your ATM and credit cards while traveling. When contacting your bank, notify them of your travel dates so that they will anticipate charges being made outside of your hometown and do not suspend your cards for what may appear to them to be “suspicious” charges. We also recommend that you make a photocopy of the front and back sides of your ATM and credit cards to leave behind with someone at home who will assist you in the event your cards are misplaced, lost or stolen.
Clothing and Packing - We suggest that you dress for comfort and convenience with a wardrobe that is flexible and allows for layering. Casual, cotton clothing is recommended. A light sweater or jacket will provide warmth on a chilly early morning walk or a late night stroll; however, generally you will only need to dress for warm and delightful weather – and the occasional shower.
When dining in finer restaurants, slacks or a dress for women are acceptable dining attire; jackets for men are not required. We advise not wearing jeans, sneakers or shorts for dinner. You may also wish to dress up a bit for the welcome reception and the farewell dinner, but certainly be comfortable.
You will find a hair dryer located in your hotel guest room, except at the Wyndham Gettysburg, where hair dryers are available on request. Irons and ironing boards are generally available on request, and each hotel has valet laundry and dry cleaning services available for a fee.
Children may want to consider bringing along pocket toys and games with a "sound off" button or a portable radio or CD player with headphones for use on longer travel days. Journals, binoculars and cameras are also great for children to have with them to make the most of their adventure.
Each child will be sent a complimentary backpack from Tauck Bridges!
If the child resides in the United States, the backpack will be sent to his home and should arrive approximately two weeks prior to his departure date. If the child resides outside of the U.S, the backpack will be waiting at the hotel in Philadelphia on arrival, as customs regulations prohibit the easy delivery of the backpacks in advance.
We recommend that you pack an adequate supply of your prescription medication in its original container to last through your entire journey, together with a copy of your doctor’s prescription or a letter from your health-care provider on office stationery explaining that the medication has been prescribed for you, a list of the generic names of your medication, your travel documents and a change of clothing in your carry-on bag to avoid any inconvenience in the event that your flight or luggage is delayed.
Following is a list of recommended items to pack for your trip:
- Short and long sleeve shirts
- Shorts, slacks and jeans
- Tee shirts
- Socks
- Light-weight sweater
- Light-weight jacket
- Comfortable yet sturdy walking shoes that have already been broken-in
- Raincoat and rain hat
- Collapsible umbrella
- Swimwear
- Sunglasses and sunscreen
- Insect repellent
- Camera, lenses, batteries, memory cards and plenty of film
- Tauck Bridges Backpack
- Copies of your travel documents that should be secured in the safe in your hotel room while traveling
Elevation ― The maximum overland elevation on this tour is approximately 4,000 ft (1,219 m). The maximum overnight elevation on this tour is approximately 520 ft (159 m).
Health ―
Patriots of America, though paced to accommodate all our guests, is nonetheless an active tour. You should be in good health and able to walk reasonable distances over uneven terrain, as some of the most memorable sightseeing can only be accomplished on foot.
This journey requires more walking than most tours, especially when visiting Philadelphia, Colonial Williamsburg, Monticello and Mount Vernon. Visits to these sites include extensive walks around the grounds and require some standing in line to view the historic presidential homes. We regret that we cannot provide you with individual assistance for walking, dining or other personal needs. If you need such assistance, you must be accompanied by an able companion who will help you.
Please check with your health insurance provider to determine whether you are covered while traveling. If you will not be covered under your current policy, we strongly suggest that you arrange for adequate coverage while on tour.
If you have a medical condition which might limit your participation in activities, please consult your physician for pre-departure health advice and notify Tauck as soon as possible, if you have not already done so. We will advise your Tauck Director accordingly.
Many Philadelphia-area hotels have banned smoking in recent months in all or most of their guest rooms, lobbies and other public spaces. Hotels are warning guests that, if they do light cigarettes, cigars, pipes in a non-smoking room, a stiff fine—as much as $500—may be added to their bills.
A Philadelphia ban on smoking in bars and restaurants, which took effect recently, includes a provision requiring hotels to make 75% of their rooms nonsmoking.
If you are a U.S. citizen, no vaccinations are currently required for travel within the U.S.
If you are a citizen of another country, please check with an embassy or consulate of the United States to determine what vaccination(s) may be required for your travel. You may also view the U.S. Department of State travel website by clicking
here.
Luggage Restrictions:
Checked Luggage – General
While it is common that airlines allow passengers to check more than one piece of luggage per person, space constraints during your Tauck journey make it difficult to accommodate extra luggage. We ask that you limit your checked luggage to one average size suitcase per person.
In addition, airlines have adopted stricter policies enforcing number, size and weight limits. Luggage exceeding maximum restrictions may require expensive overage fees, frustrating and hurried re-packing at the ticket counter, or even risk being left behind.
Many carriers require checked luggage not exceed a weight of 50 lbs (22.7 kg) per piece. Airlines revise luggage policies frequently and often without notice; therefore, Tauck cannot be held liable to the weight limit listed above. We urge you to check with your airline before traveling to determine current number, weight and size restrictions. It is also important to note that restrictions for luggage number, weight and size may vary with the same airline based on the class of service you select. First and Business Class ticket holders may have different restrictions than Coach Class travelers.
Tauck World Discovery cannot be held liable for additional fees or inconveniences imposed by the airline due to luggage number, weight or size policies.
Please be sure to attach your Tauck luggage tag to your suitcase before leaving home.
And don’t forget your Tauck Bridges Backpack!
Carry-on Luggage - General
Although oversize bags and wheeled, carry-on luggage are popular for airline travel, they are often not convenient or appropriate for motor coach travel or for many on-tour flights. Most modern sightseeing motor coaches offer limited space for numerous or larger items. Space under seats or in the overhead rack is typically small, and designed to accommodate items like coats, hats, purses, and small camera bags, etc.
For your day-to-day travel while on tour, we recommend that you limit your hand luggage to a small, soft-sided carry-on piece, and only those items you need handy during the day such as purses, make-up, medications, cameras, film, etc. Items too large to fit under the motor coach seat or in the overhead rack must be stored in the luggage bays beneath the motor coach, and may not be accessible during daytime travel.
Travel with Children
Age Recommendations ― Children
3 years of age or older at the time of travel are welcome on this Tauck Bridges journey. Based upon our experience with family travelers, for each itinerary we have a minimum recommended age to encourage comfort and enjoyment for all of our guests. We recommend that children be
8 years of age or older to participate fully in all activities planned for this tour.
All children must be accompanied on activities by a parent or guardian. At least one guest in the traveling party must be 21 years of age or older in order to make a reservation.
Babysitting ― Tauck Bridges journeys are designed for adults and children to share the wonder of discovery together. However, our guests have occasionally inquired about babysitting services. If you are interested, your Tauck Director will put you in contact with the appropriate hotel staff with whom you may make babysitting arrangements, to ensure your precise needs are met. There is usually an additional fee for these services. Many hotels do offer babysitting services that may be arranged on site; however, babysitting services are not guaranteed at all of our hotels. Please note that our Tauck Directors are not responsible for providing babysitting services.
Safety and Welfare Responsibility ― We welcome the participation of child travelers on our exciting excursions. If you are traveling with a child on a Tauck Bridges journey, you have the sole responsibility for ensuring that that the child with whom you are traveling follows all rules of safety throughout the tour. By traveling with Tauck Bridges, you release Tauck Bridges, Tauck, Inc. and our partners of all liability for any risks and/or injuries to the child with whom you are traveling.
Special Travel Documentation for Children
Authorization for Travel
If you travel into or out of the U.S. with children under the age of 18, you should be aware of the following: because of increasing incidents of child abductions in disputed custody cases and because children are at risk as possible victims of child pornography, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) strongly recommends that unless the child is accompanied by both parents, you should have a note from the child's other parent (or, in the case of a child traveling with grandparents, uncles or aunts, sisters or brothers, or friends, a note signed by both parents) stating that the parent(s) not traveling acknowledge that the parent(s), family members, etc. who are traveling into or out of the U.S. with the child have permission to do so.
CBP also suggests that this note be notarized. While CBP may not ask to see this documentation, if they do ask, and you do not have it, you may be detained until the circumstances of the child traveling without both parents can be fully assessed.
If there is no second parent with legal claims to the child (deceased, sole custody, etc.) any other relevant paperwork, such as a court decision, birth certificate naming only one parent, death certificate, etc., would be useful.
All children who are U.S. citizens should also have a certified copy of their birth certificate or baptism record for ID. Children over the age of 14 are also required to have a photo ID.
Many other countries also share this concern for children who travel without both parents. To ensure smooth travel, Tauck requires all guests to comply with the travel regulations of each country visited. This information is available from each country’s consulate. Authorization for Emergency Medical Treatment In the unlikely event of a medical emergency, a medical facility will require permission from the child’s parents to provide treatment. Therefore, we strongly suggest that you bring along a letter from both parents authorizing emergency medical treatment for their child.
Tauck is not responsible for the disruption of travel caused by improper documentation for any travelers, including children traveling without both parents. While there is no definitive format or standard for these letters, click here to view a sample letter for guardians or one parent traveling with a child.
Destination Information
Cell Phones ― We understand and appreciate the value of instant communication when we travel; it keeps us in touch with friends and family, and it's a reassurance in the event of an emergency. However, the use of cell phones can be disruptive to a tour and to other guests who are enjoying their vacation. As a courtesy to others, we ask that you refrain from using your cell phone while on the motor coach, during group functions, when sightseeing and when the Tauck Director is addressing the group as a whole. There are usually many opportunities to make or receive calls at times when it does not affect others.
Please contact your cell phone carrier to determine whether your service extends to the mid-Atlantic states of the U.S.
Currency and Exchange Rates ― The U.S. dollar (USD) is the unit of currency and is divided into 100 cents. Only major banks exchange foreign currency. ATMs are widespread and credit cards and travelers’ checks are widely accepted. Travelers’ checks should be taken in U.S. dollars. Using a credit or debit card at an ATM is very easy, although the owner of an ATM usually imposes a 2-3% charge for using the automated service. You may avoid this fee if you use an ATM belonging to your own bank or credit establishment. If you are unsure about your card's compatibility with the local banking systems, contact the bank or institution that issued your card. ATMs only dispense U.S. dollars. Banking hours are generally Monday to Friday 9:00 am to 3:00 pm.
To obtain the most current exchange rates, you may want to check your local newspaper or log on to the Internet website www.oanda.com
Customs and Tax-Free Shopping – Visitors to the United States (non-U.S. residents) are normally entitled to a duty-free exemption of $100 USD on items accompanying them. To find out more information on what information must be provided to U.S. Customs and Border Control (CBP) upon entry, please refer to the CBP internet website by clicking here.
If you are not a U.S. citizen, you should refer to your own country’s rules and regulations regarding customs and duty-free shopping to ensure compliance upon your return.
The individual states within the U.S. levy sales taxes on consumer goods and services. There is no federal Value Added Tax (VAT) system similar to that found in other countries that permits non-residents to obtain refunds of the sales taxes levied by each state.
Electrical Current – The electrical current in all of the U.S. is 110 V, 60 Hz, AC, which accommodates standard U.S. plugs having either two flat pins or two flat pins and a round grounding pin. If you bring electric devices that are not compatible with this system you should bring the appropriate adapters and converters.
Internet Access is available at each of the hotels as indicated below:
Hyatt Regency Philadelphia - Wired access in rooms; wireless access in public spaces for a fee
The Hotel Hershey - Complimentary access in guest rooms
Wyndham Gettysburg - Business Center Services
Williamsburg Woodlands Hotel & Suites - Complimentary WiFi and high-speed access in all guest rooms except in the Colonial Houses
L'Enfant Paza - Wireless high-speed access for a fee
Time Zones – The mid-Atlantic states are 5 hours behind Coordinated Universal Time (or Greenwich Mean Time). From early March to early November, these states switch to Daylight Savings Time and are 4 hours behind.
To determine current time major cities around the world, we suggest you log on to the Internet website, “timeanddate.com”, by clicking here.
Weather - The weather in the eastern portion of the mid-Atlantic state is temperate and changeable. Average high temperatures in spring and autumn range from 60 to 75 ºF (16 to 24 ºC) and in summer from 70 to 85 ºF (21 to 29 ºC). Rainfall is frequent and usually moderate in amount. Occasionally thunderstorms pass through when the heat and humidity rise up in the summer months.
To determine current weather conditions, we suggest you log on to the Internet website, www.weather.com
If You Have To Cancel
Cancellation Fees – Regardless of reason, cancellations of confirmed bookings result in Tauck incurring costly penalties and cancellation fees from our travel and hotel providers. Therefore, if you have to cancel a confirmed booking, Tauck will charge you a cancellation fee according to when your cancellation notice is received in its Norwalk, CT office. To help limit your liability, Tauck offers Tauck Travel Protection.
If you choose to purchase Tauck’s Guest Protection or Cancellation Fee Waiver, you will have your cancellation penalties reduced. Click here for more details. If you choose not
to purchase Tauck’s Guest Protection or Cancellation Fee Waiver, you will incur cancellation penalties per person as follows:
60 days or more before departure
$350 per person (the cost of the deposit)
59-8 days before departure
$600 per person
7-1 days before departure
$900 per person
