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he advantages of travelling as an independent group on confirmed flights are clear from the very beginning of
your tour. With Casterbridge organising the most convenient flight schedule, you should arrive in Europe early to mid morning. As your group is not combined with others, you can depart from the airport in your private bus as soon as you have checked through customs and immigration. Whilst most tour operators will keep you waiting at the airport for other groups to arrive, Casterbridge will have transferred you away from the hustle of the airport en route to your first hotel.
WHY WASTE A TRAVEL DAY?... Casterbridge believes the arrival day is of paramount importance to the success of your tour. Although overnight flights are tiring, once the adrenaline flows, students are often excited and curious to see everything going on around them. The best way to get over jetlag is to immediately adapt to local time. If you are on a 9 day tour, of which two are flight days, it is particularly important to use your arrival day productively. We recognise this and our programmes offer a perfect introduction to any country.
BUILD A FOUNDATION FOR THE REST OF YOUR TOUR... We often plan to spend the first night or two in a quieter town or village to ensure that the students can relax and see the sights in a safe and tranquil environment. We prefer to place major cities at the end of a tour whenever possible. For the students this is often seen as the highlight and they will find the city experience more rewarding if they have had time to 'tune in' to the country beforehand.
ENJOY PEACE OF MIND ON ARRIVAL... Many operators employ a courier to escort you to your hotel. Your guide then only appears for the first scheduled sightseeing, which may not be until the next morning. It is, however, often on the arrival day that you will most appreciate the 24-hour service that your Casterbridge Tourguide will provide, answering questions, helping with money exchange, explaining local currency, giving directions and interpreting with shopkeepers. Your guide will also be available to take group members for introductory sightseeing at no additional cost.
No other Tour Operator provides a comparable arrival day service. A standard brochure quote for arrival day is often: "Free time for individual sightseeing."
"The bus was waiting a short distance from the airport exit and we were on our way with a minimum of delay. It was a huge bus and made a very positive initial impression. What a great start to the tour."
Irving Kizner
Group Leader