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Pre-Departure
Information
Once
you book an extended tour with 605 Touring Co.,
you will no doubt have many questions that come to
mind. How much luggage can I bring? What
kind of clothing? How about spending money? Can
I do a bit of laundry?
Most
of your questions are dealt with in the FAQ
section of our web site. In addition, more
information on questions you may have is posted
below. Also, be sure to check the current
edition of our <Newsletter> to see if
there is important information that relates to
your tour.
If
there is any questions that you don’t find
answered, or if you have an urgent, last minute
question or problem, kindly email, fax, or
telephone us. Email info@toursdbackroads.com.
The
following information is provided to assist you in
maximizing
your
vacation by answering the many questions you may
have now
that you have made your travel plans.
Arrival
and Tour Departure Information
Your
tour price includes a transfer from the airport to
your hotel from where your tour begins and also
transport back to the airport on your departure
date. If we do not meet you there with a 605
Touring Co. vehicle, another form of transport
will be arranged. If you have booked via a
travel agent, they will notify us with your
arrival and departure times, if not, this is your
responsibility to let us know.
Once
you are in the terminal, look for a kindly person
holding up the ‘605 Touring’ sign. If ,
for some reason, your driver is not present, dial
605-226-9999 after giving them about 20 minutes
leeway time in case of traffic or other problem. Please
note that we will not refund taxi fares if you
leave the terminal area without our approving the
use of a taxi.
We
have a set departure time of 8:30 AM from our
departure hotel. If you have decided to stay
at another accommodation on the first night (or
any other night), it is your responsibility to
make your way independently to the designated 605
Touring Co. departure hotel and to provide
breakfast on your own.
What
should I bring?
Two
old adages apply here. The first is
“you’ll only need half of what you pack”. So,
with that, go ahead and pack, then unpack, and
then pack about half of what you originally did. Remember,
you will need a little room for those gifts and
things you will be buying! In any case,
please limit your luggage to one suitcase, and one
piece of hand luggage per person. Be sure to
check the airlines for weight and size
restrictions.
If
your tour includes single overnight stops, you may
find it practical to bring one small overnight
bag.
How
about clothing?
The
second adage is “if you don’t like the weather
in South Dakota and the West, just give it five
minutes and it will change”. Yes, the
weather here, especially in the good ‘ol
summertime can change quickly. One minute it
can be calm, clear and ninety degrees and the next
minute it can be raining and sixty degrees. Don’t
worry though, it will generally warm up again soon
after the passing thunderstorm. One
“historic” day on January 22, 1943 in
Spearfish, South Dakota the temperature shot up an
incredible 49 degrees in just two minutes.
Make
sure you bring a good, broke-in, pair of walking
shoes.
There
will be plenty of walking opportunities for those
of you who
enjoy it.
During
the summer months it will get chilly in the
evening, so bring along a sweater or light jacket.
You should bring a hat and when you arrive,
pick up some SPF15 suntan lotion. If you have
a light raincoat, that might be handy to have as
well. Any evening entertainment that you
might do will be informal, so leave your black tie
or pearl earrings at home! One plan might be
to pack a light raincoat and purchase a sweater
when you get here. If you are traveling
between Mid-September and the end of October, make
that jacket a bit heavier and be sure to bring a
hat as the days will be warm, perhaps a bit cool,
and the nights will be chilly.
Accommodations
Most
of our accommodations are mid-size and have a bit
of relaxing room around the beds. In some
accommodations there will be two couples (yes,
that’s 4 people to one room), so choose your
companions wisely! There is usually one
bathroom with shower for each room, but when there
is not, we will do our best to inform you ahead of
time.
The
name, address and contact information for each
accommodation are printed on the Package
Information List that you should have received
approximately 30 days before your tour starts. If
you have not received this, please let us know. Please
note, accommodations may have to be changed or
altered at the last moment on some occasions due
to unforeseen circumstances or the composition of
the group you are traveling with and we will
usually try to inform you of this prior to your
tour start date.
Most
double accommodations mean a double bed. If,
as a couple you require single beds, please let us
know in advance.
Smoking
is not allowed in any of the accommodations.
Pre
and Post tour accommodations are not included
unless it is a customized tour, and you must book
these independently. Likewise, accommodation
between combined tours is not included. Please
check with us for suggestions.
Church
Services
We
will do whatever we can to get you there on the
Day. Please note that your driver has the
same option.
Evening
Entertainment
You
will certainly want to take part in some of the
goings-on in the local towns when we are nearby. If
you would like to see something that is not on the
itinerary, check with the driver, and if possible,
and at an added cost, we will try to make it
happen for you. Bed and Breakfasts are
sometimes “in the middle of no where” and
these are great nights to converse with your
fellow travelers. When we are near towns, we
try our best to make the accommodations within
walking distance of the “night life” so you
may do as you wish with your time.
Fellow
Travelers
605
Touring Co. travelers come from all over and you
may be traveling with Americans, British,
Australians, New Zealanders, South Africans, and
Canadians. A wonderful thing about traveling
in a small group is that they normally get along
very well together and you will quickly make
friends. Please be considerate of your fellow
vacationers.
Depending
on the type of tour, our travelers will range
anywhere from the early 20’s to quite old (or
mature); and someone that is in their 70’s, as
long as they are fit is sure to fit in.
You
could travel alone, couples or with a small group
of friends.
Because
of the amount of activity and walking on tours,
people with any disabilities
may find 605 Touring Co. tours unsuitable.
If
you have any doubts,
please consult your travel agent or check with us
directly.
Meals
and Drink
Meals
are always of a local nature and we hope that you
enjoy that aspect of the accommodations,
especially when at a bed and breakfast. Dinner
will provide you with a chance to taste things you
might never have before (how about a Buffalo steak
or Burger?). When we do not stay at a bed and
breakfast, a restaurant nearby will be designated
for you. Lunches will be taken on the fly at
roadside or town restaurants or pubs or perhaps a
picnic and are your responsibility unless
otherwise noted. For those of you needing a
special menu or health options, just let us know
so we can arrange for you.
Dinner
is not included in your tour price on the day of
arrival (unless specifically noted) and last night
of your tour in the departure city. There is
usually one night when you are left to your own
designs and dinner is not included on this night.
You
may find that you are eating later and at the
table longer during your tour, and that is normal
on a vacation such as this.
Gratuities
Many
tourist and hospitality services and dining
establishments expect some measure of tipping, but
you are surely not bound to do so. When we
have not tipped on your behalf, your tour director
will advise you on appropriate amounts. If
you would like to take part in or supplement the
gratuity to show your satisfaction, that would be
most generous of you. On a job well done, you
may wish to tip your 605 Touring Co. guide/driver
and/or Step-On Guide(s) and that is left to your
discretion based on their job performance.
Itineraries
Our
website includes a suggested day-to-day itinerary. As
we have stated throughout this website, these
should be regarded as flexible and tentative as
your guide will often change the order or actual
events daily according to weather conditions and
events that may be happening in a particular area. We
cannot guarantee all highlights mentioned as we
may arrive on days when attractions are closed,
without prior notice, or because of local
holidays. There will, however, be many other
attractions included that we simply do not have
room to post. If you have any special things
you would like to see, or places you have
‘longed’ to visit, or perhaps even a relative
you would like to see, then, by all means, let us
know and we will do our level best to see if it
can be arranged.
Once
in a while, with the approval of the group, guides
will venture down a ‘back-road’ not traveled
by them before. This adds to the excitement
and out of the ordinary flexible feel of the
tours. And, we even get lost once in a
while!!
You
are not required to be with the group on
every
occasion.
Medical
Information
You
must have medical and general
insurance. If, in the unlikely event, you
become ill at anytime, you will find the US
medical system to be top notch. For USA
residents this will be done through normal
channels. For our overseas guests, a charge
will be made. For this reason, you are
advised to take out medical insurance.
Please
note that your individual insurance should also
cover theft, as operators cannot offer a policy to
cover items that might be lost or stolen while on
tours from the coach or from accommodations.
If
you are on prescribed drugs, bring sufficient
quantity with you
as you may not be able to buy these over the
pharmacy counter in
the USA,
and not without a local doctor’s
prescription.
Money
This is fairly hard to advise on because much
will depend on the amount of evening entertainment
you plan to do. Apart from your lunches
(approximately $7 - $10 per day), alcohol and soft
drinks and water, all your other dining expenses
are covered. You might run across one or two
special events that you would like to attend and
these are roughly $15 to $30 per ticket. Major
credit cards are accepted in most places for your
gift shopping. On the average, if you want to
visit the pubs at night, and have cash spending
money for the day as well, $50 - $75 per day per
person cash should be sufficient.
Generally, there is not banks located in the
airports in this part of the USA, and local banks
are not open on weekends.
Portage
Your guide will normally be able to assist you
in carrying your luggage; however, on occasion,
you may have to be responsible for your own
suitcases. Please do not bring oversized or
heavy luggage that would be difficult to carry. Your
guide is instructed to not carry anything that
she/he feels may injure her/him.
Shopping
& Shipping
We do not go to commission shops (that means
that the shop would pay our driver to suggest you
shop there). Instead will recommend a few
places, but your best bet is to visit the stores
in the cities we are in and ask questions of the
proprietors. If you are purchasing more than
you can take back with you, most places can take
care of you.
Travel
Usually you will be on a 13 passenger
mini-coach. If, however, the number of
participants on any tour is particularly low, we
reserve the right to use a smaller vehicle. We
try to limit the amount of driving each day, apart
from scenic touring, and the average day is a
leisurely one starting at 9am and arriving at the
evening stop by approximately 6pm. Obviously,
when we have to cover greater distances between
night stops, there will be longer driving times.
We suggest rotating seating on a daily basis so
you can get to know one another.
Smoking is not permitted on board any vehicles.
Going
Home
If you are staying after your final day with us
we suggest finding a hotel that will shuttle you
to the airport free of charge. If you are
going home directly after the tour, we will
transport you there via our vehicle or a hired one
or hotel transfer and we suggest leaving early
morning if possible.
Essential
Items
-
Visas, Inoculations, Flight Tickets and
Passports
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Medication - aspirin, prescriptions
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Medical Insurance
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General Holiday Insurance
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Eyeglass and Contact Lens - supplies for lenses
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Camera, Film
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Clothing: Light Raincoat, Sweater, Walking
shoes or Sneakers
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Travelers Checks
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Local Currency
(USD$)
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Adapter / Voltage Transformer for Electric
Shaver
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Sense of humor and a ‘go with the flow’
attitude!
Helpful
web sites
http://southdakota.statesite.com/
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