| Questions
About: |
| 605
Touring Co. |
| Accommodations |
| Arrival
and Departure Arrangements |
| Our
Mini-Coaches (vehicles) |
| Our
Tour Itineraries |
| Fellow
Travelers |
| Our
Guides |
| Booking
and Payments |
| Insurance
and Flights |
| Luggage |
| |
| How long has 605Touring Co. been in existence? |
| 605Touring Co. was founded in 2005. Don Lipp, a native South Dakotan, and Owner of 605Touring Co. noticed several years ago that the famous places in South Dakota (such as Mt. Rushmore) were well visited, but that there were many interesting “out of the way” points of interest as well. Don has been studying and learning the best of these other points of interest for your pleasure. |
| What
is the relevance of "605"? |
| 605 is
the area code for the entire state of South
Dakota where Don started the company. |
| Does the company have an office in any other state than South Dakota? |
| No, just one based in Aberdeen, South Dakota. We have a several agents who are accredited to sell 605Touring Co. tours. These agents are able to answer your general questions and book flights and insurance packages. They win their accreditation by agreeing to implement our 'Customer Service Charter' which defines the level of service we expect them to give our clients in return for receiving commission payments. |
| I'm a travel agent. How do I become an accredited agent? |
| Details are on our
Agents Page. |
| Are your tours guaranteed departures? |
| We try very hard to never cancel a tour once we've accepted your booking (unless forced to do so by topographical problems, civil unrest or 'act of God'!). As we all know, our world, especially the way we travel, has changed drastically since the turn of the century, and therefore cannot absolutely guarantee every departure. If we find that a specific tour is under-booked, and we think that the low numbers might not be appreciated by tour participants, we give you the option to change tours or cancel at no cost. We will try, however, to honor our commitment NOT TO CANCEL a tour once you have booked it. |
| Do you only offer scheduled departures or can we plan a customized tour? |
| We are delighted to design and operate special customized tours for families, friends wanting to travel together, or any other group. See the
Customized
Tours on this site for further details. |
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| What standard of accommodation do you use? |
| The hotels, motels, and bed & breakfasts
are usually a three star minimum but in certain areas we do use two star lodgings. Not to worry as all accommodations are chosen based on design, position, quality of facilities, cooking, warmth, and are comfortably quiet. |
| Do they have tubs or showers? |
| Showers would be the norm. At times, there will both a tub and shower. If you have a preference, please request this at the time of booking and we'll do our best to accommodate you whenever possible. |
| Do we dine at the accommodations? |
| All breakfasts are taken in or very near (by very near we mean just around the corner or down the street) the accommodation you spent the night at. Your minimum two course evening meal will occasionally be at the accommodation, but very often will be at a local restaurant, especially in the Black Hills as the dining establishments there provide you with a memorable atmosphere. Dining out it is understandably to a budget but in the rare circumstance of a client wanting something special you are able to contribute to, and supplement, the budget. Wines and other alcoholic drinks are not included but tea/coffee is included. |
| What meals are included? |
| See each tour for a full list of inclusions. Normally all breakfasts and dinners are included except when in major cities of arrival and departure. On some tours, one or two nights are excluded to give time for your time alone. |
| Can special dietary needs be accommodated? |
| Yes, but please notify us in advance. If you have very particular needs you may find that your choice is limited. |
| Is smoking allowed? |
| Not usually. Most accommodations we use do not allow smoking in the bedrooms although there may be public areas where it is permitted. Smoking is allowed in pubs but usually not restaurants. We ask those of you who smoke to respect the wishes of other tour participants and refrain from smoking at the dinner table, even if permitted by the establishment. |
| What size are the beds? |
| A full size is 54” x 75” and a queen is 60” x 80”. If you are a couple and have a concern, please let us know when you book your tour. |
| Can we get a ground floor room? |
| Let us know when you book your tour and we will try our best. When a ground floor room is requested but not available, we will allocate the lowest, most easily reached alternative room available. |
| Do accommodations have elevators (lifts)? |
| As a general rule, the establishments within larger cities (for example the Alex Johnson Hotel in Rapid City and the Alonzo Ward Hotel in Aberdeen) will have elevators. Needless to say the bed and breakfasts, and family inns will not - keep in mind that these accommodations will have a minimum of steps, generally a flight or two. |
| What is a 'single supplement' referred to in the price of the tour? |
| Most accommodations charge an additional amount for single occupancy even though the room is often much smaller than the standard room. The single supplement refers to the amount we have to add to the standard tour price paid by persons sharing a twin or double room. |
| What
is a 'twin' room? |
| A twin room is a room for two persons in which there will be two single beds. A 'double' room is for two persons sharing a bed. |
| I am single. Can I share with someone? |
| Usually, to be quite frank, this does not work. However, feel free to give it a try by posting a message on the
bulletin board. |
| Can we get triple room accommodation? |
| Yes. However, there is limited triple availability and often a triple room contains a double bed and one single. There is little, if any, cost saving to be made in booking a triple room unless it is to save a 'single supplement' charge. |
| What size are the single rooms? |
| Single rooms are generally a little smaller than the standard room size even though you are required to pay a 'single supplement'. Whenever possible we try to ensure that our guests are allocated the largest room possible. |
| Can 605Touring Co. arrange additional nights accommodation in the cities of arrival and departure? |
| Yes. Please, let us know at the time of your initial booking. We would normally extend your stay in the hotel we'd be using for the main tour but this sometimes might not be possible. In this case, we'd find you the most convenient substitute. |
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| Do 605Touring Co. provide airport transfers? |
| Yes, but there are certain restrictions. Most importantly, please note that to qualify for a free airport transfer, it's your responsibility to let us have your flight details six weeks (or more) before the commencement date of the start of your tour. If you're booking a tour that departs in less than six weeks time, then you should give us your flight details when booking the tour.
If you are arriving or departing more than three days before/after a tour then we are happy to transfer you to/from an airport but a charge would be made. |
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| What sort of vehicle do we travel in? |
| You'll either be in a 15 seat Customized Ford mini-coach,
or a 7 passenger Toyota Sienna for smaller tours. The vehicles have seatbelts and all seats are forward facing. Luggage is stored in a rear compartment. |
| I'm over 6 foot. Is there plenty of leg room? |
| Yes, several of the front seats have sufficient room for even the tallest passenger to stretch their legs. We rotate seats also to ensure that no-one is sitting permanently in any particular seat. |
| Do the vehicles have A/C? |
| Yes, always. |
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| How much driving do we do? |
| We design tours so that there is as little wasted time as possible on the bus and plenty to see while aboard. Inevitably, there are days when traveling between locations may involve freeway driving and more mileage. Generally, a typical day's driving would be anywhere between 150 and 200 miles. There are at least three major attraction stops, 'comfort' and meal stops.
*It is always worth remembering that these are 'tours' and not fixed-site holidays and this inevitably involves driving. |
| How flexible are the daily itineraries? Can we request visits to special sites/sights? |
| The tours are designed to be flexible. That's why we write that itineraries are tentative. When practical, there will be times when we'll be altering the published itinerary at a group or individual request to visit sites of special importance to those on board. However, if we do vary itineraries it must be acceptable to all. We would not miss sites included on the provisional itineraries unless all parties are in agreement, or the particular site is not available on that particular day for a specific reason. |
| Are the tours suitable for children? |
| Some are, others are not. Please check with us if considering bringing a child. If you're wanting to bring children on a customized tour that's another matter! We can design a tour that will fit the aspirations of all age-groups traveling. |
| How much walking on a tour? |
| In some instances, especially on your time alone, you could walk many miles if you desire. The required walking of any distance will be at the major attractions where we have to park some distance out to allow for the larger parking lots. In some cities a walking tour through the historic districts will be offered.
Please note: if you have a mobility problem or concern you may not find our tours suitable. Please contact us if you have any doubts. |
| Are all the entrance fees included in my tour price? |
| Absolutely. The only time they are not is when we suggest certain optional evening cultural visits, or on occasion, suggest you enter special attractions. |
| Can I get my hair done / laundry done on tour / go to church or synagogue / post items home? |
| Yes. There is generally sufficient free time to incorporate all such functions, though we can't guarantee such in every stop. Your guide-companion will be able to advise the most convenient point and assist in making relevant arrangements. |
| Is there time to shop? |
| Of course! But we will NOT be taking you to 'commission' stops. Our guides are not permitted to profit from your shopping. |
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| Who goes on a 605Touring Co. Ltd tour? |
| Our clientele is expected to be in the mid thirties and above, and probably most will be above age 50. They are English-speaking and are from
the United States, Canada, England, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa, Singapore and Hong Kong. Note that all tours are conducted in
English. A wee bit more women than men. |
| What about single people? |
| You're more than welcome! About 20% of our clients are singles. You'll soon make friends aboard a 605Touring Co. small group tour. |
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| Who leads and drives the tours? |
| Visit Our Guides and read the personal introductions.
605Touring Co. makes it a policy to always seek improvement in all areas of our business. Guides are required to study and learn about South Dakota and as an incentive earn more as they acquire knowledge. We are committed to having the best staff in the State for your total enjoyment. |
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| How do I make a booking? |
| Please see
How To Book
or contact 605Touring Co. if you're reading this as 'hard copy'. Booking is easy and can be made either directly with us here in Aberdeen or through one of our accredited agents.
If you want to take a day tour that has not been pre-booked through one of our agents, this can be paid for on the day. |
| What happens if I have to cancel? |
| Please see our
cancellation
policy. We rarely have cancellations but if you do, through illness or any other reason, there would be a charge. We strongly recommend taking out travel insurance to cover any cancellations. |
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| Can we book our flights through 605Touring Co.? |
| Sorry,
no. If you've booked a land package with us, you can book your flight and buy travel insurance (which we recommend) through any retail travel agent or direct with an airline. If booking your main tour through an accredited agent they should be able to help you. |
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| How much
luggage can we bring with us? |
| Luggage is restricted to one standard sized suitcase and one carry-on per person. |
| What clothes should I bring? |
| This sort of information is provided in your
pre-departure information. |
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