EXPRESS TO THE ORIENT: PARIS TO ISTANBUL (7 COUNTRIES)

IMPORTANT INFORMATIONS

Min. group size: 2 pax/ Max. group size: 12 pax

Gender group: mixed

Meeting Point: Hôtel Paris Lafayette, 23 rue des Messageries Paris 75010 FRANCE

Opened in 2007, the Hotel Paris La Fayette is a 3-star hotel located in the heart of Paris. Nestled on the peaceful Rue des Messageries, it offers a perfect base for exploring the city. Start your day with a French breakfast featuring artisanal jams and pure Arabica coffee, enjoyed in a bright, glass-roofed room. Recently renovated, the hotel features natural materials and plant-inspired designs, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

Arrival: 

To reach Paris Hotel Lafayette from Charles de Gaulle (CDG) Airport, take the RER B train to Gare du Nord (about 30-35 minutes). From Gare du Nord, the hotel is a 10-minute taxi ride or a short metro journey on Line 7 to Cadet or Le Peletier stations, followed by a brief walk. Alternatively, you can take a taxi or shuttle directly from the airport, which takes about 40-50 minutes depending on traffic. 

It’s very important that you attend the welcome meeting as we will be collecting insurance details and next of kin information at this time. If you are going to be late please let your travel agent or hotel reception know. Ask reception or look for a note in the lobby for more information on where the meeting will take place.

Luggage: Please keep your luggage as small and light as possible. You’ll be travelling on public transport where storage space is limited. You’ll need to be able to lift your luggage into storage racks, walk across cobblestone streets with it and carry it up and down stairs.

Transport: The primary form of transportation on this trip are scheduled local and intercity trains that travel on the railway tracks that were once used by the historical Orient Express in the late 19th Century. We use standard, economy and/or 2nd class local carriages, depending on availability. Cabins on the Overnight Train from Plovdiv to Istanbul are quad-share bunk-style. Please see the daily itinerary for more details. Please also note that minor delays of trains can be common.

Going around: One of the pleasures of travelling in Europe is the ease at which cities can be explored on foot. Your leader will take you on frequent orientation walks, and you’ll be able to explore further in your own time. We recommend you pack comfortable walking shoes for this trip.

Accommodation: Hotel (13 nights), Overnight train (1 night)

Accommodation is automatically shared in double occupancy. If you book with an even number of guests, you will be sharing the room with your travel companion. If you book solo, you will share with another guest (might be of opposite gender). If you prefer to stay alone in your room, please purchase the single supplement at checkout.

Hotels in Europe often have rooms that can be small by American or Australian standards.

The style of accommodation indicated in the day-to-day itinerary is a guideline only and may change. On some occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to the lack of availability of rooms in our preferred accommodation. In these cases, we will use a similar standard of accommodation.

Throughout the trip, we request that our properties prepare rooms in time for our arrival, especially if we’re arriving prior to normal check-in time. However, this isn’t always possible which means we won’t be able to check-in immediately on arrival at some hotels. Instead, we can store our luggage and explore our new destination or on some trips, have use of shared day rooms until all rooms are available.

Your accommodation may not always have private en suite facilities or air-conditioning. European hotels generally don’t provide kettles or fridges.

Occasional alternative accommodation:
The style of accommodation indicated in the day-to-day itinerary is a guideline. On rare occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to the lack of availability of rooms in our usual accommodation. A similar standard of accommodation will be used in these instances.

Check-in time:
Throughout the trip we request that our hotels prepare rooms in time for our arrival, especially if we’re arriving prior to normal check-in time. However this isn’t always possible which means we won’t be able to check-in immediately on arrival at some hotels. Instead, we can store our luggage and explore our new destination.

Pre/post trip accommodation:
If you’ve purchased pre-trip or post-trip accommodation (if available), you may be required to change rooms from your trip accommodation for these extra nights.

Travel insurance is mandatory for all our travellers and must be taken out within a reasonable time after booking. It is not included in the price of the trip. Your travel insurance must provide cover against personal accident, death, medical expenses and emergency repatriation with a recommended minimum coverage of US$200,000 for each of the categories of cover. We also strongly recommend it covers cancellation, curtailment, personal liability and loss of luggage and personal effects. You must provide your travel insurance policy number and the insurance company’s 24-hour emergency contact number on the first day of your trip; you will not be able to join the trip without these details. If you have travel insurance connected to your credit card or bank account please ensure you have details of the participating insurer, the insurance policy number and emergency contact number with you rather than the bank’s name and credit card details.