Usual Story of '9 countries/12 days' Group Tours...
Love a cafe and want to spend evening there soaking up the local scene sampling local wine/food?
Sorry no can do ! Because you are already booked with the hotels's restaurant for a (mostly) Indian buffet (and paid for it!)
Group tours usually conjure up images of big groups of 50-100+ people on coaches from the time they land at the destination right up till they are dropped off back at airport usually covering 8 countries in 18 days!
In between the day 1 and last day of such tours is long distance bus travel with some sightseeing along the way for breaks!
Such tours have very uniform, do-it-all itinerary with almost no flexibility
Why Small Group Tours?
Now imagine a group of friends or families travelling. You have a overall itinerary in mind that covers fewer but key places. There are few star attractions that all of you want to see, while the less significant ones you may or may not do based on how you feel on the day.
Or at some places you might just want to take it easy and explore the town on your own with your partner sans the group! For longer distances, you would like to ride the fast & comfortable trains and use the coach for transfer to/from hotels and local sightseeing.
At major tourist hubs like Rome, Paris, London you want to take the key sightseeing tours with group and beyond that you need options or other 'hatke' sightseeing tours or take it easy and go around on own like independent tourist – break away from the group.
FlexiGroup Tours – Small sized, unbundled-group tours
Explore at your pace while making new friends.
Our itineraries have certain days that are Group Days and include key sightseeing items. You have the convenience of travelling together with your group's arrangements and enjoy the 'must-do/see' sightseeing.
Other days of the itinerary are Open Days – nothing is planned or booked for sightseeing. You are free to form small groups with your travel buddies and do what interests you. Or just break away from the group and do your own thing. Think of Open Days like your individual trip without the group.
We will of course help you plan these free days with list of things to do and options for such free days.
Food (& Wine!)
Local food is as much a key experience as sightseeing. So we've dumped the traditional rigid, queue of the buffet.
In FlexiGroup trips, the dinner or lunch on the day of arrival is on us so group has opportunity to break the ice and meet their travel buddies.
Beyond this organised group dinner, we encourage the participants to explore local food scene. Group can decide to dine at one place or split into smaller groups and go for their choice – Italian, vegetarian, Indian, French or maybe just fast-food !
Recommendations are provided at each location of the 'must-try' local restaurants/eateries.
FLEXIGROUP TRIPS INCLUDES:
1. Smaller group sizes (max 21 per group)
2. Well researched itinerary
3. Hotel bookings
4. Visa + Insurance costs (visa/insurance charges will be deducted for overseas customers - NRI,OCI, PIO, other citizens)
5. Intercity travel by train – by RailEurope/Eurail (or private group coaches)
6. Transfers to/from airport, hotels and stations
7. Essential sightseeing included.
8. Free planning service to plan your Open Days & pre-post tour days based on your interests.
9. Meals : Breakfast each day. One dinner or lunch usually on day 1.
FLEXIGROUP TRIPS EXCLUDE:
1. Airfare
2. Any meals (except breakfast + 1 lunch or dinner), any other optional expenses, tips or personal expenses, luggage handling.
3. Any expenses for Open Days - like transfers, travel, bookable sightseeing that you opt to take up. We only offer free travel planning service/advice for Open Days to get most out of your trip.
How To Book:
Email us in the first instance at groups (at) blackgrapeholidays.com and we'll call you back or call us on +91-9923-484590 (till 5.30pm)
Please include the tour name, departure date and your contact number. We'll call you back with availability.
You can securely pay online for the initial booking amount. (Rs. 10,000/- non-refundable)
Single Travellers
We welcome single travellers to join. Based on the other bookings, we try to match single travellers up and allocate twin sharing rooms with (same-gender) travel buddies in the group. Ofcourse this is a hit or miss approach but so far our hit rate has been good (70%) !
