Although VENT’s detailed tour itineraries include all of the information needed to prepare for your tour, here we bring your attention to some essential information.
| DO I NEED A PASSPORT AND OTHER DOCUMENTS? |
| If you will be traveling outside the U.S.A., please make sure your documentation is in order. Passport validity requirements vary by country, ranging from validity only through your length of stay to up to six months after your planned departure date. Similarly, tourist visas are required of American citizens in some countries but not others. Information about country specific travel documents can be found under the Documents section of our tour itineraries or by checking the website of the U.S. Department of State (travel.state.gov). If you are a citizen of any country other than the U.S., be sure to check your government website or embassy regarding passport and visa requirements for traveling abroad. |
| WHAT HEALTH PRECAUTIONS SHOULD I TAKE? |
| Consult your doctor or the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta (800.232.4636) concerning health precautions and any inoculations or shots that may be necessary to enter the country you will be visiting. Country specific health information can also be found in the Health section of our tour itineraries. |
| WHAT TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS DO I NEED TO MAKE? |
| VENT tours depart from the departure city or location listed in the tour itinerary, but we can also book your travel to the departure location. VENT’s in-house, full-service travel agency was established in 1990 to offer VENT customers a complete range of travel-related services. For airline reservations and ticketing, we charge a service fee of $50 for domestic and $75 for international itineraries. This fee is assessed per-person so that if multiple tickets are required, as is sometimes the case, you will be charged this transaction fee only once. All your travel arrangements can be made with one easy call to 800.328.VENT (8368) or 512.328.5221. Just tell us which tour you wish to take and we’ll do the rest! |
| WHAT SHOULD I DO ON THE DAY BEFORE AND THE DAY OF MY DEPARTURE? |
| Check to see that all of your air arrangements are in order. Check your tickets, and be sure to reconfirm the night before to make certain your departure time hasn’t changed. After boarding the aircraft, be sure to drink plenty of liquids and move around frequently to aid circulation while in flight. |
| WHAT CLOTHING AND PERSONAL ITEMS SHOULD I BRING ON MY TRIP? |
| Your tour itinerary will have specific suggestions about what to bring. In general, bring the things you will need and leave unnecessary items at home. Casual attire is appropriate at all times on VENT tours. Wearing bright or light-colored clothing in the field is strongly discouraged. Waterproof or rubber boots that reach at least halfway to the knee are useful on many VENT tours (check specific itineraries). All VENT leaders carry a scope. Bringing one of your own is optional. A water bottle, insect repellent, a hat, alarm clock, and snacks may also be useful. |
| TRIP INSURANCE |
| When you register for a tour with Victor Emanuel Nature Tours, you invest in a travel experience of the
highest quality. It is an investment you will want to protect. To safeguard against losses due to illness,
accident, or other unforeseen circumstances, we strongly recommend the purchase of travel insurance as soon
as possible after making a deposit. VENT has partnered with Redpoint Travel Protection as our preferred travel insurance provider, a company with a reputation for quality to match our own. Through Redpoint, we recommend their Ripcord plan. Designed for all types of travelers, Ripcord is among the most highly regarded travel insurance programs available. |
| Critical benefits of Ripcord include: |
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| For a price quote, or to purchase travel insurance, please click the Ripcord™ logo or call +1-415-481-0600. Pricing varies based on age, trip cost, trip length, and
level of coverage. |
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*To be eligible for the pre-existing medical condition exclusion waiver and the optional Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) upgrade, you must purchase your policy within 15 days of making your first trip payment. The CFAR benefit provides reimbursement for 75% of covered costs, and increases the policy premium by approximately 50%. Policies may be purchased either for the full value of the tour fee at the time of deposit or in segments as individual tour payments are made (deposit, mid-payment, final balance, additional arrangements, etc.). The “pay as you go” approach reduces up-front expense and ensures that the amount paid toward your full policy premium is in proportion to the amount paid toward the full tour fee. If you choose to “pay as you go,” you must cover each deposit or payment within 15 days, and insure all non-refundable trip cost in order to maintain the CFAR benefit. Please refer to the policy for a full description of coverage. |
| About Ripcord™ Ripcord provides round-the-clock access to medical and security professionals combined with the best evacuation, rescue, and optional travel insurance coverages designed for all types of travelers. Redpoint is owned and operated by special operations veterans and physicians and has evacuated clients from all seven continents. |
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