Frequently asked questions - Activity holidays

Should I book an active trip already now or rather wait and see?

Early booking pays off:

The early bird secures a whopping 5% early bird discount AND the finest accommodations when you book by 28^th February 2023!
Beware of last minute: if the trend for traveling to Germany continues, many hotels could be fully booked earlier.
Carefree with our FlexPLUS package: Up to 28 days before arrival you can rebook or cancel free of charge (for 39 € per person).
Optimal coverage in case of illness or other unforeseeable events: Protect yourself optimally with a travel insurance!
With us you are in good hands - promised. With over 25 years of experience and expertise, we are your reliable travel specialist!
Active travel is healthy and sustainable! You are out and about in the fresh air, away from the hustle and bustle and can simply let your soul dangle...
With us you are in good hands: We observe the situation for you and keep you up to date!
And above all: Allow yourself to look forward to your vacation. With a goal in mind, looking to the future is much more fun!

APP testers wanted...

With our new travel app, our route book for selected tours is also available to you in digital form. The app allows you to navigate easily and provides you with all the important information about your trip.

When booking, you can choose whether you prefer to travel "analogue" and receive our detailed map and information material, or whether you would like to test our travel app – in which case we will be happy to provide you with the app in addition to our traditional travel documents. If you would like to test the app, please let us know in step 4 under "comments" when booking!

The travel app is available on the following trips:

We hope you enjoy testing and look forward to your feedback!

ATTENTION: Your opinion is important to us! Anyone who gives us feedback on the travel app after the active trip will receive a travel voucher of 25 euros (redeemable until 10/31/2024).

What are the cancellation policies of AugustusTours? (FlexPLUS)

We can understand your concerns and your reservations when planning your trip. To give you more security, we offer you our FlexPLUS package for all "AugustusTours Original Tours".

Safe and carefree with FlexPLUS

The icing on the cake for your next active vacation! Regardless of travel warnings or travel insurance, our FlexPLUS gives you the greatest possible freedom of choice for only 39 € per adult/full payer (children up to 12,99 years free of charge).

Up to 28 days before arrival, you can change or cancel your trip without giving any reason. Only the FlexPLUS surcharge (39 €) per adult/full-payer will be charged as a lump sum. This means that you will not be charged the regular cancellation fee of 20% of the tour price.

After that, the normal cancellation conditions apply according to the General Terms and Conditions. In case of cancellation, the paid tour price, minus the FlexPLUS, will be refunded to you.

The FlexPLUS applies to all AugustusTours original tours, which you can recognize by the crown in the catalogue and on the Internet. It can only be added on the day of booking and only for trips until 31/10/2023.

In case of a trip cancellation by AugustusTours, for example in case of an official travel warning, you will of course also be refunded the FlexPLUS surcharge of €39 per adult/full-payer.

Further cancellation regulations

From 27 days to the start of the trip, our normal cancellation conditions apply. In the event of an official travel warning in the destination area, which significantly affects the implementation of the package tour or transportation to the destination, the trip can be canceled or rebooked free of charge.

It is not yet foreseeable which legal framework conditions will apply to travel in the 2023 season. However, it is certain that an up-to-date vaccination against Covid-19 will enable you to travel without worries. In this context, please also note that a missing vaccination is not a reason for a free travel cancellation. Also additional costs due to an incomplete vaccination protection, for example hotel rebooking, train tickets or cab costs are not covered by the organizer.

In order to avoid cancellation costs in the event of illness, quarantine or other unforeseen circumstances, we recommend that our guests also take out insurance in this direction. Here you can find information about travel insurance.

Does AugustusTours offer special Covid 19 insurance or Covid 19 protection?

With your travel confirmation you will receive an offer to conclude a travel cancellation insurance. We have selected an insurance policy that we believe currently offers you the best cancellation protection. Here you will find detailed information on travel cancellation insurance at a glance. However, please wait with the conclusion until you have received the travel confirmation from us.

I have booked a trip and a corona or quarantine event occurs...

...my travel start is approaching and the infection figures in the destination area are increasing:

We will contact you and check in consultation with you to what extent your trip can be adapted to the situation, e.g. by transfers or additional nights. In the event of an official travel warning in the destination area that significantly affects the execution of the package tour or transportation to the destination, the trip can be canceled or rebooked free of charge. You can additionally protect yourself through travel insurance, because the travel cancellation insurance also applies in the event of a travel warning.

...I cannot start my trip because I myself, a person traveling with me or a close relative fell ill with Corona shortly before the start of the trip:

Covid-19 is an unexpected serious illness and is thus covered in most travel insurances as well as with our partner HanseMerkur. Insured by HanseMerkur are max. 6 persons or 2 families among each other who have booked a trip together as well as all close relatives of the traveler(s) (so-called risk persons). We will gladly inform you about an optimal coverage for the time before and during your vacation.

...I cannot start my trip because I myself, a person traveling with me or a person from my household has to go into quarantine:

With the new Corona insurance cover from HanseMerkur, you are also covered in this case if you yourself, a person traveling with you or a person from your household receives a person-related official order for quarantine. We will be happy to advise you on optimal coverage for the time before and during your vacation.

...I cannot start my trip because my hometown is quarantined:

Should your place of residence/country of origin become a risk area at the time of travel or shortly before, we will also discuss accommodating and situation-related solutions with you, but in this case we also ask for your assistance!

...I am traveling and the infection numbers increase:

We will contact you and check in consultation with you to what extent your trip can be adapted to the situation, e.g. by transfers or additional nights or if you have to leave early. If you need a Covid 19 test for your journey home or have to be quarantined at home, we would like to point out that AugustusTours will not cover any costs for this.

...I fall ill with Corona en route and have to interrupt my trip or be quarantined on site:

If you experience typical Corona symptoms, contact the respective health authority as soon as possible (Germany tel: 116 117). Here you will receive precise recommendations for action and information on further steps. Please be sure to reduce contact with others and, if possible, place yourself in quarantine.

Cost coverage: We would also like to recommend the insurance coverage through HanseMerkur or through your local travel agant for this case. Because even during the trip you are covered by HanseMerkur in the following cases: contracting Covid-19, quarantine due to an official order or refusal to transport or enter accommodation due to a suspected infection.

We will be happy to advise you on optimal coverage for the time before and during your vacation.

Am I safe on site during my active trip? What hygiene and safety measures are taken by the service providers (hotel, transporters)?

You can be sure that we, as well as all partners involved in your active trip, will ensure that you will have a pleasant time out despite any restrictions that may still exist. There will almost certainly continue to be some measures and regulations to observe. But these will not differ from your now daily practiced habits: Please continue to expect a distance requirement of at least 1.5 meters. Regular hand washing and mouth and nose protection will continue to be a matter of course in public areas.

We are in close contact with our partners to take all necessary precautions to make your active trip as pleasant as possible. We will provide you with precise details on measures and rules of conduct on site in a timely manner before your arrival in your travel documents.

What does individual cycling and walking tours mean?

What is behind the level of difficulty of my active trip?

The following applies to cycle tours...

easy: leisurely cycling in mostly flat terrain, with cycling tours of up to 40 km, these cycling tours are also suitable for inexperienced cyclists
medium: Predominantly easy cycling with individual difficult paths with cycle tours of up to 70 km, a certain basic level of fitness should be available for these cycle tours
challenging: Cycling tours with stages of more than 70 km and demanding path conditions, this type of active holiday is suitable for experienced cyclists with good physical condition

The following applies to hiking tours...

easy: Hikes on mainly well-maintained hiking trails without any difficulties worth mentioning, can also be done with little hiking experience and fitness, hiking tours with walking time approx. 4 to 5 hours, differences in altitude max. 400 m
medium: Hikes for experienced hikers on mainly well-maintained trails with some demanding passages, some short steep ascents and narrow descents via stairs, sure-footedness and fitness required, hiking tours with walking time approx. 5 to 6 hours, altitude differences max. 650 m
challenging: Hikes for conditioned and very experienced hikers with frequent ascents and descents over narrow paths or narrow stairs and ladders, very good physical condition and sure-footedness required, hiking tours with walking time over 6 hours, altitude differences max. 1000 m

Where can I travel with AugustusTours?

Our cycling and hiking tours take you to the most beautiful areas of Germany as well as to the Czech Republic, Austria, Italy and Switzerland. Numerous river cycle paths but also excellent quality hiking trails promise active recreation.

We organize a large part of our tours ourselves. You can recognize these AugustusTours original tours by the crown . On some cycling and hiking routes we have been working with reliable partners for many years, you can recognize these partner tours by the partner symbol .

Is an active trip the right thing for me?

If you enjoy active walking or cycling in the countryside, then an individual active tour from AugustusTours is just the thing for you! To make your choice easier, we have marked our active tours with a few symbols. Choose, for example, between

stage tours (accommodation changed daily/several times)

radial tours (one accommodation and tours based on it) and

round trips (start point = destination).

The degree of difficulty should also make it easier for you to choose the active trip. Experienced cyclists and hikers can certainly enjoy "demanding" tours. For those who prefer a relaxed journey and want to have time for side trips and photo stops, we recommend "easy" tours. For our hiking tours, the walking time indicated should determine your decision - the low number of kilometres is less meaningful due to frequent ascents and descents.

You are unsure? Give us a call (Tel. +49 (0)351 5634820)! We will be happy to advise you and will definitely find the right activity trip for you!

How do I prepare my active holiday? What should I not forget?

Where do I stay overnight during the activity trip?

You will stay overnight in cycle and hiking friendly hotels and guesthouses, most of which have been tested by us personally:
- Category: 3- and 4-star standard
- shower/bath/WC in the room, telephone and TV
- safe bicycle storage
- close to the cycle path / hiking trail

We offer our individual active tours exclusively with breakfast. With our restaurant recommendations in the travel documents, we would like to give you the opportunity to choose the location for your dinner and the type of menu yourself on site.

Here you can find out more about our cycle and hiking friendly accommodations, which we book for our active tours.

How does luggage transport work during cycling or walking tours?

So that you can enjoy your active holiday "carefree", we offer you our reliable luggage transport service on all cycling and hiking tours:

Luggage drop-off until 9 am at the hotel reception
Provision in the next accommodation by 5 pm at the latest
Maximum weight: 20 kg per piece of luggage

With the travel documents you will receive luggage tags to mark your suitcase for transport. Click here for more information about our luggage transport service.

Can I book rental bikes for the duration of my cycling trip?

For the duration of your bike tour we are happy to provide you with our high quality touring bikes:
- Low-entry bikes for women and men
- Wheels with hub and derailleur gears
- different frame heights
- E-Bikes
- bikes and tandems for children on request

Our service for your rental bike:
- Delivery by AugustusTours to the starting hotel and collection at the destination hotel
- Free accessories: one waterproof Ortlieb bag, repair kit & bike lock, map holder
- Speedometer

On some of our cycling tours we provide you with bicycles from partner companies, whose equipment, accessories and brands may differ from those mentioned above.

Click here for more information about our rental bike service.

What do my travel documents contain?

AugustusTours will send you your individual travel documents per room together with comprehensive maps and information material upon receipt of your payment punctually before departure.

The travel document package includes:
- Your personal travel schedule
- Cycling or hiking maps (e.g. Bikeline, green heart, Hikeline)
- Information along the route with carefully researched tips for sightseeing, restaurant recommendations and important contact addresses such as bicycle repair shops
- Voucher for your overnight stays and all other booked services
- Local brochures
- Luggage tags for luggage transport

As a supplement to the information and map material, you are also welcome to request the GPS data as a GPX file from us. Please note that it is not a navigation from accommodation to accommodation but you are usually guided to the city center.

NEW: On the road with travel app

For selected tours, we are happy to provide you with our travel app on request in addition to the travel documents mentioned above. Please download the instructions for the travel app as a PDF.

The travel app is available on the following trips:

ATTENTION: Your opinion is important to us! Anyone who gives us feedback on the travel app after the active trip will receive a travel voucher worth 25 euros (redeemable until 31.10.2024).

What additional costs do I have to expect during my active trip?

Ferries: Particularly on cycle tours along the Elbe Cycle Route or on hiking tours in Saxon Switzerland, it is sometimes necessary to cross rivers by ferry to follow the cycle or hiking trail. Ferry tickets are not included in the tour price.
Visitor's tax: Some cities impose a visitor's tax or plan to introduce one. If not included in the travel package, we kindly ask you to pay these visitor's taxes on site.

What if my holiday wishes differ from your package deals?

How do I register for an activity trip?

You can easily book your active holiday on the Internet. On each of our cycling and walking tours you will find a "Book" tab. After receipt of your registration you will receive the booking confirmation, invoice and insurance certificates for your active holiday.

Furthermore, you can of course also use our non-binding enquiry form for a bicycle tour/enquiry form for a hiking tour according to your wishes. Or you can contact us in the "conventional" way by phone (+49 (0)351 5634820) or by e-mail (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

What happens after my booking?

After your booking, we will put together your activity trip and ask for the appropriate accommodation for you. As soon as we have received all confirmations, we will send you the booking confirmation as well as the invoice for the down payment and balance of payment. Please pay the deposit of 20% of the tour price within 14 days. 4 weeks before the start of the journey the remaining payment is due and you will receive the travel documents from us.

For short-term bookings a total payment is due. As a rule, we then deposit your travel documents in the starting accommodation.

What discounts do you offer for my active holiday?

We can offer the following discounts for our cycling and walking tours:

Group discounts on designated "AugustusTours Original tours" (catalogue and internet packages) including luggage transport (excluding additional services)

6 % for 6 fully paying persons

Three-bedroom reduction: For all "AugustusTours Original tours" you will receive a 10% reduction on the package price in a double room for the third paying person if you stay in a triple room. The prerequisite for this is three full-paying persons.

Reduction for children: Children up to 12 years of age who stay in their parents' room receive a 50% discount on the package price of the booked cycling holiday when booking an activity trip. This does not apply if there is only one adult with one child. Children up to the age of three stay free of charge in their parents' room.

Here you can find more detailed information about our discounts and rebates.

Which cycling and walking tours are suitable for families?

Cycle tours for families

The section of the "Elbe River Cycle Path from Dessau to Bad Schandau" is a particular recommendation for families. Stage lengths are flexible, and child-friendly museums, path-side playgrounds and open-air swimming pools are on hand to ensure a fantastic family holiday. We also offer a family-friendly version of our walking tour of Saxon Switzerland – please do not hesitate to contact us for an individual quote.

Further family-friendly holidays packages

Families should also consider our laid back cycling tours as the daily legs of these offers are planned short and their level of difficulty ist easy so that families have enough time to take a break on the way.
Besides our radial tour offers are a good idea as they do not have a fixed travel itinerary and give them the opportunity to choose spontaneously another daily schedule.

We would be happy to make you individual offers for an active holiday with the family.

Can I take my pet on an activity trip?

Very few animal lovers want to leave their faithful companion alone at home during their holidays or put him in a kennel. All the more popular are trips where the dog is welcome. Our portfolio includes numerous walking tours, which can also be booked with a dog on request. Please note, however, that especially in Saxon Switzerland, the "with dog" route may differ from the usual routes in order to avoid obstacles such as stairs, steps and ladders. Furthermore, there is often only a limited number of dog-friendly rooms available. The costs for the dog (approx. 5 - 35 euros per day) must be paid on site.

Can I take out travel cancellation insurance with you for my active holiday?

With your booking confirmation you will receive documents (if sent by post) or a link with information (if sent by e-mail) about our insurance options with HanseMerkur. We will be happy to advise you in order to find the best insurance cover for you. We also have special offers for groups of 10 persons or more.

Here you will find further useful information on travel insurance.

How is the arrival and departure to/from my active holiday?

Arrival and departure for all active tours is at your own risk. We have planned the cycling and walking tours in such a way that the starting and finishing points are easily accessible by train or car.

Arrival by car:

In most cases it is possible to park your car in the starting or final hotel for the duration of your active trip. Unfortunately it is not possible for AugustusTours to make a binding reservation of a parking lot for your vehicle. Your travel documents, which we will send you in good time prior to your arrival, will contain contact details of your hotels and you are therefore welcome to enquire at the hotel in question about the possibility of reserving a car parking space. Car parking spaces are in most cases subject to a fee. Parking fees must always be paid directly to the hotel on site.

Arrival by train:

We recommend booking the RIT ticket, which is only available directly from AugustusTours. The tickets are not train-bound and entitle you to travel on all Deutsche Bahn trains (including IC, EC and ICE). Seat reservations and bicycle transport are not included in the ticket but can be requested.

Here you will find more information about travel options to start of your activity holidays.

How do I get back to the starting point after the cycling or walking tours?

Our exclusive transfer service is available on many of our tours. Using comfortable minibuses, we will pick you up from your hotel at the requested time and take you, your luggage and your bicycles to the starting point of your tour. For further information, prices and conditions please refer to the respective detailed tour specifications.

On some of our packages you can also book a collective transfer to get back to your first hotel, where you might have parked your car.

Please read on for more detailed information about our exclusive and collective transfer options.

Am I bound to certain arrival days for my active holiday?

What if questions or problems arise during the activity tour?

What do I do if my bike breaks down?

In the event of a bicycle breakdown, you have a repair kit with you to repair minor damage yourself. In case of larger damages or in case of questions during the journey, we will always help you quickly and easily on the phone.

Any damage to your rental bike must be reported to us immediately - including damage that you can repair yourself. If it is not possible to continue your journey, please inform us before you visit the nearest garage.

What do I do if it rains all the time?

What happens if I have to interrupt the trip?

How to pay for my active holiday?

The total amount of the cycling or walking trip is divided between two invoices. 20% (deposit) is due after booking. The second invoice with 80% of the total cost is payable up to 4 weeks before arrival. If there are less than 8 weeks between booking and departure, the total amount of the invoice is due immediately.

You can pay for your active holiday conveniently by bank transfer, credit card (Visa/Mastercard) or pay direct. Here you will find detailed information about the payment options.

What are the bank details?

What does the note on reduced mobility mean for our active tours?

The implementation of the EU Package Travel Directive in July 2018 changed the German travel law. The new EU Package Travel Directive is designed to protect and inform you as a consumer at the time of booking your travel. Since then, we as tour operators are obliged to clearly label trips which are not suitable for people with reduced mobility. This includes our cycling and walking tours.

What does mobility restriction mean? Most often it refers to physical limitations in terms of muscle strength, motor skills or mobility, which may require walking aids or wheelchairs. With regard to cycling holidays, it may involve the use of hand bikes or other specialised bicycles.

In the past years we have welcomed many guests on our cycling and hiking tours, who have completed our active tours without any problems despite a mobility restriction. In some cases, precise arrangements were necessary in advance of the trip to select suitable accommodation or to take other special features into account when planning the trip.

You are not sure whether you are up to the requirements of our active tours? Please contact us - we will be happy to give you comprehensive advice and take your needs into account!

Why do I receive a security note?

What happens if I cancel my active holiday?

Should you have to cancel your active trip, please inform us in writing. In case of cancellation of your trip our general terms and conditions apply.

In case of cancellation, you decide whether you want to have money already paid refunded or leave it for a later travel date.

Please note that cancellation fees also apply to additional services.

In case of a rebooking to a later travel date, we will transfer your already made payments to the new date without any complications.

Frequently asked questions about our activity holidays

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about our cycle and walking tour offers

Luggage Transport

Bicycles and E-Bikes

Accomodation

Arrival and Transfers

Travel Insurance

Payment Options

CURRENT TOPICS

Corona

Our active tours

Travel services

Booking

Arrival and departure

During the journey

Payment

Other matters

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