Details
Important
Before you decide to travel with GEEO, it is important that you read all of the program information on this page. Our programs are quite adventurous, and we find that travelers who review the full trip details are happier with their experiences.
Trip Notes & Expectations
WINTER TRIPS
Some sites, museums, and restaurants may be closed over Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day. It is recommended that you check the operating hours of any sites or establishments that you plan to visit to avoid disappointment. It is also common for prices for meals and other services to increase during peak tourist seasons or holidays, including Christmas and New Year’s. Additionally, we may need to alter the itinerary on and around these holidays to maximize your time during your trip. Hopefully, you will be able to experience some local customs and traditions and see how people in other parts of the world experience the holidays. Traveling over Christmas and New Year’s can allow you to see a destination in a different light. You may be able to attend local festivals, try traditional foods, see special decorations, and participate in cultural activities that can add an extra layer of festivity and cheer to your trip.
ACCOMMODATION
Our program fees are based on double-occupancy accommodation (see "Single Travelers" below if you do not have a travel companion and would be interested in a private room). Accommodation in Europe tend to be quite different to other areas of the world you may have traveled in. Buildings and rooms are generally old and may not have been renovated or maintained to the highest standard. Often downtown hotels in Europe were not build to be hotels but rich owners houses, which have been changed into hotels. Therefore unusual room sizes are common as large rooms have been partitioned in the past, resulting in rather "thin" walls. On this trip you can expect to stay in small family-run hotels or pensions, which will vary a little in standard and facilities: some may not have elevators, air-conditioning or English-speaking staff, but most importantly all are locally-run, with some traditional character, and in excellent central locations to give you maximum time for exploring the sights. You can expect to find clean, safe, simple accommodation in convenient locations.
Single/Private Rooms: Single room accommodations in European hotels are often smaller, and may not be to the same service level as double-occupancy rooms.
LUGGAGE
In Europe, it can be rare to find elevators in train stations, hotels, or other public places. We use public transport on this trip, which means you will need to carry your luggage from platform to platform, in and out of trains, and also possibly up several flights of stairs. You will also need to be able to stow your luggage safely on trains. You should be able to comfortably walk for 10-30 minutes at a time with your luggage. It is essential, therefore, that you pack light and bring luggage that is compact and lightweight. The carrying of your luggage remains your responsibility at all times.
TRANSPORTATION
This trip uses a mix of public and private transportation that gets our guests from location to location safely. Sometimes you will have full days and nights of transportation as our trips tend to cover a lot of ground. The transportation will often be an adventure in itself.
FREE TIME
This program has quite a bit of free time in each location, with few activities included as part of the tour. This allows participants to choose how to spend their time exploring each destination. Your group leader is available to help with plans. For ideas, check the “Optional Activities” section at the bottom of this page.
ACTIVITY LEVEL & PACE
Make sure you have thoroughly read the itinerary and can handle the group activities. This trip includes plenty of walking and some light hiking, and requires at least an average level of fitness. On the more active days, expect to walk quite a bit. In the cities, you can split apart from the group to go at your own pace. We recommend always carrying snacks with you. Meals can sometimes be far apart.
GROUP LEADER
All GEEO/G Adventures trips are led by a Chief Experience Officer (CEO), whose role is to take the hassle out of travel and help you get the most from your trip. They’ll share information about the places you visit, suggest activities and restaurants, and introduce you to our local friends. While not traditional guides, CEOs have broad knowledge of the region’s history, culture, and daily life. On some excursions, local guides are used for deeper insight—giving you the best of both worlds.
PROGRAM DETAILS
Single Travelers
Traveling solo? You’re in good company—about half of our participants do the same.
Shared room by default. The program fee covers one person in a twin room. We’ll pair you with a roommate of the same gender if you don’t have a travel companion.
Emergency Contacts
If you need urgent help during your trip,
call the local G Adventures office first. If no one answers, leave a detailed message with your name and contact information so they can return your call as soon as possible.
EMERGENCY CONTACT NUMBERS:
G Adventures Berlin office: +44 7817 262559
If you are unable for any reason to contact the local office, please call the numbers listed below, which will connect you directly with the 24-hour Sales team, who will happily assist you.
Toll-free, from calls within North America only: 1 888 800 4100
Calls from within UK: 0344 272 0000
Calls from within Germany: 0800 365 1000
Calls from within Australia: 1 300 796 618
Calls from within New Zealand: 0800 333 307
Outside North America, Australia, New Zealand, Germany and the UK: +1 416 260 0999
Packing List
See our blog post of
staff recommended gear to help you pack for your upcoming travels. You must be able to carry your own luggage—up stairs, on and off of transport, and during 15 to 20 minute walks. Bring
one small or medium backpack or rolling bag (22-30lb) and
one daypack for daily items. Space is limited on transportation, so oversized bags cannot travel.
As you prepare your packing list, we recommend checking average weather conditions for your destination on a site like
Weather Spark for the time of year you will be traveling.
SuggestedOptionalDocuments
- Raincoat and/or umbrella
- Personal clothing for cold weather
- Sturdy walking shoes
- Daypack
- Sunblock
- Sunglasses
- Water bottle
- Watch or alarm clock (or use your phone)
- Toiletries – important: some hotels do not give you soap and shampoo
- Camera (or use your phone)
- First-aid kit, including lip salve, Aspirin, bandaids, anti-histamine, Dramamine, Imodium or similar tablets for mild cases of diarrhea, electrolyte powder, insect repellent, extra prescription drugs you may be taking
- Travel pillow
- Light weight silk sleep sheet
- Money belt
- Phone/Tablet for internet – most hotels have WiFi
- Chargers for electronics as well as converters/adapters, if needed
- AirTags or Tile trackers
- Packing cubes
- Earplugs
- Snacks – packing a few granola bars is a good idea; you can buy snacks when you get there too, so don't go crazy here
- Ziplock bags
- Reading/writing material
- Hand sanitizer/baby wipes
- Light fleece top
- Passport (with photocopies)
- Travel insurance (with photocopies)
- Airline tickets (with photocopies)
- USD/EUR cash
- Credit or debit card
- G Adventures vouchers, pre-departure information and dossier
- Any entry visas or vaccination certificates required
- GEEO Classroom action plans for your group – this is sent 10-30 days before departure
: Laundry facilities are offered by some of our hotels for a charge.
Passports and Visas
Travelers are responsible for securing all required travel documents and meeting the entry requirements for every country on their itinerary, including applicable transit/layover countries.
PASSPORT
All travelers must have a passport valid for
at least 6 months beyond your trip dates with enough blank pages for stamps.
Need to apply or renew? Start here.
ENTRY/VISA REQUIREMENTS
Visa rules change frequently—always verify the latest requirements on the
U.S. State Department Country Information Pages. Non-U.S. passport holders should verify requirements with your country's official government resources. Use the tool below to see entry requirements for your specific itinerary.
Entry information below is provided by Sherpa, a third-party service and trusted G Adventures partner. You must search each of your destination countries separately; “Add connection” solely searches transit visa requirements. Additional fees apply if you choose to purchase any services through Sherpa.
Money Exchange
Currency: All countries visited a part of the Eurozone and use the
euro (EUR). For current exchange rates, visit
www.xe.com.
Credit/Debit Cards: Credit cards (especially Visa and Mastercard) are accepted at many hotels, shops, and restaurants, but not everywhere. Some vendors may also charge an international transaction fee, so check with your bank before you travel.
Cash: For small purchases, tipping, or places that don’t take cards, we recommend using ATMs to withdraw local currency while traveling. If you bring U.S. dollars to exchange, the bills must be new, unmarked, and in excellent condition—damaged or older notes are often rejected.
Emergency Funds: Bring
at least $200 USD (or the equivalent in local currency) in cash for emergencies in case of ATM or card issues. Always carry more rather than less to avoid feeling short of funds while traveling.
See the Estimated Trip Costs section at the bottom of this page for budgeting guidance.
For more advice, see our post,
Smart Travel Finances: Your Guide to Money, ATMs, Fees, and Safety Abroad
Tipping
Tipping is optional but appreciated and goes a long way for the people who look after you on the trip. If you are happy with the service, use these ballpark amounts and adjust as you see fit:
- Service providers/Waiters:
€1-2 EURfor a snack or
10% of the bill.
- Local guides and drivers:
€3-5 EUR per person per day.
- G Adventures tour leader (CEO):
€30-40 EUR per person per week.
(We suggest pooling contributions in an envelope and presenting it as a group)
Tipping Kitty: On some trips, your CEO may suggest a
“tipping kitty” where everyone contributes at the start of the tour, and the CEO uses that pooled amount to tip service providers for the group as a whole (not including your CEO). If your CEO doesn’t mention it and you’d like to use a kitty, we recommend asking about it early in the trip. Your CEO will advise the suggested amount and preferred currency for the kitty.
Flights
Wait for official trip confirmation via email from GEEO before booking your flights. Prices tend to be lowest 90–120 days out, but that window varies by route and year. Neither GEEO nor G Adventures bear responsibility for any flights purchased before the trip is confirmed.
Your trip begins in Berlin and ends in Vienna. Please double-check our itinerary for the date by which you must arrive in Berlin. You can arrive at any time of the day you choose, however, we strongly urge you to arrive by 6:00 p.m. on Day 1 for our group meeting. You can depart from Vienna at any time on the final day of the trip.
Plugs and Converters
Germany and Austria use European-style
Type F and Type C plugs and the voltage is
220-240V. To use your electronics safely, you’ll need to consider:
1.
Adapter (plug shape)
Adapts your U.S. plug to fit another type of socket. See our recommended
all-in-one travel adapter in our Gear Recommendations post.
2.
Converter / transformer (voltage)
Steps the outlet voltage down to 120V for U.S. appliances that can’t handle higher voltage.
How to know which you need: Look at the fine print on the plug or power brick. An
“Input 100-240 V” means the device is dual-voltage and works worldwide with only an adapter—phones, laptops, and most camera chargers fall into this category. If the label shows
“Input 120 V” (hair dryers, curling irons, some shavers), it could be damaged on high voltage. Pack both an adapter and a travel voltage converter. Converters are inexpensive and sold online or in the travel aisle of many stores.
Weather
The weather at all of your destinations will be similar: cold (average highs in the upper 30s) with a possibility of rain and/or snow.
