Frequently Asked Questions

Use of standard hybrid bike, including bike lock Use of an electric bike is available for an additional fee 6 Breakfasts 5 Lunches 2 Dinners 6 Nights of Accommodation 1 Wine Tasting Event 1 Concert 1 Guided History Tour 1 Additional Entry Fee, such as to a Museum or Nature Park Transport to the night's lodging if you tire out before the end of the day Luggage transfer Train ride at the end of the tour back to the starting point A cooking class is available for an additional fee, if this optional event is checked by the participant at the time of booking

Airfare Transportation to and from the tour starting point A helmet; bring your own or buy one from us on the day of arrival Alcoholic beverages beyond the one (1) included with each lunch and/or dinner Snacks that you purchase outside of breakfast, lunch and dinner 4 dinners on your own Tips for guides Travel insurance Health insurance

Bookings are made online at the Villages and Vineyards website via the online Booking Form. At the time you complete and submit the Booking Form, a deposit of 50% of the tour cost is required to hold your spot. Receipt by us of your Booking Form authorizes us the right to process your deposit by the payment method indicated by you at the time of booking. After submitting your booking, you will receive an email from us confirming that we have received your booking. The Final Payment (the remaining 50% of the tour cost) is due 75 days prior to the start of the tour. Villages and Vineyards will process this final payment using the original form of payment provided by you at the time of booking. Bookings made 75 days or less prior to the start of the Tour require 5 days for us to respond to you that your booking is confirmed. Please contact us directly via info@villagesandvineyards.com to book a tour 75 days or less prior to the start of the Tour rather than using the Booking Form. Additional fees may be required due to limitations in hotel availability and will vary depending on how close the booking is to the tour start time and the time of the year. Villages and Vineyards will reach out to you by email to confirm your acceptance of additional fees if any are needed to confirm the booking. Bookings made 75 days or less prior to the start of the tour are required to be paid in full at the time tour availability is confirmed by Villages and Vineyards to you. Approximately four weeks before the tour starts, you will receive specific arrival information and key reminders from us by email in preparation for the tour.

If you would like to cancel your booking, the cancellation is due in writing to Villages and Vineyards by email at the email address: info@villagesandvineyards.com. Please include “Cancellation” in the subject line of the email. We will respond to your cancellation the day we receive it. Cancellations made 91 days or more prior to the tour start date are fully refunded except for a $300 cancellation fee. Refunds are made using the same method provided at the time of booking. Cancellations made 76 to 90 days prior to the tour start date are refunded 30% of the trip price, using the same method provided at the time of booking. Cancellations made 75 days or less prior to the tour start date are not refunded. Villages and Vineyards recommends that you purchase travel insurance through an independent travel insurance agency to minimize your risks and costs associated with cancellations due to unforeseen events, such as your illness, your injury, or family or personal emergencies that occur before or during the tour and that prevent your participation in the tour. Villages and Vineyards does not offer refunds for cancellations made 75 days or less prior to the tour start date or made during the tour itself. Travel insurance plans are available in the marketplace that cover the costs associated with cancellations due to unforeseen events.

If you would like to change the tour that you booked, please let us know as soon as possible, and we will transfer your booking to another Villages and Vineyards tour. Transfer to a different tour 60 days or less prior to the tour start date may not be able to be accommodated. If you would like to change/substitute a new person for a currently booked person, we are happy to accommodate this request.

Tours may be canceled by Villages and Vineyards due to events that are beyond its control, known as Force Majeur events, and that make execution of the tour extremely difficult or impossible. These events include but are not limited to: extreme weather events such as floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, extreme storms, or wildfires, in addition to acts of war, terrorist activities, pandemics, epidemics, widespread labor disputes, or closures mandated by government edicts. In these cases, refunds cannot be offered for those portions of the tour that are not refunded by the 3rd party service provider, such as but not limited to, hotel rooms that were booked and/or concert tickets that were purchased and are not refunded by the 3rd party service provider. Villages and Vineyards also reserves the right to cancel or shorten a tour that has started, in which event your sole remedy shall be a prorated refund for any unused portion of the trip. Villages and Vineyards will cancel a tour if a tour does not include a minimum number of participants, which is currently four (4).

The tour will still take place. We will bike when it rains, but if the rain is heavy, we will seek temporary shelter until it passes. For extended periods of heavy rain, we will tour the area with alternative transportation or with local transportation and arrange more time in museums and other indoor venues for learning about the area. This is also an excellent time for extended breaks participating in the German tradition of coffee and cake in the afternoon.

Yes, with advance notice some dietary preferences and restrictions can be accommodated. Please let us know at the time of booking what your dietary considerations are. Please note that vegan and gluten-free requests cannot be accommodated at this time.

The minimum age for participation is 16. Participants under the age of 18 are required to be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. Any participant under 18 years of age is required to share a room with an adult 18 years or older. Additionally, every participant needs to be able to ride a bicycle up to 6 to 7 hours per day at a maximum speed of 13 mph (21 kmh). Participants also need to be able to confidently walk on cobblestone walkways and forested paths with some change in elevation. If a participant finds during the course of the tour that he or she cannot keep up with the physical requirements of the tour, no refund will be given. The participant will still be able to take part in the activities that do not involve biking or more strenuous walking or hiking. Participants who use an E-bike are required to be 18 years or older.

Villages and Vineyards recommends that you purchase travel insurance through an independent travel insurance agency to minimize your risks and costs associated with cancellations due to unforeseen events, such as your illness, your injury, or family or personal emergencies that occur before or during the tour and that prevent your participation in the tour. Villages and Vineyards does not offer refunds for cancellations made 75 days or less prior to the tour start date or cancellations made during the tour itself. Travel insurance plans are available that cover the losses associated with cancellations due to unforeseen events. Villages and Vineyards does not employ medical personnel. In the event you require medical care during the tour, local medical care available in the region of the tour will be utilized. Villages and Vineyards is not responsible for the costs or quality of any medical care that you receive during the tour. Villages and Vineyards is also not responsible if you decide to not receive medical care for an injury or illness. We strongly encourage you to confirm prior to participation in the tour that you have, or purchase if you don’t have, medical and dental insurance that provides coverage outside your home country.

The maximum number of tour participants is currently twelve (12). The minimum number of tour participants is currently four (4).

Yes. By participating in a Villages and Vineyards tour, you are required to wear a bike helmet during all portions of the tour that involve biking. Please bring your own helmet from home, or you are welcome to purchase one from us at the time of booking or on the first day of the tour. When boarding an airplane or other means of transport with a helmet, the helmet straps can be used to attach the helmet to a carry-on bag handle for easy transport.