PRICE POLICY
    You can come for all or part of any tour, and you can combine all or part of any tour with all or part of another tour.  Your price is determined by the number of days you spend (including the day you arrive and the day you leave).
 

GREECE and TURKEY tours cost $175 per day, including the day you arrive and the day you leave.
EGYPT tours cost $200 per day.

SINGLE SUPPLEMENT
$30 per night.

YACHT, CRUISE SHIP, AND DOMESTIC AIR SUPPLEMENTS
    There is a yacht supplement of $75 per day for the Turkish yacht, and there is a charge of 140 dollars for each domestic flight and for First-Class cabins on the overnight ferries to and from Crete. 
    Cabins on the larger yachts typically contain one double bed, so if you don't want to sleep in the same bed with the person you're with, you should opt for the single supplement for these nights.
    There is also a suppplement of $20 for each time we use a hydrofoil or high-speed ferry (which typically cost double the cost of standard ferries).
    
DISCOUNTS
   Take off $10 per day if you've previously gone on a Sporades tour, or are currently a K-12 teacher.
    Take off $20 per day if you are currently a K-12 Latin or Greek teacher.
    There is also a $100 discount for anyone who pays at least $1000 (including deposit) toward the cost of his or her tour at least 3 months before the tour begins (for tours of at least 10 days).
    Sorry, only one discount per person.

WHAT IS INCLUDED?
    Prices include all land and sea transportation (except travel you might do on your own), all hotels, all breakfasts, half of the dinners, all lectures, guide services, admissions, and personal assistance.  On the Turkish yachts all meals are included.

WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED?
    Airfare, meals not covered, port taxes, visas, and tips for the bus driver or yacht crew.

PORT TAXES AND VISAS
    Port taxes are the fees paid to both Greek and Turkish authorities when going by boat from one country to another ($20 in 2007).
  U.S. citizens entering Turkey or Egypt will need a visa.  It's a formality, available at the port of entry, and costs $20 in Turkey.

TIPPING
    Tips for bus drivers are usually at least $3 from each person per day, and tips for the yacht crew or cruise boat crew are usually $6 from each person per day.

DOMESTIC AIRFARE
    Basic tour prices do not include domestic flights. 

REFUNDS
    If you cannot come, or decide not to come (for any reason), on a tour for which you have paid any money, all money will be refunded.  If you decide during a tour that you would rather do something else, you will get a pro-rated refund of half the unused funds (if an emergency forces you to cancel during a tour, you will get all unused funds back).

DEPOSITS AND RESERVATIONS
    A refundable deposit of $200 per person reserves a place on a tour.  Just write or call, tell me when you're coming, and send a deposit.

WHEN IS PAYMENT IN FULL DUE?
    That's up to you.  You can pay here, or you can pay when you arrive for the tour.  The only stipulation is that the funds be available for me to use overseas.  In other words, if you pay here, you should do so by April 1 (or by August 1 for the fall tours); if you pay on arrival, it should be in cash.

IS THERE A DEADLINE FOR SIGNING UP?
    The only deadline is the day a tour becomes completely full.   If you decide to join a tour after I have left for Europe (around April 10), all you have to do is finalize your airfare arrangements.  Then  email or call me with the date and place of your arrival; the information will get to me.

HOW DO I CONTACT SPORADES TOURS?
    Write or call my home (the address is 13101 Laurinda Way, Santa Ana CA 92705, and the number is (714) 744-9188.  The best times to reach me are evenings (as late as possible) and weekends anytime.
     When I am out of the country call 714-744-9188 and leave a message; you can also contact me abroad through these telephone and fax numbers: 
Greece 011-301-923-5151 (tel) and 011-301-924-7350 (fax);
Greece mobile phone  011 30 697 1960 521
Turkey mobile phone 011 90  539 559 7445

HOW BIG ARE THE GROUPS, AND WHAT ARE THEY LIKE?
    Each group is limited to approximately 30 participants, although they are far more likely to number 10-15.  Thirty may seem like a large number, and it would be if we did everything as a group and followed a strict schedule, but we avoid such tactics and remain sufficiently disorganized.

HOW DO WE TRAVEL?
      We'll have our own air-conditioned Mercedes coach, and we'll use ferries, hydrofoils, and catamarans by sea.  

WHAT KIND OF YACHT WILL WE USE ON THE TURKISH CRUISE?
  Our ship will be a gulet, a hand-made Turkish motor sailer with a broad, rounded stern, a very large after-deck, and private double cabins, each with private bathroom and shower.  Gulets are very broad and seaworthy, and the ones we'll use are between 75 and 100 feet long.  Each cabin has one double bed or (rarely) two single beds.

HOW DO WE MEET THE TOUR GROUP?
    Each tour begins in the evening of the first day in Athens, Istanbul, or Cairo (if you meet us somewhere else during a tour, I'll make the arrangements).  Maps of Athens and Istanbul, as well as detailed instructions on how to get to the hotel, will be sent to you; in Cairo you'll be met at the airport.

HOW CAN WE (AND YOU) BE REACHED OVERSEAS?
    At the telephone and fax numbers about 6 inches above.

DO WE STAY IN A DIFFERENT HOTEL EVERY NIGHT?
    Since packing and unpacking are real detractions from travel's pleasure, we  try to avoid one-night stops and stay for two or more nights in the same place whenever possible.

WHAT ABOUT FOOD AND WATER?
  Except for Egypt (where one should be careful), all food and water are safe to eat and drink.

WHAT ARE DINNERS LIKE, AND HOW MUCH WILL DINNERS NOT INCLUDED COST?
    We have dinner at the most interesting native (not tourist) restaurants, where you can order whatever you want (no "fixed menus"). Dinners are festive occasions in this part of the world and can last for hours.
    As for dinners on your own, it's practically impossible to spend more than $15 on a meal in Greece, Turkey, or Egypt and usually the cost is much less (except seafood, which can cost as much as here).
    On nights there's no group dinner, everyone is invited to join me in my search for the best restaurants and entertainment available.

WHAT ABOUT WEATHER AND CROWDS?
   Greece, Egypt, and Turkey should be dry and sunny for all the tours, but there is a slight chance of rain in May and October.  High temperatures are around 70-75 in April, 75-80 in May and October, the mid-80's in June, and high 80's in July and September.  There is more chance of cool or wet weather in the north than in the south, and in the mountains.  Egypt in October should be like Greece in June.
    For many reasons (too many to discuss here), I think that June is the ideal month.  Swimming is possible in the spring, but should be regarded as sure only after June 1.
    Fall is a good time to visit these countries, but remember that it gets dark much earlier.
    December and January in Greece are very much like the same months in Los Angeles.

WHAT CLOTHING SHOULD I BRING?
   The only thing you need is a valid passport.  If you bring anything else, please bring as little as possible.  Clothing should be light, casual, and washable; laundry facilities are becoming more available but are usually expensive.  Bring a sweater and light jacket for cool nights.  Women should bring a skirt or dress to visit churches and monasteries.  Shoes should be rubber-soled; tennis or jogging shoes are ideal.  There is absolutely no reason to bring fancy clothes; leave your jewels, furs, heels, suits, and ties at home (unless you want to look silly).

HOW STRENUOUS ARE THE TOURS?
   Greece is a mountainous country, and both ancient and modern towns in Greece tend to be built on hillsides, whereas in the other countries we visit towns and sites are usually situated on flat land.  No strenuous exercise is compulsory; everyone is free to do as much (or as little) as he or she wishes.  I have had people over 80 who climbed every mountain, and people under 40 whose chief exercise was opening wine bottles.  No matter how much exercise you choose to do, I guarantee that you'll return in better shape than when you left.  And if you should happen to pull a muscle opening that bottle, health care, even for foreigners, is of nominal cost or free.