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About our business
Do you offer bus tours?
No. We cater to individuals, couples, families and small groups
looking for independence from the needs of larger groups. We conduct
our private tours using a selection of vehicles ranging from sedans
to 14 passenger vans. If you're looking for a bus company that does
package tours of California, we recommend California
Parlor Car Tours.
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Will we be traveling with
other people we've never met?
No. Our clients are independent travelers who want to be able to
pursue their own activities on their own schedule. You will, of
course, have the option to join groups for local tours and activities
at various destinations, but the overall experience is one to be
shared with just you, and your friends and family.
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Where can we go using your service?
Our service is primarily focused on California and the Western United
States. Specifically, we offer our tours in the following 11 states:
- California
- Arizona
- New Mexico
- Nevada
- Utah
- Oregon
- Washington
- Idaho
- Wyoming
- Montana
- Colorado
Occassionally, a client is interested in venturing further afield.
We'll consider any special request, and have had clients use our
service for trips all over the United States. In fact, as of 2009,
we've taken clients to 28 different states, and the District of
Columbia.
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Will you get us great deals on rooms?
By and large, when we're booking rooms for our clients, we get the
same rates that are available to the public at large. This is because
we do not push our clients into staying at one location in order
to avail of special rates at that location. Rather, each of our
clients gets a set of recommended properties that suit their specific
needs.
Having said that, we do have the advantage of seven years of experience
in booking properties. This experience often enables us to find
public rates that inexperienced consumers might overlook.
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About your trip
Planning
At what airports are you available
to pick us up?
We will pick you up and drop you off at any airport in California
(also Las Vegas, Nevada) at no extra fee. If you need us to meet
you, or drop you off out of state, we may bill you for commuting
expenses, depending on the specific location.
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How many people can we have in
our traveling party?
Our service is for individuals, couples, families and family-sized
groups. We limit the size to maintain the intimacy of the experience,
as well as to insure that the group does not suffer from too many
conflicting interests and agendas. The maximum sized group we will
currently take is 14 passengers.
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Do we have to prebook our accommodations?
Or, can we "just wing it"?
Obviously, "winging it" is more risky at some times
and destinations than others, but if you prefer to have a bit of
flexibility with your trip, let us know. We'll advise you where
and when it may be possible to take a more unscripted approach to
your itinerary.
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Can you book our inbound and outbound
airfare?
Quintessential Tours does not book airfare. We do work with a local
agency here in California, and will be happy to put you in touch
with them, should you need help booking your flights.
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Who will we pay for our lodging
and other local arrangements?
In most cases, you will pay the individual providers directly for
these arrangements. We will have you complete a credit card authorization
before we book your local arrangements, and use your card to confirm
all of your reservations. Where a deposit is required, the deposit
will be billed to the same card.
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During your trip
In what kind of accommodations
will we be staying?
You will stay in whichever types of accommodations you like.
We drive and guide your trip; we don't dictate your sleeping or
eating arrangements. We will present options during the planning
stage, based on the preferences you've indicated, and you will make
the ultimate decision, based on price, style and amenities.
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In what kind of vehicle will we be traveling?
There is no limit on what type of vehicle we'll be driving in.
We've provided pricing for some standard vehicles on our pricing
page. If you have a specialty vehicle you'd like us to drive you
in, we'll be happy to price that out for you.
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Will you join us for meals?
We play this by ear, but it's up to you to invite, or not to invite.
Our tours tend to be fairly casual and intimate experiences. We'll
be spending a lot of time together, and share quite a few memorable
experiences. Often, our clients like to carry this over into meals
and other off-hours pursuits. On the other hand, we fully respect
that you're here to enjoy yourselves with your friends and family,
and that you'll want to have time apart from your friendly guide.
We often need a little private time as well.
So, the way we handle it is that it's up to you to invite, and for
us to accept of decline. If you'd like us to join you for a meal
or a drink, give us the invite. If we've got the energy, we'll accept;
if not, maybe next meal. In any case, we've built the cost for own
meals into our pricing, so we'll make sure to take care of our own
tabs.
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Will you be available to us
at all times during our tour?
We're always available breakfast through supper, and are also happy
to drive you out for the evening, should you decide to go out for
some entertainment. We do require that we are able to get a full
night's sleep each night, as a safety consideration, so may not
be available for real late nights.
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Will you be guiding every
aspect of our trip?
We are happy to guide any driving aspect of your trip, and may
also lead you on some non-driving experiences as well. There are
quite aq few experiences, however, where we may set you up with
other local guides. Examples include water-based experiences like
kayaking tours, whale watching or fishing, or other specialty tours
like horseback riding, hot air ballooning or scuba diving. You'll
pay the guides for any of these tours that are incorporated into
your itinerary separately.
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