Trains and Travel - Costa Rica And Panama Adventure

TRAINS & TRAVEL
P.O. BOX 312
PORTOLA, CALIFORNIA 96122
Chris@traintrips.biz Rail Tours Manager. For questions regarding tour itineraries and details.

1-800 359-4870 USA
1-800 752-1836 CANADA
1-800 266-8751 FAX
(530) 836-1944

OFFICE HOURS 10AM TO 3PM MONDAY-THURSDAY
PACIFIC WEST COAST TIME
CLOSED FRIDAY-SUNDAY

Railfan/Tourist Tour February 7-20, 2012 SURE GO SOLD OUT
THIS TOUR IS BEING OPERATED BY REVELATION TOURS

DAY 1 TUESDAY FEBRUARY 7: (D) Independent arrivals into SAN JOSE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT by 3 PM. We will depart about 4 for Los Heroes Hotel in the Lake Arenal region, stopping for supper at Arenal Steakhouse. Hotel arrival about 9 PM.
DAY 2 WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 8: (B) Full breakfast in this Swiss-themed chateau, located on the shore of Lake Arenal. At 9 AM we ride the twisting 25" gauge line up 6% grades toward Costa Rica's only revolving restaurant. Purchase a beverage if you wish while gazing at Arenal Volcano, then ride the train back down (or walk if you prefer to take photos of the train whose route includes two short tunnels and a loop). Train ride is two miles each way. This afternoon take a small overnight case for a boat ride across the lake, and connecting taxi to Monteverde. Be sure to bring a sweater as it can be cool at 5,000 feet.
DAY 3 THURSDAY FEBRUARY 9: (B) Starting in 2009, the MONTEVERDE TRAINFOREST has realized a long-held dream by a Thur. local man to lay tracks through the dense cloud forest toward a platform overlooking the volcano. A 26" gauge line now offers riders a unique vantage point from open cars, with time at the turnaround for a short hike if desired. In the afternoon we head back to Los Heroes.
DAY 4 FRIDAY FEBRUARY 10: (B) Option to take the Suspension Bridges Walk , or else lounge at the viewing deck. Walk is a leisurely two hours; wear sturdy footwear and prepare for some climbing on this mildly strenuous path. Monkeys, butterflies, birds and other wildlife may be viewed. We will return to San Jose by about 4 PM for check in at Gran Hotel on the Plaza, opposite the National Theatre. Stroll the Central Plaza, or ride the afternoon local trains
DAY 5 SATURDAY FEBRUARY 11: (B,L,D) If TICO TRAIN is operating, we will ride to Caledera on the Pacific, a four-hour ride aboard open window coaches. A bus takes us on to the beach at Puntarenas, where there are places to enjoy lunch during our three hour stay. Bing swimsuit and towel if you wish to enjoy the water - it is usually clear and calm. Return in the afternoon, and back to Pacific Station about 7 or 7:30. IF NO TRAIN - alternate plans will be announced. (In 2011 our group ended up riding a 7-person motor car along the line!).
DAY 6 SUNDAY FEBRUARY 12: Chance to sightsee San Jose / Cartego / Poas Volcano. Options will be announced in more detail, and the weather may determine our plans. In any case, all options are INCLUDED.
DAY 7 MONDAY FEBRUARY 13: (B,L) AM to ride / photograph the local trains, or sleep in. 10AM visit to Pacific Station and possible look inside the workshops (this was allowed in 2011, but not in 2010). PM to Limon on the Atlantic. Possible stops en route at Moin Port and banana plantation. Nite at Park Hotel.
DAY 8 TUESDAY FEBRUARY 14: (B) CHARTER TRAIN to SIQUERRES (62 Km run each way) - diesel loco and open window coach. Subject to change (this operated OK in 2010 and 2011, though line had just been repaired in 2011 from flood damage). Visit to what remains of the (still active) shops upon afternoon return.
DAY 9 WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 15: (B,L) In previous years we flew between the two countries. IF we have a minimum of 12 persons we will go by bus, as far at David, Panama, this evening. Otherwise, tonight in San Jose with AM flight Thursday to Panama City.
DAY 10 THURSDAY FEBRUARY 16: (B) Continuing from David toward Panama City, about 7 - 8 hours. Time to relax at our hotel in Panama City.
DAY 11 FRIDAY FEBRUARY 17: (B,L) 7:15AM TRAIN RIDE across the isthmus to Colon on the Atlantic. Ancon Expeditions will meet us at the station. Visits to Gatun Locks, and the Atlantic Intermodal Terminal of Panama Canal Railway. As time allows we will visit either Porto Bello, or Fort San Lorenzo. At 5:15 the train takes us back to near Panama City. We will have reserved dome car seats for at least one direction. Otherwise, the open viewing decks on the other cars are popular. Upon return, browse the station gift shop before the van returns us to our hotel for the evening.
DAY 12 SATURDAY FEBRUARY 18: (B,L) ALL DAY CRUISE including all six locks, aboard PACIFIC QUEEN. Breakfast is served shortly after our 7:30 departure (board at 7:00). The City skyline looms as we sail around Amador Causeway and under the Pan American Bridge. The upper deck is pleasant, often with a breeze. The air conditioned lower deck offers complimentary snacks and drinks, and a lunch buffet. This vessel, accommodating 300 guests, only makes the FULL TRANSIT once a month, and this schedule determines the dates of our tour. This is why it is important to RESERVE EARLY to avoid disappointment! After passing through the locks on the Pacific side, we sail beneath Centennial Bridge and into Culebra Cut (Continental Divide). Once clear of the nine-mile cut, we encounter the first of a fleet of southbound ships, so timed since large ships cannot pass in the cut. Pacific Queen is normally the last or close to the last ship in the northbound parade, with directions reversing every six hours. After sailing across Lake Gatun - the old railroad right of way below us in the watery depths - we descend the three-step locks, offering a chance to see Canal operation from the inside. In late afternoon, a bus returns us to the City along the new highway.
DAY 13 SUNDAY FEBRUARY 19: (B,L,D) Sightseeing day - Miraflores Locks, Panama Canal Intermodal Facility and Shops, lunch in the historic French Quarter, and Panama Viejo - the ruins from the 1500s. We will attempt to visit places of specific interest to group members as time permits. Dinner on Amador Causeway this evening as we conclude our time in Central America!
DAY 14 MONDAY FEBRUARY 20: (B) Flights for home.

PRICES ALL PRICES ARE PER PERSON DOUBLE ROOM OCCUPANCY...........................$2998 SINGLE ROOM SUPPLEMENT..........................$ 698 DEPOSIT TO HOLD SPACE...........................$ 500 FINAL PAYMENT DUE NOVEMBER 7, 2011

TOUR BOOKING CONDITIONS
TOUR PRICE: All tour prices are corrected to November 1, 2012 and are subject to change without notice, at any time. All prices based on double room occupancy. We reserve the right to change tour prices if necessary.
PRICES DO NOT INCLUDE: Personal items, meals not listed in the itinerary, laundry, phone calls, excess baggage charges, rental cars, side tours, insurance, passport fees including visas, vaccinations, gratuities, medical costs, tips to train or motor coach staff, extra tour costs due to unanticipated changes in the itinerary for reasons beyond our control, including weather, travel conditions, or cancellations, government intervention, sickness, political disputes, and failure of transportation or other causes beyond our control.
TRAVEL AND HEALTH DOCUMENTS: A valid passport is required for our international tours. In some cases a visa is also needed. Consult your health professional for the recommended immunizations and documents. Trains and Travel International , here on referred to as TTI, assumes no other responsibility if a client is refused entry into a country. Cost and cancellation fees will be paid by the client in the event they do not have valid documents.
CHANGE OF ITINERARY: We reserve the right to substitute, alter or modify the tour if any unexpected and unforeseen conditions beyond our control preventing the completion of such. Conditions can include weather, train schedules, equipment, motive power, revision of train consist, train delays, labor strikes, political disputes, derailments, closure of a rail line, break down of railroad or motive power equipment, railroads not honoring contracts and bus equipment problems. We will always endeavor, in each case, to provide substitutes, if any changes take place. TTI is not responsible for canceled trains, delays, hotel rooms, route changes or missed connections, for any reason whatsoever. We will not give refunds if such conditions or cancellations take place.
TRAVEL INSURANCE: TRAVEL INSURANCE: Travel insurance is mandatory and is required, but you can opt out. The Decision to Opt-Out or Decline is Mandatory. Insurance will cover and give tour members many benefits and protection. Benefits include baggage loss, accident, life, trip cancellation, sickness, bankruptcy, strike, weather conditions, employer termination or layoff effecting you or a person sharing the room with you, terrorist incident in your departure city or city of destination, jury duty, you are subpoenaed, hijacked, or quarantined, your residence or traveling companion residence is rendered uninhabitable, emergency military duty, traffic accident, single supplement upgrade when your traveling companion cancels their trip, trip interruption, trip delay, missed connections, itinerary change,emergency medical benefits, medical evacuation, pre-existing medical conditions if enrollment is within 21days of your invoice date, assault of you or your traveling companion before departure, burglary of you or your companion before departure 24 hour hotline emergency assistance, emergency cash transfer and more. We will supply you with a travel insurance brochure with rates and application when we mail you the invoice after your bookings. Travel insurance protects your vacation investments. US law allows us to offer this insurance to all persons worldwide. We will accept a "refusal of travel insurance wavier" if you do not wish to purchase any travel insurance.
RESPONSIBILITY AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITY: Accepting your payment represents an agreement that you understand all the conditions, to be a member of our tours. TTI gives notice that they are acting agents for the owners, contractors and suppliers, providing the transportation and all related travel services and assume no responsibility for injury, sickness, damage, loss, additional expenses accidental delay or irregularities which may be caused through willful or negligent acts or omissions on the part of the companies providing or engage in transportation, accommodations or services related to the accomplishment of the tour. Nor do we assume responsibility for natural disasters, social or political upheaval, acts of terrorism or acts of nature. TTI reserves the right to substitute hotels, tour leaders, equipment, motive power, trains, onboard accommodations, routes and to alter the itinerary when deemed necessary without notice. The right is also reserved to cancel any trip or train prior to departure for any reason . TTI is not responsible for expenses incurred by tour members in preparing for the tour, including non-refundable airline tickets, visa fees, planning, phone calls, or any other expenses. TTI reserves the right to decline to accept, or ask to leave a tour, any person whose actions impede the daily operations of a tour, welfare or enjoyment of other tour members. TTI cannot give any refunds for any unused services. The terms contained herein shall serve as a waiver of liability to TTI. Assumption of risk on behalf of the client, their heirs, executor, administrators, successors, and assigns for any and all known persons injuries
RESERVATIONS: A deposit is due in our office within 14 days after you make your bookings. Full payment is due 90 days before departure. You will receive an invoice, reservation form and current tour bulletins with your confirmation and travel insurance forms. No notice for final payment will be sent to you. It is your responsible to make the final payment on-time.
CANCELLATIONS: TTI does not accept cancellations on the phone. Cancellations must be received by postal mail, email or fax before any refunds will be considered. Allow enough time if sending your written notice by US mail postal system. When a written cancellation is received in the Trains and Travel office this will be the effective date of the cancellation. Please take note that it can take up to 60 days to to process some refunds. Cancellation refund rules: 100 days prior to the start of any tour you will receive a full refund less a $100 per person administration fee. 99 to 61 days before the departure of any tour there will be a 80% cancellation penalty based on the full cost of the tour. Cancellations received 60 or less days before the start of any tour will not receive any refund. GW Travel Ltd has their own cancellation rules and these will apply. If booking on GW Travel Ltd ask for cancellation rules.
PRE-DEPARTURE TOUR BULLETINS: Tour bulletins will be sent to clients that have booked on tours operated by TTI. Bulletins include travel info related to the tour. Final documents will be sent out about two to three weeks before a tour begins. We offer tours operated by other companies and they may or may not send out tour bulletins and updates and most send out final documents only one to two weeks prior to the start of their tours.
PAYMENTS: Payments can be made with personal check drawn on a U.S. Dollar account, money order for U.S. Dollars, bank wire transfer, or credit card. We accept Visa, Master Card or Discover. Final payment for all tours is due 90 days prior to departure. If final payment has not been received 7 days after the due date, a late fee of $50 per week will apply.
SINGLE SUPPLEMENT: All prices are based on double room occupancy. We will try and match you with a roommate if one is available. If not, you may be charged the single room supplement listed for the tour you are booked on. Single rooms may not be available in some remote locations and on some trains.
TOUR REFUNDS: If for any reason tour members amend or delete any arrangements during travel, and leave the tour on their own, we cannot give any refunds on unused portions of the tour. If buses and trains are cancelled by the carrier or there is a labor strike or they go out of business, we cannot be held responsible and we cannot give refunds. Travel insurance will protect you for any of these reasons. If TTI needs to cancel any tour everyone will receive a full refund. Please take note that in some cases refunds can take up to 60 days to process.
PARTIAL TOURS: We will allow passengers to join or leave a tour at certain points. It will all depend on the tour and the conditions. Give us a call and we will try and work up a custom option for you.
MILEAGE COLLECTORS: Mileage collectors please take note that TTI does not cater just to mileage collectors. We cater to all folks that enjoy trains and Rail journeys. We give strong warning that itinerary and route changes do happen and this is totally beyond our control when it does. If the only reason that you would want to book a tour is to collect the rare mileage, you need to understand that possible route changes do happen.

02959 visits since September 8, 2011.

Last modified: Monday, 25-Feb-2013 13:53:16 PST