How Do I Reserve My Space?
Once you have decided where you want to travel we’ll help you take care of the rest! We are excited to have you join one of our small group adventures. Use the steps below to reserve your space. If you have any questions or need help with the registration process you can reach out to us.
Step 1: Contact Us For Availability
Once you have gotten in touch to confirm availability for the trip you’re interested in, you will need to reserve your spot by paying your trip deposit and completing the registration form.
- If you have received confirmation that space is available, continue to step 2.
Step 2: Registration Form and Release
In order to reserve your spot, please complete the registration and release form using one of the options below. You can make your reservation online or by mailing your finished forms.
- One reservation form and contract is required for each traveler. If you are traveling with others, each person must complete his or her own reservation form and liability release.
- You will be prompted to pay your deposit online after completing the reservation form. The trip deposit and release must be signed to reserve your spot.
Registration Options
Register Online
Register online by completing the registration form and making your deposit payment to reserve your space and receive a detailed itinerary.
Register By Mail
Download the BTSA Trip Information and Contract below. Print, read, and send your completed and signed form with your deposit.
Step 3: Confirmation of Reservation
After your registration, we will be in touch with you to confirm that we have received your completed forms and deposit payment.
Please note that we reserve the right to review all applications and turn down an application for any reason. Applying does not guarantee a space on the tour.
Step 4: Passports and Visas
Once you sign up for a trip, you will receive an email that will include information about whether or not you need a visa. If you need one, we’ll provide links about how to apply for one (if one is necessary) and how long it might take to receive it. The links will direct you to pages with the latest and most specific visa information and costs.
Nowadays many visas are procured online as e-visas but occasionally you will need to send your passport to a consulate. Depending on your destination time will vary to apply for and receive a visa. Be sure to allow plenty of time to get your visa(s). Mailing service can often take longer than we expect
Pay close attention to the specific visa requirements because it will be impossible to travel without the proper documents! Some countries require that the passport contain 2 blank pages for the visa or that it does not expire in the next 6 months, etc.
We’ll make every effort to furnish you with the latest visa information, and to supply the link to the local government’s visa application and requirements. But please note that Behind the Scenes Adventures is not responsible for correct and up-to-date visa information.
COVID-Related Announcement:
All travelers joining a BTSA trip must show that they have had two vaccinations against Covid19. We want to protect the local populations where we travel. Furthermore, if someone in our group falls ill and has to go to a local hospital, it delays the whole trip for everyone, while the guide deals with the situation.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance/trip cancellation insurance is not mandatory but is strongly encouraged, to be sure your trip is worry-free. We have provided a few companies we have heard are good; we are not responsible for recommending an Insurance Company. Do your research to see what sort of coverage you need and what is included/excluded. Naturally, the policy should include epidemics or pandemics.
The insurance that covers your flight/transportation, offered at the bottom of your plane ticket purchase, may be enough, and it is relatively inexpensive.
Travel Insurance Brokers:
- Generali travel insurance: https://www.generalitravelinsurance.com
- Travel Guard – International: http://www.travelguardworldwide.com
- World Nomads: https://www.worldnomads.com/usa/travel-insurance
- Travelex Insurance: http://www.travelexinsurance.com
Step 5: Final Payment
Your final trip payment is due 75 days before you depart from home for your trip. About 2 weeks before the payment is due, we will send you an invoice that states the final balance amount and due date. You may pay this either online or by sending us a personal check; the amount remains the same.
If you have questions about payment, refunds, or our cancellation policy, please refer to your completed registration form or read our Terms and Conditions.
Step 6: Preparing For Your Trip
Each tour will have specific and relevant information sent to the email you provided. In order to make sure you receive all important communication please add Behind the Scenes Adventures (info@btsadventures.com) to your contact list to avoid messages going to SPAM. Please check your email messages carefully and often during this pre-trip period, because we will be sending very important information that you will need and/or will need to act upon.
Soon after you’ve signed up for a tour, we will send you your complete day-to-day Itinerary and a Suggested Reading List to begin learning about your destination. A month or so later, you’ll receive additional information packets about food, money, textiles, culture, how to dress (if there are any specific modesty issues or mores to follow), what to take, and so forth. You’ll also receive detailed information about how to get your visa if one is necessary. Countries like Peru, Morocco, and Kyrgyzstan don’t require visas anymore!
Questions?
If you have any questions or need help with the registration forms, please feel free to contact me during office hours 10:00 am 5:00 pm MDT.
Frequently Asked Questions
Registration
How can I get a detailed itinerary for a tour?
A day-to-day itinerary will be sent once you sign up for a trip. If you need specific information about the flow of the trip and the pace of the specific activities, before committing to the trip, get in touch with your questions and we will be happy to fill you in.
How much is the trip deposit?
Deposits for all trips are $500 and can be paid by personal check or credit card with no fee. We will send you an ‘easy-to-play’ invoice that you can fill in with your credit card details (we keep no record of card numbers) or you can send a check to the address on the invoice. We prefer checks since they don’t incur a fee, but either payment method is acceptable.
When will the full payment be required?
The final payment is due 75 days before departure. Anyone joining the trip after the 75th-day payment deadline date needs to pay the full trip payment at signup. Final balance payment may be paid with a personal check, credit or debit card or wire transfer. If you live outside the USA, please contact us for bank details to pay by wire transfer. It is also possible to pay with PayPal.
Email for details: info@btsadvenutres.com
What forms of payment do you accept?
Personal checks, credit/debit cards, and cashier’s checks are all good for the deposit and for the final balance payment, due 75 days before departure.
You may pay your deposit and final payment easily with a debit/credit card, or cashier’s check. You may also send a personal check to Behind the Scenes Adventures at the address at the bottom of the Trip Contract and Release Form or your Invoice. All invoices are sent through our secure invoice system and online payments are safely and securely handled by our payment processor Stripe and our ZOHO accounting system.
What is your cancellation and refund policy?
Our trip prices are based on group rates reserved in advance, thus a cancellation affects all the trip expenses. If a trip is canceled by Behind the Scenes Adventures for any reason, a refund is 100%, including your deposit. Postponing a trip to a later date (necessary occasionally during COVID) does not constitute a cancellation by Behind the Scenes Adventures, and your deposit will not be refunded for any reason. We will work with you to find another date or destination that fits your schedule.
If you need to cancel, your non-refundable $500 deposit may be applied to any other tour at any time, at a later date. After five years, unused deposits are donated to community projects in the countries where Behind the Scenes Adventures operates.
- Cancellation 74 or more days before departure, refund is 50%, not incuding the $500 non-refundable deposit.
- Cancellation 30-73 days before departure, refund is 25%, not incuding the $500 non-refundable deposit.
- No refund for cancellation less than 30 days before departure.
Is it possible to switch to a different tour?
It is possible to change from one tour to another (for instance from Turkey to Morocco) provided that:
- Changes are requested at least 60 days before both tours start.
- Full payment is made for the new choice within 75 days of departure.
- There is space on your new trip choice…
We make reservations for our transport vehicles and our favorite hotels many months before the group arrival date. Naturally it’s necessary to know the number of travelers for each adventure, and the desired types of rooms before we arrive. Many small boutique hotels have a limited number of singles.
Please contact us to request a change from one trip to another, and we will do our best to accommodate your choices. You will be notified as soon as the change is confirmed.
Flights & Travel
How do I make my plane reservations to arrive and depart at the right times?
Behind the Scenes Adventures provides you with a complete itinerary well in advance of your trip, so that you can schedule your international flight with the help of a travel agent or a website. We often search for prices on Expedia.com or Orbitz.com…then we use the airlines’ own website to make our reservations to be sure we get customer service and miles from the airlines’ Frequent Flyer plans. Delays and problems are more easily solved by the actual airline than by a cheap travel company.
Any extra hotel nights necessary for getting to the tour arrival point, or extra nights at the end of the tour are naturally on your own. Booking.com and Orbitz or Expedia.com both can be helpful.
Do you recommend that I work with a travel agent?
Specific information about arrival and departure options and suggested flight arrangements will be sent several months before departure.
Some itineraries are complicated, and a travel agent can help by offering you more possibilities and prices from different airlines on different dates. In this case, we recommend that you work with a travel agent.
Am I required to have travel insurance?
Travel insurance/trip cancellation insurance is highly recommended, to be sure your trip is worry-free. We have provided a few companies we have heard are good; we are not responsible for recommending an Insurance Company. Do your research to see what sort of coverage you need and what is included/excluded. Naturally, the policy should include epidemics or pandemics.
Travel Insurance Brokers:
The first company listed here, General Global Assistance, is rated as Excellent by FORBES and all their travel policies include COVID-related issues. Costs are reasonable. We have no connection with them but they are highly recommended by travelers; check the reviews on the site.
What are the Visa requirements for the country(s) we’ll be visiting?
Each country has different visa requirements. Once you sign up, we’ll send you the latest visa information with the tour material for your specific destination.
Unless you plan to leave the connecting airport you will not need a visa if you stay in the Transit Area. Often you will not have a choice; you will not be allowed to leave the Transit Area in most airports.
Occasionally if a flight is canceled and the airlines must send you to a hotel near the connecting airport, you will be given a temporary permission “visa” stamp to leave the airport for the night.