Cost and Payment

Cost: The total tour cost per person is:

US$7,400 (double occupancy)
US$8,000 (single occupancy)

These rates include:

Tour includes airfare from New York City’s JFK Airport to Moscow; airfare from Moscow to Saratov; airfare from Volgograd to Moscow; airfare from Omsk to St. Petersburg; airfare from St. Petersburg to New York City’s JFK Airport; (all airfare is exclusive of baggage fees, if applicable); train fare from Moscow to Omsk; all ground transportation in Russia (exclusive of private taxi); 11 hotel nights in Russia; daily breakfast, lunch, and dinner in Russia (exclusive of when in the Moscow airport, aboard the Trans-Siberian Train, 3 dinners while in Moscow, and 2 dinners while in St. Petersburg); museum and archives admittance fees; tour guides; departure fees and taxes; and tips.

Deposit: To reserve your place on one of the tours, a deposit of US$800 per person is required. The entire deposit will be applied to your balance. Payment of the deposit indicates understanding and acceptance of all terms and conditions as outlined in the General Conditions document found with the Tour Application Form. If application is made after 1 March 2021, full payment is due with application.

Final Payment: Payment in full must be received by Volga German Tours on or before 1 March 2021.  If application is made after 1 March 2021, full payment is due with application.

Payment Method: Payment must be in US dollars. In order to keep costs down, payment by personal check or money order is preferred. If you want to pay by credit card, contact Dr. Mai (brentmai@volgagermantours.com) for additional information about paying by credit card.

Policy for Cancellation by Volga German Tours: Should the tour fail to have a minimum number of 10 applications received and accepted by 1 March 2021, Volga German Tours reserves the right to cancel that tour and all payments received by that date will be refunded to the applicant. Volga German Tours will not be responsible for refunds of fees incurred by the applicant for passports, visas, or invitations.

Policy for Cancellation by Participant: If you must cancel your reservation on this trip, you must provide a written cancellation statement to Brent Mai. The pro-rated refund schedule is as follows:

*120 days prior to departure: total payment-to-date will be refunded minus cancellation fee of $200.
*119-70 days prior to departure: total payment-to-date will be refunded minus cancellation fee of $400.
*69-31 days prior to departure: total payment-to-date will be refunded minus cancellation fee equal to 50% of total tour price.
*30 days or fewer prior to departure: zero refund (100% of tour price is cancellation fee).
 
Why are the cancellation fees so harsh after 69 days prior to departure?
By this point, airline tickets, hotels, ground transportation, etc. have already been reserved and paid for. The airline tickets are non-refundable. No refunds will be given for any unused services while on tour. You may want to purchase private cancellation insurance which covers cancellation due to illness, injury, etc.
 

Tour Price Does Not Include: passport fees, visa fees, invitation fees, phone calls, valet/laundry service, alcohol of any kind, after dinner coffee or tea, excess baggage fees, or side trips while in Russia.

Supplemental Price Increases: The air-inclusive tour being purchased is subject to supplemental price increases that may be imposed after the date of purchase.  Post-purchase price increases may be applied due to additional costs imposed by a supplier or government.  Tour participants may be charged additional sums by Volga German Tours to offset increased fees, taxes, airline-imposed international surcharges, fluctuations in foreign exchange markets or any combination thereof along with any other items as outlined in the General Conditions. Tour participants will be billed for such additional amounts.

Joining Tour in Moscow: If you wish to join the tour in Moscow, this is possible. Please mark this selection on the Tour Application Form.  You must arrive at the Sheremetyevo Airport (SVO) in Moscow by noon on August 1 to join the tour arriving from New York. If you join the tour in Moscow, you will receive a US$500 credit toward the cost of the tour.  For additional information about joining the tour in Moscow, please contact Dr. Mai (brentmai@volgagermantours.com).