Enjoy breakfast in Bavarian Frankenmuth and dinner in world-famous Niagara Falls. Our hotel in Niagara Falls is the beautiful Hilton Niagara Falls, on the Canadian side of the falls. Dinner is included at the Skylon Tower high above the Falls. What a view and what a dinner! See Niagara Falls illuminated after dark and try your luck at the big Casino near our hotel. (B,D)
After breakfast, we will meet our local guide who will take us on a tour of Niagara Falls before we depart filled with magical Mackinac memories. (B)
Notes
1. To cover the distances in North America by motorcoach, and to be able to visit all the attractions on our itinerary, there will be several days of long drives. It is a good idea to bring a Kindle, a book and your mobile phone.
2. This trip is easy in terms of walking around the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Greenfield Village/Henry Ford Museum, the Ford Factory, Frankenmuth, Mackinac Island, and Niagara Falls. The time is on your own to explore these attractions so that you can choose your own pace. Should you need a wheelchair or motorized scooter, they can be rented or reserved before departure for an additional fee.
3. Temperatures vary and are cooler in the early morning and in the evening and warmer during the day. It is best to dress in layers and to wear comfortable shoes.
4. If you are traveling in the summer or early fall, it is best to wear sunscreen.
5. Since this trip goes to Canada, all American citizens must pack a passport that is valid for six months.
Group Leader Description
This Tours of Distinction tour is accompanied by one of our professional tour directors. This person is responsible for coordinating traveler's accommodations, attractions, meals, and luggage on the trip. While not being guides in the traditional sense, you can expect them
to have general knowledge of the places we will be visiting. They will also offer suggestions for things to do and see, recommend
great local eating venues, and introduce you to our local tour guides who will have in-depth knowledge of the areas and attractions we are visiting. The Group Leader is also responsible for keeping the tour itinerary on time and for checking the attendance of all travelers to make sure no one is left behind. It is also the Group Tour Leader's responsibility to maintain appropriate traveler conduct while on the tour.
Transportation
If airfare is included in the cost of your tour, we will book the most convenient flights available within the budget allotted for this trip. For tours where no air is included, please contact Tours of Distinction for assistance.
For this trip, we will be using a large motorcoach from one of our trusted partners. We choose our partners with great care to ensure that your transportation throughout the trip is smooth and uneventful. However, we are not responsible if the motorcoach has mechanical issues and will work with the executives of the company to resolve any issues as quickly as possible.
We do not practice seat rotation due to COVID-19, especially on a trip where the motorcoach is in use for eight days. The motorcoach has comfortable seating, a restroom, internet, plugs to power up devices, overhead bins for essentials, and video capability. There are some long rides on this trip and the motorcoach will be stopping every few hours for folks to use the facilities and to get a snack.
Solo Travelers
If you are a solo traveler and do not want to pay a single supplement and are open to sharing your accommodations with another traveler, Tours of Distinction will do their best to match you up with someone else. We cannot guarantee that we can find another traveler for you to room with and take no responsibility for any situations that may arise between roommates.
About Accommodations
Tours of Distinction uses 3 to 4-star hotels on this trip that are centrally located and within walking distance of most downtown areas. Our chosen hotels may vary in size, character, and amenities. All our rooms are booked and chosen because they offer double occupancy with private bathrooms. Sometimes lodging facilities are changed before departure. These changes are predicated on availability and on the advice of our clients and tour director's past experiences. When a change is made, you will be placed in the same caliber of hotel or better.
Joining Instructions
If you are joining this tour at the Buffalo International Airport, please make your way to the shuttle pick-up area near baggage claim no later than 4 p.m. The motor coach will be waiting to board passengers at the shuttle pick-up area at the Buffalo International Airport. Please allow for some flexibility in timing and traffic. If you are delayed, please contact your Tour Director at your earliest convenience.
The Weather (Insert chart here)
What to Take
You will be on the move a lot, so our advice is to pack as lightly as possible. The best time to visit Mackinac Island is in the summer and early fall. In July and August, the days are warm with temperatures ranging from the mid-70s to the high 80s during the day with evening temperatures in the high 50s. In September and October, temperatures begin to dip with days averaging 70 F and evenings dipping into the low 50s. During the day we recommend layers of lightweight breathable fabrics and for the evenings, we recommend a jacket or sweater. A set of smart casual clothes is also recommended for dining on Mackinac Island and at the Skylon Tower Restaurant.
Packing List
To start with write down where you are going, what you are doing, what the temperatures will be, and how long you will be gone. Keeping this in mind will help you focus on the itinerary and help you define how much you need to bring. A general rule is to plan your outfits ahead of time and pack clothes that will go together. Many experts recommend up to five shirts/blouses, two pairs of pants/shorts, a lightweight sweater or fleece, evening wear, a scarf or tie, sleepwear, underclothes, and socks. As for the suitcase, it is always a good idea to be aware of airline luggage restrictions and to check carry-on size requirements to ensure that it will fit in the overhead bin.
Travel Essentials in Carry-on or Travel Bag/Purse
Medicine
Credit cards/ATM cards
Cash
Glasses/sunglasses/contacts
Insurance cards
House/Car keys
Cell phone and chargers
Travel Documents including a passport and copies of passport
Emergency contacts
Credit card/bank contacts
Travel Pillow, Back pillow, earplugs
Water bottle
Hand sanitizer
Tolitery bag and toiletries
Compression socks if flying
Chargers for Phones, Computers, Camera
Pens
Lip balm
Itinerary
General Packing List
Underwear, undershirts/bras
Socks
Sleepwear
Comfortable shoes
Long and short sleeve shirts
T-shirts
Jeans
Packable jacket/ sweater
Evening outfit
Pants
Shorts
Dress
Umbrella
Fold up tote bag
Toiletries
Sealable plastic baggies to hold packed liquids
Toothbrush, toothpaste, dental floss
Deodorant
Hair styling tools
Face cleanser and make-up, make-up remover
Shaving supplies
Bandages/antibiotic ointment
Asprin and Vitamins
Currency
It is always good to bring some cash on a trip. Some travelers spend more than others, so please consider your own spending habits when it comes to purchasing souvenirs, shopping, drinking, and tipping. It is also prudent to take along some emergency cash for circumstances out of our control.
Currency Exchange
Credit cards are accepted everywhere in the U.S. and ATMs are readily available on this trip. In Canada, only the Canadian dollar is accepted, however, some retailers will accept the US dollar as a form of payment. We suggest that you use local currency to pay for goods and services to avoid transaction fees. The Canadian dollar is often presented as C$, Can$, $, or CAD to distinguish it from other dollar denominations. The symbol on the $1 Canadian coin is how it received the nickname "loonies," from the aquatic bird appearing on the backside. The $2 Canadian coin has a polar bear and is called twonies or toonies, based on the word loonie and the word two. We recommend Oanda currency converter to calculate exchange rates.
Tipping
On a TOD tour, all tipping is included for baggage handling, drivers, tour director, local guides, and meals. It is customary to tip your waiter, waitress, or bartender when dining on your own. You may also want to tip your chambermaid at your hotel, the range is $2 to $5 per day. At the end of each trip, it is up to your discretion to tip the local guide (range is $2-$5 for the experience), tour director, and bus driver (guideline is $5-$10 a day), if you feel that they did an outstanding job.
Unacceptable Behavior
Illegal drugs will not be tolerated on any trip. Possessing or using drugs not only contravenes the laws of
the land but also puts the rest of the group at risk. Lewd, drunken behavior is also unacceptable.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance isn’t just for trips overseas. It’s prudent to buy travel insurance for every trip because you never know what might happen when you’re far from home! We strongly recommend that
the policy covers personal liability, cancellation, curtailment, accidents, medical evacuations, loss of luggage, and personal
effects.
Feedback
Your constructive feedback is important to Tours of Distinction, we love hearing from you. It is so important to us that we will give you a 5% discount on your next Tours of Distinction trip. Your tour evaluation will be emailed to you upon your return home. If you don't receive it, please give us a call at 800-426-4324 so we can send it to you.
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Minimum Age
You must be 18 to travel unaccompanied on a Tours of Distinction trip. For minors traveling with a guardian or parents, they must be 21 or older. The minimum age for group travel is 12.
