New York City Escape - Canadian Thanksgiving! 5-Day Tou, October 5 th 9 th, 2017 Tentative Itinerary Welcome aboard our annual Canadian Thanksgiving in New York City Tour! Your tour director is excited about the opportunity to make your holiday experience in, The BIG APPLE, something you ll treasure! They look forward to professionally and effectively managing this escape so you can forget the usual travel hassles and just enjoy yourself! Below is a tentative daily itinerary. Please read this information, particularly the Important Information section on the last page of this itinerary, and call if you have any questions. With over 57 years of experience in tourism and group travel, I m confident your tour with us will be fantastic! - Sincerely, Greg Collins, President Collins Tours Thursday, Oct 5 th Day #1 Portland Maine, Courtyard by Marriott Your group travel and NYC experience begins today! Meet your coach or shuttle at the designated meeting point assigned to you. Final locations will be assigned at least 2 weeks before you depart. Seat rotation will be followed during this tour. Details surrounding this policy are outlined on our company website. PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND shuttle Charlottetown, Charlottetown Mall Sobeys a.m. NOVA SCOTIA-Main coach Halifax, Sobeys Lacewood Dr.- a.m. Dartmouth Crossing, Hampton Inn - a.m. Quality Inn, Halifax Airport a.m. Truro Heights, Irving Big Stop - a.m. NEW BRUNSWICK Aulac, Irving Big Stop a.m. Moncton, Magnetic Hill McDonalds- a.m. Lincoln, Irving Big Stop am IMPORTANT These pick up times are now set. Any changes must be cleared with the main office at least 48-hrs before departure Saint John Route 1 Irving Big Stop a.m. All stops for passenger pickup/drop off will be brief (10-15 min.) so we ask that you remain on the coach unless the stop is a scheduled coffee break or lunch. Your tour manager will clarify this for you during the tour. For your convenience, today s drive includes several coffee breaks, an hour lunch break (your expense). All our tours are pre registered with Customs & Immigration so expect minimal delays at border crossings. Putting the Service Back in Travel 81 Golden Grove Road Saint John, NB E2H 1W6 Ph:506-634-8080 getaway@collinstours.ca www.collinstours.ca Page 3 of 5
Your tour manager will represent you during our appointment at the border but you re responsible for having *proper identification and ensuring you can legally enter the U.S. Please read the section on prescription medication when crossing border (last page). Once we enter Maine, be sure to adjust those watches from Atlantic Standard to Eastern Time (one-hour back). Enjoy a brief stop (20 min. please) for coffee and snacks before our late afternoon arrival at the Courtyard by Marriott, Portland Maine. Your tour manger will check you in, have your bag sent to your room, and hand out your key cards, all part of our signature group tour check in service, offered on all our motorcoach tours! Just one of the many perks of group travel. Enjoy the evening at the Maine Mall where you can enjoy some fabulous dining and shopping opportunities! Dinner is on your own this evening (price not included) Shoppers - The coach will pick you up at the designated time (TBA) and transfer you back to the hotel. Don t forget to set those wake up calls! Friday, Oct. 6 th Day #2 Portland - New York City, Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel! This morning, enjoy breakfast (included) before checking out of your room in time for our 8:00 a.m. departure. Your tour manager handles group check out unless you have incidental charges that are not included in your package price (ex: room service, movie rental) Today s drive takes us from Maine and on into New Hampshire before stopping for lunch at Connecticut s fabulous Blue Colony Diner (12:30-1:30 pm; your expense). Once back on board the coach, we don t have too far to go before we enter New York State, estimating a 4:30 p.m. arrival in The Big Apple! Our hotel for the next two nights is the iconic Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel, located at 52nd St. & 7 th Ave., the heart of Midtown Manhattan! Recently with a 40 million dollar renovation, your hotel features sophisticated rooms, a top of the line fitness center, a beautiful bar/café, and much more! Collins Tours signature check-in provided again today. Feel free to sample New York s world-famous cuisine before your amazing night on Broadway (dinner not included). Tonight is your opportunity to experience a Broadway Musical, depending on the availability of tickets at the time you purchased your tour, the show you will be seeing tonight is either HELLO DOLLY starring Bette Midler or COME FROM AWAY Please meet the coach at 7:00pm for your complimentary transfer to the theatres for our 8:00pm shows. Please meet the coach 30 minutes after the show for our complimentary transfer back to the hotel. Those not attending the show are free to explore the city that never sleeps (on own). 2
Saturday, Oct. 7 th Day #3 New York City, Sheraton New York Times Square Get set for another fabulous day, beginning with our 4-hr professionally guided tour of New York City (approx. 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.). Experience magical Central Park, Battery Park for a photo opportunity of the Statue of Liberty (weather permitting), followed by a visit to the new One World Trade Center, complete with a ticket to the observation deck where you can see forever! Other famous landmarks include Wall Street, Rockefeller Plaza, St. Paul s Cathedral, Battery Park, and Strawberry Fields in Central Park. Lunch today is on your own at Brookfield Place which is a fully renovated 2 level market near One World Observatory. After lunch we will make our way to One World Trade and enjoy the view of Forever! We will return to the hotel late this afternoon leaving you plenty of time to take a much earned rest or head out for more world-class shopping and dining! Dinner this evening is on your own you are then free to experience more of New York City your way! Sunday, Oct. 8 th Day #4 New York-Augusta, Hampton Inn & Suites Be sure to cover any personal expenses (e.g. Internet charges, movie rentals) at check out this morning. Enjoy a late morning check out! Please have your luggage ready for pick up at 9:30 a.m. and it will be stored on the bus so you can shop and enjoy the area around the hotel at your leisure all morning. Check out of your room today by 11:45 a.m. Meet the coach at the hotel by 12:30 p.m. Time to bid farewell to NYC and begin planning your next visit! Our first stop this afternoon will for an early dinner with our friends at the Blue Colony Diner, in Danbury CT (your expense). Several additional rest stops will be made during the drive back to Augusta, Maine s Hampton Inn & Suites. Again, your tour manager will check you in and have your somewhat larger bag sent to your room. Don t forget to set those wakeup calls! Monday, Oct. 9 th Day #5 HAPPY THANKSGIVING CANADA! Please enjoy a hot buffet breakfast (included) before our 8:00 a.m. departure. Our first scheduled stop will be a 20 min. coffee break, followed by an hour lunch stop in Maine (your expense). Next stop is the Duty Free shop where you will have 20 min. to find those last minute value purchases. Our group is then set to check in with Canadian Customs & Immigration at our scheduled time. Please have your I.D. ready while your tour manager represents the group. Duty free allowance for this trip is $800 per person (important details section). Back on Atlantic Standard Time, we begin to bid farewell to our fellow travelers, dropping all clients back at their original pick-up points. Arrival time estimates will also be sent to you at least two weeks before you depart. 3
Don t forget to check your seat for all of your belongings before leaving us. Thank you for traveling with Collins Tours! IMPORTANT INFORMATION Tour itineraries are ONLY a guideline and may need to be modified by your tour manager. NEW BRUNSWICK Lincoln, Irving Big Stop p.m. Saint John Route 1 Big Stop p.m. Moncton, Magnetic Hill McDonalds - p.m. Aulac, Irving Big Stop p.m. NOVA SCOTIA Truro Heights, Irving Big Stop - p.m. Quality Inn, Halifax Airport p.m. Dartmouth Crossing, Hampton Inn - p.m. Halifax, Sobeys Lacewood Dr.- p.m. PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND Charlottetown, Charlottetown Mall Sobeys p.m. Times on tour itineraries are estimates as factors such as weather, traffic and other unforeseen circumstances can influence tour timing. Hotels: Courtyard by Marriott, 100 Southborough Dr., South Portland ME Ph: 207-253-5005. Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel, 811 7th Avenue 53rd St. New York City NY, Ph: 212-581-1000. Hampton Inn by Hilton, 388 Western Ave., Augusta ME Ph: 207-622-4077 Seat rotation policies are in effect for this tour and will be explained by your tour manager. Please check our website for more details on this policy. To be fair to all, any medical exceptions must be accompanied by a singed notice from your physician. Customs & Immigration: Everyone entering the U.S. must have a Valid Passport. U.S. Customs has the right to refuse entry to anyone with a past record. Please check with border agents to confirm your status if you are concerned about this. Collins Tours is not responsible for any matters relating to your refusal at the border. All prescription medication needs to be clearly labeled and on board coach with you (not inside suitcase) in order for Customs and Immigration to clear it. Duty Free Rules allow each person to claim $800 if they have been out of the country for at least 48 hours. To simplify your shopping experiences, purchase American currency in advance, as many US banks will not exchange your money without a US bank account. Debit cards must be VISA or MasterCard flagged in order to be accepted at US stores. Bring along your favorite CD s and DVD s as our motor coach has capabilities for both. Please remove all personal belongings when departing the bus. We re not responsible for items left behind REMEMBER: your tour manager handles: hotel check in/check out procedures, overall group management (e.g. timely transitions, itinerary planning), and group representation at Concerts and Customs and Immigration. We work hard to ensure that everyone enjoys his or her experience to the fullest. Gratuities for your Tour Manager and driver are not included in your tour price. Tour director tipping guidelines are $3.50-5.00 per person per day and a minimum of $2.50 per person per day for the bus driver and $2 pp per day for any professional city tour guides. 4
We look forward to serving you with ALL your future travel plans! 5