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EuroTour 2005
01 Jul 05 – 16 Jul 05

View:
· EuroTour 2005 Itinerary

Dear singer, family member, or friend of the Kulshan Chorus who may wish to consider a singing tour to Europe in the summer of 2005…

After hours of organizational work on the part of Charlie Walkinshaw/Experience International, Anne & Roger Griffith, Hans-Peter Brandenburger/Switzerland (former singer with the Chorus) and others, we are thrilled to bring to you a first overview and itinerary for a spectacular tour in which many of you have expressed a great interest.

The tour is now scheduled from July 1 to July 16, 2005. And, we are confident that it will be an “experience of a lifetime” for everyone that chooses to join the adventure!

Overview
Choices for Travel Packages
Rates
Deadlines
After the singing tour
What can you do to make this a success?
Information Meetings

OVERVIEW
Our tour will place you in the heart of two spectacular and distinctly different parts of Europe – the marvelous Alps of south-central Switzerland and the amazingly picturesque Dordogne region in southwestern France where we will travel, eat, and join with local choirs to perform in both planned and casual concert settings. These arrangements are now underway. We have contacted choral directors and promoters in both regions and they are extremely interested in working with us. We have 3 preplanned and 2 street concerts scheduled for Switzerland, with 2 preplanned and 2-3 street concerts in the Dordogne, and possibly one in Paris .

A glance at the ITINERARY will give you a fairly accurate overview of the trip as it is now planned although days may be switched to accommodate hosting choirs or to simplify planning. Our intention is to provide you with the greatest blocks of touring time while providing the best musical experiences as well.

The Swiss area is chosen for its proximity to small lakes with passenger steamers located adjacent to some of the most impressive Alps: cheese factories, yodeling, and villages - Brienz, Grindlewald, Wengen, amidst Yosemite-like valleys - with the rocky crags of the Eiger and Monch accessible by corkscrew cogway tunnels through to the top! The hikes, views and vistas are unmatchable, easily accessible and on our itinerary. The Swiss tour will culminate with an overnight stay in Leukerbad, an incredible hot springs resort high in the Alps. Next, a bus ride to the French ski resort of Chamonix, where the world’s highest tramway whisks you thousands of feet to the lookout aside Mt. Blanc. The vista is amazing.

The Dordogne experience in France will see us singing and touring amidst the river valleys and gorges where 30,000 years ago cave-people lived and roamed. We will visit ancient walled villages including Sarlat and Rocamadour, the famous Lascaux II with its prehistoric cave art, while enjoying singing and food, wine and food, exploring and food. The tour will climax with a 3-day stay in Paris where we arrive on July 14, Bastille Day, with fireworks over the Eiffel Tower (You can imagine what to do here).

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YOU HAVE CHOICES
The Basic Package Price for the trip will be $ 2095 per person, based on double room occupancy.

The Basic Package includes:
• all 14 nights of lodging (double occupancy)
• all group transportation in Switzerland & France, breakfasts
• 4 group dinners and one lunch (arrival/departure banquets and 2 dinners on arrival in special locations & a traditional Swiss BBQ lunch on a farm)
• travel insurance
• the cost of our music (Keyboardist and Director)
• pre-departure orientation & trip planning, and
• all expenses related to the organization of the tour

The Basic Package does not include:
• International Airfare
• RT transportation to SeaTac Airport
• most meals
• admission fees during the trip (as indicated on the itinerary)
• personal expenses and purchases abroad. It is here that you will have many choices depending on your budget.

Total Estimated Cost for the 16 day trip, including the Basic Package and an estimate of airfare ($1200), meals ($285), optional admission fees ($350 – of which $150 is for sights in Paris) is somewhere in the neighborhood of $3900 depending on personal choices made.

We have made every effort to bring the best of the best to you, and to make this tour available to the greatest number of people possible. We are traveling in “peak tourist season” and we’ve done our best to negotiate group rates and discounts where possible. Similar “packages” through organized travel agencies would be significantly more at this time of year than what we have negotiated for you.

We have planned the tour to cover basic costs only. You will then choose which local tours or activities you prefer. You are not charged for activities you may not wish to do, and you will have more flexibility than with “solid” booking. We will take you to regions with many of the best touring choices and restaurants are available – then it’s in your hands.

While most breakfasts will be included, lunches and dinners will be left to you and you can eat expensive meals at the restaurant of your choice, or live on bread, cheese and wine. You will be given ample information for every tour stop, and may then decide how you will spend your Euros (dollars). Where substantial saving may exist, we will endeavor to book group tours, but, in many instances, this is not necessary as there is no cost saving beyond what already exists.

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RATES
Rates will be the same for all participants, regardless of age or financial situation. When leasing buses, all seats must be paid for no matter who sits in them. Family rates in the hotels, however, will be available (3+ family members in the same room). Wherever possible, we will attempt to take advantage of rate schedules that honor youth and seniors. For example, children and students with proper I.D. are often given reduced entrance rates in both Switzerland and France. Everyone will be eligible for either an International Teacher or Student Card through Experience International, Charlie’s non-profit organization (an additional $20/person for the International Teacher/Student Card).

• Single Room Supplement
Single rooms will be available on a first-come, first-served basis (space availability in the hotels). The single room supplement for the 14 nights in a single room is: $400.

• International Airfare
Currently, we have estimates averaging about $1200 per adult round-trip ticket: Seattle – Zurich; Paris – Seattle. Many airlines currently quoting only the highest rates for next summer and lower fares may become available over the coming months. However, there is no guarantee as this is “peak season”. American Airlines, for example, has only 40 group seats available for departure to Zurich on 01Jul04! You have two options to purchase your airfare.

1. Arrange on your own. Just make sure you arrive in Zurich on or before 01Jul05. You can shop around the Internet; go through a travel agent, or if you want to take advantage of your frequent flier miles, go with whichever carrier will get you there on time!

2. Group Airfare through Experience International. If you don’t want to hassle with this on your own, are unfamiliar with how to get the best deal possible, or just want to travel with the “group”, we will arrange it for you. We will need a $125 deposit on 15Oct04. Flight arrangements will be made the first week of November and the $125 goes directly to the airline to reserve your seat. Once this is confirmed, will let you know the price we’ve “locked in”. Each month we will check for lower “group” airfare and if seats are available, it will go down. Full payment for your ticket will be due on 15Apr05 (what a date - sorry!), which is the required 70 days prior to departure.

• Passport and Visa
Passports are required but no visas are needed to travel to Europe. Passports should be valid for at least 6 months after the date of return, i.e., though January 2006. If you don’t have a passport, we will provide you with the information you need to apply which should be done before the end of this year.

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TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE
To guarantee we meet deadlines for down payments on hotels and buses, decisions will need to be made over the next weeks. At this time, travel companies are already booking well into the summer and fall of 2005. We will be traveling at “peak” season, and must begin making deposits now to hold space for next summer.

Our deadlines reflect these time-lines and for that reason we have set the following dates for payment:

· 15 Oct 04 $ 400 Non-Refundable Deposit, of which $100 is for Travel Insurance
· 15 Dec 04 $ 845 First half of balance due
· 15 Feb 04 $ 850 Final payment

The $400 non-refundable deposit will guarantee your space on the trip, which is limited to 65 participants. Individuals choosing to join us at a later date can do so if space is still available. We will continue signing people up until we reach the maximum. We need a minimum of 50 people by 31Dec04 to do the trip at the price of $2095.

Trip Insurance, as noted above, is included in the initial deposit. It will be purchased immediately on receipt of your $400 deposit. This insurance covers trip cancellation (repay you your airfare, deposits, etc), lost baggage, emergency medical assistance and evacuation as well as numerous other traveler benefits. A copy of the policy will be provided to everyone on receipt of the non-refundable deposit.

Currency Exchange Surcharge/Refund: The prices we’ve been quoted for hotels, transportation, etc. are in euros and/or Swiss Francs. In the event there is a significant change in the dollar-euro exchange, we may need to add a bit to the trip price to cover the difference. Alternatively, if the euro drops in relation to the US Dollar between now and next summer, this will be refunded to you.

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AFTER THE TOUR
Our return home is scheduled for Saturday, 16Jul05. At that time, you may elect to return directly home with your pre-arranged schedule or continue traveling in Europe on your own. If you choose to continue traveling, the Internet is an invaluable resource. We have considerable experience in this arena and may be able to provide assistance with travel, hotels, and just ideas for fun things to do. Try Gites de France on-line, for best room rates at often-spectacular locations.

You may be interested in knowing that an airline company flies many routes within Europe for fares which are lowest for those who book first and by internet. A flight from south France (Toulouse) to Paris for March, 2005, goes for about $12 dollars at this point in time! Check “Easy Jet” on-line.

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WHAT CAN YOU DO TO GUARANTEE SUCCESS FOR THIS TOUR?
1) Sign up now, and make your deposit by October 15, 2004!
· Return the attached EuroTour 2005 Registration with your deposit of $400
· If you want us to arrange your airfare, your deposit will be $525.
2) Assist in gathering others who may wish to audition to sing on this tour.

All are invited to join us on this unique tour and we extend a special invitation to new singers that are hearing about this trip for the first time. Our first effort will be to audition family members and friends who have shown an interest. While the tour is not limited to singers, we would, naturally, like to have as many singers as possible. They would best serve themselves and all others by singing with the Kulshan Chorus this spring and learn a good deal of the music at that time. We will attempt to advertise and make the tour known to many people. Perhaps you could help.

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INFORMATIONAL MEETINGS
We invite you to jot down your questions and join us for slides and discussion at one of two “A Singing Adventure in Europe” question and answer meetings held by Charlie, Anne, Roger and the organizing group on:

· Thursday, 23Sep04 at 5:30pm: Jones-Moles our rehearsal site, Yew and Lakeway .
· Tuesday, 28Sep04 at 7:30pm: First Congregational Church, 2401 Cornwall Ave.

Other meetings and fact sheets / letters will follow and we will attempt to answer all questions ASAP. Time allowing, we will also build an informational website to post periodic updates and announcements. We are also planning on arranging 2-3 pre-departure gatherings to begin exploring the history, music, sights, history, and culture of Switzerland and France – as well as the practical details of what to bring, how to pack/travel light, what to do about appliances on 220 volts, traveler safety and whatever else might be of interest to the group.

So Get On Board and join in a wonderful tour and singing experience.
We would love to have you, your family and friends along.

Charlie, Anne, Roger and the Planning Group

View:
· EuroTour 2005 Itinerary

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