Lake Garda, Italy

Lake Gard Tour - Times

• First meeting: Day 1, between 15:00-17:00  
• Last farewells: Day 8 at10:00 

Where do we meet at the start of the Tour? 

• We'll all meet, Crew and Guide, at our holiday home in Linfano. You'll receive the full address once you've booked.

Can I get to know my Crew before the Tour begins?
Of course! As soon as you've booked, you'll get login details for the website and the Crew-Chat. Get to know your Guide and the other members of your Crew - you could even plan your flights together! Check the Crew-Chat regularly for any updates and important information.

What if I need to leave the Tour early?
Of course, it's nicer for the whole group and the team spirit if you can stay until the end of the Tour and not head home sooner - but if for any reason you need to leave the Tour early, just let us know.

What is a "self-catering" Tour?

• During your time with us at Lake Garda, we will take care of food ourselves 
• Normally, we have breakfast together in our accommodation, bring something with us for lunch while we're out and about, and in the evening we cook together, grill in the garden, or head out to a local restaurant

When will we go shopping?

• On Day 1, we'll go shopping for the week - but topping up during the week is obviously no problem
• Before the Tour starts, we can make a list in the Crew-Chat
• Preferably, a couple of you will arrive a little earlier in the day, and go with the Guide to get the weeks supplies

What if I have special dietary needs?

• If you have special dietary needs, be it for ethical, health or allergy reasons, don't worry
• For safety, and so the Crew is aware, let everyone know what it is you can and can't eat
• We appreciate all concerns about dietary needs - you'll be in safe hands!

Is tape water in Italy drinkable? 

• Yes, the tap water in Italy is clean and drinkable 
• In order to reduce possible plastic waste, we recommend that you bring a reusable bottle

How fit do I need to be for the Lake Garda Tour? 

Hikes

• The hikes that you'll go on lasts 3-5 hours, and have an altitude change between 300-500m 
• All you need is an average level of fitness, and a love of the outdoors! 
• So that everyone can be comfortable, we can always split into groups, so that everyone can enjoy the hiking and views at their own pace

E-Mountain Bike tour

• The extra help from the electric mountain bike makes the going a lot easier - which means more to see and enjoy for us!
• We'll be led by a local guide - every Crew member will bet an E-Mountain bike and a helmet, as well as guidance on how to use the bikes

Canyoning

• This optional activity can be enjoyed by the whole group, or individual Crew members, and requires no previous experience
• It's a great activity, and can be quite intense: you'll receive all the equipment you need, but need to be surefooted and have no problems with water or heights

Can I take a day out from the Tour to just relax? 

• Definitely - we stay the whole week in the same accommodation, so you can chill in the comfort of the holiday home whenever you feel like it

What do I need to bring along?

• Generally, you shouldn't need any special equipment for the Lake Garda Tour
• For the hikes, you'll need normal hiking/sport clothes, sturdy walking boots and a waterproof jacket (should it happen to rain whilst we're there)
• Optional, if you're a mountain bike enthusiast, you can bring your own helmet - they are however provided by the guide company
• In order to avoid unnecessary purchases and using plastic bags, we'd love it if you bring along a dishcloth and reusable bag
• Find a list of all the items you should need in our Packing List for Outdoor-Mix 

What's the phone signal going to be like in Italy?

• Signal is generally very good - but obviously in the mountains, the quality may decrease
• Our accommodation has Wi-Fi
• Before arriving, check with your provider what possible roaming charges you could face by using your own data or making calls 

Do I need a plug adapter in Italy?

• In Italy, they use the Type L, Type F and Type C plug - bring a Type C (standard European) adapter, and you'll be fine

Currency & Prices

• If you want to pay without cash, you'll have to use a credit-card, as most cards from other countries are not accepted
• Cost examples: cheap meal, 8.50 €; local beer, 1.30 €; cappuccino 2.10 €

Tips

• Italy has a tipping culture, meaning that restaurants can charge a tip between 5-10 % of the bill

Weather

• Lake Garda enjoys a sub-Mediterranean climate 
• In Summer, the temperature can range from 25-30°C
• In particular, the water temperature between June and September is between 18-20°C - perfect for water sports
• Up in the mountains, the temperature rarely rises about 20°C due to the altitude - keeps things comfortable
• Regardless of temperature, do no underestimate UV-levels - don't forget sun-cream 

Safety

• During the summer and the height of the tourism season, cases of theft increase, especially at the beach in tourist-heavy areas and beaches
• We recommend you keep a good eye on your money, official documents and tickets - if you need to carry something on you, best to take a photocopy, and always be careful in large groups of people
• Lake Garda is however a safe region, for those travelling alone and in groups
• As in pre-Corona times, keeping a distance from strangers is generally never a bad idea

Entry Regulations 

• At the moment, you do not need a visa for short trips to countries in the EU like Italy, just a valid passport
• Check on gov.uk government website for more information regarding entry regulations

Vaccination Regulations

• There are no mandatory vaccinations required for entry into Italy 
• Check out Fit For Travel for NHS advice on vaccinations and safety whilst abroad

How do I book?

• Reserve a place: by clicking "Book" and heading to the booking form, you can reserve place on a Tour for 5 days (non-binding), up until 6 weeks before the start date.
• Book a spot: immediately after completely the online booking process, you'll receive a confirmation. Free spaces on Tours are always up to date on the website. 
• Only pay 30 % upfront: when you book, you only pay 30 % of the total cost - this can be via PayPal or Bank transfer. The remaining amount is payable up until 6 weeks before the Tour begins.
• Crew-Chat: as soon as you've booked, you can get to know your Crew in the Crew-Chat - you can even plan your flights together, if you want. 
• First meeting: meet your whole group in person at our private accommodation. On Day 1, we'll go grocery shopping - and once everyone is together, we'll plan the adventures for the coming week. 

Who's coming on the Tour?
Our Tours are enjoyed by relaxed, open people who love nature; you'll be part of an English-speaking group. You'll be helped by your personal JTC Guide, who speaks English and knows the area. The majority of people who book for Tours are women, making up about 70 % of each group.

How old are the participants?
Normally, our Tours get booked by people between 20 and 39 years old, with 80% of participants aged between 27 and 33. But as long as your love the concept, and you're up for the adventure, anyone between the ages of 20 and 39 can book onto a Tour. 

Is this a solo trip?
Although the majority of your Crew will be made of individual travellers, we do not offer solo trips. For us, it's all about the group dynamic made by open and friendly people. Couples and smaller groups (3-4) are more than welcome to book and join a Tour.

Is my group gonna be cool?
Obviously, we can't tell you that in advance, but we've only ever had positive experiences with all participants. What we offer, a trip lasting 1-2 weeks for like-minded strangers enjoying the adventure together, always catches the attention of people with open, warm-hearted personalities, who are excited for a shared experience with new friends. 

Please see our updated Corona Policy for full details of or current cancellation policy due to the pandemic

Since our Tours involve groups and pre-brooked activities and accommodation, we cannot cancel individual places on a Tour for free. Depending on the date of your cancelling (and how close this falls to the starting date of the booked Tour), there will be a cancellation charge of up to 90% of the total price of the Tour (see our Terms & Conditions for more information). There however many options for changing your booking which won't cost you a thing: 

Free cancellation with flexi-cancellation

• When booking your place on a Tour, you can opt for the flexi-cancellation 
• This will allow you to cancel your place up to 21 days before the Tour begins
• Flexi-cancellation always costs 10 % of the Tour price (Tour price of 750 €, flexi-cancellation costs 75 €). 
• Should you do this and then cancel you place, you'll receive a full refund of the Tour price, and we keep the contribution

Free cancellation on fully booked Tours

• If a Tour is full booked, then your cancellation is free!
• We usually have long waiting lists, which means that there is a very chance your now open place will be booked by someone else once your cancellation has been processed

Free booking switch

• Switching your booking to a different date (or even a different Tour) follows similar rules to cancellation
• As long as you do this more than 3 weeks before the start of the Tour, there shouldn't be a problem, and if your Tour was fully booked, this will be processed for free

Should you need to cancel or make amendments to your booking, give us a call or drop us an email, and we'll find the best solution for you.

You can count on us: 

• All the accommodations that you can see on our website have been booked with our local parts in the various destinations, usually a year in advance
• From our experience, 95 % of all our Tours are able to take place

Minimum number of participants:

• At Join The Crew, we're all about the group experience
• Each Tour, for each of it's dates, is guaranteed to go ahead as soon as a minimum of 4 people have booked a spot - but normally all our Tours end up fully booked
• If, once it's 1 month before the Tour is set to begin, less than 4 people have booked on to a Tour, then it's possible that the Tour will be cancelled
• If a Tour is cancelled for this reason, you'll immediately receive an email from us, and you'll get a full refund
• Good to know: often our Tours have enough participants several months before the start date, and then fill up closer to the date - this quickly results is long waiting lists, due the popularity of our Tours

When is the best time to book? 

• You can book as early as you like - we've noticed that most of our participants book 1-3 months before the beginnings of the Tour
• As mentioned above, Tours fill up very quickly the closer it gets to the start date - if you wait too long to book, it's possible you'll miss out
• You can always add yourself to the waiting list, but very few people cancel close to the start date
• In order to ensure you place on a Tour with dates that best suit you, we recommend booking as soon as you know you'll have the time off

When should I book my flights? 

• As above, you can book your flights whenever you want, but the safest bet is to wait until 3 other participants have booked the Tour with the same dates, so you know that the Tour is guaranteed to take place

Do I need travel insurance? 
We highly recommend that you are insured for your travel and holiday, for the following reasons:

• In the case of a participant cancelling their place on a Tour, there is a cancellation fee - depending on the date of cancellation - of up to 90 % (see the Terms of Service for conditions)
• We therefore recommend that you have travel and cancellation insurance for your Tour and flights - it's easy to find an insurance policy that covers both
• In the unlikely case you should need medical care during the course of your Tour, travel insurance that covers medical treatment is highly recommended
• So make sure, if you already have travel insurance, that the destination country for the Tour is covered - and if you aren't already insured, it's a safe bet

Making our Tours sustainable
If, like us, you care deeply about natural beauty and the environment, then sustainability is a topic close to your heart. That's why we've put together some tips below, for how you can make your JTC adventure for environmentally friendly:

• To significantly reduce the about of plastic waste we generate, bring along a water bottle and a lunchbox (ca.20x13x10cm)
• When we're out on the adventure, be mindful to not leave behind any waste, and be equally respectful towards to the locals and local wildlife, in order to protect the local environment (natural and cultural)
• In the accommodation, use the resources like water and electricity carefully and sparingly, to minimise emissions
• During our trips and activities, support local businesses. That way it's the locals, not huge, international corporations, that benefit from our tourism
• After your Tour, leave us a review or rating on Google, and we'll together we'll plant a tree in Mexico through ReviewForest

Mobility and health

• If your mobility is limited, participation is not possible, as we want to conduct a safe tour
• If you have any other illness/restriction, participation must be discussed in advance with your family doctor
• If there is any doubt about fitness, Join The Crew must be notified before booking