South Tyrol - Italy

Where do we start/end the Tour?

• On Day 1, we'll meet at the holiday home near Bolzano between 15:00 and 17:00
• You'll get the full address, as well as other important information, as soon as you've booked
• You'll also get login details for the website, allowing you access to the Crew-Chat (see below)
• On Day 8, we'll say our goodbyes at the home at 10:00 before you head to the airport to catch your flights home
• If your flight leaves before midday, let you Guide know

Can I get to know my Crew before the Tour begins?

• Yes, of course you can!
• On the Website, you can use the Crew-Chat to communicate with you group weeks before the Tour starts
• Get to know everyone and, if you'd like, plan your flights and travel together

What if I need to leave 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? 

• We'll take care of cooking ourselves during the week
• Preferably, 2-3 of the group will arrive earlier on Day 1, meet up with your JTC Guide, and get food for the week for the Crew
• You will have already planned this out, long before Day 1, in the Crew-Chat
• Normally, we'll have breakfast in the holiday house, have food on the go while we're out and about, and in the evening, eat together at the home, grill in the garden, or eat out at a local restaurant 

What should I do if I have an allergy/special dietary requirements?

• Don't worry, you'll be fine on this Tour!
• Let your Guide and Crew know, and you'll be well taken care of for the week

Is tap water drinkable in South Tyrol?

• Water from the tap is safe to drink in South Tyrol
• In order to reduce plastic waste, we recommend that you bring a reusable bottle

How physically strenuous is this Tour?

• The level of difficulty depends on how you plan the Tour
• Most of the possible hikes in South Tyrol last 3-6 hours and have an altitude climb between 600 and 870 meters
• If you're up for it, we can plan longer, more strenuous hikes, with climbs of 1000 meters
• If necessary, we can split into two groups, so everyone can enjoy their desired activity

Can I take a day to relax during the Tour?

• Of course - since we're staying in the same accommodation for the duration of the Tour, if you need a day off, you can relax from the comfort of the holiday home

What should I pack for this group Tour to South Tyrol?

• Generally, you won't need any special equipment for this Tour
• To help with packing, we've prepared a list of the most important things to bring on Outdoor-Mix Tours with Join The Crew

How is the phone signal in South Tyrol?

• Since we're up in the mountains most of the time, mobile signal typically be bad, so it's possible that you'd won't have phone signal out on hikes
• All accommodation has Wi-Fi

What roaming charges can I expect?

• Check with your provider before the start of the Tour, so you know what roaming charges you may receive during the week

Do I need an socket adapter?

• You'll need a typical European Type-C plug adapter, in order to charge your devices in South Tyrol

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

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

Weather

• The weather can be vary greatly depending on altitude
• Between May and October, the temperature can range from 20-30 °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
• 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
• Sardinia is however a safe country, 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 (or your country's equivalent) 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

Mobility and Health

• If you live with a physical disability, participation on this Tour is not possible, as we cannot guarantee your safety on the Tour
• Regarding any other pre-existing physical limitations or illnesses, check with your doctor before booking
• If in doubt about the suitability of the Tour, contact us at Joint The Crew before booking

Cancellation policy

• Depending on when you cancel, the cancellation charge ranges between 0 - 90 % of the Tour price 
• If it is not possible for you to take part in the Tour due to the number of participants, then you'll receive a 100% refund
• Likewise, you'll receive a full refund if you cancel your booking, and the Tour goes on to be fully booked
• For the exact details, check out the Terms & Conditions

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