Dates and Prices

Dates, Prices and Logistics

2012 and 2013 Schedule

The Luberon Experience is a seven-night trip, from Saturday afternoon until the following Saturday morning.

Our 2012 trips are now full.  (We’ll be posting some highights on our Facebook page.)

• May 12 – 19 (full)
• May 19 – 26 (Women’s Week – full)
• May 26 – June 2 (full)

We’ve just announced our 2013 schedule and are now taking reservations:

• May 11 – 18
• May 18 – 25
• May 25 – June 1 Return to the Luberon

The week of May 25-June 1 is a special Return to the Luberon trip for people who have joined us in the past for The Luberon Experience. That trip is reserved for returning travelers at this time.

Please contact us if you’d like to be on our mailing list.

2012 and 2013 Prices

Single occupancy of a double room: $3,300

Double occupancy: $2,800 per person

Triple occupancy: $2,500 per person

Our price represents an outstanding value, with almost all expenses for the week included:

• 7 nights accommodation in a charming, very authentic three-star guesthouse
• 7 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 6 dinners (including wine of our choice)
• All admissions and activities
• Personalized support from Kathy and Charley
• Detailed trip planning guide
• Local transportation during the week, including pick-up and drop-off at designated meeting points
• All gratuities
• Many extras

You are responsible for air transportation, transportation to and from the meeting points, and meals not included (two lunches and one dinner).

Note: Our prices may be adjusted in the future due to currency fluctuations; however, the price of your trip is guaranteed at the time of your reservation.

Deposits and Payments

The initial deposit is $500 per person, payable within seven days of your reservation. The balance is due 90 days prior to the first day of the trip. Payments are made by personal or cashier’s check, paid in US dollars. We also accept bank transfers from international participants; contact us for more details.

Cancellation Fees

• 91+ days (from the first day of the trip): $200 per person
• 61-90 days: 25% of the total price
• 31-60 days: 50% of the total price
• 0-30 days: 100% of the total price

Our cancellation policy is applied consistently and exceptions are not made for any reason. However, if you notify us of a cancellation more than 90 days in advance, you may transfer your full deposit to another scheduled trip with no cancellation fee.

We strongly recommend travel insurance that includes trip cancellation coverage to protect against financial loss due to certain cancellations and other trip interruptions. Insure My Trip is an excellent online resource to identify and purchase travel insurance that meets your personal needs.

Travel Logistics

We meet on Saturday afternoon at the Avignon TGV station or the Marseille airport, normally at 2:30 pm. This schedule coincides with a 1:56 pm train arriving in Avignon from Paris. We strongly recommend arriving in Europe at least one day before our week begins to allow time for “jet lag” adjustment and to provide a buffer for any travel delays. Many of our travelers enjoy time in Paris, Aix-en-Provence or Avignon before meeting us.

We return to the Avignon TGV station and the Marseille airport the following Saturday morning, allowing for a 10:00 am train or 10:30 am air departure.

Travel Support

Although many travelers enjoy planning their own trips, some people prefer to turn the arrangements over to an experienced travel consultant. If you’re looking for a travel consultant to help plan the rest of your trip to France, we recommend Sandy McDowell of France Journeys. Please contact Sandy directly to make arrangements for her services.

European Experiences trips and Travelers Circle

In 2009 we expanded our offerings to include similar Experience trips to other destinations in Europe. Many of the people who join us on our other trips first traveled with us in Provence.

Our European Experience schedule varies every year and has included the Salzkammergut of Austria, the Bavarian Alps of Germany, the Cotswolds in England, and the Chianti region of Tuscany. In addition to our three Luberon Experience trips, in 2012 we’ll host groups in Tuscany and the Salzkammergut. In 2013 we’ll return to the Cotswolds and offer a new trip in the Dordogne region of France. We hope you’ll visit our European Experiences website at www.european-experiences.com to learn more about our other trips.

Once you’ve completed your first Experience trip, we’ll welcome you as a member of the European Experiences’ Travelers Circle. Our Travelers Circle offers exciting benefits for our “alumni” travelers, including 10% discounts on future trips, 5% discounts for traveling companions, and trip credits for referrals. Read more about our Travelers Circle here.

Additional Information

More detailed information about our trips, logistics, and policies is available for each of our trips. Many questions will be answered in our FAQs, but please contact us if you need more information.

Responsibility Statement and Liability Disclaimer

European Experiences and its owners/employees do not own or operate any entity which provides, or is to provide, goods or services to any European Experiences tour, including accommodations, transportation, meals, activities, or other services. Because European Experiences does not exercise any control over the personnel, equipment, or operations of these suppliers, European Experiences is not liable for any negligent or willful act or failure to act of any such third person, or of any other third party.

European Experiences is not responsible for losses, injury, damages or expenses of any kind due to illness, weather, strikes, hostilities, wars, terrorist acts, acts of nature, local laws or other such causes.

European Experiences is not responsible for any baggage or personal effects, including any and all electronic equipment, of any individual participating in any European Experiences tour.

Individual travelers are responsible for purchasing a travel insurance policy, if desired, that will cover certain trip cancellations and interruptions, emergency medical evacuation, loss of luggage or personal effects, and other coverage. European Experiences strongly encourages individual travelers to purchase travel insurance.