Ways to Stretch your vacation dollars!

The real Europe for a down-to-earth price

Most people visit Europe to see the famous sights they've always heard about. But equally important a part of any travel experience is to savor the real flavor of a city or country. Stay where the Europeans stay, eat where the Europeans eat, and share the European view of Europe.

Europe is known for its cozy little inns, its family-run pensions, its bistros and trattorias tucked away on side streets. These establishments offer all the charm and atmosphere of Europe, and, not surprisingly, they cost a great deal less than big, fancy hotels and restaurants.

Traveling "European-style" is what Cosmos is all about. We are committed to offering the lowest prices, so we search out those European-style hotels and restaurants that are sometimes well-kept secrets.

Singles save with "guaranteed share" rates

More than one-third of all people traveling with Cosmos are single or traveling alone. To give you an alternative to the single room supplement, we accept reservations on a "guaranteed share" basis. We charge the basic price and match up singles of the same gender in twin-bedded rooms. For mutual comfort we adopt a no-smoking rule in shared rooms. If no other tour member has booked on "guaranteed share" basis, we'll absorb the single room supplement, and that tour member will be accommodated in a single room at no extra charge.

"Guaranteed share" basis is unavailable on certain tours. For exceptions please refer to Dates & Prices on the tour pages.

For single travelers who prefer the privacy of their own room, single accommodation can, of course, be reserved. Single room supplements are listed on the tour pages.

Hotels are occasionally unable to provide all the single rooms we reserve. If this occurs, you will be asked to share a room with a tour member of the same gender, and the tour director will issue a refund on the spot.

Triple room reduction

Cosmos grants a reduction to three people who travel together and share the same accommodation. Triple room reductions are listed on the tour pages.

A word of caution: Triple rooms usually are no larger than twin rooms, and the third bed is often a rollaway bed put in a twin-bedded room for the night.

Discount for young tour members

Cosmos grants a 10 percent discount on the land-only price to tour members who are less than 18 years old on the tour departure date, provided they are accompanied by an adult. We do not accept children under eight because we have found that they are too young to enjoy these vacations.

Save by forming your own group

If you form your own group, we grant the following rebates on the land arrangements of your tour: On all tours, one person in 16 travels free. In a group of 8, one person travels at half price.

These rebates are applicable to land-only prices (not air-inclusive prices). Free and half-price land arrangements are credited at the twin rate; single room supplements have to be paid in full.

On independent tours and tours including a cruise of three or more nights, one person in a group of 32 travels free. In a group of 16, one person travels at half price. On all other tours, one person in a group of 16 travels free. In a group of eight, one person travels at half price. These group rebates do not apply to our transatlantic flights. Free and half-price land arrangements are credited at the twin rate; single room supplements have to be paid in full.

If no tour in this brochure meets your exact requirements, we can tailor-make an itinerary. We'll help your travel agent set up a tour that caters to any special interest your group may have.

Price guarantee

Prices quoted for land arrangements in this brochure are based on rates -- including the all-important foreign exchange rates -- known at the time of printing. They are subject to increase without notice if these rates change substantially prior to departure.

The current price will be confirmed to your travel agent at the time you book your tour. Once Cosmos has received your deposit for any tour departing in that current year, that land price is guaranteed, and any subsequent land cost increases are at our expense.

The price guarantee does not include any airline fuel surchages and government tax increases.

Airfares included as part of air-inclusive tour prices are guaranteed when we receive full payment from your travel agent.

Joining late and leaving early

If you want to make your own arrangements at the beginning or the end of your tour, maybe staying with a friend or relative, we let you join most tours upon departure from the first overnight city or leave it upon arrival at the last overnight city. Many tours may also be joined at the second hotel or left at the overnight hotel prior to the ending point of the tour.

Pay less for your second tour

Cosmos tours are designed and scheduled so you can combine them almost any way you want. Ask your travel agent for suggestions. We charge you list price for your first tour that year, but for every additional Cosmos tour you take in the same year, you pay US$25 under list.

Consecutive tours can be booked with or without transatlantic flights. Any intra-European flights between tours cannot be reserved as part of the Cosmos package. Please ask your travel agent to reserve and ticket such flights for you. Airport transfers are not available for any inter-tour flights.

To calculate the air-inclusive price of two consecutive tours, add 50 percent of the air cost (air-inclusive price minus land-only price) of the first tour to 50 percent of the air cost of the second tour. Add this sum to the sum of the land-only prices of the two tours.

Fascinating sightseeing and loads of leisure time fun

Your Cosmos tour director makes the difference

Because the person you are most likely to remember from your Cosmos experience is your tour director, we go to great lengths to find and train top professionals. Expect your Cosmos tour director to be thoroughly knowledgeable, friendly, and always eager to help you enjoy your vacation. On tour extensions, you will have local hosts and/or access to a 24-hour customer service hotline.

Scheduled group activities and free time

The success of an escorted tour depends to a large extent on the operator's skill in striking the right balance between scheduled group activities and free time.

Cosmos planners try to give you as much free time as possible. Leisure time is important so that the less energetic can rest and the independently minded can roam on their own. Your Cosmos tour director is always on hand with shopping tips and suggestions for optional side trips and entertainment.

Sightseeing & highlights included in the tour price

Cosmos tours are carefully planned to include visits to places of interest and panoramic drives through areas of natural beauty. You will enjoy a private, deluxe air-conditioned motorcoach while touring.

Optional excursions of unbeatable value

In addition to included sightseeing, we offer a rich program of optional excursions, all full of interest and reasonably priced. 

Optional activities during free time can be booked and paid for through your tour director or local host. Our prices are consistently lower than those you would have to pay on your own. Your pre-tour literature will include information about the exact cost and content of the optional highlights that may be offered during your tour. This enables you to budget accordingly before you leave home.

Relax in Cosmos' luxurious motorcoaches

Motorcoach travel beats any other way of touring. You sit in a comfortable armchair high above the road and traffic, looking out at some of the world's most spectacular scenery, resting while you're moving. A pleasant and fair custom on Cosmos coaches is the daily rotation of seats, giving everyone a variety of views. The driving is left to a seasoned professional so that your tour director is free to point out and explain the sights.

Cosmos employs a fleet of famous-name coaches that will whisk you around North America in style. Your motorcoach is a quiet, smooth-riding, highway cruiser. It is equipped with soft, semi-reclining seats, large tinted windows, a high-fidelity sound system, and climate controls. Each coach in North America, where traveling distances tend to be somewhat longer than Hawaii, is equipped with an emergency washroom. We use the term "emergency washroom" because this facility is not meant to be used regularly in lieu of the restrooms at our frequent comfort stops.

Although Cosmos makes every effort to secure the best available motorcoaches everywhere, it is possible that those used in Alaska may not quite measure up to the standards we set in other parts of the U.S. and Canada.

Enjoy the company of fascinating people from all over the world

North America is exciting -- the ultimate vacationland. The endless variety of cuisines, customs, peoples, shopping, and areas of natural beauty makes it a trip you'll never forget.

Imagine sharing these experiences with traveling companions from all over the world. Because Cosmos is a worldwide travel organization, we cater to an English-speaking clientele from more than 20 countries.

There will probably be other people from home on your tour -- but chances are, the majority of your fellow travelers will be a fascinating blend of people from far away places. They'll want to find out as much about your way of life as you will want to find out about theirs -- and together you'll share the thrill of discovering North America.

Cosmos' international client "mix" has two important traits: 1) everyone speaks English and the tours are conducted only in English; 2) all age groups are represented. We appeal to young couples, retirees, families with teenage children, young and middle-aged singles, in short, to people in general.

Being cost-conscious is not restricted to one age category or nationality, but is prevalent everywhere.

Shopping with Cosmos

To enhance your shopping enjoyment, we recommend shops where we can vouch for the integrity of the owners. The merchants we suggest offer an excellent selection of the best local products, displayed so that browsing is interesting, whether or not you want to buy. The prices are reasonable and the staff can efficiently dispatch bulky purchases to your home. When necessary, our shops give reliable post-sale service. Shopping is one of the pleasures of traveling, and with Cosmos it's safe.

Cosmos chooses your hotels with great care

Where you stay makes all the difference

After a day of traveling you want to relax at a comfortable, clean, and attractive hotel, and you rightly insist on receiving great value for your money. With this in mind, we have hand-picked your hotels throughout Hawaii.

Each of our hotels features air-conditioned rooms with color TV and a swimming pool.

Cosmos specifies your hotels

The hotels we use for our escorted tours are listed beneath the price list of each tour. They are superior tourist-class (ST) and first-class (F) establishments.

Cosmos hotel ratings follow standards set by the independent Official Hotel Guide (OHG) or the state tourist board. The specific rating for each contract hotel is determined by our quality controllers.

We reserve the right to substitute hotels listed with hotels of equivalent standard. With your Cosmos travel documents you'll receive a list of hotel addresses, telephone numbers, and fax numbers for your tour.

Total freedom to eat as you please

We've found that eating habits vary so much that it does not make sense to include meals in the price of our tours. We want to give you the freedom of choosing restaurants and ordering food that suits your taste and budget.

Extra nights before and after your tour

If you make your own flight arrangements, you might require extra nights in Honolulu, Maui, or Kona at the beginning or end of your tour. Rates are per person, per night, and include room with private bath, service charges, porterage, taxes, and airport transfers.

Extra nights are only available immediately prior to or after your tour. Every effort will be made to reserve extra nights at the hotel where your tour stays. If space at the tour hotel is not available, alternative accommodation will be reserved at a hotel of equivalent standard. When this is the case, the transfer from and to the tour hotel is at your expense. "Guaranteed share" basis is not available for extra nights.

As hotel space is limited we cannot reserve more than three extra nights before and/or after a tour. During particularly busy periods hotel space can become so tight that we may be unable to sell extra nights.

How To Make Your Reservation

Call 1-800-942-3301 to book your Cosmos Tours. We are one of the largest sellers of Cosmos Tours in the World. We can help you handle all your travel arrangements.
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