Your Personalization Options

Pre- or Post-Trip Extensions

More than 55% of travelers choose to take a pre- or post-trip extension

We include multiple optional extensions on each of our adventures—at least one pre-trip extension and one post-trip extension—to give you more time to explore and acclimated before your main itinerary begins, or before your return to the U.S. Our extensions feature destinations either already included on your main itinerary, which allows you to spend even more time in that location, or completely new destinations that our travelers have expressed interest in. Here are some of the benefits of choosing one or more of our optional extensions:

1. You’ll maximize your discoveries—often in an even smaller group (average of 6 travelers with a dedicated Trip Experience Leader) than your main adventure—and enhance your value by lowering your per-day costs because you’re taking advantage of your already included international airfare.

2. Each of our optional extensions features an average of 5-7 days and includes all accommodations, daily breakfast and some meals, and a variety of included features.

3. This is a great opportunity to join your fellow travelers early or spend more time after your adventure getting to know your Trip Experience Leader and developing bonds with each other. In fact, on most of our extensions, you’ll travel in the company of the same Trip Experience Leader throughout your entire adventure for a seamless experience.

Arrive Early

Expand your discoveries by spending one, two, three—or more—days abroad in the first destination on your pre-trip extension or main adventure. By arriving early, you’re able to rest after your long flight and acclimate to your new destination and time zone—or you can hit the ground running and explore on your own.

Choosing this option lets you take advantage of our lower group rates—so by adding three additional nights for $100-$400 per person per night, your price includes your accommodations, daily breakfast, and private airport transfer*. For example, you can arrive a couple of days early in Dubrovnik for just $125 per person per night to get acclimated and explore a bit of the area before beginning your Crossroads of the Adriatic adventure.

Your accommodations will most likely be at the same hotel where you begin your pre-trip extension or main adventure. Our goal is to utilize these same hotels for a seamless transition, however your accommodations for this personalization option are subject to hotel availability.

*Please note: Beginning January 1st, 2024, airport transfers are only included for travelers who purchase airfare through O.A.T. Travelers planning their own airfare can purchase airport transfers through O.A.T if needed. Click here to purchase an airport transfer.

Stopovers

Interested in visiting an iconic city on your own before or after your adventure? We can help you make it happen in two ways:

1. O.A.T. offers the opportunity to Stopover in popular cities our travelers have expressed the most interest in when you purchase airfare through O.A.T. For $595-$1,195 per person, your price includes 3 nights in a centrally-located hotel, daily breakfasts, and roundtrip private airport transfers. Here are a few of the most popular destinations among O.A.T. travelers:

• London: $895 per person—from $299 per person per night
• Paris: $895 per person—from $299 per person per night
• Rome: $795 per person—from $265 per person per night
• Amsterdam: $795 per person—from $265 per person per night

Stopovers do not include a set itinerary, which means you are free to spend your time how you’d like, whether that’s seeing the sights or sampling the local cuisine. No O.A.T. representative will be available during your Stopover.

2. Add a stay in a city not already offered by O.A.T. as a Stopover. If you choose to take advantage of this option, our Regional Adventure Counselors can help you book your international airfare. You are free to choose however you’d like to spend this additional time exploring, including the tours you take, activities you plan, and restaurants you visit. If you’d like ideas about how to spend this time and what to see and do, our Regional Adventure Counselors can provide recommendations when helping you plan this option.

Please note: This Stopover option is only available for travelers who purchase airfare through O.A.T.

Combine & Tailor Your Experiences

More than 3,000 travelers combined two or more adventures in 2019

For some travelers, one trip just isn’t enough. If you love the thrill of adventure, always keep a suitcase packed and ready to go, and are hungry for new discoveries, consider combining two (or more) adventures. Since you’re already overseas, you’ll maximize your value by avoiding the expense and length of another international flight. Plus:

• Save an overall total of $600-$3000 per person when you combine two adventures compared to the cost of returning home and taking each trip separately
• You can take advantage of additional savings by applying the 5% or 6% Frequent Traveler Credit you will earn on your first trip towards your second trip and Sir Edmund Hillary Club travelers save an extra $250-$350 per person when reserving multiple trips in a calendar year
• Our Regional Adventure Counselors will work with you to make all necessary arrangements for a seamless experience—and will also provide recommendations on some of the most popular and best adventures to combine to maximize your discoveries.

For example, here are our most popular adventures to combine in Europe—and a break-down of how combining adventures maximizes your value:

1. Combine our Northern Spain & Portugal: Pilgrimage into the Past adventure and Back Roads of Iberia: Spanish Paradores & Portuguese Pousadas adventure—a total cost of $7,740-10,390 per person—for a savings of $800-$1,300 per person (depending on departure dates) compared to taking each trip separately

2. Combine our Irish Adventure: Dublin, Belfast & the Northwest Counties adventure and Scotland Revealed: Legends, Lochs & Highland Landscapes adventure—a total cost of $8,390-10,390 per person—for a savings of $800-$1,300 per person (depending on departure dates) compared to taking each trip separately

3. Combine our Jewels of Bohemia: Czech Republic, Slovakia & Hungary adventure and Crossroads of the Adriatic: Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Slovenia adventure—a total cost of $5,790-$8590 per person—for a savings of $800-$1,400 per person (depending on departure dates) compared to taking each trip separately

Air Preferences

54% of O.A.T. travelers personalize their air itinerary

Did you know that you have control over the way you want to fly with us? O.A.T’s team of Regional Adventure Counselors makes every effort to provide you with non-stop flights and acceptable connection times to and from your destination. Other ways you can personalize your air itinerary include:

• Choose your departure city and airline carrier

• Depart from one city and return to another

• Upgrade your seat to Premium Economy or Business Class for a more relaxing experience to and from your adventure. Each airline has its own unique upgrade features, but here are the common perks associated with each class: Premium Economy normally features a larger seat, more leg room, and priority boarding, and Business Class features a smaller number of travelers in this section of the plane, a larger seat that can recline, more leg room, and priority boarding. Many travelers choose to upgrade their seat en route to the first destination on their adventure to arrive more rested and ready to explore.

Freedom of Choice During Your Adventure

We’ve carefully crafted each of our itineraries to ensure that there is a balance of included activities and off-the-beaten path discoveries—which means not every moment of your adventure is scheduled. You always have the flexibility to make each day truly your own: You can participate in included activities, go off on your own entirely, or do a mix of both. This way, no two adventures are the same and each traveler has their own unique travel experience. We’ve worked closely with our regional offices and local Trip Experience Leaders to provide recommendations for off-the-beaten path activities that allow you to make the most of your explorations, with tips on what to see and do, hours of operation, transportation, and more. Thanks to their local knowledge and insight, travelers are able to discover lesser-known activities and sites—many of which are unknown to tourists.

Have a special discovery in mind? For example, you know the name of the village where your ancestors lived and you’d like to visit it. Or maybe you’d like to delve deeper into a neighborhood that sparked your interest. Perhaps there’s a nearby site that you’ve always wanted to see, but it’s not on the itinerary. Whether it's on your optional extension or main itinerary, your Trip Experience Leader is available to help you pursue your own personal interests, and will help you with transportation, tickets, or anything else you need.