COVID-19 Travel Questions

We are committed to your wellbeing. Vaccination against Covid-19 is not mandatory to travel with Costsaver. However, we strongly recommend that guests are vaccinated before travelling. Please note that airlines and/or other authorities may have different requirements. It is the guest's responsibility to comply with these requirements at all times. No refunds will be given if guests are unable to undertake some or all of their vacation due to their failure to comply with these requirements. This policy is subject to change at any time without notice.

Any testing that is required pre travel will be the responsibility of the guest to organise, as these requirements will be in accordance with airline policies, and the entry requirements of the destination you are travelling to. During your tour, your Travel Director will faciliate any mandatory testing and this will be done with as little impact as possible to your experience. This testing will be at the expense of the guest. Any testing required post travel will again be the responsibility of the guest to organise.

It depends on the airline you travel with. You may need to present proof of vaccination and/or testing. Likewise, the destination you are traveling to might have specific rules or requirements regarding the vaccine and/or testing.

In terms of traveling with Costsaver, we highly recommend you purchase travel insurance ahead of your tour that covers you for unexpected events including accident and illness (such as Covid-19). In terms of testing requirements many countries have relaxed their COVID protocols and testing requirements but the situation is constantly evolving. The cost will depend on the country you are traveling to and their specific testing requirements as well as the testing requirements of your home country for your return. 

Your Travel Director will facilitate any testing requirements while you are on tour. Restritictions are easing in many parts of the world and many countries do not require testing for fully vaccinated travellers. Rest assured, your Travel Director will clearly communicate what is required and what you need to do while you are on tour.

If you test positive for Covid-19 prior to flying home, you may need to quarantine in that country for the required number of days if stipulated by the local government. In this situation, your Travel Director and our support team behind the scenes will defer to the advice of the local authorities, but please be assured we will be able to assist with making necessary arrangements for your accommodations and keep in touch with you until you are able to return home. Any costs incurred for having to quarantine will be your and/or your insurance provider's responsibility, which is why we highly recommend purchasing travel insurance before your tour begins.

If you test positive upon re-entering your home country once your trip is complete, you will need to follow the guidelines as stipulated by your local government.  

Yes. Antibody tests only reveal if you have had the virus in the past, they do not prove if you are currently infected or not. A negative result from a PCR test or your vaccination record will therefore need to be shown to your Travel Director.

Anyone traveling with Costsaver will need to comply with specific testing requirements imposed by airlines and/or authorities in the destination visited, as well as requirements for accessing restaurants and venues.

What happens if I test positive on my trip? COVID-19 requirements vary from country to country and region to region and are constantly evolving. If you test positive while traveling with us, you will need to comply with the legislation of the country you are in and may not be able to continue to travel with the group. You will need to isolate in that country for the required number of days if stipulated by the local government. Your Travel Director and our support team behind the scenes will endeavour to assist you with making the necessary arrangements for your accommodations, should local isolation be required. 

As Covid-19 still remains a threat to the health of individuals, we ask that you please take personal responsibility for your wellbeing and be conscious of the effect your personal situation may have on the health and wellbeing of others. Costsaver may decide you will not be able to continue to travel with the group, if your health situation appears likely to endanger your wellbeing or that of other guests.

We highly recommend you obtain travel insurance to cover situations such as the above. Please be sure you are covered for the complete dates of your tour and validate that you have the appropriate level of coverage for: Trip Interruption - to cover the cost of your trip, including air travel, Trip Delay, Emergency Evacuation/Repatriation and Medical Expenses from illness (covering individual or pandemic event).

Anyone traveling with Costsaver will need to comply with specific testing requirements imposed by airlines and/or authorities in the destination visited, as well as requirements for accessing restaurants and venues.

Absolutely. Thanks to our risk free and flexible booking conditions, you are free to change your travel plans up to 60 days before your trip is due to depart. You can choose new dates and / or a new destination without penalty on the land portion of your trip. Trafalgar is also a proud member of The Travel Corporation, who remain a stable and solvent company despite the difficult circumstances caused by the pandemic, and we are also proud members of ABTA and ATOL.

Costsaver is a proud member of TTC, a family owned and operated business who, in their 102nd year of business, remain stable and solvent despite the difficulties caused by the pandemic. TTC’s incredible legacy, financial strength and integrity mean you can have peace of mind knowing your money is safe. You can read TTC Chief Executive Brett’s Tollman’s letter of reassurance to all guests here.

You can change your trip and/or departure date up to 60 days before your trip is due to depart without incurring change fees (for most trips). See our Terms and Conditions HERE.

Thanks to our flexible booking terms, you can secure your dream trip with a fully-refundable deposit (for 30 days after booking), while also having the flexibility to change your plans up to 60 days before departure without incurring change fees^ (for most trips). If you you are not ready to rebook an alternate trip, you will be issued a Future Travel Credit which can be redeemed with Costsaver or another TTC brand (Insight Vacations, Luxury Gold, Brendan Vacations, Trafalgar, Uniworld, U by Uniworld or Contiki) on any destination or trip. To give you maximum flexibility, you can also choose to transfer your Future Travel Credit to a friend or family member.

Please feel confident that we are a responsible and conscientious tour operator. We maintain a strong reputation for offering incredible value to our guests. While some tour inclusions may be subject to change or closures, where possible we will seek alternative solutions to make sure your tour experience is still incredible.

Many agents and companies have different policies. Our policy has always been based on offering our guests risk free and flexible booking conditions. This means that you can cancel your trip within 30 days of booking and receive a full refund, or change your trip and/or departure date up to 60 days before your trip is due to depart without incurring any fees (for most trips). Read our Booking Conditions HERE.

When you travel with us, you can rest assured your health and wellbeing are our top priority. As well as implementing hygiene and wellbeing protocols that have been endorsed by the World Tourism & Travel Council (WTTC), our Travel Directors will always ensure that all protocols are adhered to, and will provide support and guidance to our guests.

We adhere to government guidelines regarding our coaches. People traveling together will be seated together as a group. Face coverings, such as masks, will be required where mandated, otherwise guests can choose if they wish to wear face coverings on the coach. All surfaces will be disinfected multiple times per day, and our high performing air filters will completely filter and change the air within the coach every 2-3 minutes (faster than most hospital operating theaters).

Whatever style of group travel you choose, all tour groups will be required to comply with local travel requirements, which your Travel Director will clearly explain to you once you are on tour.

You will need to wear a mask whenever your Travel Director advises it is mandatory to do so, and as you wish to do so for your own peace of mind and assurance. Please note that airlines and other establishments may not accept washable cloth masks but only medical masks.  All tour groups will be required to comply with local travel requirements, which your Travel Director will clearly explain to you.

Extra masks, hand sanitizer, and gloves will be available to all guests if you forget to bring your own. Please be sure to bring your own masks to ensure your comfort, and any PPE you may require to feel confident and assured.

If someone gets sick while travelling, we are not expecting the tour to be cancelled, however it will depend on the specific situation as we will need to follow the advice of local government and health authorities.

Taking into account new wellbeing protocols and distancing, it is possible there will be adjustments to the days’ timings and itinerary. Please have peace of mind that this will not take away from the enjoyment of your Costsaver tour. If we need to make amends to any planned activities or visits, we will always offer an alternative that is as good as, if not better, than the original.

Each guest will be given their own personal VOX headset for the entire tour. These headsets are fully sanitised between each Costsaver tour and will arrive in a sealed package to ensure cleanliness. Each guest will also be provided with their own brand new set of earphones.

If a country closes their borders due to an outbreak while you are travelling with us, your Travel Director (with the assistance of our operations and guest support teams), will work together to help every guest return home safely. If required, they will arrange extra hotel nights for guests who are unable to fly out the same day.

If your flights were booked with us, we would be your contact for the airline and manage this process for you. If your flights were booked independently of us, we can assist you by booking a one-way ticket to return home. Upon your return you would then need to reach out to your insurance company. Any fees incurred would need to be paid by the guest while in destination.

To ensure the health and wellbeing of all our guests, your Travel Director is required to make sure all protocols are followed. This includes our enhanced screening and hygiene protocols, complying with distancing and other requirements set by government authorities. The Travel Director is also there to support you, answer your questions  and give you peace of mind while traveling.

It is easy to check what travel restrictions and requirements are required at the destination you are traveling to by visiting our Travel Restrictions page.

USA Tours:

Yes, absolutely. For our guests traveling on a tour within the United States we have partnered with Inspire Diagnostics to provide a convenient Home Test Kit solution. Details on how to utilise their FDA authorized option is in your Travel Documents. Please note, many foreign countries require tests to be time-stamped so home tests are not accepted for international travel.

Out of an abundance of caution for our guests, our on-road team members, and the communities we visit, we are temporarily reinstating the mask mandate aboard our US and Canada motorcoaches. Our most important responsibility is our “duty of care” to our guests, not to one but to all and if in some way we are able to help protect all guests equally then we should. This action is being taken primarily in response to the highly infectious Omicron variants currently circulating including B.5, because of increased community transmission levels throughout the US and Canada, and based on feedback from our guests, Travel Directors and Well Being Directors.

There are several considerations leading to this decision:

While our guests are all fully vaccinated and health outcomes of COVID-19 infections are generally favorable as a result, federal and local isolation and quarantine guidelines still remain. This means guests testing positive for COVID-19 must isolate away from the group, and therefore in some cases end their vacation early.
We travel through national parks and visit communities in rural areas. This makes it particularly difficult for guests testing positive and having to isolate, since hotels, transfer and medical services are limited.
Many of our guests come from counties with spiking rates of highly transmissible COVID-19 variants. Since early May, there has been a more than 10-fold increase of US counties placed in “high transmission” status by the CDC.
The masking requirement follows federal in-door guidelines implemented by counties for airports, public transportation and the National Park Service for national parks.

Aside from the mask requirement aboard the coach, we also strongly encourage you to wear a mask indoors whenever not already required. This especially when you are in close proximity to others.

We appreciate your understanding and patience with this temporary measure. Your On-Road Team will do their best to make your trip as comfortable as possible, additional masks are available as needed.

Of course. The protocols we have put in place are there to protect you, but we can assure you that you will still have the same incredible Costsaver travel experience as before. Every single itinerary we run is perfectly planned to ensure that you can travel with total ease, combining the perfect blend of must see sites and authentic local experiences. Every aspect of your tour will have been vetted and approved by our local teams, and our on road team will be on hand with their personalised approach to ensure that you are well looked after.

Because you chose to travel with a guided touring company (and the world’s most loved one at that), our team is ready to manage these scenarios. We will change your itinerary while still ensuring that you have an unforgettable travel experience. You will be informed about any changes (if required) as soon as possible, and while on tour your Travel Director will keep you updated.

The mask policy depends on the individual airline you are flying with. We highly recommend you review the airline’s policies before flying to make sure you arrive prepared.

No, we do not offer small-group tours.