Frequently Asked Questions
HOW "LUXURIOUS" ARE PARALLEL TRIPS?
When we put our first Parallel trips together, our focus was on creating comfortable trips for people who are more interested in a authentic cultural experience than hanging out by the pool at a cookie-cutter resort after a bus tour of castles and museums. Don’t get us wrong, we like a mimosa by the pool life as much as anyone else, but that’s not what we wanted for Parallel.
We want to feel the pulse of the towns we’re in – and as such, we purposefully avoid the big resorts, and instead seek out those small hotels, usually family-run, that are comfortable, clean, and well-situated. Small European hotels are not usually like American hotels. You can almost always expect smaller rooms than you would have in the States, but we know you’ll find that the comfortable surroundings, warm hospitality, and sense of place offered by the hotels we’ve partnered with far outweigh having that big armchair in the corner.
HOW PHYSICALLY DEMANDING ARE PARALLEL TRIPS?
We’ve designed Parallel trips to appeal to those who really enjoy a bit of sweat on the brow as part of their international experience. We’ve sought out some of the most beautiful trails in the world – with the goal of giving you a real hike, rather than a cutesy “nature trail” experience that takes about 20 minutes. As such, you can expect to hike between five and twelve miles on every hiking day of your trip, with a median length of about seven miles. The terrain may be demanding in places with some steep ascents and descents.
That said, if you are moderately fit, do a bit of pre-trip training, and (most importantly) enjoy hiking, we’re confident you’ll do just fine on a Parallel trip.
WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY LOOK LIKE?
Well, let’s be honest, there are no “typical” days on Parallel trips, but we suppose you can find some common elements.
At most of the accommodations we stay at, breakfast is served starting around 8 or 8:30. If we’re moving that day, we’ll ask you to have your bags in the lobby by 9 AM. We’ll usually do our morning briefing – where we’ll go over the days maps, trails, and generally give you an idea of what to expect from the day – around 9:15 or 9:30. Depending on the day, you will likely want to stop at the local market to fill up on picnic supplies (we’ll provide you with a picnic-supply kit) – and then you’ll hit the trail!
Depending on the day, you can plan on four to seven hours or so on the trail, allowing time for photo ops, a long picnic, and (should circumstances allow) a quick dip or two. We’ll get you quickly checked in to your night’s accommodation on your arrival in town, and then you’ll likely have a couple of hours to explore the town, check out the beach, or enjoy a bit of post-hiking R&R.
In the evenings, we will always give you the chance to kick back with a glass of wine on us. We’ll meet up at 6 or 6:30 at a nearby watering hole to share stories about the day and look to the days ahead. And then, we may have organized a group dinner on one or two of the first and last nights of the trip, but you may be on your own to link up with fellow travelers or enjoy a night to yourselves (we’ll specify this in the detailed itinerary we’ll send you ahead of your trip).
Your Parallel facilitators will always tell you where they’re headed, and will also have recommendations for great meals in town. And – recognizing one of the principal annoyances that often accompanies group travel – we’ll include the wine during group dinners so you don’t have to worry about who ordered the most expensive bottle on the wine list.
WHAT DOES MY PROGRAM COST INCLUDE? AND, FOR THAT MATTER, WHAT DOESN’T MY PROGRAM COST INCLUDE?
Excellent questions! Your program cost includes all accommodations, all breakfasts, luggage transfer, at least two dinners (with wine and beer included), evening wine and beer receptions, a picnic-supply kit to get you set up for lunch on trail, all maps and trail information, intra-trip transfers, and Parallel’s trained facilitators.
Your program cost does not typically include transportation to and from the trip start and end locations (though we’ll provide you with clear information on how to meet us), trip insurance, your picnic lunches, alcoholic beverages other than those included with group dinners evening receptions, and – as specified in your trip information – several dinners.
IS THERE A SINGLE-TRAVELER SUPPLEMENT?
In general, yes. Single supplements will usually range from $250 – $400 per traveler, depending on the trip. If you are willing to share a room with another single traveler, and our enrollment allows, we’d be happy to put the two of you together, in which case no single supplement will be charged. Single supplements are necessary because hotels charge based on double occupancy, and charge us the same for their rooms regardless of whether one or two people are staying there.
HOW DO I REGISTER?
Easy as pie (or pi, for those mathematically-inclined out there). Click “Register” in the top right corner of the webpage and you’ll be whisked directly to our registration page. The registration process won’t take more than two or three minutes.
ARE PARALLEL TRIPS ONLY FOR ADULTS?
At this point, yes. That said, we’re looking forward to offering family trips at some point in the not-too-distant future.
DO YOU OFFER TRIPS FOR KIDS?
Parallel does not offer trips for kids, but as it just so happens, your humble director also helps to run Apogee Adventures, a long-established outdoor adventure company for young people between the ages of 11 and 18. Indeed, we took a number of the ideas that have made Apogee trips so successful and incorporated them into the Parallel ethos, along with a healthy dose of wine.
HOW SHOULD I PREPARE FOR MY PARALLEL TRIP?
Because our trips are more physically-demanding than the average bus tour, we’ll send you a recommended training schedule well ahead of your trip. The fact of the matter is, however, that if you are reasonably fit and love to hike, you’ll do just fine even if you aren’t able to stick to the training schedule – or even open it up.
HOW BIG ARE YOUR GROUPS?
Our current slate of trips are designed to run with no more than 10 participants and, depending on the trip, one or two facilitators.
WHO ARE YOUR FACILITATORS?
Our facilitators are trained in risk management, group management, and most importantly, they love people and the places we travel. They will make you feel at home, welcome, supported, and comfortable from the moment you arrive. We’ll send you more detailed information about the facilitator on your trip in your pre-trip materials, too.
DO YOU MAKE THE FLIGHT ARRANGEMENTS?
Because our guests are arriving from all over – and often arriving before and departing after our trips start and end – we do not make flight arrangements and talk you through any questions. That said, we will give you arrival and departure windows that will comfortably accommodate our trip start and end. We have designed our trips to be accessible from high-volume European gateway cities that have numerous daily flights from the US.
HOW DO YOU ACCOMMODATE DIETARY RESTRICTIONS?
If it’s been a while since you’ve traveled to Europe, you’ll be happy to know that most hotels and restaurants are now happy to accommodate most dietary preferences, allergies, and restrictions, particularly if they know about it ahead of time. We’ll ask you about any dietary restrictions you may have in our pre-trip materials and then share that with our partner hotels and restaurants.
DO YOU RECOMMEND TRAVEL INSURANCE?
Yes! You never know what life may throw at you before your trip starts – and, heaven forbid, if you should roll an ankle while hiking with us. There are many options to choose from, and we’d be happy to chat them through with you. Note that those with any pre-existing conditions should consider the policy carefully before purchasing as companies’ terms, and timing requirements, vary considerably.
HOW MUCH TIME WILL I SPEND WITH THE GROUP?
Frankly, we have never liked those group trips when we’ve felt compelled to spend every waking moment with our trip-mates. As travelers, we love to get off the beaten path and explore the backstreets of the towns we visit. Sometimes we want to check out that hole in the wall that isn’t even mentioned on Tripadvisor – and we don’t always want to eat at the fancy place by the water.
So, we have designed our trips with, well, people like yours truly in mind.
You can plan on at least two group dinners and optional, complimentary evening wine-hours, but otherwise, you are free to explore on your own or with your trip-mates and facilitators.
Additionally, we’ve set up our days so that if you enjoy hiking in solitude with only the breeze to keep you company, you can do that. On the other hand, if you’d like to play trail games and learn the life stories of your trip-mates, you can do that, too.
In short, you can generally spend as much or as little time with the group as you would like.
