About Greenways Travel Club

• How long has your company been in business?

  Tomas Leskovjan started Greenways Travel Club, the first company to organize tours along Vienna-Prague Greenways, in 1996. Read more on our About Us page.

• Where is your office located?

  Our office is based in the delightful winemaking town of Mikulov in the south of the Czech Republic near Austrian borders. From here, we answer your emails and phone calls, and arrange and coordinate tours. We also have many guides working for us and they live throughout Central Europe.

• What distinguishes your travel company from others?

  Experience and detailed knowledge – we arrange tours in places where we know best – where we live.

  Quality self-guided tours in your own pace, yet with detailed welcome briefing, precise navigation tools, seamless luggage transfer and a cell phone to call us anytime you need.

  Local knowledgeable bilingual guides will walk with you on guided tours.

  Quality accommodation

  Professional personalized service

• What is your most popular vacation? And why?

  Our best-selling tour is Czech Greenways from Vienna to Prague which has a high density of points of interest as well as varied landscapes along the route.

   

• Can I get some references from someone who has traveled with you?

  Yes, you can. Let us know which route you are interested in – info@visitgreenways.com or check out the external websites and reports of people who have been on our tours listed on our References page.

• Can I get Med-Evac insurance through you?

  Unfortunately not, you are responsible for your own travel and health insurance.
  Read our Terms & Conditions that detail our and your responsibilities.

• What happens to my money if Greenways Travel Club goes bankrupt or into insolvency?

  We have tour operator’s insurance required by the European Union for all tour operators.
  You will get back any funds you paid to us in the unlikely event of us going bankrupt or into insolvency.

• Can I book flights and other travel through you?

  No – but Prague, Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest are cities that are covered by many cheap airlines. Check out Skyscanner.net search for flights. We can recommend the best way to get to the starting point of the tour in case you cannot fly to the closest start city. Contact us and let us know your travel plans.
  Have a browse on the online train and bus timetables for countries in Central Europe.

• Do I need a passport or visa for a tour in Central Europe?

  All the countries we arrange tours in are the European Union members. Travelers from the USA, Canada, Australia or New Zealand do not need to get visa, you only need a full, valid passport.

  For safety reasons the EU is going to introduce new measures. You will be asked to get an online authorization ETIAS before entering the European Union. That will allow you to travel freely within 26 EU states for up to 90 consequent days repeatedly during a period of three years after obtaining the authorisation unless your passport expires earlier.

• What is with this “Central” Europe? I thought it was Eastern Europe.

  It is all a matter of perception. People living in the countries of Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary consider this area to be Central Europe. National Tourist Offices are promoting this label too. We consider Bulgaria and Romania to be “Eastern” Europe.

Central European walking tours in general

• What is the standard of your accommodations?

  We book a minimum of quality, comfortable 3-star hotels and pensions. All the rooms have private bathrooms. The accommodation is centrally located, in the old town center if not on the square itself. The hotels and pensions are often in historical buildings and because of this, many do not have a lift or air-conditioning. In the smaller places we use the best available accommodation in town.

• Can you book extra nights before and after the tour?

  Yes we can. Get in touch with us and we will detail the hotels we use in a particular city. We can give the exact price after we book because of high and low season prices and possible differing prices for numbers of nights with the hotel. However, we can give you an approximate price for the extra nights.

• I do not have enough time for the full tour. Can you shorten the itinerary for me?

  Email us – info@gtc.cz – detailing how much time you have and your preferences of places to visit. We only customize self-guided tours on the routes our tours cover. In most cases, we will be able to design a shorter itinerary for you. 

• Can I join more than one route together into a longer tour?

  Yes, you can. Have a look at our tours in Central Europe. We can combine many routes.
  Most popular combinations are:

  
  Greenways and Elbe River Trail: Vienna – Prague – Dresden

  Danube Trail and Amber Trail: Melk – Vienna – Krakow

   

  We can offer you 10% discount from the tour cost if you combine two full tours into one longer trip.

• How far will I walk each day?

  The daily walking distance varies from 10 – 20 km (6 – 12 miles) per day.

• Will I be fit enough for the tour?

  We rate our tours as moderate, they are evenly distributed over hilly terrain and less demanding flat parts; and include 1 or 2 more challenging days of ascents and descents (crossing a mountain range). Our routes are suitable for people who walk regularly at home.

  We recommend looking at the daily walking distances in the detailed tour itineraries and checking out the elevation gain for each day.

• What about safety in towns?

  Central Europe is as safe for tourists as Western Europe. So take the same precautions. Do not flash around your valuables and be careful of pickpockets in busy, tourist places.

• I am a woman traveling on my own. Will I be safe?

  We have had solo travelling women on our tours and no problems with regard to their safety have ever occurred. In fact, on a tour in the countryside you will be safer than usual. This is because you will be in rural areas where the crime rate is low if non-existent. In cities you have to use your common sense and take precautions as any other tourist would. Our stand-by support service for self-guided tours includes a mobile phone. You can call us (24 hours) in case of any problems.

• I am a vegetarian – is this fine in Central Europe?

  Central European cuisine is admittedly meat-heavy. Most restaurants will have vegetarian choices on the menu, but it is a good idea to say that you are vegetarian at the restaurant. Some dishes may contain meat and this might not be apparent from the menu. If you are not a strict vegetarian then we recommend that you try some of the meat dishes as these are dishes representative of the cuisine. You will get some information in your tour information materials about meals and options for vegetarians.

• I have a particular allergy. Can you help me if I do a tour with you?

  Let us know what your allergy is and we will try our best to accommodate you on our tours. We have had people with wheat and gluten allergies on our tours. They brought special food with them and we provided a coolbox for storage each day. We also wrote notes people can show to waiters in restaurants to explain their allergies when they are ordering.

• What is a good time to go?

  Our tour season is from April to October. We detail information on when to go on each individual tour page. Personally, we think May (flowers blooming) and September (ideal sunny weather) are the best times to tour in this region if you prefer to avoid the heat of summer. However, the other months are also good and if you are lucky you can have a week of perfect sunshine in July and August.
  

• What will the weather be like in the area for my tour?

  The weather in continental Europe consists of hot summers and cold, snowy winters. We recommend checking weather.com. Basic advice – bring waterproofs just in case.

• Do people speak English? / Will I be understood?

  Your bilingual guide will help you on a guided tour. On a self-guided tour we include basic, useful phrases in your tour information materials. However, we recommend bringing a phrasebook as people always love it when you communicate in their language (or at least try).
  The numbers of people learning English in Central Europe are increasing. Generally, younger people will speak better English. Many Central Europeans also learn German, so this is a good language to try to communicate in. If all else fails, miming, pointing and smiling are always fun. People are generally helpful wherever you go in the world and they will help if you ask them.

• What are the differences between self-guided and guided tours?

  For a side-by-side comparison, the table shows which services are common to a particular tour type and which services are unique. We arrange tours as packages and we do not break up the services.

  Service	Self-guided	Guided
  Welcome briefing upon arrival	Yes	Yes
  Stand-by support cellphone & contact person	Yes	No
  Professional bilingual guide	No	Yes
  Accommodation in selected hotels and pensions	Yes	Yes
  Buffet breakfast	Yes	Yes
  Dinner	No	Yes
  Luggage transfer	Yes	Yes
  Transportation by car according to program	Yes	Yes
  Support van	No	Yes
  English route descriptions	Yes	Yes
  Detailed hiking maps with highlighted route	Yes	Yes
  Town maps	Yes	Yes
  GPS device	Yes	Yes
  Guided tours at chateaux, castles, museums	No	Yes
  Special events, wine tasting, picnic	No	Yes

• Do you have group discounts?

  We offer a 10% discount for groups of 8+ people provided you book directly with us.

• Do you have any benefits for repeat customers?

  We offer a 10% discount on the tour cost for people who have toured with us in the past (provided you booked directly with us). Please get in touch with us. It will be good to hear from you again and a pleasure to arrange another tour for you.

Self-guided walking tours

• What does a self-guided walking tour include?

  • Welcome briefing upon arrival
  • Stand-by support cellphone & contact person
  • Accommodation in selected hotels and pensions
  • Buffet breakfast
  • Luggage transfer
  • Transfers by car according to program
  • English route descriptions
  • Detailed hiking maps
  • Town maps
  • GPS device with preprogrammed routes

   

• What is the extent of your “support service”?

  We rent you a cell phone and provide the mobile numbers of at least two people you can call in case of any problems. This is a 24-hour service. Feel free to call us at any time during your tour (emergencies, unexpected situations, if lost or problems with the language barrier). People on our tours have told us that this services allows them to have an adventure, but always have the peace of mind that they can call at any time.

• If I am finding my way along the route by myself, what do I get to help me?

  We provide the following methods of navigation on our self-guided tours.
  • Route descriptions / cue sheets – with helpful info on each overnight town
  • Detailed topographic hiking maps with your route highlighted
  • Town maps with your overnight accommodation marked
  • A Global Positioning System (GPS) console with programmed route

• What do I do if I get totally lost?

  If you get completely lost, then your REMAINS will be found by the next passing walker – Oh the HORROR!!!
  Seriously, with the navigation and information, we provide for the self-guided tour, getting lost is a rarity. You can also give us a call from your mobile phone supplied as part of the stand-by support.

• What happens if I cannot complete the walking each day?

  We recommend choosing a self-guided tour suitable to your ability, and preparing for the terrain and weather expected. We can advise you on all of this. If the weather turns really terrible, then it can be possible to take you with the luggage transfer service in the morning upon an advance agreement (preferably the evening before). See this as a back-up service and aim to complete the walking each day. To get a support van, you can opt for a guided tour.

• Why is there a 15% tour supplement for a single person on a self-guided tour?

  We calculate the car and luggage transfers on our tours based on a minimum of two people. If you go solo on a self-guided tour then you will pay the 15% tour supplement to cover the cost of the extra person not going. This is in addition to the single room supplement.

Guided walking tours

• What does a guided walking tour include?

  • Professional bilingual guide
  • Accommodation in selected hotels and pensions
  • Buffet breakfast and dinner
  • Support van
  • Luggage transfer
  • English route descriptions
  • Detailed hiking maps
  • Town maps
  • GPS device with preprogrammed routes
  • Guided tours at chateaux, castles, museums
  • Special events, wine tasting, picnic

   

• How large are your group sizes?

  Our guided groups tend to stay quite small reaching only up to 10 people or so. To larger groups we assign two guides. The minimum number for a guided tour to be guaranteed is 4 people.

• What happens if not enough people sign up to the tour?

  If you sign up to a guided tour date and the minimum number of 4 people do not sign up then there are some options. We realize that you may have already booked non-refundable flights and extra nights. In all cases, we try to come up with a solution: First, you can pay extra and have the guided tour anyway. You will pay the share for the missing people. Second, we can advise on guided tours that are going ahead around the time you are traveling, so you can join another guided tour. Finally, if none of the previous solutions work then we will refund you any money you have paid.

• Who are your guides?

  Our professional, bilingual guides are from the Central Europe states, where we arrange out tours. Who better can explain the incredible changes that Central and Eastern European countries have faced over the years than a person who has lived through them? They will walk with you and can explain the points of interest you will see. Ask them lots of questions!

• I see breakfast and dinner are included – what do we do about lunch?

  Depending on the day, lunch might be in the form of picnic (food bought at a local shop) or at a good restaurant or pub. The guide will help in any case.

• How do you choose your guided tour dates?

  The dates we choose for our guided tours usually correspond to the cultural calendars of particular towns along the route. This means that the guided tour will usually be at the same time as an interesting festival or event along the way.

• Can I do a guided tour outside of the dates on your website?

  If you are in a group of 4 or more people then we can arrange a private guided tour for you starting on any date. Get in contact with us and let us know which dates and route interests you – info@visitgreenways.com. The cost will be the same per person as the scheduled guided tour cost.

• I would like to do a guided tour next year – any dates available?

  We update our guided tour dates from October to December for the following year. Get in touch with us to register your interest in a guided tour – info@gtc.cz. When we set our dates we can send you an email. Alternatively, bookmark our website and check back.

Payment and Reservation

• How do I sign up to a tour?

  You can book on our websites using an online reservation form.

• How can I send you my completed reservation form?

  If you reserve your tour online then you will fill out an online reservation form and click a button to send it to us. We also have a PDF reservation form you can download, print out, fill in and either post or scan and email to us.

• Do you require a tour deposit?

  Yes, this is 100 EUR per person. You can pay this by check, bank transfer or online by credit card on our 3-D Secure payment gateway.

• When do you require the final payment of the tour?

  We require the whole tour balance to be paid 45 days before the start of the tour.
  You can read up more in our Terms & Conditions.

• Is it OK if my other friends sign up to the tour later?

  Yes, however we will usually hold from reserving the accommodation until everyone has signed up. It is easier for us to reserve the accommodation “in one go”. Other people have until 45 days before the tour starts to sign up. This is the time when the final balance must be paid.