Dear Traveling Friends -

The Fourth of July holiday is now behind us, and many of us are dreaming and planning a late summer or early fall getaway. Take time to read over the planned tours for the remainder of the year and perhaps there may be a trip or so that is appealing to you whether it is a day trip or an overnight tour.

Thank you for your participation in the scheduled tours this year. There are new participants on many of the trips, and it is always a pleasure to become acquainted with new clients and to continue traveling with my regular travelers as well.

My company's latest mailing was January 30. For the first time, the trip schedules were sent both by regular mail and e-mail. This past year many travelers requested receiving their schedule by e-mail. If you have an e-mail address and have not already shared this, please forward this to me. However, if you do not want the trip schedule sent by e-mail, just let me know. Many of you do not have computers. Not to worry as the tour schedule will be sent to you by regular mail. Thank you for your interest.

Please remember to send in your deposits within two weeks of a booking. This is a must! Often trips fill up quickly, and if I don't have your deposit, there is no guarantee that you are actually going on the trip. This makes it necessary to phone you. If you sign up for more than one trip, you can pay for your trips with one check. Remember to include a notation as to what trip or trips you are paying for. Always check my website for updates and a complete listing of tours. Let me know by phone, a note, or e-mail if you are moving and you will have a new address. Also let me know if you no longer want to receive the tour schedule whether moving out of the area or you are unable to take tours.

My next schedule, with a list of the proposed tours, will be mailed in October. Some of the tours for 2009 however are already finalized. Check out the tours for 2009 as well as availability on the tours this summer and fall.

I look forward to our future trips together.

Warmest regards,
Barbara Rice

Why do travelers choose escorted group tours?

Companionship
Participants with similar interest travel together on a tour and often make new friends and travel experiences.

Fun
Groups enjoy a fun atmosphere as there is always someone to talk to and share the experience the trip has provided you.

Education
Travelers learn geography, history, special events, cultures, and so much more with trained professional tour managers, step-on guides, while becoming acquainted with your fellow travelers. Group travel is far beneficial as you learn so much more about the places you are touring.

Convenience
All the reservations, lodging, meals, attractions, show tickets, and transportation are already booked for you. Traveling with a group will save you valuable time as everything is planned for you.

Value
You get a better value by traveling with a group than making the travel arrangements yourself. Additional savings are meals, shows, attractions, and "much more" as you are paying the group rate.

Future Plans

Proposed 2009 Tours:
Month Tour No. of Days
January 23-31 Mexican Riviera Cruise aboard the Holland America Oosterdam 9 Days
March 4-17 Thailand - Ancient Capitals and Countryside 14 Days
April 14-20 Arkansas including Little Rock, Hot Springs, and Eureka Springs 6 Days
April-May Mystery Trip 4 Days
May Quebec City, Montreal, Gaspe Region, Charlevoix (portion by rail) 10 Days
June Atlantic City, NJ 3 Days
June Peddler's Village, Lahaska, PA 3 Days
August West Coast--Victoria, Canada; Washington, Oregon, & California TBA
September Gatlinburg & Pigeon Forge, Tennessee 5 Days
October Albuquerque, New Mexico, Balloon Fiesta TBA
Early November Sicily or Southern Italy & Sicily TBA
November - December Greenbriar at Christmas TBA

*Above dates are subject to change*

The Passion Play in Oberammergau, Germany - May - October 2010:

In 2010, we celebrate the year of the 41st Passion Play, which includes some of Europe's most beautiful cities. The Passion Play is held every 10 years, and it originally took place in 1634. The tour I have chosen is the "Imperial Cities and the Passion Play," a 12-day tour. This tour features Vienna, Austria; Budapest, Hungary; Prague, Czech Republic; Salzburg, Germany, and Innsbruck, Austria. It is an exciting itinerary and includes a fabulous Hungarian horse show and authentic Mozart dinner concert. All hotel stays are for two nights at each location. Let me know if you are interested in this tour, and as soon as I receive a confirmation with the date and price, you will be sent the detailed tour flyer. A paper copy of the itinerary is now available if you would like to review it. Our trip will be in mid-May. The cost of the tour, with detailed trip brochures, will be available by early 2009. A familiarization meeting will be held in late summer or fall of 2009 to learn more about the trip.

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Company History

Our company is a home based business. A six day southern tour began in 1985 with added tours the following years. The business grew as more tours were offered, both domestic and international. This year marks our 23rd year in the travel business. A tour schedule, listing all of the tours that are offered, is mailed at least twice a year. All of the advertised tours are arranged and escorted by Barbara Rice. My company prides itself on traveling with compatible people who are pleasant, open-minded, adventurous, and enjoys new sights. We offer a wide range of tours to choose from including day trips, short and longer overnight domestic tours, international travel, and both ocean and river cruises. On many of the extensive overnight tours, we often provide a familiarization meeting to introduce the tour. 10 days to two weeks prior to departure we frequently have a documentation meeting to distribute travel documents, discuss the tour in detail, and meet the participants that are going on the tour. Both meetings offer a question and answer session.

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Policy

Much time is taken to be certain each tour is well planned, organized, and suitable for clients. We travel to destinations at the best time of the year where you will have the ultimate experience on each particular tour. There are many variations of tours depending, of course, on what company we use as each tour has its own policy. A deposit of $10 per person is due within two weeks of your reservation on most of the day trips. The exception is show tickets to the New York City Broadway shows as well as shows in the Baltimore and Washington, DC, areas. The deposit amount is the cost of the show ticket and is due within two weeks of booking. The deposit for an overnight tour varies based on the cost of the tour and the amount of days on the tour itself.

Satisfaction Guarantee

Our goal is customer satisfaction. In most cases, if you need to cancel prior to the trip, our company strives to do its most to get as much of your deposit and/or final payment refunded as possible. Each trip is different, thus the policy of each will not be the same. If there is a waiting list for the trip you cancel and there is someone who will take your place, your money will be refunded to you. If you have insurance and cancel, in most cases you will get all of your money refunded except the insurance amount, which is non-refundable within a 90-day period prior to the tour departure date. Insurance is highly recommended for longer and more costly tours. On all of our overnight tours, we use the best drivers and motorcoaches available in order for you to have a comfortable, safe, and enjoyable trip.

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Barbara Rice Tours
2469 Five Shillings Road
Frederick, MD 21701
Phone: (301) 662-3053
FAX: (301) 662-7141
E-Mail: Barbara@BarbaraRiceTours.net

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2469 Five Shillings Road
Frederick, MD 21701
Ph: 301-662-3053
Fax: 301-662-7141
E-mail: Barbara@BarbaraRiceTours.net