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What was the inspiration for a Dracula tour to Transylvania?
How long have you been doing it?
What if someone can't go during Halloween?
How many people usually go?
How many this year?
What is the best experience of the trip?
How about worst experience?
What is the most memorable thing to happen on one of the tours?
What else would you like an interested traveler to know about the trip?
Who would you recommend these trips to; what kind of person takes this vacation?
The tour price includes airfare to Romania;
does that include a tickets to New York if that is where we all meet?
Is the tour regimented or is there time to go around on your own, and explore, etc.
When should travelers remit the down-payment?
(The reservation form only notes when to have the remaining balances due).
What if someone has to cancel?
What about what to wear, what to pack, what to expect in the hotels, etc.
Is is true that everyone flying out gets a goodie bag at the airport along with their plane ticket?
Tell us about the "ghost tour" coming up?
What was the inspiration for a Dracula tour to Transylvania?
We do theme travel, and the horror movies-books-media genre is one of our all-time passions. We always try to mix what we love with our tours, and so far we've succeeded! For year we dreamed of visiting Transylvania to see all the Vlad and Dracula-related sites, and we figured we weren't the only ones "batty" enough to want to take a "Vampire Vacation." We did some research, and found that there were already some historical sight-seeing tours to Transylvania, but none put on by horror/vampire fans, who planned night activities along with the day sight-seeing. Thus we created the first (and foremost) terror theme tour for monster mavens.
(return to top)
How long have you been doing it?
1998 was our first year, but we've been doing other "theme" travel for much longer.
(return to top)
What if someone can't go during Halloween?
Because "you axed for it," we have added a summer "Vampire Voyage" in July. This is great for students, teachers and people who can't take off during October. But it's best for the people in the haunt business whose busiest time is Halloween, and people who have annual plans every Halloween and can't otherwise go. We expect the July "Dracula Tour" to be as successful, if not more so, than the Halloween one, because of how beautiful the Romanian countryside is in the summer, and because some travelers prefer smaller groups.
(return to top)
How many people usually go?
It's been growing every year. We started with about a dozen die-hards, and for a while every Halloween we added 5-10 more per year. We now max out at 40 total travelers now, which is one coach full. We have had complete sell-outs many years. We average 20 travelers for the Summer Vampire Vacation. As more people hear about the tour, more and more want to go, and sometimes plan their trip years in advance.
(return to top)
How many this year?
We're still accepting reservations, and we will max out at 40 total.
(return to top)
What is the best experience of the trip?
Meeting such great people. Everyone has similar interests and tastes (and we don't mean blood), so it's easy to make new friends. We are in touch (figuratively, not literally) with most of the people who've gone on our past tours, and many of us exchange holiday cards (Halloween, of course!) every year. So as great as all the sites and activities are, it's the travelers who make the "Dracula Tour" such a wonderful experience.
(return to top)
How about worst experience?
The worst experience happens at the end of every tour: it is always having to say goodbye at the end of the vacation, especially to fellow travelers who've gotten so close. It sounds corny, but it's true. There haven't been any "bad experiences" but that's because we're careful not to go and wander into any secret after-dark nightclubs where the drinks are all red and the patrons all have fangs. Wait, maybe some of our travelers want that!?!
(return to top)
What is the most memorable thing to happen on one of the tours?
For a few years, couples got married Halloween night in Dracula's Castle on the tour (see "A Bride's Tail" on the website's Tour Reports page). All the travelers on the tour become the guests at the wedding, and the ceremony was covered by local news media, as well as in national magazines. It is an annual ritual to welcome one couple every year as our Halloween bride & groom-to-be. Speaking of media coverage, the Discovery Channel/Travel Channel covered our "Dracula Tour" for one of their specials!
(return to top)
What else would you like an interested traveler to know about the trip?
That it's a howl! It is scary, but first and foremost, it's fun. We try to make sure everyone enjoys themselves, and we seem to be succeeding. Also, that if you go on the tour without a friend or companion, you really won't be alone long. Most of the travelers go solo, yet tour participants become life-long friends, and some even have reunions at horror conventions throughout the year. As we said earlier, many of us stay in touch year-round, and that's very special.
(return to top)
Who would you recommend these trips to -- what kind of person takes this vacation?
We always said that the tour would be as suitable for a Vampire as it would be for a Vampire-hunter, but we're not really sure we've really had either. Certainly many Vampire wanna-be's! What we do get is a true mix of travelers from all walks of life. Of course we get Goths along with regular everyday people who just love the idea of a trip to Transylvania. We get people who want to experience the ultimate Halloween adventure. The tour is open to all ages, so we've gotten families with kids, we've gotten older travelers who've seen the world and just wanted something a little offbeat, but mostly we get younger couples and single people. We think the singles who travel alone may have the best time of all. . . they always seem to wind up finding someone to "neck" with (sorry - couldn't resist). There's no doubt that even though we get occasional families, and the tour is definitely open to all ages, the tour is very sexy and cool.
(return to top)
The tour price includes airfare to Romania -- does that include a tickets to New York if that is where we all meet?
The airfare for all the people traveling from all over North America to fly with us to Bucharest is not included. The tour includes airfare from NYC-Bucharest. If someone wanted to fly direct to Romania, it would actually be cheaper, because you would arrange your airfare and deduct $500 from the total. This makes most sense for European travelers, obviously. Otherwise, one would book their own airfare to New York (JFK - Kennedy Airport) and travel together with the group.
(return to top)
Is the tour regimented or is there time to go around on your own, and explore, etc.
It is mostly regimented, but there is always room to explore beyond organized tour hours (especially in Bucharest & Sibiu, and also in and around Dracula's Castle).
(return to top)
When should travelers remit the down-payment? The reservation form only notes when to have the remaining balances due.
That's because there's really no set date for the deposit. We sell out every year, so sometimes that happens as soon as December or January, and sometimes it's a few months before departure. We take deposits until we're sold out, and then unfortunately we have to inform people that we have no room for them. It's best to early -- we always suggest that people who are serious about having the time of their lives register as soon as possible.
(return to top)
What if someone has to cancel?
We have a set cancellation policy in place, but we also encourage that all travelers take travel insurance, which we recommend.
(return to top)
What about what to wear, what to pack, what to expect in the hotels, etc.
That's all answered in the confirmation materials we send to all travelers. It answers every possible question, and makes the traveling experience and all preparations smooth and easy.
(return to top)
Is is true that everyone flying out gets a goodie bag at the airport along with their plane ticket?
Yes, the travel swag bag is an added extra that people love because it gives them something to enjoy on the flight. Often, we include horror mags, fangs, film promo materials, post cards, stickers, fanzines and whatever else we throw in, In the past, we've included DVDs, DracCola sodas and vampire energy drinks.
(return to top)
Tell us about the "Ghost Tour" coming up?
"GHOSTour" is a week of horrors with the emphasis on the haunted and the paranormal, and visits to as many castles and "haunted" locations in England as possible. We bring along an exorcist or ghost-hunter or paranormal investigator as our guest host, but with our combination of fun and fear, it is a great companion trip to our annual "DraculaTour." Unlike the "DraculaTour," however, which goes to Transylvania every year, the "GHOSTour" may vary from year to year as to where we go. We have gone to Scotland, Ireland, Prague and Germany and have other countries with haunted locations planned for the future, but every other year we explore the scariest parts of Great Britain. Visit www.GHOSTour.com for more details.
(return to top)
Fangs for reading this, now let's go to Transylvania!
How long have you been doing it?
What if someone can't go during Halloween?
How many people usually go?
How many this year?
What is the best experience of the trip?
How about worst experience?
What is the most memorable thing to happen on one of the tours?
What else would you like an interested traveler to know about the trip?
Who would you recommend these trips to; what kind of person takes this vacation?
The tour price includes airfare to Romania;
When should travelers remit the down-payment?
What about what to wear, what to pack, what to expect in the hotels, etc.
Is is true that everyone flying out gets a goodie bag at the airport along with their plane ticket?
Tell us about the "ghost tour" coming up?
What was the inspiration for a Dracula tour to Transylvania?
We do theme travel, and the horror movies-books-media genre is one of our all-time passions. We always try to mix what we love with our tours, and so far we've succeeded! For year we dreamed of visiting Transylvania to see all the Vlad and Dracula-related sites, and we figured we weren't the only ones "batty" enough to want to take a "Vampire Vacation." We did some research, and found that there were already some historical sight-seeing tours to Transylvania, but none put on by horror/vampire fans, who planned night activities along with the day sight-seeing. Thus we created the first (and foremost) terror theme tour for monster mavens.
(return to top)
How long have you been doing it?
1998 was our first year, but we've been doing other "theme" travel for much longer.
(return to top)
What if someone can't go during Halloween?
Because "you axed for it," we have added a summer "Vampire Voyage" in July. This is great for students, teachers and people who can't take off during October. But it's best for the people in the haunt business whose busiest time is Halloween, and people who have annual plans every Halloween and can't otherwise go. We expect the July "Dracula Tour" to be as successful, if not more so, than the Halloween one, because of how beautiful the Romanian countryside is in the summer, and because some travelers prefer smaller groups.
(return to top)
How many people usually go?
It's been growing every year. We started with about a dozen die-hards, and for a while every Halloween we added 5-10 more per year. We now max out at 40 total travelers now, which is one coach full. We have had complete sell-outs many years. We average 20 travelers for the Summer Vampire Vacation. As more people hear about the tour, more and more want to go, and sometimes plan their trip years in advance.
(return to top)
How many this year?
We're still accepting reservations, and we will max out at 40 total.
(return to top)
What is the best experience of the trip?
Meeting such great people. Everyone has similar interests and tastes (and we don't mean blood), so it's easy to make new friends. We are in touch (figuratively, not literally) with most of the people who've gone on our past tours, and many of us exchange holiday cards (Halloween, of course!) every year. So as great as all the sites and activities are, it's the travelers who make the "Dracula Tour" such a wonderful experience.
(return to top)
How about worst experience?
The worst experience happens at the end of every tour: it is always having to say goodbye at the end of the vacation, especially to fellow travelers who've gotten so close. It sounds corny, but it's true. There haven't been any "bad experiences" but that's because we're careful not to go and wander into any secret after-dark nightclubs where the drinks are all red and the patrons all have fangs. Wait, maybe some of our travelers want that!?!
(return to top)
What is the most memorable thing to happen on one of the tours?
For a few years, couples got married Halloween night in Dracula's Castle on the tour (see "A Bride's Tail" on the website's Tour Reports page). All the travelers on the tour become the guests at the wedding, and the ceremony was covered by local news media, as well as in national magazines. It is an annual ritual to welcome one couple every year as our Halloween bride & groom-to-be. Speaking of media coverage, the Discovery Channel/Travel Channel covered our "Dracula Tour" for one of their specials!
(return to top)
What else would you like an interested traveler to know about the trip?
That it's a howl! It is scary, but first and foremost, it's fun. We try to make sure everyone enjoys themselves, and we seem to be succeeding. Also, that if you go on the tour without a friend or companion, you really won't be alone long. Most of the travelers go solo, yet tour participants become life-long friends, and some even have reunions at horror conventions throughout the year. As we said earlier, many of us stay in touch year-round, and that's very special.
(return to top)
Who would you recommend these trips to -- what kind of person takes this vacation?
We always said that the tour would be as suitable for a Vampire as it would be for a Vampire-hunter, but we're not really sure we've really had either. Certainly many Vampire wanna-be's! What we do get is a true mix of travelers from all walks of life. Of course we get Goths along with regular everyday people who just love the idea of a trip to Transylvania. We get people who want to experience the ultimate Halloween adventure. The tour is open to all ages, so we've gotten families with kids, we've gotten older travelers who've seen the world and just wanted something a little offbeat, but mostly we get younger couples and single people. We think the singles who travel alone may have the best time of all. . . they always seem to wind up finding someone to "neck" with (sorry - couldn't resist). There's no doubt that even though we get occasional families, and the tour is definitely open to all ages, the tour is very sexy and cool.
(return to top)
The tour price includes airfare to Romania -- does that include a tickets to New York if that is where we all meet?
The airfare for all the people traveling from all over North America to fly with us to Bucharest is not included. The tour includes airfare from NYC-Bucharest. If someone wanted to fly direct to Romania, it would actually be cheaper, because you would arrange your airfare and deduct $500 from the total. This makes most sense for European travelers, obviously. Otherwise, one would book their own airfare to New York (JFK - Kennedy Airport) and travel together with the group.
(return to top)
Is the tour regimented or is there time to go around on your own, and explore, etc.
It is mostly regimented, but there is always room to explore beyond organized tour hours (especially in Bucharest & Sibiu, and also in and around Dracula's Castle).
(return to top)
When should travelers remit the down-payment? The reservation form only notes when to have the remaining balances due.
That's because there's really no set date for the deposit. We sell out every year, so sometimes that happens as soon as December or January, and sometimes it's a few months before departure. We take deposits until we're sold out, and then unfortunately we have to inform people that we have no room for them. It's best to early -- we always suggest that people who are serious about having the time of their lives register as soon as possible.
(return to top)
What if someone has to cancel?
We have a set cancellation policy in place, but we also encourage that all travelers take travel insurance, which we recommend.
(return to top)
What about what to wear, what to pack, what to expect in the hotels, etc.
That's all answered in the confirmation materials we send to all travelers. It answers every possible question, and makes the traveling experience and all preparations smooth and easy.
(return to top)
Is is true that everyone flying out gets a goodie bag at the airport along with their plane ticket?
Yes, the travel swag bag is an added extra that people love because it gives them something to enjoy on the flight. Often, we include horror mags, fangs, film promo materials, post cards, stickers, fanzines and whatever else we throw in, In the past, we've included DVDs, DracCola sodas and vampire energy drinks.
(return to top)
Tell us about the "Ghost Tour" coming up?
"GHOSTour" is a week of horrors with the emphasis on the haunted and the paranormal, and visits to as many castles and "haunted" locations in England as possible. We bring along an exorcist or ghost-hunter or paranormal investigator as our guest host, but with our combination of fun and fear, it is a great companion trip to our annual "DraculaTour." Unlike the "DraculaTour," however, which goes to Transylvania every year, the "GHOSTour" may vary from year to year as to where we go. We have gone to Scotland, Ireland, Prague and Germany and have other countries with haunted locations planned for the future, but every other year we explore the scariest parts of Great Britain. Visit www.GHOSTour.com for more details.
(return to top)
Fangs for reading this, now let's go to Transylvania!
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