Spain & Portugal Christmas

When travel is safe to resume, we will be implementing a number of additional protocols to ensure our passengers/travellers are as safe and protected as possible while travelling with us.

In addition to our existing health and safety measures on our coaches and while conducting tours, passengers/travellers can expect:

• Elevated coach hygiene and safety procedures including increased daily cleaning measures, seat rotation being paused for the time being, compulsory face masks onboard, free seats and updated boarding procedures inline with social distancing measures.
• Additional, in-depth health and hygiene training for crew members.
• In addition to ensuring the comfort and quality of our accommodation and restaurants, these destinations will be vetted to ensure they meet increased hygiene standards.

For more information on our elevated health and safety protocols, please see our How to Travel Safe page.

A complimentary (free) airport shuttle is available between Madrid–Barajas Airport and the hotel that this tour starts and ends at - Hotel Elba Madrid Alcalá.

The shuttle is available between the hours of 06:00-21:00, and the journey takes approximately 15 minutes. The service is operated by the hotel; please call +34 913 75 68 00 if you have any queries or issues.

Once you have cleared immigration at the airport and collected your luggage, please follow the signs for shuttles.

Our tours are not suitable for young children, so we set a minimum age limit of 10 years old. However, at the discretion of Expat Explore we may consider younger children on certain tours if they meet certain criteria and a request is received in writing via email for consideration. Expat Explore reserves the absolute right to accept or decline a booking at our discretion.

No, you will need to make your own arrangements to get to the meeting destination for the first day of your tour. Make sure you keep departure times and possible delays in mind when booking flights. Please click here to visit Skyscanner - a useful tool for comparing prices from the vast majority of airlines.

No, you will need to make your own arrangements to get to the meeting point for the first day of your tour. Please see the meeting point information for details on how to reach the meeting point, and for booking a transfer through Expat Explore.

All of the hotels on this tour offer Wi-Fi, which is available free of charge as part of your Expat Explore tour. In certain hotels this will be available in the hotel lobby only, while in others you will be able to get access in your room.

The coaches do not have Wi-Fi on board. If you intend to buy a local sim card to use while you are in Europe, please check with your service provider if your phone will work abroad.

Before the tour starts, you will receive an email from us requesting your dietary requirements. There is always a vegetarian option, which is a meal without meat. We try as much as we can to offer you the traditional local cuisine.

We can generally provide a triple room on request; however it is not guaranteed to be available in every destination. Please contact our customer services team to request a triple room.

Please note that in some hotels, the triple room may consist of a double bed and a single bed, or a double bed and a pull-out or bunk-bed. Where we cannot provide a triple room the rooming will consist of one twin room and the third passenger sharing with another single traveller of the same gender.

The price shown on the website for your departure date on the day you book is the price you will pay. If you would like to make a group booking for 10 or more people please contact us.

On the tour page we have listed the hotels that we mainly use for our tours on our website, but this is not a definitive list. A full list of confirmed accommodation names and addresses for your particular departure will be emailed to you around 1 week before the tour starts.

If you are not starting the tour at the designated start point, and are instead joining later on in the route, please email us to confirm the details of the hotel where you should meet the tour.

Your tour leader will implement a seat rotation policy, so that everyone on board the coach gets the chance to have a different view from their seats each day.

If you have any medical conditions that may be affected by where you sit, please discuss them with your Tour Leader, but note that the seat rotation policy will most likely mean that your request may not be honoured.

Certain nationalities may require a visa(s) for this tour. Please see our visas page and your pre-departure information for more information. It is your responsibility to contact the relevant embassies to confirm your visa requirements.

Please make sure you bring with you for the start of the tour the local currency(ies) you will need for at least the first three days, as there may not be an opportunity to change currency at the very beginning of the tour. You should budget for any optional excursions you wish to do in this period (see 'Optional Excursions' tab above, these are paid in cash on tour unless stated otherwise) and non-included meals.

We don’t recommend carrying large amounts of cash with you on tour; you are better off withdrawing enough cash to last you for the next 5-7 days, rather than carrying enough cash to last you for the entirety of the tour. Please refer to your pre-departure information for more information on the currencies you will require for your particular itinerary.

When changing money please ensure that you are not given high denomination notes (for example €200 and €500 notes), as you will find most shops and restaurants will refuse to accept them, and your Expat Explore tour leader cannot accept them as payment for optional excursions.

No, we do not have these facilities. For security reasons, you will be required to keep your belongings with you at all times. Please bear this in mind when you are deciding what to bring.

Expat Explore can provide travellers requiring visas with visa support documents on a request basis. Please note that you are required to pay for your tour in full in order to receive the documents. This is an embassy/consulate requirement by law. Once you have received confirmation that your booking has been paid in full, you can request your visa support documents by emailing info@expatexplore.com - please allow up to 10 working days to receive these documents.

You can book online through our website or call our customer service team to make a booking over the phone. You must pay a deposit (the greater of 10% of the total tour cost or GBP 50 per person) via our online payment platform to secure your place. You can pay the remaining amount up to 45 days before departure, with a debit/credit card or with a bank transfer.

It depends on how many other people book! There could be up to 51 other passengers, so you will have the opportunity to make lots of friends!

Due to weight and space limitations, you are allowed to bring one main piece of luggage weighing no more than 20kg, and one small soft bag for hand luggage. On all tours, you will have to carry your own luggage (e.g. into hotels and up to your room if hotels don’t have elevators). Please bear this in mind when you are deciding what to pack.

Click here to view a diagram showing luggage size restrictions.

This is up to you, of course, and will vary depending on how much wish to spend on snacks, drinks, souvenirs etc. We do not include entrance fees to attractions and museums. We do, however, provide you with free time to see everything you want, and our tour leaders will have all the information on pricing and locations so you can manage your own budget. Please refer to your tours specific pre-departure information and optional excursions guide for further details.

Many of the countries are vast and varied, and there will be some long driving days on your tour. This gives you the opportunity to enjoy watching the changing countryside as it rolls past your window, to share music with your fellow travellers, watch a few movies or get involved in some of the games and quizzes hosted by your tour leader. Where possible, we have also included stops at points of interest.

We believe the best way to get to the heart and soul of a city is on foot, surrounded by the people and the culture. For this reason, we do walking tours through most of the cities we visit. Many of the cities you visit are vast and old, often with steps and cobblestones. Our walking tours can last up to 3 hours with plenty of opportunities to take photographs and soak up the history of these fascinating places, but you do require a certain level of fitness to enjoy your tour to its fullest.

Europe has a low rate of crime and corruption, and travelling here is generally considered safe and hassle free. Your tour leader will be on hand to offer local advice on each area you visit. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) provides travel advice for each destination we visit – each country has a summary and general information as well as advice on safety and security, local laws and customs, entry requirements and health.

Your deposit payment secures your place(s) on the tour and the price you pay. Your deposit paid at the time of booking is non-refundable, unless you cancel within 30 days of making a booking. T&Cs apply - please refer to our 30-Day Money Back Guarantee page and Terms & Conditions page for more information.

Yes, and you are responsible for arranging your own insurance. Passengers and their personal property travel with Expat Explore solely at their own risk. A suitable insurance policy should provide adequate cover for medical expenses arising through illness or accident prior to or during the holiday, and loss of holiday monies through cancellation or curtailment of the holiday or other insurable reasons. Clients should ensure that there are no exclusion clauses limiting protection for the type of activities in their tour. When on tour, ensure you keep personal belongings on you at all times and that your suitcase/backpack has a lock on it, especially in tourist areas. It may be advisable to wear a money belt to store money, credit cards and passport.

For a relatively small price, travel insurance provides you with the peace of mind so that you can enjoy your tour without any worries. To receive a quote from one of our preferred travel insurance partners, please visit WorldNomads (for all nationalities) or Hollard (for South Africans).

Whilst we fully understand that some nationalities are not accustomed to tipping, this is a normal part of the culture in many of the countries we visit. Tipping has become an increasingly accepted practice in all areas of the service industry, but particularly in restaurants, bars and taxis worldwide.

Expat Explore crew members (your tour leader and driver) will transform your trip experience from just good, to exceptional, and where this is the case a tip (even a modest one) is always highly appreciated. They will be travelling with you from just a few days, up to a few weeks, and you'll soon become good friends. It is sometimes easy to forget that they work hard to ensure that you get a once in a lifetime experience.

At the end of your tour you will have the opportunity to thank your Expat Explore tour leader and driver by offering them a tip. We suggest somewhere between £3-5, €4-6 or $5-7 per person per day. Tipping is entirely voluntary and the above rate is offered as a suggested guide only.

If you take a walking tour with a local guide, tipping these guides at the end of walking tours and excursions is always appreciated, but not expected.

If you are travelling alone there is no compulsory charge - you will share a twin room with another passenger of the same gender.

There is an optional single supplement/private room upgrade available for single travellers who wish to have a private room. This can be added at the time of booking or by contacting our customer services team. Please note that the room provided may be a single room with a single bed.

Unfortunately, you will be unable to continue the tour and you should make contact with your closest embassy immediately to replace the passport. Your passport is an essential travel document, and should be kept safe at all times.

You will have to make your own way to the next destination at your own expense. Please ensure you are on time for all departures to avoid being left behind.

Please allow sufficient time to complete the visa process (at least 4 weeks). Should your visa application be unsuccessful, you will be able to change or cancel your tour, but standard terms and conditions (and therefore in some cases, fees) apply. Please refer to our Flexible Date Changes page and Terms & Conditions page for more information.

The tour price includes accommodation for the duration of the tour, transport by private coach, breakfasts and dinner as per your itinerary, ferry crossings (where applicable), and guided walking tours and excursions as per your itinerary. On top of this, you will have a tour leader to assist you along the way with great tips and handy advice! Please refer to the ‘Included’ section of the itinerary where a full breakdown is given.

We have a very wide range of ages on our tours, and do not restrict our passengers to certain age groups or limits. A positive attitude and an open mind are more important than a number!

We have searched and invested in excellent accommodation options, either located in cities or well placed with public transport connections. Clean linen is always included, so you do not need to bring a sleeping bag. Towels are always included; however you may want to bring your own for use at the beach, swimming pool etc, if applicable to your tour. Toiletries (shampoo, shower gel etc) and hair dryers are not always included, so you may wish to bring these with you.

Accommodation is provided in twin share en-suite rooms. We use a mix of mostly 2, 3 & 4-star hotels, and some hostels.

All travellers are required to carry their own bags, get on and off the coach and use public transport. Our city walking tours can last up to 3 hours and certain places involve walking up and down lots of steps. We want you to enjoy your tour, so read through the itinerary thoroughly and make your own conclusions as to whether you feel that you are fit and healthy enough.

Our regional tours are usually scheduled to start in the afternoon on Day 1 and end on the final day after breakfast - please refer to your meeting information for confirmation.

Generally, we like to make an early start, so that you can spend more time at each destination. On your free days, you can have a lie in if you wish!

Our tour leaders come from all walks of life, with different backgrounds and interests. They are all confident and well-travelled with an in-depth knowledge of the destinations they are working in, and a passion for helping you make the most out of your Expat Explore tour.

You will be emailed the name and contact details of your tour leader approximately one week before your tour start date. It is important that you keep a record this number so that you can contact your tour leader if you have any issues when joining the tour or during the tour.

As soon as your payment has been processed by our accounts team, we will send you a confirmation email. Please note this may take up to 5 working days, depending on your method of payment.

Air-conditioning is not nearly as common place in European hotels as it is in places like North America and Asia. For most of the year it is simply not needed, and a lot of the hotels are in older, historic buildings that were built before air-conditioning was developed.

We always try our utmost to contract hotels with these comforts, however based on the volumes of tourists visiting over the summer, supply simply cannot keep up with demand. We work hard to deliver tours offering the best possible balance of affordability and comfort, and while most of our hotels offer air conditioning, we cannot guarantee that all the hotels you stay at on your tour will have air-conditioning in the rooms.

If you find your room does not have air-conditioning and it is uncomfortably hot, we recommend asking the hotel reception if they have a fan, which they are usually happy to provide, if they have them available.

For shorter itineraries most travellers are able to pack enough clothes to last them for the duration of the trip. For longer tours, you may need to plan for doing your laundry during the tour. Your tour leader will be able to recommend the best place for this.

Hotel laundry services are less common in Europe and can be very expensive, so the tour leader’s recommendation will most likely be a local laundromat in a destination where you have at least a two-night stay. In bigger cities you may be able to use a laundry service, who will pick up from the hotel and then deliver the clean clothes back to reception. These services are operated by third-parties so your tour leader and Expat Explore will not be responsible for any issues - try not to bring any clothes with you that are valuable or sentimental in case of loss or damage.

Alternatively, you could wash your clothes in the sink/wash basin in your hotel room, particularly if it's smaller items like socks and underwear. If you do, take care not to be too obvious when you hang them up to dry as most hotels do not like guests washing and drying their clothes in the hotel rooms. We suggest doing this in destinations where you spend two or more nights so the clothes have as much time to dry as possible.