Wanted - 20 Crazy Cyclists Ready for the Adventure of a Lifetime!

On the road to Ivanogorod,
Russia
We have just finalized the details for our 2008 Grand Expedition from St. Petersburg, Russia to Istanbul, Turkey. Join us on this epic journey and ride through 10 countries, including: Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and finally, 40+ days later, Istanbul, Turkey!

Our 2008 trip is longer than the 2007 version, seven weeks in length. That comes to 49 nights and 50 days, from June 16 - August 4, 2008. The price is $16,500.00, but you can save $1750 if you book immediately and pay in full by February 1, 2008. We'll also make single supplements available as we determine availability and price; those will be allocated on a first-come, first served basis.

On June 16, we gather in St. Petersburg and transfer to Gatchina, just 25 miles to the south. We’ll fit bicycles that afternoon and begin pedaling the next morning. Our last day of cycling is on August 3rd in Istanbul , and the Expedition ends after breakfast together the morning of August 4th.

As we have done in the past, we will offer two extensions before and after the trip as follows:

4 days/3 nights in St. Petersburg	June 13 - 16	Details coming soon
3 days/2 nights in Istanbul	August 4 - 6	Details coming soon

Book Soon and Save $1750!

Istanbul at night. Here’s what to do next if you’d like to join us on the 7-week trip:

Apply Now

Our ExpeditionPlus! tours are physically demanding, offer less van support, and have a variety of other challenges, such as daily cycling distances of 70+ miles and varying quality of accommodations. In order to ensure that prospective participants are up to the rigors of such a journey, our enrollment process involves an application. Here’s a link to the application.
Remember, we limit this trip to 20 people and it usually sells out early.

Submit Your Deposit

After you've sent your application for the trip, submit your deposit of $1000 per person. Submitting a deposit does not guarantee your space, but it does assure that we will consider your application. Before submitting a deposit, you’ll want to review the tour itinerary, terms and conditions, visa requirements and our cancellation policies for this trip.
After reviewing all the applications and notifying you about whether or not you’ve been accepted, we begin processing deposits. Those whose applications are not accepted will receive a full refund.

Pay in full by February 1, 2008 and save $1750!

If you take advantage of our discount, the final price will be $14,750. This $1,750 savings should be more than enough to cover your airfare into St. Petersburg and out of Istanbul. If you prefer not to take advantage of our discount offer, your final payment is due 90 days prior to departure: March 16, 2008.

Here are some of the details that have now been finalized:

The complete daily itinerary is now posted.
What’s included: All lodging, all breakfasts, packed lunches 75% of the time, 70% of dinners (~34 dinners - alcohol is not included), a quality bicycle, luggage transfers and limited vehicle support, 2 ExperiencePlus! tour leaders and a local guide for each country.
Trip cancellation and interruption insurance is required in order to protect both participants and ExperiencePlus! against loss due to illness or injury.
Visas for Russia - We will assist you in obtaining a visa for your stay in Russia. In 2007, the application fee was $100. Be aware that we will need your passports for 6 weeks, from March 14 - April 25.
The Terms and Conditions for ExpeditionPlus! differ from those applying to our regular ExperiencePlus! tours, so be sure to review the details.

Is ExpeditionPlus! for you?

Don't take our word for it! Read what previous ExpeditionPlus! participants have to say about their epic ride here.

A few thoughts to help you decide:

This will be a challenging trip and we want everyone to be prepared. You might want to start by asking yourself the following questions:

Are you sure you are up to pedaling 75 miles per day for 49 days with only one rest day per week?
Are you ready for the possibility of occasionally pedaling gravel roads (for hours, in a few cases) to avoid traffic?
Are you prepared for a few "surprises" with hotels and meals, surprises that might result in substandard service, accommodations or meals?
Finally, are you doing this for yourself or to satisfy your significant other?

If you answered no to any of the first three questions or you admit that you are doing this for your significant other and not for yourself, you might wish to reconsider.

Or, if you decide the Expedition is not for you but are still interested in the areas the Expedition covers, we are now offering a few departures based on our experiences running the Expedition. We have a number of options with less daily mileage, regular van support, hotels and routes that have been thoroughly researched. Have a look at our St. Petersburg to Riga, Pedaling the Heart of Transylvania in Romania, Cycling the Turquoise Coast of Turkey, or Krakow to Budapest trips.

Still excited and chomping at the bit to go?! Visit the ExperiencePlus! website and you’ll find general tour information, the day by day itinerary, and links to the application and Book It pages.

I look forward to hearing from you soon. As always, if you have any questions give us a call at 1-800-685-4565, or email me at Rick@ExperiencePlus.com.