Baltic Capitals and Beyond with Helsinki City Stay

The order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions or for operational purposes. The schedules of the domestic airlines in country are subject to frequent changes. For this reason, we have indicated approximate times only. Your local guide will inform you of any schedule changes as they are informed of them. The driving times listed are point to point and do not include the duration of excursions or stops en route. Some road construction and/or weather conditions may lengthen the driving times. Our intention is to adhere to the day-to-day itinerary as printed; however, order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions.

If booking more than 12 weeks before departure a deposit of £2600.00pp will need to be paid at the time of booking with the full amount payable at 12 weeks prior to departure. The deposit applies to adults and children. If you are within 12 weeks of travel then the full balance of the holiday will be payable.

You can travel without a visa to the Schengen area, which includes Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Finland for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. This applies if you travel as a tourist.

Further advice should be sought from the applicable tourist authority for other nationalities and for general queries. We strongly advise you check your destinations’ Tourist Board or Embassy for the most up-to-date guidelines regarding passport validity.

A visa is not required for your trip to Finland. Further advice should be sought from the applicable tourist authority for other nationalities and for general queries. We strongly advise you check your destinations’ Tourist Board or Embassy for the most up-to-date guidelines regarding passport validity.

Please note your final documentation will be sent to you approximately 21 days before departure. Check in baggage is included with your flight. Weight restrictions will be finalised on your final documentation. Should you wish to take additional luggage you will need to pay extra at check-in. Check-in should be at least 3 hours before departure. If you wish to arrange Airport car parking or accommodation at preferential rates, we recommend you book this in advance with Holiday Extras on 0333 188 0407, quoting HX313.

IMPORTANT: A printed E-ticket is no longer required at check-in, all you need to do is present your passport to the staff at the desk and your boarding pass will be given to you. Please note that you should carry your invoice with flight details on it as you will need to show this at the airport.

We strongly recommend that you and all members of your party are suitably insured as soon as you book your holiday. It is a condition of booking that you must have suitable travel insurance. It is important that you purchase travel insurance that suitably covers your participation in whatever activities you may undertake at the time that you make your booking. To assist you with this, we have arranged travel insurance in partnership with Holiday Extras, including up to a 20% discount, which is given to all Mercury Holidays customers. To arrange your insurance with Holiday Extras, please visit https://www.mercuryholidays.co.uk/info/insurance for more details. Please ensure you provide us with the name of your insurer, policy number and their 24 hour emergency contact number as soon as possible. Mercury Holidays will not be liable for any costs incurred by you due to your failure to take out suitable travel insurance from the date of booking.

It is your responsibility to check any health and vaccination requirements applicable to your booked arrangements. We can only provide general information about this. Health and hygiene facilities and disease risks vary from country to country. You should take health advice about your own needs as early as possible and in good time before your departure. Sources of information include. www.fco.gov.uk, www.travelhealthpro.org.uk/, www.hpa.org.uk, your General Practitioner or a specialist clinic.

This tour is accessible to most people with an average level of fitness and normal mobility. It involves moderate days of walking on uneven paths and small hills and getting on and off coaches and boats. This tour is not suitable for anyone with walking difficulties.

The currency in all four countries included in this tour is the Euro. We recommend that you exchange your currency before you leave the UK.

The currency in Finland is the Euro (EUR). We recommend that you exchange your currency before you leave the UK.

You will need to take some extra money with you to cover any meals where these are not mentioned on your itinerary and personal purchases, such as souvenirs, drinks and snacks. Approximately (£450-£550) per person should be sufficient for the duration of your tour. Please also bear in mind that there will be several shopping opportunities throughout your tour.

Tipping is at your discretion; however, we would recommend approximately (€8-10) per day. Tips are accepted in the local currency, however it is asked that if you do not tip in the local currency that you only pay with notes, as coins cannot be exchanged. Tips will be collected at the beginning/end of your tour. Tips are accepted in the local currency.

As normal practice you may be asked for your credit card details on check-in at the hotel in order to cover any extras incurred during your stay. If you do not have a credit card, you may be asked for a cash deposit. American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted in hotels.

The minimum number of travellers in your group will be 10, and the maximum will be 20. If in the unlikely event there are less than 10 people booked on your tour date, we will endeavour to reduce any disruption to your holiday and try to operate your tour with lower passenger numbers. If we are not able to operate your departure date then you may be asked to change to a different date and a full refund will be made available to you should this alternative not be suitable.

There is no minimum number of travellers for this extension however the main tour passenger numbers will apply for the main part of the tour. If in the unlikely event there are less than the required number of people booked on your main tour date then you may be asked to change to a different date. A full refund will be made available to you should this alternative not be suitable.

You will be met on arrival at the terminal by your English-Speaking Driver. This is an escorted tour where we use Local Expert guides in each country. You will also be guided by a local expert in some of the cities you visit.

Private Tour: If you have booked a private tour then you will be accompanied by a Driver Guide or a Driver and Local Guides. These will be available to you during all scheduled sightseeing. Private Tours can depart on any day of the week depending on flight and train schedules and the opening days of the attractions. They will follow the itinerary as described in the brochure unless you have been advised otherwise and you will still have all of the same meals, sightseeing and local excursions included.

Your extension is at leisure. Transfers are included.

Your accommodation is selected for convenience, location, comfort or character. Hotel accommodation is generally rated as local three to four-star standard, but please note there is no international classification system for hotels, and differences in facilities and quality do exist compared to what you might expect in the UK. All group tours hotels have private bathroom facilities and air-conditioning, where needed. Rest assured that all accommodation used by Mercury Holidays is regularly inspected by our staff and partners to ensure that standards meet your needs.

Meals will be provided as per the detailed itinerary. When included Breakfast will be of western style and served in the hotel each morning. Lunch and dinner when included will be a local restaurant or at your hotel, giving the opportunity to experience a variety of dishes and local flavours. For those days when dinner is not included your guide will be able to offer recommendations if you wish.

Vegetarian and Vegan meals can be catered for. Please contact Customer Experience for questions about other dietary requirements or allergy information.

It is not recommended to drink the tap water, even in developed counties water may contain unfamiliar elements that can cause upset stomachs. In less developed countries water is not filtered in the same way, so to ensure your comfort and well-being, two bottles of drinking water will be provided on touring days.

On your arrival in Vilnius you will be met by a representative from our local agent, Delta of Scandinavia, holding a sign displaying: “Mercury Holidays”. The Mercury Holidays/ Delta of Scandinavia representative will show you to your transfer vehicle. Your national guide will be on hand 24 hours a day should you have any queries.

On your arrival in Helsinki you will be met by a representative from our local agent, Quark Expeditions holding a sign displaying: “Mercury Holidays”. The Mercury Holidays/ Quark Expeditions representative will show you to your transfer vehicle.

If you need to contact your representative during your stay the details are:

Delta of Scandinavia: E-mail: delta@delta-scandinavia.com

Please find below the emergency contact details for Delta of Scandinavia:

24-hour contact number: 0045 488 08543.

Please find below the emergency contact details for Quark Expeditions Contact Number: +1 203 852 5580 Email Address: sarah.schlederer@quarkexpeditions.com

• Sunglasses, Sunscreen and hat in summer
• Comfortable walking shoes
• Camera and charger
• A plug adaptor - the voltage in The Baltics is 220/230 V, European 2 pin
• Antibacterial hand gel
• Insect repellent
• Binoculars
• Personal first aid kit containing travel pills, rehydration powder, plasters, stomach settlers, antiseptic creams, aspirin etc
• Small day pack for excursions
• Waterproof, lightweight jacket
• Lightweight clothing
• Sweater and jacket for the cooler months