Frequently Asked Questions

At Superb Tours, we offer a range of extended tours designed for over-60s to suit the interests and needs of senior groups. You can browse our available tours here on our website via the relevant tabs above. Step 1: Choose a Tour If a tour catches your interest, contact us for a sample itinerary with more details. The prices listed on our itineraries are indicative and subject to change based on supplier costs. Prices are based on a minimum of 35 passengers travelling on a full-sized tour coach unless stated otherwise. If your group has less passengers, we can provide alternative indicative pricing. Step 2: Advise Availability & Make Adjustments Once your group has chosen a tour, let us know your preferred travel dates, and we’ll check availability. When possible, we make tentative reservations for accommodation and major attractions, allowing you to promote the tour, gauge interest, and collect deposits. Once your group has enough confirmed passengers and the required deposits, we finalise accommodation and major bookings and secure any remaining suppliers. Some minor adjustments may be needed based on availability and your group’s preferences. Step 3: Receive a Tour Confirmation Pack When your itinerary and pricing are finalised, we’ll send you a Tour Confirmation Pack, which includes: ✔️ A detailed itinerary with confirmed pricing and your travel dates ✔️ Our Booking Terms & Conditions ✔️ A security deposit invoice ✔️ Templates for passenger rooming lists and emergency contact details ✔️ A clear breakdown of due dates Step 4: Secure Your Group's Booking To confirm your tour, a non-refundable deposit is required. This allows us to finalise arrangements with our suppliers. Step 5: Final Details For extended tours, at least five weeks before departure, we require: ✅ Final passenger numbers ✅ A completed rooming list with passenger names and room preferences ✅ A passenger list with full names and their emergency contact details ✅ A list of any dietary requirements (with full names and detailed dietary requirement) Step 6: Final Payment For extended tours, the final payment is due four weeks before departure. Payment Terms: If no deposit has been paid due to time constraints, full payment is required six weeks before departure. We do not accept split payments. Direct bank deposit is our preferred payment method. Cheques are not accepted due to rising bank charges. Credit card payments incur a 1.5% surcharge. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. We’re here to help make your booking process smooth and hassle-free!

The pricing indicated as 'From' in our sample itineraries is a reflection of our best efforts to provide accurate costs at the time of publishing. However, it's important to note that these prices are susceptible to changes if our suppliers choose to implement adjustments. Supplier Pricing: Our utmost priority is securing the most favourable prices from our network of suppliers when you book with us. These suppliers operate on a variety of pricing structures; some adhere to fixed group rates, while others offer quotes based on specific requests, often tied to seasonal variations. Pricing updates occur periodically, either aligned with the calendar year or their fiscal cycle, according to individual supplier practices. In some instances, changes occur beyond our awareness, such as when suppliers transfer ownership or cease operations altogether. When new management takes over, they naturally evaluate and potentially revise pricing and offerings. This introduces an element of unpredictability in guaranteeing stable pricing until we approach the departure dates. Superb Tours is dedicated to maintaining the stability of quoted prices by absorbing cost increases whenever possible. Regrettably, there are occasions when these increases surpass our capacity to absorb them, necessitating a pass-through of these augmented costs to our valued customers. Please be assured that we continually strive to uphold our commitment to you throughout the entire tour experience.

Many of the suppliers we work with such as hotels, attractions, and restaurants require non-refundable deposits to secure group bookings. This policy protects their business in case of last-minute cancellations, especially for large groups. Why is this necessary? In the wake of the COVID pandemic, it has become common for suppliers to request upfront, non-refundable deposits. For example, if a family-run motel holds 25 rooms for your group and the booking is cancelled at short notice, they may struggle to rebook those rooms, resulting in financial loss. In many cases, they may have even turned away other potential guests to accommodate your group. On the plus side, these advance commitments often allow us to secure exclusive group discounts, which aren’t available for last-minute, flexible-rate bookings. How does Superb Tours handle deposits? We follow the deposit policies set by our suppliers, but we also do our best to negotiate extended deposit deadlines. We understand that many of our senior groups operate through committees that need time to approve itineraries before promoting the tour to members. Additionally, we recognise the challenges in collecting deposits from individual participants. That said, flexibility depends on the supplier. While we always strive to accommodate your needs, some deposit deadlines are fixed to ensure fair arrangements for both our travellers and our suppliers. If you have any concerns about deposits, please reach out, we’re happy to assist!

Yes! We provide comprehensive itineraries for all our tours to help you and your group members plan with confidence. For groups considering a tour, we can offer sample itineraries as a starting point. The final itinerary will depend on your group’s preferred travel dates and availability. If we are customising a tour specifically for your group, we take a strategic approach by making tentative reservations with key suppliers such as hotels, transport providers, and major attractions. This allows us to provide you with a draft itinerary that outlines the tour schedule and estimated costs. At the same time, this process helps us determine any deposit requirements from suppliers. Once your group confirms the booking, we finalise all visits and activities and issue you with a final itinerary with all the dates and details. If you have any specific requests or would like to see a sample itinerary, please get in touch, we’re happy to assist!

Of course! We'd be happy to help. Our laser printer can produce high-quality, vibrant copies of your tour itinerary. Just let us know how many copies you need and the best postal address for your club or group, and we’ll get them sent out to you as soon as possible. Your tour documents will be on their way in no time!

If you get tour-related questions from your group that you’re unsure about (and trust us, we’ve heard some unusual ones—like "Are the motel mattresses made of latex?"), don’t worry! Just collect the questions and reach out to us by phone or email. If we don’t already have the answer, we’ll find out and get back to you. To keep our tours affordable, we streamline communication by working directly with one coordinator per group - that’s you! This helps us focus on delivering the best possible experience for your group without fielding questions from multiple individuals. We appreciate your help in keeping things running smoothly, and we’re always here to support you!

Certainly, we completely understand that your club or group wishes to account for those thoughtful extras like bus trip treats or celebratory drinks. Just inform us of the specific pricing you'd like to reflect on the itinerary. Your tour, your way – we're here to make it happen.

We completely understand the challenges that group tour coordinators face in rallying members to embark on a tour. In addition to offering comprehensive itineraries, we're delighted to provide an extra level of support. This comes in the form of a professionally designed slide presentation, encompassing all the crucial details, tour highlights, and vital information. This resource is aimed at simplifying your role. Whether you choose to display the slide presentation during club or group meetings using a screen, or opt to distribute it via email to your members, it offers an engaging and informative way to introduce the tour. Our intention is to alleviate the effort of promoting the tour, making it as effortless and impactful as possible for you and your members.

Our standard pricing is based on a minimum of 35 passengers, and we can provide alternative pricing for smaller groups on request. For groups of 41 or more paying passengers, a discount will apply. We understand that some groups prefer to allocate 'free tickets' —for example, as club prizes or for special guests like clergy or caregivers. While 'free tickets' are still an option, they require a tailored approach. If you'd like to include them, we can recalculate your group's pricing to factor them in. These 'free tickets' are typically based on twin/double-share accommodation, but we can adjust for single rooms if needed. Keep in mind that their availability still depends on meeting the agreed minimum required number of participants for your tour. It’s also important to note that while you refer to them as “free” tickets, the cost is spread across the remaining group members. Our goal is to be transparent about how this works so you can make the best decision for your group. Let us know if you’d like us to run the numbers for you!

Our minimum group size is 35 passengers because, from experience, we’ve found that while many groups aim for 40 or more, it can be difficult to consistently reach that number. Setting a lower minimum helps avoid last-minute fundraising efforts to cover costs. This also ensures passenger comfort, as having extra seats allows people to move around, sit alone if they wish, or chat with different travel companions. For groups with fewer than 35 passengers, we can provide alternative pricing options. It’s important to note that some costs, like coach hire, are shared across the entire group. If numbers fall below the minimum, these costs remain the same, making the tour less financially viable. If your group exceeds 41 paying passengers at the final count, we’ll be able to offer a discount for each passengers or if you wish, add another tour inclusion as an unexpected treat. Our goal is to keep pricing fair and tours comfortable while making the booking process as smooth as possible. Let us know how we can help!

At Superb Tours, we have a strong preference for partnering with Bayside Coaches to provide our tour transportation and driver guides. If they’re unavailable for a particular booking, they help us find a suitable alternative. To ensure everything runs smoothly, we provide Drivers Instructions (DI’s)—a detailed guide with all the key tour information that we share with the coach company. Bayside Coaches operates a modern fleet, mainly consisting of two-door coaches with onboard restrooms. These coaches have seat belts and comfortable leather seating, with a maximum capacity of 48 passengers. They also offer 57-seater coaches with one door and no restroom, which have less legroom. For day trips, we can also use mini buses that can hold up to 24 passengers. While great for short trips, these buses are not ideal for extended tours, especially for senior groups, due to smaller seats, less legroom, and the lack of an onboard restroom. Our goal is to ensure your group has a comfortable and enjoyable journey, and our partnership with Bayside Coaches helps us achieve this.

Yes, we understand how important it is to have a familiar driver guide. When you book with us, we can request your preferred driver from Bayside Coaches. While we do our best to accommodate this request, there may be times when your preferred driver isn’t available for your tour. If that happens, Bayside Coaches will do their best to find a suitable replacement. We typically receive driver confirmations about a month before your departure and will share this with you as soon as we know. If, for any reason, your requested driver is unavailable on the day of departure (such as illness), Bayside Coaches will arrange a replacement. Rest assured, all of Bayside Coaches’ driver guides are experienced, friendly, and skilled at providing an enjoyable and smooth tour experience. Your comfort and satisfaction are always their top priority.

At Superb Tours, we focus on making your group's tour enjoyable and cost-effective. We only include an extra crew member when it's really needed. For example, on our Sydney Tours, we add a crew member to help with getting your group to activity bookings when the driver isn't able to park on site. By keeping this approach, we can offer competitive prices. However, there may be times when your driver needs some assistance at certain locations. In these cases, we might ask you, as the Tour Coordinator, to help manage things—like when arriving at a dinner booking if the driver is still parking the coach. Our goal is to make sure your tour is smooth and enjoyable, while giving you the best value for your group’s experience.

Our itineraries clearly list which meals are included, marked with a bold asterisk (*). For example: "Tonight, enjoy a two-course dinner* at the hotel's restaurant." Breakfast: We usually include breakfast in the tour, either as a cooked or buffet option. If only a continental breakfast is available, we will note it on the itinerary. Dinner: We typically include two-course dinners. These are often at local clubs, pubs, or restaurants that can accommodate large groups. In some cases, you might need to pre-select your meals. As the Tour Coordinator, we’ll send you a form for your group to fill out, and timely submissions help us ensure everything runs smoothly. Lunch: Lunch is included only in places where it’s difficult for large groups to find a meal quickly, like remote towns. If you'd prefer lunch included, let us know and we'll try to arrange it. If not, we'll inform local eateries ahead of time, such as bakeries or roadhouses. Feedback has taught us that many passengers prefer lighter lunches, when breakfast and dinner are substantial. We aim to make the meals work for your group’s preferences, ensuring a great experience.

Your group's dietary needs are very important to us. To ensure everyone is taken care of, please provide a list of any food allergies, special dietary requirements, or religious dietary preferences when you send us your final passenger numbers and rooming list. This will allow us to notify our suppliers in advance and make sure appropriate meals are arranged. It’s important to remember that dietary needs can be health-related, not just preferences, so we want to make sure everyone is safe and satisfied. By giving suppliers enough notice, they can prepare suitable meals and plan for any special needs. Please note that dietary requests made after this time or on the day of the tour may not be able to be accommodated. We recommend collecting this information from your group as soon as they confirm their bookings to ensure the best dining experience for everyone.

When planning tours for groups, we consider several factors to ensure a comfortable stay. One key aspect is the ability to book enough rooms, typically 25 or more, depending on the group size and single room needs. We also ensure the accommodations can accommodate a full-size coach and offer suitable parking. We select accommodations based on providing the best value for your group, considering things like ground floor room access, lifts, walk-in showers, twin rooms, breakfast options, and on-site dining. In regional areas, we often choose comfortable 3-star motor inns that are ideal for groups. For city or popular destinations, we sometimes must use 4-star hotels to suit the needs of the group. Our goal is to offer a balance of comfort, convenience, and affordability to create an enjoyable and memorable experience for everyone.

The rooming list is essential for securing accommodations for your group. It provides our partner motels, motor inns, and hotels with the specific room requirements, such as single, twin, double, or sometimes triple rooms. Hotels usually reserve a set number of rooms for large group bookings, so providing this list early ensures they can accommodate your group properly. In some cases, hotels allow us a certain number of room changes within a set time without extra charges. Our due dates for the rooming list align with these agreements. For senior tours, many of our groups require twin-share rooms. Hotels will inform us about the availability of these rooms when we make the booking, so we can pass this info to you, the tour coordinator. This helps you manage bookings and avoid any issues. If your group needs a lot of specific room types, please let us know when you book to help us secure the best accommodations. We also ask for passengers' first and last names on the rooming list, as this is often required for the hotel's booking system, ensuring smooth check-ins for your group.

While our focus is on private group tours, we’re happy to help connect you with other local clubs to make your tour happen.If you’re open to collaborating, we can tentatively book a tour for your group and share it with nearby clubs we’re connected with to help fill the numbers. Alternatively, if you prefer, we can keep your details on file and notify you if a similar opportunity arises to team up with another group in your area. Let us know your preference, and we’ll do our best to accommodate your needs!

Our tours are designed with flexibility and comfort in mind, and we’re happy to tailor the itinerary to meet the needs of your group. The itineraries you see are samples and can be adjusted after a discussion with one of our team members. We’ll work closely with you to ensure that the pace, activities, and stops suit your group’s mobility levels. For activities that involve a bit more walking, we always include plenty of rest stops. If someone isn’t feeling up to a particular activity on the day, they can choose to skip it and enjoy a bit of downtime instead. We want everyone to feel comfortable and enjoy their time with us, so let us know how we can make the experience perfect for your group!

We strongly recommend that all passengers purchase Domestic Travel Insurance to cover any unforeseen circumstances. This ensures peace of mind and protection for medical or other unexpected expenses. Please note that arranging travel insurance is the responsibility of each individual passenger. If a group member becomes unwell during the tour, our driver will do their best to assist. This may include helping the passenger access medical attention, such as providing transport to a local doctor or hospital if possible. However, the driver’s primary responsibility is to deliver the tour experience for the group as a whole. We encourage groups to discuss any specific needs or concerns with our team before departure to ensure everyone has a safe and enjoyable experience.

Yes, both Superb Tours and Bayside Coaches are fully insured for your peace of mind. Superb Tours holds Public Liability Insurance. Bayside Coaches holds Motor Fleet Insurance as well as Public Liability Insurance. Copies of the current Certificates of Currency can be provided upon request. If you have any further questions about our insurance coverage, feel free to contact us.

Our cancellation policy is outlined in detail in our "Booking Terms and Conditions", which you’ll recieve with your Tour Confirmation Pack. These are also available upon request at any time. If a passenger needs to cancel after payment has been made, a member of the Superb Tours team will work on your behalf to request refunds from our suppliers. While we cannot guarantee the outcome as we are reliant on the policies of our supply chain, we will do our best to assist wherever possible. We strongly recommend that all passengers purchase Domestic Travel Insurance. This is the responsibility of each individual passenger and helps cover any unforeseen circumstances that may arise.