Show of the Month Travel Club travel programs are an exclusive benefit for Show of the Month Club members. Non-members may travel with the club, provided the following two conditions are met prior to traveling: Travel with a current member(s) of Show of the Month Club (at no extra fee) or be charged an additional $35 fee for a 2 year membership in Show of the Month Club.

Our travel programs are primarily designed for adult travelers, but children can be accommodated on select programs. Most are suited for older children (8 and older) with the necessary curiosity and interest. Children under 12 years of age will usually pay a child rate for both or either air and hotel arrangements (this varies per program). Children over the age of 12 must pay full price unless otherwise indicated. A parent or guardian must accompany travelers under the age of 18.

We always use hotels that are rated at least three-stars or better. On select programs, we feature deluxe 4 or 5-star hotels and resorts. Most include daily breakfast. You may choose from double, twin, or single accommodations; occasionally, triples and quads are available. To ensure your privacy, single accommodations always require a single supplement (an additional charge to have a private room). We do not match single travelers with roommates.

Hotel information will be sent with a pre-departure itinerary after booking, and with final information sent approximately 2-3 weeks prior to departure. Please note: While we make every effort to ensure special room requests, special requests are at the discretion of the hotel and cannot be guaranteed.

Please make any special meal or seating requests with Show of the Month Travel Club, not directly with the airline. Let us know of any special requests you may have upon booking - the earlier we have your request, the better our chance of having it fulfilled.

Because we reserve GROUP air space, you will not be able to check on your reservation or make requests directly with the carrier prior to departure. While we make every effort to ensure your requests, we cannot guarantee them. It is at the discretion of the air carrier to fulfill any special requests. Many carriers do not allow seating to be assigned until check in at the airport.

Please note: Show of the Month Travel Club assumes no responsibility for applying Frequent Flyer Miles toward tickets arranged through The Club, or any other tour operator affiliated with Show of the Month Travel Club. Please be aware - some Frequent Flyer Miles may not be applied toward certain classes of service under which tickets have been issued. Information on your tickets cannot be obtained prior to departure, so please remember to retain your boarding passes, as you may need to submit that information to the airline to redeem miles.

Passengers seeking to extend their travel arrangements are allowed to extend their return date, not their departure.* Air deviation charges will apply toward each ticket, and varying fees apply according to each individual airline. Extension arrangements must be made directly with our office, not with the airline. Please note: Show of the Month Travel Club is not liable for any charges incurred for passengers who have made their own travel arrangements in conjunction with the base tour.

*Depending on whether a pre-tour extension is offered.

Cruising usually requires several details to be reviewed and discussed before and after your initial booking. We encourage you to call or email us with your questions about cabins, meal times, excursions, etc. at any time.

If you are interested in reserving one of our cruises and have questions about cabin types and ship details, please contact us at 617-338-1111 (press #3 for Travel Services).

You can expect to receive travel documents (final flight and hotel itineraries, information and air or cruise tickets (if applicable) * approximately 2-3 weeks prior to departure* - usually via Airborne Express or another certified carrier. For some programs, such as theater weekends - information will be sent by surface mail. Documents for all passengers cannot be released until full payment conditions have been met. *Our affiliates also send documents on a similar time schedule.

Please note: We reserve the right to make changes to your itinerary, if deemed necessary, at any time prior to departure.

*SOMC Travel and/or some of our affiliates may not send air tickets directly to you. In some cases, tickets or passes will be handed to you at the airport prior to check-in. Your final documents will specify this.

Traveling internationally, a US Passport with at least six months of validity (after your return date) is required. For some countries, a Visa is required. For travelers who are not US citizens, you must consult the embassy of your destination for Visa requirements. Visa information will be mailed to you, or, we recommend Express Visa Service http://www.expressvisa.com

For U.S. citizens flying to Canada a passport is required. However, US citizens arriving in Canada by land or water do not need a passport until at least summer 2009. American citizens crossing the border into Canada by land or water need ID that proves two things: 1) Citizenship, and 2) Identity by way of a photo. A driver's license on its own or a Social Security Card on its own are not valid ID to cross the Canadian border.

The following pieces of identification will serve as satisfactory proof of American citizenship to enter Canada.
US passport
OR
Birth certificate
OR
Certificate of citizenship or naturalization

AND
Photo ID, such as current driver's license
 

For more information on requirements and travel advisories, check frequently online at: http://travel.state.gov/

Where indicated, you will be provided with a Show of the Month Club escort. The role of your host is to provide assistance with check-in at the airport, oversee transfers, and assist with accommodations and customer care issues throughout your trip.

This escort is not a certified tour guide. Local guides or tour leaders are provided on nearly all of the programs we offer, and they are responsible for leading sightseeing groups and lecturing.

Show of the Month Travel Club directly manages a number of the tours offered; however, we do offer some programs that are managed by professional tour operators hired as independent contractors. This allows us to offer a wider variety of travel opportunities to our members.

Please note: We do request that you contact Show of the Month Travel Club directly with regard to any questions, concerns or changes that you may have. Please do not contact the designated operator.

Payments for Travel Club trips may be made with MasterCard, Visa, a Personal Check, or Money Order. All of our trips include service charges, so the only additional charge is airport departure tax when applicable (see individual trips).

After your reservation and deposit are received, we will send a confirmation/invoice that will indicate the due date of your final payment, along with travel insurance information, which you can expect within a couple of days after booking.

Please note: All cruise payments must be made directly to Show of the Month Travel Club.

Tips to drivers, guides and escorts are not included in the price of your trip. However, tipping is your personal choice and will not be discouraged if you choose to tip in recognition of good service. Suggested tipping guidelines are $3-5 per person per day for tour guides, $2-3 per person per day for city guides, $1-2 per person per day for bus drivers. Portage service (baggage handling) is included so tipping is not necessary. Tipping is optional.

Protecting yourself against unexpected medical emergencies before traveling (your own, a family member’s, or a travel companion’s) is a smart investment - so we strongly urge you to consider purchasing traveler’s insurance. Show of the Month Travel Club recommends CSA Travel Protection for your travel insurance needs*. You may visit their web site at: www.csatravelprotection.com for more information.

*Some providers offer their own travel insurance plans, like Collette Vacations, for example. Although not required, we strongly recommend that these individual plans be purchased for these programs to provide the most comprehensive coverage. Purchase must be made at time of booking.

Reservations may be cancelled only by written notice to the Show of the Month Club.

For international programs, cancellations received no later than 90 days in advance of departure will be refunded in full less a $50 per person cancellation fee and the cost of any theater ticket/s involved; cancellations received within 90 days of departure are subject to a $50 per person administrative charge, the cost of any theater ticket involved, and are further subject to any charges for non-refundable expenses incurred by the Club on behalf of the cancelling party.

The same policy applies to domestic programs, however, we require a 60 day advance notice of cancellation, plus the $50 administrative charge.

If an airfare represents any part of the trip cost, any penalties assessed by the airline due to cancellation by the member will be passed on to the Club Member.

Health and safety is of the utmost concern before, during, and after traveling. Please review your information carefully to ensure that you are prepared to meet the physical demands of a program. Generally, longer programs can be filled with long travel days on a coach (rest stops included), and a lot of walking and standing (possibly on uneven or steep surfaces), and some destinations may have altitude or other environmental concerns. It is also important to be aware that many sites, especially in Europe, are not designed to accommodate wheelchairs or mobility aids. Please let us know if this is a concern before reserving your trip.

Show of the Month Travel Club makes no recommendations with regard to immunizations or other medical concerns. You must consult your doctor regarding health concerns for a particular destination, or consult the CDC for the best source of traveler’s health information - they even include information for specific countries. Please consult their web site at: http://www.cdc.gov/travel/ or call the Travelers Health Hotline at 1-877-FYI-TRIP for more information.

Departure/security/fuel taxes, fees, charges and surcharges are accurate at press time, but are subject to change and increases may be levied at the discretion of the individual airline. Passengers will be responsible for any applicable increases.

Show of the Month Club, LLC. ("The Club") acts only as agents for the services provided such as: hotels, theatres, bus companies, railroads, air carriers, owners and contractors. By the acceptance of such reservations and tickets, the tour member agrees to the foregoing and also agrees that neither Show of the Month Club, LLC, nor any of their agents shall be or become liable or responsible for any injury, loss, cost, accident, expense or damage to person, property or otherwise in connection with any accommodations, transportation or other services.

Further, flight delays and rescheduling are unfortunate, but are an inherent risk of all air travel and are outside the responsibility of the Club. The Club act only as an agent for the airlines and other transportation companies. Accordingly, the Club can assume no liability for, and the participant agrees that the Club shall not be responsible for, any loss, expense, delay or inconvenience caused by, whether negligent or otherwise, any airline, other transportation company or any other supplier which provides services to the Club.

The Club reserves the right to withdraw the tour due to insufficient participation or for any reason whatsoever. The Club reserves the right to decline, accept or retain, at any time and for any reason, any person as a participant in the trip. If any person is removed by the Club from the trip, the Club' only obligation shall be to refund to such person a fraction of the trip price, the numerator of which fraction shall be the Club' cost for the person's unused services and the denominator of which shall be the Club' cost for the person's entire trip.

In the event of cancellation of the trip, the liability, if any, of Show of the Month Club, LLC. shall be limited to refunding to the member any amounts paid for the trip by him/her, which amounts have not or will not otherwise be refunded to him/her.

What kinds of travel experiences do you offer?
We offer several types of travel options - from fully-planned Group Tours where you’ll travel with the group, yet have the freedom and flexibility to explore on your own - to our ever-popular Theater Weekends and Drive-Yourself Getaways. Lots of choices are one of the most valuable benefits of your Travel Club membership!

Do I need to be a member to travel with the club?
Before you reserve, we do require that you become a member in order to take one of our trips. However, only one member of your party or family must be a Show of the Month Club member. We make it easy to join for new members! When you reserve your first trip, a $35 one-time two-year membership fee will be added to your bill. If you are already a Show of the Month Club member - it’s included in your membership.

To see more details on membership offers and benefits - just click here to view member benefits.

How do I reserve one of your travel programs?
There are 3 ways in which you may complete a travel reservation:

• Reserve online now. Just choose the travel program you would like (organized by season on the travel home page, or under the Trips menu at the top of the page), and scroll toward the bottom of the page. There will be a button to click that will lead you to a secure online reservation form.
  
  
• Call us between 9am and 5pm EST at 617-338-1111 and press 3 for Travel Services. We’ll take your reservation right over the phone with a credit card.
  
  
• Fax us at 617-423-7108 with your reservation details and credit card number to reserve your space.
  
  
• Mail us a personal check, money order or your credit card information with the reservation form located in the center of your CLUBMail catalogue.

When should I reserve?
If you’re interested in traveling with us, we urge you to book as soon as possible, since many of our trips sell out quickly!

Do I need to secure my reservation with an initial deposit?
$300 per passenger is required to guarantee your reservation for a trip priced over $500. A $150 deposit is required for all travel programs under $500. We take Visa, Mastercard and American Express credit cards, personal checks and money orders. We regret that reservations cannot be held tentatively.

Please note: If you are making your reservations on or after the reservation deadline, full payment may be required at the time of booking.

What do I get when I become a member?
Each season we’ll send you our full-color catalogue with all of our latest members only exclusive travel programs and theater information. New! For even more added value to your membership - we now have a weekly email newsletter so you can catch up on last-minute specials and the latest news.

Are your trips escorted?
Yes, unless otherwise specified. Please refer to individual pre-departure itineraries (downloadable PDF files) for specific information.

Whenever possible, a well-traveled member of our staff or an associate travels along with you to ensure the best possible experience. Many of the destinations we offer are hand picked favorites of our well-traveled circle of staff and associates - and we always enjoy sharing our personal travel experience and knowledge with members. We’re glad to help - just ask!

See something we haven’t covered?
Contact us online here with your questions, or visit the Travel Guidelines page.