Painting-in-Spain-2024
Barcelona-and-Costa-Brava-2024
Extremadura & Andalucia 2024
Are you a Travel Agent?
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Need more info?
Contact us
Do
you do walking tours?
Yes. For example, see Camino de
Santiago Walking through
Andalucia. We can also arrange walking tours in the
Costa Brava, the Pyrenees, etc.
Can you get me a good deal on hotel
reservations?
We provide hotel reservations only in conjunction with a
tour package. Unfortunately, there is simply not enough
margin in hotel reservations to make this feasible for us
otherwise.
Where is the calendar of scheduled tours on your
web site?
There isn't one. If you are like most of our
customers, your travel dates typically don't fit a
tour operator's predefined calendar. You also often
prefer a different mix of options than what you can get
from a fixed package. You are not in search of the lowest
price--you simply want the best customized travel
experience available. We don't typically do tours on a
predefined calendar, with a few exception where the tour
is only economically possible at specific dates, or when
the tour is arranged around a special event. We will
arrange your tour when you want it, where you want it.
Your schedule, your personalized tour. You get the benefit
of our in-depth knowledge of Spain and Portugal, and we
focus on arranging the best travel experience you can get
anywhere.
Where are the cheap tours?
If you're looking for the cheapest accommodations in
Spain, Saranjan probably can't help you, unless you
have a really large group. But if you want a high quality
custom tour experience, you're in the right place. You
can typically reduce the cost of a Saranjan Tour by
rounding up a group of people to travel together. Some
tours can only be organized at a reasonable price for a
minimum of 4 people. We can arrange tours for one or two
people, of course, but this usually comes at a much higher
cost. We have experience with groups of any size and
composition, such as alumni groups, family groups, and
other affinity groups. With our network of guides and our
extensive contacts with trustworthy service providers, we
can arrange itineraries, hotels, services and places that
we know provide the best value for demanding
travelers.
We are going to be stopping in a Spanish city
during our cruise. Can you arrange for a one day or one
half-day tour?
Probably not, unless you are willing to pay a very high
premium for the service. Because of the time and cost
involved in scheduling such a tour with high quality
guides, we normally provide tour services only in
conjunction with a multi-day tour package.
Can I run with the bulls at the Fiesta de San
Fermín in Pamplona?
That depends on how fast you can run... and on how sure
your footing is on street pavement... and on how clever
you can be in dodging the horns and other runners'
elbows... and whether you trust that your insurance can
come through... If you do want to try, or just watch how
it's done, we can arrange
it (except for the insurance if you decide to run).
But note that after March it becomes extremely difficult
to find any accommodation in Pamplona.
Do you go to Morocco?
Saranjan works with colleagues in Morocco to offer day
tours to Tangiers, Marrakech, Rabat, and Fez. Whether you
want hotels and a walking guide, or point to point private
escorted services, we can help make a trip to Morocco feel
secure and adventurous.
Are there any unspoiled beaches left in
Spain?
Yes, and even small hotels in paradise and rental villas
to match--the Tropical Coast, the Coast of Light, and
Green Spain (the North). Note that we only handle hotel
reservations or villa rentals when they are included in
complete custom tour packages.
Our Wine Club wants to do a tour of Spain. Can
you help?
Yes, with visits to small-scale, authentic producers of
the highest rated wines. Contact us for details.
We
are serious about food. What would you recommend?
Our tours that include Bilbao or San Sebastian feature
some of Spain's best dining and 4-star tapas.
All our tours feature fine dining and superb regional
wines. The Transcantabrico train journey
across the North of Spain includes meals in local
restaurants that feature typical foods of each of the
region traversed by the train.
Do you do one day wine tours only?
Yes, as add-on or in conjunction with other tours. We can
also offer a similar service in La Rioja, from Bilbao or
San Sebastián, and in Ribera del Duero, from
Madrid.
I don't like to pack and unpack every day.
What do you recommend?
We can arrange tours that return to the same hotel for
several nights. Note however that due to the distances
this might not be feasible if you want to cover several
regions. There is one way to see several regions without
unpacking though: On the Transcantabrico train journey
across the North of Spain, you unpack only once for seven
nights in your cabin with a private bathroom. The train
does not move while you are sleeping.
I can't find Spain on the map!
Believe it or not, you're not alone! Find Europe, then
look at the Southwest corner.
What is the climate like in Spain in the
Spring?
Think of Iberia as an outstretched bull's hide. The
heart is Madrid; draw a sword through the heart: to the
North is cool, to the South is warm.
What
meals are included in your typical tours?
A full breakfast daily and lunch or dinner with wine in
distinctive regional restaurants.
Do you include entrance fees?
Yes, entrance fees are included in all our tours--from
Granada's Alhambra to Bilbao's Guggenheim
Museum.
What category of hotels do you stay in?
Paradors and Pousadas, the elegant deluxe hotels found in
former palaces and monasteries. We also stay in
first-class ultra-modern city hotels and first-class
family-owned inns in the countryside.
Can you help with arrangements if I want to stay
in Spain or Portugal before or after your tour?
Yes, in conjunction with any of our packages you can
purchase a City Break program for one or more cities in
Spain or Portugal, or we can make
arrangements for your hotel and other services in any city
if you want to extend your stay before or after a
tour.
I have never been to Spain or Portugal. How
should I choose my destination?
Explore this Web site for ideas, then call us to chat with
our knowledgeable staff who will help you choose the right
program for you.
I like to travel in October or November. Where is
the best destination?
Barcelona and Andalucia, with their long autumns and
mediterranean climate.
Can I take my cell phone with me and will it work
in Spain or Portugal?
You can find answers to this and other practical questions
in our pages of practical tips
for Spain and Portugal.
Why do Spaniards eat dinner at 10pm?
Because that is the tradition. Spaniards like to have a
walk, usually with their family, before dinner, and to
dine late.
I want to walk the pilgrimage route to Santiago,
from the Pyrenees, all 500+ miles; can you help me to
arrange this?
We arrange shorter walking
tours along the Camino de Santiago, but if you want to
walk the whole distance, you might want to get in touch
with an organization that provides support to pilgrims.
See our web page with some practical tips for the Camino de
Santiago and several useful links.
What
physical condition is required for your tours?
Our custom tours are geared to the wishes and capabilities
of the individuals. Note that many historical sites and
wine cellars have no or limited accommodation for
accessibility, but some do. For more detailed information
on physical requirements for our custom designed
itineraries, or to set up a custom tour to fit your
requirements, do not hesitate to contact us.
When I search the Internet, or I
contact hotels directly, I can find prices lower than
those you quote me for some of those services. How do you
justify charging me more?
Let us consider an analogy. When you go to a restaurant,
you know that what you are being charged is more than the
price of the raw materials. And yet you pay for it,
because you know that you are paying for the convenience
of having someone else plan, select, prepare and serve the
meal. Tour operators design and plan tours that will
appeal to their customers, find accommodations and
services, and select from a choice of services those that
are the most likely to be provided with the most success.
They constantly evaluate service providers and maintain
contact with them to ensure the best possible travel
experience. This involves a whole network of contacts
and services that implies considerable work, time and
money spent by your travel agent, the tour operator, local
tour service agents or guides, and the local service
providers. Tour operators also take into account seasonal
price changes, unpublicized surcharges, availability
issues and the vagaries of currency exchange rates. For
example, a hotel may quote one price in response to a
general inquiry, but a different price when you actually
try to book a desirable room for a particular date. When
tour operators quote you a price and you sign on the
dotted line, they assume, within limits spelled out before
you sign, some of the risk that prices and exchange rates
will vary by the time the services are provided. They are
also prepared to spend time and money looking for
reasonable alternatives if a service provider fails to
deliver for whatever reason. Nothing prevents you from
planning, assembling, and tracking all this yourself, just
like nothing prevents you from assembling your own meal.
Sometimes, however, you just want to pay the professionals
to do it, and just relax and enjoy.
Do
you work with travel agents?
Most of our customers are in fact travel agents who are
using our services as destination specialists on behalf of
their own customers. If you are not a travel agent, we
will of course be happy to deal with you directly.
However, if a travel agent made the initial contact to set up a tour
for you, our policy is to continue the relationship
through that agent.
Can you recommend a travel
agent?
We may have worked with a travel agent in your area.
Contact us if you need a
referral. If you already have a travel agent, we can work
with him or her, of course. Just give us their contact
information in the travel agent box of the contact form, or ask them to get in
touch with us directly. Just tell your agent to look us up
at "www.saranjan.com" or give
him or her the contact information from our contact page.
Is it safe to
travel in Spain?
As almost everywhere, including back home, travelers to Spain and Portugal have
to be careful with their money, travel documents and other
belongings. The U.S. State department publishes
detailed Consular Information Sheets for travel in
Spain and Portugal. These sheets contain up to date
information for safe travel in Spain, as well as
information on required travel documents, etc.
Private or group escorted tours, custom affinity tours and customized independent travel packages are available to all destinations. Customized packages typically include airfare, car rental, train vouchers, and all hotels, villa and apartment rentals in connection with the custom tour.