Everything you need to know about Trek America discounts
Over the last few years I’ve had a lot of questions from people asking about Trek America discounts. So I’ve compiled this post to give you the lowdown. Whether you’re considering your first trek or are looking to do your second, third or more, there’s a Trek America discount available to please your wallet.
Travel show deals
Travel shows can be a great place to get a discount on your trek; this can be a good opportunity to meet face-to-face with the Trek America team too and learn more about what it’s like on tour. I helped out at a couple of travel shows last year in London; Destinations and the TNT Travel Show and it was lots of fun meeting other trekkers and sharing tips and experiences. As well as discounts, there’s usually a competition running, so if you’re lucky, you might even win yourself a trek! Everyone who entered the travel show competitions last year, got to takeaway a £100 voucher to use too – you don’t always have to book your trek at a travel show in order to get a fantastic discount.
Last minute deals
If you are a last-minute type of traveller, you could benefit from booking a late deal; this could save you up to 25% off the cost of your tour. You’ll have to pay the balance upfront though but there’s nothing quite like that spontaneous feeling of booking something last-minute and bagging a deal in the process! Of course late deals are not for everyone; if you have work or study commitments and know exactly where you want to go and when, you’re probably better off booking sooner rather than later, to avoid disappointment.
Multi-trip deals
Combining your treks is another way to save money. Choose a multi-trip deal and save 5%.
Au pairs and camp counsellors
If you plan to work in the US, Trek America has got you covered with some great discounts for au pairs, camp leaders and camp counsellors:
- Au pairs can save 20%
- Camp leaders and counsellors can save 10% and if a friend travels with you too, they can also save 10%.
NUS discounts
The National Union of Students are advertising the following discounts:
Frequent Trekkers club; for those who just can’t get enough!
Trek America discounts for frequent Trekkers are fantastic! In order to benefit you have to have travelled with Trek America once before. You also need to register for the Frequent Trekkers Club (FTC). As a member of the FTC you get:
- 5% off your second and third trek
- 10% off after your third trek
Plus you can combine discounts, so you can use your FTC discount with last minute and multi-trip discounts, up to a maximum of 20% – not bad, hey? FTC discounts are also valid with Grand American Adventures, providing even more choice and flexibility.
Other ways to save
As well as bagging yourself a sweet Trek America discount, you can also save money other ways.
Cheaper tour dates
If you can be flexible about when you travel, you’ll notice that some tour dates for the same trek are cheaper than others. These cheaper tour dates can usually be found at the start and end of a season; more expensive tour dates are likely to include extras such as travelling during special holidays e.g. New Orleans for Mardi Gras or Vegas for New Years. Travelling off-peak can also mean you can access better flight deals too. You can easily check prices either in the brochure or on the “dates and prices” tab for each tour page on Trek America’s website.
Gift vouchers
If you’re planning to travel with Trek America or you’ve already booked your Trek America tour and are paying off the balance, you could consider asking friends and family to help you out by suggesting they buy you gift vouchers for your birthday and/or Christmas.
Gift vouchers are available in 20s and 50s in three currencies: British Pound, Euro and USD.
Competitions
Look out for competitions on social media. #Blog4Trek is one example of a current Trek America competition.
Tour extras
Travel insurance
It’s mandatory to have travel insurance in place before joining a Trek America tour and you can buy that insurance from Trek America; you might want to shop around but when comparing prices with insurance policies from other providers, always compare the policy details – the benefits and level of cover, not just the price; not all insurance policies are created equal.
Visas and the Visa Waiver Program
Citizens of the UK, Australia and New Zealand, as well as many EU countries, are eligible to travel to the US under the Visa Waiver Program. Save money by applying for your Visa Waiver through the official website; there are unfortunately lots of sites out there charging a lot of money, so always access the site via an official source. Trek America’s website links directly to the official Visa Waiver Program. Check your eligibility to travel well in advance and if you do require a travel visa, contact your relevant embassy for further guidance.
Flights
If you need flights from the UK, Trek America can provide you with a quote for that. Again, you might want to compare prices before you buy but bear in mind, if your tour departure date isn’t yet guaranteed and you book flights with another company, you won’t necessarily get a refund from that airline/travel company, if your tour date is cancelled (due to low numbers, or for any other reason). Another benefit to booking your flights with Trek America is that you don’t have to pay for them upfront – unless you’re booking a late deal. Read more about the benefits of booking your flights with Trek America I always book a guaranteed departure date. See Trek’s FAQs for more information about guaranteed departures.
Pre-tour and post-tour hotels
Trek America tours usually begin at 7.30am and finish between 5-6pm at their gateway hotels, so you need to ensure you have accommodation before your tour begins and afterwards – unless you plan to fly the night the tour ends; if you fly out on the last day, Trek advise you don’t book a flight from the departure city before 9pm – incase there are unexpected problems on the road (for example). Booking your pre-tour and post-tour accommodation with Trek can save you money. You have the option to book a shared room with someone of the same gender or your own room; this is usually cheaper than booking with the hotel direct. If you think it’s more cost effective for you to stay in a hostel at the other side of town, consider how much it will cost you and how long it will take for you to get to the gateway hotel for 7.30am; personally I always find it better to stay at the gateway hotel. Trek also provide advice on how to get to the gateway hotels from airports, so by researching in advance you can avoid paying excessive taxi prices. Find out more by reading Trek tips. If you also find your Trek buddies in advance of the tour, you might also find someone arriving at the airport at the same time as you who you can travel to the hotel with. You can find Trek buddies on Trek America Live and Facebook.
Private departures
Trek America offer private departures for groups of 8 or more, based upon their published itineraries. You may find you can negotiate yourself a discount if you can get a group together. Private departures can be great for groups of friends, families and co-workers; contact Trek America to find out more.
How do you save money on your Trek America tours?
If you’ve got any tips to add, I’ d love to hear them. Let me know, by posting in the comments, below.
Disclaimer: I was not asked to write this for Trek America. All deals, discounts and advice correct at time of publishing.