On international tours, participants usually stay in multiple-bedded rooms, often with two beds depending on the destination and tour type. Group leaders create the rooming list before departure. Participants may request a single room for a supplemental fee. In destinations where tour accommodations are based on triples or quads, a double room supplement may apply for anyone who wants to room with only one other person. Group leaders are guaranteed the comfort and privacy of a single room on tour. On cruises and overnight ferries, rooming may differ. Rooming upgrades can be requested during registration or by contacting questions@encoretours.com.

Inclusions vary by tour, but most programs include breakfast each morning and a number of dinners. Meals are planned to balance local flavor with familiar options so participants can experience the destination and still feel comfortable and satisfied.

Your Encore Tour Manager is your group leader’s partner on tour. They help keep the itinerary running smoothly, provide educational commentary, assist with hotel check-ins, recommend places for lunch, answer questions, and help the group navigate each destination. Most importantly, they understand the needs of directors, performers, and traveling ensembles.

Inclusions vary from tour to tour, but many programs include round-trip flights, hotels, breakfasts, selected dinners, sightseeing, entrances, and performance arrangements. Your itinerary and tour materials will show the specific inclusions for your group. Our itineraries are designed to pair meaningful performance opportunities with thoughtful travel experiences.

Log in to My Account. If you registered online and already created a username and password, enter that information to access your account. If you have not selected a username and password, or if you forgot your login details, you can reset your username and password. Please note that both username and password are case-sensitive.

Don’t worry, we can help. First, check the following:

• Enter your login and password exactly as you created them. Both are case-sensitive.
• If you are on a mobile device, make sure your device has not added an extra space at the end.
• Make sure you are logging into the correct trip. Participants need new account information for each trip they take with Encore.
• Double check that you clicked Login instead of Register to avoid creating a duplicate account.

If you are still having trouble, you can reset your username and password. Unless you are a group leader or assistant group leader, select participant, even if you are a parent logging in to your child’s account. To retrieve or reset your account information, enter the email used during registration. Minor participants may also use the parent email on the account. If you do not receive the reset email within a few minutes, please check your Spam folder.

If you have tried resetting your password and still cannot log in, or if you did not receive a reset email, please email questions@encoretours.com and we will help sort it out.

Yes. Log in to My Account, click My Profile, and select Personal Info. Scroll down to Account Information and click the edit button. You will need to enter your current password before creating a new one.

Yes. The Automatic Payment Plan gives you more time to pay, no deadlines to remember, and flexible payment options to match your family’s needs. You will also receive a $50 discount. Learn more.

Encore Travel Vouchers can be used toward future travel with Encore, ACIS, or our parent company AIFS. You can use a voucher on any Encore or ACIS program outside of the USA and Canada, including Encore Experiences and ACIS fixed-date trips. Vouchers can also be used on college-level programs through AIFS Abroad and Global Experiences international internships. Vouchers are fully transferable, which means they can be sold or given to a friend who is interested in an eligible program. Each new traveler can use one voucher toward part of their trip, and vouchers must be redeemed for travel starting within two years of the issue date.

To redeem a voucher in your name, or in the name of another traveler you wish to transfer it to, send an email from the address associated with the account to questions@encoretours.com and indicate how the voucher should be applied. Please include the voucher ID, along with the full name and Account ID of the traveler receiving the voucher. You may also scan and email the completed voucher to questions@encoretours.com.

Refunds depend on your protection plan. We strongly encourage participants to review their coverage and consider upgrading to our Ultimate-Plus or Ultimate plans. These upgraded plans provide a full refund, less the cost of the protection plan itself, for any reason up to four days prior to departure, and a full refund for a covered reason up to one day prior to departure. Participants who do not upgrade have Basic Protection, which provides a partial refund up to 30 days prior to departure.

Yes. Encore and ACIS offer several fixed-date programs that are open to small groups and individual travelers. We also offer Encore Experiences, our music appreciation travel program for adult travelers.

To upgrade your protection plan, log in to My Account and click your plan in the Account Overview section. You may elect to change your plan up to 130 days prior to departure.

We hope you will reconsider, as we would love to travel with you. If you need to cancel, please complete this Cancellation Form. The requested email address must be the traveler’s email address, or for a minor, the email address of the parent or guardian listed on the account. A confirmation email will be sent to that address immediately. If you do not receive it, please email questions@encoretours.com. We cannot take cancellations over the phone or through chat. Your refund will be based on your protection plan and the date you submit the form.

If you upgraded your protection plan to Ultimate-Plus or Ultimate, and you cancel for a covered reason up to 24 hours prior to departure, you will receive a full refund in cash, less the cost of the plan itself, when you provide the following documentation to Encore:

• Medical reason: a letter from your doctor on letterhead with the date of onset and diagnosis.
• Job loss: a letter from your employer within 7 days of termination.
• Death in the family: proof such as an obituary or death certificate.

Refunds can take up to 45 days from the date of cancellation.

Refunds are typically returned in the form you paid. If you paid by checking or savings account, you will receive a check. If you paid with a credit card, the payment will be returned to the card. For credit card refunds, equal percentages of the refund will be returned to each card used. For example, if you made five payments of $100 and the penalty was 10%, you would receive 90% back from each payment transaction. Due to credit card company contracts, refunds must be sent back in the form used for payment. If a credit card refund rejects because the account is closed, expired, or paid in full, we can issue a check as long as proof is provided to questions@encoretours.com.

Refund checks are printed in the traveler’s name because Encore legally has the full name of the traveler upon registration. If a parent, guardian, or someone other than the traveler paid for the trip, Encore does not have payment information saved in a way that allows us to verify who made each payment. If you are a parent who paid for your child’s tour and your child is a minor, they may be able to endorse the check over to you. If the minor is too young to sign, please email questions@encoretours.com to request that the check be reissued with the correct full name and address.

Encore sends refund checks to the address we have on file. You can view the address in My Account on the My Profile page. Please make sure your mailing address is up to date. Any changes or updates can be sent to questions@encoretours.com.

There’s no better gift than a meaningful travel experience. To help make travel more accessible, Encore offers a Personal Fundraising platform for every participant who has signed up for a tour. We also offer the option of a free trip to London or Paris to every group that travels internationally with Encore to use as a fundraiser.

No visas are required for U.S. citizens traveling to western or central Europe, Costa Rica, or Mexico. Visas are required for U.S. citizens traveling to Australia, Cambodia, China, Cuba, Egypt, Russia, Turkey, and Vietnam.* Groups traveling to Australia are responsible for securing their own ETA Tourist Visa. For many other destinations, Encore will either assist U.S. passport holders in obtaining necessary visas or provide the information needed to get a visa independently. When Encore is assisting, your group leader will collect your group’s passports and send them to Encore for visa application processing approximately 120 days prior to departure. Visas may also be necessary for participants connecting through these countries, even if they are not the final destination.

Non-U.S. citizens are responsible for obtaining all documents needed to enter the countries being visited or connected through, and for reentry into the United States. Please consult the consular offices of the countries on your itinerary, as well as U.S. immigration resources, for complete information. If traveling to Canada, non-U.S. citizens can consult this website for Canadian visa requirements.

*Visas may be required for other destinations. Please contact your group leader for more information.

Encore needs your passport information at least 2 months prior to departure. Some sites, entrances, and forms of transportation require passport information to make reservations. Not entering this information in a timely manner may result in missing some listed activities in the program. To enter your information, log in to My Account and click My Profile.

We have lots of packing tips, but the essentials are simple: check the weather shortly before you depart, bring layers, and pack comfortable shoes. You are allowed to check a bag, but we encourage you to carry on when possible to reduce the risk of misplaced luggage. A good rule of thumb is to bring about half of what you think you need.

The amount of spending money you need depends on your personal habits, but a good rule of thumb is $50 USD per day. This allows for lunch, snacks, soft drinks, souvenirs, free-time activities, optional excursions not already included in your itinerary, and local transportation during free time. Learn more about money matters.

We encourage groups to bring a small amount of local currency. You may want to coordinate with friends or family to save on fees. Once overseas, ATMs generally offer good rates, but you may not want to spend your arrival day waiting in line with the whole group. Learn more about money matters.

Yes. Encore has a travel app that provides itinerary details, flight and hotel information when available, maps, destination information, and other helpful tour resources. Many features can be accessed offline. Be sure to download the ACIS/Encore Travel App before departure.

Maybe. Each airline contract is different. Some airlines allow individuals to change or upgrade a seat, while others provide the group with a block of seats and assign them according to the airline’s process.

We book flights on group contracts, and most contracts do not allow upgrades. If you would like us to book you separately, we can try. Please note that there is an additional $250 upgrade charge plus the cost of the seat upgrade. Once upgraded tickets are booked, they are normally nonrefundable beyond the standard Encore cancellation fees. To request an upgrade, email questions@encoretours.com with the type of seat upgrade you would like, such as business, comfort plus, or extra legroom. Please also state whether a traveling companion will be upgrading and whether you would like to sit together.

Yes, as long as you inform us no later than 90 days prior to the departure date. To request an alternate return, you must complete an Alternate Return Request Form. You will need to provide the return date, preferred flight information, and any alternate options in case your first choice is not available. Once alternate return tickets are booked, they are nonrefundable. Learn more about the alternate return process.

Yes. You are allowed to fly on your own, which we call traveling as a No-Airfare Passenger. Before making your own bookings, please confirm the correct departure date and gateways with your group leader. If you choose to purchase only the land portion of the program, you are responsible for making your own round-trip travel arrangements and joining the group at the first hotel accommodation. Please note that neither Encore nor your group leader is responsible for you when you are not traveling as part of the main group. The deadline to select the No-Airfare option is 90 days before departure.

The name on your airline ticket must match the full name on your passport, including your middle name. We ticket based on the names in My Account, so please check carefully that your information is correct. If you realize the name is incorrect after ticketing, email us immediately at questions@encoretours.com. Once an account has been ticketed, we will need to contact the airline, and additional fees may apply for a name change. In some cases, a new ticket may need to be purchased.

If you are a musician and this is your first time traveling, the experience can feel overwhelming. We recommend bringing a hard case, insuring your instrument, staying hydrated, and practicing respectful concert etiquette based on your destination’s customs. View more travel tips.

Passengers should contact their group leader, who can then coordinate with us to explore rental options for the group. Unless specifically stated, rentals for string and percussion instruments typically do not include mallets or bows, so please ask your group leader for details.

Our paid protection plans both offer instrument insurance, and our Ultimate Protection Plus plan includes instrument loss and damage coverage of up to $5,000. Basic Protection does not include instrument damage coverage. If you want coverage for instrument damage, we strongly recommend upgrading your protection plan.