Tour FAQ

Below are a few frequently asked questions about the trip. If you have any question about our tours, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Is this trip like the TV show 'Amazing Race'?

Well, yes and no, actually.

Like the TV show, Competitours offers a surprise itinerary each day and a team travel competition that shares the same concept as the TV show. But the comparison really ends there.

Competitours focuses on Europe, not the world, so a minimum of time is spent traveling between places. Plus, each day we offer teams a wide variety of challenges from which to choose. You will create your OWN customized challenge itineraries that best meet your touring preferences. Our challenges are not about speed or strength or extreme stunts; rather they are about creativity and your own personal style.

There are no intrusive cameras compromising your privacy. The teams that sign up for Competitours are not back-biting, cut-throat drama queens like the TV show. Rather, they are fellow travelers who appreciate a good rivalry during the day, mixed with an equal dose of friendly revelry at night.

There are no eliminations, every team has an equal shot to compete until the end of the trip. The scoring system insures that the bulk of teams will be in contention for the $9000 in prizes until the homestretch.

What type of traveler is Competitours appropriate for?

ANYONE with a zest for travel. Since challenges don't require speed or strength, any level of physical fitness and age can participate.  Scoring is based creativity, resourcefulness, originality and a bit of zaniness. Previous travel experience, videography and foreign language skills are not required.

Is Competitours group or independent travel?

Well, yes and yes, actually.

Teams will travel together between cities, stay at the same hotels and participate together in a couple head-to-head challenges. Of course, you will have the option to bond and share war stories by night.

However, each team will create their own customized daily itinerary and be responsible for planning their own routing strategy for their challenges. It is unlikely that teams will bump into each other on a regular basis during the day. Independent itineraries eliminate the downside of group travel - no being herded from place to place, no having to compromise your touring preferences and time because of an arbitrary group schedule.

How do I know that I will like all the challenges?

There is no expectation that you will like all of the challenges. That's why there is a wide array of challenge choices each day. Challenges will vary by:

• Theme: history, food, culture, myths/legends, ethnic/immigrant groups, etc.
• Skill Set: physical, but not extreme, mental, creative, investigative curious, zany, etc.
• Location: intown, outskirts, excursion

Are there any technical skills I need for this trip?

There are some minor technical skills that are extremely easy to learn. You are likely already familiar with them. You need to do a little video recording, be able to read an online map, and use the internet. If you need to get acquainted with any of these skills, Competitours offers tutorials two weeks prior to each trip. In 15-30 minutes time, you will be good to go. All of the teams on our 2009 trips had no problem with any of the skills.

What is the health and safety situation?

While our teams stay together and travel between cities together, at each local destination, teams are essentially becoming independent travelers, as they scatter to execute their own customized challenge itineraries. Our tour escort will have a 24/7 hotline phone number. Teams will be provided a daily list of local police, hospital and US govt. contacts. Ultimately, each person is expected to take RESPONSIBILITY and make sound decisions and use good discretion. We call this 'situational awareness'.

Competitours will report our players to every local US government embassy or consulate prior to travelling there… so we will always be expected! Teams will have the option to download GPS software into certain configured phones to allow for friends and family to oversee a team's location-tracking each day while on tour. Each day, teams will end in the same location, so there is no risk of teams getting left behind.

Our trip organizers stay away from any area where there is even a remote chance of trouble, such as Northern Ireland, Serbia and southern Balkans. Because of the modular nature of our trips, we can easily re-route if an issue flares up in an area that we intended to visit.

How do you pack for a Competitours trip?

What to bring

We recommend that you pack light. Use a rollaboard type luggage (e.g.,TravelPro Rollaboard Luggage, www.travelpro.com, the 25 in. model) and expect to do some laundry. It is better to bring a little extra cash to buy a few unmet clothing needs than trying to pack for every possible weather or fashion contingency. Remember, you are your own porter, working without tips!

For your daily needs while touring, a small backpack with room for your video camera, battery, computer or PDA (optional), snacks and bottled water should be sufficient.

How does the scoring and judging work?

All of our judges have backgrounds in the travel industry. The judges will review each of the videos, comparing the teams that submit videos from the same challenges. They will consider how accurate and thorough the team presents the substance of the information that the challenge required. They will also consider how interesting, creative and bursting-with-personality your on-camera narrative, is presented.

Once all of the videos have been reviewed, the judges separate all of the videos into two groups. The highest scoring groups will receive maximum points for the challenge, while the lowest scoring group receive minimum points. Standings are updated and announced every morning.

Does your company have insurance?

As a rule, travel-related companies must be in business for three years to have enough of a track record to qualify for insurance. COMPETITOURS merited a $1 million dollar policy as a new company, based on the transparency, accountability and financial wherewithal of our business plan. Clearly, our 'Pay-Upon Performance' payment model is the best confidence-builder we can provide both customers and insurers.

Competitours is also licensed by the most stringent consumer travel protection government agency in America – California Sellers Of Travel. Our license number is 2096765-40. A PDF is available of our Proof of Liability Insurance.