Click on an FAQ to read our answer.
General
- What is Bon Beer Voyage?
Bon Beer Voyage is an award winning beer travel company specializing in super inclusive, small group beer tours for Belgian & Craft Beer enthusiasts. We offer weekend beer trips as well as weeklong beer tours in the US as well as Europe. Our beer trips combine the best of brewery tours, beer tasting, beer paired gourmet meals and beer culture around the world.
September 14, 2017 - What is the benefit of a Bon Beer Voyage tour, especially if I can plan my own vacation?
Booking a tour with us ensures you get to see behind the curtain of our brewery partners with like-minded and fun fellow beer travelers. A number of breweries we visit do not provide private tours and/or only allow tours on certain days of the week/month/year. We also have awesome guides for both brewery and city tours so you are sure to be treated to insider experiences and beers you would not be able to access on your own. It also means you’re free to imbibe responsibly, as you please, without the worry of arranging transportation! Please visit our Why Travel With Us page for even more amazing reasons to travel with Bon Beer Voyage!
September 14, 2017 - Have you won any awards?
Bon Beer Voyage won the British Airways Business Opportunity Grant soon after they opened. They beat out thousands of companies for this award. Having a huge international travel company like BA believing in BBV and investing in their success allowed Bon Beer Voyage to move forward with research for some of the tours that are still favorites today. More recently, Bon Beer Voyage was awarded First Place in the 2017 Food Trekking Awards for Best Tour Operations (on Water) by the World Food Travel Association for their European Beercation Cruises.
September 14, 2017 - What certifications/qualifications do you have?
Ruth, the CEO and BBB (Brains Beyond the Beer) of Bon Beer Voyage is an ITMI Certified Tour Director, a licensed tour guide, an IATAN accredited travel agent and a Cicerone Program Certified Beer Server. She has also served as a beer expert for USA Today/ Top 10 since 2014.
Mike, the CBO (Chief Beer Officer) of Bon Beer Voyage is an IATAN accredited travel agent and is the Beer Instructor for BBV’s monthly classes at World of Beer and The Brass Tap. Mike has served as a beer expert for USA Today/Top 10 since 2015. Bon Beer Voyage also is a Registered Seller of Travel in Florida.
September 14, 2017 - What has the feedback been from your guests from previous tours, beer-paired dinners and/or beer tasting classes?
We have a very high customer satisfaction rate as well as a high repeat guest rate, so we think we must be doing a few things right! 🙂 You can read our guest comments here.
September 14, 2017 - What is the best way to contact you with additional questions?
We love to hear from our guests and potential new guests! Give us a ring! 888-U-GO-BEER (888-846-2337) – if you live outside the U.S. and our 888 number does not work, please send us an email. Or, if you’re local, come to one of our South Florida beer tasting classes – many of our regulars have been on our trips and can regale you with fun, beery special stories!
September 14, 2017
Booking
- What is the availability for an upcoming tour, beer-paired dinner or beer tasting class?
Many of our trips are popular, so spots fill up quickly! For the most part, if there is space available for an upcoming event, you will see a registration form. If you have questions or are looking at the last few spots, feel free to give us a ring! 888-U-GO-BEER (888-846-2337). If you live outside the U.S. our toll free number may not work, if not, please contact us via email. Guests may request to be wait-listed for upcoming tours.
September 14, 2017 - How do I make a reservation for an upcoming tour, beer-paired dinner or beer tasting class?
We’re happy that you’ve decided to join us! To make a reservation, please complete the booking process on our website. If you have any questions, give us a ring! 888-U-GO-BEER (888-846-2337). If you live outside the U.S. and our 888 number does not work for you, please send us an email.
September 14, 2017 - Is there an age requirement for your beer tours, beer-paired dinners and beer tasting classes?
Yes, all attendees must be at least 21 years of age.
September 14, 2017 - Can I book a private tour?
Most definitely! If you have a group that would like to have their own private beer tour, ask us about arranging one of our customized beer and brewery tours worldwide. Give us a ring! 888-U-GO-BEER (888-846-2337). If you live outside the U.S. and our 888 number does not work, please send us an email.
September 14, 2017 - What are your fares?
We pride ourselves on being fairly and competitively priced for such amazing beer experiences! Beer tasting class prices are $20 per person. Beer-paired dinner pricing is displayed on BonBeer.com. Tour fares displayed on BonBeer.com are priced per person, based on double occupancy or otherwise as listed for our published itineraries. Voyage fares do not include airfare, items of a personal nature, or travel insurance. Other included/non-included items can be found on our website under Terms and Conditions. Fares are capacity controlled and subject to change based on demand. Single and Triple Occupancy fares may be available, so give us a call! 888-U-GO-BEER (888-846-2337) – if you live outside the U.S. our toll free number may not work so feel free to email us.
September 14, 2017 - What is your payment policy?
Reservations are not confirmed unless deposited and/or paid in full depending on the date the reservation is made. Reservations created but not paid are cancelled. If possible, we will reinstate a canceled booking with immediate deposit/payment at the prevailing rates (we cannot guarantee that the spot(s) on the tour, dinner or class will still be available).
September 14, 2017
Beercations
- Can I go early or extend my trip?
We encourage it! We always try to plan our trips to fit as well as possible into people’s vacation schedules. Adding a few days on to the beginning or end of the trip is a great way to combine our trip with independent travel. Feel free to ask about extending the group rate at our hotels for pre- or post-stays. We are happy to help with other travel arrangements or travel insurance as well- just ask!
September 14, 2017 - Will there be wireless access?
The majority of hotels and breweries we visit offer free wireless access. For our international cruises, wireless access is limited on board. If you have any questions, give us email us or give us a ring! 888-U-GO-BEER (888-846-2337). If you live outside the U.S. and our 888 number does not work, please send us an email.
September 14, 2017 - Are gratuities included with the price of the Beercation?
While all non-discretionary gratuities are included in your Bon Beer Voyage tour price, extending a gratuity to the tour director, local guides, barge crew and/or coach driver as a token of appreciation at the end of the tour is always welcome. We recommend using local currency for tipping.
September 14, 2017 - Who are my fellow travelers?
When you are on vacation with Bon Beer Voyage, it is a safe bet that the people on the trip will share your enthusiasm and fondness for quality craft beer. Our travelers are a lot like the folks you might meet at your favorite brew pub or home brewing club meeting. Most take beer fairly seriously and enjoy responsibly sampling beers in a group, which we’ve found is most often more fun than you would have had traveling on your own. Don’t worry though, we have had people “dragged along” with a beer-loving friend or spouse who loved the trip and discovered that beer was much better and much more interesting than they originally thought. We exist as a cross between a traveling classroom and a traveling party. People are easy going and generally like-minded in most respects. This make for a harmonious and dynamic interaction…and often leads to lasting friendships.
September 14, 2017 - Are brewery tours and tastings at the listed breweries covered (to a point), or separately charged?
Absolutely, tours and tastings at breweries are included. In order to not be redundant, while we tour a number of the breweries, at some we may just enjoy a meal (with beer) and/or do a guided tasting.
September 14, 2017 - What if I have a Dietary Request?
We are happy to help accommodate our guests! Since our meals are a highlight of our tours, we ask that you to notify us of any food allergies or dietary restrictions. This will allow us to let our chef on-board know about any special needs in advance – i.e. food allergies, gluten free, vegetarian, etc. Most of the places we have meals off board will have choices to work around any dietary restrictions. Please note that the chef on our barge buys ingredients and plans meals based on what he is told in advance. We will do our best to accommodate your requests made in advance with our food vendors but accommodating dietary changes without prior notification may not be possible.
September 14, 2017 - Do you provide transportation to the domestic and international tour locations?
We are happy to make recommendations for your travel plans, however if you are already working with a travel agent, they will surely be able to help you with your travel arrangements. If you do not have a travel agent, The Vacations Artists can help you with your upcoming travel plans – you may contact them at 1-844-697-2637 (1-844- My R and R) or visit their website.
September 14, 2017 - What Travel Documents do I need?
Guests are responsible for obtaining all required official travel documents (such as passports) prior to an international tour. Passports should be valid for at least six months past the tour end date. Please bring your drivers license, passport or other government approved proof of age. Terms and Conditions forms are required to be filled out and signed by all guests. Failure to provide the require documentation for the tour may result in denial of entry with no refund of tour fare or travel expenses.
September 14, 2017 - Should I purchase Trip Insurance?
In today’s changing travel environment, it’s important to protect your trip investment so you can relax and enjoy your trip. Unforeseen events such as flight delays, baggage loss or even an unexpected sickness or injury could impact your travel plans. Bon Beer Voyage recommends that you purchase a Travelex travel protection plan that helps provide coverage for Trip Cancellation, Trip Interruption, Emergency Medical and Emergency Evacuation/Repatriation, Trip Delay, Baggage Delay and more. Travel Protection plans also include 24-Hour Travel Assistance & Concierge Services.* For more information, please click here to visit our Travel Protection page.
September 14, 2017
International Beercations
- What is a barge?
A barge refers to a specific style of boat, which is designed to navigate in shallow inland waterways. Most barges were built to carry goods into hard to reach areas of the country. Hotel barges, which are fully crewed and are operating today, are usually cargo boats which have been redesigned and totally rebuilt for passenger comfort. Since these vessels are specifically sized for the small waterways and canals, this makes for some scenic and relaxing cruising, close to the shoreline. We choose to travel by barge for our European Beercations to allow our guests to relax in a stress free environment, knowing they only have to unpack once, rather than changing hotels while we move from town to town and country to country. They can instead concentrate on enjoying the amazing beer and the delights of the countryside we are passing through, and get to know the beer soul of the country!
For our international tours, we currently use The Fiep and The Iris. Each cabin has a private en-suite bathroom with a shower, sink, toilet and hair dryers. Small, like on a cruise ship, but efficient. The beds are comfortable, there are safes for locking things up and space to store your stuff. All cabins have air conditioning, heating and window. There are outlets for charging your electronics and some USB plugs. We have a nice common lounge area and outside decks for when we are relaxing on-board.
September 14, 2017 - Is there a bar onboard the barge?
There is an honor bar on each of our ships which the staff stocks with local craft beers at very reasonable prices!
September 14, 2017 - How do I exchange my money for local currency?
In our experience, your best bet is to get some cash from your bank before you head over and then use cash machines with your debit card to get more while you are on vacation. We’ve found this usually offers a better exchange rate.
September 14, 2017 - Will my electrical appliances (ex. electric shavers, hair dryers, irons, chargers, etc) work abroad?
Not always. The outlets abroad may support a plug that looks different than the one used in the U.S. and may use a different voltage. Most U.S. outlets are 110V while most European outlets are 240V. Many non-U.S. electrical outlets have differently shaped plugs. To get the correct setup for your device, you should check the power standards of the country of travel. Some devices only work on 110V (U.S. standard) and therefore need a transformer. You will want to check the documentation for your device to determine what you need. If you plan on bringing electric shavers, hair dryers, laptop/phone chargers or other electrical appliances, you should bring a small converter kit. These can be found at most hardware and electronic stores or even Target. We suggest purchasing in advance at home, as the converter kits can be very expensive while abroad.
September 14, 2017 - How many people will be in our international beercation group?
Size matters to us! Our maximum beercation group size is 25. We find that this is the most effective group size to create a personalized, comfortable, tailored beercation! If your preferred tour has reached the maximum number of guests, please contact us to be put on the wait-list, or check our our website for other equally amazing beer tour itineraries.
September 14, 2017 - What is the itinerary for this trip?
Please visit the specific tour page on our website for more information and to book your tour!
September 14, 2017 - How big is the space under the beds on the barge? It says you recommend a collapsible suitcase, does this mean that our regular suitcases won’t fit?
The under-bed clearance is 15 and ½ inches (40 cm) so fits a pretty good size suitcase. We suggest the soft sided bags because although we’ve never had a problem on our barges, we once did on a big cruise ship (we just had to open our suitcase to keep it under the bed that time.) So unless you have something really huge, you should be fine.
September 24, 2017 - What are the size of the beds?
No worries there- the ships we use have been renovated by the Dutch owners and as you may or may not know, the Dutch tend to be quite tall! We once measured the bed on tour with Mike who is 6’1” lying down and we were able to stack a 6 pack of Westvleteren on top of his head and still had room!
But to be more precise, the beds come in 2 lengths. The longer beds measure 2 meters 20 (220 cm or 7 feet 2 inches) and the shorter ones are 2 meters long or about 6 feet 5 and ½ inches. Each room has either one or two of the longer beds.
September 24, 2017
Domestic Beercations
- How many people attend on average?
Size matters to us! Our maximum beercation group size is 25. We find that this is the most effective group size to create a personalized, comfortable, tailored beercation! Our minimum required group size varies with each journey, but the majority of our domestic groups average between 10 and 25 guests.
September 14, 2017 - What is the itinerary for this trip?
Please visit the specific tour page on our website for more information and to book your tour!
September 14, 2017
Beer Tasting Classes
- What happens at a beer tasting class?
Each month, we sample six different beers representing a range of seasonal beer styles. During this class you will get to meet other beery interesting folks, learn how to discern colors, aromas and flavors and enjoy the wide variety of craft beers that are available right here in our own backyard. With your registration fee per class you will receive a tasting of six beers representing a few different beer styles, a chance to win some swag during Beer Trivia and other beery cool surprises!
September 14, 2017 - How many people attend on average?
Size matters to us! Our maximum beer tasting class size is 20. We find that this is the most effective group size to create a personalized, tailored beer experience.
September 14, 2017 - When and where do the beer tasting classes take place?
Here is our Beer Appreciation Series of Beer Tasting class schedule:
– World of Beer in Coconut Creek | The 2nd Tuesday of the Month from 7:30 to 9:00pm
– The Brass Tap in Boynton Beach | The 3rd Wednesday of the Month from 7:30pm to 9:00pmNote, the beer tasting class schedule is subject to change, please always check our Facebook page or our Beer Tasting Class page.
September 14, 2017 - How much does it cost to attend a beer tasting class?
Classes are $20 per person. You may book your spot on our website. Act fast! There are 20 spots available per class.
September 14, 2017 - Can I book a private beer tasting class?
Absolutely! Our beer tasting classes provide an enjoyable, celebratory atmosphere – perfect for family reunions, bachelor and bachelorette parties. If you have a group of 15 or more, please contact us for pricing – 888-U-GO-BEER (888-846-2337). If you live outside the U.S. and our 888 number does not work, please send us an email.
September 14, 2017
