Normally we include transportation, Tour Director, lodging, baggage handling, appropriate meals, attractions, show admissions, taxes and gratuities on included items.

We’re sorry, but we cannot "just put my name on the list.” You can hold your reservation ONLY by placing the appropriate deposit, (required for overnight or longer tours), or full payment, (required for one day tours),  for each person travelling on a tour package. Seats are NOT guaranteed until the appropriate deposit or full payment is received.

The payment options are simple:

1. Cash, Check, Money Order or credit card (We accept; MasterCard, Visa, Discover/Novus, American Express and Diner's Club).
2. Mail or phone

Contact our office for availability, reservations and payments. 

Get Away Tours and Cruises, Inc. office hours are:
9 AM to Noon, CENTRAL Time, Monday through Friday

We WILL miss you on one of our fun tours if you do not make an early reservation. Some tours fill-up quicker than others because they are very popular, such as the Mystery Tour. You MUST have a paid reservation or deposit in order to guarantee your seat. Or, a tour may cancel when we do not have enough reservations paid when we have deadlines to meet.

Don’t procrastinate about a tour and be too late to join the fun. The costs, deposits and reservation deadlines for tours are listed on this website. Please note what they are. The earlier you sign-up for a tour the less chance you have of being disappointed.

Valparaiso: Banta Activity Center, 605 Beech Street

Chesterton: St. Patrick Church, 638 N. Calumet

Merrillville: Sam's Club parking lot, U. S. 30 and Colorado Street

Hammond/Highland: Cracker Barrel Restaurant, I-80/94 (Borman Expressway) and Kennedy Avenue

The full legal name for each person traveling is now required by both airlines and cruise lines. No nicknames or abbreviations are permitted. Names, including their spelling, not matching travel documents will prevent you from boarding your flight and/or cruise. The name MUST match the photo ID you use.

You must provide us with the full legal name for each person traveling before the travel documents are issued. You are responsible for any charges or fees incurred for a name change after the documents are issued.

It is highly recommended that a U. S. Citizen be prepared to present documentation such as a valid or expired U. S. passport, U. S. birth certificate, or Naturalization certificate to avoid delays. (We feel a valid passport is best). Due to heightened security it is strongly recommended that U. S. citizens also present their passports - if they have one - even when returning from travel only to Canada.

If a U. S. citizen does not have a passport or a certified copy of a birth certificate, the following may be accepted as proof of citizenship: - A U. S. state or federal government-issued birth record (note: hospital-issued birth certificates are not acceptable) or baptismal record. If you do not have a certified copy of your birth certificate, one can be requested from the Vital Records office in the State where you were born.

Laminated Birth Certificates are not useful for purposes of establishing citizenship because it is impossible to determine if the seal is raised (an attribute of a certified copy).  A Certificate of Citizenship, or Certificate of Naturalization, [note: notarized photocopies or notarized fax copies of such certificates are acceptable, but affidavits of citizenship and voter registrations are not).

Neither of the above will be acceptable unless accompanied by a government issued ID.

For more information, please visit the State Department travel website at www.travel.state.gov or the U.S. Department of Homeland Security website at www.dhs.gov.

To apply for a passport, U.S. citizens can visit www.travel.state.gov or call the U.S. Passport Office at 1-877-4USA-PPT, (877-487-2778). Passport applications may also be obtained at any U. S. Post Office.

All documents for overnight or extended tours will be mailed two to three weeks prior to the tour departure date.

There are no travel documents, other than your receipt, sent prior to a one day tour. Tickets for shows or other attractions will be given out on the tour.

EMERGENCY INFORMATION - Download Form 
Complete a separate form for EACH person – Do not put two people on the same form

Please take the time to fill out this form completely and accurately. Bring your completed form along and give to your tour director on the first day of the tour. Since the information is personal it will ONLY be used in the unlikely event of an emergency. Then it will become very important and could save valuable time when given to qualified medical personnel. In order to maintain the privacy of your information the form is not seen by anybody else, is not used for any other purpose and is shredded after the tour.

Tipping is an individual decision. If you feel you have received good service from someone reward them at the end of the day, or the end of the tour, by presenting a tip personally.

Who to tip, when to tip and how much to tip? These are some of the most perplexing questions tour members have when traveling. We normally include a standard gratuity for all items included on the tour. You like to reward people for a job well done. If you feel you have received exceptional service from anyone you may provide them with an additional amount at your discretion.

You may also wish to tip persons whose services are not included in the cost of the tour. Those services may include cocktails, maids, services of a persoanl nature, extra meals, your tour director, motorcoach driver, or anyone else you may feel is deserving.

According to Ted Bravos from the International Tour Management Institute in San Francisco, "The suggested gratuity today for a driver is a dollar to a dollar and a half per day per person; the rate for a tour director is a dollar and a half to two dollars per day per person."