Common Questions

The easiest way to book and pay for a tour is via our online booking system. If you need assistance, you may contact us by telephone at (714) 848-1255 or visit our office at 17132 Magnolia St., Fountain Valley CA, 92708-3348 between 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. (Pacific Time), Monday-Friday. Our office is closed on weekends, major holidays and is subject to unannounced closures.

This website is updated daily and provides the most reliable tour availability (tours with a status of "Waitlisted" and "Limited Space" will show that). As soon as a new tour or departure date is added and available to book, it will be available on our website with a status of "Just Added." Our digital tour catalog is updated every few weeks and print outs are available onboard the motorcoach and at our office. Ensure you are subscribed to our E-mailer to be notified of new tours as they become available.

We encourage you to book your tour(s) as soon as you know you want to go and ready to make your commitment with payment, as our tours are popular and tend to fill quickly. Some tours fill faster than others and we never know when a tour will become waitlisted. However, tours with a status of "Limited Space" and those listed under "Last Call" on our home page, are generally close to a "Waitlisted" status. Because of demand and/or the reduction of space by our tour suppliers, tours can become waitlisted at any time.

A "Waitlisted" status means all available space for that tour departure date has been reserved and all new bookings will be added to the waitlist. Should a booked guest cancel, additional space becomes available, or an additional departure date is added, guests on the waitlist are notified and given priority access to make payment and confirm their space. There is no risk or obligation to join the waitlist and no payment is taken from a guest on the waitlist.

Credit card payments are not accepted over the telephone for your own security and because we require a digital or signed authorization. Credit card and eCheck payments may be made on our website (while booking a tour or later in "My Account." Credit card and check payments are also accepted in our office during normal office hours. You may also mail a check AFTER you have booked your tour on our website.

My Account is a secure area on our website where guests can access their bookings and update their personal information. Clients have access to "My Account" after first booking a tour on our website as the tour booking process is what creates an account. Hence, there is no option to create an account. Once you have made your first booking on our website (using your own e-mail address and creating a password in the process), you will then be able to log into "My Account."

Yes, you can purchase gift certificates in any allotment and request that we mail it to you or the recipient. Go here for more details.

Good Times Travel, Inc. is a registered member of the State of California’s “Seller of Travel” program – CST# 2018390-40 and therefore Good Times Travel participates in the California Travel Consumer Restitution Fund. In accordance with the fund, Good Times Travel maintains a trust account into which all multi-day tour payments are deposited. Transactions made by guests living outside of California are not covered by the Fund.

Tour prices generally include the services of a tour director and driver, land transportation, sightseeing, luggage handling of one piece of luggage per guest, and the following if applicable and specified in the package: accommodations, roundtrip airport-hotel transfers (with the purchase of group airfare), local guides, meals, admissions, and customary gratuities for luggage handling and meals included in the itinerary.

Tour prices generally do not include airfare, airline baggage fees, transfers to/from the departing airport, transportation to/from the first/last hotel should a guest arrive after/depart before the group, meals, sightseeing, events or attractions not included in the itinerary, visa fees, excess baggage handling, optional excursions, travel protection/cancellation insurance, personal expenses, and customary gratuities to tour directors, drivers, local guides and hotel housekeepers. See each tour or cruise package for specific inclusions.

A single supplement exists for those guests without a roommate simply because the price of a hotel room/cruise stateroom is the same whether there is one or two guests staying in it. Therefore, a single occupancy guest is paying for the entire room rather than splitting the cost of the room with a roommate (as is the case for double occupancy). Paying the single supplement does not provide for two seats on the motorcoach.

Triple/quad occupancy (when available) is based on three/four guests sharing two beds with a roll-away bed included ONLY when available and bed/room size and fire codes permit it.

Absolutely! We can provide a quote to extend your stay before and/or after your tour at the same hotel(s) offered for that tour. For example, if the first hotel on the tour is in Boston and the last hotel is in Maine, we can reserve pre-nights at the Boston hotel and post-nights at the Maine hotel, and there is no worry of having to change hotels or rooms at the start or end of your tour. Rooms are reserved on a space-available basis, and the price for this option will be added to your invoice.

Roundtrip Group Airfare (when you generally fly with the tour director and the majority of the guests) is available as an optional add-on for those tours that involve roundtrip air travel. We do this because some guests choose to use points/miles to purchase their airfare or make other arrangements to meet the group and because the price of the airfare can increase as we approach the departure date. For each tour that involves roundtrip air travel, you will find the "land tour" price with the Roundtrip Goup Airfare price available as an optional add-on. The airfare is generally roundtrip from LAX to take advantage of the lowest fares, best schedules and non-stop flights when available. 

Those guests considering flights from other airports or using points/miles to purchase flights, can request the group's flight schedule (subject to change) to coordinate flights that would allow them to be included on the complimentary transfers to/from the arrival airport.

We strongly encourage our guests to pay for the Roundtrip Group Airfare at the time of their initial payment (and particularly more than 90 days prior to departure) as the airfare price is subject to increase until paid in full (even if the Roundtrip Group Airfare is selected as an included option on a guest’s booking but not paid for). The price shown for the optional Roundtrip Group Airfare may no longer be accurate as airfare pricing is subject to increase at any time by the airlines and, therefore, we reserve the right to adjust the airfare price while reviewing and processing your booking, and at any time after, should the optional airfare remain unpaid.

While lower prices can be achieved with group airline ticketing, one disadvantage is that we have no control over seating and therefore we cannot accept requests for aisle, window or front of the airplane seating. The airlines simply pre-assign our group to a block of seats from a guest manifest that we provide, prioritizing traveling parties are seated near each other. Because we ultimately are at the mercy of the airline, traveling companions may not be seated next to one another. Upon check-in at the airport, you may change your seat to any open seat on the airplane (additional fees may apply for windows and aisle seats). Contact our office if you would like a quote (generally $50-$150 per flight) for upgraded/premier seating which comes with additional leg room and a specific seat assignment. All airline upgrades are quoted and reserved approximately 30 days prior to departure.

If you are taking advantage of our group airfare and you have a Known Traveler Number, ensure we have this number at the time of booking so we can provide it to the airline. Additionally, each guest should travel with a copy of their Known Traveler Number and their Global Entry card (or a photocopy of it). This will allow these guests to use the TSA Pre-Check line under most circumstances and avoid removing your shoes/liquids, etc. Provided from the TSA directly: “TSA uses unpredictable security measures, both seen and unseen, throughout the airport, and no individual is guaranteed expedited screening.” Go here for more information on how to become a Trusted Traveler.

Beginning May 7, 2025, every air traveler 18 years of age and older must show a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license (marked with a star at the top of the card), or a passport to travel by air within the U.S.

Other than the flights associated with one of our tours, we do not book individual flights, tours, hotels or rental cars. We suggest contacting a travel agent for this type of service.

Yes, our cruise experts can assist you with your next cruise vacation to Mexico, Alaska, Hawaii, the Caribbean, the Mediterranean and river cruises!

Yes, if you have 10 or more guests there are benefits! Go here to learn all about the benefits of traveling with us as a group and the benefits to the group leader. In addition to reserving space on a scheduled departure (so there is no required minimum group size), we can customize and operate tours exclusively for your group.

Service dogs trained to perform specific tasks for a disabled person are permitted on Good Times Travel tours. Advance notification is preferred, as it allows us to better prepare to accommodate the service dog and disabled guest’s needs. For the comfort and safety of others, emotional support dogs and pets are not permitted on tour.

Children 8 and over are allowed on age-appropriate tours. Some of our Community Education partners or other pre-formed groups may have a higher minimum age.

Multi-day tour documents for all members of the traveling party are mailed to the address of the guest that paid for the tour approximately two weeks prior to departure, providing full payment has been made. If you pay for a guest and would like them to receive their own tour documents, please provide their separate mailing address at the time of payment. Documents include departure time/location, tour itinerary, hotel and flight (if applicable) details, gratuity envelopes and a luggage tag for each member of the traveling party.

Other than a payment confirmation/receipt or travel documents for a multi-day tour, we will not e-mail or mail tickets. If individual tickets are needed for a venue, your tour director will provide those onboard the motorcoach. Performance venue tickets are pre-assigned in the order that payment is made.

Our tours generally operate regardless of the weather forecast and weather/road conditions on the day of departure. Like all cruise and tour operators, we make non-refundable payments on your behalf 30-90 days prior to departure to a variety of tour suppliers (airlines, hotels, restaurants, transportation providers, theatres, attractions, etc.) with limited or no option to decrease our count or cancel and receive a refund/credit on your behalf should the weather be less than ideal. Always assume the tour is operating as scheduled unless you hear directly from us. In the very rare event we must cancel or reschedule a tour due to inclement weather, it will be because the main attraction or event has canceled. In this case, all guests booked on the tour will be notified by our office as soon as possible (generally one or two days prior to departure) by e-mail or telephone, and given the option to reschedule, receive a full refund or tour credit.

If you or a member of your traveling party must cancel a tour, written notification is required by e-mail or mailed/hand-delivered letter. Upon receipt of written cancellation, we will do our best to re-sell your seat so that we can offer a credit or refund less the administrative fees outlined in our cancellation policy. Regardless of the date of cancellation and the reason for cancellation – much like a ticket for a concert, sporting event or flight – we cannot guarantee a refund or tour credit once payment is made for a tour. See our cancellation policy for complete details.

While guests may generally permit a friend or family member go in their place, please contact us so we can confirm there are no restrictions or limitations.

Yes. Your tour is an important investment – and to help you protect it, we highly recommend each guest purchase a travel protection policy so you don’t have to worry about what will happen should you have to cancel or interrupt your tour. And travel protection includes a variety of other benefits including travel delay, medical care and coverage for lost/damaged luggage. Travel protection provides for a refund of the funds that we are not able to recover from our tour suppliers (airlines, hotels, restaurants, transportation providers, theatres, attractions, etc.) assuming you are canceling for a reason covered by the plan (see brochure for coverage details and limitations). While we do not sell our own travel protection, we provide and recommend a policy through AON and the National Tour Association, though we encourage our guests to purchase the policy they are most comfortable with. Travel protection premiums are non-refundable and additional restrictions may apply so please refer to your travel protection policy for details.

If you or your traveling companion has a pre-existing medical condition and you want to cover that condition as a reason for cancellation, then the Enhanced Plan (as offered by the AON/NTA insurance policy) must be purchased within 2 weeks of the date in which we process your initial payment for the tour. A pre-existing medical condition is defined as a condition which within the 60-day period before benefits began under this plan:

1. first manifested itself, became acute, or had symptoms which would prompt a reasonable person to seek diagnosis, care, or treatment;
2. required taking prescribed drugs or medicine, unless the condition for which the prescribed drug or medicine was taken remained controlled without any change in the required prescription; or
3. required treatment or treatment was recommended by a doctor

The Basic Plan (as offered by the AON/NTA insurance policy) may be purchased up until the day prior to departure but any pre-existing medical conditions will not be covered as a valid reason for cancellation (meaning you can’t purchase travel protection after you’ve become sick just as you can’t purchase fire insurance after the fire). Any new medical conditions or accidents that occur after the plan is purchased would be covered as long as written documentation (such as a doctor’s note or jury summons, etc.) is provided.

For our single-day tours, we have a variety of convenient departure points throughout Southern California where you may park and join the tour. See each tour page for the departure points available for that tour departure. Go here to search our single-day tours by departure point. Go here to see more details on each of our departure points.

For our multi-day tours that do not involve air travel, each tour page will list the departure points available for that tour departure.

For tours that involve air travel, optional Roundtrip Airport Transfers are available from specific departure points (see each tour page for the departure points available for that  departure date) for an additional $99 per person (2024 tours) or $129 per person (2025 tours). Transfers from home can be arranged for an additional cost with the price dependent on the distance to the airport. Guests also have the option of meeting the tour director and beginning their tour at the departing airport, arrival airport or the first hotel.

Good Times Travel offers various departure points as a convenience to guests residing in different areas of Southern California. These departure points are offered only as locations from which to park and board the motorcoach and are not offered or implied as secure parking locations. While we’ve had very few problems over the years, these are public parking areas and therefore we advise guests to make their own judgement and know that guests park at all departure points at their own risk.

Yes. The late-model, deluxe touring coaches that we use on our tours have large windows ideal for sightseeing, comfortable leather seats, seat belts, arm rests, footrests, electrical outlets, overhead compartments, large flat-screen monitors, individual air vents, kneel for easier access and have a restroom onboard. Because the restroom travels with us, we ask that the restroom only be used in “emergencies” only rather than as a convenient location. Comfort stops are made so that guests can avoid using the onboard restroom whenever possible.

Yes, unless you are traveling with us as part community college/continued education program or other pre-formed group that does not assign seats. Your tour director will provide you with an assigned seat prior to boarding the motorcoach. Seats on the motorcoach are pre-assigned from the front of the motorcoach to the rear of the motorcoach based on the date that payment was made (postmarked if mailed), and not when the tour was booked. Most multi-day tours have a customary daily seat rotation. Similarly, seats at performance venues are assigned within our seat block from front to back in the order payment was made. Because we pre-assign seats, it’s important we are notified at least two weeks prior to departure if you have any traveling companions (that aren’t on the same booking) that you wish to sit with on the motorcoach and/or at the performance venue.

Out of fairness to all of our guests, seats on the motorcoach are pre-assigned from the front of the motorcoach to the rear of the motorcoach based on the date that payment was made (postmarked if mailed) and because of this policy, we can therefore not accept requests for seats at the front of the motorcoach. Ensure you receive our E-mailer and book and pay for your tours as soon as they are announced if your preference is to be seated closer to the front of the motorcoach.

Those guests that are booked together will automatically be assigned seats together onboard the motorcoach. Those guests that book separately must notify us at the time of booking, or at least 2 weeks prior to departure (in writing if possible), if they wish to sit with someone else onboard. There are occasions where we use multiple motorcoaches for the same departure date with each motorcoach picking up guests at different departure points. Should guests at two different departure points not be assigned to the same motorcoach, they will be contacted and given the option to switch departure points, meet up at the destination or receive a refund/credit.

Because some guests prefer an additional, empty seat next to them on the motorcoach, we allow guests to purchase a second seat for an additional price (approximately $90 per day). Please notify us at the time of booking if you are purchasing an additional seat so we can ensure that an adjacent seat is available. Additional seats may not be available on some tours or departure dates.

Each tour description will describe our general seating sections such as “orchestra level,” “mezzanine,” or “balcony.” We cannot provide specific rows, seat numbers or accept seating requests for performance venues. Performance venue tickets are pre-assigned in the order that payment is made.

See each tour page on this website for the activity level for that tour (ranging from 1-4 with tours rated as “4” having more walking, stairs and/or a high elevation) to give you a better idea of the physical activity required on that tour. In addition, each multi-day tour is assigned a pace level (ranging from 1-4 with tours rated as “4” using more hotels and/or having more planned sightseeing/longer days while on the tour). In addition, we suggest reading the tour description/itinerary as we do our best to describe the amount of walking while on tour (for example, docent-guided walking tour vs. driving tour). Because our tours are designed for active adults and seniors, the amount of walking and pacing is designed for this age group as well. However, all tours require some level of walking as you enter and exit the destinations/venues we are visiting and some stairs as you enter/exit the motorcoach. In addition, we visit many historic sites which may not adhere to ADA requirements due to their historic status. At any time, you are welcome to opt out of a portion of a tour if you choose not to participate (though no refund or credit can be guaranteed, and you cannot necessarily remain onboard the motorcoach). Go here for a more detailed description of activity and pace levels.

One piece of luggage (not exceeding 50 pounds) per guest that will be handled by the motorcoach driver and hotel(s) is included in the multi-day tour price. In addition to the piece of luggage being handled, each guest may also bring (1) carry-on and (1) personal item (purse, camera bag) onboard the motorcoach to be stored in the overhead compartment. Should a guest wish for more than one piece of luggage to be handled, or a guest’s carry-on bag does not fit in the overhead compartment, it will be stored in the luggage bay, delivered to/from the guest’s hotel room, and a fee of $10 per bag/per hotel will be collected by the tour director.

Guests with special diets, severe dietary allergies or major dietary restrictions should communicate this at the time of booking so we can determine if special arrangements can be made with our tour suppliers. While some dietary restrictions/allergies will be communicated by us to our suppliers prior to arrival, most will need to be communicated by the guest upon arrival and special arrangements will be made. While we will pass on special requests to the appropriate tour suppliers on your behalf, ultimately these suppliers determine if these requests can be accommodated, and therefore Good Times Travel cannot guarantee nor assume responsibility for the outcome of these requests. Guests with very limited diets and/or multiple allergies/restrictions may find that group travel is not the best type of travel for them.

Unfortunately, we cannot provide individual assistance to a guest for walking, dining or other personal needs. Guests needing such assistance must be accompanied by an able companion who will assist them.

Unless otherwise stated, every tour is fully guided by a professional Good Times Travel tour director. Our select group of tour directors are hand-picked and average 10 years of service with us. They are known for their knowledge, creativity, leadership, problem-solving techniques and unique insights as they often times have been to the destinations you’re visiting more than once. Speak up to your tour director if you have a question or a concern – that’s why they are there – to ensure a problem doesn’t become a complaint. Those tours designated as a ‘package-partner’ tours, generally will not have a Good Times Travel tour director but rather a professional tour director employed by the land tour operator that is operating the tour.

Gratuities to the tour director, driver, local guides and hotel housekeepers are considered customary and recognized in the industry as an appreciation for a job well done. Good Times Travel does NOT include these gratuities in the tour price because we believe gratuities provide a strong incentive to exceed your expectations, and gratuities should ultimately be earned rather than guaranteed. Gratuity envelopes for your tour director and driver will be provided and all gratuities should be offered on a voluntary and individual basis. Because we are asked for suggested gratuity amounts, we provide the following industry guidelines. If you feel that service has been superior, you may wish to leave a more generous gratuity.

Single-Day Tours

Tour Director: $5-$8 per guest.

Driver: $5-$8 per guest.

Local Guide: $5-$8 per guest

Multi-Day Tours

Tour Director: $6-$10 per guest/per day.

Driver: $6-$10 per guest/per day.

Local Guide(s): $5-$8 per guest/per guide or per day

To ensure a healthy and enjoyable experience for all guests, our tours are operating with additional health and wellness measures in place. These measures include but are not limited to the following:

What We’re Doing to Protect You
•Increased air filtration (MERV 13 filters) and cleaning onboard the motorcoach.
•Hand sanitization available each time you board the motorcoach. Please sanitize often and wash your hands whenever possible.
•Tour directors trained to deny boarding of any guests that show symptoms of being sick and the expulsion of any guests that appear ill while on tour. Expelled guests are responsible for arranging transportation back to their vehicle at their own expense and no refund/credit will be available for any unused portions of the tour. As always, your tour director is there to remove many of the “touch points” involved in travel including the hotel check-in and expedited entry into restaurants, museums and attractions.

What We Ask of You
•Take personal responsibility for your own health and well-being and consider the well-being of other guests onboard by not traveling when ill. Please don’t board the motorcoach if you’ve had a fever, had chills, a cough, sore throat, difficulty breathing, loss of taste/smell or other symptoms of COVID-19 or the flu (or tested positive or been diagnosed for any illness) during the 7 days prior to departure.
•Should you develop any symptoms while on tour, notify the tour director immediately.
•Follow all protocols to reduce the spread of illness, as well as those established by any and all governmental agencies/businesses with jurisdiction over the area(s) we will visit. Our established measures may change and your tour director will provide the most up-to-date information.

What You Can Do to Protect Yourself
•Wear a face mask while onboard the motorcoach, airplanes, trains and in other indoor places where there are a number of people in close confines. Face masks, especially N95 masks – in addition to vaccination – provide the best protection against COVID-19, the flu, colds and other airborne illnesses. Guests should travel with a face mask as specific municipalities and businesses may require them for entry.
•Purchase travel protection – a small investment not only protects your funds, but provides countless benefits and peace of mind since travel protection can provide a refund for specific reasons including illness.