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To be fair, companies will likely lose money doing this, and they hope to do it rarely, but as a result, guaranteed departures tend to be an extra offered by the more expensive, luxurious tour operators. In the cycling and hiking world, Butterfield & Robinson is generally considered the most luxurious of the companies offering scheduled group trips, and they are one of the few with guaranteed departures. However, not every scheduled trip in their vast catalog is guaranteed, though most are and it is clearly indicated when you select a date.

While many companies do not formally offer guaranteed departures, there are some workarounds to give you peace of mind. One question to ask any tour operator not guaranteeing departures is, “what is the minimum group size?” For many better companies it is just three, and that usually means two parties: a couple and a single, or two couples. However, if you have three in your group and that’s the policy, you can essentially guarantee your own departure. Similarly, some tour operators show the status of trip dates on their websites, and you can select one that is already well beyond the minimum threshold.

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Why ‘Guaranteed Departures’ Are Important For Your Next Vacation

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