Updated 12/6/2023
Bike tours in 2024
We are very excited to get back on the road with all our guests in the upcoming season, and believe our model of group travel provides a great opportunity for a safe and fun adventure.
Starting with 2023 tours, Carolina Tailwinds no longer requires COVID 19 vaccination or a negative test for participation. Any regional or local requirements, however, will still apply. If any requirements are in effect in your region of travel with Carolina Tailwinds, you will be notified and kept in the loop with a pre-tour email.
We continue to strongly recommend that anyone traveling in general, and traveling in a group setting in particular, be fully vaccinated. All Carolina Tailwinds team members are fully vaccinated.
Before your tour: If you are feeling ill or have symptoms before your tour, please follow CDC guidelines for testing and any necessary quarantining. Guests arriving on tour with symptoms of illness may be subject to a COVID-19 test, and will not be allowed to participate in the tour with a positive test result.
During your tour: If a guest experiences symptoms while on a tour, we continue to ask all participants to notify the guide team immediately and self-isolate until a test is taken. If the result is negative, no further action will be required. If a guest tests positive for COVID-19 during a tour, they will be asked to exit the tour and follow CDC isolation guidelines. Anyone rooming with a guest who tests positive may also be asked to leave the tour. Any costs incurred for departure due to a positive test are the guest’s responsibility. Please consider purchasing trip insurance to help offset this risk.
Masks: While we no longer will require masking in Carolina Tailwinds’ vans, we will still include masks (and home rapid antigen tests) on the suggested packing list for your tour. We ask that all guests continue to remain respectful of each individual’s choice to mask or not mask in group transport. We also ask that you respect local businesses’ requests, if any, to mask for entry. Keep in mind that many health systems nationwide still require a mask for entry.
Dining: We resumed non-private group dining during our 2022 season. While we will still endeavor to dine al-fresco where possible (and who does not enjoy dining outside?!), that is not always possible for every meal in every location. Guests who remain uncomfortable with indoor dining can still elect to take their meal in their room. The guide team on site are more than happy to help facilitate to go meals in these instances.
Cancellation Policy: For cancellations for COVID, our normal cancellation policy will apply in 2024. Our cancellation policy has always been more lenient than industry standards and still is. Review our full cancellation policy here: https://www.carolinatailwinds.com/reservation-terms-and-conditions
Guests are encouraged to investigate travel insurance options to protect their investment. You can find information on this topic at https://www.squaremouth.com/covid-19
Carolina Tailwinds is following recommended guidelines set by health officials, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as well as local authorities where applicable.
Guests are encouraged to reach out to Carolina Tailwinds, or to your guide team, with any questions or concerns. Get ready to roll on your adventure!
Updated 7/13/2022
Bike tours in 2022
We are very excited to be back on the road with all our guests in the upcoming season, and believe our model of group travel provides a great opportunity for a safe and fun adventure as the world continues to reopen. We have received such positive and thoughtful feedback over the past 2 years of running tours from the hundreds of guests we have served. We will continue to build on what we have learned and adapt in the upcoming months.
In the interim, we have updated our COVID tour protocol for guests, staff and vendor partners to Arrive Well, Travel Well, and Return Well from all of our 2022 adventures.
The best guidance available to all of us for domestic travel protocols remains that issued from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC): https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/travel-during-covid19.html. For 2022, Carolina Tailwinds continues to strongly recommend 100% compliance with all guidelines outlined by the CDC. This guidance and local restrictions continue to evolve with the pandemic, and Carolina Tailwinds policies will be updated as they do.
Vaccination: As of April, 2022 Carolina Tailwinds guests will be required to sign a Travel Well Pledge that they are and will stay up-to-date on their Covid-19 vaccinations, as defined by the CDC, and that they are not experiencing any symptoms on arrival to the tour destination. Exceptions can be made in cases for individuals who have recently recovered from Covid-19 and other cases, but a negative PCR test within 72 hours of tour departure will be required in those instances where guests are unvaccinated. All guests will be asked to carry their vaccination card or a photo of their card on their smartphone, or a photo of a negative recent PCR test with them. Some locations we visit while on tour may change their requirements for admission on short notice due to conditions on the ground. The best way to ensure admission to all tour activities remains the ability to present an up-to-date vaccination card. It remains the guest responsibility to carry this with them. No partial refunds will be given for any activities missed due to lack of ability to present vaccination proof or a negative PCR test if unvaccinated.
Guests also need to know that not every guest participating on their tour date may have received a booster shot. The recent Omicron surge, which led to many recent COVID infections, may have prompted individuals' medical teams to advise them to wait in receipt of a booster due to inflated levels of natural immunity in the wake of an infection. The data and recommendations in this area are continuing to evolve.
CT Guides: Carolina Tailwinds continues to require all its staff and guides to stay up-to-date on their COVID-19 vaccinations. All our team members are fully vaccinated and have received 1 booster shot as of February 2022 and will continue to be required to be current per CDC recommendations.
Symptom Check: During each tour, all guides and guests will immediately report any COVID-19 symptoms to the guide team, agree to be tested for COVID-19 upon presentation of any symptoms, and self-isolate pending the results. Any of those rooming with these symptomatic individuals will also need to self-isolate and be tested. This will help ensure the safety of the rest of the group, our staff, and vendor partners. We encourage all 2022 guests to bring an At Home COVID test, such as the Abbot BINAX Rapid Test, with them on tour.
In the event of testing positive for COVID-19: If a guide or guest does test positive during the tour, they and their roommate will be required to self-isolate in their hotel room until they test negative and are asymptomatic. We recommend trip insurance policies that cover Trip Interruption due to Covid-19.
In the event of exposure to a positive case: Because we have encouraged guests to be up-to-date on vaccinations, anyone vaccinated and exposed to a possible positive case or a test-confirmed positive case will not need to isolate as long as they are asymptomatic, per CDC guidelines. (Excludes roommates, per above.) However, unvaccinated individuals will be required to isolate and leave the tour as local public health and CDC guidelines stipulate quarantine for these individuals. Locating housing for quarantine purposes on such short notice is difficult and may not meet the standards expected on Carolina Tailwinds tours due to the lack of advance notice and reservation. Costs for quarantine are the guest responsibility.
Masks: During any van shuttle or when required locally by any business or vendor partner, any guides and guests will be required to wear a well-fitting face covering regardless of vaccination status. All guests should bring multiple face masks to the tour that cover the mouth, nose and chin without any gaps. These masks need to be KN95 or N95 quality. CDC guidance on masks can be found at this link. Masking is not required outdoors when physical distancing is observed, including while cycling.
Dining: We are resuming non-private group dining in 2022. While we will still endeavor to dine al-fresco where possible (and who does not enjoy dining outside?!), that is not always possible for every meal in every location. Guests who remain uncomfortable with indoor dining can still elect in 2022 to take their meal in their room. The guide team on site are more than happy to help facilitate to go meals in these instances.
Cancellation Policy: For cancellations by guests, our normal cancellation policy will apply in 2022. Our cancellation policy has always been more lenient than industry standards and still is. Cancellation prior to 60 days prior to the tour start date entitles the guest to a full refund, less a $75 fee. Review our full cancellation policy here: https://www.carolinatailwinds.com/reservation-terms-and-conditions
Guests are encouraged to investigate travel insurance options to protect their investment. You can find information on this topic at https://www.squaremouth.com/covid-19
In the era of COVID-19, and even pre-pandemic, Carolina Tailwinds wants to minimize the risk of illness and trip disruption for our guests. We want everyone to have uninterrupted (and safe) FUN! We’ve consulted with infectious disease experts to adapt our on-tour protocols outlined above with the goal of maintaining the level of fun and safety our guests expect from Carolina Tailwinds’ tours. We believe our evolving protocols do that. Hundreds of guests have traveled with us since we resumed travel in September of 2020, and their positive feedback confirms that safe travel can still be fun travel. We cannot fully express our appreciation for your patience with these policies and your willingness to comply. Our goal is to keep you, your traveling companions, our Carolina Tailwinds’ staff and our vendor partners safe and healthy, as well as your family safe on your return from your adventure. Thank you!