TRAVEL AGENT: Royal British Tours.
TOURIST: I’m looking for a tour of England.
TRAVEL AGENT: When are you arriving?
TOURIST: I’m in London right now, actually. I’m a graduate student at the London School of Economics. But I want to use my spring break to take a tour of the country since I don’t have anyone to show me around.
TRAVEL AGENT: Spring break...so, March 14-23?
TOURIST: That’s right.
TRAVEL AGENT: We have weeklong tours that would fit your timeframe. Are there any parts of the country you are particularly eager to visit?
TOURIST: Um...Bristol and Manchester are high on my list, but I’m fairly open.
TRAVEL AGENT: All right. Are you more interested in food, culture, music, nature, shopping...?
TOURIST: Definitely food. Not so much a shopper, really. And I do enjoy getting to know the local culture.
TRAVEL AGENT: Right. A city tour then. OK, our England Sampler tour is a mix of both guided sightseeing and enjoying the urban scenes. During March, the weeklong tours take you to Bath, then to Chester, on to York, and finally stops in Cambridge before returning to London. You spend about two days in each place.
TOURIST: Yes, but neither of my two preferred destinations are included in that itinerary.
TRAVEL AGENT: True. So another option is the Essential Britain tour. It starts in Oxford, and goes through Glastonbury and Bath on the way up to Manchester. Uh, and then back to London.
TOURIST: That surely sounds like a better fit.
TRAVEL AGENT: I believe so. The only problem is that it costs a bit more because, well, because it’s more popular.
TOURIST: Hmm. How much more, exactly?
TRAVEL AGENT: The England Sampler tour is £900, and the Essential Britain tour is £1,300.
TOURIST: I see what you mean. That’s a significant difference.
TRAVEL AGENT: Right.
TOURIST: Are taxes included?
TRAVEL AGENT: Unfortunately not. There’s an additional 4 percent tax on both of the tours.
TOURIST: And what does the cost include?
TRAVEL AGENT: Each tour is different. The England Sampler includes transportation, lodging, and breakfasts every day. But the Essential Britain tour price covers all that in addition to lunches.
TOURIST: So, basically you aren’t saving much with the first tour since you’ll have to pay more in food.
TRAVEL AGENT: Well, lunches aren’t that expensive, so the Essential Britain tour still costs more in the end.
TOURIST: That’s OK. I’d rather pay a bit extra and get what I want. How do I sign up?
TRAVEL AGENT: I’m happy to register you right now. First I’ll need your full name.
TOURIST: Cathy Vanhemps.
TRAVEL AGENT: Can you spell that please?
TOURIST: Yes. C-A-T-H-Y V-A-N-H-E-M-P-S.
TRAVEL AGENT: Thank you. And your phone number and email address?
TOURIST: Mobile is 4-4-3-6-7-9-3-3. My email address is vanhemps@ausmail.net.
TRAVEL AGENT: Great. And to secure your reservation, you need to make a 20 percent deposit, which is non-refundable. Do you have a credit card I can charge that to?
TOURIST: I don’t feel comfortable giving my credit card information over the phone. Would it be possible to make a bank transfer?
TRAVEL AGENT: Absolutely. Our bank information is located on our website. Just make sure that it is in our account within 24 hours, otherwise your reservation will be cancelled.
TOURIST: Sure. And how long do I have to pay for the remainder of the tour?
TRAVEL AGENT: Until March 10th.
TOURIST: Great.
TRAVEL AGENT: Can I help you with anything else, like travel insurance?
TOURIST: No, no. I’m fine. Thank you.
TRAVEL AGENT: Certainly. Enjoy your trip.