Our local tracek agency in Ecuador: FAQ
TERRA ECUADOR
• Who are we?
• Who is my e-mail contact?
OUR TRAVEL
• What do we offer?
• Are all our trips available online?
• Who are our trips for?
• Why can’t I find a price on the site?
OUR WAY OF WORKING
• How do I book a tour or stay?
• How far in advance can I book a trip?
• How is the price of a tour calculated?
• How do I pay for my trip?
OUR LANGUAGE
• What is a “French-speaking guide” supplement?
• What do we mean by private transport?
• What do we mean by autotour?
BEST SEASON
• What’s the best season in Ecuador (climate and tourism)? back
• When is the best time for whale watching? back
PRACTICAL
• How do I find other participants for a trip?
• What vaccinations and other important information do I need to know before leaving?
• What equipment do I need?
• How do I find plane tickets?
RESPONSES
TERRA ECUADOR
• Who are we? back
Terra Ecuador is an incoming travel agency and tour operator based in Ecuador. Our team specializes in “à la carte” travel, adventure tourism and “off the beaten track” in Ecuador without intermediaries. Terra Ecuador is part of the Terra Group, a network of incoming agencies operating throughout Latin America, all created and managed by a French-speaking team since 1998. Our office is in QUITO and we can be reached by telephone (local call rates from France), Skype, Messenger, Whatsapp or email: contact us.
We are the official receptive for a number of agencies in France and around the world. We also work live via the Internet, and you can read messages from some of our customers on their return from Ecuador in our guestbook.
Ecuador is our passion, which is why we’ve decided to make it our home. We regularly go out on reconnaissance trips to help you discover the most beautiful places and sites off the beaten track. We know all our guides, drivers and hoteliers in person, and enjoy very good relationships with them.
• Who is my e-mail contact? back
Our travel advisors (e-mail replies) are all trilingual (English/French/Spanish) and well versed in the company’s organization. This is one of the strengths of our structure, which guarantees rapid (within 48 hours) and accurate responses in the language of the person you are speaking to, whatever the complexity of your request. Your contact can be reached by phone, email or Skype. You can call us after work for the price of a local call, as we are open from Monday to Friday until midnight French time. contact us
Personalizing each project is the key to creating a tailor-made program perfectly suited to your wishes and constraints. We adapt to you, not the other way around. We can be reached 24 hours a day on our emergency cell phone, so we can deal immediately with any problems that may arise during your trip : contact us.
Personalizing each project is the key to creating a tailor-made program perfectly suited to your wishes and constraints. We adapt to you, not the other way around. We can be reached 24 hours a day on our emergency cell phone, so we can deal immediately with any problems that may arise during your trip.
OUR TRAVEL
• What do we offer? back
Terra Ecuador is a travel agency whose vocation is to organize authentic trips, based around must-see sites of course, but also and above all off the beaten track. And there are a thousand and one ways to build a trip, around a theme that must be the best reflection of what you’re looking for (cultural travel, rest, adventure, encounters, a passion for wildlife, for an art form, etc.).
Tailor-made travel is certainly what best defines our business. Our vocation is to fill your trip with emotion. Write to us and we’ll build your trip together.
• How far in advance can I book a trip? back
Most of our trips are presented on our website. However, these often serve as the basis for building the trip of your dreams together. Some may even have evolved in the meantime, as we modify and improve them based on customer feedback, our visits and our personal favorites.
• Who are our trips for? back
Our trips are suitable for all types of public, including children. Depending on the degree of difficulty, some people may not be able to take part in certain activities (diving and other water sports, mountaineering, rafting, canyoning), but we have a wide enough range of activities to meet all requirements.
• Why can’t I find a price on the site? back
As you may have noticed, our prices are not presented on our website, which is primarily a “showcase” for our products and offers ideas for tours. Terra Ecuador works essentially on a tailor-made travel; most of our customers ask us to make changes to the programs we offer, and we constantly have to re-calculate the tours, which is why we have chosen not to show prices. We invite you to let us know which tour(s) caught your eye. We’ll then send you the price and a tailor-made itinerary that we can enrich together according to your expectations. This way, we’re sure to offer you a program that’s just right for you.
OUR WAY OF WORKING
•How do I book a tour or stay? back
Once a program has been drawn up and agreed upon (itinerary, services and prices), reservations with the various tour operators can only be made once a deposit has been received. It’s best to book as far in advance of your arrival date as possible, so that we have time to work under the best possible conditions and obtain availability.
However, please note that our process can be extremely fast: we sometimes accept customers 15 days before their arrival in the country.
• How far in advance can I book a trip? back
The earlier the better, as this will give you many advantages:
- conditions that are often more advantageous ;
- early reservations with our suppliers (hotels, transport, air, etc.) ;
- special attention from our sales team.
• How is the price of a tour calculated? back
The price quoted is always per person, based on a shared double room. For a single person, or for an odd number of people, supplements are indicated for single rooms or reductions for triple rooms.
We aim to offer you the best value for money. The price we give you is the sum of collective and individual costs. The more people you are, the lower the price, as collective costs (car, guide, etc.) are shared by the group.
How do I pay for my trip? back
We’ll let you know how to pay by e-mail when you confirm your booking.
OUR LANGUAGE
• What is a “French-speaking guide” supplement? back
This is a guide fluent in French, certified by the tourist office, who has his own vehicle (usually a 4×4). This option is available for small groups of up to 3 people, and saves on driver costs. As the number of chauffeur-guides is much more limited than with traditional guides, it’s important to book well in advance to ensure availability.
• What do we mean by private transport? back
Private transportation is a vehicle driven by a Spanish-speaking driver. The driver’s expenses are also included, so you don’t need to plan anything (except for a possible tip).
The vehicle is adapted to the size of your group, and is totally private, i.e. reserved exclusively for you. No one else is allowed on board. If there are fewer than 3 of you, it’s usually a comfortable sedan-type car. On the other hand, if your group is made up of more than 3 people, we will provide a van (short, medium or long, depending on the size of your group). This mode of transport is generally preferable, as you don’t have to worry about anything (road, route, etc.) and it’s safer (you have a driver).
• What do we mean by autotour? back
A self-guided tour is a free formula that only includes car rental, hotels with breakfasts, some guides at stopovers and entrance fees to sites (only when you have a guide at stopovers). We’ll send you a detailed program (day by day, number of kilometers, visits not to be missed) where sometimes you have an appointment with your guide, sometimes you organize the day as you see fit.
You’ll be met at the airport by an English-speaking guide who will be on hand to help you collect your rental car. He’ll give you a detailed map, a telephone card and will be happy to answer any last-minute questions you may have. We always include this guide because it’s essential for a good vacation: a trip is only a success when it gets off to a good start. So you don’t have to worry about a thing as soon as you step off the plane.
Our office team is also available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to help you with any problems or queries you may have.
BEST SEASON
• What’s the best season in Ecuador (climate and tourism)? back
Ecuador is a pleasure to visit all year round. In general, all the programs we offer can be carried out at any time of year, without restriction. Ecuador’s tropical climate varies according to altitude and region. The weather can be very changeable on any given day, but is generally very pleasant, with a feeling of perpetual spring. There are two main seasons, although climate change has made them less distinct than they used to be:
– Winter, from December to May, is hot and rainy.
– Summer, from June to November, is the dry season, with cooler temperatures.
Ecuador also has very different microclimates, depending on the 4 main regions that make it up: to know more about:
• When is the best time for whale watching? back
It runs from June to September on the Costa. However, we recommend that you follow several rules to get closer to them:
– They are protected animals and can only be approached by boat.
– The most suitable area is the Puerto Lopez region.
PRACTICAL
• How do I find other participants for a trip? back
All our tours are organized privately, on any date, starting with one confirmed participant. There are no fixed departure dates. And we don’t have an “open” group (i.e. one that accepts new members). However, we can recommend one or two partners in France with whom we work if you would like to join a group, and they can register you for a nearby departure.
• What vaccinations and other important information do I need to know before leaving? back
We recommend that you contact your GP and visit:
– the Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs website. For further information: Click here.
– the American Ministry of Foreign Affairs website. For further information: Click here.
– the UK Ministry of Foreign Affairs website. For further information: Click here.
• What equipment do I need? back
Please refer to the following page: click here.
• How do I find plane tickets? back
We invite you to search the web for the best fares. As we are not an IATA agency, we do not have any specific fares. We recommend some: click here.
