What is the payment schedule and payment options?
If you make a Provisional Reservation we will email you an invoice with payment option details when a payment is due. Payments can be made by credit/debit card or by bank/wire transfer.
Initial deposit due within 1 month of invoice date - 10%
Stage Payment - 40% due in January 2021
The Final balance of the total price is
due by 15th March 2021
How do I book on a tour?
You can book on Project Greenland June 2021 any time by completing the online
Provisional Reservation form (click here), or you can contact us by phone if you have any queries.
From the UK 01422 887110
From outside the UK +44 1422 887110
Is a passport required?
You will need to have a passport for Project Greenland June 2021.
Most countries require that a passport be valid for at least six months beyond the completion of your trip. If your passport expires sooner than that, you must renew your passport prior to travel.
Do I need Travel Visas?
You must have all visas (and vaccination) certificates that are necessary to enter or pass through any countries involved in Project Greenland June 2021.
Visa requirements are subject to change so please check with a Visa Service Company in the country in which you are located or you can check details online instantly with companies such as
CIBT Visas (https://cibtvisas.co.uk/). Visas can be obtained through the relevant embassy or consulate.
General Note: Some countries refuse admission to travellers not meeting their accepted standards of dress or appearance (even if they hold a visa). Entry may also be refused to certain countries if your passport bears stamps or visas (valid or expired) for Israel.
Please note it is your responsibility to ensure you have the correct, current visa information in good time before departure and that you act on it.
International Flights and arrival/departure Airport Transfers
We can assist with flight advice from all worldwide destinations.
Flight packages become available approx. 11 months in advance of a tour departure or you can arrange your own International flights if you prefer.
Please note: Airport transfers and assistance are included on tour arrival and departure days if you take advantage of the International flight package offered by our flight partner. If you choose to arrange your own International flights then the meet point is the hotel on Day 1 and the tour ends at the hotel on the final day.
Astro Trail work closely with
Star Travel UK (https://staruk.uk/), for International Flight arrangements for our projects. Star Travel UK are fully IATA and ATOL bonded. For UK departures Star Travel UK will provide an ATOL certificate (an ATOL does not apply for non UK departures).
Do I need Travel Insurance?
It is adviseable that you have Travel Insurance for any overseas travel arrangements and Astro Trails strongly urges you to purchase travel insurance before making your first deposit payment onto a project.
Travel Insurance policies are widely available and offer a range of financial protection for your trip. Health cover is obviously a necessity and we would also advise a policy which covers any loss in respect of non-refundable cancellation charges.
The policy costs and the extent of coverage vary considerably, a simple internet search will provide many alternatives and you are free to make your own choice. There are however only a few insurers who will arrange cover if you are making your reservations more than a year in advance (usually necessary for eclipse trips) but
this link connects to an insurer who may arrange cover up to two years (24 months) ahead of your trip. Please check with the company direct as company policy can and does often change.
Why book with Astro Trails?
Astro Trails is the latest version of a project which started in 1973 when Transolar Travel, a small UK travel agency, chartered a cruise ship to take members of the British Astronomical Association and their friends to observe a total solar eclipse off the coast of West Africa. David McGee, the owner of Transolar went on to run projects to follow the Apollo spaceflight launches from Florida, and from 1980 his brother Brian McGee took over responsibility for continuing the organisation of solar eclipse tours and he is still involved in the operation to this day.
Brian McGee is a familiar name to thousands of people who have travelled on the many astronomy projects he has organised since 1980, originally as Explorers Travel and subsequently as Astro-Trails. With expeditions to almost every total eclipse over the past four decades the track record of being clouded out on only two occasions has required more than just luck!
The itineraries for the projects reflect the active curiosity of people who join this kind of expedition and such people are always good travelling companions. Our team have many good memories of the people, places and events over the past 40 years and we look forward to joining you on many more.
Do you have Astronomy Experts on Project Greenland June 2021?
Depening on the final group size, we normally try to have at least one Astronomy expert on each project. Our colleagues are chosen from a group of experts who have assisted us on many previous solar eclipse trips -
see this section on our website for details of some past and present names and faces.
We distribute a handy Eclipse Information and Observation Guide prior to travel.
Who are the local guides on the tours?
We work with a team of local guides and country specialists provided by our partners in Greenland.
Their main responsibility is to make sure that all members of the group are well looked after and return home having had a wonderful trip with some fantastic memories. It is their responsibility to ensure that the tour runs smoothly and that all the daily logistics are in place and also to oversee the health and safety aspects of the tour.
We also have a core team of specialist Astro Trails co-ordinators who oversee the logistics of the project in its entirety.
Which local firms provide services within Greenland?
Our partners in Greenland are Tangent Expeditions, a small niche company who have been operating expeditions to Greenland for over 30 years.
Tangent Expeditions began in 1989 when owner and director Paul Walker organised his first two month expedition to East Greenland. Since then, he’s gone on to organise over 250 expeditions all over Greenland, becoming the leading expert in his field. He has guided many of these himself and now works with a team of highly qualified guides.
What Hotel Accommodation is provided?
The hotels used for this expedition are mostly equivalent to three star standard but they can vary dramatically between places.
All hotel rooms provide private bathrooms (*with the exception of accommodation if required at Qaanaaq - see below). In smaller towns and in remote areas hotel facilities are more limited than may be expected in major cities, particularly in areas close to the eclipse track where there is a very high demand for accommodation. *Please note that accommodation (if required due to weather conditions) at Qaanaaq is 'no frills' basic accommodation and there are no single rooms available (singles will be required to share a twin room for this 1 night)
We try to include accommodation which best reflects the local area in which we are travelling and aim for mid-range accommodation, with the key requirements being cleanliness, safety, comfort and a good location.
Is it possible to share a twin room instead of paying a single room supplement?
Tours are based on customers sharing twin-bedded or double rooms.
If you book on a Twin Share basis, you will share a room with someone of the same sex. However, if there is no one to pair you up with on your Tour closer to final balance stage, we will have to charge you a Single Supplement.
On all tours we offer the opportunity to pay a supplement to pre-book a single room.
What meals are included?
All Tours include breakfast, but other meals are often not included. This allows you to try the cuisine in local restaurants and also to choose what and where to eat and how much to spend. Our local guides will often be able to help with advice on restaurants.
What ground transportation is provided?
Wherever possible we charter comfortable, full size touring coaches for all land sectors. Transportation in Greenland is generally based on smaller buses and taxis as this is a small group (maximum 30 participants)
How many people are travelling on the tour?
Our tours are extremely popular and Project Greenland is based on a maximum group size of 30 people (20 is the group minimum).
Climate
Greenland
The average minimum temperature in Ilulissat in June is 0.0°C (32°F). June is a dry month with an average of 25mm of rain. This month is known as a chilly month and the average maximum temperature lies around 5.0°C (41°F). During the night it can cool down considerably.
You can find full climate details via these links -
Observation site
Qaanaaq
Denmark
Copenhagen
Greenland
Kangerlussuaq
Ilulissat
Qeqertarsuaq
Will an itinerary change?
The long distances covered in these itineraries necessarily involve a number of journeys. All itineraries are based on current routes and schedules and will therefore be subject to change in the event of schedule or route changes or in the case of Project Greenland June 2021, weather conditions.
You will be informed of any known major changes when we become aware of them. Minor changes will be advised in your Final Itinerary approximately two weeks prior to departure.
Weather conditions around Qaanaaq cannot be advised until closer to eclipse day and the itinerray may be changed accordingly to suit best eclipse observation logistics.
