Patricia Marques

We have thoroughly enjoyed our holiday in Spain, expertly organised by Paty and backed up by all the wonderful drivers and guides. The countryside, the cities, the people and the food were most amazing. We especially loved the Cathedral of Seville and the Royal Alcazar, also the Alhambra Palace in Granada. We loved wandering the streets and enjoying the local food. Our drivers have all been punctual, courteous and efficient, and our guides have all been most engaging and enthusiastic. ... read more

We have thoroughly enjoyed our holiday in Spain, expertly organised by Paty and backed up by all the wonderful drivers and guides. The countryside, the cities, the people and the food were most amazing. We especially loved the Cathedral of Seville and the Royal Alcazar, also the Alhambra Palace in Granada. We loved wandering the streets and enjoying the local food. Our drivers have all been punctual, courteous and efficient, and our guides have all been most engaging and enthusiastic. We would especially would like to mention Aldada, Lola and Alex who were all a delight to meet and who elevated our experience with knowledge, fun and laughter. They obviously love their jobs. The organisation and the communication from Paty and others has been most efficient. It was so good knowing that I could message her at any time if I had a question or a time delay and she would respond immediately. Hotels that were organised by Paty have been excellent, and the details given prior to checkin heightened the anticipation. We felt comfortable and secure with all the arrangements at all times and have fallen in love with Spain. Thanks to all.

Our trip to a Portugal was incredible. Patricia helped us a plan a very memorable two weeks. Our guides and drivers were all very knowledgeable and prompt which added to our experience. The trip may have been expensive however it allowed us to do more than we could have on our own. Portugal you are a beautiful country.

Day 1, Rui picked us up the first day and drove us to Obidos and Aveiro, and finally to our hotel in Porto. He balanced giving us information and quiet time perfectly. He even bought us some Ovos Moles! Very personable and a superb driver/guide.

Day 2, Celia took us on a walking tour all around our Porto. Our first hotel was perfectly situated and was an amazing hotel. Celia was wonderful to walk around with and provided a lot of information. We really enjoyed our 5 hour walk. The... read more

Day 1, Rui picked us up the first day and drove us to Obidos and Aveiro, and finally to our hotel in Porto. He balanced giving us information and quiet time perfectly. He even bought us some Ovos Moles! Very personable and a superb driver/guide.

Day 2, Celia took us on a walking tour all around our Porto. Our first hotel was perfectly situated and was an amazing hotel. Celia was wonderful to walk around with and provided a lot of information. We really enjoyed our 5 hour walk. The bifana and petiscos were tasty.

Day3, Pedro drove us to Guimaraes and Braga. Two amazing cities and we learned a lot of historical information about Portugal. Pedro was informative and personable. Almost forgot to mention the treat he bought us in Guimaraes, very good!

Day 4, Gea (sp?) drove us to Douro Valley. Fast and efficient. Stayed at Six Senses hotel - amazing place.

Day 5, Pedro picked us up at hotel and we toured Douro Valley. He took us to some awesome places/wineries and educated us on how port wine was made. We learned a lot. Lunch was at Quinta Nova, wow, amazing 4 course meal with wine pairing!

Day 6, Rui picked us up and we left Six Senses hotel and headed back to Porto. Rui gave us a lot of additional information about Porto, lovely city. This time we were across the river at The Yeatman Hotel. Perfect spot and allowed us to experience the other side of the river. Well thought out plan.

Day 7, Rui picked us up and transported us to the airport. Sad to leave Portugal, it was an amazing trip.

The planning, guides, hotels and whole experience was incredible. Kimkim did a really great job planning our trip.

We highly recommend Kimkim. Our guides were the best!

Our family of 4 took this trip for 8 days in Southern Spain in mid-June. Patricia was very helpful in planning a trip to our timeline and interests. We ended up spending 3 nights in Seville (with a day trip to Cadiz/Vejer) , one night in Ronda, and then 2 nights in Granada. Between Rhonda and Granda we did a half day of hiking in the Caminito Del Ray gorge. We enjoyed all the stops. It was a good mix of culture, history and recreation. Rhonda and the Caminito Del Ray were... read more

Our family of 4 took this trip for 8 days in Southern Spain in mid-June. Patricia was very helpful in planning a trip to our timeline and interests. We ended up spending 3 nights in Seville (with a day trip to Cadiz/Vejer) , one night in Ronda, and then 2 nights in Granada. Between Rhonda and Granda we did a half day of hiking in the Caminito Del Ray gorge. We enjoyed all the stops. It was a good mix of culture, history and recreation. Rhonda and the Caminito Del Ray were especially beautiful areas. Our guides and drivers were all friendly, on time and knowledgable. We especially enjoyed Aldara's tour in Triana area, Maria's tour of Cadiz/Vejer, and Blanca's tour of Alhambra. Hotels were all centrally located, of good quality, and had plenty of food for breakfast. Overall the trip was worth the extra expense in planning and logistics for this special occasion trip (our 25th Wedding Anniversary). Thanks Patricia and KimKim.

Hotel Reviews

Catalonia Ronda

Ronda

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Legado Alcázar Hotel

Seville

This was a beautiful hotel within a short walk to the cathedral and the alcazar. The breakfast food was fresh and plentiful. Three courses everyday with a wide selection of breakfast items. We also enjoyed tea in the afternoon. the staff was helpful and attentive at all times.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Casa 1800 Granada

Granada

Authenticity & Character

This was a beautiful hotel with a lot of character. We loved the tea time in the afternoon.

Location

The hotel was in a great location, very shaded area. Easy to walk to everything from our hotel.

Staff

Ivan was quick to help us out whenever we had a question or needed help with our bags.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Eurostars Madrid Gran Vía

Madrid

Authenticity & Character

This was a very nice hotel in Madrid. Very modern facility.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private guided biking tour of Seville Old Quarter

Seville

The biking tour in between the tours of the Alcazar and Cathedral was fun. I really enjoyed seeing Spain Square.

Quality of Experience

Guides, drivers and staff

Cristina was very knowledgeable and pleasant.

Transport

Seville Flamenco & Tapas Experience

Seville

Aldara was great. Loved the character and food from small restaurants that she chose.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, drivers and staff

Transport

Southernmost Spain's beaches, villages and delicacies!

Spain

Quality of Experience

We could see Cadiz and Vejer through our guides eyes. You could tell how proud she was of this part of Apain.

Food

Guides, drivers and staff

The drivers throughout the entire trip were pleasant and knowledgeable of the area. We never needed to worry about the drivers on the entire trip as they were always where we needed them at the time we needed them.

Transport

The cars were always clean and air conditioned and very comfortable for the rides between cities.

Ronda - Hiking of El Caminito del Rey - Granada

Ronda

We love hiking. We never have hiked on a trail like this. Spectacular scenery.

Quality of Experience

Guides, drivers and staff

Ian was entertaining throughout with his knowledge of the area. He made the hike fun.

Transport

Private guided tour of the Alhambra Palace and Generalife Gardens

Granada

Blanca was a wonderful guide. She knew the history of the Alhambra. She made the tour fun and interactive.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, drivers and staff

Transport

All of our guides were knowledgeable and accommodating. The guided tours and activities were enlightening and delightful. The arranged transportation and the helpful drivers complemented the excellent itinerary prepared by Patricia. Patricia made sure we thoroughly enjoyed our vacation from start to finish!

Patricia put together an amazing trip! Everything was literally perfect. Every hotel was amazing, every guide was polite, knowledgeable, and punctual, and every excursion was an awesome experience.

I cannot give a stronger recommendation for her services.

What a trip!

I could not have asked for a better expert than Patricia to help me plan an amazingly memorable and fun trip. She perfectly balanced our itinerary to include activities and busy time, while balancing down time and travel time to keep us energized for a whirlwind two-week trip. Every aspect of our itinerary went exactly as planned, and every single person with whom we interacted locally was a joy to be around.

Amazing trip. Patricia got everything perfect. She listened to our style of travel and totally deliver. She was available through the whole trip and was a great help when we had a minor accident with our rental car.

We’ve never had one on one tour guides before but it really made the trip special. In each new location we had a guide for a major museum or palace tour and they gave us the inside perspective you could never get without them. And the food tour in Madrid is a must. Can’t wait for our next trip yo Spain

We had an amazing time in Portugal and Spain. Patricia booked great tours, good hotels, and covered pretty much all our requests. We traveled for 38 days and her app to keep us informed and on track worked very well. Communication was constant throughout the trip. Will definitely use her again for our next Spain trip

Patricia orchestrated the most amazing 10-week journey through Portugal and Spain for us. She was professional, responsive, creative and, most importantly, a wonderful listener.
From cultural private tours and wine tastings, to picnics in vineyards, to hot air balloon adventures, this was an experience we will never forget.
We highly recommend Patricia!

Patricia did a fabulous job of matching our itinerary to our interests. YTTSP gave us a local phone, preloaded with information we needed in case of questions. Only a few minor isssues occurred, and Patricia called right away to discuss the question and the solution. Her customer service is outstanding, and was very much appreciated on our first visit to Spain.

We spent 8 days touring 4 cities, and had incredible guides for all the important places we wanted to tour. Laura, who handled... read more

Patricia did a fabulous job of matching our itinerary to our interests. YTTSP gave us a local phone, preloaded with information we needed in case of questions. Only a few minor isssues occurred, and Patricia called right away to discuss the question and the solution. Her customer service is outstanding, and was very much appreciated on our first visit to Spain.

We spent 8 days touring 4 cities, and had incredible guides for all the important places we wanted to tour. Laura, who handled our tour of the Sagrada Familia and Guell Park in Barcelona, was a particular standout. Federico toured us through the Alhambra and Generalife Gardens in Granada with an incredible amount of background information and details drawn from poetry and letters written by the occupants and visitors of the time. Patricia handled all of our transportation, including flights, trains and drivers. Instructions were always clear and very straightforward. The hotels chosen for us were also standouts.

I highly recommend Patricia and YTTSP for a relaxing and rewarding vacation!

I don’t even know where to begin with this review, because our trip to Spain was perfect…and I mean PERFECT-from start to finish.

Patricia was incredibly patient and kind during the planning stages. She quickly and seamlessly accommodated the many changes we had to make because of flight changes , Covid, etc Due to storms back home, we has to stay in Spain extra days. Patricia set up a new and wonderful hotel and our new Covid test appointments.

We spent 3 days in Barcelona, took the... read more

I don’t even know where to begin with this review, because our trip to Spain was perfect…and I mean PERFECT-from start to finish.

Patricia was incredibly patient and kind during the planning stages. She quickly and seamlessly accommodated the many changes we had to make because of flight changes , Covid, etc Due to storms back home, we has to stay in Spain extra days. Patricia set up a new and wonderful hotel and our new Covid test appointments.

We spent 3 days in Barcelona, took the high speed train to Madrid, and took a day trip to Toledo from Madrid. In Barcelona, we had a bike tour in the Gothic Quarter with Clara who provided an fun and enlightening information as well as tips on where to go for tapas! We also has an intellectually stimulating tour of the Gaudi Masterpieces and Güell Park with Elena, whose historical knowledge was stunning. For us, the icing on the cake was the guided tour of La Boqueria Market and subsequent cooking class with Carlos. We learned to make paella, crema catalana, Spanish omelette, pan tomate, and flat bread with spinach, pignoli, and raisins. We highly recommend all of these activities

After arriving in Madrid, we were greeted by the most gracious driver, Ricardo. He ended up driving us three times while we were in Madrid, and by the end we felt like he was family. Our day trip to Toledo was life-changing. Toledo was one of the most physically beautiful places I had ever seen! We were so fortunate to have Inma as our guide. We took a cab tour to see the bigger picture, and then we saw the Cathedral and the Jewish Quarter. She left us at a wonderful place for lunch.

I can’t think Patricia enough for this trip. It was truly magical, and she was the one who made it happen. I would recommend her 1000 times over. Thank you! You made me and my husband fall in love with Spain. We will be back!

I cannot provide enough superlatives that capture how beautifully my family's trip to Spain, (and side trip to France) unfolded. While very well traveled, and having used Trip Advisor incessantly for many years, I had been unaware of kimkim.com, until I saw it mentioned in a travel magazine. Learning of its origins and creators, and then reading excellent reviews about it, I thought I would give it a try. I generally arrange all of my family's travel, but have been feeling overwhelmed in... read more

I cannot provide enough superlatives that capture how beautifully my family's trip to Spain, (and side trip to France) unfolded. While very well traveled, and having used Trip Advisor incessantly for many years, I had been unaware of kimkim.com, until I saw it mentioned in a travel magazine. Learning of its origins and creators, and then reading excellent reviews about it, I thought I would give it a try. I generally arrange all of my family's travel, but have been feeling overwhelmed in the past year like many, and decided it would be nice to have a little bit of help "in country", in connecting some of the dots and details. That said, I didn't have very high hopes because cause in the past I have tried a couple of travel agents and been sorely disappointed. Because of my experience in traveling and preference for exacting detail in hotels and itinerary overall, I have found I have to explain too much to an agent. They also tend to want to designate something "typical" or popular for the average tourist.
Well… from the very first encounter with Patricia to our last communication upon arriving back in the States, I could not have been more blown away by the excellence and professionalism offered by Patricia and her associates.

We first exchange some letters and I explained the basics of what I was after. She suggested a phone call to better communicate; I found kimkim's set up of arranging a phone call via the website worked beautifully. Phone calls seem to route through Palo Alto headquarters and the connections were always excellent. At any rate, Patricia was so intuitive fom the get-go. I never felt guilty or pressured when I expressed atypical things like my family doesn't generally like to have a tour guide at attractions. We prefer to just be together and educate ourselves via audio guides or internet searches. She started to get a real sense of our travel preferences and really ran with it. She suggested hotels but knew that I had done a lot of research and respected my considerations. We had such a wonderful back-and-forth regarding selections and I was so impressed at her savvy, warmth, and kindness. I always felt throughout the 7 or 8 weeks of planning that Patricia had my back with every detail. Kimkim has a wonderful platform for sharing every detail of the itinerary, including what is and is not included in the final cost proposal.

Our trip was only 9 days and fairly full. I always felt confident, though, because Patricia had placed the entire detailed itinerary right on the cell phone she provided upon our first hotel check in. An in-country local phone might seem like the smallest detail, but It was seriously the smartest travel luxury I think I've ever been given. I could text Patricia on it at any time and it was unreal how quickly I would hear back from her. What travel agent is that responsive any time of the day or evening?!

We centered in Barcelona, with side trips to Montserrat, the Pyrenees for skiing, the coast, Girona, Perpignan, France, and Port Aventura. So much of it was simply stunning, and always culturally-enriching. There were quite a few times that questions would arise, due to language barrier or a typical international travel snafu, and my husband and I were absolutely blown away at the convenience of having that phone. Patricia would think of a suggestion for a dinner reservation and make it intuitively, just knowing that places would be filling up around the holidays. Then she would check in with me as to whether we were interested. We always were. I just felt like she read my mind and was saving me the trouble; so refreshing not to have to be "Mom the Travel Director" every minute! Her business partner and the driver, Omar, they assigned to us for all of our transiting, pick-ups and drop offs (except for when we rented our own car) were also fabulously professional, sharp, and proactive.

Some real challenges were presented because of changing Covid protocols and requirements, and I thought it spoke volumes that Patricia's team were so adaptable and helpful in overcoming these obstacles (twice very late in the evening!), making it as easy as possible for us. Whether just to check in that all was going well, or calls and texts related to troubleshooting, the level of enthusiasm and responsiveness from Patricia and her team was almost shocking. Such an incredibly high bar was set that I'm almost afraid to arrange a trip to a different part of the world because I will miss her level of service! That stated, I will definitely look to kimkim in the future, since this trip was so seamless.

Do not hesitate- in fact, RUN to arrange a trip to Spain or Portugal and request Patricia and her company Your Trip to Spain and Portugal via kimkim!!

Thank you Patricia and team! You planned an ideal first visit to Spain for us. You made sure that we saw the most important highlights of Madrid, Seville, and Barcelona, but also included really authentic 'non touristy' excursions. The private tours you arranged were wonderful. All of our guides were knowledgeable and really made an effort to customize our experience. Highlights included Carmen's extensive knowledge of history and politics related to the sites we saw in Madrid. In... read more

Thank you Patricia and team! You planned an ideal first visit to Spain for us. You made sure that we saw the most important highlights of Madrid, Seville, and Barcelona, but also included really authentic 'non touristy' excursions. The private tours you arranged were wonderful. All of our guides were knowledgeable and really made an effort to customize our experience. Highlights included Carmen's extensive knowledge of history and politics related to the sites we saw in Madrid. In Seville, Aldara's tour of Triana, the flamenco show, and the traditional tapas at a local bar was fantastic. She is truly an absolute joy! In Barcelona, we enjoyed seeing sites with Elena and loved our day trip with Mariana to visit two local wineries. All of the hotels were conveniently located and our transfers were on time and the drivers were extremely professional. Patricia checked in frequently to ensure things were going smoothly and adjusted our dinner reservations to accommodate our last minute needs. She even booked our PCR tests so that we would have no issues with getting our results before returning to the US. Patricia's service was EXCELLENT from the first inquiry to our flight home. We highly recommend her! We loved Spain more than we ever thought we would and we know it was due to Patricia's careful planning and her knowledge of the best things to see and do.

Our first trip to Spain and second time using Kimkim and their local experts. Patricia did an excellent job sorting out our requests and building a perfect trip. Connections, shuttles, and guides all fit our plans very well. All the recommendations were spot on, Costa Brava, Girona, Llfranc, Barcelona, Seville, Ronda, Gibraltar and Granada all set for us to enjoy and not worry about details. The ability to contact someone in country and that knows the area is invaluable, we had a few... read more

Our first trip to Spain and second time using Kimkim and their local experts. Patricia did an excellent job sorting out our requests and building a perfect trip. Connections, shuttles, and guides all fit our plans very well. All the recommendations were spot on, Costa Brava, Girona, Llfranc, Barcelona, Seville, Ronda, Gibraltar and Granada all set for us to enjoy and not worry about details. The ability to contact someone in country and that knows the area is invaluable, we had a few last minute requests and Patricia always came through. I could go on and on but the real review is that we will be returning to Spin and will be using kimkim and Patricia @yourtriptospainandportugal again. Thank you.

My daughters and I traveled throughout Spain and had a wonderful trip. Patricia was our travel agent and she was great. We never had an issue with transportation or drivers. Our tours were so interesting and we didn’t have any problems because Pati was on top of everything from tickets to needed documentation. She set us up with wonderful tour guides, they were all so knowledgeable and nice!
I especially enjoyed a winery tour in Rhonda and flamenco experience in Seville.
I will be using KimKim again for future trips.

A huge thank you to Patricia and her team. We were a family of 4, trying to put together a trip to multiple locations in Spain, in the middle of the pandemic. Without Patricia this would not have been possible. She made it all super easy, set us up in amazing hotels, arranged personal bespoke experiences and brought her considerable knowledge of the area to bear. In addition she stayed in constant communication throughout the trip, checking in and fine tuning the agenda along the way. We... read more

A huge thank you to Patricia and her team. We were a family of 4, trying to put together a trip to multiple locations in Spain, in the middle of the pandemic. Without Patricia this would not have been possible. She made it all super easy, set us up in amazing hotels, arranged personal bespoke experiences and brought her considerable knowledge of the area to bear. In addition she stayed in constant communication throughout the trip, checking in and fine tuning the agenda along the way. We could not be happier with the service we received and wish her and the team all the very best for the future. Would not hesitate to use her again.

Every aspect of the trip that Patricia planned for us was flawless. The guides and drivers, particularly Miguel, Daniel, and Inma were so knowledgeable and concerned with our experience and comfort. I have travelled extensively in Europe, individually, as the leader of student groups, and as part of a travel group, and I can say unequivocally that this was the best trip I have taken. I loved meeting Patricia and I especially thank her for her terrific work.

Our trip to Spain, planned by Patricia of Your Trip to Spain, was perfect in every way. Every place we visited was memorable: Madrid, Toledo, Seville, Cordoba, Ronda, Granada and finally Barcelona. All of the hotels we stayed in were centrally located as we requested, just steps away from main attractions. In Madrid, we were so close to the Plaza Mayor. In Seville and Granada, very close to the cathedrals and historic areas. Every driver was on time, and all the guides were exceptional:... read more

Our trip to Spain, planned by Patricia of Your Trip to Spain, was perfect in every way. Every place we visited was memorable: Madrid, Toledo, Seville, Cordoba, Ronda, Granada and finally Barcelona. All of the hotels we stayed in were centrally located as we requested, just steps away from main attractions. In Madrid, we were so close to the Plaza Mayor. In Seville and Granada, very close to the cathedrals and historic areas. Every driver was on time, and all the guides were exceptional: Carmen in Madrid, Inma in Toledo, Enrique in Seville, Laura in Cordoba, Daniel in Granada, Mar in Barcelona. Special mention of our driver/guide Miguel. We spent two days with him in Seville and our day driving to Granada. He went out of his way to show us a small mountain village and a castle off the beaten track. His suggestions for lunch were perfect, and we really enjoyed his company. We learned so much about Spanish history, art and culture. I give this tour a 5 star rating and highly recommend Patricia.

My husband and I can’t say enough great things about our experience with Your Trip to Spain and working with our local expert Patricia to plan our recent adventure. From start to finish and at every turn along the way, Patricia was the ultimate professional always making herself available throughout our travels and helping create one of the most memorable and enjoyable trips we’ve ever experienced. We are grateful for her expertise and knowledge. And, of course, we look forward to working with her again.

The trip was quite satisfying. Dinner with view of alhambra was most memorable.
Mr. Joseba Villarino gave an out-standing Basque guided drive.
Miranda gave a great evening tour in Seville. She took us to an excellent Flamenco show.
To me the troupe is the best I have seen and I wish I have got their name and see if they have some
commercial video. The Granada Victoria is great; the hotel in Seville in only two & half star.
All in all, Patricia, you have done a good job and we felt well taken care of.

Our trip to Spain was all that we hoped it would be. A view of the culture, it's diversity, history and richness has made us desire to return.
Patricia did a masterful job making our desired results a reality. We had a very diverse list of things we wanted to see and experience: history, culture, nature, etc.: and she spent a lot of time refining our itinerary to maximize each one.
She booked us in small hotels right in the center of historical areas so that we could easily, in our free... read more

Our trip to Spain was all that we hoped it would be. A view of the culture, it's diversity, history and richness has made us desire to return.
Patricia did a masterful job making our desired results a reality. We had a very diverse list of things we wanted to see and experience: history, culture, nature, etc.: and she spent a lot of time refining our itinerary to maximize each one.
She booked us in small hotels right in the center of historical areas so that we could easily, in our free time, explore the everyday life of the beautiful cities and villages we visited.
Our guides, Elena, Raul, Julio, Christina, Miguel and all of the others were passionate about their love for their city, region, and Spain as a whole; and they had deep knowledge of the places they guided us through.
All of our travel coordination was seamless and not stressful. Even the one instance of a driver miscommunication was remedied within 30 min.
I cannot begin to more highly recommend Patricia and her team.

Patricia was amazing and offered me one of the most memorable parts of my trip. I arrived in Spain to Madrid and they’d organised a welcome pack with a local mobile Phone printed and itinerary with a day to day program.
The trips especially in Barcelona were absolutely amazing. The excisions were great!! Especially the Gaudi trips and the gothic quarter, with incredibly fun and knowledgeable guides but my standout was the Vintage Sidecar tour to the vineyard at Alella with Tarek. A brilliant... read more

Patricia was amazing and offered me one of the most memorable parts of my trip. I arrived in Spain to Madrid and they’d organised a welcome pack with a local mobile Phone printed and itinerary with a day to day program.
The trips especially in Barcelona were absolutely amazing. The excisions were great!! Especially the Gaudi trips and the gothic quarter, with incredibly fun and knowledgeable guides but my standout was the Vintage Sidecar tour to the vineyard at Alella with Tarek. A brilliant different fun and fabulous experience! Using KimKim makes it’s expensive and I think if you got in touch with local operators you could possibly do this at half the cost but for me it was worth it.
Patricia in particular was so helpful and I really recommend her!

Patricia planned the perfect trip for us. She communicated with me throughout the planning process and answered any messages in a timely matter. Our hotels were perfectly located, clean, and the staff were very pleasant. All of our drivers arrived on time and were courteous. Our tour guides , Elena in Madrid, Sara ( tapas tour), Damiano in Seville, Alvaro in Gilbratar, and Danahe in Barcelona were very knowledgeable and informative. I would definitely use KimKim again.

Paty was the best host. Every detail was perfectly arranged. She was always available during the trip for any questions.