Frequently Asked Questions - Bus Tours
(See below for Frequently Asked Questions - Bike Tours)
--- Question - How do I Book a Bus Tour?
You may book a bus tour from our online ordering site
General Email: Info@MotorCityTourCompany.com
Phone: 248-850-2563 (Customer Service)
We accept reservations by credit card online through our Eventbrite site. Just click on the “Order Now” button next to the tour you would like to book and follow the prompts to pay with your credit card and complete your reservation. You will receive a confirmation page once the reservation is complete from Eventbrite. Please print out and bring your Eventbrite confirmation page and your ID with you. That is your ticket - you will present these to your tour guide on the date of your tour.
--- Question - What kind of bus will we be traveling on?
Answer - Motor City Tour Company official bus and travel partner is "The Night Move" biodiesel fueled bus. These 14-28 passenger buses are locally owned and operated by The Night Move LLC in Ferndale Michigan. The Night Move is a green friendly bus service. They run on biodiesel and completely neutralize their carbon footprint through purchasing carbon offsets.
We use various bus operators for larger events. Beer Festivals and Day Trip tours, we use either a 47 or 56 passenger Motor Coach bus. They have cushy seats, bathroom and TV’s onboard.
--- Question - What should I bring with me on the bus tour?
Answer - All you need is yourself. While no additional purchases are required, we encourage you to purchase beer from our breweries while you are on the tour. Motor City Tour Company will provide a cooler for keeping the beer cold on the bus. All of the breweries we visit will be offering beer in growlers and six packs (if available) to go. We ask you to not bring any alcohol onto the bus that wasn’t purchased from our tour stops. Motor City Tour Company follows all state of Michigan liquor/consumption laws. Participants must be 21 years old to consume alcoholic beverages on the tours.
--- Question - Will you feed me on this bus tour?
Answer - If specified on the vent description. Light lunch (usually Pizza or sandwiches) at one of the brewery stops is included in the ticket price and water and snacks will be provided on the bus.
--- Question - Where do the bus tours begin and where should I park?
Answer - Tours, unless noted, will depart from and return to the corner of 6th and Lafayette Streets in downtown Royal Oak, Michigan (adjacent to the parking structure). The parking garage offers low parking rates - about $2-3 for the day. This central location was chosen for its convenient access to I-696 and I-75 highways. Added bonus, Royal Oak offers many great restaurants and three local breweries that you can visit after the tour for dinner:
Royal Oak Brewery – 215 E. Fourth St, Royal Oak, MI 48067 – Ph: 248-544-1141.
Bastone Brewery - 419 South Main Street Royal Oak - 48067 Ph: 248-44-6250.
Lily’s Seafood & Brewery – 410 S. Washington, Royal Oak, MI 48067 – Ph: 248-591-5459.
Map - Location of Bus Tour Start/End (Public Bus Tours):
S. Lafayette Ave. & W. 6th St, Royal Oak, MI 48067 - In front of the parking garage
--- Question - What happens if I need to cancel?
Answer - Reservation Fees received by Motor City Tour Company are non-refundable and not transferable to other events. If you are unable to attend an event, tour tickets can be transferred to another guest. Motor City Tour Company reserves the right to cancel a tour. Should this occur, your reservation fee will be transferable toward another event or fully refunded.
--- Question - Can I bring my kids?
Since this is a brewery walking , bike or bus tour and will involve alcohol, we only offer our tours to adults aged 21 and over. Please bring your State Identification or drivers license to present to your tour guide upon arrival. Motor City Brew Tour Company follows all state of Michigan liquor/consumption laws.
--- Question - What if I am late?
Trust us, your buddies are not going to wait for you. You are standing in the way of them enjoying a day of fine Michigan beer. Motor City Brew Tours operates on a specific timeline. Please be at the designated departure location at least 20 minutes prior to the start time of the tour. Tour start times are firm; however ending times may vary slightly due to weather, traffic, etc. Call the number listed on your ticket with any issues.
--- Question - What if I need a ride home after the bus tour?
We want to offer you a safe environment to tour and sample beer with us. Our commitment to your safety extends after the tour as well. Call 1-800-TaxiCab or Green Taxi - 877-476-8294, Metro Cars - 800-546-1701.
--- Question - Who provided the water, snacks and eco-friendly cups on the bus?
Special thanks to our tour partners: Vitamin Water - hydration, Kar’s Nuts - snacks, Green Safe - eco-cups & The Night Move – bus or Gresham Tours - Motor-coach bus
--- Question - Do you offer group discounts for Public Bus Tours?
We offer group discounts on some public events. Feel free to email us with your group size and event that you interested in. Someone from our sales team will get back to you.
Please email us: Info@MotorCityTourCompany.com
--- Question - Do we offer private bus, bike or walking tours?
We are available for private tours. Bachelor parties, birthdays, girls night out, work & holiday parties, fund raising & charity events and more. We can customize anything to meet your needs!
Please email us: Info@MotorCityTourCompany.com to send you our private tour packages or call: 248-850-2563. We will be glad to contact you back promptly to discuss your event.
Motor City Brew Tours - Private Bus Tour package includes:
-5 hours of bus time with pickup/drop-off at your location (Groups sizes from 14 - 54 people)
-3 tour stops at our predetermined routes or pick from 30 different breweries
-Brewer-led tours and brewer Q&A session at each brewery
-Beer samples at each brewery, Lunch/Dinner and Water & snacks on the bus - ALL-INCLUSIVE!
Motor City Bike & Brew Tours - Private Bike Tour package includes:
-3-4 hour guided bike tour w/SAG support in downtown Detroit (Group sizes from 8 - 20 people)
-2 tour routes to choose from: Prohibition History or Brewery History
-1-2 beverages (beer or soda), lunch and Water/Snacks
Motor City Brew Tours - Private Walking Tour package includes:
-4 hour guided walking tour in Royal Oak or Ann Arbor (Group sizes from 8 - 30 people)
-3 brewery tour stops w/Brewer-led tours and brewer Q&A session at each brewery
-Beer samples at each brewery, Lunch/Dinner - ALL-INCLUSIVE!
--- Question - I received a gift certificate - How do I redeem it?
Redeem your gift certificates by emailing us: Info@MotorCityTourCompany.com and tell us the tour date you want, your contact cell# and the gift certificate #. We will email you the ticket!
Frequently Asked Questions - Bike Tours
--- Question - How do I Book a Tour?
You may book a bike tour from our online ordering site - Link
Email: Info@MotorCityTourCompany.com
Phone: 248-850-2563 (Customer Service)
We accept reservations by credit card online through our Eventbrite sites. Just click on the “Order Now” button next to the tour you would like to book and follow the prompts to pay with your credit card and complete your reservation. You will receive a confirmation page once the reservation is complete from Eventbrite. Please print out and bring your Eventbrite confirmation page and your ID with you. That is your ticket - present this to your tour guide on tour day.
--- Question - What included on this bike tour?
The cost of the tour includes a tour guide, history commentary, map of route, bike support, 1-2 beverages (beer or soda) and light lunch. Please come to the tour prepared for a 3-3.5 hour block of time. We ask that you arrive approximately 20 minutes before your tour is scheduled to start. You will be given safety instructions and a liability release form to fill out.
--- Question - How many tickets are available per bike tour?
We are limiting the tickets to 15 per event. We feel this size of group is ideal for GUIDED tours.
If the tour date you were looking for is not listed on our ticketing page, it is SOLD OUT. No tickets are available at the event. This is a paid tour. The tour guides and staff are there to support the tour guests who paid for this experience.
--- BYOB (Bring Your Own Bike):
Please note that bikes and helmets are NOT included in the ticket price. If you have a bike, bring it. Your bike misses you and wants you to ride it more often! We have 2 bike rentals available per tour @ $10 per bike. Please reserve them on the online ticketing page.
--- Question - How far do we bike and is it hard?
The bike tour route is a relaxed 10 or 15 mile loop, on flat paved road surfaces. We will ride on the road, bike lanes, sidewalks and bike paths. We will have a tour guide to set the pace up front and a person in back to make sure we all stay together. This is not a race, but a relaxing pace to learn about the history in Detroit, soak in the scenery and enjoy time with friends & family.
--- Safety:
The tour routes are designed with your safety in mind and avoid automobile traffic when possible. Each tour begins with a safety and bike usage talk. Your tour guides are trained to perform basic bike care, but please bring bikes that are ready to ride. Mountain, Comfort or road bikes are fine for this bike tour route. For your safety, helmets strongly recommended for all of our tours.
--- Question - What should I bring with me on the bike tour?
Yourself, a bike in good working condition, helmet, water, bike lock, identification, cell phone, a little money for other purchases, tire pump and a spare bike tube. The tour guide will have a bike pump with them as well. Please wear seasonally appropriate clothing, sunblock, rain gear (if needed) and don’t forget your camera! We will have plenty of picture taking opportunities.
--- Question - Will you feed me on this bike tour?
We will have a stop with a pre-arranged lunch and beverage (beer or soda) that will be provided. The beverage(s), lunch, water and snacks are all included in your ticket price! Tips for your bike tour guide are not required, but greatly appreciated.
--- Question - Where do the tours begin and where should I park?
The tours will depart from and return to the Traffic Jam & Snug Restaurant parking lot. The lot is located on 511 W Canfield St Detroit MI 48201 - (on Canfield between Cass Ave. and 2nd Ave). TJ’s gated parking lot offers safe and free parking. This central location was chosen for its convenient access to I-75, I-94 & M-10 (Lodge) highways.
Detroit offers many great local breweries & pubs that you can visit after the tour:
Motor City Brewing Works – 470 W. Canfield Detroit MI 48201 – Ph: (313) 832-2700.
Traffic Jam & Snug – 511 W Canfield St Detroit MI 48201 - Ph: (313) 831-9470.
Detroit Beer Co - 1529 Broadway Detroit MI 48226 - Ph: (313) 962-1529.
Atwater Block Brewery - 237 Joseph Campau Detroit MI 48207 - Ph: (313) 877-9205.
Foran’s Grand Trunk Pub - 612 Woodward Ave Detroit, MI 48207 - Ph: (313) 961-3043 (Lunch)
Map - Location of Bike Tour Start/End (Motor City Bike & Brew Tours - Detroit):
Traffic Jam & Snug Restaurant (Parking lot), 511 W Canfield St, Detroit, MI 48201
Weather / Cancellations / Policies:
--- Question - What happens if I need to cancel?
Reservation Fees received by Motor City Tour Company can be transferred to another event or refunded if the event is greater than 14 days prior to the event start date. Any reservations for events 14 days or less to the event start date are non-refundable and not transferable to other events. If you are unable to attend an event, tour tickets can be transferred to another guest. Motor City Tour Company reserves the right to cancel events for safety concerns such as high winds, thunderstorms, excessive heat or cold, or other severe conditions. In the event of such a cancellation, you may either reschedule or request a full refund. We ride in cold, hot or even rainy weather!
--- Question - Is there a age requirement - Can I bring my kids?
We only offer this tour to adults aged 21 and over. Please bring your State Identification or drivers license to present to your tour guide upon check-in. Motor City Brew Tours follows all state of Michigan liquor/consumption laws. This is a bike tour about prohibition and brewery history, not a drinking tour on bikes. You will have the opportunity to drink alcoholic beverages. They will check your ID’s before serving you alcohol, so bring ID’s with you. Non-alcoholic drinks will be made available upon request.
--- Question - What if I am late?
Motor City Bike and Brew Tours operates on a specific timeline. Please be at the designated departure location at least 20 minutes prior to the start time of the tour. Ending times for tours may vary slightly due to weather, traffic, etc. Call the number listed on your ticket with any issues prior to the start of the tour.
--- Question - Do we offer private bike and brew tours?
We are available for private bike tours. Bike Clubs, Bachelor parties, birthdays, girls night out, work parties, fund raising & charity events and more. We can customize anything to meet your needs. Please email us: Info@MotorCityTourCompany.com. We will be glad to email you back promptly and arrange a time to discuss your event on the phone.
Your Bike Tour Checklist:
Suggestions for what to bring on the bike tour:
-Properly fitted helmet (strongly recommended as we will be riding on downtown streets)
-Tire pump, tire levers and spare tube.
-Bike Lock
-Cell phone, identification & medical information in case of a emergency.
-Water bottle and cage.
-Rack / Pack to carry things, if desired.
Before you ride - Quick Check for Bike
-Tires - Inflate tires to rated pressure listed on sidewall of tire.
-Chain - Check the chain. If the chain skips, you may need an adjustment.
-Wheel - Wheel hubs and/or quick release levers need to be tight on the bike frame.
-Inspect - Inspect the bike for loose or broken parts. Tighten or fix them before you ride.
-Ride - Take a quick ride to ensure derailleurs and brakes are working properly.
-Tips courtesy of the League of Michigan Bicyclists website (http://lmb.org)
Mailing Address: Motor City Tour Company - PO Box 633 Troy, MI 48099
© 2009 -2012 Motor City Tour Company, LLC - Guided Walking, Bike & Bus Tours in Michigan
