Frequently Asked Questions

What is GoSherpa**sm? What is SkiSherpasm? What is InterCity Sherpasm**? Why are there so many different “sherpas"?

GoSherpa**sm** is the name of our company. It is the umbrella under which we offer door-to-door transportation services under two primary service lines – SkiSherpa**sm** and InterCity Sherpa**sm. SkiSherpasm** offers transportation to the ski resorts. InterCity Sherpa**sm** offers transportation between Boston (Massachusetts) and New York (New York). The concept of providing door-to-door, ride-share transport service to the ski slopes was what our company is founded on; however, it would be awkward to run around as SkiSherpa**sm** in the middle of summer.

Does GoSherpa**sm** require its passengers to be vaccinated against the COVID virus?

No, starting with May 1, 2023, GoSherpa**sm** no longer requires its passengers to be vaccinated against the COVID virus. GoSherpa**sm** has also eliminated other measures it had implemented as a result of the COVID epidemic (such as requiring the wearing of face coverings, screening by means of a health questionnaires, and separation of travel parties by means of partitions).

Doesn't Door-To-Door Transport mean driving all around town to pick-up/drop-off other passengers?

Our fare structure encourages group-travel and, thus, our vans routinely transport only 1 to 2 other travel groups on a trip. This means that, on average, there will only be 1 pick-up after (or 1 drop-off before) yours.

How much does it cost to travel with GoSherpa?

GoSherpa**sm** fares vary based upon

• Your origination and destination
• The number of Riders in your travel party (decreasing as the size of your party increases)
• The number of days that a booking is made prior to departure.

The Transport Fare charged the first Rider in a travel party is higher than the fare charged his/her Companions. Doing so results in a lower average per-Rider fare as the size of the travel party increases. The greatest "discount" is between a 1-Rider travel group and a 2-Rider travel group.

The Base Transport Fare is for travel between GoSherpa**sm**'s Primary Service Areas. A Fare Adjustment Surcharge applies to and from locations outside these Primary Service Areas.

There are two fare structures for GoSherpa**sm** - one for SkiSherpa**sm** (Click here for SkiSherpa Fares) and one for InterCity Sherpa**sm** (Click here for InterCity Sherpa Fares.).

Why do you assess a Fare Adjustment Surcharge for some pick-up and drop-off locations?

GoSherpa**sm** seeks to transport Riders from a narrowly defined service area (aka Primary Service Area or pre-defined resorts) to another narrowly defined service area. Doing so protects the Rider Experience and helps to keep Transport Fares affordable. For Metro Boston our Primary Service Area would be described as Central Boston, Cambridge, & Brookline. For Metro NYC, our Primary Service Area is Manhattan.

However, we recognize that many who would like to use our services may not reside in our Primary Service Areas but within the greater metropolitan areas surrounding New York City and Boston. As a result, we do provide transportation from such locations. To cover the added costs of doing pick-ups and drop-offs at such locations (for example, additonal fuel costs, driver's wages, tolls, etc.), GoSherpa**sm** does assess a Fare Adjustment Surcharge based upon the distances of these pick-ups/drop-offs relative to our Primary Service Areas. Pick-ups and drop-offs outside our Primary Service Areas may be done on a First-On/Last-Off basis.

For pick-ups and drop-offs outside of Greater Boston or Greater NYC, please call or email to inquire about service. Oftentimes, it will be advisable for you to charter (or "hire-out") an entire van.

Do you sell lift tickets, equipment rentals, and lessons?

For the 2022 - 2023 ski season, SkiSherpa**sm** will be selling significantly discounted lift tickets, equipment rentals, apparel rentals and lessons only for Pats Peak and Waterville Valley ski resorts. These services may be purchased only with the purchase of transportation.

How does traveling with GoSherpa**sm** compare with alternatives?

InterCity Sherpa**sm** and SkiSherpa**sm** Vs Other Door-To-Door Transport Providers

The value proposition for InterCity Sherpa**sm** and the value proposition for SkiSherpa**sm** compare very favorably to other providers of door-to-door transport (for example, car-share, taxi, and limousine) as the fares are a fraction of those charged by these other providers. That GoSherpa**sm** value is futher enhanced when you consider that most taxis, car-shares, and limousines do not offer a table, wifi, power outlets, reading lamps, reclining leather seats and the spaciousness of a full-size van.

InterCity Sherpa**sm** Vs Air, Train, and Bus Travel

InterCity Sherpa's**sm** value proposition also compares favorably to that of air, train, or bus travel. In terms of total costs and total travel time, InterCity Sherpa**sm** is comparable. In terms of convenience and safeguards against COVID19 exposure, InterCity Sherpa**sm** is clearly superior to all these other modes of transport. Click here for side-by-side comparisons.

SkiSherpa**sm** Vs Air, Train, and Bus Travel

SkiSherpa's**sm** value proposition also compares favorably to that of air, train, or bus travel. In terms of total costs, SkiSherpa**sm** cost less than for air or train travel and slightly more than ski bus travel. In terms of convenience and safeguards against COVID19 exposure, SkiSherpa**sm** is clearly superior to all these other modes of transport. Click here for side-by-side comparisons.

Who would find GoSherpa**sm** services MOST beneficial?

InterCity Sherpa's**sm** door-to-door service should be of special value to

• Those who will begin/end their trip far from an airport/station
• Those traveling with children
• Those traveling with much luggage
• Those with a slight mobility issue

SkiSherpa's MuleExpress was conceived for

• Those who want/need home-to-lodge transport but do not like the cost of a taxi, car-share, or limousine.
• Those who would like to ski at a variety of ski resorts
• Those who would like to ski in the middle of the week
• Those who are too busy to lose 5-6 hours driving
• Those who may not have ready access to a vehicle suited for transporting skiers and equipment
• Those who seek greater safeguards against COVID19 exposure
• Small groups that cannot justify chartering-out a bus.

How does the GoSherpa**sm** process work?

Traveling with GoSherpa**sm** generally entails the following:

(1) You book your trip on our website and receive a confirmation in return stating your Departure Date and Preliminary Pick-Up Time.

(2) About 2 days before your Departure Date, GoSherpa**sm** will contact you (usually by email) to

• Confirm the pick-up address and contact phone number
• Send along an Estimated Pick-Up Time which may vary slightly from the Preliminary Pick-Up Time (to account for picking-up other Riders before or after you). Thus, a 1:15PM Preliminary Pick-Up Time may translate into a 1:00PM or 1:30PM Estimated Pick-Up Time.

(3) Our GoSherpa**sm** driver will contact you (usually via text or by phone) about 20 minutes before his/her arrival.

(a) GoSherpa**sm** works to get you to your destinations on the scheduled dates and times, but inclement weather, unfavorable traffic conditions, and other factors may prevent this goal from being realized. In such instances GoSherpa**sm** will transport you to your destination at the next viable date and time.

(b) As a GoSherpa**sm** trip may require coordinating the pick-ups/drop-offs at addresses around the city or at different ski resorts, bookings should be made 2 days in advance. GoSherpa**sm** will attempt to accommodate those made less than 2-days prior to departure.

(c) We anticipate making 2 to 3 pick-ups/drop-offs per trip. Thus, on average, you will have to wait through only 1 or 2 pick-ups/drop-offs. With a narrowly defined “Primary Service Areas”, getting from one stop to the next should require 10 – 15 minutes.

What is GoSherpa's**sm** refund and cancellation policy?

GoSherpa**sm**'s cancellation policies vary depending upon whether your booking is for van-share transportation or private transportation and whether the cancellation is made within 24hours of your initial booking.

REFUND POLICY FOR VAN-SHARE AND RELATED SERVICES

For Rider-initiated cancellations GoSherpa**sm** will offer

• A 95% refund or a 100% credit for cancellations made more than 21 days prior to the scheduled departure
• A 75% refund or a 100% credit for cancellations made less than 21 days but more than 7 days prior to the scheduled departure
• A 50% refund or a 75% credit for cancellations made less than 7 days but more than 1 day prior to the scheduled departure
• NO REFUND OR CREDIT for cancellations made less than 1 day prior to the scheduled departure or for "No-Shows"

REFUND POLICY FOR PRIVATE TRANSPORTATION

For Rider-initiated cancellations GoSherpa**sm** will offer

• A 95% refund (75% refund for multi-day transport services) or a 100% credit for cancellations made more than 28 days prior to the scheduled departure
• A 75% refund or a 100% credit for cancellations made less than 28 days but more than 21 days prior to the scheduled departure
• A 50% refund or a 75% credit for cancellations made less than 21 days but more than 14 days prior to the scheduled departure
• A 25% refund or a 50% credit for cancellations made less than 14 days but more than 7 days prior to the scheduled departure
• NO REFUND OR CREDIT for cancellations made less than 7 days prior to the scheduled departure or for "No-Shows"

REFUND POLICY FOR CANCELLATIONS MADE WITHIN 24 HOURS OF BOOKING

For Rider-initiated cancellations made within 24 hours of initial booking GoSherpa**sm** will offer

• A 95% refund or a 100% credit for cancellations made more than 7 days prior to the scheduled departure
• A 75% refund or a 100% credit for cancellations made less than 7 days but more than 1 day prior to the scheduled departure
• NO REFUND OR CREDIT for cancellations made less than 1 day prior to the scheduled departure or for "No-Shows"

CANCELLATIONS INITIATED BY GOSHERPA WILL BE REFUNDED 100%

So, GoSherpa**sm** really will transport me from door to door?

The answer is "yes" for the metropolitan areas around Boston and New York City as we pick-up and drop-off at specific addresses located in or near those two cities.

For those traveling to and from towns west of Boston, GoSherpa**sm** picks-up and drops-off at pre-determined stops in Auburn, Milford, and Framingham. GoSherpa**sm** will also pick-up and drop-off at specific address around those MetroWest-Boston for travel parties numbering 2 or more. (Fare adjustment surcharges would apply to such pick-ups and drop-offs.)

For those traveling to and from towns north of New York City, GoSherpa**sm** picks-up and drops-off at pre-determined stops in Yonkers (NY) and White Plains (NY). GoSherpa**sm** will also pick-up and drop-off at specific address around those towns for travel parties numbering 2 or more. (Fare adjustment surcharges would apply to such pick-ups and drop-offs.)

How many passengers can each van hold?

Each van was manufactured to carry Twelve (12) to Thirteen (13) passengers. However, it is common for GoSherpa**sm** trips to have no more than 6 ot 8 passengers.

When a van is "hired-out", can the Riders determine the pick-up times and locations? Is that the same as chartering?

There are significant differences between "Hiring-Out" a GoSherpa**sm** van-share shuttle and "Chartering" a GoSherpa**sm** van.

When GoSherpa**sm** van-share shuttle is "hired-out", the Rider group enjoys the exclusive one-way transport of the van to the stated destination during the stated times. The GoSherpa**sm** van and driver will usually have other commitments before or after which require that the van and driver be at the right place and right time - cleaned, prepared and rested. For this reason, the scheduled pick-up time should be adhered to.

When a GoSherpa**sm** van is "chartered", the Rider group enjoys the exclusive use of the van for an agreed-upon journey (one-way or round-trip), for an agreed-upon duration at agreed-upon times. GoSherpa**sm** will prioritize your charter when taking on other commitments.