PLEASE READ CAREFULLY:
1. TO SECURE YOUR BOOKING
To secure a booking the Operator must receive payment of the minimum deposit of 20% of the agreed tour price. All clients (including anyone who is added or substituted at a later date) will be deemed to have agreed to the following conditions:
a) they have read and accepted our booking conditions and general information pages.
b) they appreciate and accept the risks involved in tours travel.
c) they do not suffer from any pre-existing medical condition or disability which may prevent them from actively participating in the tour – if any person suffers from any medical condition or disability which will or may affect their tour arrangements, please contact us before making your booking as referred so that we can advise.
d) the person making the booking warrants that he/she is at least 18 years old and has full authority to enter into a contract on the basis of these conditions on behalf of all persons named on the booking and confirms that all such persons are fully aware of and accept these conditions.
A booking is accepted and becomes definite only from the date when the Operator sends a confirmation invoice to the client who makes the booking. It is at this point that a contract between the Operator and the client becomes a contract. The Operator reserves the right to decline any booking at their discretion.
2. PAYMENT FOR YOUR TOUR
The balance of all monies due must be received by the Operator not later than 56 days before the start of your tour for 7 day Tours. For other Tours, the balance must be paid as indicated on the Company website or as notified by the Company. In the case of non-payment of the balance by the due date, the Operator reserves the right to treat your booking as cancelled and cancellation charges will apply.
3. IF YOU CHANGE YOUR BOOKING
a) An administration fee of €25 per booking plus any additional costs or charges incurred by us or incurred or imposed by any of our suppliers will be charged if a confirmed booking is changed or transferred to a different departure date or tour, up to 56 days prior to departure. Thereafter all changes will be treated as cancellations.
b) If a client is unable to travel, in circumstances which the Operator considers reasonable, the booking or that client’s place on the booking may be transferred to another suitable person. However, the tour arrangements must remain the same as originally booked. If a transfer can be made, an administration charge of €40 per person transferring his/her place will be charged.
4. IF YOU CANCEL YOUR BOOKING
Should the client wish to cancel, cancellation charges will be imposed. These are calculated from the day written or verbal notification is received by the Operator as a percentage of the total tour price per person cancelling, including surcharges but excluding any amendment charges and insurance premiums. The cancellation charges are shown below.
a) 56 and more days before tour start date – retention of deposit
b) 55-42 days before tour start date – 30% or retention of deposit if higher
c) 41-28 days before tour start date – 60%
d) 27-14 days before tour start date – 90%
e) Less than 14 days before tour start date – 100%
It is strongly recommended that comprehensive travel insurance is taken out which includes cover against cancellation charges. In the event of the cancellation of a booking where the client is liable to pay to the Operator cancellation charges in excess of the amount already paid to the Operator at the time of cancellation, the client cannot transfer or add these charges to another booking or use any amounts paid to us in relation to the cancelled booking by way of part payment for another booking. Part cancellation of a booking may result in additional costs being payable by the remaining clients.
5. IF YOU HAVE A COMPLAINT
Should the client have a complaint about any of their tour arrangements, the client must tell both the relevant supplier and the Operator’s representative at the time. It is only if the Company and the relevant supplier know about problems that there will be the opportunity to put things right. Failure to complain on-the-spot may result in the client’s ability to claim compensation, if applicable, from the Operator being extinguished or at least reduced. If the client’s complaint cannot be resolved on tour they should notify the Operator in writing within 28 days of their return from tour.
6. PASSPORTS, VISAS & VACCINATIONS
Clients are responsible for arranging, and must be in possession of, a valid, acceptable passport and any visas and vaccination certificates required for the whole of their journey and tour. We regret we cannot accept any liability if you are refused entry onto any transport or into any country due to failure on your part to carry all required documentation. If the failure to have any necessary travel or other documents results in fines, surcharges or other financial penalty being imposed on us, you will be responsible for reimbursing us accordingly.
7. TRAVEL & CANCELLATION PROTECTION
Travel Insurance is mandatory for all clients whilst on a tour organised by the Operator. Clients together with their personal property including baggage are at all times solely at their own risk. Clients are wholly responsible for arranging their own insurance. Clients making their own arrangements should ensure that there are no exclusion clauses limiting or excluding protection for the type of activities included in their tour. Clients should satisfy themselves that all travel insurance purchased meets their particular requirements and should arrange supplementary insurance if need be.
8. TOUR PARTICIPATION & CLIENT RESPONSIBILITY
Clients agree to accept the authority and decisions of the Operator’s employees, tour leaders, tour guides and agents whilst on tour with the Company. If in the opinion of any such person(s) or any other person in a position of authority (such as, for example, an airline pilot or hotel manager), the health, level of fitness or conduct of a client at any time before or during a tour is endangering or appears likely to endanger the health or well-being of the client or any third party (including any other clients of the Company) or the safe, comfortable or happy progress of the tour, the client may be excluded from all or part of the tour without refund or recompense. Where a client is excluded, the Company will have no further responsibility towards them (including any return travel arrangements) and we will not meet any expenses or costs incurred as a result of the exclusion. In the case of ill health, the Operator may make such arrangements as it sees fit and recover the costs thereof from the client. If a client commits an illegal act (including, for example, causing any damage) the client may be excluded from the tour and the Company shall cease to have any responsibility to/for them as above. No refund will be given for any unused services. When you book with us, you accept responsibility for any damage or loss caused by you or any member of your party. Full payment for any such damage or loss (reasonably estimated if not precisely known) must be made direct to the accommodation owner or manager or other supplier or to us as soon as possible. If the actual cost of the loss or damage exceeds the amount paid where estimated, you must pay the difference once known. If the actual cost is less than the amount paid, the difference will be refunded. You will also be responsible for meeting any claims subsequently made against us and all costs incurred by us (including our own and the other party’s full legal costs) as a result of your actions. You should ensure you have appropriate travel insurance to protect you if this situation arises.
If you have any medical condition or disability which may affect your active participation in your tour or the tour arrangements of any other person or have any special requirements as a result of any medical condition or disability (including any which affect the booking process), please tell us before you confirm your booking so that we can assist you in considering the suitability of the proposed tour and/or making the booking. In any event, you must give us full details at the time of booking and whenever any change in the condition or disability occurs. You must also promptly advise us if any medical condition or disability, which may affect your active participation in your tour or the tour arrangements of any other person, develops after your booking has been confirmed. A level of fitness sufficient to complete any walk is required. If the level of fitness is insufficient and the participant needs to leave the walk early it will be at their own expense.
Clients must at all times accept the authority of the Tour Guide whilst on Guided walks. They must respect the local environment and take adequate precautions to ensure their personal safety and well being. This includes always wearing appropriate footwear, carrying a supply of drinking water, wearing a high visibility vest whilst walking on public roads, plus any other precautions deemed appropriate by the Tour Guide. Failure to comply with any of these will lead to exclusion from the tour. Organised walking groups must have a recognised group leader who takes responsibility for the behaviour of individual members of the group. Group leaders must follow the instructions of the Guide whilst on a guided walk and convey those instructions to individual group members. Individual walkers must follow the instructions of the Guide whilst on a guided walk.
9. SURCHARGES
We reserve the right to make changes to and correct errors in advertised prices at any time before your tour is confirmed. We will advise you of any error of which we are aware and of the then applicable price at the time of booking.
Once the price of your chosen tour has been confirmed at the time of booking, then subject to the correction of errors, we will only increase or decrease the price in the following circumstances. Price increases or decreases after booking will be passed on by way of a surcharge or refund. A surcharge or refund (as applicable) will be payable, subject to the conditions set out in this clause, in the event of any change in our transportation costs or in dues, taxes or fees payable for services such as landing taxes or embarkation or disembarkation fees at ports or airports or in the exchange rates which have been used to calculate the cost of your tour.
No surcharge will be imposed less than 30 days before the start of your tour) and no refunds will be made during this period either. If variations occur before that time, we will absorb or retain a total amount up to the equivalent of the first 2% (excluding insurance premiums and any amendment charges) of your invoiced tour cost. For variations greater than 2%, we will still absorb the first 2% in the case of increases, but will not retain it from refunds.
If we impose a surcharge which means paying more than 10% of your tour price, you will be entitled to cancel your tour with a full refund of all monies paid to us except for any premium paid for insurance and amendment charges or alternatively to purchase another tour from us as referred to in clause 12 “If we change your tour”. You have 14 days from the issue date printed on the surcharge invoice to tell us if you want to cancel or purchase an alternative tour where applicable. If you do not do so, we are entitled to assume that you will pay the surcharge. Any surcharge must be paid with the balance of the cost of the tour.
Please note that tour arrangements are not always purchased in local currency and some apparent changes have no impact on the price of your tour due to contractual and other protection in place.
10. IF WE CANCEL YOUR TOUR
The Operator reserves the right to cancel a tour in any circumstances but will not cancel a tour less than 8 weeks before the start of the tour except for force majeure consolidation / cancellation of tours where minimum numbers have not been achieved or the client’s failure to make all payments (including the final balance and any surcharge) when due. Please note, except for “Guaranteed Departures”, our tours require a minimum number of participants to enable us to operate them. If any tour does not have the minimum number of participants required to make it commercially viable, we are entitled to cancel it. We will notify you or your travel agent of cancellation for this reason not less than 8 weeks before the start of your tour. For “Guaranteed Departures”, there is no minimum group size and we will not cancel the “land only” itinerary unless forced to do so by force majeure.
If we have to cancel, we will tell you as soon as possible. If there is time to do so before departure and the cancellation does not result from your failure to pay, we will offer you the choice of purchasing an alternative tour offered as a result of consolidation or another available tour from the Operator (in either case, paying or receiving a refund in respect of any difference in price) or receiving a full refund of all monies paid to us excluding Annual Insurance premiums if applicable. We regret we cannot meet any visa, vaccination or similar costs in the event of any change or cancellation by us. Similarly, as you are advised only to book fully flexible transport and other arrangements which can be cancelled or changed without charge, we cannot pay any cancellation, amendment or other charges you may incur in relation to any transport or other arrangements which you have to change or cancel as a result of the cancellation of your tour.
11. FORCE MAJEURE
Except where otherwise expressly stated in these conditions, we regret we cannot accept liability or pay any compensation where the performance or prompt performance of our obligations under our contract with you is prevented or affected by or you otherwise suffer any injury, damage, loss or expense of any nature as a result of “force majeure”. In these conditions, “force majeure” means any event which we or the supplier of the service(s) in question could not, even with all due care, foresee or avoid. Such events may include whether actual or threatened war, riot, civil strife, terrorist activity, industrial dispute, natural or nuclear disaster, adverse weather conditions, disease, fire and all similar events outside our control.
12. OUR RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR TOUR
Bookings are accepted on the understanding that clients appreciate and accept the possible risks inherent in adventure travel and that they undertake the tours, treks or expeditions featured in our programme at their own volition.
(1) We promise to make sure that the tour arrangements we have agreed to make, perform or provide, as applicable, as part of our contract with you are made, performed or provided with reasonable skill and care. This means that, subject to these conditions and the other information which forms part of your contract with us, we will accept responsibility if, for example, you suffer death or personal injury or your contracted tour arrangements are not provided as promised or prove deficient as a result of the failure of ourselves, our employees, agents or suppliers to use reasonable skill and care in making, performing or providing, as applicable, your contracted tour arrangements. Please note, it is your responsibility to show that reasonable skill and care has not been used if you wish to make a claim against us. In addition, we will only be responsible for what our employees, agents and suppliers do or do not do if they were at the time acting within the course of their employment (for employees) or carrying out work we had asked them to do (for agents and suppliers).
(2) We will not be responsible for any injury, illness, death, loss (including loss possessions and loss of enjoyment), damage, expense, cost or other sum or claim of any description whatsoever which results from any of the following: –
the act(s) and/or omission(s) of the client(s) affected or any member(s) of their party or
the act(s) and/or omission(s) of a third party not connected with the provision of your tour and which were unforeseeable or unavoidable or
‘force majeure’ as defined in clause 11 above.
(3) Please note, we cannot accept responsibility for any services which do not form part of our contract. This includes, for example, any additional services or facilities which any supplier agrees to provide for you where the services or facilities are not advertised by us and we have not agreed to arrange them as part of our contract. Any optional excursions or activities booked during your holiday do not form part of our contract as these are all arranged for you directly by the suppliers concerned. In addition, regardless of any wording used by us on our website, in any advertising material or elsewhere, we only promise to use reasonable skill and care as set out above and we do not have any greater or different liability to you.
(4) The promises we make to you about the services we have agreed to provide or arrange as part of our contract – and the laws and regulations of the country in which your claim or complaint occurred – will be used as the basis for deciding whether the services in question had been properly provided. Please bear in mind that standards of, for example, safety, hygiene, and quality may vary throughout the destinations, services and transport your tour involves and may be lower than or different to those applicable in the UK and Ireland. If the particular services which gave rise to the claim or complaint complied with the local laws and regulations applicable to those services at the time, the services will be treated as having been properly provided. This will be the case even if the services did not comply with the laws and regulations of the UK, USA, Canada or Ireland which would have applied had those services been provided in the UK, USA, Canada or Ireland. The exception to this is where the claim or complaint concerns the absence of a safety feature which might lead a reasonable holiday maker to refuse to take the tour in question.
(5) As set out in these conditions, we limit the maximum amount we may have to pay you for any claims you may make against us. We do not, however, limit or exclude our liability for death or personal injury caused by the negligence of ourselves or our employees (providing they were at the time acting within the course of their employment).
Where we are found liable for loss of and/or damage to any luggage or personal possessions (including money), the maximum amount we will have to pay you is €500 per person affected unless a different limitation applies to your claim under clause 15(6) below. You must ensure you have appropriate travel insurance to protect your personal belongings.
For all other claims which do not involve death or personal injury, if we are found liable to you on any basis, the maximum amount we will have to pay you is twice the price (excluding insurance premiums and amendment charges) paid by or on behalf of the person(s) affected in total unless a lower limitation applies to your claim under clause 15 (6) below. This maximum amount will only be payable where everything has gone wrong and you have not received any benefit at all from your tour.
(6) Where any claim or part of a claim (including those involving death or personal injury) concerns or is based on any travel arrangements (including the process of getting on and/or off the transport concerned) provided by any air, sea, rail or road carrier, the maximum amount of compensation we will have to pay you will be limited. The most we will have to pay you for that claim or that part of a claim if we are found liable to you on any basis is the most the carrier concerned would have to pay under the international convention or regulation which applies to the travel arrangements in question were that claim made against it (for example, the Warsaw Convention 1929 as amended or unamended and the Montreal Convention 1999 for international travel by air and/or for airlines with an operating licence granted by an EU country, the EC Regulation on Air Carrier Liability No 889/2002 for national and international travel by air, the Athens Convention 1974 for international travel by sea and COTIF, the Convention on International Travel by Rail. Please note: where a carrier would not be obliged to make any payment to you under the applicable international convention or regulation in respect of a claim or part of a claim, we similarly are not obliged to make a payment to you for that claim or part of the claim. When making any payment, we are entitled to deduct any money which you have received or are entitled to receive from the carrier or hotelier for the complaint or claim in question. Copies of the applicable international conventions and regulations are available from us on request.
(7) Please note, we cannot accept any liability for any damage, loss, expense or other sum(s) of any description (1) which on the basis of the information given to us by you concerning your booking prior to our accepting it, we could not have foreseen you would suffer or incur if we breached our contract with you or (2) which did not result from any breach of contract or other fault by ourselves or our employees or, where we are responsible for them, our suppliers. Additionally, we cannot accept liability for any expenses or losses incurred by or relating to any business including self-employed loss of earnings.
(8) You must provide us and our insurers with all assistance we may reasonably require. You must also tell us and the supplier concerned about your claim or complaint as set out in clause 6. If You have a Complaint. If asked to do so, you must transfer to us or our insurers any rights you have against the supplier or whoever else is responsible for your claim or complaint (if the person concerned is under 18, their parent or guardian must do so). You must also agree to cooperate fully with us and our insurers if we or our insurers want to enforce any rights which are transferred.
13. OPTIONAL EXCURSIONS & ACTIVITIES
We and our tour leaders may provide you with information (before departure and/or when you are on holiday) about optional activities and excursions which do not form part of your pre-booked holiday arrangements and which are available in the area you are visiting. We have no involvement in any such activities or excursions which are not run, supervised or controlled in any way by us. They are provided by local operators or other providers who are entirely independent of us. They do not form any part of your contract with us even where we suggest particular operators / providers and / or assist you in booking such activities or excursions in any way. Where a tour leader collects payment for or otherwise assists in booking any such activity or excursion for you, we and the tour leader act solely as booking agent for the local operator / provider of the activity or excursion with whom you will have a contract. The local operator / provider’s terms and conditions will apply. We cannot accept any liability on any basis in relation to such activities or excursions and the acceptance of liability contained in clause 15(1) of our booking conditions will not apply to them. We do not, however, exclude liability for the negligence of ourselves or our employees resulting in your death or personal injury.
We do not guarantee that any optional activity or excursion mentioned in our brochure, on our website or elsewhere will be available to book during your holiday and / or will operate as advertised as these services do not form part of our contract and are not under our control. They may not be available for various reasons. Any prices given in advance are indicative only. We will not be liable if you cannot, for whatever reason, book any such activity or excursion or if the activity or excursion does not operate as advertised.
14. LATE BOOKINGS
We emphasise the importance of making a booking at the earliest opportunity, because of the small group nature of our tours.
For bookings received within 6 weeks of the start of your tour (or at an earlier stage for certain tours), we reserve the right to pass on any extra costs incurred.
For bookings received within 6 weeks of your tour (or at an earlier stage for certain tours), the contract between the Operator and the client comes into existence as soon as full payment has been received by the Operator or our authorised travel agent.
1. TO SECURE YOUR BOOKING
To secure a booking the Operator must receive payment of the minimum deposit of 20% of the agreed tour price. All clients (including anyone who is added or substituted at a later date) will be deemed to have agreed to the following conditions:
a) they have read and accepted our booking conditions and general information pages.
b) they appreciate and accept the risks involved in tours travel.
c) they do not suffer from any pre-existing medical condition or disability which may prevent them from actively participating in the tour – if any person suffers from any medical condition or disability which will or may affect their tour arrangements, please contact us before making your booking as referred so that we can advise.
d) the person making the booking warrants that he/she is at least 18 years old and has full authority to enter into a contract on the basis of these conditions on behalf of all persons named on the booking and confirms that all such persons are fully aware of and accept these conditions.
A booking is accepted and becomes definite only from the date when the Operator sends a confirmation invoice to the client who makes the booking. It is at this point that a contract between the Operator and the client becomes a contract. The Operator reserves the right to decline any booking at their discretion.
2. PAYMENT FOR YOUR TOUR
The balance of all monies due must be received by the Operator not later than 56 days before the start of your tour for 7 day Tours. For other Tours, the balance must be paid as indicated on the Company website or as notified by the Company. In the case of non-payment of the balance by the due date, the Operator reserves the right to treat your booking as cancelled and cancellation charges will apply.
3. IF YOU CHANGE YOUR BOOKING
a) An administration fee of €25 per booking plus any additional costs or charges incurred by us or incurred or imposed by any of our suppliers will be charged if a confirmed booking is changed or transferred to a different departure date or tour, up to 56 days prior to departure. Thereafter all changes will be treated as cancellations.
b) If a client is unable to travel, in circumstances which the Operator considers reasonable, the booking or that client’s place on the booking may be transferred to another suitable person. However, the tour arrangements must remain the same as originally booked. If a transfer can be made, an administration charge of €40 per person transferring his/her place will be charged.
4. IF YOU CANCEL YOUR BOOKING
Should the client wish to cancel, cancellation charges will be imposed. These are calculated from the day written or verbal notification is received by the Operator as a percentage of the total tour price per person cancelling, including surcharges but excluding any amendment charges and insurance premiums. The cancellation charges are shown below.
a) 56 and more days before tour start date – retention of deposit
b) 55-42 days before tour start date – 30% or retention of deposit if higher
c) 41-28 days before tour start date – 60%
d) 27-14 days before tour start date – 90%
e) Less than 14 days before tour start date – 100%
It is strongly recommended that comprehensive travel insurance is taken out which includes cover against cancellation charges. In the event of the cancellation of a booking where the client is liable to pay to the Operator cancellation charges in excess of the amount already paid to the Operator at the time of cancellation, the client cannot transfer or add these charges to another booking or use any amounts paid to us in relation to the cancelled booking by way of part payment for another booking. Part cancellation of a booking may result in additional costs being payable by the remaining clients.
5. IF YOU HAVE A COMPLAINT
Should the client have a complaint about any of their tour arrangements, the client must tell both the relevant supplier and the Operator’s representative at the time. It is only if the Company and the relevant supplier know about problems that there will be the opportunity to put things right. Failure to complain on-the-spot may result in the client’s ability to claim compensation, if applicable, from the Operator being extinguished or at least reduced. If the client’s complaint cannot be resolved on tour they should notify the Operator in writing within 28 days of their return from tour.
6. PASSPORTS, VISAS & VACCINATIONS
Clients are responsible for arranging, and must be in possession of, a valid, acceptable passport and any visas and vaccination certificates required for the whole of their journey and tour. We regret we cannot accept any liability if you are refused entry onto any transport or into any country due to failure on your part to carry all required documentation. If the failure to have any necessary travel or other documents results in fines, surcharges or other financial penalty being imposed on us, you will be responsible for reimbursing us accordingly.
7. TRAVEL & CANCELLATION PROTECTION
Travel Insurance is mandatory for all clients whilst on a tour organised by the Operator. Clients together with their personal property including baggage are at all times solely at their own risk. Clients are wholly responsible for arranging their own insurance. Clients making their own arrangements should ensure that there are no exclusion clauses limiting or excluding protection for the type of activities included in their tour. Clients should satisfy themselves that all travel insurance purchased meets their particular requirements and should arrange supplementary insurance if need be.
8. TOUR PARTICIPATION & CLIENT RESPONSIBILITY
Clients agree to accept the authority and decisions of the Operator’s employees, tour leaders, tour guides and agents whilst on tour with the Company. If in the opinion of any such person(s) or any other person in a position of authority (such as, for example, an airline pilot or hotel manager), the health, level of fitness or conduct of a client at any time before or during a tour is endangering or appears likely to endanger the health or well-being of the client or any third party (including any other clients of the Company) or the safe, comfortable or happy progress of the tour, the client may be excluded from all or part of the tour without refund or recompense. Where a client is excluded, the Company will have no further responsibility towards them (including any return travel arrangements) and we will not meet any expenses or costs incurred as a result of the exclusion. In the case of ill health, the Operator may make such arrangements as it sees fit and recover the costs thereof from the client. If a client commits an illegal act (including, for example, causing any damage) the client may be excluded from the tour and the Company shall cease to have any responsibility to/for them as above. No refund will be given for any unused services. When you book with us, you accept responsibility for any damage or loss caused by you or any member of your party. Full payment for any such damage or loss (reasonably estimated if not precisely known) must be made direct to the accommodation owner or manager or other supplier or to us as soon as possible. If the actual cost of the loss or damage exceeds the amount paid where estimated, you must pay the difference once known. If the actual cost is less than the amount paid, the difference will be refunded. You will also be responsible for meeting any claims subsequently made against us and all costs incurred by us (including our own and the other party’s full legal costs) as a result of your actions. You should ensure you have appropriate travel insurance to protect you if this situation arises.
If you have any medical condition or disability which may affect your active participation in your tour or the tour arrangements of any other person or have any special requirements as a result of any medical condition or disability (including any which affect the booking process), please tell us before you confirm your booking so that we can assist you in considering the suitability of the proposed tour and/or making the booking. In any event, you must give us full details at the time of booking and whenever any change in the condition or disability occurs. You must also promptly advise us if any medical condition or disability, which may affect your active participation in your tour or the tour arrangements of any other person, develops after your booking has been confirmed. A level of fitness sufficient to complete any walk is required. If the level of fitness is insufficient and the participant needs to leave the walk early it will be at their own expense.
Clients must at all times accept the authority of the Tour Guide whilst on Guided walks. They must respect the local environment and take adequate precautions to ensure their personal safety and well being. This includes always wearing appropriate footwear, carrying a supply of drinking water, wearing a high visibility vest whilst walking on public roads, plus any other precautions deemed appropriate by the Tour Guide. Failure to comply with any of these will lead to exclusion from the tour. Organised walking groups must have a recognised group leader who takes responsibility for the behaviour of individual members of the group. Group leaders must follow the instructions of the Guide whilst on a guided walk and convey those instructions to individual group members. Individual walkers must follow the instructions of the Guide whilst on a guided walk.
9. SURCHARGES
We reserve the right to make changes to and correct errors in advertised prices at any time before your tour is confirmed. We will advise you of any error of which we are aware and of the then applicable price at the time of booking.
Once the price of your chosen tour has been confirmed at the time of booking, then subject to the correction of errors, we will only increase or decrease the price in the following circumstances. Price increases or decreases after booking will be passed on by way of a surcharge or refund. A surcharge or refund (as applicable) will be payable, subject to the conditions set out in this clause, in the event of any change in our transportation costs or in dues, taxes or fees payable for services such as landing taxes or embarkation or disembarkation fees at ports or airports or in the exchange rates which have been used to calculate the cost of your tour.
No surcharge will be imposed less than 30 days before the start of your tour) and no refunds will be made during this period either. If variations occur before that time, we will absorb or retain a total amount up to the equivalent of the first 2% (excluding insurance premiums and any amendment charges) of your invoiced tour cost. For variations greater than 2%, we will still absorb the first 2% in the case of increases, but will not retain it from refunds.
If we impose a surcharge which means paying more than 10% of your tour price, you will be entitled to cancel your tour with a full refund of all monies paid to us except for any premium paid for insurance and amendment charges or alternatively to purchase another tour from us as referred to in clause 12 “If we change your tour”. You have 14 days from the issue date printed on the surcharge invoice to tell us if you want to cancel or purchase an alternative tour where applicable. If you do not do so, we are entitled to assume that you will pay the surcharge. Any surcharge must be paid with the balance of the cost of the tour.
Please note that tour arrangements are not always purchased in local currency and some apparent changes have no impact on the price of your tour due to contractual and other protection in place.
10. IF WE CANCEL YOUR TOUR
The Operator reserves the right to cancel a tour in any circumstances but will not cancel a tour less than 8 weeks before the start of the tour except for force majeure consolidation / cancellation of tours where minimum numbers have not been achieved or the client’s failure to make all payments (including the final balance and any surcharge) when due. Please note, except for “Guaranteed Departures”, our tours require a minimum number of participants to enable us to operate them. If any tour does not have the minimum number of participants required to make it commercially viable, we are entitled to cancel it. We will notify you or your travel agent of cancellation for this reason not less than 8 weeks before the start of your tour. For “Guaranteed Departures”, there is no minimum group size and we will not cancel the “land only” itinerary unless forced to do so by force majeure.
If we have to cancel, we will tell you as soon as possible. If there is time to do so before departure and the cancellation does not result from your failure to pay, we will offer you the choice of purchasing an alternative tour offered as a result of consolidation or another available tour from the Operator (in either case, paying or receiving a refund in respect of any difference in price) or receiving a full refund of all monies paid to us excluding Annual Insurance premiums if applicable. We regret we cannot meet any visa, vaccination or similar costs in the event of any change or cancellation by us. Similarly, as you are advised only to book fully flexible transport and other arrangements which can be cancelled or changed without charge, we cannot pay any cancellation, amendment or other charges you may incur in relation to any transport or other arrangements which you have to change or cancel as a result of the cancellation of your tour.
11. FORCE MAJEURE
Except where otherwise expressly stated in these conditions, we regret we cannot accept liability or pay any compensation where the performance or prompt performance of our obligations under our contract with you is prevented or affected by or you otherwise suffer any injury, damage, loss or expense of any nature as a result of “force majeure”. In these conditions, “force majeure” means any event which we or the supplier of the service(s) in question could not, even with all due care, foresee or avoid. Such events may include whether actual or threatened war, riot, civil strife, terrorist activity, industrial dispute, natural or nuclear disaster, adverse weather conditions, disease, fire and all similar events outside our control.
12. OUR RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR TOUR
Bookings are accepted on the understanding that clients appreciate and accept the possible risks inherent in adventure travel and that they undertake the tours, treks or expeditions featured in our programme at their own volition.
(1) We promise to make sure that the tour arrangements we have agreed to make, perform or provide, as applicable, as part of our contract with you are made, performed or provided with reasonable skill and care. This means that, subject to these conditions and the other information which forms part of your contract with us, we will accept responsibility if, for example, you suffer death or personal injury or your contracted tour arrangements are not provided as promised or prove deficient as a result of the failure of ourselves, our employees, agents or suppliers to use reasonable skill and care in making, performing or providing, as applicable, your contracted tour arrangements. Please note, it is your responsibility to show that reasonable skill and care has not been used if you wish to make a claim against us. In addition, we will only be responsible for what our employees, agents and suppliers do or do not do if they were at the time acting within the course of their employment (for employees) or carrying out work we had asked them to do (for agents and suppliers).
(2) We will not be responsible for any injury, illness, death, loss (including loss possessions and loss of enjoyment), damage, expense, cost or other sum or claim of any description whatsoever which results from any of the following: –
the act(s) and/or omission(s) of the client(s) affected or any member(s) of their party or
the act(s) and/or omission(s) of a third party not connected with the provision of your tour and which were unforeseeable or unavoidable or
‘force majeure’ as defined in clause 11 above.
(3) Please note, we cannot accept responsibility for any services which do not form part of our contract. This includes, for example, any additional services or facilities which any supplier agrees to provide for you where the services or facilities are not advertised by us and we have not agreed to arrange them as part of our contract. Any optional excursions or activities booked during your holiday do not form part of our contract as these are all arranged for you directly by the suppliers concerned. In addition, regardless of any wording used by us on our website, in any advertising material or elsewhere, we only promise to use reasonable skill and care as set out above and we do not have any greater or different liability to you.
(4) The promises we make to you about the services we have agreed to provide or arrange as part of our contract – and the laws and regulations of the country in which your claim or complaint occurred – will be used as the basis for deciding whether the services in question had been properly provided. Please bear in mind that standards of, for example, safety, hygiene, and quality may vary throughout the destinations, services and transport your tour involves and may be lower than or different to those applicable in the UK and Ireland. If the particular services which gave rise to the claim or complaint complied with the local laws and regulations applicable to those services at the time, the services will be treated as having been properly provided. This will be the case even if the services did not comply with the laws and regulations of the UK, USA, Canada or Ireland which would have applied had those services been provided in the UK, USA, Canada or Ireland. The exception to this is where the claim or complaint concerns the absence of a safety feature which might lead a reasonable holiday maker to refuse to take the tour in question.
(5) As set out in these conditions, we limit the maximum amount we may have to pay you for any claims you may make against us. We do not, however, limit or exclude our liability for death or personal injury caused by the negligence of ourselves or our employees (providing they were at the time acting within the course of their employment).
Where we are found liable for loss of and/or damage to any luggage or personal possessions (including money), the maximum amount we will have to pay you is €500 per person affected unless a different limitation applies to your claim under clause 15(6) below. You must ensure you have appropriate travel insurance to protect your personal belongings.
For all other claims which do not involve death or personal injury, if we are found liable to you on any basis, the maximum amount we will have to pay you is twice the price (excluding insurance premiums and amendment charges) paid by or on behalf of the person(s) affected in total unless a lower limitation applies to your claim under clause 15 (6) below. This maximum amount will only be payable where everything has gone wrong and you have not received any benefit at all from your tour.
(6) Where any claim or part of a claim (including those involving death or personal injury) concerns or is based on any travel arrangements (including the process of getting on and/or off the transport concerned) provided by any air, sea, rail or road carrier, the maximum amount of compensation we will have to pay you will be limited. The most we will have to pay you for that claim or that part of a claim if we are found liable to you on any basis is the most the carrier concerned would have to pay under the international convention or regulation which applies to the travel arrangements in question were that claim made against it (for example, the Warsaw Convention 1929 as amended or unamended and the Montreal Convention 1999 for international travel by air and/or for airlines with an operating licence granted by an EU country, the EC Regulation on Air Carrier Liability No 889/2002 for national and international travel by air, the Athens Convention 1974 for international travel by sea and COTIF, the Convention on International Travel by Rail. Please note: where a carrier would not be obliged to make any payment to you under the applicable international convention or regulation in respect of a claim or part of a claim, we similarly are not obliged to make a payment to you for that claim or part of the claim. When making any payment, we are entitled to deduct any money which you have received or are entitled to receive from the carrier or hotelier for the complaint or claim in question. Copies of the applicable international conventions and regulations are available from us on request.
(7) Please note, we cannot accept any liability for any damage, loss, expense or other sum(s) of any description (1) which on the basis of the information given to us by you concerning your booking prior to our accepting it, we could not have foreseen you would suffer or incur if we breached our contract with you or (2) which did not result from any breach of contract or other fault by ourselves or our employees or, where we are responsible for them, our suppliers. Additionally, we cannot accept liability for any expenses or losses incurred by or relating to any business including self-employed loss of earnings.
(8) You must provide us and our insurers with all assistance we may reasonably require. You must also tell us and the supplier concerned about your claim or complaint as set out in clause 6. If You have a Complaint. If asked to do so, you must transfer to us or our insurers any rights you have against the supplier or whoever else is responsible for your claim or complaint (if the person concerned is under 18, their parent or guardian must do so). You must also agree to cooperate fully with us and our insurers if we or our insurers want to enforce any rights which are transferred.
13. OPTIONAL EXCURSIONS & ACTIVITIES
We and our tour leaders may provide you with information (before departure and/or when you are on holiday) about optional activities and excursions which do not form part of your pre-booked holiday arrangements and which are available in the area you are visiting. We have no involvement in any such activities or excursions which are not run, supervised or controlled in any way by us. They are provided by local operators or other providers who are entirely independent of us. They do not form any part of your contract with us even where we suggest particular operators / providers and / or assist you in booking such activities or excursions in any way. Where a tour leader collects payment for or otherwise assists in booking any such activity or excursion for you, we and the tour leader act solely as booking agent for the local operator / provider of the activity or excursion with whom you will have a contract. The local operator / provider’s terms and conditions will apply. We cannot accept any liability on any basis in relation to such activities or excursions and the acceptance of liability contained in clause 15(1) of our booking conditions will not apply to them. We do not, however, exclude liability for the negligence of ourselves or our employees resulting in your death or personal injury.
We do not guarantee that any optional activity or excursion mentioned in our brochure, on our website or elsewhere will be available to book during your holiday and / or will operate as advertised as these services do not form part of our contract and are not under our control. They may not be available for various reasons. Any prices given in advance are indicative only. We will not be liable if you cannot, for whatever reason, book any such activity or excursion or if the activity or excursion does not operate as advertised.
14. LATE BOOKINGS
We emphasise the importance of making a booking at the earliest opportunity, because of the small group nature of our tours.
For bookings received within 6 weeks of the start of your tour (or at an earlier stage for certain tours), we reserve the right to pass on any extra costs incurred.
For bookings received within 6 weeks of your tour (or at an earlier stage for certain tours), the contract between the Operator and the client comes into existence as soon as full payment has been received by the Operator or our authorised travel agent.
