These Booking Conditions, together with the Acknowledgment of Responsibility & Liability form, our privacy policy and where your holiday is booked via our website, our website terms and conditions of use, together with any other written information we brought to your attention before we confirmed your booking, form the basis of your contract with Artu Club Limited (“we” or “us”). Please read them carefully as they set out our respective rights and obligations. In these Booking Conditions, references to “you” and “your” include the first named person on the booking and all persons on whose behalf a booking is made or any other person to whom a booking is added or transferred.
By making a booking, the first named person on the booking agrees on behalf of all persons detailed on the booking that:
A booking is made with us when a) you tell us that you would like to accept our written or verbal quotation; and b) you pay us a deposit. If you are booking within 90 days of departure, full payment is due at the time of booking); and c) we issue you with a booking confirmation. We reserve the right to return your deposit and decline to issue a confirmation at our absolute discretion. A binding contract will come into existence between you and us as soon as we have issued you with a booking confirmation that will confirm the details of your booking and will be sent to you or your travel agent.
Upon receipt, if you believe that any details on the confirmation (or any other document) are wrong, you must advise us immediately as changes can not be made later and it may harm your rights if we are not notified of any inaccuracies in any document within ten days of our sending it out. The balance of the cost of your arrangements (including any applicable surcharge) is due not less than 90 days prior to scheduled departure. If we do not receive this balance in full and on time, we reserve the right to treat your booking as cancelled by you in which case the cancellation charges set out in clause 8 below will become payable.
We endeavour to ensure that all the information and prices both on our website and in our brochures are accurate, however occasionally, changes and errors occur, and we reserve the right to correct prices and other details in such circumstances. You must check the current price and all other details relating to the arrangements that you wish to book before your booking is confirmed.
Adequate travel insurance is a condition of your contract with us. You must be satisfied that your insurance fully covers all your personal requirements including cancellation charges, medical expenses and repatriation in the event of accident or illness and existing medical conditions. Your insurance must also cover you to undertake cycling activities and the associated risks. If you choose to travel without adequate insurance cover, we will not be liable for any losses howsoever arising, in respect of which insurance cover would otherwise have been available.
We reserve the right to amend the price of unsold holidays at any time and correct errors in the prices of confirmed holidays.
The price of your confirmed holiday is subject at all times to changes in transport costs such as fuel, and any other airline cost changes which are part of our contracts with airlines (and their agents), cruise ship operators and any other transport provider; and to changes in the currency exchange used to calculate your arrangements and to rates, dues, taxes or fees chargeable for services such as landing taxes or embarkation or disembarkation fees at ports and airports any or all of which may result in a variation of your holiday price. We will absorb, and you will not be charged for any increase equivalent to 2% of the price of your travel arrangements, which excludes insurance premiums and any amendment charges and/or additional services or travel arrangements.
You will be charged for the amount over and above that, plus an administration charge of €1.00 per person together with an amount to cover agents’ commission. If this means that you have to pay an increase of more than 10% of the price of your confirmed travel arrangements (excluding any insurance premiums, amendment charges and/or additional services or travel arrangements), you will have the option of accepting a change to another holiday if we are able to offer one (if this is of equivalent or higher quality you will not have to pay more but if it is of lower quality you will be refunded the price difference), or cancelling and receiving a full refund of all monies paid to us, except for any insurance premiums and any amendment charges and/or additional services or travel arrangements.
Should you decide to cancel for this reason, you must exercise your right to do so within 14 days from the issue date printed on your final invoice. There will be no change made to the price of your confirmed holiday within 30 days of your departure nor will refunds be paid during this period. We will consider an appropriate refund of insurance premiums paid if you can show that you are unable to transfer or reuse your policy. Should the price of your holiday go down due to the changes mentioned above, by more than 2% of your confirmed holiday cost, then any refund due will be paid to you. However, please note that travel arrangements are not always purchased in local currency, and some apparent changes have no impact on the price of your travel due to contractual and other protection in place.
These Booking Conditions and any agreement to which they apply are governed in all respects by English law. We both agree that any dispute, claim or other matter which arises between us out of or in connection with your contract or booking will be dealt with by the Courts of England and Wales only.
If you are forced to return home early, we cannot refund the cost of any services you have not used. If you cut short your holiday and return home early in circumstances where you have no reasonable cause for complaint about the standard of accommodation and services provided, we will not offer you any refund for that part of your holiday not completed or be liable for any associated costs you may incur. Depending on the circumstances, your travel insurance may offer cover for curtailment, and we suggest that any claim is made directly with them.
If you wish to change any part of your booking arrangements after our confirmation invoice has been issued, you must inform us in writing as soon as possible. This should be done by the first named person on the booking. Whilst we will do our best to assist, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to meet your requested change. Where we can meet a request, all changes will be subject to payment of an administration fee of €50 per person per change as well as any applicable rate changes or extra costs incurred as well as any costs incurred by ourselves and any costs or charges incurred or imposed by any of our suppliers. You should be aware that these costs could increase the closer to the departure date that changes are made, and you should contact us as soon as possible. Where we are unable to assist you, and you do not wish to proceed with the original booking, we will treat this as a cancellation by you. A cancellation fee may be payable. If you are prevented from travelling it may be possible to transfer your booking to another suitable person, provided that written notice is given. An administration fee will be charged, details available upon request.
Note: Certain arrangements may not be amended after they have been confirmed, and any alteration could incur a cancellation charge of up to 100% of that part of the arrangements.
If you or any other member of your party decides to cancel your confirmed booking, you must notify us in writing. Your notice of cancellation will only take effect when it is received in writing by us at our offices and will be effective from the date on which we receive it. We recommend that you use recorded delivery. Since we incur costs in cancelling your arrangements, you will have to pay the applicable cancellation charges up to the maximum shown below (The cancellation charge detailed is calculated on the basis of the total cost payable by the person(s) cancelling, excluding insurance premiums and amendment charges which are not refundable in the event of the person(s) to whom they apply cancelling):-
Cancellation Policy for Custom Trips
N.B. For custom tours, 50% of the trip value is taken as a deposit.
Note: Certain arrangements may not be amended after they have been confirmed, and any alteration or cancellation could incur a cancellation charge of up to 100% of that part of the arrangements in addition to the charge above.
If the reason for your cancellation is covered under the terms of your insurance policy, you may be able to reclaim these charges. We will deduct the cancellation charge(s) from any monies you have already paid to us.
If any member of your party is prevented from travelling, that person(s) may transfer their place to someone else (introduced by you and satisfying all the conditions applicable to the arrangements) providing we are notified not less than 28 days before departure and you pay an amendment fee of £50 per person transferring, meet all costs and charges incurred by us and/or incurred or imposed by any of our suppliers and the transferee agrees to these booking conditions and all other terms of the contract between us. If you are unable to find a replacement, cancellation charges as set out will apply in order to cover our estimated costs. Otherwise, no refunds will be given for passengers not travelling or for unused services.
It is unlikely that we will have to make any changes to your travel arrangements, but we do plan the arrangements many months in advance. Occasionally, we may have to make changes and we reserve the right to do so at any time. Most of these changes will be minor and we will advise you or your travel agent of them at the earliest possible date. We also reserve the right in any circumstances to cancel your travel arrangements. For example, if the minimum number of clients required for a particular travel arrangement is not reached, we may have to cancel it. However, we will not cancel your travel arrangements less than 90 days before your departure date except for reasons of force majeure or failure by you to pay the final balance.
Most alterations will be minor, and while we will do our best to notify you or your travel agent of any changes as soon as reasonably possible, if there is time before your departure, we will have no other liability to you. Examples of “minor changes” include the following when made before departure:
Occasionally, we may have to make a major change to your confirmed arrangements. ”Examples of “major changes” include the following, when made before departure;
If we have to make a major change or cancel, we will tell you as soon as possible, and if there is time to do so before departure, we will offer you the choice of:
You must notify us of your choice within 7 days of our offer. If you fail to do so, we will assume that you have chosen to accept the change or alternative booking arrangements.
If we make a major change or cancel, less than 90 days before departure, we will also pay compensation as detailed below:
Period before departure when a major change is notified Compensation payable per adult:
The compensation that we offer does not exclude you from claiming more if you are entitled to do so. We will not pay you compensation where we make a major change or cancel more than 90 days before departure or in the event that we are forced to make a change or cancel as a result of unusual and unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control, the consequences of which we could not have avoided even with all due care or if we cancel your arrangements because the minimum number of participants to run the arrangements has not been reached. (We will tell you if we have to cancel for this reason not less than 45 days before departure).
The above sets out the maximum extent of our liability for changes and cancellations. We regret we cannot meet any expenses or losses you may incur due to change or cancellation. Please note: where accommodation with a higher price than the original accommodation is offered by us and accepted by you, the price difference will be deducted from any compensation payable. In no case will we pay compensation if accommodation is offered by us and accepted by you at a higher price than that originally booked in the same location where you make no additional payment.
We will not pay you compensation, and the above options will not be available if we make a minor change or cancel as a result of your failure to make full payment on time or where the change(s) or cancellation by us arises out of alterations to the confirmed booking requested by you.
Very rarely, we may be forced by “force majeure” (see clause 10) to change or terminate your arrangements after departure. If this situation does occur, we regret we will be unable to make any refunds (unless we obtain any from our suppliers), pay you compensation or meet any costs or expenses you incur as a result.
If we become unable to provide a significant proportion of the services that you have booked with us after you have departed, we will make alternative arrangements for you at no extra charge and, if appropriate in all the circumstances, will pay you reasonable compensation.
Except where otherwise expressly stated in these booking conditions, we will not be liable or pay you compensation if our contractual obligations to you are affected by any event which we or the supplier(s) of the service(s) in question could not, even with all due care, foresee or avoid. These events can include, but are not limited to war, the threat of war, civil strife, terrorist activity and its consequences or the threat of such activity, riot, the act of any government or other national or local authority, including port or river authorities, industrial dispute, lock closure, natural or nuclear disaster, fire, chemical or biological disaster and adverse weather, sea, ice and river conditions and all similar events outside our or the supplier(s) concerned’s control. Advice from the Foreign Office to avoid or leave a particular country may constitute Force Majeure.
Any special requests must be advised to us at the time of booking e.g. diet, room location, a particular facility at a hotel etc. You should then confirm your requests in writing. Whilst we will make every effort to try and arrange your reasonable special requests, we cannot guarantee that they will be fulfilled. The fact that a special request has been noted on your confirmation invoice or any other documentation or that it has been passed on to the supplier is not confirmation that the request will be met. Failure to meet any special request will not be a breach of contract on our part unless the request has been specifically confirmed. We do not accept bookings that are conditional upon any special request being met.
We are not a specialist disabled holiday company, but we will do our utmost to cater for any special requirements you may have. If you or any member of your party has any medical problem or disability which may affect your participation in the tour, please provide us with full details before we confirm your booking so that we can try to advise you as to the suitability of your chosen tour. You will be required to complete a ‘Fitness to Participate’ form, which you must complete accurately and honestly. In certain circumstances, we may require you to produce a doctor’s certificate certifying that you are fit to participate in the tour. Acting reasonably, if we are unable to properly accommodate the needs of the person(s) concerned, we will not confirm your booking, or if you did not give us full details at the time of booking, we will cancel it and impose applicable cancellation charges when we become aware of these details.
You must be adequately fit to cover the distances and undertake the program set out in your itinerary. If it is felt that any client is not sufficiently fit, healthy, properly equipped or able to complete the tour without affecting its safety, comfort or happy progress, the tour leader at any stage has the right to remove you from the tour.
Medical Treatment: It is a condition of joining a tour that, in cases of emergency, we have your authority to arrange any necessary medical or surgical treatments and to sign any required form of consent on your behalf.
Cycling and cycling tours are not without risks. You must be adequately fit and of adequate proficiency (indicated in accordance with the general tour information applicable to your tour) to undertake the itinerary set out in the cycling tour you have chosen. Your booking is accepted on the understanding that you realise the hazards involved in cycling and cycling tours. You acknowledge that by the very nature of the activities you are exposed to an element of personal risk and that the activities are potentially hazardous and unpredictable above those associated with conventional holidays. You, therefore, accept and consent to the risks inherent in the implementation of this contract and accept as reasonable the limitations of Artu Club Limited's responsibility as set out in these terms and conditions. You will be required to read and sign an ‘Acknowledgment of Responsibility & Liability’ form prior to commencing your tour. This will then form part of your contract with XXX.
We make every effort to ensure that your holiday arrangements run smoothly. If you have a problem during your holiday, please inform the relevant supplier (e.g. your hotelier) and your tour leader immediately, who will endeavour to put things right. If your complaint is not resolved locally, please contact our office, details of which will be provided to you before the commencement of your tour. If the problem cannot be resolved and you wish to complain further, you must send formal written notice of your complaint to us at our UK office within 28 days of the end of your stay, giving your booking reference and all other relevant information. Please keep your letter concise and to the point. This will assist us to quickly identify your concerns and speed up our response to you. Failure to follow the procedure set out in this clause may affect our and the applicable supplier’s ability to investigate your complaint and will affect your rights under this contract.
All guests staying with us are expected to conduct themselves in an orderly and acceptable manner and not disrupt other guests' enjoyment. If, in our opinion or the opinion of your tour leader, any hotel manager or any other person in authority, your behaviour or that of any member of your party is causing or is likely to cause distress, danger or annoyance to any of our other guests or any third party or damage to property, or to cause a delay or diversion to the tour or other transportation, we reserve the right to terminate your booking arrangements with us immediately. In the event of such termination, our liability to you and/or your party will cease, and you and/or your party will be required to leave the tour immediately. We will have no further obligations to you and/or your party. No refunds for lost accommodation or any other service will be made, and we will not pay any expenses or costs incurred as a result of termination. You and/or your party may also be required to pay for loss and/or damage caused by your actions and we will hold you and each member of your party jointly and individually liable for any damage or losses caused by you or any member of your party. Full payment for any such damage or losses must be paid directly to the hotel manager or other supplier prior to departure from the hotel. If you fail to make payment, you will be responsible for meeting any claims (including legal costs) subsequently made against us as a result of your actions together with all costs we incur in pursuing any claim against you. We cannot be held responsible for the actions or behaviour of other guests or individuals who have no connection with your booking arrangements or with us.
Excursions or other tours you may choose to book or pay for whilst on holiday are not part of your contracted arrangements with us.
For any excursion or other tour that you book, your contract will be with the excursion operator or tour and not with us. We are not responsible for the provision of the excursion or tour or for anything that happens during the course of its provision by the operator.
It is your responsibility to check and fulfil the passport, visa, health and immigration requirements applicable to your itinerary. We can only provide general information about this.
You must check requirements for your own specific circumstances with the relevant Embassies and/or Consulates and your own doctor as applicable. Requirements do change and you must check the up to date position in good time before departure.
Most countries now require passports to be valid for at least 6 months after your return date. If your passport is in its final year, you should check with the Embassy of the country you are visiting.
For further information contact the Passport Office on 0870 5210410 or visit www.passport.gov.uk
Up to date travel advice can be obtained from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, visit www.fco.gov.uk
Non British passport holders, including other EU nationals, should obtain up-to-date advice on passport and visa requirements from the Embassy, High Commission or Consulate of your destination or country(ies) through which you are travelling.
We do not accept any responsibility if you cannot travel, or incur any other loss because you have not complied with any passport, visa, immigration requirements or health formalities. You agree to reimburse us in relation to any fines or other losses which we incur as a result of your failure to comply with any passport, visa, immigration requirements or health formalities.
Many of the services which make up your holiday are provided by independent suppliers. Those suppliers provide these services in accordance with their own terms and conditions. Those suppliers provide these services in accordance with their own terms and conditions which will form part of your contract with us. Some of these terms and conditions may limit or exclude the supplier’s liability to you, usually in accordance with applicable International Conventions. Copies of the relevant parts of these terms and conditions are available on request from ourselves or the supplier concerned.
If you or any member of your party miss your flight or other transport arrangement, it is cancelled or you are subject to a delay of over 3 hours for any reason, you must contact the airline or other transport supplier concerned immediately.
The Package Travel etc Regulations 1992 provide that in the event that you experience difficulty on the occurrence of circumstances described in clauses 15 (2) (a) (b) (c) or (d) of these booking conditions, we will provide you with prompt assistance. Where you experience a delay which is not owing to any failure by us, our employees or sub-contractors, this prompt assistance is likely to extend to providing help in locating refreshments, accommodation and communications but not paying for them. Any airline or other transport supplier may however pay for or provide refreshments and/or appropriate accommodation and you should make a claim directly to them. Subject to the other terms of these conditions, we will not be liable for any costs, fees or charges you incur in the above circumstances, if you fail to obtain our prior authorisation before making your own travel arrangements.
