General Information and Conditions
Trip Prices
Prices are in Pound Sterling, per person, and based on costs, tariffs, rates, taxes, charges, levies and exchange rates. Should these change, the price of your holiday may increase. No surcharges regarding cost or currency fluctuations will be made to the land element only price once the final balance is received.
We will not increase the price of your holiday after we receive your final balance except for where there are increases in transportation costs (due to fuel surcharges), taxes, dues, charges, fees or levies imposed by any government or its agencies, any changes to airport taxes or fees or any changes to exchange rates affecting the costs of the holiday. There will be no change to the price within 20 days of your departure date.
Where holiday prices are surcharged, we will absorb an amount equivalent to 2% of the holiday price which excludes insurance premiums and any amendment charges. Only amounts in excess of this 2% will be surcharged, but where a surcharge is payable, there will be an administration charge of £1 per person, together with an amount to cover the agent’s commission. If this means paying more than 8% on the holiday price, you will be entitled to cancel your holiday with a full refund of all money paid, except for any premium paid to us for holiday insurance and amendment charges, provided that you do so within 14 days of notification of the surcharge. Alternatively, you may accept a change to another holiday if we are able to offer you one. If it is of equivalent or higher price you will not have to pay more, but if it is of lower quality you will be refunded the difference in price. Should the price of your holiday go down due to the changes mentioned above, by more than 2% of your 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.
Other Fees and Taxes
Taxes and fees are subject to change without notice and will be confirmed at time of booking. Any additional fees charged by the airlines/ cruise lines such as baggage handling, seat selections, and/or any other services are the sole responsibility of the guest(s). Additional air-related restrictions apply. Any additional government taxes and fees charged by the cruise lines are the sole responsibility of the guest.
Services
We commence providing services to you as soon as we accept your booking and a deposit is paid. This includes work undertaken prior to travel to arrange and coordinate the delivery of your travel arrangements.
Minimum Numbers
Some trips are based on a minimum number of persons travelling. If a trip fails to satisfy minimum numbers, the trip may be cancelled or rescheduled. We will advise you at least 30 days prior to the trip’s scheduled commencement. If you do not accept the rescheduled trip, then we will pay you a full refund.
Booking with a Travel Agent
If you book your holiday through a travel agent then you acknowledge and agree that for your booking to be confirmed and maintained, we must have received all payments from you or your travel agent as detailed in the Table. You also agree that your travel agent is independent of the Provider and our control; and that unless expressly authorised by us in writing, we are not bound by or liable for anything affecting us that the agent may or may not do.
Overlapping / Modular Trips
To offer our Travellers more flexibility around when they start and how long they travel for, some of our trips are sections (or modules) of larger itineraries. This means that some of them overlap – for example, some of your group may have already been travelling before you join them, and may continue travelling after your adventure has come to an end.
Age Restrictions
On all guided holidays young traveller s under 5 years of age are not eligible to travel. Young traveller s under 18 years of age must be accompanied by an adult, who will be responsible for their welfare and supervision. Alcoholic beverages will not be served to guests under the legal age for alcohol consumption in the country being visited. Minors under age 18 travelling to certain foreign countries must be accompanied by both parents or have a notarized letter of consent signed by the parent(s) not travelling. Trafalgar is not responsible for any losses if you fail to have appropriate documentation. If the other parent is deceased or the child has only one legal parent, a notarized statement must be obtained as proof. Countries have different age limits for the consumption of alcohol and other activities. You must ensure you satisfy the age limits before participating in any activity with age limits (such as the consumption of alcohol) and you release us from all liability and claims arising from your inability to participate in such activities.
Health, reduced mobility, medical conditions/disabilities and assistance when travelling
Trafalgar welcomes guests with special needs or disabilities. Please note the following:
- Guests must advise Trafalgar, at time of booking, of any physical, medical or other special needs that require accommodating. Trafalgar will make reasonable modifications to its policies, practices and procedures when necessary, unless doing so will fundamentally alter the nature of the services provided.
- Guests must ensure they are medically and physically able to travel. We may request you to provide an assessment of your medical condition from a qualified medical practitioner. If the assessment indicates that you will require special assistance which we cannot reasonably provide or if you fail to provide a medical assessment with a reasonable time, then this will be considered a cancellation by you and cancellation fees and charges will apply.
- Trafalgar may impose safety requirements. Trafalgar may exclude an individual from participating in a guided holiday or an activity if the individual’s participation poses a threat to the health or safety of others. This decision, made solely by Trafalgar, to exclude an individual will be based on an individualized assessment based on reasonable judgment that relies on current medical evidence or on the best available objective evidence to determine the nature, duration and severity of the risk, the probability that potential injury will occur and whether reasonable modifications of policies, practices or procedures will mitigate the risk. No refunds will be given if the decision is made to exclude a guest.
- Trafalgar does not provide personal devices (such as wheelchairs, hearing aids or prescription eye glasses) or services of a personal nature (such as eating, toileting or dressing). A traveller who requires services of a personal nature (eating, toileting or dressing, as examples) should strongly consider bringing a companion to provide such assistance and must understand that other travellers, Travel Directors and Trafalgar Staff will not be available for such purposes.
- Regrettably, motorized scooters are not allowed on guided holidays.
- Trafalgar does not employ medical personnel. Any necessary medical attention must be sought at a local facility, if available, at the guest’s expense. Trafalgar is not responsible or liable for losses or costs incurred due to unavailability of medical services, or medical services obtained while on holiday, or for the quality of the care or services received. Medical care in other countries is not always comparable to care that you may receive in your local area. You are encouraged to purchase medical insurance that will cover you while on holiday. Your regular health insurance benefits may not apply abroad.
- In purchasing your holiday, you attest that you are physically fit for it. If you have concerns please request additional details about your journey from your Travel Agent or Trafalgar.
- Some guided holidays include rough terrain, extensive walking over cobblestone streets, uneven pavement, steps and/or locations which may not be easily accessible by wheelchair. During the guided holiday, Trafalgar may make arrangements with carriers, hotels and other independent suppliers to provide travel services. These parties are independent entities which Trafalgar does not control. Trafalgar cannot guarantee disability access or accommodations for guests travelling on international guided holidays.
Trafalgar may, in its sole discretion, decline booking any guest or remove any guest who cannot comply or refuses to comply with Trafalgar’s terms and conditions. If this occurs, you are responsible for the cost of travel back to your hometown and Trafalgar shall not be liable for your losses and no refund shall be provided.
Travel times on our trips vary from day to day depending on the destination. For your comfort we make regular stops and try to keep each section no longer than 3 hours. However, depending on your medical history, some people may be at risk of discomfort or deep vein thrombosis (DVT) if they remain immobile for a long period on a journey. If you have had DVT, pulmonary embolism, a family history of clotting conditions, cancer, or treatment for cancer, stroke, heart or lung disease, or if you have had major surgery in the past three months, we recommend you consult your doctor before travelling.
Special Requests
Any dietary requests, special meal requirements including allergies or any other special request, must be provided at the time of booking and are received on a request basis only. The Provider cannot assure that special meal requests will be fulfilled and does not assume responsibility or liability if requests are not fulfilled. Although we will endeavour to pass any reasonable requests on to the relevant supplier, this is not confirmation that the request will be met. All requests are subject to availability. It is also your responsibility to double check and reconfirm any requirements with all holiday suppliers.
Trip Participation
You agree to accept the authority and decisions of our employees, Travel Directors and agents whilst on trip with us. If in the opinion of any such person(s) or any other person in a position of authority (such as, for example, a local supplier or hotel manager), your health (including impact of an epidemic or pandemic), level of fitness or conduct at any time before or during a trip is endangering or appears likely to endanger your health or wellbeing or any third party (including any of our other guests) or the safe, comfortable or happy progress of the trip, you may be excluded from all or part of the trip without refund or recompense. Where you are excluded, we will have no further responsibility towards you (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, we may make such arrangements we see fit and recover the costs thereof from you.
Many Optional Experiences are operated by independent third-party suppliers, not the Provider. These are not part of the holiday package provided by us. Your contract will be with the operator of the experience. We are not responsible for providing the experience, or anything that happens during the experience. Some experiences involve outdoor activities and/or can be physically demanding and may require signature of a waiver. You must make your own decisions about experiences and participate only in activities that suit your physical ability: we suggest that you speak with your medical provider if you have questions about your abilities. We recommend you check whether any insurance you have also includes your participation in adventure activities you may undertake.
Behaviour
The Provider is here to provide the best services possible but in doing so we will not tolerate abusive or aggressive behaviour from our guests. We will refuse to deal with and may terminate the holiday of guests who assault our staff, suppliers or fellow guests or who are abusive or aggressive to them and are generally affecting the enjoyment of others with their behaviour and you may be barred from future trips with the Provider and The Travel Corporation family of brands. This may include (but is not limited to):
- verbally abusive or offensive language towards anyone;
- bullying behaviour;
- inappropriate or abusive behaviour including uninvited physical contact, harassment, violence or threat of violence;
- excessive consumption of alcohol or intoxication;
- the possession, carriage or use of restricted substances or drugs (except for medical purposes approved by your doctor);
- failure to comply with the Provider’s (including a representative’s) reasonable direction;
- conduct which, in the Provider’s reasonable opinion, is not compatible with other guests’ general enjoyment and well-being or the smooth operation of the trip;
- the possession, carriage or use of dangerous items (such as weapons);
- breaking the law of the Country in which you are travelling; and
- any behaviour or conduct which brings the Provider into disrepute or damages its goodwill.
When you make a booking, you accept responsibility for the proper conduct of all members of your party during your travels with the Provider. We reserve the right at any time and at our discretion to terminate the travel arrangements and/or cease to deal with any party member(s) whose behaviour, in the reasonable opinion of us or our suppliers, may cause danger, upset, disruption or distress to anyone else or damage to property. Full cancellation charges will apply and no refund will be made. We shall have no obligation to pay compensation or meet any costs or expenses (including but not limited to alternative accommodation and return transportation arrangements) guest may incur as a result of the travel arrangements being terminated.
You must immediately report any significant and obvious pre-existing damage in your room to accommodation staff and/or a Travel Directors. If you damage the accommodation in which you are staying or any property, you must reimburse the accommodation provider or property owner concerned for the cost of the damage before the end of your stay if the cost has been established by then or as soon as it has been established if later. You must indemnify us for the full amount of any claim (also including legal costs) made against us. Criminal proceedings may be instigated. The Provider is not responsible for any costs incurred concerning a guest removed from a trip or aircraft, ship or train. Guests agree not to hold the Provider or any of its related entities liable for any actions taken under these terms and conditions.
Itinerary Variations
The Provider strives to improve trip itineraries, services and features. If improvements can be made, or if circumstances beyond our control make changes necessary, we reserve the right to vary itineraries and to substitute hotels. If prior to the commencement of your trip we become aware of any significant change that has a material effect on the value or characteristics of services, then we will advise you and give you the option to accept the changed services (and we will pay you an amount reflective of the reduced value of the service) or you may elect to terminate your booking in which case we will provide a full refund. If you do not make an election within 7 days of our notice, you will be deemed to have accepted the changes. At certain peak periods multiple departures may operate, sometimes in reverse order; accommodation may vary from those stated on the itinerary pages. On trips which include cruises, the ship may be changed for operational reasons. Departures in early and late season are potentially operated in cool weather conditions. As a result, itinerary variations may occur. Certain activities may not be precisely as described or may not be available due to seasonality or weather conditions or other circumstances beyond our control including COVID-19 restrictions and precautions. This may include specific requirements regarding personal protective equipment, such as use of face-masks by staff (and you may be required to wear a face-mask as well), social distancing, maximum number restrictions on the use of certain facilities, designated alternative entrance and exit routes, mandatory hand sanitisation, limited entertainment and leisure options and limited food/drink availability. If your enjoyment may be diminished by such limitations, please check with us or your Travel Agent before making a reservation. Please take this risk into consideration when booking your trip.
In the event that we make a major change to your holiday (which does not include, for example, changes to aircraft type, change of accommodation to another of the same standard, or alteration of your outward/return flights by less than 12 hours) or increase the costs of your holiday by more than 8% we will inform you or your Travel Agent as soon as reasonably possible if there is time before your departure date. You will either have the choice of accepting the change of arrangements, accepting an offer of alternative travel arrangements of comparable standard from us if available (we will refund any price difference if the alternative is of a lower value, but these booking terms and conditions will continue to apply to any alternative booking), or cancelling your booked holiday and receiving a full refund of all monies paid.
Where we make a major change to your holiday, you will also be entitled to compensation unless the change arises for unusual or unforeseeable reasons outside of our control (also referred to as reasons of "force majeure", and includes war (and threat of war), riot, industrial dispute, actual or threatened terrorist activity and its consequences, civil disturbances, natural or nuclear disaster, fire, adverse weather conditions, epidemics, pandemics including COVID-19, unavoidable technical problems with transportation and any other similar events). The level of compensation will depend on when we inform you of the major change, although this does not exclude you from claiming more if you are entitled to do so:
No. of days prior to departure date |
Compensation payable (per person) |
46 days and over |
£0 |
45 - 22 days |
£10 |
21 - 8 days |
£20 |
7 -1 days |
£30 |
Day of departure |
£40 |
Changes due to National/Public Holidays
During local or national holidays, certain facilities such as museums, sightseeing trips and shopping may be limited or unavailable. In such instances itinerary changes are made by the Provider seeking to reduce inconvenience to guests. Such changes are deemed not to be a major change to the itinerary, and the value of the alternative services we provide which you accept will be deducted from any compensation you may be entitled to. Holidays, closing days and other circumstances may necessitate a change of the day of the week for scheduled regional meals, sightseeing or other activities. If you feel your enjoyment might be diminished by any of these circumstances, please check with the respective national tourist office before selecting a specific departure date.
Pre & Post-Trip Accommodation
If you arranged with us to remain at a destination before or after your trip, your stay will be at your sole expense as is the transfer to either the hotel or airport. Please speak to your Travel Agent or our reservations team about our pre and post-trip accommodation. Availability is limited. Breakfast and luggage handling is not included unless otherwise noted. The Provider does not provide complimentary transfers for guests booking pre and post-trip accommodations unless otherwise stated. However, airport transfers can often be purchased from the Provider. If your extra night accommodation is not the hotel where your trip begins or ends, you will be responsible for your transfer arrangements at your own expense.
For Your Comfort
The Provider enforces a strict no smoking (including e-cigarettes) and no alcohol policy on board motorcoaches. Regular comfort stops are made on travelling days. Many hotels, restaurants, trains, cruises and other venues are 100% smoke free. The Provider operates a daily seat rotation system.
Disclaimer of Warranties
The Operator warrants only that the services shall be generally, though in view of the vagaries of travel, not necessarily precisely, as described, and subject to changes and the other terms and conditions herein. To the maximum extent permitted by law, all other warranties, express and implied, including warranties of fitness for a specific purpose and merchantability are expressly excluded. There is no warranty that extends beyond the description of the face hereof.