Booking TERMS & CONDITIONS

These Booking Terms and Conditions, together with our privacy policy, our hire terms and conditions and, where your tour 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 Pannier Limited whose registered office is at 19 Highfield Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 3BH (Company No: 08029243) (“we”, “our”, “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:

- He/she has read these terms and conditions and  has the authority to and does agree to be bound by them;
- He/she consents to our use of information in accordance with our Privacy Policy;
- He/she is over 18 years of age and where placing an order for services with age restrictions declares that he/she and all members of the party are of the appropriate age to purchase those services;
- He/she accepts financial responsibility for payment of the booking on behalf of all persons detailed on the booking.

Booking and Paying for your Arrangements

A booking is made with us when each member of your party completes and signs our online booking form, you pay us a deposit (or full payment if you are booking within 30 days of departure) and we issue you with a booking confirmation. The level of deposit required will normally be 50% of the cost of your chosen arrangements, but this may vary from time to time and the applicable deposit will always be advised to you at the time of booking.

We reserve the right to return your deposit and decline to issue a booking 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.  Upon receipt, if you believe that any details on the booking 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 30 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 9 below will become payable.

Accuracy

We endeavour to ensure that all the information and prices both on our website and in any advertising material that we publish 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.

 

Acceptance of Risk and Insurance

Tourers should be aware that cycling both on and off-road is an inherently risky activity. You take part at your own risk.

Our responsibility does not commence until the appointed time at the designated meeting point. If you don’t arrive at the meet point for the appointed time for whatever reason, we will not be responsible for any additional expenses incurred by you to meet up with the group.

Our tours operate in many locations in the UK and further afield, often in remote areas and areas where medical/rescue services are not just around the corner and can therefore incur significant costs. The risks associated with cycling can be considerable and so it is mandatory that all tourers are adequately insured in respect of: medical expenses and emergency repatriation in the event of illness or injury; personal liability (third party cover); legal expenses; baggage and personal effects; cancellation charges; missed departure, delay and abandonment. 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.

When taking out a policy you are advised to check that the policy provides cover in the country/area where your chosen tour is to take place and that there are any clauses that limit the amount of cover based on age and/or pre-existing medical conditions that might affect you.

Tours, Itineraries and Groups

All timings are provisional and for your guidance only. Final details will be advised nearer the commencement of the tour. Due to the nature of the tours, it may be the case that circumstances require some changes to be made to the proposed itinerary, at any time. Whilst we will always endeavour to stick to our planned itineraries this may not always be possible due to factors outside of our control. The Tour Leader has the final say on any changes to the tour itinerary. Any major changes that we deem to affect the value of the tour will be communicated to you as soon as possible.

Tourers must accept that we cannot guarantee the composition of the group in terms of age, nationality, gender, singles and couples.

We make sure our tours start and finish in accessible locations. Tourers must accept that travel to our agreed start and end points is arranged separately by you, whether by private or public transport, and does not form part of your tour booking with us.

Your vehicles, including their contents, are parked at your own risk - no liability whatsoever is accepted for any vehicle used to access the start-point of any of our tours. You remain wholly responsible for assessing the suitability of any suggested car parking.

Taking Part in a Tour

Our tours take place outdoors and are provided subject to appropriate weather (riding) conditions. We reserve the right to pause and/or cancel days of the tour, in the interests of participant safety, if the weather reaches an adverse level. We also reserve the right to seek alternative arrangements/accommodation, potentially at extra cost, if the Tour Leader decides it is essential.

Our tours are designed to be authentic adventure cycling experiences, and as such you are expected to carry all your own kit/equipment on your bike (we offer hire bags should you need them). If, for whatever reason, you need us to portage your gear, we can, if essential.

Navigation. Our routes are curated for a reason – they are the most stunning routes, and also what we judge to be the safest, avoiding main roads. Our routes are not signed or marked out (refer to authenticity points above) and as such, you are expected to either be able to:

- follow the Tour Leaders (which includes stopping at all clear junctions, if riding on ahead of the group);
- follow a highlighted route on a map; or
- follow a navigation device on your handlebars

We will have a handful of checkpoints in place each day that will need to be passed, for the tour group to re-convene. If you are continually found to be riding rogue and off-route whilst on a tour, we will have no choice but to ask you to officially leave the tour; at which point our responsibilities will end.

You must at all times during the tour wear or carry the mandatory clothing and kit list. At the discretion of the Tour Leader, tourers without the correct clothing and equipment will be prevented from participating in the tour, or will need to hire the appropriate kit from us for the duration of the tour. We accept no responsibility for any loss, theft and/or damage to your personal clothing and equipment whilst on the tour. This includes during the transport and storage of any equipment.

All tourers are asked to ride in a manner that is safely within the laws of the country(s) that the tour passes through. You agree to obey all Highway Code rules, and are expected not to drop or leave any litter anywhere, disposing of it responsibly.

Unfortunately, we operate a mandatory helmet wearing policy when cycling on a tour, even if our website does show photos of riders not wearing helmets. All helmets need to conform to the latest safety standards; whilst we will do a check, you are responsible for ensuring your helmet fits and is in line with standards. We carry spare helmets in case of emergency, but they’ll need to be hired from us at an extra cost if you simply don’t bring a helmet. If you choose to not wear a helmet (as soon as a helmet isn’t being worn securely) our responsibility to you ends.

Your booking is accepted on the understanding that you realise and accept the hazards involved in this kind of tour including injury, disease, loss of or damage to property, inconvenience and discomfort. Given the nature of cycle travel, the outline itineraries given for each tour must therefore be taken as an indication and not as a contractual obligation. It is a fundamental condition of joining the tour that you accept the need for this flexibility and acknowledge that delays and alterations and their results, such as inconvenience, discomfort or disappointment, are possible.

As such, it is necessary that a participant abides by the authority of, and co-operates with, the Tour Leader. Completing the booking form signifies your agreement to this and we reserve the right, at the Tour Leaders' discretion, to terminate without notice the tour arrangements of anyone whose behaviour is unacceptable. Our responsibility for that tourer will then cease. In all cases we will be under no obligation whatsoever for any costs incurred, and the tourer concerned shall not be entitled to any refund.

If bringing your own bike and kit on one of our tours, you must ensure that it is adequately maintained and insured. Prior to the commencement of the tour, we will need to check your bike is suitable for mixed-terrain riding, over the phone and via photos. Of course, we will endeavour to help out where needed, but cannot be responsible for the performance / safety of any bikes and kit under your own personal use. In the event of not being able to ride your own bike, (due to mechanical issues / loss / theft) the Tour Leader will endeavour to make alternative arrangements but this cannot be guaranteed.

We will take all reasonable care when transporting equipment, however we are not responsible for any damage caused to equipment, whether such damage is caused whilst riding on the tour or whilst the equipment is in transit.

All hired bikes, bags and camping kit remain the property of Pannier Ltd and shall not be sold, hired or loaned out by the tourer. You are expected to use the equipment and facilities provided to you with care and to keep them in a clean and tidy condition. We reserve the right to charge you for any extra cleaning, missing items or damage. Please refer to our separate hire conditions, which need accepting if you are hiring these items.

There is a chance that, whilst 100% suitable for the tour, not all hire bikes, bags and kit will match the visuals in any marketing material due to availability and wear-and-tear. You accept this might be case.

All accommodation (camping, bunkhouses, gites) used on our tours is offered on a communal arrangement, unless otherwise specified. Should you wish private tent accommodation, please specify at the time of booking and we can see what we can do.

If you have to withdraw from one of our tours, any duty of care/responsibility by us ceases at the point at which you officially inform the Tour Leader, and leave the tour. All monies for unused services will, unfortunately, be forfeited unless by special agreement.

Tourers are not allowed to bring or use any knife, weapon or illegal substances under any circumstances. If found in anyone’s possession, the Tour Leader will be required to confiscate and dispose of said item(s).

Jurisdiction and Applicable Law

These Booking Terms and 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. You may however, choose the law and jurisdiction of Scotland or Northern Ireland if you live in those places and if you wish to do so.


Cutting Your Tour Short
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 tour 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 tour 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.

Changes by You

If you wish to change any part of your booked 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 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.

Transfer of Booking: 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 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 in clause 9 will apply. Otherwise, no refunds will be given for passengers not travelling or for unused services.

Note: Certain arrangements may not be amended or transferred 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 Cancel

If you or any 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:

Period before departure within which notice of Cancellation by you is received

Amount of cancellation charge

More than 84 days prior to departure

No charge

84 to 28 days prior to departure

Loss of deposit

Less than 28 days prior to departure

100% of total tour cost

We will deduct the cancellation charge(s) from any monies you have already paid to us.

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 We Change or Cancel

As we plan your arrangements many months in advance we may occasionally have to make changes or cancel your booking and we reserve the right to do so at any time.

Changes: If we make a minor change to your tour, we will make reasonable efforts to inform you as soon as reasonably possible if there is time before your departure but we will have no liability to you. Examples of minor changes include change of accommodation to another of the same or higher standard.

Occasionally we may have to make a major change to your confirmed arrangements. ”Examples of “major changes” include the following, when made before departure:

- A change of accommodation area for the whole or a significant part of your time away.
- A change of accommodation to that of a lower standard or classification for the whole or a significant part of your time away.
- A change of the overall length of your arrangements of twelve or more hours.
- A significant change to your itinerary, missing out one or more destination entirely.

Cancellation: We will not cancel your tour less than 63 days before your departure date, except for reasons of force majeure or failure by you to pay the final balance. We may cancel your tour before this date if, e.g., the minimum number of clients required for a particular travel arrangement is not reached.

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:

- (for major changes) accepting the changed arrangements;
- having a refund of all monies paid; or
- 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).

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.

Compensation

If we cancel or make a major change less than 63 days before departure, we will pay compensation as detailed below. The compensation that we offer does not exclude you from claiming more if you are entitled to do so.

Period before departure within which notice of Cancellation or major change is notified to you. Compensation payable per person booking:

63 days or more
Nil

62-42 days prior to departure
£10

41-28 days prior to departure
£20

27-14 days prior to departure
£30

Less than 14 days prior to departure
£40

IMPORTANT NOTE: We will not pay you compensation in the following circumstances:

- where we make a minor change;
- where we make a major change or cancel your arrangements more than 63 days before departure;
- where we have to cancel your arrangements as a result of your failure to make full payment on time;
- where the change or cancellation by us arises out of alterations to the confirmed booking requested by you;
- where we are forced to cancel or change your arrangements due to Force Majeure (see clause 11).

In the event of a change or cancellation, we regrettably cannot reimburse you for any incidental expenses incurred by you  such as visas, vaccinations, equipment, transport, insurance or similar costs.

Please note: where arrangements with a higher price than the original arrangements are offered by us and accepted by you, the difference in price will be deducted from any compensation payable. In no case will we pay compensation if arrangements are offered by us and accepted by you with a higher price than that originally booked, in the same location, where no additional payment is made by you.

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.

Force Majeure

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, 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.
Special Requests   
 

Any special requests must be advised to us at the time of booking. You should then confirm your requests in writing. Whilst every effort will be made by us 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.

Disabilities and Medical Problems
We are not a specialist disabled tour 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 trip, 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 arrangements. 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.

Before making a booking for a tour, intending participants must be certain that a Pannier tour is appropriate for their physical abilities / fitness; we cannot be responsible if you are unfit for the tour or if you are otherwise prevent from taking part in the tour due to disability or other medical issues. If you are unsure, please contact us – basecamp@pannier.cc or +44 (0) 1215650484

Any tourer suffering from conditions requiring medication shall ensure that the Tour Leader is aware of this.

Tourers should inform the Tour Leader immediately if, within 4 weeks prior to the commencement date or during the tour, you develop an infectious or contagious medical conditions. If so, we have the right to:

- refuse to accept your booking / cancel your tour; or
- ask you to leave, to protect the health of others.

 

Complaints
We make every effort to ensure that your arrangements run smoothly but if you do have a problem during your tour, please inform a Pannier representative or local supplier immediately who will endeavour to put things right. If your complaint is not resolved locally, please contact us at basecamp@pannier.cc or on +44 (0)121 565 0484. If the problem cannot be resolved and you wish to complain further, you must send formal written notice of your complaint to us at Pannier Limited, 19 Highfield Road, Edgbaston, B15 3BH or by e-mail to basecamp@pannier.cc 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 ours and the applicable supplier’s ability to investigate your complaint, and will affect your rights under this contract.

Please note that we do not offer an Alternative Dispute Resolution service. You can access the European Commission Online Dispute (ODR) Resolution platform at http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr/.

 

Our Responsibilities
We will accept responsibility for the arrangements we agree to provide or arrange for you as an “organiser” under the Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992 as set out below. Subject to these booking conditions, if we or our suppliers negligently perform or arrange the services which we are obliged to provide for you under our contract with you, as set out on your confirmation invoice, we will pay you reasonable compensation. The level of such compensation will be calculated taking into consideration all relevant factors such as but not limited to: following the complaints procedure as described in these conditions and the extent to which ours or our employees’ or suppliers’ negligence affected the overall enjoyment of your tour.  Please note that it is your responsibility to show that we or our supplier(s) have been negligent if you wish to make a claim against us.

We will not be responsible or pay you compensation for any injury, illness, death, loss, damage, expense, cost or other claim of any description if it results from:-

the act(s) and/or omission(s) of the person(s) affected;
the act(s) and/or omission(s) of a third party unconnected with the provision of the services contracted for and which were unforeseeable or unavoidable; or
unusual or unforeseeable circumstances beyond ours or our supplier(s) control, the consequences of which could not have been avoided even if all due care had been exercised; or
an event which either ourselves or suppliers could not, even with all due care, have foreseen or forestalled.

We limit the amount of compensation we may have to pay you if we are found liable under this clause: loss of and/or damage to any luggage or personal possessions and money

The maximum amount we will have to pay you in respect of these claims is an amount equivalent to the excess on your insurance policy which applies to this type of loss per person in total because you are assumed to have adequate insurance in place to cover any losses of this kind.

Claims not falling under (a) above and which don’t involve injury, illness or death
The maximum amount we will have to pay you in respect of these claims is twice the price paid by or on behalf of the person(s) affected in total. This maximum amount will only be payable where everything has gone wrong and you or your party has not received any benefit at all from your booking.

 

Claims in respect of international travel by air, sea and rail, or any stay in a hotel
i) The extent of our liability will in all cases be limited as if we were carriers under the appropriate Conventions, which include The Warsaw/Montreal Convention (international travel by air); The Athens Convention (with respect to sea travel); The Berne/Cotif Convention (with respect to rail travel) and The Paris Convention (with respect to hotel arrangements). You can ask for copies of these Conventions from our offices. Please contact us. In addition, you agree that the operating carrier or transport company's own 'Conditions of Carriage' will apply to you on that journey. When arranging transportation for you, we rely on the terms and conditions contained within these international conventions and those 'Conditions of Carriage'. You acknowledge that all of the terms and conditions contained in those 'Conditions of Carriage' form part of your contract with us, as well as with the transport company and that those 'Conditions of Carriage' shall be deemed to be included by reference into this contract.

ii) In any circumstances in which a carrier is liable to you by virtue of the Denied Boarding Regulation 2004, any liability we may have to you under our contract with you, arising out of the same facts, is limited to the remedies provided under the Regulation as if (for this purpose only) we were a carrier.

iii) When making any payment, we are entitled to deduct any money which you have received or are entitled to receive from the transport provider or hotelier for the complaint or claim in question.

It is a condition of our acceptance of liability under this clause that you notify any claim to ourselves and our supplier(s) strictly in accordance with the complaints procedure set out in these conditions.

Where any payment is made, the person(s) receiving it (and their parent or guardian if under 18 years) must also assign to ourselves or our insurers any rights they may have to pursue any third party and must provide ourselves and our insurers with all assistance we may reasonably require.

Please note, we cannot accept any liability for any damage, loss or expense or other sum(s) of any description: (a) 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 (b) relate to any business.

We will not accept responsibility for services or facilities which do not form part of our agreement or where they are not advertised by us. For example any excursion you book whilst away, or any service or facility which your hotel or any other supplier agrees to provide for you.
Your Behaviour

All guests staying with us are expected to conduct themselves in an orderly and acceptable manner and not to disrupt the enjoyment of other guests. If in our opinion or in the opinion of 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 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 your accommodation or other service 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.

Photography and Promotional Material

Official photography and video may be taken during the tour, and you consent to this. Tourers agree to waive all rights to any photography, film, video and sound recordings that features them, and hereby grants Pannier sole and complete permission and authority to utilise in full any photography, film, video and sound recordings. You specifically waive any right to any compensation you may want for appearing in any of the content from a tour.


Excursions

Excursions or other trips that you may choose to book or pay for whilst you are taking part in your tour are not part of your contracted arrangements with us. For any excursion or other trip that you book, your contract will be with the operator of the excursion or trip and not with us. We are not responsible for the provision of the excursion or trip or for anything that happens during the course of its provision by the operator.

 

TRAVEL REGULATION INSOLVENCY PROTECTION
Pannier Ltd is a company committed to customer satisfaction and consumer financial protection. We are therefore pleased to announce that, at no extra cost to you, and in accordance with The Package Travel, Package Tours Regulations 1992 all passengers booking with Pannier Ltd are fully insured for the initial deposit, and subsequently the balance of monies paid as detailed in your booking confirmation form. The policy will also include repatriation if required, arising from the cancellation or curtailment of your travel arrangements due to the insolvency of Pannier Ltd. This insurance has been arranged by Towergate Chapman Stevens through Zurich Insurance PLC.

Claims

In the unlikely event of Insolvency, you must Inform Towergate Chapman Stevens immediately on +44(0)1932 334140 or by email at tcs@towergate.co.uk . Please ensure you retain the booking confirmation form as evidence of cover and value.

Policy exclusions: This policy will not cover any monies paid for Travel Insurance or any claim relating to Air Flights. Please ensure the Company you have booked with has the appropriate CAA / ATOL Bonds in place.

Passport, Visa and Immigration Requirements and Health Formalities


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.

Conditions of Suppliers

Many of the services which make up your tour are provided by independent suppliers. 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.

Foreign Office Advice

You are responsible for making yourself aware of Foreign Office advice in regard to the safety of the countries and areas in which you will be travelling and to make your decisions accordingly. Advice from the Foreign Office to avoid or leave a particular country may constitute Force Majeure (see clause 11).

Prompt Assistance

If the contract we have with you is not performed or is improperly performed as a result of failures attributable to a third party unconnected with the provision of the services, or as a result of failures due to unusual and unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control, the consequences of which could not have been avoided even if all due care had been exercised, or an event which we or our suppliers, even with all due care, could not foresee or forestall, and you suffer an injury or other material loss, we will offer you such prompt assistance as is reasonable in the circumstances.