BOOKING TERMS AND CONDITIONS
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
STUDENT TRAVEL TOURS LTD ----------------------------------------------------
The terms and conditions in this document are important as they stipulate the contract between Student Travel Tours Ltd and the customer. The obligations and rights upon both parties which are stipulated in the contract below are legally binding and may not be changed unless agreed in writing from both parties. By booking your holiday with Student Travel Tours Ltd you agree fully to the contract and therefore you should fully understand its contents.
1. THE CONTRACT BETWEEN US
In the following booking conditions the words ‘you’ and ‘your’ refer to the passenger who is booking a holiday with Student Travel Tours Ltd. The words ‘we’, ‘our’ and ‘us’ refer to the company, Student Travel Tours Ltd. The words ‘tour’ and ‘trip’ refer to the specific holiday which the passenger is booking. The contract between the passenger and the company is governed by English Law.
Any changes to the following booking conditions or to the details expressed on our website or in our promotional material are only valid if agreed on by both parties explicitly in writing. Verbal agreements may not undermine the contract. Upon confirmation of your booking and after issuing of a confirmation letter to you, we will be held responsible for providing all of the services listed on your booking confirmation, or to reimburse you.
2. PAYING FOR THE TRIP
a) Upon booking your trip you will be required to pay a deposit. Please note that your booking will not be confirmed until we have received full payment.
b) Until full payment is received, we reserve the right to change any travel details or the price of the trip within reasonable limits due to outside influences such as exchange rate fluctuations.
c) The balance is payable without reminder 4 weeks prior to the trip departure date. If the full payment has not been received by this date then we reserve the right to cancel your place on the trip.
d) After full payment has been received you will receive a confirmation letter. Your trip vouchers/itinerary will be issued to you roughly 2 weeks prior to departure
e) You are responsible for checking these itineraries/vouchers and confirmation letters for errors or for accuracy. Although we will endeavour to correct any errors, we will not be held responsible for inaccuracies or errors which we are not notified about within 10 days of you receiving the information. This time period is reduced to 5 days for the final vouchers/tickets and itineraries.
f) The online card merchant will charge a £1.60 fee for credit or debit card usage.
g) Your payment will be deducted by your card at the time that your card is processed online. In line with DTI regulations, our trustee account at the Travel trust Association will hold all monies until all services have been provided by us and we will receive the money upon your safe return.
h) When you purchase your holiday from our website, your details will be held and used in accordance with DTI regulations, and we will do our best to ensure your privacy. However, you agree that the use of the internet can never be completely safe and do not hold us accountable for any unlikely breaches in security.
i) Any payment made by cheque should be made out to 'TTA Trustees (UK) Ltd T/tees of Student Travel Tours Ltd’
3. THE SECURITY OF YOUR PAYMENTS
All monies paid on our website are held in our trustee account by the government regulated Travel Trust Association. The monies are held in this account until the completion of your trip and when all of the services have been provided. By law, money will not be transferred to Student Travel Tours Ltd until completion of the holiday.
4. CHANGES IN THE PRICE OF YOUR TOUR
We reserve the right to make any changes to the price of your tour until full payment is received. After this, Student Travel Tours Ltd is responsible for dealing with the increased costs incurred by any exchange rate fluctuations and to either provide all the services in full or reimburse you.
5. INSURANCE
It is a requirement of booking with Student Travel Tours Ltd that you are responsible for booking your own travel insurance. We can suggest good insurance policies provided by other companies upon request. By travelling with Student Travel Tours Ltd you confirm that you have your own Travel Insurance policy which will cover you for medical expenses and repatriation.
6. SPECIAL REQUESTS
We will endeavour to help with any requests without you incurring any extra charges. However we cannot guarantee this, and you should not consider that provisions will be made for any special requests unless this is confirmed in writing. In such scenario, we will not be held liable for the non-compliance in services offered by other companies, such as accommodation. We reserve the right to cancel or decline a reservation in the case that we do not feel we can properly accommodate the persons affected due to their requirements. It is the responsibility of the passenger to inform us of any special requirements or concerns. These include disability, physical health and mental health concerns. Please note that we will always do our best accommodate everyone without any extra charge, but that this cannot be guaranteed.
7. PASSPORT AND VISA
It is your responsibility to ensure that you have the correct Passport and that you are fully in compliance with Visa requirements. Holder’s of a British or EU passport will not need a visa to enter France or Spain. Holders of international passports will be required to obtain their own Shengen Visa. Please note that you should give yourself plenty of time to do this due to delays and processing times at the relevant embassies. Instructions for Visa application are available on our website or on request. We reserve the right to cancel your holiday at any time before or during the trip due to non-compliance with passport or visa requirements. In such cases you will be responsible for the costs of your own repatriation and no refund will be made. All passports should have at least 6 months validity from the return date.
8. DEPARTURE AND ARRIVAL TIMES
a) You should be at your coach departure point 30 minutes prior to departure on both the outbound and return journeys. Details of these times and your pick up point will be finalised and published on your itineraries.
b) We reserve the right to change departure times or location by any reasonable margin at any point.
c) You acknowledge and agree that delays in travel are subject to many outside influences and as such you agree that travel times and arrival times are estimates and do not hold us liable for any inconveniences or costs which you incur. We recommend that your Travel Insurance policy will cover this.
d) We will work hard and do our best to remedy any problems caused by mechanical failure or vehicle accidents however you agree that in such circumstances, replacement vehicles may be of inferior quality to that specified upon booking. Furthermore, you acknowledge that delays incurred may necessitate a reduction in times allocated to leg-stretch and food stops.
e) You acknowledge that we will remedy any problem as quickly as we can and accept that details or services provided on the trip may change significantly from that specified on your itinerary as a result of ‘Force Majeure’. You will not hold us liable for such changes, including possible cancellation of the holiday and premature return. We recommend your travel insurance covers you for such eventuality.
9. LUGGAGE
a) Porterage is not provided and you will be required to carry all of your luggage. Please not you may have to walk for up to 10 minutes between the bus and your accommodation.
b) You are responsible for the safety of your luggage at all times. At times, you may be required to leave your luggage in hostel luggage rooms whilst checking in and out of your accommodation. In such scenarios we will accept no liability for loss of luggage or damage. We recommend your travel insurance covers you in such cases.
c) Passengers are entitled to bring 1 suitcase or large holdall plus one item of hand luggage to go on the bus. There is no weight limit for your suitcase, but please ensure you can comfortably carry it as you may be required to walk up to 10 minutes from the bus to the accommodation.
d) If you need to bring more luggage for whatever reason, then it is your responsibility to inform us and to ensure that you have our agreement in writing. We have never denied extra suitcases to those who require them and do not expect to in the future, however we may refuse admission or travel without refund to those who bring more than the standard quota of luggage without written consent. Furthermore, we cannot guarantee to provide this written consent in every situation.
e) Your hand luggage should be small enough to comfortably sit under your seat or on your lap on the coach. Instead of taking a second suitcase on as hand luggage, like you might for a low cost airline, please contact us before if you need more luggage allowance, and seek our written consent.
f) We will never charge for excess luggage so long as it has been agreed upon in advance and in writing.
g) For winter sports holidays, you are entitled to carry a ski bag as well as your standard luggage quota however you should inform us in advance and seek our written consent.
10. ACCOMMODATION AND DEPOSITS
a) Upon payment, you will pay a £50 accommodation deposit. This will be returned to you after the trip as long as all accommodation keys are returned, no damages or fines are incurred and the accommodation is cleaned to the specification that you will recieve on arrival. Additional cleaning costs and fines may be deducted from your deposit if you do not meet the accommodation standards with which you are presented.
b) Accommodation will be in shared rooms (or shared apartments for ski trips). We will do our best to ensure that you are in a room or apartment with your friends and so to all extents and purposes you will be in a private room. However, you may be sharing your accommodation with any other people on the trip. For ski trips, the well-furnished apartments are equipped with a combination of bunk beds, twin rooms, double rooms and sofa beds. When booking, you agree that you may be accommodated in any one of these beds.
c) All of our trips are to be regarded as group trips. This means any fines caused by accommodation infringements may be shared accross the group, where the individual(s) responsible are not obvious. This will be deducted from your deposit.
11. BOOKING CANCELLATION
Since all bookings require services from other companies (travel, accommodation, night clubs etc) which are pre-paid, we may have already paid for part of your holiday at the time of your cancellation and as such we may not administer a 100% refund. You will incur the following cancellation charges according to the date of your cancellation:
Period before departure ----- Cancellation Charge
After Payment of Deposit----- Deposit Only
70-40 days prior ----- Deposit and 50% of remaining payment
39-25 days prior ----- Deposit and 75% of remaining payment
24 days prior or afterwards ----- Deposit and 100% of remaining payment
If you need to cancel for whatever reason then we encourage you to find someone to take your place, and then contact us at cancellations@thestudenttravelgroup.com. All cancellations are non-reversible once confirmed.
We will not charge an administration fee for name changes up to 24 hours prior to the trip departure. You are responsible for ensuring that the new passenger has no special requirements and understands and agrees with these booking conditions.
12. CHANGES TO YOUR BOOKING MADE BY US
a) Minor Changes
Holiday arrangements are put together months in advance and as such it is possible minor alterations to travel, accommodation, facilities or slight timings may be incurred. Such changes will be made known to you in your itinerary. Such changes are minor and do not entitle you to cancel without charges.
b) Significant changes
We will make any significant changes known to all fully paid passengers as soon as it is feasible. You will have the choice to either accept these changes or receive a full refund of all monies paid. We will not be held responsible for any changes caused by ‘Force Majeure’ and you will not be entitled to cancel without charges in these circumstances.
c) Cancellations by us
Although it is very unlikely, if we have to cancel the trip for any reason then you will be fully reimbursed, unless it is for a any of the reasons mentioned throughout these terms and conditions that make you liable for the full or partial cost of the trip. We will not be held liable for any inconvenience or extra costs incurred due to cancellations before or during the trip. We recommend that your Travel Insurance covers you for such eventuality. We will not be held liable for cancellations caused by ‘Force Majeure’, and you will not normally be reimbursed for any cancellations caused by such scenarios. ‘Force Majeure’ refers to any event which neither we nor the supplier with all due care could foresee or avoid. Examples include war, civil war, organised crime, terrorism, natural disasters, fire and adverse weather.
13. YOUR BEHAVIOUR REQUIREMENTS
a) Due to new laws, alcohol must not be drunk or taken on board any coach journeys.
b) Passengers under 18 should not drink alcoholic beverages during the holiday
c) All local laws should be observed and obeyed at all times
d) Passengers should not smoke on coaches, in accommodation, in public areas or other hazardous locations at any time.
e) Behaviour should not be deemed likely to cause offence to other persons or potential damage to property. You are responsible for the costs involved in any damage to property caused by your behaviour.
f) Should you fail to comply with all of the above stipulations at any time then we reserve the right to cancel your holiday. In such circumstances you will be responsible for the costs of your own repatriation and no refund will be made.
14. COMPLAINTS
We are a friendly student-run company and do not anticipate the need for any formal complaints, as we aim to resolve any problems amicably in a friendly and honest manner. If for whatever reason you would like to make a formal complaint, then you should make it to us as soon as possible in writing to complaints@thestudenttravelgroup.com, or by contacting the emergency number whilst on your holiday. Except for in cases of serious personal injury, illness or death, we will not accept liability for any complaints received more than 10 days after the trip returns. We undertake to reply confirm receipt of your complaint within 14 days and provide a full written reply or explanation within 28 days. In any event, we will provide you a full reply within 56 days.
15. OUR LIABILITY TO YOU
We accept full responsibility for delivering all services in their entirety and as described, except for in any cases outlined in these booking conditions. We accept responsibility for the actions of all formal employees within the scope of their employment except for when this leads to serious injury, illness or death. Our liability in all cases is limited to twice the price of the holiday.
We accept responsibility should you suffer serious injury, illness or death as a result of any improper performance or failure to perform part of the contract except for in the following situations: We are not liable when the failure or improper performance of the contract was due to either (a) the acts or omissions of those persons affected (b) the actions or omissions of a third party not connected with the provisions of the holiday (c) events in which either us or the third party supplier in question was not able to foresee or avoid in all due care
16. SAFETY STANDARDS
Foreign provisions are made in line with local health and safety standards which may differ from those in the United Kingdom. A company representative will be available throughout parts of your trip and will always be contactable by telephone. Company representatives will not always be present on coaches during travel.
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