EUROPE FOR SCHOOLS – BOOKING TERMS AND CONDITIONS
The following Booking Conditions form the basis of your contract with Europe for Schools Ltd, whose postal address is 42 Mill Street, Usk, Monmouthshire, NP15 1AW, company registration number 3448859.
Please take the time to read the following conditions carefully. They are the basis for the contract between us and will assist you with your future plans. By asking us to confirm your booking, we are entitled to assume that you have had the opportunity to read and have read these booking conditions and agree to them.
In these booking conditions, “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.
Making Your Booking
To make a booking the group leader must be authorised to make the booking on the basis of these booking conditions by all persons named on the booking and by their parent or guardian for all members who are under 18 when the booking is made. The group leader will act in loco parentis, “in the place of a parent” i.e. take the legal responsibility of a person or organization taking on some of the functions and responsibilities of a parent whilst on tour. The group leader is responsible for making all payments due to us.
A booking is made with us when you tell us that you would like to accept our written or verbal quotation; and you pay us a deposit.
Subject to the availability of your chosen arrangements, we will confirm your tour by issuing a confirmation invoice. This invoice will be sent to the group leader.
A binding contract between us comes into existence when we despatch our confirmation invoice to the group leader.
For tours involving air travel, you are protected by the Civil Aviation Authority under our Air Travel Organisers Licence number 6712. In the unlikely event of insolvency the CAA will ensure that you are not stranded abroad and will arrange for the refund of any money you have paid us to an advance booking. For further information visit the ATOL website www.atol.org.uk.
When you purchase an ATOL protected flight inclusive trip from us you will receive an ATOL Certificate, which lists the flight, accommodation and any other services that are financially protected.
For tours by coach or train you are protected by our insurance with IPP Ltd. For further information visit the IPP website https://www.ipplondon.co.uk/ .
Payment
To confirm your tour, you must pay a deposit at the time of booking of £50 per person for coach and rail tours and £100 per person for air tours. Where a low cost airline is chosen as part of your arrangements, a larger deposit may be required to cover the full air fare cost. The balance of the tour cost must be received by us at least eight weeks prior to departure. An interim payment may be required for some destinations.
Cancellation
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 and will be effective from the date on which we receive it. Since we incur costs in cancelling your arrangements, you will have to pay the applicable cancellation charges up to the maximum shown below.
- More than 10 weeks before departure: Loss of all deposits paid or due, loss of all costs incurred, such as cost of theatre tickets, and/or the full cost of the flights for trips including flight reservations
- within 10 weeks 75%
- within 4 weeks 90%
- within 2 weeks 100%
A person may transfer their place to someone else providing we are notified and you meet all costs and charges incurred by us and/or incurred or imposed by any of our suppliers.
For coach travel, a cancellation resulting in a change of name is usually possible up to the moment of travel with no extra charge. There may be a charge for the change being a change of gender, as this could cause a difference in the rooming allocation.
For flights, a change of name is subject to an administration charge by the airline and is subject to change by the airline. For flight inclusive bookings, you must pay the name change charges levied by the airline concerned.
Where any cancellation reduces the number of full paying party members below the number on which the price, number of free places and / or any concessions agreed for your booking were based, we will recalculate these items and re-invoice you accordingly.
Please note that cancellation charges may be reclaimed, via insurance, provided that the cancellation occurs within the terms of the policy – e.g. necessary cancellation due to injury or illness of the party member or parent or parental redundancy, etc.
Price Information
Prices for your tour will be confirmed at the time of making your booking, but at all times could be subject to a surcharge on the following items: currency, government action, VAT, enforced increases in labour costs, aircraft fuel, overflying charges, airport charges and increases in air fares.
Alterations and Amendments by You
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 are subject to payment of any extra costs incurred by ourselves and any costs or charges incurred or imposed by any of our suppliers
Any amendments/cancellations to flight tours are subject to the specific airline amendment/cancellation charges. 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. Note: Certain travel arrangements (e.g. flight tickets) may not be changeable after a reservation has been made and any alteration request could incur a cancellation charge of up to 100% of that part of the arrangement.
Insurance
It is a condition of travel that you have adequate insurance in place for the duration of your trip. Details of the policy we offer are provided on request. If you decide not to purchase this insurance, you must give us details in writing of your alternative policy (insurer and policy number) 14 days before departure. It is your responsibility to ensure that the insurance cover you purchase is suitable and adequate for your particular needs. This applies even where insurance is included in the cost of your holiday. We do not check alternative insurance policies.
If We Change or Cancel Your Tour
Occasionally we have to make changes and we reserve the right to do so at any time. Most changes will be minor and all will be advised 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 passengers required for a particular travel arrangement is not reached, we are entitled to cancel it.
Examples of minor changes include:
- A change of outward departure time or overall length of your tour of twelve hours or less
- Any change in the type of aircraft, flight timings, carrier or destination airport
- A change of accommodation to another of the same standard or classification
Very rarely, we may be forced by ‘force majeure’ to change or terminate your tour after departure but before the scheduled end of your time away. This is extremely unlikely but if this situation does occur, we regret we will be unable to make any refunds (unless we obtain any refunds from our suppliers), pay you any compensation or meet any costs or expenses you incur as a result.
Force Majeure
Except where otherwise stated in these Terms and Conditions, we regret we cannot accept liability or pay any compensation where the performance or prompt performance of our contractual obligations is prevented or affected by or you otherwise suffer any damage, loss or expense of any nature whatsoever as a result of ‘force majeure’. In these Booking Conditions, ‘force majeure’ means any event which we or the supplier of the service(s) in question could not, even with all due care, foresee or avoid. Such events may include war or threat of war, riot, civil strife, actual or threatened terrorist activity, industrial dispute, natural or nuclear disaster, adverse weather conditions, pandemics, fire and all similar events outside our control.
Travel Tickets and Vouchers
These are valid in conjunction with the particular travel arrangements booked and the route specified. No refund can be made for lost, mislaid, unused, unendorsed or expired tickets, coupons or vouchers.
Liability
We promise to make sure that the tour arrangements we have agreed to make or provide as applicable as part of our contract with you are made, performed or provided with reasonable skill and care. This means that subject to these terms and conditions, we will accept responsibility if, for example, you suffer death or personal injury or your contracted tour arrangements are not provided as promise or prove deficient as a result of the failure of ourselves, our employees, agents or suppliers to use reasonable skill and care in making or providing, as applicable, your contracted tour arrangements. Please note, it is your responsibility to show that reasonable skill and care has not been used if you wish to make a claim against us. In addition, we will only be responsible for what our employees, agents and suppliers do or do not do if they were at the time acting within the course of their employment or carrying out work we had asked them to do.
Please note, we cannot accept responsibility for any services which do not form part of our contract. This includes, for example, any additional services or facilities which your hotel or any other supplier agrees to provide for you where the services or facilities are not advertised by us and we have not agreed to arrange them as part of our contract and any excursion you purchase in resort.
For any services we have agreed to provide or arrange on your behalf, the laws and regulations of the country in which your claim or complaint occurred will be used as the basis for deciding whether the services in question had been properly provided. If the services which gave rise to the claim or complaint complied with local laws and regulations applicable to those services at the time, the services will be treated as having been properly provided. This will be the case even if the services did not comply with the laws and regulations of the UK which would have applied had those services been provided in the UK. We do not make any representation or commitment that all services will comply with applicable local laws and regulations and failure to comply does not automatically mean we have not exercised reasonable skill and care.
We do not accept liability for any air or sea carriers whose individual conditions of carriage apply and are often subject to international agreements.
We cannot be held responsible for the loss of enjoyment or additional expenses due to delays or changes in any travel arrangements or other services which are caused by circumstances amounting to ‘force majeure’.
Should you or any member of your party have the misfortune to suffer illness, injury or death during the period of your tour arising out of an activity which does not form part of the arrangements made by us, we shall, where appropriate, give you every help that we can by way of assistance.
Complaints Procedure
If there are any problems with your arrangements whilst you are away, the group leader must immediately inform the supplier of the service(s) in question. Any verbal notification must be put in writing and given to the supplier as soon as possible. If the supplier is unable to resolve the complaint or problem to your satisfaction, you should contact us immediately. Until we know about a problem or complaint, we cannot begin to resolve it. If you fail to follow this simple procedure, we will have been deprived of the opportunity to investigate and rectify your complaint whilst you were in resort and this may affect your rights under this contract.
Behaviour
We expect all clients to have consideration for other people. If in our reasonable opinion or in the reasonable opinion of any other person in authority, you or any member of your party behaves in such a way as to cause or be likely to cause danger, upset or distress to any third party or damage to property, we are entitled, without prior notice, to terminate the holiday of the person(s) concerned. In this situation, the person(s) concerned will be required to leave the accommodation or other service. We will have no further responsibility toward such person(s) including any return travel arrangements. No refunds will be made and we will not pay any expenses or costs incurred as a result of the 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 loss must be paid directly to the accommodation manager or other supplier prior to departure from the accommodation. If you fail to make payment, you will be responsible for meeting any claims (and 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.
The party leader accepts responsibility for the good conduct of all participants during the tour and warrants that the correct ratio of responsible adults will be on active duty at all times to ensure that all participants behave well. Furthermore, it is the group leaders responsibility to ensure that:
- No participant under 18 years of age consumes alcoholic drinks unless written permission from a parent or guardian can be produced. All local laws apply
- Participants comply with local laws
- No participant uses illegal substances
- No participant smokes in a public area or in any way causes a fire hazard
- All participants wear the seat belts provided for all journeys by coach
- Participants act in a responsible way and do not behave in a way likely to cause damage to property or offence to other people
Special Requests
Any special requests must be advised to us at the time of booking e.g. diet, room allocation, a particular facility at the accommodation etc. You should then confirm your requests in writing. Whilst every effort will be made 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.
Tours by Air
Where we are only able to inform you of the likely carrier(s) at the time of booking, we shall inform you of the identity of the actual carrier(s) as soon as we become aware of this. Any change to the operating carrier(s) after your booking has been confirmed will be notified to you as soon as possible. However, the UK departure airport, overseas arrival airport, carrier/airline and flight timings cannot be guaranteed. . The UK departure airport, overseas arrival airport, carrier and flight timings on any promotional material are for guidance only and are subject to alteration and confirmation. The latest route, timings and carrier will be shown on your tickets which will be despatched to you approximately two weeks before departure.
Any change in UK departure airport, overseas arrival airport, the identity of the carrier, flight timings, and/or aircraft type (if given) will not entitle you to cancel or change other arrangements without paying our normal charges except where specified in these conditions.
Delay and Denied Boarding Regulations
In the event of any flight delay or cancellation at your UK or overseas point of departure, the airline is responsible for providing such assistance as is legally required by the Denied Boarding Regulations (see below). The ferry, tunnel or rail operator is similarly responsible in relation to any delayed or cancelled sea crossing or international rail departure. We regret we cannot provide any assistance in such circumstances other than information and advice to the extent we are in a position to do so.
If your flight is cancelled or delayed or boarding is denied by your airline, depending on the circumstances, the airline may be required to pay you compensation, refund the cost of your flight and/or provide you with accommodation and/or refreshments under EC Regulation No 261/2004 – the Denied Boarding Regulations 2004. Where applicable, you must pursue the airline for the compensation or other payment due to you. All sums you receive or are entitled to receive from the airline concerned by virtue of thes Regulations represent the full amount of your entitlement to compensation or any other payment arising from such cancellation, delay or denied boarding. This includes any disappointment, distress, inconvenience or effect on any other arrangements.
The fact a delay may entitle you to cancel your flight does not automatically entitle you to cancel any other arrangements even where those arrangements have been made in conjunction with your flight. We have no liability to make any payment to you in relation to the Denied Boarding Regulations or in respect of any flight cancellation or delay, downgrading of any flight ticket or denial of any boarding as the full amount of your entitlement to any compensation or other payment (as dealt with above) is covered by the airline’s obligations under the Denied Boarding Regulations. If, for any reason, you do not claim against the airline and make a claim for compensation or any other sum from us, you must, at the time of payment of any compensation or other sum to you, make a complete assignment to us of the rights you have against the airline in relation to the claim that gives rise to that compensation payment. If your airline does not comply with these rules you should complain to the Civil Aviation Authority on 020 7453 6888 or by e-mail to passengercomplaints@caa.co.uk or see www.caa.co.uk – Referring Your Complaint to the CAA.
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. 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 the supplier concerned.
Passports, Visas and Health Requirements
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.
All costs incurred in obtaining such documentation must be paid by you. We regret we cannot accept any liability if you are refused entry onto any transport or into any country due to failure on your part to carry correct documentation, or provide personal data on a timely basis for all party members that are required for border control or aviation security purposes.
Until the 1 January 2021, you can continue to travel to Europe with your UK passport until it expires. New rules will apply for travel to Europe from 1 January 2021. You will need to have at least 6 months left on an adult or child passport to travel to most countries in Europe. For the latest information contact the Passport Office on 0870 5210410 or visit www.passport.gove.uk
Excursions
On occasions, we are asked to arrange visits, activities and/or excursions which do not form part of our advertised or normally available programme. We have no involvement in any such activities or excursions which are neither run, supervised nor controlled in any way by us. They are provided by local operators or other third parties who are entirely independent of us.
Unless we expressly agree to do so in writing, we cannot accept any liability for or in relation to such additional visits, activities and/or excursions. This is the case even if payment for these additional services is made directly to us. As such additional services are booked solely at your request, you are assumed to have satisfied yourself that they are appropriate, suitable and safe for your party as we are not in a position to make such an assessment.
Disabilities and Medical Problems
If any member of your group has any medical problem or disability which may affect your arrangements, the group leader must give us full details before confirming your booking so that we can advise as to the suitability of the chosen arrangements. The group leader must give us full details in writing at the time of booking and promptly update us of any changes. If we reasonably feel unable to properly accommodate the particular needs of the person concerned, we must reserve the right to decline their reservation or, if full details are not given at the time of booking, cancel when we become aware of these details.
We are not a specialist disabled tour company, but we will do our utmost to cater for any special requirements you may have.
Privacy Policy
We respect the privacy of our visitors and are committed to preserving your online safety by preserving your privacy at anytime you visit or communicate with our site.
The purpose of this Privacy Policy is to explain how any personal information provided to us is used and who it may be disclosed to. Please read and ensure that you understand the terms of this Privacy Policy carefully.
Your personal data is protected by the EU General Data Protection Regulation (which is otherwise known as GDPR) and the UK Data Protection Act 2018.
Your information
Personal data provided to us about you and your organisation on registration for the service is collected and processed by us and/or our agents.
We will not disclose any personal data except where you have consented to us doing so in conjunction with the service provided, or where required by law except in exceptional circumstances where personal data may be transferred on sale of us to another company.
Information such as your name, contact details, travel preferences and special needs/disabilities/dietary requirements that you supply us or is supplied to us, including any information about other persons on your booking relating to the same (your information). Your information is collected when you request information or a quote from us, contact us (or vice versa) or make a booking with us.
As a parent or guardian of a child registered by you, you consent on their behalf to the use and disclosure of their personal data as set out in this Privacy Policy.
Where you make a booking, appropriate personal data will be passed on to the relevant suppliers of your chosen arrangements together with any other third party who needs this information so that we can arrange your tour to be provided. Suppliers and other third parties are likely to include the following depending on the arrangements booked;
- airlines
- Eurostar
- ferries and Eurotunnel
- coach operators and other transport providers
- accommodation centres
- hotels and hostels
- overseas ground agents
- tour managers and guides
- excursion and activity operators
- travel insurance providers
The personal data we need to collect and process at various stages is likely to include;
- name of the party leader
- contact details for the party leader including their work e-mail and postal addresses and telephone number(s)
- if different to the party leader, the point of contact for financial arrangements / payments including their e-mail and postal addresses and telephone number(s)
- names and dates of birth of all persons travelling
- passport information for all persons travelling for flight bookings
- dietary information for all persons travelling
- emergency UK contact details
- information in respect of any medical condition, disability or reduced mobility which may affect anyone travelling
We only provide third parties with the personal data they require in order to deliver their services.
You have the right to ask in writing for a copy of the information we hold about you and to correct any inaccuracies in your information. You have the right to ask in writing not to receive direct marketing material about our products and services. Once properly notified by you, we will take steps to stop using your information in this way.
We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect against unauthorised or unlawful processing of personal data and against accidental loss or destruction of, or damage to, personal data.
We take the protection of your privacy and personal data very seriously. We provide a secure server when you make your registration which encrypts the information that you input before it is processed further.
The Data Protection Act also requires that we follow strict security procedures in the storage and disclosure of personal data to prevent unauthorised access and we have procedures to ensure that this protection is secured for you in line with this legislation.
We may make amendments to this Privacy Policy from time to time.
Please feel free to contact us with queries, requests, or comments you may have about our Privacy Policy. We welcome any communication via the email address supplied here: Kathryn@europe-for-schools.co.uk.
Foreign Office Advice
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office publishes regularly updated travel information on its website www.fco.gov.uk/knowbeforeyougo which you are recommended to consult before booking and in good time before departure.
Your Financial Protection
In accordance with “The Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992” all passengers booking with Europe for Schools Ltd are fully protected for the initial deposit and subsequently the balance of all monies paid to us, including repatriation if required, arising from cancellation or curtailment of your travel arrangements due to the insolvency of Europe for Schools Ltd.
We hold an Air Travel Organiser’s Licence issued by the Civil Aviation Authority (ATOL number 6712). When you buy an ATOL protected fight or flight inclusive tour from us, you will receive an ATOL Certificate. This lists the flight, accommodation and any other services that are financially protected, where you can get information on what this means for you and who to contact if things go wrong. We, or the suppliers identified on your ATOL Certificate, will provide you with the services listed on the ATOL Certificate.
Non-Licensable Tours (Coach/Rail/Ferry)
Tours that do not include flights, that is tours with transport provided by coach, tunnel, ferry and/or rail are financially protected by our International Passenger Protection Insurance (IPP).
There is no requirement for Financial Protection of day trips, and none is provided. This insurance is only valid for packages booked that DO NOT include flights.
Consumer aware: Your booking is insured by IPP Ltd and its panel of insurers. – This insurance is only valid for passengers who book and pay directly with/to Europe for Schools Ltd. If you have booked and/ or paid direct to a Travel Agent for a holiday with Europe for Schools Ltd please request proof of how the booking is secured as this will not be covered by IPP Ltd in this instance.
This Insurance has been arranged by International Passenger Protection Limited and underwritten by Certain underwriters at Lloyd’s. For further information please go to www.ipplondon.co.uk
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CLAIMS PROCEDURE:
Download Claims Form from www.ipplondon.co.uk
Any occurrence which may give rise to a claim should be advised within 14 days to:
International Passenger Protection Limited
Claims Office
IPP House
22-26 Station Road
West Wickham
Kent BR4 0PR
United Kingdom
Telephone: +44 (0)20 8776 3752
Fax: +44 (0)20 8776 3751
In order to deal promptly with any claim hereunder it is essential that you retain all bills, receipts and other documents relating to your travel arrangements.
CLAIM FORMS MUST BE SUBMITTED WITHIN SIX MONTHS OF DATE OF INSOLVENCY
WE CANNOT CONSIDER OR PAY CLAIMS RECEIVED AFTER THIS DATE
Website accuracy
The information contained on our website and in our other advertising material is believed correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication. However, errors may occasionally occur and information may subsequently change. You must therefore ensure you check all details of your chosed tour (including the price) with us at the time of booking.
