Booking Conditions

The following booking conditions and general information form the basis of your contract with Holidayline (UK) Ltd trading as Directline Citybreaks  ("we, us and our"). They apply only to citybreak arrangements which you book with us in the UK and which we agree to make, provide or perform as applicable as part of our agreement with you. References in these Booking Conditions to “arrangements” and “citybreaks” mean such arrangements. Please read these conditions carefully before making your booking. Should you require any clarification of these booking conditions, please ask a Directline Citybreaks consultant before confirming your booking. These booking conditions do not affect your statutory rights as a consumer. 

Our obligations to you may vary depending upon whether what you book with us is a package (as defined below), or a single component arrangement, and our differing obligations are set out below, in three separate sections.

Section A contains the conditions which will apply to all bookings and Section B those which will apply where you book a single component arrangement. Section C contains the conditions which will apply when you book a package.

 

A package exists if you book a pre-arranged combination of at least two of the following components when sold or offered for sale at an inclusive price and when the service covers a period of more than twenty-four hours or includes overnight accommodation:-(a) transport; (b) accommodation; (c) other tourist services not ancillary to transport or accommodation and accounting for a significant proportion of the package

 

SECTION A - terms which apply to all bookings

 

1. Booking and Confirmation

The first named person on the booking will be the party leader and will be responsible for making all payments due to us. He/she must be at least 18, and be authorised to make the booking on the basis of these booking conditions by all persons on the booking. By submitting a booking, the party leader confirms that he/she is so authorised and that all party members agree to be bound by these booking conditions. If the arrangements you wish to book are available, we will issue a booking confirmation email. A binding agreement will come into existence between you and us when we despatch this email to the party leader. Contact us immediately if you do not receive this email or if any information which appears on the confirmation or any other document appears to be incorrect or incomplete as it may not be possible to make changes later. NB Please note that due to Data Protection laws, we are only permitted to speak to/correspond with the party leader.

 

2. Payment

All directline-citybreaks bookings made online require full payment at the time of booking. You must also pay all applicable insurance premiums if you wish to purchase the insurance policy we offer. Bookings made on our website, by email or telephone with our travel consultants require full payment at the time of booking for citybreaks departing within 6 weeks.  If you make your booking more than 6 weeks prior to your departure date you will be required to pay a deposit.  Cleared funds of the full payment of the remaining balance will be required 6 weeks before departure at the latest. If we do not receive full payment within the specified timescale we reserve the right to treat your citybreak as cancelled by you and the cancellation charges set out in clause 5 will be payable.  You will not be entitled to any refund of any monies already paid.

We accept payment by Delta, Switch/Maestro, MasterCard, Visa and American Express. Paypal is accepted for online bookings only. Payment Handling Fees (card charges) are detailed below:

Debit Cards       =        No Fees on new bookings
Credit Cards      =        2.5% per transaction
Paypal               =       1.99% per transaction

Cards are accepted subject to security and fraud checks. Debit cards issued outside of the UK will be processed as credit cards, and subject to our credit card Fee. Your bank or card issuer may also apply a foreign transaction fee.

In the event that we incur bank charges as result of a cheque which has been stopped or marked ‘Refer to Drawer’, we reserve the right to pass these charges on to you, together with an administration fee of £10 per transaction towards our costs.

In the event that you do not pay the balance on the due date, or the nearest working day, then we reserve the right to add a late payment penalty of £20 to your booking. All mandatory taxes which must be paid before departure will be included in the price of your citybreak. However, many countries charge arrival and departure taxes that can only be paid locally. It is therefore recommended that you retain sufficient local currency to meet such charges. Details of departure taxes can be obtained from the relevant tourist board. Prices quoted on our website and via our call centre exclude any tourism or city taxes which are payable locally and maybe subject to change and introduced after time of booking.

The UK government have announced their intention to replace Air Passenger Duty (APD), which is payable by all passengers on flights departing from UK airports with a new Emissions Tax, known as Aviation Duty, with effect from 1st November 2009.  Final details of the new duty are awaited, in the interim holiday prices have been calculated as if Air Passenger Duty continues to be in effect. In the event that our costs increase as a result of the change, subject to clause 34 (Prices) we reserve the right to adjust the prices to reflect those changes in costs.

3. Online discount 

When you make a booking on our website an online discount is offered in addition to any other discount.
Please note that the online discount is included in the prices shown throughout our website.  The online discount is only available to bookings made online and only on the day of purchase. We reserve the right to change or remove the online discount at any time prior to the confirmation of your booking.

 

4. Changes you make before you travel

If you would like to change any aspect of your citybreak booking we will do what we can to help you. Please e-mail admin@directline-citybreaks.co.uk. The e-mail must contain ALL booking references shown on your booking confirmation email, including your directline-citybreaks AND any supplier booking references which you can find together at the top of your booking confirmation email.

 

We will charge for any additional services, facilities, or other items changed, at the price which applies on the day the change is made. In addition, we will also charge an administration fee as shown in the table below. Any booking discount you may have received at the time the original booking was made may be altered or reduced whenever changes are made. Note that any change to dates of travel cannot be made less than 56 days before departure without incurring cancellation charges as detailed in clause 5. If the changed arrangements are more expensive than those originally booked, you must also pay the price difference.

 

The costs shown are per change per person.

Element of citybreak the change applies to	Notice given - 56 days or more	Notice given - Less than 56 days
Accommodation	£30	£40 or the cost of the first night accommodation (whichever is greater)
Transport (except Eurostar and flights on scheduled/no frills airlines)	£45	£60
Date of travel (except Eurostar and flights on scheduled/no frills)	£45	£Cancellation charges (see clause 5)
Eurostar and flights on Scheduled/No Frills (including changes to date of travel)	Up to 100%	Up to 100%

 

Eurostar and most Scheduled/No Frills airlines do not allow changes and therefore full cancellation charges will usually apply. Most 'no frills' airlines have cancellation charges of 100% from time of booking. No refunds are available.

 

5. Cancellation by you

If you wish to cancel your citybreak you must tell us in writing or by e-mail. There is a set scale of charges, which applies if you or anyone travelling with you cancels. The charges shown below apply from the date we receive your letter or email. Verbal notification will not be accepted.

 

For citybreaks that include Eurostar, scheduled or no frills flights, 100% cancellation charges may apply, regardless of the notification period.

 

Date of Cancellation	Cancellation Charge	Cancellation Charge on holidays with Eurostar, scheduled or no-frills flight
More than 31 Days	50% Cost of Citybreak	100% Cost of Citybreak
31 - 22 Days	80% Cost of Citybreak	100% Cost of Citybreak
21 Days or less	100% Cost of Citybreak	100% Cost of Citybreak

 

 

If any member of the booking cancels and you cannot fill that person's place, you may have to pay additional supplements for your accommodation. For example, you may have to pay single or under-occupancy supplements. If you do cancel, you must still pay any insurance premiums and amendment charges, which arose before the cancellation, and any deposits paid for any pre-booked items or services.

 

NB. If you have to cancel for a reason covered by your insurance policy, you may be able to recover your cancellation charges. Please check this with your insurance company.

 

6. Adding extra services to your booking

If you wish to amend or cancel any extra services such as car hire, transfers, meals, pre-booked seats, seat requests or add/alter your baggage requirements then we will charge you a fixed fee of £10 per change in addition to any costs incurred by ourselves and any costs or charges incurred or imposed by any of our suppliers. Please note that some services may not be changed and therefore may incur a 100% cancellation fee.

 

7. 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, fire and all similar events outside our control. Except where otherwise expressly stated in these booking conditions, we regret we cannot accept liability or pay any compensation where the performance or prompt performance of our obligations under our agreement with you is prevented or affected by, or you otherwise suffer any damage or loss as a result of force majeure.

 

8. Transport delays

Unfortunately delays sometimes occur and your welfare during this time is the responsibility of the transport provider, therefore please ensure you address any complaints to the Eurostar or Airline representative at the time. You should also check your insurance policy as you may have cover against delays.

 

9. Flights

We are not always in a position at the time of booking to confirm the carrier(s) or flight timings which will be used in connection with your flights. 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) or any change in the identity of the actual carrier(s) as soon as we become aware of this. The carrier(s), flight timings and types of aircraft shown on this website and detailed on your confirmation email are for guidance only and are subject to alteration. In respect of charter flights, the latest timings will be shown on your tickets which will be despatched to you approximately two weeks before departure. You must check these tickets very carefully immediately on receipt to ensure you have the correct flight times. In respect of all other flights, you will receive a booking confirmation email which will detail your flight timings. It is possible that flight times may be changed after tickets and booking confirmation emails have been despatched - we will contact you as soon as possible if this occurs.

 

Any change in the identity of the carrier(s) and/or flight timings will not entitle you to cancel or change to other arrangements without paying our normal charges.

 

Please note the existence of a “Community list” (available for inspection at http://ec.europa.eu/transport/air_portal/safety/black_list_en.htm) detailing air carriers that are subject to an operating ban with the EU Community. Under EU Law, you have rights in some circumstances to refunds and/or compensation from the airline in cases of denied boarding, cancellation or delay to flights. Full details of these rights will be publicised at EU airports and will also be available from airlines. Reimbursement in such cases is the responsibility of the airline and will not automatically entitle you to a refund of your citybreak price from us. Your rights to a refund and/or compensation from us are set out in clause's 30 and 35 below. If the airline does not comply with these rules you should complain to the air transport users council on (020) 7240 6061 www.auc.org.uk.

10. Advance Passenger Information (API/APIS)
Due to security measures, all airlines are required to provide Advance Passenger Information (API or APIS) for all passengers travelling to and from the UK on an international flight. The API requirements can vary from country to country but will include full names, date of birth, passport number, date of passport issue, place of passport issue and nationality. This is a separate requirement to getting a visa. If the airline you are booking requires this information prior to travel, you will be prompted to enter these details after booking your flight. If required, there will be a link provided on your confirmation email where you will be able to enter the necessary details. Please be aware that failure to enter these details correctly may either result in you or a member of your party not being able to travel or in you being charged at the airport prior to boarding. We cannot be held responsible if anyone in your party is refused entry or travel if the data provided is late, inaccurate or incomplete. Please note that you will still need to follow any entry rules for the countries that you are planning to visit including any visa, customs and passport control regulations.

11. Eurostar and other timings

All Eurostar timings shown on your confirmation email or tickets are estimates only. They are provided by your transport provider and are subject to various influences including weather conditions, train maintenance and the ability of passengers to check in on time. We do not have any liability to you for any delays or for any schedule alterations.

 

12. Flight reconfirmation

It is your responsibility to ensure that you reconfirm the departure date and times of all your flights prior to departure. This is particularly important for non-UK departures. Please refer to your airlines website for their contact details.

 

13. Ticketing

Your tickets (where applicable) and any other documents relating to your booking will be sent to the address which you give us at the time of booking. These will be dispatched (where applicable) to you at least 2 weeks prior to departure. For bookings made within 2 weeks of departure if it is necessary for us to make arrangements for you to collect your tickets from the departure airport, these bookings will incur a delivery charge which will be included in the cost of your citybreak and is non-refundable. Please note that two airlines may share the same services, therefore a flight may not be operated by the airline whose designated code is shown on your itinerary and ticket.

 

IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT YOU CHECK ALL DETAILS OF YOUR TRAVEL DOCUMENTS. IF THERE ARE ANY INACCURACIES OR YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUERY PLEASES CONTACT US IMMEDIATELY.

 

14. Lost/Stolen Eurostar and flight tickets

Most transport providers now work with E-tickets and booking references, however if you are travelling with a paper ticket and you lose it or they are stolen before you leave, certain transport providers will not issue a replacement. You would then be required to purchase a new ticket and there may be a delay of up to 12 months before you receive any refund from the transport provider. If the transport provider concerned does issue a replacement ticket, we will require payment from you of a minimum of £35 per ticket administration fee in addition to any charges the transport provider makes. If your ticket is lost or stolen after you have left the UK, certain transport providers will not issue a duplicate. You will need to purchase a new ticket locally, at the local fare. When you return to the UK you can apply directly to the original transport provider for a refund on your lost and unused ticket, but any refund will be entirely at the discretion of the transport provider and it can take up to 12 months before they make any refund.

 

15. Transport provider refund procedures

The refund policies operated by Eurostar and airlines vary greatly. If you return your unused ticket to us we will present it to the relevant transport provider for assessment. If the transport provider agrees to issue a refund, we will forward such refund to you less cancellation or administration charge. If you paid us by credit card, we will refund the amount due to you on your credit card, otherwise the refund will be made by cheque. Please note that any refund for part used/return halves of tickets is always less than pro-rata rate. Refunds usually take 10-12 weeks to process, but in some cases may take longer. Tickets returned more than one year from their date of issue are classed as expired by the transport provider and generally have no refund value at all. We recommend that tickets being sent to us for a refund are sent by recorded delivery post.

 

16. Complaints

If you are not satisfied with any aspect of your travel arrangements please bring the matter as soon as possible to the attention of the relevant person (for example, the transport provider representative, accommodation supplier representative, or hotel staff). If they cannot help you must contact us on the telephone number supplied to you on your confirmation email and we will do everything reasonably possible to deal with the matter. If you are still not satisfied please write to our offices in the UK within 28 days of returning home. If you have special needs, which prevent you from writing to us then, where possible, we will accept details of your complaint over the telephone.

 

The address to send complaints to is:

 

Customer Services Department

Directline Citybreaks

No. 1 Croydon

12-16 Addiscombe Road

Croydon

CR0 0XT

 

E-mail: customer.services@directline-citybreaks.co.uk

 

Telephone: 0844 493 5639

 

We would point out that failure to follow the above procedures and/or failure to complain within 28 days of your return, may reduce or extinguish any rights you have to claim compensation from us, or from any relevant supplier.

 

17. Arbitration

We are a Member of ABTA, membership number D6770, K9057 & W2083. We are obliged to maintain a high standard of service to you by ABTA’s Code of Conduct. We can also offer you an arbitration scheme for the resolution of disputes arising out of, or in connection with this contract. The arbitration scheme is arranged by ABTA and administered independently. It provides for a simple and inexpensive method of arbitration on documents alone with restricted liability on you in respect of costs.  The scheme does not apply to claims for an amount greater than £5,000 per person. There is also a limit of £25,000 per booking form. Neither does it apply to claims which are solely in respect of physical injury or illness or their consequences.   The scheme can however deal with compensation claims which include an element of minor injury or illness subject to a limit of £1,000 on the amount the arbitrator can award per person in respect of this element. Your request for arbitration must be received by ABTA within twelve months of the date of return from holiday. Outside this time limit arbitration under the Scheme may still be available if we agree, but the ABTA Code does not require such agreement. For injury and illness claims, you can request the ABTA Mediation Procedure and we have the option to agree to mediation. Further information on the Code and ABTA’s assistance in resolving disputes can be found on www.abta.com.
 

18. Financial security

We are a member of the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA W2083). We also hold an Air Travel Organiser's Licence issued by the Civil Aviation Authority (ATOL number 9103.) In respect of all arrangements including flights you will receive a Confirmation invoice from us confirming your arrangements and your protection under our Air Travel Organiser’s Licence. This means that in respect of all arrangements including flights, in the unlikely event of our insolvency, the CAA will ensure that you are not left stranded abroad or will arrange to refund any money you have paid to us for an advance booking.  For further information, visit the ATOL website at www.atol.org.uk. The price of our flight inclusive arrangements includes the amount of £2.50 per person as part of the ATOL Protection Contribution (APC) we pay to the CAA. This charge is included in our advertised prices. Not all citybreaks or travel services offered and sold by us will be protected by the ATOL Scheme. If your arrangements do not include flights, in the event of our insolvency ABTA will ensure that you are not left stranded abroad or will arrange to refund any money you have paid to us for an advance booking except where your contracted arrangements with us do not include transport to and from the UK.  In this case, if already abroad, you will be returned to the point where your contracted arrangements with us commenced.

 

19. Insurance

It is a condition of your contract with us that you have adequate insurance cover. Such insurance should ensure that you are properly covered against unexpected cancellation charges, medical costs that might be incurred while you're away, loss of money, or belongings, or personal liability claims. Please note that the cover offered by most credit card companies is rarely adequate.

20. Terms of our Travel Insurance
If you have purchased an insurance policy from us the following terms apply:-

a) ABOUT OUR TRAVEL INSURANCE
Holidayline (UK) Ltd of No. 1 Croydon, 12-16 Addiscombe Road, Croydon, Surrey, CR0 0XT is an Appointed Representative of Citybond Holdings Plc, 109 Elmers End Road, Beckenham, Kent, BR3 4SY, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) to transact general insurance business. Citybond’s FSA Registration number is 312208. You can check this information on the FSA’s Register by visiting the FSA’s website at www.fsa.gov.uk/register or by contacting the FSA on 0845 606 1234.

b) OUR TRAVEL INSURANCE PRODUCTS & SERVICE 
Our travel insurance is suitable for those who wish to insure themselves when travelling in respect of medical emergencies, cancellation, losses to possessions/money, personal liability and other expenses.

We only offer travel insurance products from a single insurer. We do not give advice or make personal recommendations in connection with any travel insurance product. However, we will ask you questions in order to provide you with a quotation, leaving you to make your own decision as to how you wish to proceed and whether this product fulfils your specific insurance requirements.

c) INSURANCE PREMIUMS & FEES
We collect and hold insurance premiums as agent of the insurer.When we provide you with a quotation, we will tell you about any fees which may apply in addition to the insurance premium.

d) YOUR DUTY OF DISCLOSURE 
You are responsible, on an ongoing basis, for providing us and/or your insurers with all material facts relating to the travel cover we arrange on your behalf. Material facts are those which are likely to affect the assessment and acceptance of the risks being insured. Failure to provide full and accurate information may mean that your travel policy is invalid. If you are in any doubt as to what facts might be considered to be material then you should disclose them to us or your insurers.

e) COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE
We recognise the importance of service and set ourselves high standards. Should there be an occasion when we do not meet your expectations, we are equally committed to dealing with any complaint in a thorough and professional manner.

If you wish to make a complaint please contact us in writing to:

Customer Services
Directline Holidays
No. 1 Croydon
12-16 Addiscombe Road
Croydon
Surrey
CR0 0XT

Telephone: 0871 472 4635
Email using the customer services form

If you cannot settle your complaint with us you may be entitled to refer it to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

NB: Travel Insurance may only be booked in conjunction with travel arrangements made through us. Please note that we are not connected in any way with Directline Insurance plc.

f) COMPENSATION
We are covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). You may be entitled to compensation from the FSCS if we cannot meet our obligations. This depends on the type of business and the circumstances of the claim. Insurance advising and arranging is covered for 100% of the first £2,000 of a claim and 90% of the remainder, without any upper limit. Further details about compensation scheme arrangements are available from the FSCS.

g) YOUR CANCELLATION RIGHTS 
If your cover does not meet your requirements, please notify us on 0871 472 4635 within 14 days of receiving your policy documents and return all such documents for a refund of your premium. If during this 14 day period you have travelled, made a claim or intend to make a claim, we can recover all costs that you have used for those services. Please be aware that your cancellation rights are no longer valid after this initial 14 day period.

21. Passports & Visa (British Citizens) and Health Requirements
It is your responsibility to ensure that you and all those travelling with you have a valid passport and any necessary visa and that you have obtained any necessary vaccinations to gain entry to any country you are visiting. We recommend that you check passport/visa requirements with the Embassy or Consulate of the country you intend to visit and that you consult your GP or the Foreign Office regarding health requirements. Requirements may change and you must check the up to date position in good time before departure. It is your responsibility to ensure that you are in possession of all necessary travel and health documents before departure. 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. If failure to have any necessary travel or other documents results to fines, surcharges or other financial penalty being imposed on us, you will be responsible for reimbursing us accordingly. All clients must be in possession of a full 10-year passport. You MUST inform directline citybreaks if you are travelling on a British Subject's Passport.

Visas
The following applies to EC passport holders.  Visas are required to be purchased in advance for certain countries, including Egypt and India. Other countries, including Israel and Turkey require tourist single entry visas to be purchased on arrival. If you are not travelling on an EC passport, other rules may apply.  Please check for advice with the embassy of the country you are travelling to.

22. Medical Advice
Please ensure that you ask a doctor for any medical advice applicable to the countries you will visit. Check what vaccinations you need with your GP at least six weeks before you travel. Make sure that any medication you need to take regularly is legal in the country you are travelling to. Pack any prescription medication in your hand luggage and take the prescription with you. If you are travelling within the EU, get a EHIC (formerly E111) from the Post Office so that you can get reduced or free emergency care.

23. Correct Spelling of Names, Titles
It is your responsibility to ensure all details you give us at the time of booking are correct and accurate, including but not limited to; all names, titles, initials, date of birth of those travelling, telephone numbers, email and postal addresses.  Changes cannot be made at a later date without the imposition of cancellation and amendment charges in addition to any other costs or charges incurred by us or any of our suppliers.  Please note too, that correct ages are required for insurance cover.

24. Pricing Errors
Directline-citybreaks endeavours to ensure that all pricing information on its website is accurate. However, on very rare occasions, errors do occur. You must therefore ensure you check all details of your citybreak with us at the time of booking.

Should such an error occur, either through our own fault or the fault of our suppliers, we will contact the customers concerned. We reserve the right to cancel your booking and will provide a full refund. If your booking is cancelled by us within 48 hours of it being confirmed you will not be entitled to any compensation.

25. Information accuracy
Important note: the information and prices shown on our website may have changed by the time you come to book your arrangements. Although we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information and prices, regrettably errors do occasionally occur. You must therefore ensure you check the price and all other details of your chosen arrangements at the time of booking.

26. Star ratings, Descriptions & Hotel check in / out
There is no standard method of rating hotel and apartment accommodation across the world. Many counties have differing official and unofficial ways of assessing properties and some do not rate accommodation at all. For the sake of simplicity we show all these different symbols as stars. Please note that in most situations the number of stars represents the tour operator or accommodation suppliers rating, based on their view of the accommodation, and is not necessarily the same as any other official or unofficial rating. 

Descriptions and images on this website are provided electronically by our suppliers and are the view of the relevant product at the time that information was passed onto us. Images are used for illustrative purpose onle. We accept no liability for errors, omissions or changes.  Occasionally, particularly during low season when occupancy levels may be low hotels may remove some facilities (for example but not limited to: swimming pool, gym, restaurants) without warning.  If we are informed by our supplier we will always endeavour to advise you prior to your departure, however we accept no liability for these minor changes. Hotel check-in and check-out times vary and are not related to your flight arrival or departure time.  Most hotels have a standard check-in time of 16:00 on the day of arrival and a standard check-out time of 11:00 on the day of departure.  If you would like further clarification on this please visit our FAQ's or contact us by telephone prior to booking.

27. Special requests and medical problems
If you wish to make a special request, you must do so at the time of booking. We will try to pass any reasonable requests on to the relevant supplier but we cannot guarantee that requests will be met. 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.

If you or any member of your party has any medical problem or disability which may affect your chosen citybreak, you must give us full details in writing at the time of booking. If we reasonably feel unable to properly accommodate the particular needs of the person(s) concerned, we will not confirm the booking or, if full details are not given at the time of booking, cancel when we become aware of these details.

28. Behaviour
If we or any other person in authority is of the reasonable opinion that you or any member of your party is behaving in such a way as to cause or be likely to cause danger or upset to any other person or damage to property, we will be entitled to terminate the citybreak of the person(s) concerned. The person(s) concerned will be required to leave the accommodation or other service and we will have no further responsibility to them 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 will be responsible for making full payment for any damage or loss caused by you or any member of your party during your time away. Payment must be paid direct at the time to the service supplier concerned failing which, you will be responsible for meeting any claims subsequently made against us (together with our own and the other party's full legal costs) as a result of your actions.

29. Law and Jurisdiction
Your contract will be governed by English law and any disputes will be dealt with by the ABTA arbitration scheme or the courts of England and Wales. If you live in Northern Ireland or Scotland, the courts of Northern Ireland or Scotland (as appropriate) can deal with any disputes.  We reserve the right to alter these booking conditions and you should check our website at the time of booking.

Data protection, privacy policy and marketing statement

30. Personal information
We will provide your personal information, as well as any personal information you provide in relation to those other persons who form your booking party, to suppliers and transport providers who may be located outside the UK and/or EU, to enable the operation of the services requested by you. If you make special requests, which include, but are not limited to, special dietary, religious or disability-related requirements, which constitute sensitive information, the relevant data will also be passed to the relevant suppliers and transport providers to enable provision of the services to you. If you are aged under 16 on your departure date you must be accompanied by an adult aged 18 or over.

31. Changes and cancellation by us

We reserve the right to make changes to and correct errors in citybreak details both before and after bookings have been confirmed. We must also reserve the right to cancel confirmed bookings. However, we promise we will only cancel your confirmed booking 6 weeks or less before departure where you have failed to make full payment on time or as a result of circumstances outside our control/“force majeure” as defined in clause 7 above.

 

Most changes are minor but occasionally, we may have to make a “significant change”. Examples of “significant changes” include the following when made before departure; a change of accommodation area for the whole or a major part of your citybreak, a change of accommodation to that of a lower official classification for the whole or a major part of your citybreak, a change of UK departure point to one which is more inconvenient for you and a change of outward departure time or overall length of your citybreak of twelve or more hours.

 

The above options will not be available if we make a minor change or cancel as a result of your failure to make full payment on time. We regret we cannot pay any expenses, costs or losses incurred by you as a result of any change or cancellation. Very rarely, we may be forced by "force majeure" (see clause 7) to change or terminate your arrangements after departure. If this situation does occur, we regret we will be unable to make any refunds (unless we obtain any from our suppliers), pay you compensation or meet any costs or expenses you incur as a result.

 

32. Our liability to you.
We have a duty to select the suppliers of your arrangements with reasonable skill and care. We have no liability to you for the actual provision of the arrangements, except in cases where it is proved that we have breached that duty and damage to you has been caused.

 

We also have no liability in the following situations:

If we are found liable to you on any basis, we limit the amount we have to pay you to a maximum of twice the cost of your arrangements. This limit does not apply to cases involving death or injury.

 

Where any claim concerns any travel arrangements provided by any air, sea, rail or road carrier or any stay in a hotel, the maximum amount of compensation we will have to pay you will be limited. The most we will have to pay you for that claim or that part of a claim if we are found liable to you on any basis is the most the carrier or hotel keeper concerned would have to pay under the international convention or regulation which applies to the travel arrangements or hotel stay in question. In any circumstances in which the 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; any sums you receive from the carrier will be deducted from any amount due from ourselves.

 

You must tell us and the supplier concerned about your claim or complaint as set out in clause 15 above. If asked to do so, you must transfer to us or our insurers any rights you have against whoever is responsible for your claim or complaint and provide ourselves and our insurers with all co-operation and assistance that may be reasonably required.

 

33. Prices

Special note: changes and errors sometimes occur. We reserve the right to make changes to and correct errors in confirmed prices. Once the price of your arrangements has been confirmed at the time of booking, no amendment will be made to it unless it is to make a correction to an error, or if our costs change as a result of an increase or decrease in transportation costs or dues, taxes or fees payable for services such as landing taxes or embarkation or disembarkation fees at ports or airports or as a result of any changes in the exchange rates which have been used to calculate the cost of your arrangements.

 

34. Transport provider collapse

In the unlikely event that Eurostar or the airline with which you are travelling ceases to trade whilst you are abroad, you must contact us at the earliest opportunity to allow us to seek to find you an alternative return mode of transport. We shall not be liable for any costs you incur in making your own return arrangements if you have not given us the opportunity to arrange an alternative journey home for you.

 
SECTION C - Terms which apply to Packages

35. Prices 

Special note: changes and errors sometimes occur. We reserve the right to make changes to and correct errors in confirmed prices.

Once the price of your arrangements has been confirmed at the time of booking, no amendment will be made to it unless it is to make a correction to an error, or if our costs change as a result of an increase or decrease in transportation costs or dues, taxes or fees payable for services such as landing taxes or embarkation or disembarkation fees at ports or airports or as a result of any changes in the exchange rates which have been used to calculate the cost of your arrangements. Only if the amount of the increase in our costs exceeds 2% of the total cost of your arrangements (excluding insurance premiums and amendment charges), will we make an additional charge. If any additional charge is greater than 10% of the cost of your arrangements (excluding insurance premiums and any amendment charges), you will be entitled to choose one of options (a), (b) and (c) as set out in clause 35 below. If you do not inform us of your choice within 14 days from the issue date printed on our additional charge invoice, we are entitled to assume that you will pay the additional charge. 

Any additional charge must be paid with the balance of the cost of the arrangements or within 14 days of the issue date printed on the additional charge invoice, whichever is the later. We will not levy an additional charge nor make a refund within 30 days of departure.

Should the price of your citybreak go down due to the changes mentioned above, by more than 2% of your citybreak 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. Children's discounts are all subject to the correct age of the child being given as at the last date of the citybreak. 

For a selection of tour operators we require a booking fee to cover the costs of administration, this will be displayed clearly at the time of booking. 

36. Changes and cancellation by us 
We reserve the right to make changes to and correct errors in citybreak details both before and after bookings have been confirmed. We must also reserve the right to cancel confirmed bookings. However, we promise we will only cancel your confirmed booking 6 weeks or less before departure where you have failed to make full payment on time or as a result of circumstances outside our control/“force majeure” as defined in clause 7 above. 

Most changes are minor but occasionally, we may have to make a “significant change”. Examples of “significant changes” include the following when made before departure; a change of accommodation area for the whole or a major part of your citybreak, a change of accommodation to that of a lower official classification for the whole or a major part of your citybreak, a change of UK departure point to one which is more inconvenient for you and a change of outward departure time or overall length of your citybreak of twelve or more hours. 

If we have to make a significant 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 the following options:- 

If we have to make a significant change or cancel 6 weeks or less before departure, subject to the exceptions below, we will pay you the following compensation:

 

Period before departure a significant change or cancellation is notified to you	Compensation per person (excluding infants)
30 days or more	£10
15-29 days	£20
0-14 days	£30

 

We will not pay you compensation where we make a significant change or cancel more than 6 weeks before departure or in the event that we are forced to make a change or cancel as a result of unusual and unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control, the consequences of which we could not have avoided even with all due care. We will not pay you compensation and the above options will not be available if we make a minor change or cancel as a result of your failure to make full payment on time. We regret we cannot pay any expenses, costs or losses incurred by you as a result of any change or cancellation.

 

Very rarely, we may be forced by "force majeure" (see clause 7) to change or terminate your arrangements after departure. If this situation does occur, we regret we will be unable to make any refunds (unless we obtain any from our suppliers), pay you compensation or meet any costs or expenses you incur as a result.

 

37. Our Liability to you

(1) We promise that your citybreak arrangements will be made, performed or provided with reasonable skill and care. This means that we will accept responsibility if, for example, you suffer death or personal injury or your contracted arrangements are not provided as promised or prove deficient and that is the result of the failure of ourselves, our employees, agents or suppliers to use reasonable skill and care in making, performing or providing your arrangements. Further, 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. It is your responsibility to show that reasonable skill and care has not been used if you wish to make a claim against us.

 

(2) We will not be responsible for any injury, illness, death, loss, damage, expense, cost or other claim of any description whatsoever which results from: -

 

- The act(s) and/or omission(s) of the person(s) affected or any member(s) of their party or

 

- The act(s) and/or omission(s) of a third party not connected with the provision of your arrangements and which were unforeseeable or unavoidable or

 

- 'Force majeure' as defined in clause 7 above.

 

(3) We limit the maximum amount we may have to pay you for any claims you may make against us. The maximum amount we will have to pay you where we are found liable for loss of and/or damage to any luggage or personal possessions (including money) is £65 per person affected unless a lower limitation applies to your claim under this clause or clause 36(4) below. For all other claims which do not involve death or personal injury, the maximum amount we will have to pay you if we are found liable to you on any basis is twice the price (excluding insurance premiums and amendment charges) paid by or on behalf of the person(s) affected in total unless a lower limitation applies to your claim under clause 36(4) below. This maximum amount will only be payable where everything has gone wrong and you have not received any benefit at all from your citybreak.

 

(4) Where any claim or part of a claim (including those involving death or personal injury) concerns or is based on any travel arrangements (including the process of getting on and/or off the transport concerned) provided by any air, sea, rail or road carrier or on any stay in a hotel, the maximum amount of compensation we will have to pay to you will be limited. The most we will have to pay to you for that claim or that part of a claim if we are found liable to you on any basis is the most the carrier or hotel keeper concerned would have to pay under the international convention or regulation which applies to the travel arrangements or hotel stay in question (for example, the Montreal Convention for international travel by air, the Athens convention for international travel by sea). Where a carrier or hotel would not be obliged to make any payment to you for any reason under the applicable International Convention or Regulation in respect of a claim or part of a claim, we will not be obliged to make a payment to you for that claim or part of the claim. 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. Copies of the applicable international conventions and regulations are available from us on request. In any circumstances in which the 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; any sums you receive from the carrier will be deducted from any amount due from ourselves.

 

(5) We will not accept responsibility for services or facilities which do not form part of our agreement or where they are not advertised on our website. 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.

 

(6) The standards and regulations of the country in which the facts giving rise to your claim or complaint occurred and the promises we make to you about your arrangements, will be used as the basis for deciding whether the arrangements in question were provided with reasonable skill and care or, if there are no applicable local regulations, if they are reasonable when compared to the local standards in practice. The fact that services or facilities fail to comply with local or UK guidance or advice shall not of itself mean that the services or facilities in question have not been provided with reasonable skill and care.

 

(7) This clause 36 is intended to set out our obligations to you as an organiser under the Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992. We will not accept any further or different liability than these Regulations impose. In addition, regardless of any contrary representations made by us, we only promise to use reasonable skill and care as set out above and we do not have any further or different liability to you.

 

(8) You must tell us and the supplier concerned about your claim or complaint as set out in clause 15. If asked to do so, you must transfer to us or our insurers any rights you have against whoever is responsible for your claim or complaint and provide ourselves and our insurers with all co-operation and assistance that may be reasonably required. 

(9) We do not accept liability for (1) any damage, loss, expense or other sum(s) of any description which, based on the information you gave us at the time of booking, we could not have foreseen you would suffer or incur if we breached our contract with you; (2) any business losses.