These terms and conditions together with our privacy policy and any other written information we brought to your attention before the booking was confirmed form the basis of your contract with Boots & Bridges Limited a company registered in England with company no: 15218768 and registered office address at 71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9JQ and the traveller. Please read them carefully as they set out our respective rights and obligations. 

For the purposes of this contract the following definitions shall apply:

1. Travel organiser (“we”): Boots & Bridges Limited is the travel organiser as we undertake, in our own name and for a fixed sum, to supply package holidays to travellers, combining the various elements of the package and/or by offering the traveller, including remotely or online, the opportunity to independently create and purchase such combination.
2. Traveller (“you”): the buyer, the transferee of a package, or any other person, provided that they meet all the conditions required for the use of the service and have agreed to these Terms and Conditions.

Bookings

To secure a booking, the traveller must pay the travel organiser (or the authorised travel agent) the deposit stated on the trip page information. If the booking is made within 60 days of the start of the trip a full payment will be required at the time of the booking. 

Acceptance of the package holiday booking will be considered completed, once we have received your deposit and only when the travel organiser has sent the confirmation by electronic means.

Upon receipt, if you believe that any details on the booking confirmation or any other document are wrong you must advise us immediately as changes cannot be made later and it may harm your rights if we are not notified of any inaccuracies in any document within ten days of our sending it out

Before departure, the travel organiser will provide all the additional information about the package not contained in the contractual documents, brochures, or other written documentation.

By making a booking, the first named person on the booking agrees on behalf of all persons detailed on the booking that:

• he/she has read these terms and conditions and the information available on our website “How it works” page and agrees to enter into this contract;
• he/she consents to our use of personal data in accordance with our Privacy Policy and is authorised on behalf of all persons named on the booking to disclose their personal details to us, including where applicable special categories of data (such as information on health conditions or disabilities and dietary requirements);
• he/she is over 18 years of age and where placing an order for services with age restrictions declares that he/she and all members of the party are of the appropriate age to purchase those services;
• he/she accepts financial responsibility for payment of the booking on behalf of all persons detailed on the booking.

Payment

The balance of all monies due, including any surcharges applicable at that time, must be received by the travel organiser (or its authorised travel agent) no later than 60 days before the start of your tour. 

If we do not receive this balance in full and on time, we reserve the right to treat your booking as cancelled by you in which case the cancellation charges presented in the cancellation section will become payable.

You can pay the deposit and full amount by credit or debit card. We accept Visa, Mastercard, Maestro/Solo and American Express for non-UK customers. Other payment methods may be available on our booking page.

The travel organiser reserves the right to return your deposit and decline to issue a booking confirmation at its absolute discretion.

Pricing

The most up to date pricing is available on our website. These have been calculated using exchange rates on an ongoing basis in relation to multiple currencies. Note that prices may vary depending on which currency the booking is made. Where there are fluctuations in exchange rates from the date of booking to departure date, or if there are errors in the prices, we reserve the right to amend the price of confirmed bookings.

Our advertised trip prices are subject to seasonal pricing and we reserve the right to change any of those prices from time to time in accordance with demand, market conditions and availability, which is standard practice within the travel industry. It is likely that different passengers on the same trip have been charged different prices. When you make a booking and pay the required deposit, the price will be locked in at the date of booking. Prices can go up and down depending on availability and demand. Where we have increased prices on high demand trips, any increases will not be chargeable to customers after you have paid your deposit. Additionally, any reduced pricing or discounts that may become available after you have paid your deposit will not apply. If you wish to cancel your booking to take advantage of a cheaper price, full cancellation conditions apply as set out in the terms and conditions. We recommend that if you like the price you see to book at that time.

The travel organiser reserves the right to increase the price of confirmed holidays solely to allow for increases which are a direct result of changes in:

1. the price of the carriage of passengers resulting from the fuel costs or the cost of other power sources;
2. the level of taxes or fees chargeable for services applicable to the holiday imposed by third parties not directly involved in the performance of the holiday, including tourist taxes, landing fees, or disembarkation or embarkation fees in ports and airports;
3. exchange rate fluctuations applicable to the package in question.

Such changes will be based on the exchange rates and prices in force on the date of publication of the schedule, as published in the brochure, or on the date given in any updates published on the websites.

The travel organiser will absorb and the traveller will not be charged for any increase equivalent to 2% of the price of the package, which excluded insurance premiums and any amendment charges. The traveller will be charged for any amount over and above that.

Under no circumstances can the price be increased in the 20 days prior to departure.

We will absorb and you will not be charged for any increase equivalent to 2% of the price of your travel arrangements, which excludes insurance premiums and any amendment charges and/or additional services or travel arrangements. You will be charged for the amount over and above that.

If the increase exceeds 8% (excluding any insurance premiums or amendment charges), the traveller has the option of accepting a change to another package if this is available (if this is of lower quality, the difference in price will be refunded), or terminating the package contract and receiving a full refund of all monies paid, except for any insurance premiums and any amendment charges. If the traveller terminates the package contract for this reason, this must be notified to the travel organiser within 7 days from the issue date printed on the final invoice.

If the price of the package decreases as a direct result of the changes listed above, the traveller will be entitled to a refund of the difference less and administration fee of £40. Travel arrangements are not always purchased in local currency and some apparent changes have no impact on the price of the package due to contractual and other protection in place.

Inclusions

The price of your trip includes as described in the Trip page on our website:

• all accommodation

• all transport (without flights)

• sightseeing and meals

• the services of a group leader and multiple local guides

Exclusions

The price of your trip does not include:

• international or internal flights unless specified

• airport transfers, taxes and excess baggage charges unless specified

• meals other than those specified in the Essential Trip Information

• visa and passport fees

• travel insurance

• optional activities and all personal expenses.

Accuracy

We endeavour to ensure that all the information and prices both on our website and in any advertising material that we publish are accurate, however occasionally changes and errors occur and we reserve the right to correct prices and other details in such circumstances. You must check the current price and all other details relating to the arrangements that you wish to book before you make your booking.

Age and health requirements 

Minimum Age:

For the majority of our trips, the minimum age is 16 at the time of travel. All travellers under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a legal guardian, or in lieu of a legal guardian, by an escort over the age of 18, appointed by their legal guardian. The legal guardian or their designee will be responsible for the traveller under the age of 18’s day to day care. If a legal guardian elects to designate an escort in their lieu, they will be required to complete and sign a relevant document, to delegate their authority.

Maximum Age:

For the majority of our trips, we have no upper age limit though we remind you that our trips can be physically demanding and passengers must ensure that they are suitably fit to allow full participation. We can provide details on mandatory health requirements; however, we are not medical experts. It is your responsibility to ensure that you obtain proper and detailed medical advice at least two months prior to travel for the latest health requirements and recommendations for your destination.

Cutting your holiday short 

If the traveller is forced to return home early, the travel organiser cannot refund the cost of any travel arrangements not used. If the traveller cuts the package holiday short where there is no reasonable cause for complaint about the standard of services provided, the travel organiser will not offer any refund for the part of the package holiday not completed, or be liable for any associated costs incurred. Depending on the circumstances, the travel insurance policy may offer cover for curtailment and it is suggested that any claim is made directly with them.

Changes before departure 

As the travel organiser plans the holiday arrangements many months in advance it may occasionally have to make changes or cancel a booking and the travel organiser reserves the right to do so at any time.

Minor Changes: The travel organiser may only have to make a minor change to the package holiday and they will make reasonable efforts to inform the traveller as soon as reasonably possible if there is time before departure but the travel organiser has no liability to the traveller. Examples of minor changes include change of accommodation to the same or higher standard. 

Significant changes: Occasionally, the travel organiser may have to make a significant change to the package holiday. Examples of a significant change made before departure may include:

1. a change of accommodation area for the whole or a significant part of the package holiday
2. a change of accommodation to that of a lower standard for the whole or a significant part of the package holiday
3. a significant change to your itinerary, missing our one or more destination(s) entirely.

If the travel organiser needs to significantly modify one or more items in the contract before departure, it will immediately inform the traveller in writing with details of the changes and the subsequent impact on the price. The travel organiser will offer the traveller the choice of accepting the changed arrangements or, if available and if one is offered, accepting an offer for an alternative package holiday (a refund will be given to the traveller for the price difference if the alternative is of lower value).

If the traveller does not accept the proposed modifications or the offer of an alternative package holiday, they can withdraw from the agreement without penalty and are entitled to choose an alternative package, if the tour operator can offer one. Failing that, they shall be refunded any money that has already been paid in accordance with the applicable law.

The traveller must notify the travel organiser of their decision within two working days of the receipt of the notice. If the traveller does not respond within that time frame, the travel organiser will contact the traveller again to request notification of their choice. If the traveller fails to send such notification within the deadline, the travel organiser’s offer shall be deemed to have been accepted.

Cancellations: The travel organiser will not cancel your package holiday less than 30 before the departure date, except for reasons of force majeure or failure of payment by the traveller. The travel organiser may cancel the package holiday if the minimum number of travellers is not reached.

If the travel organiser cancels the package holiday before departure for any reason, it will notify the traveller as soon as possible and, except for reasons which are the responsibility of the traveller, the traveller shall be reimbursed, within the terms of the law, the full amount paid for the package holiday.

Compensation: If the travel organiser has to make a significant change or cancel, the traveller also has the right to be compensated for non-execution of the contract, except in the following cases:

1. in the event of the cancellation of the package holiday if this is the result of the failure to reach the minimum number of participants required;
2. due to force majeure or other unforeseeable circumstances;
3. where a minor change has been made;
4. where the cancellation takes place more than 30 days before departure;
5. where the traveller accepts the significant change(s) or accepts an offer of an alternative package holiday;
6. where cancellation is due to the traveller failing to make full payment on time;
7. where the significant change or cancellation by the travel organiser arises out of changes to the confirmed booking requested by the traveller.

Compensation will be payable to the traveller in the following circumstances:

1. where a significant change has been made and the traveller does not accept this change and cancels the package holiday;
2. if the travel organiser cancels the booking and offers no alternative package holiday.

The compensation offered does not exclude the traveller from claiming more if they are entitled to do so.

Compensation amounts and terms:

1. If we notify you more than 25 days before departure the compensation amount is £10
2. If we notify you more than 20 days before departure the compensation amount is £20
3. If we notify you more than 15 days before departure the compensation amount is £30
4. If we notify you less than 10 days before departure the compensation amount is £40

Changes after departure

If, after departure, the travel organiser is unable to provide, for any reason other than one that is the fault of the traveller, any essential part of the services provided for by the contract, they will provide adequate alternative solutions to allow the planned trip to be continued, without any charge to the traveller, or will refund the latter to the extent of the difference between the services originally promised and those actually provided. In cases where there is no alternative solution, or the solution arranged by the travel organiser is not acceptable to the traveller for valid and justifiable reasons, the travel organiser will provide, without applying any surcharges, a means of transport equivalent to the original one to return the holidaymakers to their point of departure or to another location formerly agreed upon, compatible with the availability of such means and locations, and they will refund the difference between the cost of the services promised and the cost of services provided, up to the date of the planned return.

Substitutions and modifications

If you wish to change any part of your booking after our email confirmation 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, an administration fee of £40 per booking plus any additional costs or charges incurred by us or incurred or imposed by any of our suppliers will be charged, if a confirmed booking is changed or transferred to a different departure date or tour, up to 60 days prior to departure. Thereafter all changes will be treated as cancellations and subject to the charges below. Changes are subject to availability. For an administration fee of £40 per booking, you can request a credit voucher for the amount paid in respect of any cancelled booking. This must be redeemed within 3 months of issue against a new booking. The voucher is not transferable, can only be redeemed against one booking and cannot be exchanged for cash. No refund or further credit voucher will be provided if the cost of the new booking is less than the value of the credit voucher.

Transfer of Booking:

The traveller can nominate another person as a substitute to take their place on the package holiday as long as:

1. the travel organiser is informed in writing at least seven days before the date set for departure, including the reasons for the replacement and the details of the transferee;
2. the substitute satisfies all the conditions for the use of the service and, in particular, has all the necessary documents including passport, visas, and health certificates;
3. the same services, or other substitute services, can be provided following the substitution;
4. any outstanding balance payment is paid, as well as an amendment fee of £50 per person per substitution, as well as any additional fees, charges or other costs arising from the transfer; and
5. the substitute agrees to these Terms and Conditions and all other terms of the package contract.

The original traveller and the substitute shall also be jointly and severally liable for payment of the balance of the amount due and the amounts referred to in this clause. If the original traveller cannot find a substitute, cancellation charges as set out below will apply in order to cover estimated costs. Otherwise, no refunds will be given for travellers not travelling or for unused services.

Important note: Certain arrangements may not be modified or substituted after they have been confirmed and any modification or substitution could incur a cancellation charge of up to 100% of that part of the arrangements.

Cancellation before departure

The traveller also has the right to withdraw from the contract, without penalty, in the following cases:

1. with more than 60 days before departure 
2. a price increase in excess of 8%
3. the significant change of any part of the package holiday as set out above and when these changes had been proposed by the travel organiser after the agreement had been signed and before the traveller’s departure or had been rejected by the traveller.

In the cases mentioned above, the traveller also has the right:

1. to take advantage of an alternative package holiday of equivalent or higher value, if the travel organiser can provide one. If the replacement package offered is of lower value, the travel organiser shall refund the difference in price to the consumer.
2. a refund of the amount already paid. This refund will be made in accordance with the law.

The traveller must notify the travel organiser of the request to cancel the booking in writing. The notice of cancellation will only take effect when it is received in writing by the travel organiser and will be effective from the date they receive it.

Should one or more members of the traveller’s party cancel, it may increase the per person holiday price of those still travelling and the traveller will be liable to pay this increase.

Where a traveller withdraws from the contract before departure, excluding those circumstances listed in the paragraph above, the traveller shall be liable to pay, in addition to any deposit, the administrative cost of handling the booking, the cancellation charges as set out below, any expenses related to the insurance cover requested at the time of the contract was signed, and for any other services that have been already provided. In the case of pre-arranged groups, these amounts will be agreed when the contract is signed.

Since we incur costs in cancelling your arrangements, you will have to pay the cancellation charges as follows. The cancellation charges are calculated from the day written notification is received by us and as a percentage of the total tour price per person cancelling, excluding any amendment charges and insurance premiums. The cancellation charges shown below are those which will apply to most tours. However, some suppliers have conditions which require the payment of higher or different charges (including the imposition of 100% cancellation charges well in advance of the normal balance due date) which you will have to pay in the event of cancellation. You will be advised at the time of booking if this is the case for your tour.

1. 59-30 days before your trip start date – 30% of tour cost
2. 29-0 days before your trip start date – 100% of tour cost

Please note that the above does not apply to bookings that are transferred to a future departure date, in which case the original tour start date (before transfer) will be used to calculate any incurred charges.

Amendment charges and insurance premiums are not refundable in the event of cancellation. It is strongly recommended that comprehensive travel insurance is taken out which includes cover against cancellation charges.

Depending on the reason for the cancellation, you may be able to reclaim the cancellation charges (less any applicable excess) under the terms of the insurance policy. All claims must be made direct to the insurance company. In the event of the cancellation of a booking where the client is liable to pay to the Company cancellation charges in excess of the amount already paid to the Company at the time of cancellation, the client cannot transfer or add these charges to another booking or use any amounts paid to us in relation to the cancelled booking by way of part payment for another booking.

Cancellation by You due to Unavoidable & Extraordinary Circumstances:

You have the right to cancel your confirmed holiday before departure without paying a cancellation charge in the event of “unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances” occurring at your holiday destination or its immediate vicinity and significantly affecting the performance of the holiday or significantly affecting the transport arrangements to the destination. In these circumstances, we shall provide you with a full refund of the monies you have paid but we will not be liable to pay you any additional compensation. Please note that your right to cancel in these circumstances will only apply where the Foreign and Commonwealth Office advises against travel to your destination or its immediate vicinity.

For the purposes of this clause, “unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances” means warfare, acts of terrorism, significant risks to human health such as the outbreak of serious disease at the travel destination or natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes or weather conditions which make it impossible to travel safely to the travel destination.

Events beyond our control

Except where otherwise expressly stated in these Terms and Conditions the travel organiser will not be liable or pay the traveller compensation if the travel organiser’s contractual obligations to the traveller are affected by Events Beyond Our Control. For the purposes of these Terms and Conditions, Events Beyond Our Control means any event beyond the travel organisers or the supplier’s control, the consequences of which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken. Examples include warfare and acts of terrorism (and threat thereof), civil strife, epidemics, pandemics and significant risks to human health such as the outbreak of serious disease at the travel destination (including the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic) or natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes or weather conditions which make it impossible to travel safely to the travel destination or remain at the travel destination, the act of any government or other national or local authority including port or river authorities, industrial dispute, labour strikes, lock closure, natural or nuclear disaster, fire, chemical or biological disaster, unavoidable technical problems with transport and all similar events outside our or the supplier(s) concerned control.

Brexit Implications: please note that certain travel arrangements may be affected as a result of the United Kingdom’s decision to leave the European Union. This could include an unavailability of certain flight routes, access to certain ports and airports and changes to the visa requirements of British citizens travelling to, within or through the EU. Please rest assured that this is something that will continue to be monitored and the traveller will receive notification as soon as possible if any confirmed bookings will be affected. However, since this is something which is completely unprecedented and outside the travel organisers control, it will be treated as Events Beyond Our Control, the travel organiser will endeavour to provide suitable alternative arrangements or refunds where possible but will not be liable to pay the traveller any compensation.

Special requests

The traveller will give written notice to the travel organiser, at the time of booking of the package holiday and before confirming the booking, and before the travel organiser’s confirmation of the services being offered, of any personal requests which may be subject to specific agreements regarding travel arrangements, provided that it is possible to implement them. It may not always be possible to implement such requests and such requests will be subject to a specific agreement between the traveller and the travel organiser. If the travel organiser cannot meet any special requests, this does not constitute a breach of contract on their part unless the request has been specifically confirmed.

Complaints

The traveller must report any complaints as soon as possible during the package holiday, so that the travel organiser, their local representative or guide have an opportunity to remedy the fault. Without prejudice to the above obligation, the traveller can also submit a complaint by registered letter, with acknowledgment of receipt, to the travel organiser, ideally no later than ten working days from the date of return to the place of departure. Failure to follow this procedure may affect the travel organisers and the applicable supplier’s ability to investigate the complaint and will affect the traveller’s rights under this contract.

If, despite our best efforts and having followed the above procedure for reporting and resolving your complaint, you feel that it has not been satisfactorily settled, we recommend that it is referred for arbitration under the ABTOT Travel Industry Arbitration Service. An Independent Arbitrator will review the documents relating to any complaint and deliver a binding decision to bring the matter to a close.  A fee is payable by each party when an application for arbitration is submitted.

Details of this scheme are available from The Travel Industry Arbitration Service, administered by:

Dispute Settlement Services 

9 Savill Road

Lindfield

West Sussex

RH16 2NY 

E-mail: admin@disputesettlementservices.co.uk 

This scheme cannot however decide in cases where the sums claimed exceed £5,000 per person or £10,000 per booking form, or not solely or mainly in respect of physical injury or illness or the consequences of such injury or illness, or solely or mainly in respect of a discrimination claim or any claim under the Equality Act.

Medical issues

The travel organiser will try to cater for any special requirements the traveller may have. The traveller must notify the travel organiser of any medical problem or disability which may affect their booking and provide full details before the booking is made. The travel organiser will try to advise you as to the suitability of your chosen arrangements and may require the traveller to produce a doctor’s certificate certifying that the traveller is fit to participate. Acting reasonably, if the travel organiser cannot properly accommodate the needs of the traveller(s) concerned, the booking will not be confirmed or if full details were not notified at the time of booking, the booking will be cancelled and the travel organiser reserves the right to impose applicable cancellation charges.

Passports, Visas and Vaccination

It is your responsibility to check and fulfill the passport, visa, health and immigration requirements applicable to your itinerary. We can only provide general information about this. You must check requirements for your own specific circumstances with the relevant Embassies and/or Consulates and your own doctor as applicable. Requirements do change and you must check the up to date position in good time before departure.

Most countries now require passports to be valid for at least 6 months after your return date. If your passport is in its final year, you should check with the Embassy of the country you are visiting. For further information contact the Passport Office on 0870 5210410 or visit https://www.gov.uk/browse/citizenship/passports.

Special conditions apply for travel to the USA, and all passengers must have individual machine readable passports. Please check https://uk.usembassy.gov. For European holidays you should obtain a completed and issued form EHIC prior to departure.

Up to date travel advice can be obtained from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, visit https://www.gov.uk/travelaware.

Non British passport holders, including other EU nationals, should obtain up to date advice on passport and visa requirements from the Embassy, High Commission or Consulate of your destination or country(ies) through which you are travelling.

We do not accept any responsibility if you cannot travel, or incur any other loss because you have not complied with any passport, visa, immigration requirements or health formalities. You agree to reimburse us in relation to any fines or other losses which we incur as a result of your failure to comply with any passport, visa, immigration requirements or health formalities.

Travel and cancellation insurance

Adequate travel Insurance is mandatory and is a condition of your contract with us. You are responsible for arranging your own insurance cover. You are responsible for ensuring that you have alternative personal travel insurance with protection for the full duration of the tour in respect of at least medical expenses, injury, death, repatriation, cancellation and curtailment, with adequate and appropriate cover. We recommend that you ensure that there are no exclusion clauses limiting or excluding protection for the type of activities included in your tour. You should satisfy yourself that the travel insurance you purchase meets your particular requirements and should arrange supplementary insurance if need be.

Hotel classification

The official hotel classification is provided in the brochure, or in other promotional material, based only on express and formal information provided by the competent authorities in the country in which the service is being provided. In the absence of official classifications recognised by the competent public authorities of the EU member countries to which the service refers, or in the case of locations marketed as a “Holiday Village”, the travel organiser reserves the right to provide their own description of the facility, in sufficient detail to make it possible for the traveller to evaluate the destination before acceptance.

Insolvency protection

The Association of Bonded Travel Organisers Trust Limited (ABTOT) provides financial protection under The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 for Boots & Bridges Limited and in the event of their insolvency, protection is provided for:

• Non-flight packages

ABTOT cover provides for a refund in the event you have not yet travelled or repatriation if transportation was included in your package.  Please note that bookings made outside the UK are only protected by ABTOT when purchased directly with Boots & Bridges Limited. 

In the unlikely event that you require assistance whilst abroad due to our financial failure, please call our 24/7 helpline on 01702 811397 and advise you are a customer of an ABTOT protected travel company.

You can access The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 here:  https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2018/634/contents/made 

You can find out more about ABTOT here: https://www.abtot.com/ 

Client responsibility

You must provide any information we ask for in good time and are responsible for providing accurate information to us. It is important that you complete all information we request accurately and on time as we cannot be held responsible for any problems or additional costs that may arise from any inaccurate or incomplete information that you may provide.

You agree to accept the authority and decisions of our employees, tour leaders, fixers, agents and guides whilst taking part in your tour. If in the opinion of any such person(s) or any other person in a position of authority (such as, for example, the tour leader, customer happiness hero, an airline pilot or hotel manager), your health, level of fitness or conduct at any time before or during a tour is endangering or appears likely to endanger the health or wellbeing of yourself or any third party (including any other clients of ours) or the safe, comfortable or happy progress of the tour, you may be excluded from all or part of the tour without refund or recompense, this will also be the case where it is discovered that you have committed a criminal act (such as causing damage).

If you are excluded, we will have no further responsibility towards you (including any return travel arrangements) and we will not meet any expenses or costs incurred as a result of the exclusion nor refund you for any unused services.

When you book with us, you accept responsibility for any damage or loss caused by you or any member of your party. Full payment for any such damage or loss (reasonably estimated if not precisely known) must be made direct to the accommodation owner or manager or other supplier or to us as soon as possible. You should ensure you have appropriate travel insurance to protect you if this situation arises.

Any clients who have taken part in racist / offensive / abusive or any other form of discriminatory or threatening behaviour to any of our clients, staff, the company or to any third party will be excluded from the tour and will receive no refund for any missed services or accommodation. We also reserve the right to cancel any future booking with no refund or compensation. 

We also reserve the right in our absolute discretion to determine if a customer meets or fails to meet our suitability standards and cancel any future booking on this basis.  

Our responsibility

Please Note: Bookings are accepted on the understanding that clients appreciate and accept the possible risks inherent in group travel and that they undertake the tours, treks or expeditions featured in our programme at their own volition.

Notwithstanding the above, we will accept responsibility for the arrangements we agree to provide or arrange for you as an “organiser” under the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018, as set out below and as such, we are responsible for the proper provision of all travel services included in your package, as set out in your confirmation invoice. Subject to these Booking Conditions, if we or our suppliers negligently perform or arrange those services and we don’t remedy or resolve your complaint within a reasonable period of time, and this has affected the enjoyment of your package holiday you may be entitled to an appropriate price reduction or compensation or both. You must inform us without undue delay of any failure to perform or improper performance of the travel services included in this package. The level of any such price reduction or compensation will be calculated taking into consideration all relevant factors such as but not limited to: following the complaints procedure as described in these Booking Conditions and the extent to which ours or our employees’ or suppliers’ negligence affected the overall enjoyment of your holiday. Please note that it is your responsibility to show that we or our supplier(s) have been negligent if you wish to make a claim against us.

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

1. the acts and/or omissions of the person affected; or
2. the acts and/or omissions of a third party unconnected with the provision of the services contracted for and which were unavoidable and extraordinary; or
3. Events beyond our control

We limit the amount of compensation we may have to pay you if we are found liable under this clause:

1. loss of and/or damage to any luggage or personal possessions and money: the maximum amount we will have to pay you in respect of these claims is an amount equivalent to the excess on your insurance policy which applies to this type of loss per person in total because you are required to have adequate insurance in place to cover any losses of this kind.
2. Claims not falling under (a) above and which don’t involve injury, illness or death: the maximum amount we will have to pay you in respect of these claims is up to three times the price paid by or on behalf of the person(s) affected in total. This maximum amount will only be payable where everything has gone wrong and you or your party has not received any benefit at all from your booking.
3. Claims in respect of international travel by air, sea and rail, or any stay in a hotel:
   1. The extent of our liability will in all cases be limited as if we were carriers under the appropriate Conventions, which include The Warsaw/Montreal Convention (international travel by air); The Athens Convention (with respect to sea travel); The Berne/Cotif Convention (with respect to rail travel) and The Paris Convention (with respect to hotel arrangements). You can ask for copies of these Conventions from our offices. Please contact us. In addition, you agree that the operating carrier or transport company’s own ‘Conditions of Carriage’ will apply to you on that journey. When arranging transportation for you, we rely on the terms and conditions contained within these international conventions and those ‘Conditions of Carriage’. You acknowledge that all of the terms and conditions contained in those ‘Conditions of Carriage’ form part of your contract with us, as well as with the transport company and that those ‘Conditions of Carriage’ shall be deemed to be included by reference into this contract.
   2. In any circumstances in which a carrier is liable to you by virtue of the Denied Boarding Regulation 2004, any liability we may have to you under our contract with you, arising out of the same facts, is limited to the remedies provided under the Regulation as if (for this purpose only) we were a carrier.
   3. When making any payment, we are entitled to deduct any money which you have received or are entitled to receive from the transport provider or hotelier for the complaint or claim in question.

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

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

Please note, we cannot accept any liability for any damage, loss or expense or other sum(s) of any description:

1. which on the basis of the information given to us by you concerning your booking prior to our accepting it, we could not have foreseen you would suffer or incur if we breached our contract with you; or
2. relate to any business
3. indirect or consequential loss of any kind.

We will not accept responsibility for services or facilities which do not form part of our agreement or where they are not advertised in our brochure. 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.

Where it is impossible for you to return to your departure point as per the agreed return date of your package, due to “unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances”, we shall provide you with any necessary accommodation (where possible, of a comparable standard) for a period not exceeding three nights per person. Please note that the 3 night cap does not apply to persons with reduced mobility, pregnant women or unaccompanied minors, nor to persons needing specific medical assistance, provided we have been notified of these particular needs at least 48 hours before the start of your holiday. For the purposes of this clause, “unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances” mean warfare, acts of terrorism, significant risks to human health such as the outbreak of serious disease at the travel destination or natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes or weather conditions which make it impossible to travel safely back to your departure point.

Optional activities

Excursions or other tours that traveller may choose to book or pay for whilst on holiday are not part of the contracted arrangements. For any excursion or other tour that the traveller chooses to book, the contract will be with the operator of the excursion or tour and not with Boots & Bridges Limited. Boots & Bridges Limited are not responsible for the provision of the excursion or tour or for anything that happens during the course of its provision by the operator.

Assistance

If, whilst you are taking part in your tour, you find yourself in difficulty for any reason, we will offer you such prompt assistance as is appropriate in the circumstances. In particular, we will provide you with appropriate information on health services, local authorities and consular assistance, and assistance with distance communications and finding alternative travel arrangements. Where you require assistance which is not owing to any failure by us, our employees or subcontractors we will not be liable for the costs of any alternative travel arrangements or other such assistance you require. Any supplier, airline or other transport supplier may however pay for or provide refreshments and/or appropriate accommodation and you should make a claim directly to them. Subject to the other terms of these Booking Conditions, we will not be liable for any costs, fees or charges you incur in the above circumstances, if you fail to obtain our prior authorisation before making your own travel arrangements. Furthermore, we reserve the right to charge you a fee for our assistance in the event that the difficulty is caused intentionally by you or a member of your party, or otherwise through your or your party’s negligence.

Foreign Office Advice

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

Jurisdiction and applicable law 

These Terms and Conditions and any agreement to which they apply are governed in all respects by English law. The traveller and the travel organiser agree that any dispute, claim or other matter which arises between them or out of connection with the traveller’s contract or booking will be dealt with by the Courts of England and Wales only. If the traveller is a resident of Scotland or Northern Ireland, this law and jurisdiction can apply instead.