Booking Conditions

1. The Tour Fare

1.1 What is included in the Tour Fare?

All rail travel throughout the holiday. Air travel where applicable. Connecting road travel from station to hotel (where necessary). Accommodation and meals as detailed in the tour itinerary. All excursions and admissions to attractions, unless otherwise stated in the Tour Itinerary. Services of an experienced Tour Manager. VAT and local taxes where applicable.

1.2 What meals are included?

British tours include half board accommodation with a full cooked breakfast and a choice three course table d’hôte evening meal, unless otherwise stated in the tour itinerary.

European tours are generally on a bed and buffet continental breakfast basis, unless half board or a mixture of both is stated in the tour itinerary. The reason for this is our policy to use hotels actually in famous towns and resorts. So, sometimes we feature bed and breakfast accommodation on some or all of the days to give you the opportunity to enjoy dining out in the resort itself. Each tour clearly states in the itinerary what meals are included.
Please inform us WHEN BOOKING if special preference is required (e.g. vegan, vegetarian, diabetic etc.).

1.3 What is not included?

Normally we do not include lunch unless specifically stated in the tour itinerary.
Any supplement for single travellers is shown at the foot of the Fares table.

2. Hotels

The hotels used in our tours are of a good standard with all rooms having private bathrooms en suite, (NB this may be with bath or shower or both, depending on the hotel). Published Tour Fares are based on sharing a double or twin-bedded room; if you have a specific preference for either double or twin-bedded please complete the booking form accordingly and we will do our utmost to satisfy your request.

2.1 Extra Nights, on British Tours

You may extend you stay, either before or after the Tour, subject to availability. We have negotiated preferential rates with our hotels, the cost of which is shown at the foot of the Fares table.

3. Single Rooms

Single travellers are made extremely welcome on our tours. However there is usually a single room supplement for each tour as shown in the Fare details.

4. Your Tour Fare, including Travel from Your Choice of Station / Airport

4.1 British Holidays

To calculate the cost of a British holiday inclusive of rail travel from your nearest mainline station please consult the “Fares Table” listed by each tour. Look down the table for the region that you wish to travel from. The amount shown alongside is the Adult fare sharing a twin/double room. If you have a Railcard (i.e. Senior Citizen, Disabled, Young Persons) the minus amount shown alongside can be deducted from the tour fare.

4.2 European Holidays

Rail travel fares quoted are from London Waterloo International; however as an official rail ticket agent for the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) we can provide you with connecting rail tickets to London, that also include cross London travel on London Underground. If you wish to travel independently to the tour base (e.g. by road) your tour fare will be reduced accordingly.
Air travel can also be arranged to a destination airport close to the European tour base, along with connecting travel to the tour base.

4.3 First Class Rail

First Class rail travel to and from the tour base is available for most British tours at a supplementary fare. Please contact us for details. Many of our European tour fares include First Class travel – see tour itineraries. Alternatively, if a European Tour is based on standard class rail travel, we may be able to offer a first class upgrade – please contact us for details.

4.4 Concessions

If you have free rail travel concessions please contact us regarding how these may be used. However Railtrail cannot be held responsible for travel arrangements made by others using concessionary facilities.

5. How To Book

Contact our office on 01538 382323 and we will take your details by telephone, or complete a Railtrail Tours booking form and send it to us (a booking form is available from our office or may be downloaded from our website: www.railtrail.co.uk).
At time of booking you need to pay a deposit of £75 PER PERSON for British tours and £150 PER PERSON for European tours. The balance of fare is due 8 weeks before departure date (12 weeks before departure date for European tours). A balance request is forwarded to you in due course. For bookings made less than 8 weeks before departure date (12 weeks for European tours) the full amount is due at time of booking.
A written confirmation of receipt of your booking will be forwarded to you. Whilst every effort is taken to ensure all details are correct, we ask that on receipt of all your documentation you check all the details and notify us immediately of any concerns.

6. Your Money is Safe

In accordance with the provisions of article 7 of the EC package travel directive 90/314, tour monies are held in a specially designated trust account until completion of the holiday. All rail tickets issued by Railtrail Tours Ltd are guaranteed good for travel by the Rail Settlement Plan Ltd.
The air holidays and flights provided by Railtrail Tours Ltd are ATOL protected, since we hold an Air Travel Organiser’s Licence granted by the Civil Aviation Authority. Our ATOL number is 9056. In the unlikely event of our insolvency the CAA will ensure that you are not stranded abroad and 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.

7. Luggage

As carriage of luggage is the client’s responsibility (unless stated otherwise in the tour itinerary) we consider lightweight suitcases with wheels to be an absolute necessity. We would recommend modest size suitcases. Please note that dress code at the hotels is smart casual and experienced travellers take clothing based on ‘mix & match’. Sometimes, we can arrange luggage assistance at staffed British railway stations for elderly or infirm travellers if requested at time of booking.

8. Mobility

If you are infirm or disabled it is essential that you contact us before booking to enable us to advise suitability of the tour. This request is made in good faith and your own interest, as we would not wish you to book on a tour where limited mobility would affect your enjoyment of the holiday. Subsequently, if you arrive for a holiday with a physical condition that you have not previously disclosed to us and in the opinion of the Tour Manager your condition or lack of mobility would detrimentally affect the smooth running of the tour then the Tour Manager has the absolute discretion to cancel your booking at that time without compensation or refund.

9. Smoking

Hotel rooms and train seats will be reserved as NON SMOKING where available unless the appropriate request is made on your Booking Form. Please note many train companies now operate a no-smoking policy. Also for the comfort of the majority, all road coach tours and excursions are designated none smoking. There will however be sufficient opportunities for smokers during stops.

10. Joining Itineraries

Tour itineraries are individually tailored to the best available rail services where leisure travel fares are available, in the case of British tours linking your home station to the tour base. Reserved seats are included where the facility is provided. Detailed travel timings are shown in your joining itinerary. This is sent to you with your travel tickets approximately 7 days before departure date.

11. Holiday Insurance

It is a condition of booking that you are adequately insured.
Insurance to cover our type of holiday packages is available from Kennett Insurance Brokers Ltd, Owen Avenue, Priory Park West, Hessle, HU13 9BR, Tel: 01482 646364, www.kennettinsurance.net If required please request an application form when booking your holiday. Please mention Railtrail Tours Ltd if contacting Kennett Insurance directly.
It is a condition of travel that before departure you provide to us details of your insurers, your policy number and the emergency contact number stated on your policy.

12. Cancellation

12.1 If you Cancel Your Holiday

Should you cancel your booking, we will refund against cancellations RECEIVED IN WRITING as follows:
More than 60 days before departure date:
(90 days for European Tours)
Loss of deposit only
Between 30 and 60 days before departure:
(between 30 and 90 days for European Tours)
50% refund
Less than 30 days before departure date:
No refund
Outstanding amounts not refunded by us may then be claimed from your insurers.

12.2 If We Cancel Your Holiday

Whilst all tours and facilities shown here are subject to alteration or amendment without notice, in the very unlikely event of cancellation of the tour by ourselves all monies paid will be refunded immediately in full.
Insufficient Demand: If the cancellation has been caused by insufficient demand then at least two weeks notice will be given prior to departure date.
If the tour is cancelled by ourselves in addition to refunding all monies paid we will pay compensation in accordance with and limited to the scale below:
42 days or more before departure Nil
From 28 to 41 days before departure £10
From 8 to 27 days before departure £20
7 days or less before departure £30
Force Majeure: Please note, compensation will not be payable if we are forced to cancel your holiday due to force majeure, including industrial dispute, war, terrorist activity, natural disaster, adverse weather conditions and all similar events outside our control.

13. Alterations

13.1 If We Change Your Holiday

Alterations to the published itinerary occur occasionally for a variety of operational reasons. Whilst we always endeavour to avoid changes and cancellations, we must reserve the right to do so. Although we will advise any major amendments to you in writing prior to departure if circumstances permit, we cannot guarantee to include every area or place mentioned in the brochure, although every effort will be made to do so. If an alternative hotel is used in place of the one published, this will be of at least the same standard.

13.2 Alterations to Your Booking

Once we have confirmed your booking should you wish to make an alteration we will do our utmost to make the change. However, we reserve the right to charge an alteration fee, together with any costs or charges incurred or imposed by any of our suppliers. Any alteration to your booking requested less then 60 days prior to departure may need to be regarded as a cancellation.
All cancellations will be subject to the cancellation charges set out in the relevant clauses.

14. Responsibilities

We undertake to use due care in arranging your holiday and accept liability for any acts or omissions on the part of our staff. However in common with most other travel operators we do not exercise direct control over the day-to-day running of services provided by ferries, railways, airlines, hotels, attractions, etc included within our itineraries and all tickets are issued subject to the terms and conditions of all third party carriers and suppliers used.
In the unlikely event of industrial action by staff of a third party carrier or supplier necessitating a delay or change to your itinerary Railtrail Tours Ltd. cannot be held responsible for any additional costs incurred. We will, of course, make every effort to assist in making suitable alternative arrangements.

15. Flights

All flight details, including timings, given on booking and detailed on your Confirmation Invoice are for general guidance only and are subject to change. The latest timings will be shown on your tickets; these will be sent to you approximately two weeks before departure. You must accordingly check your tickets very carefully immediately on receipt to ensure you have the correct flight times. It is possible that flight times may be changed even after tickets have been despatched; we will contact you as soon as possible if this occurs.
We are not always in a position to confirm the airline, aircraft type and airport of destination which will be used in connection with any flight included in your holiday. Where this information is provided, at any time, it is subject to change. Any such change will be treated as a minor change and will not entitle you to cancel or change to other arrangements without paying our normal fees.

16. Complaints

We trust that you will thoroughly enjoy your Railtrail Tours holiday. Should a concern arise during the tour will you please bring it to the immediate attention of your tour manager who will endeavour to resolve it on your behalf. In the unlikely case of the concern not being resolved to your satisfaction please put your complaint IN WRITING to our office address within ten days of the completion of the tour.

17. Behaviour

If in the reasonable opinion of the tour manager, hotel manager, or any other person in authority your behaviour is causing danger or distress to others we reserve the right to terminate your holiday at the Tour Manager’s absolute discretion. Should this be the case then we will not be liable to refund or compensate you for either monies paid or costs incurred by you as a result of this termination.

18. Exchange Rate – Fare Adjustments

We reserve the right to increase or decrease European Tour fares if at the time the balance of fare falls due there has been a fluctuation greater than 5 per cent in the exchange rate shown by the tour fare.