1. Who we Are

These conditions apply to all tours provided by Trips Worldwide Ltd. registered number 340 8464 (hereinafter called 'the Company' or 'we'), a member of the First Choice Group of companies, of First Choice House, London Road, Crawley, West Sussex, RH10 9GX. Trips Worldwide Ltd. is a bonded holiday operator licensed by ATOL no. 3150. ATOL bonding only applies to bookings made within the UK that include international flights from the UK. For further information visit the ATOL website at www.atol.org.uk. In the unlikely event of our insolvency, the CAA and FTO will ensure that you are not stranded abroad and will arrange to refund any money you have paid to us for advance booking. Our contract is between the Company and all persons named on the booking as travelling or intending to travel with the Company. The person making the booking (which is subject to these terms) warrants that they have full authority to do so on behalf of all persons named, and confirms that all persons on the booking are aware of and accept these conditions.

2. Booking and Payment

To make a booking you must send us a non-refundable deposit of £200 per person. This will constitute acceptance by you of these booking conditions. We will invoice you for the balance of the cost, which must be paid not later than 56 days prior to departure. Bookings made less than 56 days prior to departure must be paid for in full at the time of booking. The booking is not accepted and no contract exists between us until the date shown on the confirmation issued by the Company. Notification of cancellation must be made to the Company in writing. Bookings made over the telephone by credit card more than 56 days before departure will not be deemed accepted until we have received a signed booking form in our office and we have issued a confirmation. If a signed booking form is not received within 10 days of the booking being made over the telephone, the booking will be cancelled, and you will lose your deposit and any non-recoverable costs we incur and the booking will be released for resale. Bookings made over the telephone by credit card less than 56 days before departure (i.e. when full payment is due on booking) will be subject to the cancellation conditions in clause 4 below regardless of whether a booking form has been received in our office. Payment by credit card will incur a fee of 2%.

3. Cancellations

If you cancel your booking more than 56 days before departure we will not refund your deposit or travel insurance premium (if applicable), but you may if you wish transfer your deposit and travel insurance to another holiday in our current programme (provided you are not already booked on it) on payment of a transfer fee of £50, subject to your notifying us in writing within two weeks of your cancellation, telling us which holiday you wish to transfer to and paying the transfer fee. If the holiday you transfer to is more expensive than the one you originally booked, an additional deposit may be required. If you subsequently cancel the holiday to which you have transferred, we will retain your full original deposit and transfer fee. If you cancel your booking within 56 days the following cancellation charges will be made. 2. Period before Cancellation charges departure within shown as a which written percentage of the notification is holiday price. 56 days or more Forfeit of Deposit*
55 - 28 days 50% of total cost
27 - 14 days 75% of total cost
13 or less 100% of total cost
*Includes any flight deposit paid.

These dates refer to our receiving written notification of your cancellation and cancellation charges will be applied as shown above, calculated from the day written notification is received by the Company. It is your responsibility to ensure that notification is received by us. Verbal notification of an intention to cancel is not sufficient. Issued travel insurance premiums and existing admin fees are not refunded. We strongly advise you to take out insurance against irrecoverable cancellation costs. In addition, airlines may impose 100% cancellation charges and the cost of a new ticket. If you do not pay the balance of your holiday cost within 8 weeks of departure your booking will be terminated and you will lose your deposit.

4. Transferring a Booking

If you are prevented from travelling on the tour by genuine circumstances, for example (without restriction) because of the death, injury or serious illness of the passenger, close relative or friend, redundancy or jury service, you may transfer your booking to another person provided they meet all the requirements relating to that holiday. You must provide proof of why you are unable to travel at the time you transfer your booking. A transfer fee of £50 is payable, or £80 if the transfer is less than four weeks before departure, and additional costs such as airline tickets and permit fees may also be payable. Travel insurance is non-transferable. Other changes you require to the original booking must be confirmed in writing by the person who made the original booking and must be accompanied by an administration fee of £30 per person in addition to the cost of any extra services required. The only exception to this is accommodation and other extra services, which may be added up to one calendar month before departure without charge. Within one calendar month, these can be added on payment of the administration fee of £30. Whilst every reasonable effort will be made to accommodate changes and additional requests their availability cannot be guaranteed.

5. If We Cancel or Change Your Holiday

We will let you know as soon as we can if, through no fault of your own, we are forced to significantly alter or cancel your holiday. A 'significant change' for example is a change of more than 24 hours (12 hours for holidays of 10 days' duration or less) in departure or return timings or other such change to itinerary and services that would reasonably be considered significant. In these circumstances you can choose one of the following options:
a) cancel your holiday and receive a full refund;
b) accept a substitute holiday if we are able to offer you one. If the substitute holiday is of lesser value, we will refund you the difference. If appropriate we will also compensate you for the inconvenience unless the alteration or cancellation is because there are insufficient numbers to run the holiday or if the alteration or cancellation has come about because of unavoidable, unusual and unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control or the control of our suppliers resulting in events that could not have been avoided even if all reasonable care had been taken ("Force Majeure"). Force Majeure includes (but is not limited to) war or threat of war, riot, civil strife, industrial dispute, unavoidable technical problems with transport, closure or congestion of airports, terrorist activity, natural or nuclear disaster, fire and adverse weather conditions.

Unless otherwise stated, all group tours are guaranteed to operate once a minimum number of 20 participants is booked. If we cancel your holiday, insurance premiums paid to us will be refunded, except in the case of annual insurance which has already covered a risk. We shall not be liable to you for any incidental expenses incurred by you as a result of any arrangements that you may have made, if you have made those arrangements before we have sent you final confirmation of your itinerary and previously advised you against incurring such expenses.

6. Surcharges

Before booking and not less than 30 days prior to departure (or for whatever period may from time to time be dictated by the Government) the prices featured may change. We reserve the right to impose surcharges once you have booked but no surcharges will be imposed within 30 days of departure (or within whatever period the Government may from time to time deem) and any downward revision in the price will be refunded to you. Surcharges will only be imposed for variations in:
a) transport costs, including the cost of fuel.
b) dues, taxes or fees chargeable for services such as landing taxes or embarkation or disembarkation fees at ports and airports; or
c) the exchange rates applied to the booking. Price increases and surcharges will be calculated according to the full extra cost compared to the costs which obtained when the brochures were produced and exchange rates of/or which obtained on the following dates (see chart below). In any event we shall absorb the first 2% of any such surcharge (or whatever percentage the Government may from time to time dictate). Any increase to the price which exceeds 10% of the total holiday cost will entitle you to the options outlined above in the section 'If We Cancel or Change Your Holiday', providing you let us know as soon as reasonably possible.

7. Information

A general indication is provided in our brochures and website of the itinerary for each holiday, the type of accommodation used, what is included in the price, passport, visa requirements, and health formalities. Changes in all of these items may be made at any time and we will notify you of any changes that we become aware of as soon as we are reasonably able to do so. For example, we have stated in the itineraries the names of the hotels we are using, however we may have to make changes due to availability or things outside our control. We will always use the same standard of hotel wherever possible. Should there be a discrepancy between the information in the brochure and our Trip Dossier, the information in the Trip Dossier supersedes that in the brochure and will be considered the most up-to-date and accurate. Any information or advice provided by the Company on matters such as permits, visas, vaccinations, climate, clothing, baggage, special equipment, etc. is given in good faith but without liability on the part of the Company. It is your responsibility to ensure you have all the necessary travel documentation required for the holiday.

9. Age, Fitness and Participation

All Clients are expected to satisfy themselves prior to booking that they are fit and able to complete the itinerary of their chosen holiday as described in this brochure. The Company reserves the right to decline a booking at their reasonable discretion.

10. Illness or Disability

Anyone suffering from illness or disability or undergoing treatment for any physical or medical condition must declare the true nature of such condition at the time of booking and make arrangements for the provision of any medication or other treatment which may be required during the holiday. Failure to make such disclosure will constitute a breach of these booking conditions and result in such persons being excluded from the holiday in which case all monies paid will be forfeit.

11. Authority of the Leader

On an Escorted Tour, it is necessary that you abide by the authority of the leader, who represents the company. If you commit any illegal act when on the holiday or if in the reasonable opinion of the leader your behaviour is causing or likely to cause danger, distress or annoyance to others we may terminate your travel arrangements without any liability on our part. If you are affected by any condition, medical or otherwise, that might affect your or other people's enjoyment of the holiday, you must advise us of this at the time of booking.

12. Insurance

You must be covered by insurance, which must include adequate cover for baggage, medical expenses and the cost of repatriation should you become too ill to continue, including helicopter rescue and air ambulance. If you join the holiday without adequate insurance you may not be allowed to continue on the holiday, with no right of refund. We have an insurance scheme specifically designed for this kind of travel, and we strongly recommend you to use it. Any claims concerning matters for which you are insured must be directed to your insurers. If you are joining the holiday locally (i.e. not starting with the group from the UK) our responsibility does not commence until the appointed time, we shall not be responsible for any additional expenses incurred by you to meet up with the group.

13. Complaints

If you have any complaint about the holiday, you must make it known at the earliest opportunity to the leader and/or our local representative, who will normally be able to take appropriate action. If you are not satisfied with their response and you feel your enjoyment of the holiday is likely to be significantly affected, you should notify our head office in the UK and we will do our best to resolve the problem. If at the end of the holiday, you feel your complaint has not been properly dealt with, we shall try and agree a settlement with you, but you must first notify us of your complaint in writing within 28 days of your scheduled date of return. We are responsible to you for the proper performance of our obligations under the contract irrespective of whether those obligations are provided directly by us, or by third party service providers engaged by us acting within the proper course of their employment. We are liable to you for any damage caused to you by our failure to perform the contract or by our improper performance of the contract, unless that failure is:
a) attributable to you;
b) attributable to a third party unconnected with the provision of the services and are unforeseeable or unavoidable;
c) due to unusual and unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control and could not have been avoided even if all due care had been taken;
d) due to an event which even with all due care we could not foresee or forestall. In any event, you are strongly advised to insure yourself against any possible risk that may occur and in particular to ensure that you have sufficient insurance in respect of dependent relatives. You are required to carry proof of insurance with you and produce it if reasonably requested by company employees or suppliers. Passengers travelling on vehicles owned by the company are covered by passenger liability insurance up to a maximum of £3 million per group per incident, and by completing our Booking Form you acknowledge that the Company has taken all reasonable steps to safeguard its liability in this respect.

14. Application of International Conventions

Except in instances of personal injury or death, where the Company is found to be liable for damages in respect of its failure to carry out the contract, the maximum amount of such damages, compensation and loss of enjoyment will normally, but not necessarily, be limited to three times the basic holiday price shown on the invoice. Where the damages relate to the provision of transport by air, sea or rail, or hotel accommodation, any compensation payable will be further limited by the EU Charter of Passengers Rights, the Warsaw Convention as amended by the Hague Protocol (air), the Athens Convention 1974 (sea), the Berne Convention 1961 (rail), and the Paris Convention 1962 (hotel accommodation), or any such statute or regulation as may from time to time amend or supersede any of the above. Copies of the conditions of carriage and any conventions which may apply are available on request. Any independent arrangements that you make which are not part of the holiday are entirely at your own risk. You must comply with the conditions of carriage applied by land, sea and air carriers. The provisions of the Warsaw Convention 1929 (as amended) concerning the carriage of passengers and their luggage by air, and the airlines' conditions of carriage, may apply to you and your party during your flight, and during boarding and disembarkation. These provisions and conditions may limit or exclude liability for death or personal injury, or loss of or damage to luggage, and may make special provisions for valuables. We will supply a copy of the conditions of carriage applicable to your holiday, and of the Warsaw Convention, if you request them. In the case of sea travel the provisions of the Athens Convention 1974 relating to the carriage of passengers and their luggage by sea may apply. This Convention and the sea carriers conditions of carriage may continue to apply to you and your party throughout your stay on board the ship, and during boarding and disembarkation. The Athens Convention, and the carriers' conditions of carriage, may limit or exclude liability for death or personal injury, or loss of or damage to luggage, and make special provisions for valuables. A copy of the conditions of carriage applicable to your holiday, and the Athens Convention referred to above, can be supplied on request.. This is a notice required by European Community Regulation (EC) No. 889/2002.

This notice cannot be used as a basis for a claim for compensation, nor to interpret the provisions of the Regulation or the Montreal Convention, and it does not form part of the contract between the carrier(s) and you. No representation is made by the carrier(s) as to the accuracy of the contents of this notice.

Air carrier liability for passengers and their baggage. This information notice summarises the liability rules applied by Community air carriers as required by Community legislation and the Montreal Convention. Compensation in the case of death or injury. There are no financial limits to the liability for passenger injury or death. For damages up to approximately £80,000 the air carrier cannot contest claims for compensation. Above that amount, the air carrier can defend itself against a claim by proving that it was not negligent or otherwise at fault.

Advance payments. If a passenger is killed or injured, the air carrier must make an advanced payment, to cover immediate economic needs, within 15 days from the identification of the person entitled to compensation. In the event of death, this advance payment shall not be less than approximately £13,000. assenger delays. In case of passenger delay, the air carrier is liable for damage unless it took all reasonable measures to avoid the damage or it was impossible to take such measures. The liability for passenger delay is limited to pproximately £3,300.

Baggage delays. In case of baggage delay, the air carrier is liable for damage unless it took all reasonable measures to avoid the damage or it was impossible to take such measures. The liability for baggage delay is limited to approximately £800.

Destruction, loss or damage to baggage. The air carrier is liable for destruction, loss or damage to baggage up to approximately £800. In the case of checked baggage, it is liable even if not at fault, unless the baggage was defective. In the case of unchecked baggage, the carrier is liable only if at fault.

Higher limits for baggage. A passenger can benefit from a higher liability limit by making a special declaration at the latest at check-in and by paying a supplementary fee. Complaints on baggage. If the baggage is damaged, delayed, lost or destroyed, the passenger must write and complain to the air carrier as soon as possible. In the case of damage to checked baggage, the passenger must write and complain within seven days, and in the case of delay within 21 days, in both cases from the date on which the baggage was placed at the passenger's disposal. Liability of contracting and actual carriers. If the air carrier actually performing the flight is not the same as the contracting air carrier, the passenger has the right to address a complaint or to make a claim for damages against either. If the name or code of an air carrier is indicated on the ticket, that air carrier is the contracting air carrier.

Time limit for action. Any action in court to claim damages must be brought within two years from the date of arrival of the aircraft, or from the date on which the aircraft ought to have arrived.

Basis for the information. The basis for the rules described above is the Montreal Convention of 28 May 1999, which is implemented in the Community by Regulation (EC) No. 2027/97 (as amended by Regulation (EC) No. 889/2002) and national legislation of the Member States.

15. Flight Bookings

The prices shown in this brochure include international flights. Flight bookings cannot be transferred. All travel by air is subject to the provisions of the Montreal and Warsaw Conventions; for the purposes of application of those conventions all carriage by air, including domestic carriage, under this contract shall be deemed to be International Carriage by Air. Copies of the conditions of carriage and any conventions which may apply are available on request.

16. Data Protection Policy

To ensure that your holiday runs smoothly, we (and your travel agent, if you use one) need to use information such as your name and address, special needs, dietary requirements, etc. We will apply appropriate security measures to protect this data. However, we must pass it to suppliers of your travel arrangements, including airlines, hotels and transport companies. We may also supply it to security or credit checking companies, and to public authorities such as customs and immigration. If you holiday is outside the European Economic Area (EEA), controls on data protection in your destination may not be as strict as in the UK.

We will only pass data, including sensitive information regarding disabilities or dietary and religious requirements, to people responsible for your travel arrangements. If we cannot pass this information to the relevant suppliers, in the EEA or elsewhere, we cannot provide your booking. When you make this booking, you consent to this information being passed to the relevant people. Information held by your travel agent is subject to that company's own data protection policy. We can supply a copy of your information held by us; there is a small charge for providing this.

17. General Terms

Any likeness or image of you secured or taken on any of our holidays may be used by the company without charge in all media (whether now existing or in the future invented) for bona fide promotional or marketing purposes, including without limitation promotional materials of any kind, such as brochures, slides, video shows and the internet. By completing the booking form you agree that, if necessary, the company may pass your contact details and numbers to any third party connected with the operation of the specific holiday on which you have booked. This information will not be used for any other purpose, nor will it be passed to any other parties. The booking conditions may only be waived or amended by written mutual consent signed by a Director of the Company. When you complete the booking form you agree to accept all these conditions, and when we accept your booking we agree to carry out our obligations to you as defined in the information provided to you. This agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with English law and each party agrees to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts as regards any claim or matter arising under this agreement.