Booking Conditions
Note: Booking Conditions apply to all tours except where specific tours are referenced.
Tour Operator:
Great Trains of Europe Tours (ABN 75 325 010 987) is a Licensed Travel Agent (Licence #3217475) providing the consumer protection of the Travel Compensation Fund. We are members of the Australian Federation of Travel Agents.
Costs:
All costs on this web site (and brochures) are expressed in Australian dollars and are based on airfares, and land transport and accommodation costs, and Australian dollar exchange rates effective at May 1st, 2008. Exchange rate fluctuations of more than 2.5%, or increases in the price of any service provided, beyond the control of Great Trains of Europe Tours, may be passed on to travellers, right up to the date of departure.
A deposit of $2,500 per person ($2,000 for 2010 tours) will guarantee you a place on your chosen tour (unless already filled, in which case you will be advised of your place on the waiting list. With a maximum tour size of 35 travellers, tours often fill early). Please note that the economy class airfares are group fares and do not earn frequent flyer points. Business and First Class airfares will earn frequent flyer points.
Full final payment is due 120 days before commencement of the tour. Please make payment by cheque to “Great Trains of Europe Tours” or by bank transfer as follows:
Heritage Building Society, Toowoomba
BSB 638-060 Account Number 111 097 34
Great Trains of Europe Tours currently does not accept payment by credit card.
Cancellation Policy:
Cancellation at any time after the deposit is paid will result in the forfeiture of the deposit. Any booking cancelled between 90 days and 45 days before departure will incur a 50% cancellation charge on land content and up to 100% on airfares, depending on the airfare used. Bookings cancelled within 45 days of departure will incur a 100% cancellation charge. Travel insurance will cover cancellation because of illness, death in the family etc. Travel insurance must therefore be considered mandatory.
Travel Insurance:
A condition of joining a Great Trains of Europe tour is that you either purchase travel insurance through Great Trains of Europe Tours or provide documentary evidence that you have a sufficient level of travel insurance purchased elsewhere.
Baggage allowance:
A baggage allowance of 20kgs per person applies to all tour members. Please note, if you are joining the 2010 Add On UK Christian Heritage Tour, your included Prague to London flight is economy class only, irrespective of the class of travel you use to fly to Europe. The 20kg luggage limit will be strictly enforced on this flight. The same applies to the Munich to London flight included in the 2010 Springtime Gardens with Oberammaergau Passion Play Tour.
Coaches:
When itineraries take us away from rail routes and coaches must be used, a seating rotation system applies.
European Rail Travel:
The standard of rail travel in Europe ranges from small and basic local trains to luxury High Speed International trains. On rare occasions European rail companies may change timetables, classes of travel available or rolling stock within the period of validity of a travel brochure. Descriptions of trains and routes provided in this brochure are accurate at the time of printing and provided in good faith.
It is not possible to request rail seating either facing or with back to the direction of travel. Many European trains change direction during a journey (eg. trains between Rome and Venice must change direction in Florence, fronting into the station and reversing out).
Hotels:
European hotels are quite different from Australian hotels. Rooms are often smaller, even in 4 and 5 star hotels (particularly in central London, Paris and Venice). Single rooms, particularly, can be very small. Should a traveller who has requested a single room wish to have a quote for the cost of single occupancy of a double room, please ask us at the time of booking.
Tea and coffee making facilities are very rare indeed in European hotels and in-room security safes are not as common as in Australian hotels. In some European countries, government environmental agencies restrict the use of air-conditioning in hotels to the summer months. Heating in cooler periods seems not to be such an issue.
Travellers sharing a room on a twin share basis will be asked their preferences re a double bed or twin beds, but no absolute guarantee can be given that your request will be met in every hotel.
Hotel star ratings, where provided, are those of the country in which the hotel is situated. These ratings, from 1 to 5 stars, do not coincide directly with Australian hotel star ratings.
Other Important Advice:
All tours will proceed if a minimum of 20 travellers have paid deposits by 120 days before scheduled departure. In the highly unlikely (unprecedented) event that there are insufficient travellers for a tour, you will be given a choice of (i) a full refund of all monies paid, (ii) a modified cost structure for a smaller group, or (iii) a place on an alternative Great Trains of Europe Tour.
Each tour is sold as a package and there can be no refund for any element of the tour (eg. a particular meal or sightseeing excursion) not utilised by the traveller by her / his own choice. Tour costs have built into them the costs associated with researching tours, communicating with overseas suppliers, brochure preparation and marketing. Great Trains of Europe Tours does not claim or imply that some of the inclusions in our tours may or may not be available at a lower price direct from the overseas supplier. Travellers are reminded, however, that purchases made direct with overseas suppliers are generally not covered by Australian Travel Agents licensing protections or the Australian Travel Compensation Fund.
Most photographs in this brochure were taken by the Tour Leader on past tours, but a small number have been provided by hotels, rail companies or National Trust Properties. These photographs are indicative only and we cannot guarantee that a traveller on a Great Trains of Europe tour will personally see all of the places depicted in these photographs.
Great Trains of Europe Tours reserves the right to decline any reservation or booking request, and may at the Tour LeaderŐs discretion terminate any personŐs involvement in the tour due to unruly or disruptive behaviour.
Great Trains of Europe Tours does not accept responsibility for any injury, damage, loss, delay, change of schedule or other events which are beyond our direct control such as, but not limited to war, terrorism, civil disturbance, industrial action, acts of government or of God, or mechanical failure such as aircraft, trains or coaches. In any such (highly unlikely) event, travellers on the Great Trains of Europe tours have the reassurance of knowing that they are under the personal care of the Tour Leader who is the owner and manager of the tour company.
Great Trains of Europe Tours cannot be held responsible changes to provision of services by local European suppliers, but we will do all in our power to provided an alternative service of at least equal standard to that advertised, or make a cash refund of the difference on the spot.
Contract:
The contract between the traveller and Great Trains of Europe Tours, entered into by your signing the Booking form, shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Queensland.