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High-Speed Rail Exploration in France
& Spain
Tour Terms & Conditions
How to Book: Call or e-mail IRT to check availability.
A completed booking form and deposit are required to confirm your reservation
within 7 days of booking. Reservations are on a first-come, first-served
basis. Our phone is 800-478-4881. Click
here to send us an e-mail
Deposit: Deposit amounts can be found on the booking
form. Deposits for all tours can be made by check, Mastercard, Visa
or Discover. A signature is required for all payments made by credit
card. Please note some suppliers charge a 3% surcharge for credit card
deposits. Please inquire.
Final payment: The date of final payment
will be on your invoice. The price listed for all Signature Series and
many Explorer Series’ journeys is a cash discounted price. This
calls for final payment by check. You are welcome to pay by credit card,
but the price would increase 3%. Trips not affected would be the American
Orient Express, Sierra Madre Express and most cruises. Please inquire
about your specific trip
.
Passport/visas: A valid passport is required for U.S.
citizens for most trips. Usually, it must be valid for six months after
your return. Some destinations require visas. We will send instructions
and forms. Passengers must ensure that they obtain all the necessary
documentation and visas prior to departure. The Society of International
Railway Travelers (IRT) assumes no responsibility for passengers refused
entry into a country for incorrect documentation. Any repatriation charges
will be the responsibility of the passenger. It is your responsibility
to check your visas and air tickets to ensure that they have been issued
properly with your correct name and dates.
Cancellations: Notice of cancellation must be received
by this office in writing. Cancellation penalties:
150 days or more prior to departure: $300 per person administrative
fee;
150-90 days prior to departure: Loss of deposit;
90 days prior to departure date: 100% of tour cost.
The administrative fee may be applied to a future trip taken within
2006. No refunds will be made in the event of "no-shows" or
cancellations the day of the trip. No refund will be given for unused
portions of the tour. No refund for airline tickets once issued.
Insurance: We strongly recommend tour insurance. Africa,
Arctic, Crimean, Trans-Siberian, India and China tours require it. After
you book a trip, we will send a brochure about Travelex
interruption/cancellation insurance. We recommend purchasing full
coverage in order to cover pre-existing conditions of either the traveler
or a loved one or bankruptcy of suppliers. To get this coverage, you
must cover your entire trip and buy the insurance within 21 days of
the deposit. It is your responsibility to notify Travelex
to increase your travel insurance coverage if your trip costs change
or dates change in order to maintain this coverage. You may also purchase
coverage online.
Minimum Participants: Our tours must have a minimum
number of passengers in order to qualify for special group rates. If
the number of passengers drops below the minimum number required, IRT
reserves the right to increase the cost of the tour.
Prices: In order to keep rates as low as possible,
we do not build into the trip fare an allowance to cover possible increases
due to currency fluctuations or fuel costs. Therefore, as currencies
fluctuate around the world and fuel-cost increases may occur, it may
be necessary for us to initiate a rate surcharge at any time before
departure if there are exceptional cost increases beyond our control.
Price does not include: Airfare; passport/visa fees;
laundry; phone calls; meals and alcoholic beverages not specifically
listed; optional excursions; services other than those specifically
listed; accident, sickness, trip cancellation/interruption and/or baggage
insurance; and excess baggage charges. It does not cover gratuities
for your tour leader or for overnight train/cruise staff, which are
optional and at your discretion.
Extra charges or fees: In order to provide extraordinary
personal service, some extra charges may apply: There is no charge if
you are ordering a pre- or post-tour hotel night at our tour hotels,
or a railpass required for the tour. Bookings within 90 days require
a $100 late-booking fee and final payment in full. Subject to fees are:
air ticketing, $100 per itinerary; point-to-point individual rail reservations
or online hotel reservation, $30 per booking; completing an insurance
refund request form (non-Travelex), $100. Individualized extended itineraries
require a nonrefundable fee of $600. After extra services are confirmed
and a 15% deposit accepted, we understand changes in your travel plans
may occur. We will make the first customization at no charge (unless
charged by the supplier). All subsequent amendments to your land or
air program will accrue a charge of $75 per amendment plus any fees
charged by suppliers. Amendments within 90 days of departure will be
$100 per change plus penalties from the supplier. If we are required
to ship final documents outside the continental U.S., an additional
shipping fee will apply (rates depend on destination).
Baggage: Baggage is taken at owner's risk throughout
the trip. Baggage insurance is strongly recommended (included in Travelex
policy). Please note that baggage limitations vary from country to country.
Luggage handling on our trips is limited to one larger bag and one carry-on.
Check with your airline for weight and size limitations. Private transfers
and baggage handling to/from the airport (when not included) can be
arranged.
Photography: IRT reserves the right to take photographs
during any tour or part thereof, and use the resulting image for publication,
including promotional purposes in any of our publications or website.
By booking a tour with IRT, participants agree to allow their image
to be used for such purposes; participants who prefer that their image
not be used must inform our office, in writing, upon booking.
Medical: You must report any physical or mental condition
that may require special attention in writing at the time of booking.
All Society trips require walking on the trains/ships and during tours.
You must let us know, for example, if you have asthma, use a cane or
use a wheelchair, so we can plan ahead to accommodate your needs if
possible. Most rail programs, many of them on antique trains with narrow
corridors, are not wheelchair-accessible; some tours are not suitable
for people with certain heart or lung conditions because of altitude.
Please inquire if you have questions. Passengers should check with their
doctors before departure as to which inoculations are considered necessary
or recommended for the area in which you will be traveling. Flexibility,
a sense of humor and the ability to walk at least a mile a day unassisted
will be essential. The tour leader, train or cruise manager has the
right to disqualify any participant at any time during the tour if he
or she feels the participant is physically incapable and/or if a participant’s
continued participation will jeopardize in any way either the individual
involved or the group or staff. There will be no refund given under
these circumstances and your return travel will be at your expense.
If your health changes after booking, and you do not inform us, or you
are not truthful about your fitness for a tour, you are subject to removal
from the tour on your own arrangements. No refunds will be given under
these circumstances.
Responsibility: The Society of International Railway
Travelers (IRT) and Hardy Publishing Co., Inc. (HPC), parent company
of The Society of International Railway Travelers, act only as agents
for the passenger with respect to travel services. We choose fine suppliers
and ground operators; however, IRT and HPC do not own or operate any
of the suppliers of services or accommodations for your trip. As a result,
IRT and HPC are not responsible for any negligent or willful act or
failure to act of any such supplier of any other third party over whom
IRT and HPC has no control. Arrangements for the tours are made many
months in advance and occasionally changes have to be made. We can assume
no responsibility nor liability in whole or in part for any delays,
delayed or changed departure or arrival, missed carrier connections,
loss, damage, weather, strikes, acts of God, circumstances beyond our
control, force majeure, war, quarantine, criminal activity, expense,
accident, sickness, injury or death to person or property, or mechanical
defect, failure, or negligence of any nature howsoever caused in connection
with any accommodations, restaurant, transportation or other services,
for any substitution of hotels or of common carrier equipment beyond
our control, with or without notice, or for any additional expenses
occasioned thereby. If due to weather, flight schedules or other uncontrollable
factors, you are required to spend an additional night, you will be
responsible for your own hotel, transfers and meal costs. No refund
will be made for any unused portion of the tour due to these causes
or voluntary cancellations.
Baggage is at the owner's risk entirely. No revisions of the printed
itinerary or the "included" items are anticipated; however,
IRT and HPC reserve the right to make changes at any time and for any
reason, with or without notice, and IRT and HPC shall not be liable
for any loss whatsoever to passengers by reason of such cancellation,
substitution or changes. All fares as well as ship and train schedules,
port calls, hours of arrival and departure, special programs, tour leader,
and guest lecture series (if applicable), are subject to change without
prior notice. IRT and HPC shall not be required to refund any portion
of the fare or make any other compensation under these circumstances.
IRT and HPC cannot be responsible for penalties assessed by air carriers
that may result due to operational and/or itinerary changes, regardless
if the passenger and/or IRT and HPC make the flight arrangements. Any
additional expenses resulting from the above will be paid by the individual
passenger. IRT and HPC reserve the right to substitute a similar category
for those listed in this brochure. IRT and HPC reserve the right to
increase the tour price in the event of cost increases due to changes
in airfares or train fares, changes in the itinerary, currency fluctuations,
fuel surcharges or unforeseen reduction of number of participants, and
such increases are to be paid to IRT and HPC by the tour participant
upon notice to the tour participant of such increases.
When issued, the air tickets shall constitute the sole contract between
the airline concerned and the purchaser of these tours and/or passenger.
Please note that advertised air rates can change before ticketing. The
airlines and other transportation companies concerned are not to be
held responsible for any act, omission, or events during the time passengers
are not on board their conveyances. By forwarding of deposit or final
payment by either check or credit card, the passenger certifies that
he/she does not have any mental, physical or other condition of disability
that would create a hazard for him/herself or other passengers and accepts
the terms of this contract. IRT and HPC reserve the right to decline
to accept or retain any person as a tour member should such a person’s
health, mental condition, physical infirmity or attitude jeopardize
the operation of the tour or the rights, welfare or enjoyment of other
participants or IRT staff.
Behavior: Passengers are expected to behave in a courteous
manner toward IRT staff, other passengers, train staff and any person
with whom we have contact during our tour. Courtesy includes dressing
appropriately throughout the tour. If a passenger behaves, in the opinion
of our tour leader or train manager, in a way likely to disrupt the
enjoyment or endanger the safety of other passengers, the tour leader
or train manager reserves the right to terminate said passenger’s
holiday arrangements, without notice. The passenger will have to make
his own arrangements to return home at his own expense. No refunds for
the untraveled portion of the tour will be entertained. The right is
retained to refuse any application for reservation(s), cancel any reservation(s)
or decline to accept or retain any person on the tour at any time.
Acceptance of terms: Payment of a deposit or final
payment by check or credit card indicates that tour participants have
read and accepted all stated IRT and HPC terms and conditions and agree
to abide by them.
Optional Activities that may be Dangerous: Depending
on the itinerary you have selected, optional activities furnished by
independent suppliers will be available at some of the places you will
visit. Some of these activities carry with them the inherent risk of
serious personal injury. These activities include, but are not necessarily
limited to: walking safaris; horseback /elephant back/camel safaris;
canoe/boat trips, white-water rafting and river cruises; locomotive
foot-plate rides, cab rides or photo run-bys; helicopter rides; scuba
diving; shark diving. You should be aware that your safety cannot be
guaranteed. Should you elect to participate in such activities while
you are on tour, you are of course, free to do so. However, you must
understand that such participation will be at your own risk, and that
IRT and HPC assume no responsibility for your safety.
Complaints: The stated mission of The Society of International
Railway Travelers is to offer the very best in rail travel and fine
cruises around the globe for our members. However, if you have a complaint
during your journey, please bring it to the attention to your tour leader
as quickly as you can. Should the problem remain unresolved, please
write to the Society at its main office at 1810 Sils Ave., Louisville,
KY 40205. We cannot accept liability for any claims not made to us in
writing within two months of completion of your journey. We also cannot
tender any refunds for any reason outside the terms set forth above.
All claims will be settled by arbitration in Louisville, Kentucky.
The Society of International Railway Travelers
1810 Sils Ave. Louisville, KY 40205,
Tel. 800-478-4881 / (502) 454-0277
Fax: (502) 458-2250
www.irtsociety.com
Click here to send us an e-mail
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