BELLWETHER COTSWOLD GROUP TOURS BOOKING CONDITIONS

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Bellwether Cotswold Group Tours (also referred to in these booking conditions as “we”, “us” and “our”) accepts you (also referred to in these booking conditions as “the Client”) booking under the following terms and conditions.

BOOKING

When confirming a tour with Bellwether Cotswold Group Tours you (and any other person(s) including children accompanying them on the tour) agrees to be bound by these terms and conditions. No agent, servant, representative or client of Bellwether Cotswold Group Tours has the right to make any oral promises, claims or offers or to alter or vary or waive any of these terms and conditions.

PAYMENT

In order to secure any booking, the agreed total fee must be paid to Bellwether Cotswold Group Tours. We will provide payment instructions for you to make an on-line secure payment. The balance is required in full to confirm your tour by Credit or Debit card.

REFUNDS AND CANCELLATIONS

No refunds, full or partial, will be issued for cancellations.

CANCELLATION OR CURTAILMENT

In the event that a tour is cancelled by Bellwether Cotswold Group Tours, you will be entitled to a full refund for all monies already paid. Alternatively, subject to availability, you may transfer your tickets to any future, equivalent tour.

In the event of a cancellation Bellwether Cotswold Group Tours will contact you as soon as is practically possible using the telephone number or email address you provided at the time of booking. It is your responsibility to ensure the contact details you provide are suitable and correct.

In the event that a tour is cut short due to circumstances beyond our control, Bellwether Cotswold Group Tours will refund what is deemed to be a fair proportion of the cost of the tour. Bellwether Cotswold Group Tours' decision is final.

Bellwether Cotswold Group Tours will not be held responsible, or provide any compensation, for other expenses incurred as a result of a cancellation made by us. We recommend that you (and your party) take out appropriate travel insurance to cover you in this eventuality.

MINIMUM REQUIRED TO OPERATE

Bellwether Cotswold Group Tours has a minimum of 4 passengers required to book onto our group tours in order for us to be able to service bookings. We reserve the right to cancel a tour if this minimum number requirement is not met, where any payment made by you to Bellwether Cotswold Group Tours will be refunded in full. If we do not have the required number of tour passengers for a tour to operate, we will endeavour to offer the option for you to join another group tour which would be provided by a different company where possible.

BOOKING AND ITINERARY CHANGES

In case of any change instructed or requested by the Client, to any previously agreed and approved tour program or itinerary, before or during the service being provided, the client will be liable to pay any charges incurred for cancellations both internally and through third parties such as but by no means restricted to; entry ticket charges, travel costs such as toll roads or congestion charges, or additional mileage incurred through change of route. Bellwether Cotswold Group Tours has the right to refuse any changes that would affect the tour program substantially or to its detriment.

PASSENGER RESPONSIBILITY

It is the responsibility of the client to ensure that they are in possession of valid travel documents, including passports, visas, health certificates etc. CJP Cotswold Tours cannot accept any liability for incorrect documentation. In the event of any client being unable to embark upon, or complete a tour for default of any of these pre-requisites, CJP Cotswold Tours will bear no liability for the client, or for his return to the embarkation or disembarkation point or for any other costs or expenses.

Clients are advised to obtain personal travel insurance, and are urged to ensure that it is adequate for the full duration of the arrangements, particularly in respect to accident, medical and repatriation expenses. If the client has dependents, insurance to cover these responsibilities is also recommended.

Neither Bellwether Cotswold Group Tours, nor its agents can be held liable for any injury, damage to property or loss of life caused. You agree to indemnify CJP Cotswold Tours in respect of any accident, personal injury, loss of life, or damage to property caused by the client during the course of the trip.

The Client agrees to comply with the laws and regulations of the country visited on the trip and comply with all reasonable instruction, issued by CJP Cotswold Tours and/or their assigned driver guide, relating to safety and organisation of the trip.

Passengers must allow plenty of time to return in time to connect with any other form of transport. We do not accept responsibility for any delays caused by circumstances beyond our control and will not be liable for onward transport costs due to late return.

Passengers must also look after their personal belongings at all times whilst at the pick up point, at the stops and in the vehicle.

Stops are made throughout the tour for sightseeing and refreshments. We ask that you return to the vehicle promptly within the time allowed for those stops. If your return is overdue, we can not guarantee that there will be time to visit each location detailed in your itinerary, or reach any pre-booked entry to venues or tourist attractions otherwise, or by any allocated time. If your driver guide is still waiting 5 minutes after the time requested that you and any additional party members return to the vehicle, and no contact to either your driver guide or the Bellwether Cotswold Group Tours office is made to notify us as to your whereabouts, your vehicle may have to leave without you and neither we nor your assigned driver guide shall be liable for the consequence.

COLLECTION POINT AND DEPARTURE TIME

It is your responsibility to arrive at the departure point in time for the departure time. If you are travelling to your departure point, it is your responsibility to arrange suitable travel plans in order to reach your departure point in good time. We cannot refund tickets or provide compensation for any other expenses incurred if you miss the pick-up time through no fault of our own, including but not limited to traffic, or public transport delays or cancellations.

Bellwether Cotswold Group Tours is under no obligation to wait for late passengers, however, we will make every effort to make sure you join the tour if possible.

PASSENGER SAFETY AND BEHAVIOUR

By law, and for passenger comfort and safety, all passengers must wear a seat belt at all times while the vehicle is moving.

It is not permitted to eat or carry hot food, or to drink alcohol on the vehicle at any time.

Smoking is not permitted on the vehicle at any time.

Passengers over the age of 16 are responsible for their own conduct and passengers under the age of 16 are the responsibility of the parent or guardian accompanying them.

You indemnify us against any liability for damage caused by you or any members of your party.

In the event of spillages or damage to the vehicle caused by you or other persons included in your booking, a cleaning or repair fee of £50 or the total cost of the repair bill (whichever is the greater) will be invoiced to the party organiser.

Aggressive, abusive or nuisance behaviour, or any behaviour deemed to be unreasonable by your driver/guide, will not be tolerated. Bellwether Cotswold Group Tours reserves the right to terminate the tour, refuse entry to the vehicle or refuse continued participation of the tour to you (or any member of your party), for any reason, including but not limited to any behaviour deemed to have a negative impact on the enjoyment or safety of other passengers, or to the driver/guide. If this situation arises Bellwether Cotswold Group Tours shall have no liability and will not be held responsible, or provide any compensation, for expenses incurred as a result.

LUGGAGE

We will endeavour to accommodate hand luggage as much as possible, without detriment to your travel experience or risk to health and safety for all passengers and their driver guide, including restriction of vision and access to entrances, exits and escape routes. We cannot guarantee that we will be able to accommodate all luggage you bring with you. Any items and personal belongings you choose to bring with you during your tour are carried at the passenger’s own risk.

PHOTOGRAPH AND VIDEO USAGE

Bellwether Cotswold Group Tours reserve the right to publish any photographs or videos taken by our employees of any passenger on tour with us, or any media sent to us by any tour attendee pre, during or post-tour for publication, exhibition, or other promotional purposes. Should any passenger wish for media where they are present not to be used for such purposes, notice must either be provided beforehand or at the time of the photograph being taken. We ask that if you do not wish to be in photographs published, please avoid standing in view of the camera so that the image can be usable for the aforementioned purposes. The Client indemnifies Bellwether Cotswold Group Tours for any consequence which may arise from any media we choose to publish, and are happy to remove any online media or comments published, where possible and within reason, if requested in writing via email to charli@bellwethertours.co.uk.

COMPLAINTS

Should you have a complaint during your tour, we ask that you raise the issue with your driver guide and they will do their best to rectify your problem. If they cannot resolve your complaint at the time, please send your complaint in writing either by email to chris@bellwethertours.co.uk or to CJP Cotswold Tours, 49 Meon Road, Mickleton, Gloucestershire GL55 6TB by recorded delivery for postal methods of communication is strongly recommended.

FORCE MAJEURE

Bellwether Cotswold Group Tours does not accept any liability for any loss, inconvenience or damage caused by war, threat of war, riot or civil commotion, terrorist or criminal activity, industrial disputes, natural disasters, fires, sickness, weather conditions, road or traffic conditions, temporary technical, mechanical or electrical breakdown within booked accommodation, explosion of, or radioactive contamination from, any nuclear facility or other events beyond the control of Bellwether Cotswold Group Tours.