2008 Tour Conditions Agreement
This document outlines what Rick Steves' Europe Through the Back Door ("ETBD") agrees to provide when you sign up for a tour, and what you agree to do in return. This is very important information, so please read it carefully before you complete your reservation request.
Tour Price Guaranteed for 2008: The moment you make your deposit on a Rick Steves tour, your price is locked-in and guaranteed for that specific 2008 tour itinerary. If you transfer to an alternate 2008 tour date, as long as you remain on the same 2008 tour itinerary, the initial tour price will be honored. If you transfer to a different 2008 tour itinerary, the tour price effective on the date we confirm your tour transfer will be applied. Prices for specific tours are listed throughout our web site and our tour catalog. Prices do not include airfare.
Included in the price of each tour: Sightseeing tours by an ETBD guide, and local guides when appropriate, including admissions to sights seen as a group; all breakfasts and half of your dinners; accommodations each night, often in smaller, family-run hotels in the historic heart of each city (including one overnight train on Turkey tours and a one-night cruise on Scandinavia tours); all transportation required for group activities from the first hotel to the last hotel of the tour (transportation for optional group activities and independent travel during the tour is not included); all guide, local guide, driver, and hotel tips; money belt, ear plugs, tour patch, any Rick Steves' books and maps applicable to your specific tour; and Tour Cancellation/Interruption Coverage.
Tour payments: To reserve a seat on an ETBD tour you must agree to these Tour Conditions and provide us with a deposit of $400 per person. We accept American Express, MasterCard and Visa debit or credit cards for tour deposits (and single supplements when applicable and available on our 7-day city tours, our 8-day Paris/London tour, our 10-day Venice/Florence/Rome tour and our 13-day Turkey tour). We accept personal checks, money orders and bank drafts for all tour payments. Please note that your final tour balance must be paid by personal check, money order or bank draft. We cannot accept credit or debit cards for any tour payments other than the tour deposit and single supplement. Your final tour payment will be due at least 60 days before departure. If you sign up for a tour within 60 days of the tour departure, full payment will be required before we can confirm you on the tour and the deposit portion will be non-refundable. Missing the final payment deadline, as noted on your tour invoice and your initial tour confirmation letter, may result in your being removed from the tour. Please make a note on your calendar of your final payment due date, as it is your responsibility to ensure that we receive your final payment in a timely manner.
NSF Check Fees: If a payment is returned due to non-sufficient funds (NSF), ETBD will assess a $25 fee per occurrence. The fee(s) will be added to the applicable 2008 tour balance, and be required to be paid in full prior to your tour departure.
Single supplements: Optional, extra-cost single supplements (private single rooms) are available on a limited, space-available basis, for certain 2008 tour itineraries (7-day city tours; 8-day Paris/London tours; 10-day Venice/Florence/Rome tours and 13-day Turkey tours). 2008 single supplement prices range from $425 to $600 depending upon the specific tour itinerary you select. Single supplements are refundable if cancelled at least 60 days prior to the tour departure. Single supplements cancelled less than 60 days prior to the tour departure will be forfeited.
Cancellations and refunds: Deposits for all 2008 tours received by 12/17/07 are 100% refundable until December 31, 2007, and after that time they are not refundable for any reason and will be forfeited if you cancel your tour reservation. All deposits received after 12/17/07 are 100% refundable for 2 weeks from the day received and after that time, the deposit will not be refundable for any reason and will be forfeited if you cancel your tour reservation. All cancellations must be sent to the Tour Department in writing via email to tour@ricksteves.com, via fax to 425-771-0833, or via postal mail to Tour Department, PO Box 2009, Edmonds, WA 98020, and will be effective on the date received by Rick Steves' Europe Through the Back Door.
Final tour payments may be eligible for some portion of refund if due to qualifying medical or family emergencies as outlined in the Tour Cancellation/Interruption Coverage you receive with your written tour confirmation. In order to qualify for reimbursement under our Tour Cancellation/Interruption Coverage, all tour members are required to complete, sign and return, prior to their tour start date, a Release and Waiver Agreement and Medical Form. Please note that altering the Release and Waiver Agreement will render it invalid, and will also invalidate your Tour Cancellation/Interruption Coverage. On the day the tour begins, or any day thereafter, if you leave the tour for a qualifying, unforeseen medical or family emergency, ETBD will refund to you $75 per person for each missed day. If you leave the tour for a non-qualifying reason, there will be no refund possible.
Tour Cancellation/Interruption Coverage: You will receive a copy of this coverage with your written tour confirmation and may also review the coverage details on our web site. Please understand that to keep costs down, and because it may be unobtainable in any event, Rick Steves' Europe Through the Back Door, Inc. has no protection coverage beyond the basic package included in the tour price to protect itself, the actions of its employees, or tour participants themselves, and that tour members intentionally assume the many risks inherent in European travel. All tour members are required to complete, sign and return, prior to their tour start date, a Release and Waiver Agreement and Medical Form. Failure to return a complete and accurate Release and Waiver Agreement and Medical Form invalidates the Tour Cancellation/Interruption Coverage, and could result in expulsion from a tour at your own expense.
Change in Plans — Tour Transfers: Up to 60 days prior to your tour's departure, you can transfer to any other 2008 tour with seats available. You may apply your existing deposit, and we won't charge you a transfer fee. If you choose to transfer to an alternate 2008 tour date, as long as you remain on the same 2008 tour itinerary, your initial tour price will be honored. If you transfer to a different 2008 tour itinerary, the tour price effective on the date we confirm your tour transfer will be applied. Requests to transfer tours within 60 days of your tour's departure may not be possible. All transfer requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and are subject to Management approval.
ETBD strongly encourages all tour members to purchase separate travel insurance to cover possible additional costs (airline tickets, loss of luggage, trip delay, medical evacuation, etc.). You may want to review Rick's Travel Tips article on "Travel Insurance: To Insure or Not to Insure?" (www.ricksteves.com/plan/tips/insurance.htm) to determine if this type of coverage would be beneficial to you.
You'll want to pack light: Each tour member is allowed to bring just one airline-carry-on-size bag or one wheeled bag of approximately 22"x14"x 9," and a small day bag. Please note you will always carry your own bags from the bus to your room, which may include carrying it up many steep stairs or walking 10-15 minutes to the hotel! Your pre-tour handbook will include tips for packing light and creatively.
All ETBD tours are physically demanding: Our tours are physically demanding. To enjoy the experience, you must be in good shape. The most active days may average 6-10 miles of walking (often over uneven paving stones), lots of standing while listening to your guide during group sightseeing, and steep stair-climbing while carrying your own bag from the bus up to your room. "Worst-case" examples: for one particular hotel you may climb more than 100 stairs with your bag to reach your hotel room or you may have a brief but steep trail hike to reach your chalet in the Alps. Whether you are 20 or 70 get in shape before you leave for Europe. Smokers may smoke only outdoors and downwind from the group — never in hotel rooms or during group meals. Children under age 18 must room with and be accompanied on the tour by a parent or guardian.
Tour itineraries are subject to change: Europe is full of surprises and we need to be flexible enough to take advantage of whatever comes along so that we may provide you with the best possible tour. Uncompleted portions of the tour itinerary are not cause for refund.
Participation: Although we want everyone to have a good time, it sometimes happens that someone participating in a tour can misbehave or do things that are incompatible with the safety, comfort or convenience of other members of the tour. You agree that in those circumstances we have the exclusive right and discretion, to expel someone, or even you, from a tour at any time, without any claims or complaints by you against us.
Disabilities: Any pre-existing physical, mental, or emotional disability that may require attention or treatment must be reported in writing prior to the beginning of a tour. All tour members are required to complete, sign and return, prior to their tour start date, a Release and Waiver Agreement and Medical Form. Failure to return a complete and accurate Release and Waiver Agreement and Medical Form invalidates the Tour Cancellation/Interruption Coverage, and could result in expulsion from a tour at your own expense.
Tours cancelled by ETBD: Although unlikely, your tour may be cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances. If ETBD cancels a tour you have reserved, the entire amount you have paid to ETBD for the applicable tour will be refunded to you within fourteen days after the tour's cancellation, as required under Washington State law. Once this occurs, ETBD and its representatives have no other obligations to tour members on cancelled trips including any additional costs or fees related to the issuance and/or cancellation of airline tickets or other travel reservations not made by ETBD. Europe Through the Back Door, Inc. is registered with the State of Washington as a provider of travel (#601-035-937-001).