1. About these booking conditions
These booking conditions, together with the relevant tour webpage, itinerary, quotation, booking form and our written booking confirmation, form the basis of your contract with Classic Travelling Ltd (“Classic Travelling”, “we”, “us” or “our”). Please read them carefully before booking.
Where a booking confirmation or other written document expressly agrees a tour-specific variation, that variation will take priority for that booking. Otherwise, these conditions apply. Nothing in these conditions affects any statutory rights that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited.
2. Making your booking
You may book through our website or by submitting a completed booking form. Telephone or email enquiries do not create a confirmed booking unless and until we have received the information and payment we require and issued our written booking confirmation.
A contract comes into force when we issue our written booking confirmation after receiving the completed booking details and the required deposit or full payment. Please check the confirmation, names, dates, vehicle details and tour arrangements immediately and tell us promptly if anything is incorrect.
The person named first on the booking (the “lead name”) must be at least 18 and confirms that they have authority to make the booking and accept these conditions on behalf of every person named. The lead name is responsible for ensuring that all travellers receive relevant information and for making all payments due. Each traveller remains responsible for complying with these conditions.
3. Tour price, provisional prices and price changes
The price, currency, inclusions and exclusions applicable to your tour will be shown on our website and during the online booking process. Unless stated otherwise, prices are per person and based on two people sharing a room.
Prices before booking confirmation
We may change an advertised price, service or other tour detail at any time before we confirm your booking. If the price or any significant detail changes after you submit your booking request but before we confirm it, we will tell you and give you the opportunity to proceed at the revised price or withdraw your request and receive a refund of any payment made.
Provisional prices
Where a tour price is clearly described as “provisional”, the final price may change before it is confirmed. Once the final price is available, we will tell you and give you the opportunity to accept it, transfer to another available tour or cancel and receive a full refund of all payments made to us.
Price changes after booking confirmation
Once we have confirmed your booking, we may increase the price of your package only as a direct consequence of:
- an increase in the price of the carriage of passengers resulting from an increase in the cost of fuel or other power sources;
- an increase in taxes or fees imposed by third parties not directly involved in providing the services included in your package, including tourist taxes and port or airport embarkation or disembarkation fees; or
- changes in exchange rates relevant to your package.
Any price increase will be limited to the amount by which one or more of these costs has affected your booking. We will provide you with a clear explanation and calculation of the increase in writing by email no later than 20 days before the start of your tour.
A general increase imposed by a hotel, transport operator or other supplier cannot be passed on to you after your booking has been confirmed unless, and only to the extent that, it results directly from one of the permitted circumstances listed above.
If the relevant costs decrease after your booking has been confirmed but before the start of your tour, you will be entitled to a corresponding price reduction. We may deduct any reasonable and evidenced administrative expenses incurred in processing that reduction.
If a proposed price increase exceeds 8% of the total price of your package, we will treat it as a significant change to your booking. You may accept the increase, accept an alternative package if one is offered, or cancel without paying a cancellation charge and receive a refund of all payments due to you within 14 days.
4. Provisional reservations
At our discretion, we may hold a provisional reservation for up to seven days. Unless we receive the completed booking details and required deposit within that period, the space may be released without further notice. A provisional reservation is not a confirmed booking and does not create a contract.
5. Deposits and payment
Unless a different amount is clearly stated for the relevant tour, the booking deposit is 25% of the total tour price. The deposit is non-refundable except where these conditions or applicable law expressly provide otherwise.
The balance is due no later than two months before departure, on the date stated in our booking confirmation or invoice. If you book within eight weeks of departure, the full tour price is payable at the time of booking. Payment methods and account details will be shown at checkout, on the booking form or on our invoice. You are responsible for any bank or currency-transfer charges. We do not accept American Express for card payments.
If payment is not received by the due date, we may treat the booking as cancelled by you after giving reasonable notice, in which case the cancellation charges below will apply. Travel documents and the tour book are normally issued approximately 7–10 days before departure, once payment and required information have been received.
6. Changes requested by you
If you wish to change any part of a confirmed booking, the lead name must contact us in writing as soon as possible. We will try to assist but cannot guarantee that a change can be made. You must pay any additional supplier costs caused by the change, together with any reasonable administration costs we notify to you. If a requested change cannot be made and you do not wish to continue with the original booking, this will be treated as a cancellation by you.
7. Transferring your booking
You may transfer your booking to another person who satisfies all conditions applicable to the tour. Notice must be given in writing by email, within a reasonable period before departure. Notice given at least seven days before the tour starts will always be treated as reasonable, although some supplier arrangements may require more time.
The original traveller and the replacement traveller are jointly responsible for the outstanding balance and the actual additional fees, charges and costs arising from the transfer. Our standard administration charge is ÂŁ50 per person, plus any additional costs imposed by suppliers, but the total transfer charge will not exceed the costs actually incurred. We will provide evidence of those costs on request.
8. Cancellation by you
The lead name may cancel the whole booking, or the relevant traveller may cancel their place, at any time before departure by notifying us in writing. Cancellation takes effect when we receive the written notice. Because we incur costs from the time a booking is confirmed, the following standard cancellation charges apply:
| Written notice received before departure | Cancellation charge |
| More than 60 days | Deposit (normally 25% of tour price) |
| 60–45 days | 50% of total tour price |
| 44–29 days | 75% of total tour price |
| 28 days or fewer | 100% of total tour price |
These charges are intended to reflect our expected costs, cost savings and ability to resell the arrangements at the time of cancellation. Any refund due after deduction of the applicable cancellation charge will be made without undue delay and within 14 days after the contract is terminated.
If one traveller cancels but others continue, the price for the remaining travellers may be recalculated to reflect the revised room occupancy or other arrangements. Any resulting additional amount is not a cancellation charge.
You should arrange comprehensive travel insurance as soon as you book. If your cancellation reason is covered, you may be able to recover the cancellation charge from your insurer, subject to the policy terms and excess.
9. Unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances at the destination
You may terminate the booking before departure without paying a cancellation charge where unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances occur at the destination or its immediate vicinity and significantly affect performance of the package or the carriage of passengers to the destination. In that case, you will receive a full refund within 14 days, but no additional compensation. General concern or reluctance to travel, where the tour can still be performed safely and lawfully, does not by itself create this right.
10. Changes made by us before departure
We plan arrangements carefully, but we may need to alter the itinerary, route, timings, accommodation, tour leader or other services. We may make an insignificant change where the contract permits it and will tell you clearly on a durable medium as soon as reasonably possible. A change of tour leader, a modest timing or route adjustment, or substitution of comparable accommodation will normally be an insignificant change.
If circumstances require a significant change to a main characteristic of the tour, or we cannot meet a special requirement that we expressly accepted as part of the contract, we will notify you without undue delay and explain any effect on the price. We will give you a reasonable period to choose between:
- accepting the changed arrangements;
- accepting a substitute tour, if offered; or
- terminating the contract without paying a cancellation charge.
If the changed or substitute arrangements are of lower quality or cost, you will receive an appropriate price reduction. If you terminate and do not accept a substitute tour, we will refund all payments within 14 days. Where the law requires compensation, we will pay it; compensation is not payable where the change results from unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances.
11. Cancellation by us and minimum numbers
Group tours require a minimum number of participants or cars. Our stated minimum number of participants for a group tour is usually ten (10) cars. Unless stated otherwise, we assess tour viability approximately ten weeks before departure and, if the minimum has not been reached, will notify you of cancellation no later than six weeks before departure. A tour running with fewer participants than you expected is not, by itself, a reason for you to cancel without the standard cancellation charges.
We may also terminate the contract if unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances prevent us from performing it, provided we notify you without undue delay before departure. If we cancel for minimum numbers or unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances, we will offer a suitable alternative where available or refund all payments within 14 days. We will not be liable for additional compensation in those circumstances.
We will not cancel after the applicable statutory deadline for minimum numbers unless unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances prevent performance or you have failed to pay the balance or otherwise materially breached the contract.
12. During the tour: changes, problems and assistance
If any travel service is not performed as agreed, you must tell the tour leader or us without undue delay so that we have an opportunity to put matters right. We will remedy a lack of conformity unless that is impossible or would involve disproportionate cost, taking account of the value of the affected service and the extent of the problem.
If a significant proportion of the agreed services cannot be provided, we will offer suitable alternative arrangements at no extra cost, where possible of equivalent or higher quality. If the alternatives are of lower quality, you will receive an appropriate price reduction. Rights to reject alternatives, terminate, receive repatriation, a price reduction or compensation will apply where provided by law.
If you are in difficulty, we will provide appropriate assistance without undue delay, including information about health services, local authorities or consular assistance and help with communications or alternative arrangements. We may charge our reasonable actual costs where the difficulty was caused intentionally by you or through your negligence.
13. Passports, visas, entry requirements and health
You are responsible for ensuring that you and every member of your party have passports with the validity required for every country visited or transited, any necessary visas or permits, and all required health documents. Some destinations require at least six months’ passport validity, but requirements vary and can change.
You must check the requirements for your nationality and circumstances in good time. UK travellers should consult the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office at https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice and obtain appropriate medical advice from a GP, travel clinic or other qualified professional. We are not responsible if you cannot travel because you have not complied with applicable requirements.
14. Travel and vehicle insurance
Comprehensive travel insurance is a condition of booking. You must obtain cover as soon as possible after booking and provide evidence and emergency contact details no later than eight weeks before departure, or at the time of booking if later. We may terminate the booking if suitable cover is not obtained, in which case the cancellation charges in section 8 may apply.
Your policy must be suitable for your destination, itinerary, age, health and planned activities and should include, as appropriate:
- cancellation, curtailment, missed departure and travel delay;
- emergency medical treatment, evacuation and repatriation, including air ambulance where necessary;
- personal accident, baggage, valuables, personal liability and legal expenses; and
- any motoring, sporting or other activity included in or undertaken during the tour.
You must not travel against medical advice. Drivers must also hold adequate motor insurance valid in every country visited, including any cover needed for vehicle recovery, breakdown, competition, regularity rally or track activity where applicable. We do not sell insurance or provide a personal insurance recommendation; obtain independent advice if you are unsure whether a policy is suitable.
15. Independent travel and land-only bookings
Unless expressly included in your confirmed package, flights and other travel that you arrange independently are not part of our contract. Do not book non-refundable independent travel until we have confirmed that the tour will operate. You are responsible for airport taxes, transfers and other arrangements not included in the tour.
We are not responsible for cancellation charges or other losses relating to independent arrangements that do not form part of the package, except to the extent that such loss results from our breach and cannot lawfully be excluded. Your insurance should cover independent arrangements where possible.
16. Vehicles, drivers and road use
Where you bring or drive a vehicle, you confirm that each driver holds an appropriate valid driving licence and that the vehicle is correctly registered, licensed, roadworthy, suitably maintained, insured for all relevant territories and uses, and has any required MOT or equivalent certification. You are responsible for checking country-specific equipment, emissions, toll, low-emission-zone and documentation requirements.
You remain responsible for your vehicle, driving decisions, fuel, tolls, parking, fines, repairs, recovery and the conduct of your driver and passengers unless the relevant tour information expressly states otherwise. Routes and road books are guidance only; you must obey road laws, signs, closures, weather restrictions and instructions from authorities. You must not drive if unfit through illness, fatigue, alcohol, drugs or medication.
Tell us before booking about any vehicle dimensions, modifications or characteristics that may affect transport, parking, ferry, train or accommodation arrangements. Vehicle eligibility requirements stated for a particular tour form part of the contract.
17. Fitness, accessibility and medical information
You must be sufficiently fit and well to participate safely in the tour. Tell us before booking about any disability, medical condition, reduced mobility, dietary need or other circumstance that may affect participation or require assistance, and tell us promptly if circumstances change.
We will discuss your requirements and consider reasonable adjustments. We may ask for relevant information from you or your medical adviser. If you require personal assistance, you may need to travel with a companion capable of providing it, whose booking is subject to availability and the applicable price. We may decline or terminate a booking only where we cannot reasonably and safely meet the relevant needs, participation would create a material safety risk, or material information has not been disclosed. Any cancellation charge will be applied only as permitted by law.
18. Special requests
Tell us in writing at the time of booking about dietary needs, room preferences or other special requests. We will pass reasonable requests to the relevant suppliers, but a request is not guaranteed and does not form part of the contract unless we expressly confirm it in writing. We cannot accept a booking made conditional on a request unless we have agreed that condition in writing.
19. Accommodation
We make every reasonable effort to provide the accommodation described. If a substitution is necessary, we will normally use accommodation of a comparable or higher standard in the same general area. If only accommodation of a lower quality is available, we will make an appropriate price reduction.
Hotels control room allocation. Single rooms may be smaller or differently appointed than twin or double rooms, and a supplement may apply because accommodation is commonly contracted per room while tours are sold per person. Specific room types or locations are requests unless expressly confirmed as part of the contract.
20. Conduct and tour leader decisions
You must comply with applicable laws, customs, safety instructions and reasonable directions from the tour leader and must not behave in a way that threatens safety, causes significant distress or disruption, damages property, or materially affects the enjoyment of others.
After considering the circumstances and, where appropriate, medical advice, the tour leader may require a participant to stop an activity or leave the tour where reasonably necessary for safety, wellbeing or the satisfactory operation of the tour. Where immediate action is not required, we will normally warn the participant and give a reasonable opportunity to correct the behaviour.
If your participation is terminated because of your conduct or a material breach of these conditions, our responsibility for your arrangements ends and you must meet the cost of alternative accommodation, transport and return travel. No refund will be due for services not used, except where required by law.
21. Our responsibility and liability
We are responsible for the performance of the travel services included in your package, whether those services are provided by us or by other suppliers. We will provide the services with reasonable care and skill and in accordance with the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 where they apply.
You may be entitled to an appropriate price reduction or compensation if the contracted services are not performed or are performed improperly. We are not liable to pay compensation where we prove that the failure is attributable to you; attributable to an unconnected third party and unforeseeable or unavoidable; or caused by unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances.
We do not exclude or limit liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud, fraudulent misrepresentation, or any liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited. Where an international convention or other law limits the compensation payable by a supplier providing transport or another travel service, the same limitation applies to us. In other cases, and only where the law permits, our liability for compensation is limited to three times the total price paid for the affected person’s package. This limit does not apply to personal injury or to damage caused intentionally or negligently where the law prevents such a limit.
We are not responsible for services or arrangements that you book independently and that do not form part of the confirmed package. Nothing in this section removes any rights you may have under passenger-rights legislation or applicable international conventions; any compensation recovered for the same loss will be taken into account to avoid double recovery.
22. Complaints and claims
If a problem arises during the tour, tell the tour leader, relevant supplier or us without undue delay and allow a reasonable opportunity for it to be resolved. If it is not resolved, write to us at info@classictravelling.com as soon as possible after your return, preferably within 28 days, giving your booking reference and full details. Delay may affect our ability to investigate but does not remove any statutory rights.
If you remain dissatisfied after receiving our final response, you may contact ABTOT. ABTOT provides a complaints escalation process and access to an independent arbitration service administered by Dispute Settlement Services Ltd. Arbitration is not mandatory; both parties must agree, fees apply and the arbitrator’s decision is binding. Current details are available at https://www.abtot.com/how-to-make-a-complaint/ or from ABTOT, 7th Floor, 69 Leadenhall Street, London EC3A 2BG, telephone 020 7065 5311.
23. Financial protection
Classic Travelling Ltd is a member of the Association of Bonded Travel Organisers Trust Limited (ABTOT), membership number 5389.
The Association of Bonded Travel Organisers Trust Limited provides financial protection under the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 for Classic Travelling Ltd and, in the event of our insolvency, protection is provided for non-flight packages.
ABTOT cover provides for a refund if you have not yet travelled, or repatriation if transportation was included in your package. Bookings made outside the UK are protected by ABTOT only when purchased directly from Classic Travelling Ltd. Classic Travelling does not offer international flight-inclusive packages.
If you require assistance because of our financial failure and cannot contact us, contact ABTOT and state that you are a customer of an ABTOT-protected travel company: office hours 020 7065 5311; 24/7 helpline 01702 811397. Keep invoices, receipts and proof of payment. Further information is available at https://www.abtot.com/what-to-do-in-the-event-of-failure/.
24. Photographs and filming
We may take general photographs or video during tours for tour records and promotional use. If you do not wish to appear in identifiable promotional material, tell us in writing before departure and remind the tour leader at the start of the tour. We will make reasonable efforts to respect your request. Where the law requires specific consent for a particular use, we will seek it separately. You may withdraw consent for future use by contacting us, although this will not affect material already lawfully published.
25. Personal data and marketing
We process personal data to administer bookings, provide the tour, meet legal and safety obligations, handle payments and complaints, and protect our legitimate business interests. We may share relevant information with hotels, transport providers, tour leaders, insurers, professional advisers, authorities and other suppliers where necessary. Some recipients may be outside the UK. Please read our Privacy Policy on our website for further details about processing, retention, international transfers and your rights.
If you provide information about another person, you confirm that you have authority to do so and have made them aware of the relevant privacy information. Health, accessibility and dietary information may include special-category personal data and will be used only where necessary and lawful to meet your needs and operate the tour safely.
Marketing preferences are separate from the booking contract. We will send marketing communications only where permitted by law, and you may unsubscribe at any time.
26. Governing law and jurisdiction
These conditions and the contract are governed by English law. If you live in England or Wales, the courts of England and Wales have jurisdiction. If you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland, you may bring proceedings in the courts of your home jurisdiction or in England and Wales. If you live outside the UK, the courts of England and Wales will have jurisdiction unless mandatory local consumer law provides otherwise.
27. Contacting us
Classic Travelling Ltd, School House, Monxton, Andover, Hampshire SP11 8AH, United Kingdom. Registered in England and Wales under company number 04662193.
Email: info@classictravelling.com | Telephone: +44 (0)1264 710375 | Mobile/WhatsApp: +44 (0)7712 836383Financial Protection
For all our tours, all payments made to us are fully bonded through the Association of Bonded Travel Organisers Trust Limited (ABTOT). Our ABTOT membership number is 5389.
The Association of Bonded Travel Organisers Trust Limited (ABTOT) provides financial protection under the Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992 for Classic Travelling, and in the event of their insolvency, protection is provided for the following:
(1) non-flight packages commencing in and returning to the UK; (2) non-flight packages commencing and returning to a country other than the UK; and (3) flight inclusive packages that commence outside of the UK and Republic of Ireland, which are sold to customers outside of the UK and Republic of Ireland (although Classic Travelling does not offer flight-inclusive packages).
(1), (2) and (3) provides for a refund in the event you have not yet travelled. (1) and (3) provides for repatriation. Please note that bookings made outside the UK and Republic of Ireland are only protected by ABTOT when purchased directly with Classic Travelling.
In the unlikely event that you require assistance whilst abroad due to our financial failure, please call the ABTOT 24/7 helpline on 01702 811397 and advise you are a customer of an ABTOT protected travel company.
28. Mailing List
All names and addresses on the Classic Travelling mailing list are held on computer. These are strictly confidential and NOT available except for our own use. If you object to your details being stored in this way please let us know and we will remove your details. On tours that we run in conjunction with another tour operator, airline or travel company, or supplier (tour guide, accommodation etc) any details necessarily passed on will only be used for compliance with essential travel formalities.
