text:
Booking, confirmation/invoice and tickets
Once you have booked your holiday with us and we have received your deposit (full payment due at the time of booking if less than 60 days (90 for cruise and private train holidays) prior to departure), we will send you a confirmation/invoice. This will summarise the arrangements made on your behalf, the outstanding balance and the date by which it must be received by us. Please check these details carefully ensuring that the initials or forenames and surnames given match those on your passport as we make reservations using this information and any inaccuracies will cause problems at a later date. Please contact us immediately if there are any inaccuracies. As your holiday approaches, we write to you again approximately 10 weeks prior to your departure to remind you of certain points concerning your holiday. Then, approximately 10 days prior to departure date, your final holiday documentation is sent. Individual flight and train tickets are NOT usually sent out in advance, but are given out by your Tour Manager at check-in.
Foreign Office advice
You are responsible for making yourself aware of Foreign Office advice and warnings in regard to the safety of the countries and areas in which you will be travelling to and to make your decisions accordingly. Global and political situations do change. Your safety is our first consideration and if the Foreign Office advises against travel to a certain country, we act on this advice. Advice from the Foreign Office to avoid or leave a particular country may constitute Force Majeure. The Foreign Office issues regular advice and updates on its website www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice which you are recommended to consult before booking and in good time before departure.
Passports, visas & insurance
Passports & travel documentation
Please note that you are entirely responsible for ensuring that everyone in your party has the necessary correct and up-to-date personal documentation before you start the holiday and that you all fulfil the passport, visa, health and immigration requirements applicable to your chosen tour. We do not accept any liability if you are refused entry onto any transport or into any country due to failure on your part to carry correct documentation. If failure to have any necessary travel or other documents results in fines, surcharges or other financial penalty, costs or expenses being imposed on us, you will be responsible for reimbursing us accordingly. For British Citizens, a standard 10 year British passport is required for all holidays which must be valid for at least six months beyond your planned date of return travel. If your passport expires before this, it may still be acceptable, but you should contact your local passport office or the consulate or embassy of the country/countries you plan to visit/transit through, for detailed advice. Information is also available on or through the Foreign Office website www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice. Customers applying for a first British passport should allow at least six weeks to obtain one as they are now required to attend a personal interview with the Passport Office. Customers renewing their passport should allow a minimum of 2 to 3 weeks. However, in all cases, please apply as far ahead as possible so as to allow time for unexpected delays.
We will advise British Citizens with a British passport at the time of booking of any visa requirements and we indicate in the 'Departures Panel' section of each tour whether British Citizens require a visa to enter the country or countries included in the holiday. Please note that when travelling on any of our cruise holidays, if you wish to explore the ports visited independently then you may also need to obtain additional visas for those destinations. We endeavour to keep the information regarding visa requirements up to date but requirements may change at short notice and we recommend that you check the latest position in good time before your departure. Information on this subject is available on or through the Foreign Office website www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice.
If you have a British passport issued outside of the UK or if you are not a British Citizen, you must check immigration requirements with the relevant embassy or consulate of the country/countries that you plan to visit or transit through.
Our ability and that of our recommended visa agent to obtain any visa depends on you providing all information, documents (including your passport) and photographs, as applicable and accurately, when requested. If any application is refused or not granted in time and you are unable to travel on the holiday as a result, cancellation charges as shown in the booking conditions will apply.
It is your responsibility to check and fulfil the passport, visa, health and immigration requirements applicable to your itinerary. We do not accept any responsibility if you cannot travel, or incur any other loss because you have not complied with any passport, visa, immigration requirements or health formalities. You agree to reimburse us in relation to any fines or other losses which we incur as a result of your failure to comply with any passport, visa, immigration requirements or health formalities.
Our Recommended Visa Agent
The process of applying for holiday visas with embassies and consulates can sometimes be confusing and time consuming and we will usually recommend a visa agent to assist you with this process. The visa agent we suggest you use is established and experienced and will save you time and worry. Dealing with our recommended Visa Agent avoids costly trips to London to visit embassies and consulates to spend several hours queuing; our agent takes care of all the necessary paperwork; and importantly they make sure you get the right visas on the right dates for the holiday that you are travelling on. Whilst you are free to apply with embassies and consulates directly, many customers have mentioned the peace of mind is the biggest advantage that our recommended visa agent offers through their service, knowledge and efficiency.
The ability of our recommended visa agent to obtain any visa depends on you providing all information, documents (including your passport) and photographs, as applicable and accurately, when requested. If any application is refused or not granted in time and you are unable to travel on the holiday as a result, cancellation charges as shown in the booking conditions will apply.
Important note: the Visa Agent is entirely independent of Great Rail Journeys and we cannot accept any responsibility for the provision of the service or the Visa Agent's acts and omissions.
Insurance and holiday duration
It is a condition of booking that you take out sufficient and appropriate travel insurance cover. We recommend you do this at time of booking so that your deposit (less any applicable excess) is recoverable in the event of a cancellation covered by the policy. To purchase the insurance policy we offer please contact us for details. If you take out your own cover please provides us with details of the Insurance Company, the policy number and the 24-hour emergency telephone number when requested. It is your responsibility to ensure that the insurance cover you purchase is suitable and adequate for your particular needs. We do not check alternative insurance policies. The duration of the holiday in the brochure or on our website includes the day of departure and day of return and is the period to be used for insurance purposes. Read our policy details carefully and take them with you on holiday. Should you choose to extend your holiday (either at the start or the end of your holiday), you will need to extend the duration of your insurance cover. If you choose to travel without adequate insurance cover, we will not be liable for any losses howsoever arising, in respect of which insurance cover would otherwise have been available.
Health & Mobility
Disabilities, medical conditions and mobility
Regrettably, many of our tours are not suitable for customers with certain disabilities and they can also be physically demanding. Please let us know if you suffer from any medical condition or physical disability, which may affect your holiday arrangements or the booking process, or have any health or fitness concerns which may affect your ability to cope with the tour before any booking is made. If we are to help you choose the right holiday for your health, mobility and fitness, we must be aware of all details. Please note that Tour Managers cannot provide individual assistance with boarding trains or coaches, or handle your luggage. It is your responsibility to provide us with full and accurate details of your mobility, health and fitness (including any disability), so we can advise you on the suitability of tours. As standard practice all customers are asked at the point of booking whether they have any mobility limitations or health concerns which may impact on their holiday. Customers are required to provide all relevant information to ensure that this matter has been carefully considered and we are aware of any issues. If you are in any doubt as to whether the holiday you hope to book is suitable for you, please discuss this with our Reservations Team at the time of making your booking. We want all our customers to enjoy their holiday to the full, and are here to help answer any mobility, disability, health and fitness issues or concerns. You must advise us of any change in any disability or medical condition or in your health or level of mobility or if any medical condition or disability which may effect your holiday develops, between booking your holiday and joining your tour.
It is your responsibility to ensure you are aware of all recommended vaccinations and health precautions in good time before departure. Details are available from your GP surgery and from the National Travel Health Network and Centre www.nathnac.org. Information on health abroad is also available on www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Travelhealth. For European holidays, you should obtain the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) prior to departure from www.ehic.org.uk for access to health care in many European countries. An EHIC is not a substitute for travel insurance. We will advise British Citizens of any applicable health formalities before or at the time of booking. Vaccination and other health requirements/recommendations are subject to change at any time for any destination. Please therefore check with a doctor or clinic not less than six weeks prior to departure to ensure that you have met the necessary requirements and have the applicable information.
Accommodation & meals
- All our basic holiday prices are expressed in £ sterling and are per person, based on 2 people sharing.
- Supplements for accommodation upgrades are usually expressed per room or cabin/sleeper, on the assumption that two people are occupying it.
- Single supplements or prices are naturally expressed per person.
- In some hotels, triple or family rooms may be available and we are happy to provide a quotation accordingly.
- A hotel room shared by two people may contain a double or twin beds. In some countries a double bed may consist of two beds pushed or linked together.
- A single hotel room may be a 'true' single or may be a single occupancy of a double or twin room. Either way, the supplement shown is payable.
- Hotel rooms, particularly in older properties, may differ in size and amenities offered.
- Sleeping accommodation on trains is likely to take the form of seating which converts into a berth at night.
- Most hotel rooms and cabins on cruise ships include en suite facilities, which may be bath and WC or shower and WC. Shared facilities exist on some tours and are specified on the relevant brochure page.
- Rooms/cabins are not usually available before 2pm on day of arrival and must usually be vacated by 11am on day of departure. You may request a specific configuration, room type or room location but, while we pass on all requests to our hotel partners, neither we nor they can guarantee that what you request can or will be provided.
- Please check the 'Included in your Tour' panels to see what meals are included on each holiday.
- Hotels: Meals are generally taken in the restaurant of the hotel. We usually dine together, with a set 'table d'hote' style menu that will often feature regional dishes. Drinks are usually not included in our arrangements.
- Trains: On private trains, most meals are included and are taken in the restaurant car of the train. If you are travelling Standard Premier Class on Eurostar a light meal and drinks are included, served at your seat.
- Cruise Ships: Meals are normally included, and are taken in the ship's main restaurant.
- Special diets: If you have a specific dietary need please discuss it with us before you book. We will do our best to cater for special diets when notified in advance however cannot guarantee that your requirements will be met. The more information we have, the better, but even then, some suppliers find it difficult to satisfy every requirement. If you have a food allergy or intolerance you must declare it to us prior to travel so that we are able to notify our suppliers.
Meals on board (Only in Cruise Specific Brochures)
Please check the individual holiday itinerary and the 'Included in your Tour' panels to see what meals are included on each holiday. Once on board, each morning, enjoy a full buffet breakfast featuring a selection of fresh bread and pastries, eggs, fresh fruit, cheese and much more. For lunch on board, you can generally expect a full menu with several courses, or a light alternative such as a fresh salad buffet is usually available. Each evening on your cruise, you are treated to multi-course menus of regional or international specialities, all with a selection of wines available, and some cruises offer wine included in the price.
Meals times on board (Only in Cruise Specific Brochures)
Breakfast and lunch are flexible (normally between 7-9am and 12-2pm respectively), meanwhile dinner is generally taken at a more fixed time. Dinner can be either free seating or at an allocated table, depending on the capacity of the ship's restaurant, and is more of a formal experience, with several courses being served.
Shore excursions(Only in Cruise Specific Brochures)
On some cruises, shore excursions are included in the price of your holiday; however on other cruises they will be available at each of our ports of call, but at an additional cost - this information is clearly detailed on each tour page. Where shore excursions are optional and not included in the price of your holiday, there will be a selection of tours bookable on board at additional cost. You have the choice to buy these or explore independently. Prices for optional shore excursions vary depending on the contents and can be from, say, £15 for a guided walk to over £60 for a visit to a well known attraction with perhaps entertainment and a meal. A good rule of thumb is to budget approximately £30-£50 per person per shore excursion. Some optional shore excursions are subject to minimum numbers, including minimum numbers of English speaking customers for the inclusion of English language guides. Where the shore excursion is an optional extra, it is not included in the package we sell to you and does not form part of your contracted arrangements with us. For any optional shore excursion that you book, your contract will be with the operator of the shore excursion and not with us. We are not responsible for the provision of the shore excursion or for anything that happens during the course of its provision by the operator.
Special evenings on board(Only in Cruise Specific Brochures)
On most cruises, there will be a Welcome Reception on either the first or second night on board the ship, which is when the ship's officers and management present themselves to guests. In addition, there is normally a further gala event and a 'Farewell' evening at the end of your time on board.
Dress code(Only in Cruise Specific Brochures)
Casual dress is fine on board during the day and low-heeled rubber soled shoes are recommended for strolling around the decks, with comfortable walking shoes or sandals for your time ashore. For the evening, smart casual dress is generally appropriate, and during 'Welcome' and 'Farewell' evenings and gala events, the recommended dress code includes jacket and tie for gentlemen and cocktail attire for ladies.
Money on board(Only in Cruise Specific Brochures)
Cruise ships operate a cash-less system, with incidental expenses (eg. purchases from the gift shop, optional shore excursions, bar purchases etc.) being signed for at the point of purchase. An account is established for each guest, and this is settled at the end of the cruise. To keep track of your expenses, you can normally check your account at any point through the cruise through the Ship's Purser or Reception Desk. At the end of the cruise, a final statement will be delivered to your cabin for payment through either the Ship's Purser or Reception. Several payment options exist, including credit and debit cards, approved ship currency or travellers cheques. Currency varies between ships and destinations - with the Euro being the most common.
The price of your holiday usually allows us to reward staff who serve you during your time on a GRJ holiday and on some occasions, your Tour Manager will provide a gratuity on behalf of the group. However, there are instances when an additional gratuity may be appropriate, perhaps because it is customary in your host country, or because of the nature of the activity undertaken, or simply because you have received exceptional service. Cruising has an established culture of tipping and your Tour Manager will be on hand to offer advice on this topic. Such additional gratuities will be on an individual basis and at your own discretion, however our river cruise partners recommend you should budget for tips of approximately €8-12 per person per day, provided you feel you have received good service. On ocean cruises there is a fixed service charge of US$11-12 per person per day plus a 15% gratuity automatically added to bar charges and wine purchases.
Itineraries & travel arrangements
Tour itineraries
Our holidays are planned many months in advance. We do our best to follow the detailed itineraries shown, but reserve the right to make changes if we need to react to schedule changes or local conditions. The sightseeing tours and excursions described may also have to be amended to suit local conditions or Public Holidays.
Rail reservations
We request rail reservations many months in advance but occasionally there are insufficient First Class (or equivalent) seats available. In these situations we will book Standard Class seats and refund the difference to you. Although we do our best to follow the routes noted in the itinerary there might be occasions when a different routing or departure time is necessary due to timetable variations or seat availability. Increasingly, trains are 100% non-smoking, and reservations are requested in non smoking accommodation, although at busy times we may be allocated some smoking seats. We cannot make specific requests for smoking seats. Prices quoted in this brochure are based on special fares, negotiated with our rail partners for group travel. Should you wish to travel on any Eurostar or other rail service, other than that included as part of your group holiday, a rail variation charge of £25 per person per service will apply in addition to the difference in cost between our special group fare and the normal published fare applicable at time of request for the journey in question. Any change involving sleeper services will be quoted on an individual basis. Tickets for Eurostar train services are issued subject to the conditions set out in Eurostar International Limited's conditions of carriage and/or the conditions of carriage of the carrier in question, copies of which are available from travel agents appointed by Eurostar International Limited or supplied on request.
Joining Eurostar at Ebbsfleet International
For travellers wishing to avoid London, many Great Rail Journeys tours can be arranged to depart from Ebbsfleet International. In some instances, travellers electing to depart from Ebbsfleet International may have to travel on an earlier train from the main group who depart from St Pancras International. See Rail reservations above for applicable fees.
Travel Delays
The vast majority of flights operate without problems, although the reality of air travel in the world today is that congestion and economic pressures can lead to the possibility of lost luggage, delay, cancellation and overbooking. Crowded airports, queues, check-in, security and flights are often a test of patience and endurance, and customers should be prepared to cope with the consequences of disruption including delays. In the event of undue delay the group will be looked after in accordance with the standard practice of the scheduled carrier or transport operator.
International flights are generally provided by major scheduled airlines and are usually but not always direct to your destination. Where flights are indirect, your baggage will always be checked through to your final destination. Your holiday price is based on economy class seating unless otherwise specified. If known at time of printing, we show the name of the airline we plan to fly with although this can be subject to change. The type of aircraft is not usually known at the time of printing, but if it is of interest to you we are happy to provide this information when we can. Regardless of any information given in good faith, operational changes can be made by an airline at any point and we cannot be responsible for this. Prices quoted in this brochure are based on special fares offered to us by the airlines for group travel. These represent a reduction on the normal IATA fares which generally include greater flexibility. Should you wish to book our holiday using a flight other than that shown in the brochure, a flight variation charge of £50 per person will apply in addition to the difference in cost between our special fare and the normal IATA fare for the flight(s) required. Tickets at our special fare are valid only on the airline and dates shown and do not automatically entitle passengers to switch to another carrier in the case of a flight cancellation, delay or technical problem with the aircraft or the reservation. While we pass on any airline seating requests, no guarantees can be given by us or by the airline. Additional leg-room will be provided if you purchase a flight upgrade.
Maintenance and development work
Every holiday visits a number of different destinations. There may well be maintenance, re-development, building, road works or track work in the vicinity of any of the hotels. If we know about such work and any associated disruption or noise which is reasonably likely to affect the enjoyment of your holiday, we make every effort to tell you about it as quickly as possible. Please appreciate that we are not the only passengers travelling on the trains or ships used in our holidays, nor the only guests staying in the hotels. We cannot be held responsible for the behaviour or noise of others.
Overseas standards
In some countries, you may experience laws and standards that might not be the same as you are used to in the UK. On some holidays we visit countries with less advanced infrastructures. Travellers with an open, yet cautious mind and a flexible approach should enjoy the experience.
CLIA UK & Ireland
CLIA UK & Ireland brings together cruise lines, travel agents and associated partners to help promote cruise holidays within the UK and Ireland.
ABTA, ATOL and AITO
Our ABTA membership
Great Rail Journeys is a tour operator member of ABTA Ltd, and our ABTA number is V2170. We are obliged to maintain a high standard of service to you by ABTA's Code of Conduct. We can also offer you ABTA's scheme for the resolution of disputes which is approved by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute. If we can't resolve your complaint, go to www.abta.comto use ABTA's simple procedure. Further information on the Code and ABTA's assistance in resolving disputes can be found on www.abta.com. You can also access the European Commission Online Dispute (ODR) Resolution platform at http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr/. This ODR platform is a means of registering your complaint with us; it will not determine how your complaint should be resolved.
ATOL protection
Our ATOL number is 3278. All the flights and flight-inclusive holidays* in this brochure or on our website are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. When you pay, you will be supplied with an ATOL Certificate. Please ask for it and check to ensure that everything you booked (flights, hotels and other services) is listed on it. Please see clause 19 of our booking conditions for further information or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to http://www.atol.org.uk/ATOLCertificate.
*The flights and flight-inclusive holidays we arrange are ATOL protected providing they are made available in the UK.
Our AITO membership
Great Rail Journeys is a member of the Association of Independent Tour Operators, an organisation representing over 150 of Britain's best specialist tour operators. Members of AITO strive to create holidays with high levels of professionalism and a shared concern for quality, personal service and customer satisfaction. The Association encourages the highest standards in all aspects of tour operating and all members are fully bonded for clients' protection, in compliance with UK and European regulations. Great Rail Journeys - like all other AITO members - are also bound by the organisation's Quality Charter. For further information about AITO visit www.aito.com or call 020 8744 9280.
AITO Quality Charter
AITO is the Association for independent and specialist holiday companies. Our member companies, usually owner-managed, strive to create overseas holidays with high levels of professionalism and a shared concern for quality and personal service. The Association encourages the highest standards in all aspects of tour operating.
Exclusive Membership
AITO sets criteria regarding ownership, finance and quality which must be satisfied before new companies are admitted to membership. All members are required t adhere to a Code of Business Practice which encourages high operational standards and conduct.
Financial Security
An AITO member is required to arrange financial protection for all holidays and other arrangements (including accommodation only) booked by customers with the member under the AITO logo. This financial protection applies to customers who are resident in the UK at the time of booking and to most overseas customers who have booked directly with the member. In doing so, the member must comply with UK Government regulations. Members are required to submit details of their financial protection arrangements to AITO on a regular basis.
Accurate brochures and websites
All members do their utmost to ensure that all their brochures and other publications print or electronic, clearly and accurately describe the holidays and services offered.
Professional service and continual improvements
All members are committed to high standards of service and believe in regular and through training of employees. Members continually seek to review and improve their holidays. They listen to their customers and always welcome suggestions for improving standards.
Monitoring Standards
AITO endeavours to monitor quality standards regularly. All customers should receive a post-holiday questionnaire from their tour operators, the results of which are scrutinised by the Association.
In addition, customers can leave detailed feedback, accessible from the homepage of AITO's website, or via a direct link supplied by their AITO tour operator, about their holiday.
Sustainable tourism
Our members acknowledge the importance if AITO's Sustainable Tourism ethos, which recognises the social, economic and environmental responsibilities of tour operating.
Customer relations
All members endeavour to deal swiftly and fairly with any issues their customers may raise. In the unlikely event that a dispute between an AITO member and a customer cannot be settled amicably, AITO's low-cost Independent Dispute Settlement Service may be called upon by either side to bring the matter to a speedy and acceptable conclusion. For further information about AITO visit www.aito.com or call 020 8744 9280.
Links to external websites
Throughout the website we provide links to external websites owned by third parties, for example the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and the Department of Health. Please note that such third parties are not ABTA members and that Great Rail Journeys Ltd is not responsible for the content of their sites. For links to each page of this website, see our website sitemap.
Important information about Great Rail Journeys
Head office and contact address:
Great Rail Journeys Ltd
Saviour House
9 St Saviourgate
Tel: 01904 521 936
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Registered in England No: 3208093
VAT Registration No: 870 3844 14
Cancellation & Travel Insurance
We feel that it is essential to have good quality travel insurance in place whenever you venture abroad. We have arranged this unique policy exclusively for clients of Great Rail Journeys through travel specialists Travel & General Insurance Services Limited. Great Rail Journeys Ltd is an appointed representative of Travel & General Insurance Services Ltd, and both companies are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Our registration number is 671295. This policy summary does not contain the full terms and conditions of the cover. Full terms and conditions can be found in the policy document that will be sent with your booking invoice, a copy of which is available in advance upon request.
Premiums per person – for UK destinations
|Age 16-64
|Age 65-69
|Age 70-74
|Age 75-79
|Up to 6 days
|Up to 10 days
|Up to 15 days
|Up to 20 days
|Extra weeks
Premiums per person - for European destinations
|Age 16-64
|Age 65-69
|Age 70-74
|Age 75-79
|Up to 6 days
|Up to 10 days
|Up to 15 days
|Up to 20 days
|Extra weeks
Premiums per person – Worldwide destinations
Worldwide destinations excluding North America (US, Canada & Caribbean)
|Age 16-64
|Age 65-69
|Age 70-74
|Age 75-79
|Up to 11 days
|Up to 18 days
|Up to 25 days
|Extra weeks
Worldwide destinations including North America (US, Canada & Caribbean)
|Age 16-64
|Age 65-69
|Age 70-74
|Age 75-79
|Up to 11 days
|Up to 18 days
|Up to 25 days
|Extra weeks
Premiums shown are based on the schedule of cover below. Should your holiday value exceed the schedule of cover in respect of cancellation, curtailment or abandonment an increased premium will be quoted to you for increased cover including that holiday value. You may choose to accept the standard schedule of cover at a reduced premium but you should be aware that this may not cover the full value of your holiday in the event of cancellation, curtailment or abandonment.
These premiums and cover levels are valid at the time of the brochure going to press but could be subject to change after the date of publication. Premiums inclusive of Insurance Premium Tax at the current rate. Premium is based on age at date of departure. Maximum age at date of departure is 79 - alternative cover for persons aged 80 may be arranged by telephoning Goodtogo on 0330 024 9952.
To be eligible for this insurance you must be a permanent resident of the UK.
Significant or unusual exclusions and limitations
There are some situations which you are not covered for. These generally involve anything you already know about or that is caused by deliberate or careless acts on your part. Full details of these are given in the policy document. Please also see the Important Notes set out below.
Significant features and benefits
Your policy includes the following benefits which are explained in detail in the policy document:
Limits of Cover
1. Cancellation, curtailment
UK/Europe £2,500*
2. Medical expenses
3. Hospital stay benefit (per day)
£1,000 (£50)
|4. Personal accident -
loss of sight, limb(s) or permanent total disablement
maximum payable in the event of death
5. Travel delay (a) after 12 hrs delay (b) each 12 hrs thereafter (c) max
Cancellation due to delayed departure (after 12 hrs)
(a) £50 (b) £50 (c) £250
UK/Europe £2,500*
6. Missed departure
7. Personal effects
8. Personal money
9. Loss of passport
10. Personal liability
11. Legal expenses
|12. Hijack (amount per day)
|£5,000 (£250)
13. Mugging (amount per day as an inpatient)
£500 (£50)
14. Rail cover -
15. Sea and river cruise cover -
*Limit may be increased subject to additional premium **£150 for 64 years and under / £250 for 65 or 65+ years ***Loss of deposit excess is £25
Duration of cover
This policy of insurance will run for the period shown on your Holiday Booking Invoice.
Your right to cancel
You have 14 days from the receipt of your documentation to
cancel your policy if you feel it does not meet your
Customer Service/Making a complaint
Our aim at all times is to provide a first-class standard of service. If you feel this objective has not been achieved and wish to register a complaint, please contact us. Details are shown in the policy.
We are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority Our Registration Number is 488024.
We would like to draw your attention to some important features of your insurance including:
- Insurance document
You should read this document carefully. It gives full details of what is and is not covered and the conditions of the cover, Cover can vary from one policy to another so you should familiarise yourself with this particular insurance.
- Conditions and exclusions
Specific conditions and exclusions apply to individual sections of your insurance, whilst general exclusions and conditions will apply to the whole of your insurance.
- Health
This insurance contains restrictions regarding pre-existing medical problems concerning the health of the people travelling and of other people upon whose health the trip depends. You are advised to read the document carefully.
- Property Claims
These claims are paid based on the value of goods at the time you lose them and not on a 'new for old' replacement cost basis. Deductions will be made in respect of wear, tear and depreciation.
- Limits
This insurance has limits on the amount the insurer will pay under each section. Some sections also include other specific limits, for example, for any one item or for valuables in total.
- Excesses
Under some sections of this insurance, claims will be subject to an excess. This means each person will be responsible for paying the first part of their own claim under each applicable section.
- Reasonable care
You need to take all reasonable care to protect yourself and your property, as you would if you were not insured. Any amounts the insurers will pay for property left unattended in a public place or unattended vehicle is very limited, as specified in the wording.
- Sports and activities
You may not be insured if you are going to take part in sports or activities where there is a generally recognised risk of injury. Please check that this insurance covers you, or ask us.
- Customer service
We always try to provide a high level of service. However, if you think we have not lived up to your expectations, please refer to the wording in the policy which outlines our complaints procedure.
- Cancellation rights
This insurance contains a 14 day 'cooling off' period during which you can return it and get a full refund, providing you have not travelled and there are no claims. We reserve the right to deduct from the rebate of premium the reasonable costs incurred in processing the original sale and cancellation. Please note cancellation rights do not apply if your contract is a short term insurance of less than one month duration.
- Fraudulent claims
It is a criminal offence to make a fraudulent claim.
Please consider these questions very carefully in
relation to yourself and your travelling companions insured by
An insurance policy can only provide cover in respect of an event/occurrence which is sudden, unforeseen and beyond Your reasonable control. Any facts known to You, which could possibly result in you having to make a claim, must be disclosed to Us otherwise You may not be covered. In addition, anyone named under the policy must have read and understood the following relating to Pre-Existing Medical Conditions:
Information you need to tell us
There is certain information that we need to know as it may affect the terms of the insurance cover we can offer you. You must, to the best of your knowledge, give accurate answers to the questions we ask when you buy your travel insurance policy. If you do not answer the questions truthfully it could result in your policy being invalid and could mean that all or part of a claim may not be paid. If you think you may have given us any incorrect answers or if you want any help, please contact Healthcheck on 0844 8262719 as soon as possible and we will be able to tell you if we can still offer you cover.
Please note
You are not covered for any directly or indirectly related claims if at the time this insurance was arranged and each time you make arrangements for a trip:
- you or your travelling companions are planning to travel against the advice of a medical practitioner, or
- you or your travelling companions are travelling specifically to seek, or you know you will need, medical treatment while you are away, or
- you or your travelling companions are on a waiting list for treatment or investigation, or
- you, your travelling companions or any non-travellers have been given a terminal diagnosis.
Definition of pre-existing medical
Any condition that has required referral to or consultation with a specialist clinic or hospital for treatment, tests or investigation within the 12 months prior to:
1. the date that this insurance was arranged,
2. the date that you subsequently made arrangements for a trip (if this is an annual multi-trip policy), or
3. the date that you extended the original period of insurance, whichever is the latest.
- Door to door luggage service
- UK rail connections
- London Hotels
- Heathrow Airport parking, hotel and airport lounge package
- Travelling on Eurostar
- Joining Eurostar at Ebbsfleet International
- Joining Eurostar at Ashford International
- Extending your European holiday
- Worldwide tour extension packages
- Independent extensions
- Back to Back Holidays
Before you leave home
Imagine being able to travel incredibly light to your destination, without having to even think about your bag... We are delighted to be able to recommend a service which collects your baggage from your home prior to your departure on one of our tours and delivers it to destination before you arrive, enabling you to enjoy a relaxed journey without carrying your suitcases!Door to door luggage service
Great Rail Journeys is pleased to provide the GRJ Luggage Concierge Service - supported by our partner Baggage Man, a company with many years' experience transporting customers' baggage around Europe. They understand that where your holiday is concerned, nothing is more important than your baggage. They work in partnership with the world's most respected transport specialists and are delighted to offer a service tailor made for the needs of a modern traveller.
How does it work?
The Baggage Man simply take the hard work out of carrying and transporting your baggage whilst on your journey, allowing you to enjoy your trip safe in the knowledge that your bags will be waiting for you at your destination. Customers who have a one-night stop en route to their destination choose to travel with a small overnight bag and send their main bag on ahead. For cruise holidays, they pick up your luggage and deliver it directly to your cruise ship. When your holiday is at an end, leave your luggage behind and it will be safely collected and delivered to you only a few days later.
How much does it cost?
|Number of cases
|European Cruises
|1 case
|from £85 return
|from £115 return
|from £160 return
|from £185 return
|2 cases
|from £115 return
|from £195 return
|from £260 return
|from £280 return
*excluding Switzerland and European cruises
- Prices are based on a suitcase weighing less than 20kg.
- If your tour stays at more than one hotel, your cases will be delivered to your first main hotel and picked up from the last main hotel. You will still be responsible for your cases on all intermediate journeys.
For further information about The Baggage Man service,
please contact a member of the Great Rail Journeys' team on 01904 521 936.
Joining your holiday
We appreciate that many of our customers travel from a variety of places in the UK to London to join our European and Worldwide tours, some more distant than others. As our European tours generally commence at St Pancras International during the morning of the first day, it is often more convenient to make your way to London the previous day, so you are fresh and rested before joining your tour. Why not let us make it easy for you by booking rail tickets to London and an overnight hotel near St Pancras International? Most of our Worldwide holidays depart London Heathrow - similarly, we can assist with rail travel from your home station to the airport and an airport hotel - as well as airport parking, should you choose to travel to Heathrow by car.UK rail connections
Buying tickets for UK train services can be a tricky business - there are so many fares to choose from, each with different rules and restrictions. As you are connecting with an international departure, we strongly recommend that you book a fully flexible ticket to ensure that should the departure times for your holiday change, your rail ticket can allow for these changes.
We can book fully-flexible UK rail tickets from your local station to join your holiday whether this be a European holiday from St Pancras, a Worldwide holiday from Heathrow or a UK holiday. There are a number of benefits of booking your UK rail tickets with us:
- Competitive prices representing excellent value: save up to 50% on standard open fares
- Fully flexible open return ticets, valid on any train
- We make seat reservations on your behalf (where available)
- First Class upgrades from £30 per person
For an up to date quote from your local station, please ask one of our Tour Advisors.
- We are unable to offer London Underground tickets or passes and your rail tickets will be valid to and from the nearest main London station on your route.
- We will issue tickets once payment has been received. Once issued, any changes to the tickets will be subject to a £5 per ticket charge. Cancellation of the ticket is subject to full cancellation charge (100% of ticket cost).
- Tickets will be sent to you along with your travel documents which will be sent approximately 10-14 days prior to departure.
We must stress that we cannot accept any responsibility or liability for any late running trains and missed connections in the UK.Exclusive Rail & Hotel Offer
To make the most of your holiday why not book our Rail & Hotel offer, exclusive to Great Rail Journeys.
Simply choose when you want to travel to London, the zone where you will depart from and which day you want to stay at the hotel.
Our UK Rail and hotel offer will stay at the 3-star superior Ambassador Hotel in Bloomsbury. The 3-star superior Ambassador Hotel is ideally located in Bloomsbury, central London, just a 10 minute walk from St Pancras International, and is the perfect location for exploring some of London's most popular attractions. The hotel has a restaurant serving delicious fresh Italian food and a bar. Your stay here also includes a full breakfast. Rail & Hotel offer from £61 per person. Further nights are available, call for details.
Hotel only stays from £57 per person
Spending a night in London before your tour can make such a
difference to the first day of your holiday - you can arrive in the
capital in good time, relaxed and ready to join your Tour Manager
the next morning. You may even want to take in a show on the West
End, or dine in one of London's famous restaurants. Perhaps on your
return to London, you would like to break your journey with an
overnight stay before continuing home.
We are able to book a wide range of hotels in central London or, for our holidays beginning with a flight, at Heathrow, Gatwick or Manchester Airport for the night before or after your holiday. The hotels listed below are some of the more popular hotels our customers book in Central London, others are available on request.
|Weekday room rate
|Weekend room rate
|Pullman London St Pancras
|From £240
|From £220
|Comfort Inn Kings Cross
|From £140
|From £140
|President Hotel
|From £110
|From £110
- The prices above are from prices and are per room per night based on 2 sharing a twin/double room, subject to availability.
- Prices may change without prior notice.
- Booking conditions apply.
For more information, see our page on London hotels.
Alternatively, if you wish to discuss your plans with a member of
our team - or request a quote for your particular holiday - please
contact us on 01904 521 936.
If you're embarking on one of our holidays departing London Heathrow, you may decide that you would prefer to drive to the airport rather than travel by train. If this is the case, you may be interested in our complete package of parking, a hotel room at a Heathrow Airport hotel and airport lounge access. The package includes:
- An overnight stay at the 4-star Sheraton Skyline Hotel, situated just minutes away from Heathrow Airport and with a regular coach service connecting you to the terminals.
- Parking in the hotel's on-site car park.
- Access to the airport lounge in either Terminals 1 or 3, with free newspapers, drinks, snacks and free Wi-Fi.
For further information and up to date prices, see our page on our airport hotel, parking and lounge package. Alternatively, if you wish to discuss the package in more detail - or enquire about similar arrangements at Manchester Airport - please contact us on 01904 521 936.
It's not just London that can boast direct links to the
Continent. Travellers from the South of England can also connect to
the Eurostar at Ebbsfleet International, which is conveniently
situated close to the M25 and other major road links, and has lots
of parking spaces. For travellers who wish to avoid London,
departing from Ebbsfleet International can get your holiday off to
a hassle-free start.
Unfortunately not all Eurostar services to and from St Pancras International stop at Ebbsfleet International. Those people travelling from Ebbsfleet may have to travel on an earlier train from the group who depart from St Pancras International and meet them in Paris or Brussels. A Rail Variation Fee of £25 per person will applicable in this instance as we have to purchase an individual ticket for you.
- By train: Southeastern have launched their Kent Highspeed trains which now call at Ebbsfleet International.
- By car: Located less than 3 miles from Junction 2 of the M25, and very close to the other major road links of the M2, M20 and A2, you will fi nd this station easy to reach by car.
- Secure parking facilities: There is ample parking around the station complex, charged from £8.00 per day or £37 per week. Pre booking is available by visiting www.eurostar.com (You will require a Eurostar booking reference to pre-book parking, call our Customer Services team to obtain your reference).
This Kent station offers a handy, time-saving alternative to travelling up to London for many people departing from South or South-East England. As at Ebbsfleet, a variation fee will be levied against you. Contact our Customer Services team for more details if you would like to join your tour at Ashford.
- By train: Ashford International is served by local rail services from Kent and East Sussex provided by Southeastern and Southern Railway.
- By car: Ashford International is located less than 10 minutes from junction 10 of the M20 (A20), and is easily reached from the M25.
- Secure parking facilities: The station also offers secure parking facilities with charges starting as low as £1 for up to 1 hour (short stay), £4.50 for up to 5 hours or £11.50 for up to 24 hours. Alternatively you can buy a weekly ticket for £69. No pre-booking is required for these parking services.
Before or after your European tour, you can choose to extend your holiday; we'll happily arrange the details for you. Many of our holidays travel out via Paris, Cologne or Brussels or include a final stopover in these cities en route to London. Whether you simply want to stay for a few more days at the end of the tour or travel ahead of the main group for a few days' sightseeing, we are able to make all of the necessary arrangements including alternative trains and quality hotel accommodation.
Stay at the Mercure Hotel Terminus Nord, located opposite Paris Gare du Nord - the arrival station for Eurostar - and spend the evening wandering along the Champs-Élysées, and dine in one of the many terrific Parisian restaurants.
If you're extending the start of your holiday with us, you can wake up the next morning refreshed, enjoying a leisurely breakfast as you wait for the rest of the group to make their way from London.
The Mercure Terminus Nord
This 3-star hotel is full of character, in an exceptional location facing the Gare du Nord station. Bedrooms are well equipped with en suite bathroom, safe, hairdryer, satellite and pay TV as well as direct dial telephone. Decorated in typical Parisian style, the public rooms, including the bar, reflect the hotel's high standard.
An absolute favourite with Great Rail Journeys customers, Cologne is a terrific city in which to extend your holiday. Find a restaurant for your evening meal from one of the many excellent places in the city, or spend the evening in one of the local 'bierkellers', savouring the local atmosphere, bratwurst, and sauerkraut!
You could stay at either the Wyndham Cologne or the TRYP by Wyndham Cologne City Centre, both located only a short walk from the railway station. Spend the morning exploring this wonderful city - with its magnificent Gothic Cathedral and beautiful Old Town. If you're extending the start of your holiday, arrange to meet the group and Tour Manager later in the day, after they have made their way from London.
Wyndham Cologne/TRYP by Wyndham Cologne City
Both the The Wyndham Cologne and the TRYP by Wyndham Cologne City Centre are well appointed 4-star hotels with a bar, lounge and restaurant. Room facilities include en suite bathroom, tea and coffee making facilities (available on request), minibar with free soft drinks, cable TV, hairdryer and telephone. A laundry service is available at both hotels.
Only 2 hours away by Eurostar, Brussels offers a charming alternative to a night in London. Visit the Grand Place, one of Europe's most beautiful squares, and find the perfect restaurant for your dinner.
You could stay at the Park Inn Hotel, located next to the Brussels Midi Railway station. If you're extending the start of your holiday, wake up the next morning, enjoy a relaxed breakfast in the hotel, and await the rest of the group's arrival.
Park Inn Hotel
Conveniently located between the Grand Place and Brussels-Midi Eurostar terminal, the Park Inn Hotel is an ideal place to stay and explore Brussels. The spacious rooms include a hairdryer, cable TV and a safe. The hotel restaurant offers buffet and a la carte dining, and the hotel piano bar is a perfect place to relax on an evening.
Extending your Worldwide holiday
When you plan your long-haul holiday, take time to consider the attractions, sights and exciting possibilities on offer in the country and regions you are choosing to visit. Our holidays are designed to include as much as possible during your time away from home. We create balanced itineraries which include an exciting programme of excursions and sightseeing tours, as well as free time for you to explore at leisure - plus time for you to relax and feel like you are on holiday! However, there are often places, sights and excursions which we simply cannot fit into the itinerary. At the beginning or end of your tour, we are able to arrange extensions which give you the chance to experience sights you may otherwise have missed.Worldwide tour extension packages
We offer a fantastic range of extensions for many of our Worldwide tours departing 2015 and 2016. Details of the tour extensions available for a particular tour may be found by clicking on the 'Tour Extensions' button on the tour page, but here is a taster of the kind of things we offer.
Please note, this is just a small selection of the tour extension packages we are able to offer you. To see the full selection of tour extensions available on your chosen tour, please visit the tour page and click on 'Tour Extensions'.Independent extensions
If you would like to create a comprehensive and detailed holiday extension yourself, our Travel Experts at Great Rail Journeys - Tailormade by Great Rail Journeys - can help you arrange everything you need from internal flights and rail travel to hotel bookings, exciting excursions, meals and visas. You set the budget, you tell us where you want to go and our Tailormade Travel Experts will do the rest.Back to Back Holidays
Occasionally, our customers like to connect two Great Rail Journeys holidays together to create an extended 'back to back' holiday. This works particularly well in the southern hemisphere, linking tours to New Zealand and Australia, for example. Our Tour Advisors can look into the practicalities involved in putting two tours together, detailing how we can marry the two tours and outlining the related costs and implications.
For more information about any of our Add-ons, call a member of our team on 01904 521936
Terms & Conditions
The following booking conditions together with the 'Things You Should Know' section and any other written information we brought to your attention before we confirmed your booking, form the basis of your contract with Great Rail Journeys Limited trading as Great Rail Journeys, Rail Discoveries and GRJ (Independent), of Saviour House, 9 St. Saviourgate, York, YO1 8NL ("we" or "us"). Please read them carefully as they set out our respective rights and obligations. By asking us to confirm your booking, we are entitled to assume that you have read these booking conditions and agree to them. References to "you" and "your" means all persons named on the booking (including anyone who is added or substituted at a later date), or any of them as applicable. References to "holiday", "booking", "tour" or "arrangements" means the holiday arrangements which we agree to make, provide or perform (as applicable) as part of our contract with you, unless otherwise stated.
By making a booking, the first named person on the booking ("party leader") agrees on behalf of all persons detailed on the booking that:
- He/she has read these terms and conditions and has the authority to and does agree to be bound by them;
- He/she consents to our use of information in accordance with our Privacy Policy;
- He/she is over 18 years of age and where placing an order for services with age restrictions declares that he/she and all members of the party are of the appropriate age to purchase those services; and
- He/she accepts financial responsibility for payment of the booking on behalf of all persons named on the booking.
Conditions of website use
1. Making your booking
You may book with us by telephone, online or via one of our authorised travel agents. Once we (or your authorised travel agent) have received all appropriate payments, we will, subject to availability, confirm your holiday over the telephone (where you or your travel agent make the booking by telephone) or by e-mailing or otherwise sending a booking confirmation letter/invoice to the party leader. We reserve the right to return your deposit and decline to issue a confirmation at our absolute discretion. Where you book through one of our authorised travel agents, the booking confirmation letter/invoice and all other communications will be sent to your agent and you should also contact us through the agent. Alternatively, you can book online via our website in which case your holiday booking will be acknowledged by e-mail and a booking confirmation letter/invoice will follow. The acknowledgement of your booking is not a confirmation of it and does not create a legally binding contract. A binding contract between you and us only comes into existence once we have issued you with a booking confirmation that will confirm the details of your booking and will be sent to you or your travel agent. All references in these booking conditions to the confirmation of your booking means the booking confirmation letter/invoice. A provisional booking can be made by phone but you must send the applicable payment within 7 days, or the provisional booking will automatically lapse.
If your confirmed arrangements include a flight, we (or if you booked via an authorised agent of ours, that agent) will also issue you with an ATOL Certificate. Upon receipt, if you believe that any details on the ATOL Certificate or booking confirmation or any other document are wrong you must advise us immediately as changes cannot be made later and it may harm your rights if we are not notified of any inaccuracies in any document within ten days of our sending it out (five days for tickets). We will do our best to rectify any mistake notified to us outside these time limits but you must meet any costs involved in doing so. The only exception to this requirement to meet costs is where the mistake in question was made by us and there is good reason why you did not tell us about it within these time limits.
2. Payment
You are required to send us the appropriate deposit per person (as detailed on the relevant tour page) or full payment if booking within 60 days of departure (90 days for cruise and private train holidays) and all applicable insurance premiums (if our insurance is required) at the time of booking. In addition to the deposit applicable to the holiday, a further additional deposit is required of a minimum of 20% of the additional cost for any booking variations including flight and hotel upgrades and holiday extensions. Please note, deposits and all additional deposits are not refundable except where expressly stated in these booking conditions. The balance of the cost of your holiday must be paid no less than 60 days before departure (90 days for cruise and private train holidays). If you are paying by credit card, a charge of 2% will apply (no charge will be applied for payments made by cheque or debit cards). If a cheque payment is declined by your bank for any reason, an administration charge of £30 will be made. If you return your payment counterfoil before the date that payment is due, this authorises us to take payment early. If we do not receive all payments in full and on time, we are entitled to assume that you wish to cancel your booking. In this case, we will be entitled to keep all deposits paid or due at that date. If we do not cancel straight away because you have promised to make payment, you must pay the cancellation charges shown in clause 7 depending on the date we reasonably treat your booking as cancelled.
Except for flight inclusive bookings, all monies you pay to one of our authorised travel agents for your holiday with us will be held by the agent on your behalf until a contract between us comes into existence. After that point, your agent will hold the monies on our behalf until they are paid to us. For flight inclusive bookings, all monies paid to any authorised travel agent of ours for your holiday with us will be held on behalf of and for the benefit of the Trustees of the Air Travel Trust subject to the travel agent's obligation to pay such monies to us in accordance with our trading terms unless we fail. In the unlikely event of our financial failure, all monies then held by the travel agent or subsequently paid by you to the travel agent will be held by the agent on behalf of and for the benefit of the Trustees of the Air Travel Trust without any obligation on the agent to pay such monies to us.
3. Your contract
English law (and no other) will apply to your contract and to any dispute, claim or other matter of any description which arises between us ("claim") except as set out below. We both also agree that any claim (and whether or not involving any personal injury) must be dealt with under the ABTA or AITO Arbitration Schemes (if the Scheme is available for the claim in question - see clause 12) or by the Courts of England and Wales only unless, in the case of Court proceedings, you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland. In this case, proceedings must either be brought in the Courts of your home country or those of England and Wales. If proceedings are brought in Scotland or Northern Ireland, you may choose to have your contract and any claim governed by the law of Scotland or Northern Ireland as applicable (but if you do not so choose, English law will apply).
4. Holiday prices
Please note changes and errors occasionally occur. We reserve the right to increase/decrease and correct errors in advertised prices at any time before your holiday is confirmed. Before you make a booking, we will give you the basic price for your chosen holiday. You should check all details before you make your booking. Upgrades, holiday extensions or any other variation which you have requested are on a request basis with our suppliers and subject to availability, and prices for these will only be confirmed once the prices and availability has been confirmed by our suppliers. For all holidays, once you have accepted the basic price and a booking has been confirmed, that price is fully guaranteed and will not be subject to any surcharges.
5. Suitability of the Tour and behaviour
We reserve the right in our absolute discretion to terminate without prior notice the holiday arrangements of any customer whose behaviour is such that it causes or is likely to cause, in our reasonable opinion, or in the opinion of any Tour Manager or any other person in authority, distress, damage, danger or significant annoyance to any third party, or damage to property. In these circumstances all our obligations to you under our contract or otherwise will cease, full cancellation charges will apply and we will not be liable for any refund, compensation or costs incurred by you whatsoever. Our tours can be physically demanding and we also reserve the right to terminate your holiday where, in the reasonable opinion of any person in authority (including office staff or your Tour Manager when you join your holiday), your physical condition means you are unable or likely to be unable to cope with the tour or to experience significant difficulties in doing so. It is your responsibility to disclose an accurate account of your mobility and all other relevant information relating to your health and fitness at the time of booking. You must advise us of any change to your level of mobility or health and fitness between booking your holiday and departing on your tour. Please also see also clause 14.
6. Alterations to your booking
Please notify us in writing if circumstances arise whereby you wish to transfer to another available holiday in this brochure or on our website, depart on a different date or make other alterations to your confirmed holiday. Any alterations requested 60 days or more (90 days or more for cruise and private train holidays) prior to departure will be subject to a minimum alteration fee of £40 per person together with costs or charges incurred or imposed by any of our suppliers. Any alteration to your booking requested less than 60 days (90 days for cruise and private train holidays) prior to departure will be regarded as a cancellation and cancellation charges as set out in clause 7 will be payable. Name changes can be made up to 21 days prior to departure for an alteration fee of £40 per person together with any costs or charges incurred or imposed by any of our suppliers. You should be aware that these costs could increase the closer to the departure date that changes are made and you should contact us as soon as possible.
Note: Certain arrangements, such as low-cost flight bookings, may not be amended after they have been confirmed and any alteration could incur a cancellation charge of up to 100% of that part of the arrangements.
Transfer of Booking: If any member of your party is prevented from travelling, that person(s) may transfer their place to someone else (introduced by you and satisfying all the conditions applicable to the arrangements) providing we are notified not less than 28 days before departure and you pay an amendment fee of £40 per person transferring, meet all costs and charges incurred by us and/or incurred or imposed by any of our suppliers and the transferee agrees to these booking conditions and all other terms of the contract between us. If you are unable to find a replacement, cancellation charges as set out will apply in order to cover our estimated costs. Otherwise, no refunds will be given for passengers not travelling or for unused services.
7. Cancellation by you
Should you wish to cancel your holiday, notice can be given verbally but must be followed up in writing by the party leader. Your notice of cancellation will only take effect when it is received in writing by us. Since we incur costs in cancelling your arrangements, you will be required to pay the applicable cancellation charges up to the maximum shown below. The amount of the cancellation fee depends upon the date when the written notice of cancellation is received by us. Where the cancellation charge is shown as a percentage, this is calculated on the basis of the total cost payable by the person(s) cancelling, excluding insurance premiums arranged through us and amendment charges which are not normally refundable. The scale of cancellation charges is as follows:
Cruise & Private Train holidays
All other holidays
91 days or earlier
Loss of deposit*
Loss of deposit*
From 61 to 90 days
45% of final invoice
Loss of deposit*
From 41 to 60 days
60% of final invoice
35% of final invoice
From 28 to 40 days
75% of final invoice
60% of final invoice
From 14 to 27 days
90% of final invoice
85% of final invoice
13 days or less prior to departure
100% of final balance
100% of final balance
*Loss of Deposit means the loss of the full brochure deposit amount, including the outstanding balance of any 'low deposit' payment you have made, and includes loss of any additional deposit paid for holiday variations and holiday extensions as referred to in clause 2.
We will deduct the cancellation charge(s) from any monies you have already paid to us.
Depending on the reason for cancellation, you may be able to reclaim these cancellation charges (less any applicable excess) under the terms of your insurance policy. Claims must be made directly to the insurance company concerned. Where any cancellation reduces the number of full paying party members below the number on which the price, or any concessions agreed for your booking were based, we will recalculate these items and re-invoice you accordingly. Any such additional costs are not cancellation charges.
Note: Certain arrangements may not be amended after they have been confirmed and any alteration or cancellation could incur a cancellation charge of up to 100% of that part of the arrangements in addition to the charge above.
8. Charges and cancellations by us
We start planning the holidays we offer many months in advance and occasionally, we have to correct errors and/or make changes to the information contained in our brochures, our website and other details, both before and after bookings have been confirmed, and also cancel confirmed bookings (which would for the avoidance of doubt expressly include any variations or extensions booked by you and which are part of the package and your confirmed booking).Whilst we always endeavour to avoid changes and cancellations, we must reserve the right to do so.
Minor Changes by Us: A minor change is any change which is not a significant change as referred to below.
Significant Changes by Us: A significant change is any change which, taking account of the information you have given us at the time of booking or which we can reasonably be expected to know as a tour operator, we could reasonably expect to have a significant effect on your confirmed holiday. Occasionally, we have to make a "significant change" before departure such as a change of accommodation to that of a lower official classification or standard for the whole or a major part of the time you are away, a change of accommodation area for the whole or a major part of the time you are away, a change of outward departure time or overall length of time you are away of twelve or more hours, a change of UK departure point to one which is significantly more inconvenient for you or a significant change of itinerary missing out one or more major destination substantially or altogether.
Cancellations by Us: All our escorted holidays are organised on the basis of a minimum number of clients (usually 15). In the unlikely event the holiday (which would include any individually purchased variations or extensions), has to be cancelled because of insufficient numbers, you will be informed at least 60 days (90 days for cruise and private train holidays) prior to departure.
If we have to make a significant change or cancel, we will tell you as soon as possible and if there is time to do so before departure, we will offer you the choice of the following options:
a) accepting the changed arrangements; or
b) purchasing an alternative holiday from us, of a similar standard to that originally booked if available. We will offer you at least one alternative holiday of equivalent or higher standard for which you will not be asked to pay any more than the price of the original holiday. If this holiday is in fact cheaper than the original one, we will refund the price difference. If you do not wish to accept the holiday we specifically offer you, you may choose any of our other, then available, holidays. You must pay the applicable price of any such holiday. This will mean you paying more if it is more expensive or receiving a refund if it is cheaper; or
c) cancelling or accepting the cancellation in which case you will receive a full refund of all monies you have paid to us (including, where appropriate, the price paid for any holiday extensions or additional service purchased from us and included in your package).
Please note the above options are not available where any change made is a minor one.
If we have to make a significant change or cancel before departure we will, where appropriate, pay you reasonable compensation depending on the circumstances and when the significant change or cancellation is notified to you. We will also, where appropriate, pay you any reasonable proven costs and expenses you incur as a result of a cancellation or significant change.Please note: where accommodation with a higher price than the original accommodation is offered by us and accepted by you, the difference in price will be deducted from any compensation payable. In no case will we pay compensation if accommodation is offered by us and accepted by you with a higher price than that originally booked in the same location where no additional payment is made by you.
Compensation will not, however, be payable and no liability, beyond offering the above mentioned choices, can be accepted where:
a) we are forced to make a change or cancel as a result of unusual and unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control, the consequences of which we could not have avoided even with all due care; or
b) we have to cancel because the minimum number of client bookings required to run your holiday has not been reached and we have notified you at least 60 days (90 days for cruise and private train holidays) before departure; or
c) we cancel as a result of your failure to comply with any requirement of these booking conditions entitling us to cancel (such as paying on time).
In any of the circumstances referred to above we will not therefore be liable for the cost of any service (such as, but not limited to, flights, hotels and connecting rail travel) which is purchased in connection with any holiday but which is not booked through us, or for any related expenses such as cancellation charges or amendment fees for any service which cannot be used or has to be cancelled or amended as a result of our having to cancel or make a significant change to any holiday.
Very rarely, we may be obliged as a result of "force majeure" (see clause 9) to change or terminate your holiday after departure but before the scheduled end of your time away. This is extremely unlikely but if this situation does occur, we regret we will be unable to make any refunds (unless we obtain any refunds from our suppliers), pay you any compensation or meet any costs or expenses you incur as a result.
If we become unable to provide a significant proportion of the services that you have booked with us after you have departed, we will make alternative arrangements for you at no extra charge and, if appropriate in all the circumstances, will pay you reasonable compensation.
9. Force majeure
Except where otherwise expressly stated in these booking conditions, we regret we cannot accept liability or pay any compensation where the performance or prompt performance of our obligations under our contract with you is prevented or affected by or you otherwise suffer any damage or loss (as more fully described in clause 10(2) below) as a result of "force majeure". In these booking conditions, "force majeure" means any event which we or the supplier of the service(s) in question could not, even with all due care, foresee or avoid. Such events are likely to include (whether actual or threatened) war, riot, civil strife, terrorist activity, industrial dispute, natural or nuclear disaster, adverse weather conditions, fire, epidemic, closure of rail lines, stations, airports or airspace and all similar events outside our or our suppliers' control. Advice from the Foreign Office to avoid or leave a particular country may constitute force majeure.
10. Our liability to you
(1) We will accept responsibility for the arrangements we agree to provide or arrange for you as an "organiser" under the Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992 as set out below. Subject to these booking conditions, if we or our suppliers negligently perform or arrange the services which we are obliged to provide for you under our contract with you, as set out on your confirmation invoice, we will pay you reasonable compensation. The level of such compensation will be calculated taking into consideration all relevant factors such as but not limited to, following the complaints procedure as described in these conditions and the extent to which ours or our employees' or suppliers' negligence affected the overall enjoyment of your holiday. Please note that it is your responsibility to show that we or our supplier(s) have been negligent if you wish to make a claim against us.
(2) We will not be responsible for any injury, illness, death, loss (including loss of possessions and loss of enjoyment), damage, expense, cost or other sum or claim of any description whatsoever which results from any of the following:
a) the act(s) and/or omission(s) of the person(s) affected or any member(s) of their party
b) the act(s) and/or omission(s) of a third party not connected with the provision of your holiday and which were unforeseeable or unavoidable or
c) "force majeure" as defined in clause 9 above.
(3) Please note we cannot accept responsibility for any services which do not form part of our contract. This includes, for example, any additional services or facilities which your hotel or any other supplier agrees to provide for you where the services or facilities are not advertised in our brochure or on our website and we have not agreed to arrange them as part of our contract and any excursion you purchase during your holiday. Please also see clause 15 "Excursions, Activities and Brochure/Website Information".
(4) We limit the amount of compensation we may have to pay you if we are found liable under this clause as follows:
(a) Loss of and/or damage to any luggage or personal possessions and money:
The maximum amount we will have to pay you in respect of these claims is an amount equivalent to the excess on your insurance policy which applies to this type of loss per person in total because you are assumed to have adequate insurance in place to cover any losses of this kind.
(b) Claims not falling under (a) above and which don't involve injury, illness or death:
The maximum amount we will have to pay you in respect of these claims is twice the price paid by or on behalf of the person(s) affected in total. This maximum amount will only be payable where everything has gone wrong and you or your party has not received any benefit at all from your booking.
(c) Claims in respect of international travel by air, sea and rail, or any stay in a hotel:
i) The extent of our liability will in all cases be limited as if we were carriers under the appropriate Conventions, which include The Warsaw/Montreal Convention (international travel by air); The Athens Convention (with respect to sea travel); The Berne/Cotif Convention (with respect to rail travel) and The Paris Convention (with respect to hotel arrangements). You can ask for copies of these Conventions from our offices. In addition, you agree that the operating carrier or transport company's own 'Conditions of Carriage' will apply to you on that journey. When arranging transportation for you, we rely on the terms and conditions contained within these international conventions and those 'Conditions of Carriage'. You acknowledge that all of the terms and conditions contained in those 'Conditions of Carriage' form part of your contract with us, as well as with the transport company and that those 'Conditions of Carriage' shall be deemed to be included by reference into this contract.
ii) In any circumstances in which a carrier is liable to you by virtue of the Denied Boarding Regulation 2004, any liability we may have to you under our contract with you, arising out of the same facts, is limited to the remedies provided under the Regulation as if (for this purpose only) we were a carrier.
iii) When making any payment, we are entitled to deduct any money which you have received or are entitled to receive from the transport provider or hotelier for the complaint or claim in question.
(5) Please note, we cannot accept any liability for any damage, loss, expense or other sum(s) of any nature or description (a) which on the basis of the information given to us by you concerning your booking prior to our accepting it, we could not have foreseen you would suffer or incur if we breached our contract with you or (b) which did not result from any breach of contract or other fault by ourselves or our employees or, where we are responsible for them, our suppliers. Additionally we cannot accept liability for any business losses or expenses including, without limitation, self-employed loss of earnings.
11. Complaints and problems
In the unlikely event that you have any reason to complain or experience any problems with your holiday whilst away, you must immediately inform your Tour Manager and the supplier of the service(s) in question. Any verbal notification must be put in writing and given to your Tour Manager and the supplier as soon as possible. Until we know about a problem or complaint, we cannot begin to resolve it. Most problems can be dealt with quickly. If you remain dissatisfied, however, you must write to us within 28 days of your return to the UK giving your booking reference and full details of your complaint. Only the party leader should write to us. If you fail to follow this simple complaints procedure, your right to claim the compensation you may otherwise have been entitled to may be affected or even lost as a result.
Please note that we do offer an Alternative Dispute Resolution service, through our ABTA membership. Please see clause 12 for further details.
12. Arbitration
We are a Member of ABTA, membership number V2170. We are obliged to maintain a high standard of service to you by ABTA's Code of Conduct. We can also offer you ABTA's scheme for the resolution of disputes which is approved by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute. If we can't resolve your complaint, go to www.abta.com to use ABTA's simple procedure. Further information on the Code and ABTA's assistance in resolving disputes can be found on www.abta.com. You can also access the European Commission Online Dispute (ODR) Resolution platform at http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr/. This ODR platform is a means of registering your complaint with us; it will not determine how your complaint should be resolved.
13. Conditions of suppliers
Many of the services which make up your holiday are provided by independent suppliers. Those suppliers provide these services in accordance with their own terms and conditions. Some of these terms and conditions may limit or exclude the supplier's liability to you, usually in accordance with applicable international conventions or EU regulations (see clause 10(4) (c)). Copies of the relevant parts of these terms and conditions are available on request from us or the supplier concerned.
14. Special requests and medical conditions/disabilities
If you have any special request, you must advise us in writing at the time of booking. Although we will endeavour to pass any reasonable requests on to the relevant supplier, we regret we cannot guarantee any request will be met unless we have specifically confirmed this. For your own protection, you should obtain confirmation in writing from us that your request will be complied with (where it is possible for us to give this) if your request is important to you. Confirmation that a special request has been noted or passed on to the supplier or the inclusion of the special request on your confirmation letter/invoice or any other documentation is not confirmation that the request will be met. Unless and until specifically confirmed, all special requests are subject to availability. We regret we cannot accept any conditional bookings, i.e. any booking which is specified to be conditional on the fulfilment of a particular request.
All such bookings will be treated as "standard" bookings subject to the above provisions on special requests. If you have any medical condition or disability which may affect your holiday or any health, fitness or mobility concerns which may affect your ability to cope with the tour, please give us full details before you confirm your booking so that we can advise as to the suitability of the chosen arrangements. We may require you to produce a doctor's certificate certifying that you are fit to participate in the tour. Acting reasonably, if we are unable to properly accommodate the needs of the person(s) concerned, we will not confirm your booking or if you did not give us full details at the time of booking, we will cancel it and impose applicable cancellation charges when we become aware of these details.
You must also advise us as soon as possible of any change in any disability or medical condition or your health, fitness or mobility or if any medical condition or disability which may affect your holiday develops after your booking has been confirmed. Please also see clause 5.
15. Excursions, activities and brochure/website information
The information contained in our brochure and on our website is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of the brochure going to print or at the time of publication on our website. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the brochure and prices at the time of printing or publication, regrettably errors do occasionally occur. You must therefore ensure you check all details of your chosen holiday (including the price) with us at the time of booking.
We may provide you with information (in our brochure, on our website and/or when you are on holiday) about activities and excursions which are available in the area you are visiting but cannot be pre-booked with us or otherwise purchased via ourselves. We have no involvement in any such activities or excursions which are not run, supervised, controlled, inspected or endorsed in any way by us. They are provided by local operators or other third parties who are entirely independent of us. They do not form any part of your contract with us even where we or your Tour Manager suggest particular operators/other third parties and/or assist you in booking such activities or excursions in any way. We cannot accept any liability on any basis in relation to such activities or excursions and the acceptance of liability contained in clause 10(1) of our booking conditions will not apply to them. We do not however exclude liability for the negligence of ourselves or our employees resulting in your death or personal injury. We cannot guarantee accuracy at all times of information given in relation to such activities or excursions or about the area(s) you are visiting generally (except where this concerns the services which will form part of your contract) or that any particular excursion or activity which does not form part of our contract will take place as these services are not under our control. If you feel that any of the activities or excursions mentioned in our brochure or on our website which are not part of our contract are vital to the enjoyment of your holiday, write to us immediately and we will tell you the latest known situation.
If we become aware of any material alterations to destination/area information and/or such outside activities or excursions which can be reasonably expected to affect your decision to book a holiday with us, we will pass on this information at the time of booking.
16. Flights
In accordance with EU Directive (EC) No 2111/2005, we are required to bring your attention the existence of a "Community List" which contains details of air carriers that are subject to an operating ban within the EU Community. The Community List is available for inspection at http://ec.europa.eu/transport/air-ban/list_en.htm. We are also required to advise you of the carrier(s) or, if the carrier(s) is not known, the likely carrier(s) that will operate your flight(s) at the time of booking. Where we are only able to inform you of the likely carrier(s) at the time of booking, we will inform you of the identity of the actual carrier(s) as soon as we become aware of this. Any change to the operating carrier(s) and/or flight routings (including indirect routings) after your booking has been confirmed will be notified to you as soon as possible. We are not always in a position at the time of booking to confirm flight routings and/or flight timings. Where flight routings and/or flight timings are given at the time of booking or detailed on your confirmation letter/invoice these are for guidance only and are subject to alteration and confirmation. The latest timings will be shown on your itinerary which will be dispatched to you approximately 10 days prior to departure. You must accordingly check your tickets very carefully immediately on receipt to ensure you have the correct flight times. It is possible that flight times may be changed even after tickets have been dispatched. We will contact you as soon as possible if this occurs. Any change in the identity of the carrier(s), flight timings, routings (including a change from direct to indirect routings) and/or aircraft type (if given) will not entitle you to cancel or change to other arrangements without paying our normal charges except where specified in these conditions. Regardless of any information given in good faith, operational changes may be made by an airline at any point and we cannot be responsible for these. If the carrier(s) with whom you have a confirmed reservation becomes subject to an operating ban as above as a result of which we/the carrier(s) are unable to offer you a suitable alternative the provisions of clause 8 (Changes and Cancellations by Us) will apply. Prices quoted in this brochure and on our website are based on special airfares offered to us by the airlines for group travel. These represent a reduction on the normal IATA fares which entitle passengers to privileges and flexibility that our clients do not normally require as part of the holiday. Should you wish to book our holiday using a flight other than that shown in the brochure/on our website, a flight variation charge from £50 per person will apply in addition to the difference in cost between our special fare and the normal IATA fare for the flight(s) required. Tickets at our special fare are valid only on the airline and dates shown and do not automatically entitle passengers to switch to another carrier in case of a flight cancellation, delay or technical problems with the aircraft or the reservation. Please note that most airlines now operate 100% non-smoking services.
17. Denied boarding regulations
If you or any member of your party misses your flight or other transport arrangement, it is cancelled or you are subject to a delay of over 3 hours for any reason, you must contact us and the airline or other transport supplier concerned immediately. If your flight is cancelled or delayed, your flight ticket is downgraded or boarding is denied by your airline, depending on the circumstances, the airline may be required to pay you compensation, refund the cost of your flight and/or provide you with accommodation and/ or refreshments under EC Regulation No 261/2004 - the Denied Boarding Regulations 2004. Where applicable, you must pursue the airline for the compensation or other payment due to you. All sums you receive or are entitled to receive from the airline concerned by virtue of these Regulations represent the full amount of your entitlement to compensation or any other payment arising from such cancellation, delay, downgrading or denied boarding. This includes any disappointment, distress, inconvenience or effect on any other arrangements. The fact a delay may entitle you to cancel your flight does not automatically entitle you to cancel any other arrangements even where those arrangements have been made in conjunction with your flight. We have no liability to make any payment to you in relation to the Denied Boarding Regulations as your entitlement to any compensation or other payment (as dealt with above) is covered by the airline's obligations under the Denied Boarding Regulations. If, for any reason, we make any payment to you or a third party which the airline is responsible for in accordance with the Denied Boarding Regulations, you must, when requested, assign to us the rights you have or had to claim the payment in question from the airline. If the airline does not comply with these rules you should complain to the Civil Aviation Authority at www.caa.co.uk/passengers. Please note, your rights under clause 8 ("Changes and Cancellations by Us") and clause 10 ("Our Liability to You") of these booking conditions are not affected by the above Denied Boarding Regulations except that we are entitled to argue that the amount you receive or are entitled to receive from the airline is sufficient to meet any compensation obligation we may have to you as your tour operator as a result of any such cancellation, delay, downgrading or denied boarding.
18. Rail reservations
We request rail reservations many months in advance but occasionally there are insufficient First Class seats available. In these situations we will book Standard Class seats and refund the difference to you. Although we do our best to follow the routes noted on the itinerary there might be occasions when a different routing and/or departure time is necessary due to timetable variations or seat availability. Regardless of any information given by us in good faith, operational changes may be made by a rail supplier/operator at any point and without notice, and we cannot be responsible for these. Increasingly, trains are 100% non-smoking, and reservations are requested in non-smoking accommodation, although at busy times we may be allocated some smoking seats.
We cannot make specific requests for smoking seats. Prices quoted in this brochure and on our website are based on special fares negotiated with our rail partners for group travel. Should you wish to travel on any Eurostar or other rail service, other than those included as part of your group holiday, a rail variation charge of £25 per person per service plus any additional cost will apply. Any change involving sleeper services will be quoted on an individual basis.
Tickets for Eurostar train services are issued subject to the conditions set out in Eurostar International Limited's conditions of carriage and/or the conditions of carriage of the carrier in question, copies of which are available from travel agents appointed by Eurostar International Limited or supplied on request.
19. Your financial protection
The Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992 require us to provide security for the monies that you pay for the package holidays booked from this brochure or our website and for your repatriation in the event of our insolvency. We provide this security by way of an ATOL (ATOL number 3278) administered by the Civil Aviation Authority for packages which include a flight and a bond held by ABTA (ABTA number V2170) for packages that do not include a flight (www.abta.com).
When you buy an ATOL protected flight or flight inclusive holiday from us, you will receive an ATOL Certificate*. This lists what is financially protected, where you can get information on what this means for you and who to contact if things go wrong. We, or the suppliers identified on your ATOL Certificate, will provide you with the services listed on the ATOL Certificate (or a suitable alternative). In some cases, where neither we nor the supplier are able to do so for reasons of insolvency, an alternative ATOL holder may provide you with the services you have bought or a suitable alternative (at no extra cost to you). You agree to accept that in those circumstances the alternative ATOL holder will perform those obligations and you agree to pay any money outstanding to be paid by you under your contract to that alternative ATOL holder. However, you also agree that in some cases it will not be possible to appoint an alternative ATOL holder, in which case you will be entitled to make a claim under the ATOL scheme (or your credit card issuer where applicable). If we, or the suppliers identified on your ATOL certificate, are unable to provide the services listed (or a suitable alternative, through an alternative ATOL holder or otherwise) for reasons of insolvency, the Trustees of the Air Travel Trust may make a payment to (or confer a benefit on) you under the ATOL scheme. You agree that in return for such a payment or benefit, you assign absolutely to those Trustees any claims which you have or may have arising out of or relating to the non-provision of the services, including any claim against us, the travel agent or your credit card issuer where applicable. You also agree that any such claims may be re-assigned to another body, if that other body has paid sums you have claimed under the ATOL scheme.
*The flights and flight inclusive holidays we arrange are ATOL protected providing they are made available in the UK. For further information visit the ATOL website at www.atol.org.uk.
If your holiday does not include flights, ABTA will financially protect your holiday by ensuring you receive a refund or, if your arrangements include return travel to the UK (other than flights), you are returned to the UK in the event that your holiday cannot be provided as a result of our insolvency. Please go to www.abta.com for a copy of the guide to ABTA's scheme of financial protection.
If you book arrangements other than an ATOL protected flight or package holiday from us, your monies will not be financially protected. Please ask us for further details.
20. Data protection
Great Rail Journeys Limited is a data controller for the purposes of the Data Protection Act 1998. Please be assured that we have measures in place to protect the personal information you give us. This information will be passed on to the relevant suppliers of your travel arrangements. It may also be provided, either by us or by the suppliers of your travel arrangements, to third parties and public authorities such as banks and credit card companies, customs or immigration if required by them, or as required by law. Certain information may also be passed on to security or credit checking companies or insurance providers. The above applies to any sensitive information that you give to us such as details of any disabilities, medical conditions, or dietary/religious requirements but we will obviously only pass these on where necessary to do so to provide the service you have requested. If we cannot pass on this information as set out above, we may be unable to provide your booking or other services you have requested (for example, travel insurance). In making your booking, you consent to this information being passed on to the relevant persons who may be outside the EU/ European Economic Area. If you travel outside the EU/European Economic Area, controls on data protection may not be as strong as the legal requirements in the UK.
We would like to use your details for marketing purposes (e.g. sending you our brochures) and to pass them on to other companies within our group who may also contact you for marketing purposes. If you do not wish to receive any further information from us or other companies in our group please let us know this at the time you give us your details or, if you do not do so then, at any time subsequently. You are generally entitled to ask us (by letter or e-mail) what details of yours are being held or processed, for what purpose and to whom they may be or have been disclosed. We will charge a fee to respond to such a request. We promise to respond to your request within 40 days of receiving your written request and fee. In certain limited circumstances we may be entitled to refuse your request. To improve our service, calls may be recorded for training and quality purposes.
Terms of Insurance Business
About us
Great Rail Journeys Limited is a data controller for the purposes of the Data Protection Act 1998. Please be assured that we have measures in place to protect the personal information you give us. This information will be passed on to the relevant suppliers of your travel arrangements. It may also be provided, either by us or by the suppliers of your travel arrangements, to third parties and public authorities such as banks and credit card companies, customs or immigration if required by them, or as required by law. Certain information may also be passed on to security or credit checking companies or insurance providers. The above applies to any sensitive information that you give to us such as details of any disabilities, medical conditions, or dietary/religious requirements but we will obviously only pass these on where necessary to do so to provide the service you have requested. If we cannot pass on this information as set out above, we may be unable to provide your booking or other services you have requested (for example, travel insurance). In making your booking, you consent to this information being passed on to the relevant persons who may be outside the EU/ European Economic Area. If you travel outside the EU/European Economic Area, controls on data protection may not be as strong as the legal requirements in the UK.
We would like to use your details for marketing purposes (e.g. sending you our brochures) and to pass them on to other companies within our group who may also contact you for marketing purposes. If you do not wish to receive any further information from us or other companies in our group please let us know this at the time you give us your details or, if you do not do so then, at any time subsequently. You are generally entitled to ask us (by letter or e-mail) what details of yours are being held or processed, for what purpose and to whom they may be or have been disclosed. We will charge a fee to respond to such a request. We promise to respond to your request within 40 days of receiving your written request and fee. In certain limited circumstances we may be entitled to refuse your request. To improve our service, calls may be recorded for training and quality purposes.
Your duty of disclosure
Your insurance is based upon the information you provide to the insurers when arranging or renewing the insurance or making any mid-term changes. You must ensure that all such information given is complete and accurate. Please take care to answer all questions honestly and to the best of your knowledge. You are responsible for all answers or statements that you make when arranging the insurance, on proposal forms, statements of fact, claim forms or other material documents and you should ensure these are full and accurate. If you do not answer the questions correctly at the start of the policy or fail to advise the insurers promptly of changes to the information you have given during the period of insurance, this may invalidate your insurance cover and could mean that part, or all, of a claim may not be paid.
How to cancel
You may have a statutory right to cancel this policy within a short period. If you cancel within 14 days you will receive a full refund of premium. Please refer to your policy summary or your policy document for further details. If you wish to cancel outside that period you will not receive a refund of premium except in exceptional circumstances and at the discretion of our insurer.
Protecting your information
All personal information about you will be treated as private
and confidential (even when you are no longer a customer), except
where the disclosure is made at your request or with your consent
in relation to administering your insurance, and except where law
requires us.
Some or all of the information you supply to us in connection with your insurance proposal may be passed to insurance and other companies for underwriting, claims and premium collection purposes. Your data will be held in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998, under which you have a right of access to see personal information about you that is held in our records, whether electronically or manually. If you have any queries, please write to the Customer Relations Manager at the above address.
How to claim
Please refer to your policy summary or your policy document if you need to notify a claim. You should contact the insurer direct as soon as possible using the contact details provided, If in doubt about whom you should contact, please contact us on 01904 521 900.
Fees and charges
We never make charges to clients in excess of the premium amount charged by insurers.
Protecting your money
Prior to your premium being forwarded to the insurer, and for your protection, we hold premiums received as agent of your insurer and so your policy is treated as having been paid for once you have paid us.
It is our intention to provide a high level of service at all times, However, if you have reason to make a complaint about our service you should contact the Customer Relations Manager at the above address or ring 01904 521 900. You may be entitled to refer the matter subsequently to the Financial Ombudsman Service. You can contact the Financial Ombudsman Service by telephone on 0845 080 1800 and further information is available at www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk If you do decide to refer any matter to the Financial Ombudsman Service your legal rights will not be affected.
Compensation arrangements
We are covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. You may be entitled to compensation from the scheme if we cannot meet our obligations. This depends on the type of business and the circumstances of the claim. Insurance advising and arranging is covered for 100% of the first £2,000 and 90% of the remainder of the claim, without any upper limit. For compulsory classes of insurance, insurance advising and arranging is covered for 100% of the claim, without any upper limit. Further information about compensation scheme arrangements is available from the FSCS on 020 7892 7300 or by visiting www.fscs.org.uk
Data Protection
Great Rail Journeys Limited are a data controller for the purposes of the Data Protection Act 1998. Please be assured that we have measures in place to protect the personal information you give us. This information will be passed on to the relevant suppliers of your travel arrangements. It may also be provided, either by us or by the suppliers of your travel arrangements, to public authorities such as banks and credit card companies, customs or immigration if required by them, or as required by law. Certain information may also be passed on to security or credit checking companies or insurance providers. The above applies to any sensitive information that you give to us such as details of any disabilities, or dietary/religious requirements but we will obviously only pass these on where necessary to do so to provide the service you have requested. If we cannot pass on this information as set out above, we may be unable to provide your booking or other services you have requested (for example, travel insurance).
In making your booking, you consent to this information being passed on to the relevant persons. If you travel outside the European Economic Area, controls on data protection may not be as strong as the legal requirements in the UK. We would like to use your details for marketing purposes (e.g. sending you our brochures). We would also like to pass your details on to other companies within our group who may also contact you for marketing purposes. If you do not wish to receive any further information from us or other companies in our group please let us know this at the time you give us your details or, if you do not do so then, at any time subsequently.
You are generally entitled to ask us (by letter or e-mail) what details of yours are being held or processed, for what purpose and to whom they may be or have been disclosed. We will charge a fee to respond to such a request. We promise to respond to your request within 40 days of receiving your written request and fee. In certain limited circumstances we may be entitled to refuse your request. To improve our service, calls may be recorded for training and quality purposes.
Great Rail Journeys use cookies on our website to track details such as the source of our online visitors, products viewed and also to pass relevant details through each stage of the booking journey. This information is only used to enhance our customers' online experience and the information will not be shared with any third parties. You may disable cookies by amending your browser settings or alternatively please feel free to make you enquiry or booking through our call centre.
It is possible to alter the size of text on our webpages for maximum visibility and readability.
All standard Internet browsers provide options to increase or decrease text size. Find your browser below for instructions:
Microsoft Internet Explorer
Select 'View' from the menu bar and move your cursor to 'Text Size'. To choose from 'Largest' to 'Smallest' click on the size you wish to use.
Mozilla Firefox
Select 'View' from the menu bar, move your cursor to 'Zoom' and select 'Zoom Text' Only. Select 'View' from the menu and then 'Zoom' once again. Click on 'Zoom In' or 'Zoom Out' to alter the text sizing on a page you are viewing.
Google Chrome
Select the wrench, or spanner, icon on the menu bar. Select 'Settings', move to 'Show advanced settings' and then the section labelled 'Web content'. The font size drop-down menu allows you to select a comfortable reading size.
Apple Safari
Select 'Preferences' from the Safari menu, then choose 'Appearance'. Go to 'Select', located alongside 'Standard Font', and choose the text size you wish to display by clicking on a number in the 'Sizes' column. You will also need to select a size from the 'Fixed-width font' option.
Website Use Terms & Conditions
This website is owned and operated by Great Rail Journeys of Saviour House, 9 St. Saviourgate, York, YO1 8NL ("the Company"). Access to and use of any information on this website is conditional on your acceptance of these website terms and conditions ("the Conditions"). We recommend you read them carefully and print out and keep a copy of them for your future reference. If you do not wish to accept any part of these Conditions then you may not use our website.
Please Note:
When you visit our website or send e-mails to us, you are communicating electronically. We will also communicate with you by e-mail. You agree that all notices, agreements, disclosures and other communications that we provide to you electronically satisfy any requirement that such communications be in writing.
By using this website, you warrant to us that:
- You will not use this website or any material or information on it for any purpose that is unlawful or prohibited by these Conditions;
- You are at least 18 years old and have the legal authority to use this website in accordance with these Conditions;
- You agree to be financially responsible for all charges, fees and other sums of whatever nature which arise out of your use of this website;
- All information that you provide about yourself and about anyone else shall be true and accurate.
You must not link (including deep linking) to our website or access, monitor or copy any content or information of this website using any robot, spider, scraper or other automated means or any manual process for any purpose without our prior written agreement.
Copyright Notice
All content of this website (such as text, graphics, logos, button icons, images, audio clips, digital downloads, data compilations and software) is our exclusive property or that of our content suppliers (if applicable) and is, unless specifically stated otherwise, protected by copyright or similar ownership rights. It is published by us and may not be reproduced other than by downloading and viewing on a single computer and/or printing a single hard copy, for private purposes only. It is not to be otherwise reproduced, transmitted, made available on a network or used to create derivative works without our prior written consent. All rights are reserved.
The trade marks, logos and service marks shown on our website, unless otherwise specified, are our intellectual property. No rights are granted to use any of them without our prior written consent.
Booking Conditions
All bookings made on this website are subject to our booking conditions in addition to these Conditions. We recommend that you read our booking conditions carefully and print out and keep a copy of them for your future reference.
Website Content
We are an English registered Company. Our business and the services we offer are governed by the applicable laws of England and Wales except where otherwise stated in our booking conditions. No warranties, promises and/or representations of any kind, express or implied, are given as to the accuracy or completeness of any of the material or information contained on this website (in accordance with English law or with any laws of any other country) or as to the nature, standard, suitability or otherwise of any services offered by us or on our behalf.
We shall not be liable for any loss or damage or other sum or claim of any nature whatsoever (direct, indirect, consequential or other) which arises, directly or indirectly, in connection with this website.
The information contained on this website may contain technical inaccuracies and typographical and other errors. The information on these pages may be updated from time to time and may at times be out of date. If any price or other information is obviously incorrect, we will not be bound by it. You must ensure you check all details of the chosen arrangements (including the price) with us at the time of booking.
Occasionally, we may upload traveller reviews, blogs and recommendations on to our website. Such reviews and blogs are the personal opinions of the author of said content and not that of the Company. We take no responsibility and accept no liability in relation to these reviews, blogs, recommendations or other similar content on the website, or any resulting acts, omissions or losses incurred.
This website may contain links to other websites. Except where they belong to us, such other websites are not under our control or maintained by us. We are not responsible for the content of such websites. We provide these links for your convenience only but do not monitor or endorse the material on them. We cannot accept any liability in relation to any such other websites or in relation to any material or information appearing on them or which you may otherwise come across after leaving our site by way of a hypertext link or any other means.
This website or any part of it (or any websites that are linked to this website) may not be compatible with your browser or computer configuration and we make no warranty that it is. We make no warranty that your access to our website will be uninterrupted, timely or error free. It is your responsibility to ensure you carry out sufficient checks (including virus checks) to satisfy your particular requirements.
User Reviews
Occasionally, we may allow users to upload comments, videos, photographs, reviews, blog entries and other material in relation to travel or other holiday services. Where you upload such materials, you disclaim any proprietary or other rights you may have in the materials, and agree that such materials can be freely used by the Company for any reason whatsoever, without your permission.
You agree that, at the date of posting, the material submitted by you is appropriate and accurate. You warrant that the material is not misleading, defamatory, untrue, malicious, offensive or abusive. You agree that you will not post any information or material that is owned by another third party without their express authority to do so.
You agree to indemnify the Company for the full amount of all damages, losses, costs and expenses in (including legal costs) in relation to claims brought by any third party against the Company arising out of or in connection with breach of these Conditions in relation to the materials.
The Company reserves the right to refuse to post or remove (without notice) any materials for any reason at its sole discretion.
Law and Jurisdiction
Access to this website is conditional on your agreement that all information contained in it and all matters which arise between you and us will be governed by English law. Access is further conditional on your agreement that any dispute or matter which arises between you and us will be dealt with by the Courts of England and Wales only to the exclusion of the Courts of any other country.
If any exclusion(s) or limitation(s) contained in these Conditions is found, in whole or part, to be unlawful, void or for any other reason unenforceable for any purpose(s), that exclusion(s) or limitation(s) or the part(s) in question shall be deemed severable and omitted from these Conditions for that purpose / those purposes. Such omission shall not affect the validity, effectiveness or enforceability of the other provisions of these Conditions.
We may alter these terms and conditions at any time. If we do so, all subsequent use of our website will be governed by the newer version. You must check these terms and conditions regularly.
Updated: October 2016