Terms & Conditions

Iron Donkey - Booking Terms & Conditions

All bookings with Iron Donkey Bicycle Touring Ltd are subject to our Booking Conditions. They are available in full here for your information and should be read before making a booking, whether online or by post. Our booking conditions set out our obligations to you when you book with us, and also tell you what we expect from you. Please read them carefully, together with our booking information page, and contact us prior to booking for any clarifications you may require. All holidays are operated subject to the below conditions, and nothing in these conditions affects your statutory rights.

1. Definitions

The following Terms shall have the meanings set out below when used in these Booking Conditions:

‘Brexit’: means that during the Term of this Agreement pursuant to Article 50 of the Treaty of Lisbon the UK leaves the European Union.

The Company / We / Us: Means Iron Donkey Bicycle Touring Ltd

Force Majeure: means any circumstances which are unusual and/or unforeseeable and which are beyond the control of the Company, the consequence of which could not have been avoided even if all due care had been exercised, including (but not limited to) war or threat of war; riot; civil strife; hostilities; political unrest; government action; Brexit; industrial dispute; natural or other disaster; nuclear incident; terrorist activity; weather conditions; closure of airports; closure of roads; fire; flood; drought; disease or medical epidemics or outbreaks (including Covid-19); re-scheduling or cancellation of flights or alteration of the airline or aircraft type by an airline and technical problems with transportation and all similar events outside our control.

2. Booking a holiday

. All bookings are made subject to the terms set out in these conditions. To make a booking you must be 18 or over and must transmit to us, whether electronically or by post, a completed booking form completed by one person acting for all the people listed on the booking form. The booking form should be sent to us together with a non-refundable deposit of 10% of the cost of the holiday before we will confirm your booking.

Confirmation of the booking will normally be sent by email within 7 working days. A booking is not accepted nor is a contract deemed to exist between us before the date shown on the confirmation invoice. We reserve the right to refuse a booking without explanation, and will refund in full any monies paid. Any changes made by you after the booking has been confirmed will be subject to a fee of £25.

2. Cooling off period

Information provided on our website is given in good faith but due to a lack of space certain information may not be included. All prices quoted are per person sharing, a single supplement is also payable for sole use of a room. When your booking is received, you will be given written confirmation of your booking, including any changes to the price or, as far as can be known at the time of booking, itinerary. If, after receiving this information, you feel the holiday is not suitable for you, or that the changes are unacceptable, then you have the right to cancel the holiday or transfer the deposit to another holiday without any penalty, providing that you do so within 14 days of the date on the confirmation email. After this time normal cancellation rates will apply; clients booking late should ensure that they are satisfied that the holiday is suitable for them, if necessary by requesting a holiday information sheet, before booking.

3. If you Cancel your tour

We advise that you take out trip cancellation insurance at the time of booking. Should you be unable to proceed with your tour for any reason you should inform us immediately. Our cancellation and refund policy for all tours is as follows:

• If you cancel at least 6 weeks before the tour start date, your deposit only is forfeit.

• If you cancel between 6 weeks and 30 days before the start date, you can choose between either a refund of 50% of your total payment or forfeiting your deposit and rebooking the same tour at an alternative date.

• If you cancel after the 30-day deadline, there will be no refund or rebooking since we will then be liable to pay for the pre-booked accommodation.

• If you are prevented from travelling on a holiday by circumstances which would normally permit you to make a claim on a travel insurance policy, you may transfer the booking to another person not currently booked on the same trip provided they satisfy all the conditions applicable to, and are suitable for, that holiday. A fee of £25 will be charged for such changes, or £50 if the change is made less than 28 days before the departure date.

• Please note: In cases where cancellation charges made by our suppliers are higher than the cost of the deposit, we may pass the charge on to you. Please ask for full details and we will notify you of the specific charges applicable to your booking.

4. If we change or cancel your booking

As our Holidays are planned many months in advance we reserve the right to make changes to and correct errors in holiday details both before and after bookings have been confirmed. We also reserve the right to cancel confirmed bookings at any time, but generally will not do so unless:

1. We are forced to do so by reasons of Force Majeure, or

2. The minimum number of people required to operate the holiday has not been reached.

In the latter case you will be advised no less than 14 days before the departure date. If we cancel a tour before its commencement you will be offered an alternative holiday if possible. If this is not acceptable then a full refund will be given. However we will not be liable to refund any incidental expenses you may have incurred such as visas, vaccinations, or additional travel arrangements including non refundable connecting flights and accommodation bookings, and no compensation will be paid. You are strongly advised not to make associated travel arrangements until you receive written confirmation from us that the Holiday booked is confirmed to run.

5. Minimum Numbers on Guided Tours

If the number of people booked on a Guided Tour is less than the minimum number required to run the holiday, and would normally cause us to cancel the trip, we reserve the right to reduce the staff support levels rather than cancel the holiday and make price adjustments in line with the support levels. Normally the minimum numbers for a Guided Tour is 6 persons

6. Price Guarentee

The cost of holidays featured on this website may be changed due to changes in exchange rates, transport or accommodation costs, or government action etc. Prices may be changed at any time up until a booking has been confirmed. Once a confirmation invoice has been issued we guarantee that the price shown will not be increased other than in the following circumstances:

If, as a result of changes in exchange rates used to calculate the cost of your holiday or in the event of Brexit, the Company considers that such an event materially increase the costs of it performing its obligations under this Agreement and/or otherwise adversely affects the benefit it derives from this Agreement, the Company may give notice to the other of the same and issue a surcharge invoice. If any surcharge is greater than 10% of the cost of your Holiday you will be entitled to cancel your booking and receive a full refund (excluding bank charges, if any). Should you wish to cancel your holiday in these circumstances you must give the Company notice in writing within 14 days of the surcharge invoice date.

7. information

Any information or advice provided by the Company on matters such as visas, vaccinations, climate, clothing, equipment etc is given in good faith but we cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions. The client is entirely responsible for obtaining any necessary medical vaccinations or other preliminary travel arrangements, including visas or permits, and any additional costs incurred. The Company cannot accept any responsibility for the consequences should visas or vaccinations not be obtained before the departure of the trip.

8. Insurance

Iron Donkey Bicycle Touring accepts no liability for illness/injury suffered by you or loss/damage to your property during the holiday save that caused by wilful neglect or default of the company You are required to have comprehensive travel insurance to participate in any of our holidays and should be arranged at time of bookingThis does not apply to UK holidays for British Nationals where insurance is optional (although holiday cancellation and cycle theft insurance is always advisable) and you should always ensure that you are covered for personal and 3rd party liability while cycling on the holiday. Where mandatory, for all clients on foreign trips and for all non-UK clients, travel insurance must include adequate cover for baggage, personal liability, damage and theft of cycling equipment, cancellation and medical expenses and the cost of repatriation should you become too ill to continue with the holiday. Flights are not included in your holiday and you should ensure your travel insurance covers any potential issues with your flight.

.9. Transfers

Airport and other transfers are only included if you make all your travel arrangements through us and travel with the main group from the UK. Otherwise you will be responsible for making your own way to the start of the tour. If you fail to arrive at the agreed place at the agreed time we shall not be responsible for any additional costs incurred by you to meet up with the group.

10. Your Responsibility

By paying your deposit and completing the Booking Form, you certify your agreement that:

• Any special requests you may have will be communicated in the Booking Form; such requests may include dietary restrictions, medical requirements and room preferences. If you are affected by any condition, medical or otherwise, that might affect your or other people’s enjoyment of the tour, you must advise us of this at the time of booking. You understand and agree that we will do all we can to accommodate special requests but cannot guarantee they will be possible.

• You have selected a tour that suits your cycling experience, level of fitness, and state of health and that you have a valid passport and all visas, certificates, permits, and vaccinations required for travel.

• You will read our pre-trip information concerning bike suitability/maintenance, clothing, medical requirements, and culture-specific etiquette.

• Cycling on or off the highway is a potentially dangerous activity and all persons participating in a cycling holiday of any type do so at their own risk and should be aware of the potential hazards involved.

• The itineraries outlined for each holiday must be taken as an aim and not a contractual obligation on the part of the Company. Changes to the itinerary may be caused by reasons of Force Majeure and it is a fundamental condition of joining any of the Company’s holidays described in this brochure/website that you accept the potential hazards and the need for flexibility, and acknowledge that delays and alterations and their results, such as inconvenience, discomfort or disappointment, are possible. Group holidays invariably involve compromise to accommodate myriad desires, travel goals, personalities, and physical abilities of all group participants.

• You agree to observe local laws and customs, and abide by the authority of any tour leader. If you commit any illegal act while on tour, or, if in the opinion of the tour leader your behaviour is causing or likely to cause danger, distress or offence to others you may be asked to leave the tour without the right to a refund.

11. Problems

No refund or compensation will be given for any unused portions of the holiday, including travel arrangements, accommodation, food and services, should a customer be unable, or choose not to complete a tour or remain with the group. On Independent Holidays we act as booking agents for any accommodation and cannot be held responsible should there be a failure of any establishment to provide the accommodation booked.

12. Force majeure

Iron Donkey Bicycle Touring cannot accept responsibility for any loss or damage resulting from war or terrorist activities, weather conditions, fire, flood or drought, airport closures, rescheduling of means of transport, or any other eventuality which may delay or extend the vacation.

13. Bicycle rental conditions

Bicycles are rented out subject to availability and on the condition that the hirer assumes responsibility for the bicycle during the rental period. If you rent a bicycle, we will ask you to sign a rental agreement when you take possession of the bicycle(s). We do not normally require security deposits, but we claim the right to ask for reimbursement in the case of damage (outside fair wear and tear) to or theft of a rental bicycle.

14. Baggage

Please note that your belongings are your responsibility. Iron Donkey Bicycle Touring will not accept any responsibility for loss, damage or accident involving property. If your package includes luggage transfers, these are provided on the condition that Iron Donkey Bicycle Touring will not be held responsible for any loss or damage to luggage or its contents. Your travel insurance should cover losses in this eventuality.

15. Data Protection

To process your booking and meet your requirements, we must sometimes pass your personal details on to the relevant suppliers of your travel arrangements. We would also like to hold your information (including any email address), where collected by us, for our own marketing purposes (for example, to inform you of promotional/competition offers or to send you our brochure). If you do not wish to receive such approaches in future, please inform us as soon as possible. For full details of our data protection and privacy policy, and an explanation of how your personal details will be used by us, please refer to our privacy policy.

16. Liability

The Company shall not be held liable for any damages caused by the total or partial failure to carry out the contract if such failure is: i) attributable to the client/you, or ii) unforeseeable or unavoidable and attributable to a third party unconnected to the Company, or iii) as a result of reasons of Force Majeure, or iv) a result of an event that even with all due care and attention we could not foresee or forestall, or v) due to the theft of bicycles or injury as a result of cycling either on or off road, and in particular injuries received as a result of either negligent/unsafe cycling, inadequately maintained and serviced personal equipment, including privately owned bicycles, or the failure to wear appropriate safety equipment, notably cycle helmets, gloves etc. Where the Company is found to be liable for damages in respect of its failure to carry out the contract, the maximum amount of such damages will normally be limited to the price paid for the tour.

17. Contract

By booking on our holidays you agree to accept all these conditions and by accepting your booking we agree to carry out our obligations as defined in these booking conditions and other information supplied to you. This agreement is made subject to, and must be interpreted and enforced according to English law in an English court.