Terms and Conditions
PAYMENT INFORMATION
How to Make Your Reservation: After selecting your tour and departure date, simply call 1-800-552-5545 and a Tour Coordinator will take your reservation over the phone or book online at www.getours.com. You can pay your $350.00 deposit by credit card, or alternately you can mail a check made payable to Grand European Tours to the following address:
GRAND EUROPEAN TOURS
6000 Meadows Road, Suite 520 • Lake Oswego, OR 97035 USA,
Toll-free: 1-800-552-5545.
Please make your reservations as early as possible since many of our tours are completely filled 4 to 6 months before departure.
Final Payment:
Upon receiving the $350.00 deposit per
person, you will be sent a confirmation. VISA, MASTERCARD,
American Express and DISCOVER CARD may be
used for this deposit amount, however, final payment is preferred
by check or money order and is due in our Oregon
office 60 days prior to the departure date. If reservations are
made less than 60 days prior to departure, payment in full is
required at the time of booking. If final payments are not
received on time, Grand European Tours (2003) Inc. may
cancel the reservation and invoke the cancellation fee. For European River Cruises and Oberammergau
Passion Play package tours, final payment is due 90 days prior
to departure.
Pricing: While the air-inclusive tour prices
printed in this catalog include airfare which is current
at the time of printing, note that availability is
limited and prices may be higher at the time you
book your trip. For the most competitive and up to
date pricing from your departure city call our toll
free number at 1-800-552-5545. All air-inclusive
prices are subject to change before payment is
made in full. Price quoted is per person based on
double occupancy. Does not include government
taxes and fees including the September 11th Security
Fee or taxes ranging from $75 to $250 based
on destination and routing. The Operator reserves
the right to adjust prices due to fluctuations in
foreign exchange rates, imposed fuel surcharges,
taxes, charges and levies imposed by any third
party including government and its agencies.
Should these change the price of your tour by
more than 10% you may cancel without penalty
within 7 days after we notify you of the increase.
CANCELLATION, CHANGES & REFUNDS
Cancellations, Changes & Refunds: If a
cancellation in writing is received by Grand European
Tours (2003) Inc. 30 days or less after your
reservation has been made, your $350.00 deposit
will be FULLY REFUNDED. See Transatlantic
Flight section for specific change fee information
for air reservations. PLEASE NOTE: Oberammergau
packages are NOT included in our 30 day
cancellation policy. For cancellations or changes
thereafter but more than 61 days prior to departure
there will be a $350.00 per person fee assessed.
If you must withdraw or make a change 60
days or less prior to departure, the following fees
will apply:
Land Tours
Number of Days Prior to Departure Cancellation/Change Land Tours Per Person
31 - 60 Days ....... 25% of tour cost
15 - 30 Days ....... 50% of tour cost
Less than 15 Days ....... 100% of tour cost
River Cruises
Number of Days Prior to Departure Cancellation/Change River Cruises Per Person
89 - 60 Days ....... 35% of the cost
59 - 30 Days ....... 50% of the cost
Less than 30 Days ....... 100% of the cost
In addition, no refunds are made for unused portions of a tour or cruise including but not limited to missed meals or sightseeing, motorcoach travel and the non-use of hotel rooms.
PASSPORTS AND VISAS
Passports and Visas: All tour members must possess a
valid U.S. passport while traveling outside the U.S. Passport
application forms may be obtained from your local post office.
All passports must contain at least 3 blank visa pages
and must be valid for 6 months after the completion of your
tour. For tours that visit Russia and Belarus, visa
application forms will be sent to you approximately
75 days prior to departure. A valid U.S. passport is
necessary at this time. The approximate cost of the
Russia and Belarus visas is $350* per person. Individuals
who do not hold a U.S. passport should
contact the appropriate consulate of each country
included in the tour to acquire the necessary visa.
An entry fee $15 U.S.* is required upon arrival
into Egypt, US $20* upon arrival into Turkey, and
US $15* upon arrival into Jordan, these countries
prefer payment in U.S. dollars rather than local
currency. Please note that a valid passport is required
for all tours that enter Canada and Mexico.
Costa Rica has a Departure Tax of U.S. $26* per
person paid at the airport. *Important note: The
cost of the visas is subject to change.
TRAVEL DOCUMENTS
Approximately 15 days
prior to the departure date you will receive a travel
information package that will include your airline
ticket, travel tips, hotel list, baggage tag, travel wallet,
etc. Visas, when required, will be distributed as
soon as they are issued by the countries involved.
Please note that your airline tickets and other tour
documentation must bear your FULL name as it
appears on your passport.
TOUR MEMBERSHIP
Tour Membership: These tours require a blend of adventuresome spirit, physical fitness, walking ability and mental alertness, and a capacity for accepting situations as they exist and not, necessarily, as we would find them in America. If you have health concerns, we suggest that you contact your physician to help determine the suitability of one of these tours for you. We regret that we are unable to accept requests for special diets or itinerary variations. Disabled travelers requiring special attention or treatment on any tour must be reported when reservations are made. A companion who is able to provide the required assistance must accompany any person who is unable to travel independently or who needs any type of assistance.
BAGGAGE & VIP DOOR-TO-DOOR
Baggage: Due to limited motorcoach storage
capacity, each tour member is permitted one large
suitcase not to exceed 50 pounds in weight nor
30”x22”x10” in dimension on European tours.
Handling of this bag by hotel porters is included
in the tour price. In addition, each person is allowed
one small piece of carry-on size luggage that
does not exceed the dimensions of 17”x14”x6”
and is the complete responsibility of the tour
member and must be taken on the motorcoach
with you. Carry-ons with telescopic handles and
wheels will not fit in the overhead compartments
and therefore cannot be accepted as carry-on luggage
for safety reasons. Please note, North America
and Mexico tours have smaller baggage dimensions
which are noted in your pre-tour
documentation. Grand European Tours (2003)
Inc. does not assume any responsibility for loss or
damage to baggage or passengers’ belongings.
Please note: It is your responsibility to verify the
baggage weight restrictions for the individual airlines
that you will be traveling on as in some instances
baggage is restricted.
VIP Door-to-Door Transfer Service: The
VIP Door to Door Transfer service is available for
all customers departing from the 40 airports highlighted
on page 10 and living within a 25 mile radius
from point of departure to your chosen airport.
It is an outbound service only. Maximum
passengers in one car can not exceed four. For
bookings with more than four people, further vehicles
may be necessary and further supplementary charges will apply. For any journeys greater
than 25 miles a supplementary cost for additional
mileage will apply and will be advised within 48
hours of booking if necessary. Mileage is based on
journey information from www.mapquest.com.
Should you not use the VIP Door to Door Transfer
we will deduct $50 per person from your tour
price (this must be advised at time of booking).
Cancellation of service or changes must be made
72 hours before scheduled pick-up.
EARLY DEPARTURE OR EXTENDED STAY
Early Departure or Extended Stay: If you wish to depart early or extend your stay in Europe, flight and hotel arrangements can be made by contacting our Oregon office. Airport transfers are not included but may be purchased through GET. On most tours you can reserve up to 3 additional nights at the hotel where your tour starts and ends, however space may be limited and is subject to availability. Please call for our low cost rates and availability.
LAND TOUR ONLY
Land Tour Only: If you wish to make independent
flight arrangements, you may still reserve the
land portion of a tour. Hotel-airport transfers are
subject to availability and flight details must be
provided in writing at least 45 days prior to departure.
See tour page for specific transfer times.
AIRPORT TRANSFERS
Airport Transfers: Airport transfers are included
in the tour price when you purchase our
Land & Air package. Complimentary airport arrival
and departure transfers operate at fixed times
on the first and last day of your tour. See the individual
tour pages for details. For tours commencing
in London we have included a free group
shuttle to/from London’s Heathrow Airport for
clients that have booked our combined air/land
packages. Passengers who are arriving at London’s
Gatwick Airport who have also booked a
land/air package are provided with a Gatwick Express
train voucher and will need to make their
way from Victoria station to their tour hotel. For
passengers that have made their own flight arrangements
GET has negotiated special rates for
group shuttle transfers from London’s Heathrow
Airport to the door of your London hotel (which
must be booked through GET). Price U.S. $30
per person per single trip to/from London’s
Heathrow Airport. For passengers flying into London’s
Gatwick Airport you could take the Gatwick
Express train, for details visit the Gatwick Express
website at www.gatwickexpress.com. For non-London
arrivals, transfers can be purchased for those
extending at GET hotels. Please call for details.
SMOKING
Please note that we do not permit smoking on our motorcoaches, however, frequent stops are made while touring.
SURFACE TRAVEL & SIGHTSEEING
Surface Travel & Sightseeing: Ground arrangements
are provided by Grand European Operations
Ltd., a separate company, and include inter-city travel by private motorcoach with
air-conditioning and an emergency restroom*,
ferry, train, and ship as per the itinerary. Activities
on days indicated in the itinerary as being “at leisure
or optional” are left to your discretion.
*Some exceptions apply.
TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHT
Transatlantic Flight: Air transportation is in
economy class by scheduled airlines. Some tours
are not available from all of the airports. Any
change in an airline reservation within 60 days prior to departure is subject to a Change Fee of
$75 per person plus any airline penalties. Requests
for specific airlines, non-stop or direct
flights and/or seat assignments are accepted as
preferences only and cannot be guaranteed. All
seating is requested as non-smoking. Frequent flyer
programs are under the control of the respective
airlines. In most cases your airline tickets will
be electronically issued in lieu of paper tickets.
Please note that your airline tickets and other tour
documentation must bear your FULL name as it
appears on your passport. Please note that airline
reservations can only be made for dates less than
331 days out.
HOLIDAYS
Holidays: During local or national holidays
some museums, restaurants or sightseeing may be
limited or not available. Alternatives will be offered
wherever possible. Note that certain Nile
cruises may operate in reverse, from Aswan to
Luxor. Due to the unreliability of domestic air
scheduling, religious festivals and other unforeseen
circumstances, the order of some Nile River
Cruise itineraries may need to change at short
notice. On occasions an alternative cruise boat of
equal standing may be used.
HOTELS
Hotels: The hotels reserved for our tours are
rated as European Standard First Class. All hotel
rooms provide a private bath (and/or shower) and
toilet. These hotels are clean, comfortable and located
so as to best facilitate guided sightseeing of
the area. Hotels reserved for each tour are indicated
in the Day-By-Day Itinerary. If, for any reason,
it becomes necessary to use other hotels, they
will be of a similar standard, where possible. All
accommodations, meals and services have been
designated as first class in Russia, Eastern Europe
and provincial areas though some tourism facilities
are less developed than what might normally
be expected in this category. Tours in North and
South America use Standard First Class hotels.
SINGLES & TRIPLES
Single Rooms: A limited number of single
rooms are available at the supplement shown for
each tour. While single rooms provide privacy,
they are often smaller than twin-bedded rooms.
For people traveling alone on a GET coach tour,
we offer the option to join our Room Share Program
(call for details). Please note that
there is a no-smoking policy in all shared rooms.
The Room Share Program does not apply to additional
accommodation, airfares or flight supplements,
Select London & Paris, Greek Islands and
Istanbul, Ancient Greece cruise extension, Egypt and the Nile, Egypt and Jordan, Mexico's Copper Canyon, Costa Rica, South America and and all European River Cruises.
Triple Rooms: Triple room accommodations
are available on a limited basis at a reduced price.
Triple rooms usually consist of a twin-bedded
room with an additional folding bed or cot for the
third person. They may not be comfortable for
three adults. Triple rooms are not available on
cruises.
MEALS
Meals: Breakfasts are served as: B=Breakfast,
BB=Buffet Breakfast, CB=Continental Breakfast,
SB=Scandinavian Buffet Breakfast, FB=Full Breakfast.
Lunches (L) and three-course table d’hote (set
menu) dinners (D), (FD) farewell dinners and (BD)
buffet dinners are shown in the itinerary for each
tour and are generally catered by the hotel in
which you are residing. (HD) Highlight Dinner and
(HL) Highlight Lunch will be catered at a local
restaurant or special venue. (DA) Dine-Around
dinners are catered at a selection of restaurants
pre-selected by Grand European Tours. Please
note in cases of early morning departures, FB may
not be available. Please note that we are unable to
accept requests for special menus to meet dietary
or religious requirements.
TOUR DOES NOT INCLUDE
Tour Price Does Not Include: Beverages
and meals not detailed in the itinerary. Personal
expenses including passport and visa fees, alcoholic
beverages, optional sightseeing tours, laundry,
phone calls, traditional end of the tour gratuity
to your Tour Director and Motorcoach Driver,
tips to local city guides, crew tips and all other
items of a personal nature. Airport tax, service &
security charges and port taxes. (Subject to
change.) Travel Insurance is also not included but
is highly recommended.
CONSUMER DISCLOSURE NOTICE
Please read
the Tour Information & Conditions carefully, as
your deposit and payment for a trip constitutes consent to all conditions and general information
contained in this brochure.
RESPONSIBILITY
Responsibility: These trips are arranged by
Grand European Operations Ltd. (“Operator”) in
conjunction with Grand European Tours (2003)
Inc. It has made the travel arrangements as agent
for the transportation carriers and other suppliers
of services connected with the tour (“suppliers”)
all of which are independent contractors. The Operator
in no way owns or operates the vehicles or
facilities to be used during the trip, and does not
guarantee or assume responsibility for the acts
and/ or omissions of suppliers, their employees,
agents, etc.<br><br>
Transportation companies, airlines etc. are not to
be held responsible for any act, omission or event
during the time passengers are not on board
planes, transportation or conveyances. We rely on
international convention which may apply to the
services provided by us, our suppliers or agents
with respect to any claim of any nature brought by
you against us as a result of the provision of those
services. International conventions which apply
may include: Warsaw Convention 1929, (as amended
by Hague Protocol and Montreal Protocol) in
relation to air travel, or Montreal Convention; the
Berne Convention for rail travel; Athens Convention
1974 for carriage by sea; the Geneva Convention
for carriage by road and the Paris Convention
1962 for Hotels. We are to be regarded as having
all benefit of these conventions on limiting our liability
in relation to any claim for death, injury, loss, damage and delay to passengers and luggage.
Enrollment in and payment for a tour shall constitute
agreement and acceptance by the passenger
of the terms and conditions set forth in this brochure
which cannot be varied except in writing by
an officer of the Company.
All bookings are accepted subject to the conditions
imposed by suppliers and Operator, including airline,
cruise line, rail, coach, hotel, restaurants, insurance
and other companies, firms or persons
concerned with the trip, and the Operator will
make no refund in the event of their delay, cancellation,
overbooking, strike, force majeure or for
elements of the package not used by customer. If
there is a difference between the Operator’s Conditions
and those published by a supplier, the
conditions of supplier shall apply. The Operator
reserves the right to cancel a trip or change the
itinerary whenever in its sole judgment conditions
warrant, or if the Operator deems it necessary for
your comfort, convenience or safety. Trips outside
the USA require a valid passport. You are responsible
for, and release the Operator from, passport,
visa, vaccination requirements, and safety conditions
in travel destinations. The Operator strongly
recommends you purchase appropriate cancellation
/medical/baggage insurance for the trip,
which is available from the Operator. For medical
information, call the Center for Disease Control at
800-232-4636 or visit www.cdc.gov/travel, and for
U.S. State Department travel advisories, call 202-647-5225. The Operator reserves the right to decline
to accept any person as a member of the
tour, or to require any participant to withdraw
from the trip at any time who presents a significant
risk to the health or safety of himself or others
which can not be eliminated or reduced to an
acceptable level by the Operator’s reasonable accommodation.
The Operator reserves the right to
correct an error in the advertised price prior to
your departure. Prices in this brochure are accurate
at the time of printing and are subject to
change without notice due to changes in market
factors including but not limited to foreign currency
and supplier cost fluctuations. Prices set
forth in future brochures shall supersede the
prices in this brochure. Airfare quotes, and prices
for tours that include air, in this brochure are subject
to airline capacity limitations and higher airfares
may apply depending on seat availability at
the time of reservation. A contract is made when
your reservation and payment are accepted by the
Operator at its office, and any dispute shall be governed
by Oregon law and subject to the jurisdiction
of Portland, Oregon. In calculating the cost of
your trip,
Operator has relied on your consent to these terms
and in the absence of this release, the trip cost
would have been higher. Operator reserves the
right to substitute hotels of similar quality at any
time or to make changes in itinerary of similar
quality. Operator will not be responsible to any
person for expense, loss of time, money or other
circumstance resulting from a change in itinerary
or change of tour arrangements. Operator also reserves
the right to cancel a tour prior to departure,
and in such cases all payments made to date will
be refunded and shall constitute full settlement. If
you purchase an airline ticket separately, ensure
that your travel agent explains the conditions under
which the ticket is issued, as the Operator assumes
no responsibility for such airline ticket
cancellation fees. Please understand that not all
museums and attractions are open every day of
the year. Operator reserves the right to vary the
sequence of sightseeing and/ or to re-route the
order of cities if that will enable you to visit all
listed excursions. In either case, the itinerary content
will be maintained to the extent possible and
there are no refunds for any unused or unavailable
excursions. Promotional offers subject to change.
This brochure supersedes any other current brochure
on the market.
Important Information for Oberammergau Tours
What’s Included in your Oberammergau Package?
You’ll arrive in Oberammergau the evening before the Passion Play performance, with
plenty of time to settle in and relax before dinner in your hotel. The next morning,
after breakfast there is free time to explore the village, followed by lunch at a local
restaurant. The Passion Play commences at 2.30pm and runs until 5.00pm, when there
is a three hour interval, during which time dinner is served at a local restaurant. The
performance resumes again at 8.00pm. The end of the play is scheduled for 10.30pm
and there is a transfer back to your overnight accommodation. Depart Oberammergau
the following morning after breakfast.
Featured tours are:
Best of Germany and
Road to Rome
Deposits: For bookings made after 1st October
2009, a non refundable deposit of $1,425 is
required. Final tour payment must be completed
90 days prior to departure. Any bookings made less
than 90 days before departure require full payment
at time of booking.
Cancellation Fees:
For cancellations made after February 1st 2010
and more than 90 days prior to departure 100%
of the deposits paid, between 89 to 60 days prior
to departure 80% of the total tour price and from 59 days to actual day of departure
100% of the total tour price. Grand European Tours Travel Protection Plan is available at $249 per person payable with deposit only (excludes Oberammergau package).
GET’s Savings and Discounts do not apply to the Oberammergau package portion of your tour.
