Travel Terms and Conditions

THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS APPLY TO 2024/2025 VACATIONS PLEASE READ CAREFULLY

The purchase of any travel services offered by Great Tours of Italy.com (G.T.I.) constitutes a contractual arrangement between you and G.T.I. and represents your acceptance of the G.T.I. Terms & Conditions set out herein. Please ensure that you read carefully and understand these Terms & Conditions prior to booking.

RESERVATION AND FINAL PAYMENT

A non-refundable, non-transferable deposit of USD 400 or CAD 450 or AUD 450 or NZD 450 per land vacation per person is required for G.T.I. (30% for Customized Tour/Services) to reserve space for you. Your booking is not confirmed until the deposit is received by G.T.I. and you receive a confirmation invoice. G.T.I accepts wire transfer, Visa, Master Card, Discover, and American Express. Your reservation will be automatically canceled if deposit is not received by G.T.I. by the deposit due date. On certain departures, deposits may be required at time of booking to hold or to confirm space for you. Please review and verify your booking invoice thoroughly and contact G.T.I. immediately if your invoice appears to be incorrect or incomplete, as it may not be possible to make changes later. G.T.I. cannot accept responsibility if we are not notified of inaccuracies within 5 days of sending out the invoice. In the case of billing errors, G.T.I. reserves the right to re-invoice you with correct pricing. Final payment is due 45 days prior to commencement of services, with some limited exceptions as set forth below. Payment of the deposit indicates you have read and accepted these Terms and Conditions. If final payment is not received by the due date, your  reservation will be canceled and your full deposit, will be retained by G.T.I.. Payment in full is required at time of booking for reservations made within the final  payment date of your vacation (in most cases, within 45 days of departure) or reservations for special offer/tour. For group reservations, Travel Agents should refer to the Group Policy, which will be provided to you by G.T.I. upon request and is also located in the Travel Agent Portal. Acceptance on the vacation is subject to presentation of the G.T.I. Traveler Certificate, which will be available in your final Travel Documents.

LAST MINUTE

Reservations made 30 days or less prior to departure will be subject to a $150 fee. All reservations must be made no later than 5 days prior to departure. If requested services cannot be confirmed, deposit and booking fee will be refunded. If services are confirmed, final payment is due within 24 hours and all applicable cancellation penalties will apply.

PRICES

All prices are subject to increase due to any increase in our costs, such as, but not limited to: sea fares, fuel cost, and currency fluctuations. All taxes, fuel surcharges, security charges and any other taxes or charges imposed by cruise lines, governments, etc. are not included in price. Gratuities not specifically mentioned are excluded.

PRICE POLICY

All tour prices are based on rates (reflecting foreign exchange rates) known at the time of publication and expected to be in effect at the time of departure, and do not include airfare. Vacation prices are per person, based on double occupancy. Single room supplements and triple reductions are listed where applicable. Not all accommodation types are available on all tours. Prices are subject to increase without notice, subject to the guarantees set forth below. Once G.T.I. has received your full deposit for any land-only vacation departing Jan. 1 – Dec. 31, that base land vacation price is guaranteed and you are protected against any base land price increase due to currency surcharge. Any subsequent cost increases are at our expense, not including energy cost increases and/or any government tax increases. Vacation departures in 2022 are subject to price and itinerary modifications. Full details will be available in October. Passengers will have the right to cancel within 10 days of notification if the vacation price increases more than 7%, excluding taxes, for departures.

AIR DEVIATING TOUR MEMBERS must arrange their own transportation from airport to hotel and hotel to airport.

TICKET REVISION/CANCELLATION FEE

The traveler can be replace by third that satisfies all the conditions for the use of the service, in the relations arising from the contract, if written notice to the organizer or the seller, not later than four working days before departure, he is unable to proceed with the package and the transferee. The transferor and transferee are jointly liable to the organizer or the seller to pay the price and any additional costs arising from the sale.

HOLIDAYS AND SPECIAL EVENTS

During local or national holidays or special events, on Sundays, and religious/political/social occasions, certain facilities such as  museums, churches, restaurants, sightseeing tours, and shopping may be limited or not available. Alternatives will be offered whenever possible to minimize inconvenience to tour members. Great Tours of Italy cannot be held responsible for any closures or curtails for any reason.

TRAVEL DOCUMENT

United States, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand, citizens require a valid passport only, when traveling to Italy. Non-citizens have other requirements which should be checked immediately. G.T.I. is not responsible for providing you with specific visa and passport information or documentation, and G.T.I. cannot accept liability for any passenger refused entry onto any transport or into any country due to failure of the passenger to carry correct documentation. All passengers traveling internationally are required to have a passport. Italy requires that the passport be valid for at least six (6) months beyond the conclusion of your trip. It is your responsibility to verify all visa and passport requirements.

SINGLE ROOM

A limited number of single rooms are available at the supplement rate shown for each tour. While single rooms   provide privacy, they are often smaller than twin bedrooms and sometimes poorly located, especially in older hotels. In exceptional cases where single rooms reserved by us are not available, refunds will be made by the Tour Director. Claims made in this respect cannot be accepted after the vacation is completed.

TRIPLE ROOM

Are available on some tours. They usually consist of a twin bedded room with an additional folding bed or cot for the third person. This may not be comfortable for three adults.

CANCELLATION POLICY

Because of the extraordinary savings being offered, if you cancel your reservations, the penalties shown below will apply depending on the length of time remaining before departure. Your right to receive a refund is limited. All cancellations and refund requests must be sent to us in writing and are subject to the following cancellation charges which are based on the price of the tour and the number of weeks prior to departure we receive your notice.

* Cancellation more than 45 days prior to departure date: USD 400 or CAD 450 or AUD 450 or NZD 450  or (30% private tour) non-refundable, non-transferable deposit.
* Cancellation 30 days prior to departure date: 50% OF T. COST.
* Cancellation 15 days prior to departure date: 90% OF T. COST.
* Cancellation 5 days prior to departure date/No show : 100% OF T. COST.

FOR ADDITIONAL CUSTOMIZED SERVICES:

Tickets for Events or Attractions are non-refundable.

NON-OPERATION OF ESCORTED TOURS

Escorted tour packages are based upon a minimum number of participants. G.T.I. “Great Tours of Italy” reserves the right to cancel or reschedule any escorted tour or individual booking for any reason including insufficient demand or events beyond our control. Cancellation will be advised at least 45 days prior to the tour’s departure, and all money will be refunded. G.T.I. “Great Tours of Italy” will not be held responsible for any costs relating to the issuance and/or cancellation of airline tickets or visa fees. Voluntary cancellations due to political instability, acts of terrorism, government intervention or State Department warning will be subject to the above fees, provided the program is deemed (by G.T.I. “Great Tours of Italy”) able to continue.

PARTICIPATION

For the benefit of everyone on your vacation, G.T.I. reserves the right to accept or reject any vacation participant and to remove any participant whose conduct is deemed incompatible with the interests of the other participants. G.T.I. will not refund or cover any cost or expenses incurred for termination of vacation arrangements due to unacceptable behavior.

HEALTH REQUIREMENTS

Check with your healthcare provider for up-to-date requirements. You may also check the World Health Organization (http://www.who.int/en/) for their recommendations. Required inoculations, if any, must be recorded by clients’ health practitioner on a valid vaccination certificate which the client must carry for proof of inoculation where required. Individuals with heart disease, chronic illness, physical handicap, advanced pregnancy, or mental illness should not participate in these rigorous travel programs. Any person who arrives to the destination ill with apparent fever or becomes ill during the tour, will be removed from the group and directed to a local medical facility for diagnosis. Only upon written clearance by an accredited medical facility that the guest is able to participate in the remaining activities of the tour will that individual be allowed to resume group travel. All costs associated with medical treatment and related expenses such as additional hotel nights or transportation not included in the original itinerary, will be the responsibility of the passenger. Travel protection plans will only consider coverage with documentation and receipts for services provided by legally qualified health-care facilities, and in accordance with policy terms.

YOUNG TRAVELERS

Travelers who are under 18 years old on the departure date must be accompanied by an adult throughout the vacation and must share an adult’s accommodation. Discounts for children sharing a room as third may apply to children under 12.

SMOKING

Smoking is not allowed on transportation that is exclusively provided by G.T.I. Many hotels in Europe have imposed a 100% non-smoking policy and many cities have imposed non-smoking regulations in public spaces. As a standard rule, G.T.I. confirms non-smoking hotel rooms. If you require a smoking room a request may be submitted, but we cannot guarantee availability.

REFUND AND UNUSED ELEMENTS

No refund will be given for any unused tour features, by reason of choice, for operational reasons, or because of bad weather. Please note that any request for refunds is subject to these Terms & Conditions; no refund can be made for unused services of less than 48 consecutive hours, for unused transportation where group activity tickets are involved, or for voluntary modifications made by the traveler. Customers not using the included transfer will not be given a cash equivalent or vacation price reduction. All refunds are conditioned upon your understanding that your acceptance of a refund is on the express condition that you release us from all further liability and you thereby waive all additional rights and remedies under this contract or any applicable state law.

TOUR MEMBERS NEEDING SPECIAL ASSISTANCE

We regret that we cannot provide individual assistance to a tour member for walking, dining, getting on and off motor coaches and other transportation vehicles, or other personal needs. Travelers who need such assistance must be  accompanied by a qualified companion.

PHOTOGRAPHIC RELEASE

G.T.I. “Great Tours of Italy” may take photographs or video of its trips and trip participants grant G.T.I. “Great Tours of Italy” permission to do so and for it to use same for promotional or commercial use without payment of any compensation to participant.

LIABILITY DISCLAIMER

The information, products, and services published on this web site may include inaccuracies or typographical errors. Changes are periodically made to the information which appears here. The content of this site is not guaranteed to be complete, accurate, or available and may be changed at any time without notice. G.T.I. “Great Tours of Italy” Travel may make improvements or changes on this web site at any time. In no event shall G.T.I. “Great Tours of Italy” be liable for any direct, indirect, punitive, incidental, special, or consequential damages arising out of, or in any way connected with, the use of this web site, or for any information, products, and services obtained through this web site, or otherwise arising out of the use of this web site.

RESPONSIBILITY

G.T.I., and their employees, shareholders, subsidiaries, affiliates, officers, directors, successors, agents, and assigns, does not own or operate any entity which is to or does provide goods or services for your trip including, for example, lodging facilities, airline, vessel, motor coach, or other transportation companies, guides or guide services, local ground operators, providers or organizers of optional excursions, food service providers, etc. All such persons and entities are independent contractors. As a result, G.T.I. is not liable for any negligent or willful act or failure to act of any such person or entity or of any third party. Tour members are also subject to the terms and conditions set forth on their airline, rail or cruise line ticket. You will see the name GREAT TOURS OF ITALY. COM affixed to motor vehicles, on signs around the hotel or elsewhere. This use of our name is purely for reasons of identification and does not denote ownership, supervision, or control by G.T.I. in any way. In addition and without limitation, G.T.I. is not responsible for any injury, loss, death, inconvenience, delay, or damage to person or property in connection with the provision of any goods or services whether resulting from, but not limited to, natural and unavoidable catastrophes, illness, disease, acts of war or civil unrest, insurrection or revolt, animals, strikes or other labor activities, criminal or terrorist activities of any kind, overbooking or downgrading of accommodations, mechanical or other failure of airplanes or other means of transportation, or for any failure of any transportation mechanism to arrive or depart on time. Also be advised that foreign air-conditioning systems in public places, hotels and motor coaches are not up to U.S. standards. If due to weather, flight schedules or other uncontrollable factors, you are required to spend an additional night (s), you will be responsible for your own hotel, transfers and meal costs. Baggage is entirely at owner risk. The right is reserved to decline, to accept or retain any person as a member of these trips at any time. In any such event, G.T.I. sole obligation is to refund for any unused accommodations or other trip features. Passenger certifies not to have any mental, physical or other condition or disability that would create a hazard for himself/herself or other passengers. After departure, if the services included in the vacation cannot be supplied or there are changes in an itinerary for reasons beyond the control of the Company, the Company will arrange for the provision of comparable services. Any resulting additional expense will be the responsibility of vacation participants, and any resulting savings will be refunded by the Company to vacation participants. GTI reserves the right to change the itinerary or trip features at any time and for any reason, with or without notice and/or to substitute restaurants or hotels of a similar category for those listed in this brochure, and G.T.I. shall not be liable for any such changes. Great Tours of Italy, is an independent company licensed to market and distribute travel products , and arrange for the vacation services offered in  its  brochure  or  on  its  Web site,  including transportation, sightseeing, and accommodations through independent contracts. The air carriers, accommodations, and other suppliers (including but not limited to trains, cruises, ferries, motor coaches, hotels, and restaurants) providing services are independent contractors and are not agents, employees, servants, or joint ventures of the Company or its affiliates. All certificates and other travel documents for services issued by the Company are subject to the Terms & Conditions specified by the supplier, which are available upon request, and to the laws of Italy, which the services are supplied. The international carriage of passengers is subject to international conventions and treaties, where applicable. These international agreements limit and, in some events, exclude the carrier’s liability to passengers (vacation participants). Where any claim or part of a claim (including those involving death or personal injury) concerns or  involves any travel arrangements (including the process of getting on or off the transport concerned) provided by any air, sea, inland waterways, rail, or road carrier or any stay in a hotel, the Company’s maximum liability is the maximum which would be payable by the carrier or the hotel keeper concerned under the applicable international convention, treaty, or regulation applicable to the travel arrangements or hotel stay (e.g., the Warsaw Convention, the Montréal Convention for international travel by air, the EU Regulation on Air Carrier Liability for air carriers with an operating license granted by an EU country, the Athens Convention for international travel by sea) in that situation. The Company reserves the right to accept or reject any person as a vacation participant; to expel any participant from the vacation; to make changes in the itinerary whenever the Company deems it necessary for the comfort, convenience, or safety of the participants; and to cancel a vacation at any time. The vacation participant agrees that neither the Company nor its affiliates shall be liable for any damage, loss (including personal injury, death, and property loss), or expense occasioned by any act or omission of any supplier providing services, any insurer or insurance administrator under the Travel Insurance Plan, or any other person.

ARBITRATION AGREEMENT

Any controversy or claim arising out of or relating in any way to these Terms and Conditions, to the Responsibility Clause, to the brochure, or any other information relating in any way to the trip, or to the trip itself, shall be settled solely and exclusively by binding arbitration in Italy, in accordance with the commercial rules of the European Arbitration Association then existent. Upon payment of a deposit, tour participant indicates acceptance of the above Terms and Conditions and of the Arbitration Agreement. Any complaint or claim involving the vacation services offered in this brochure or on the Web sites must be notified to the Company within 10 days of the tour completion, except where such time limitations are prohibited by law. As it is difficult and sometimes impossible to properly investigate a complaint if we are not advised of such complaint quickly, any compensation you may have been able to claim could be reduced or even forfeited if you do not follow the complaints procedure set out in this clause. Any dispute between the vacation participant and the Company directly  or  indirectly  relating to the Terms & Conditions shall be first submitted to mediation at Rome, Italy, before a mediator mutually agreed to by the parties. If mediation is not successful, the dispute must be resolved by binding arbitration under Italian laws where the arbitration shall be conducted before a single arbitrator in Italian. The prevailing party shall be entitled to an award of costs and reasonable legal fees. Any action to enforce the arbitrator’s decision shall be brought in the courts of the province of Rome (Italy). Arbitration against the Company must be commenced within one year following the date of tour completion. Neither the Company nor any affiliate shall in any case be liable for other than compensatory damages, and you hereby waive any right to punitive damages.

OPERATOR/TOUR MEMBER AGREEMENT

Further information concerning the conditions of this tour is contained in an agreement that will be signed between the tour member and tour operator at the time of tour deposit.

G.T.I. (Great Tours of Italy .com), Cod. Authorization/License: G.T.I. 24632, owned by Grand Tour One s.r.l. socio unico, with the trade register of the Chamber of Commerce in Rome, Italy, under registration  number RM-1344750; tax registration number VAT/P.iva/C.fiscale: 12025671004.