TERMS & CONDITIONS

These booking conditions apply to all package holiday bookings made with Jules Verne Ltd. We are registered in England and Wales under company number 1661988. Our registered office address is: 96 Great Suffolk Street, London, SE1 0BE.

Except where otherwise stated, these booking conditions only apply to holiday arrangements which you book with us in the UK and which we agree to make, provide or perform (as applicable) as part of our contract with you. All references in these booking conditions to “holiday”, “booking”, “contract”, “package”, “tour” or “arrangements” mean such holiday arrangements unless otherwise stated.

In these booking conditions, “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 the context requires and “lead name” means the named member of the travelling party that, being 18 years old or over and possessing legal capacity to do so, makes payment at the point of booking.  “We”, “us” and “our” means Jules Verne Ltd. 

It is very important that you choose the right holiday arrangements for you. Our staff are always happy to advise and give you their professional opinion; however, it is essential that you also conduct your own independent research to ensure you are happy with the arrangements being made.

Please visit the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office website at https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice and visit www.gov.uk/travelaware for essential travel advice and tips. The websites offer a wealth of country-specific information but the advice can change, so please ensure that you check regularly for updates.

Many of our tours and excursions may not be suitable if you have a disability or have reduced mobility. You must be fit and able enough to participate independently or alternatively have an able-bodied carer to assist you throughout the trip. Please note that some of the featured itineraries may involve early starts and long days, with substantial travel between featured sites and destinations. As vehicle and road standards may not be comparable to that of the UK, please keep this in mind when considering any personal health concerns, as well as your general comfort.  

Experiences which form part of your package: We are pleased to be able to offer various ‘experiences’ and activities, which you can pre-book in the UK and pay for as part of your holiday package. By booking with us you confirm that you and your party are in good health and have no medical history that would make it dangerous for you or others to participate. You must observe safety instructions at all times, take reasonable care and provide any necessary certification that may be required. We will only accept responsibility for these experiences and activities in accordance with these booking conditions. Please note that they may be subject to minimum numbers and could be cancelled at short notice.

Experiences which do not form part of your package: We are able to offer general assistance and reserve certain activities for you on your behalf, for which you will pay locally. In these circumstances, we only act as a booking agent for the local operator of the excursion or activity concerned. Your contract for that activity will therefore be with them and it does not from part of your contracted holiday arrangements with us. The contract will be subject to the local operator’s terms and conditions, which will be governed by the local law and jurisdiction which applies and may limit their liability to you. Jules Verne Ltd accepts no liability for any breach of contract or negligent act or omission of any such excursion/activity provider.

Where a special request e.g. room location, twin or double-bedded room, flight seat requests and/or dietary requirements etc. is an important factor in your choice of holiday, you must advise us before you book. Whilst we are happy to pass on any such requests, we cannot guarantee that they will be accommodated, and the provision of any special request does not constitute a term of your contract with us. Where we pass on dietary requests to airlines, we recommend that you reconfirm with them directly once your tickets have been issued. Confirmation that a special request has been noted or passed on to the supplier, or the inclusion of the special request on any documentation is not confirmation that the request will be met. Unless and until specifically confirmed, all special requests are subject to availability.

If you have any medical condition, disability, or special requirements related to these, which may affect your holiday (including the booking process), please tell us before you confirm your booking. We can then assist you in considering the suitability of the holiday and the services that we are able to provide. You must give us full details in writing at the time of booking and whenever any significant change in the condition, disability or special requirements occurs. You must also promptly advise us if any medical condition or disability which may reasonably affect your holiday develops after your booking has been confirmed. Failure to do so may limit your rights under the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 and how we are able to assist you.

Jules Verne Ltd complies fully with Regulation (EC) No 1107/2006 concerning the rights of disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility when travelling by air and is delighted to offer assistance to disabled persons or persons with reduced mobility provided that we are given full information about your specific requirements at the time of booking. Please be aware that we cannot guarantee the provision of assistive aids such as high-loaders for embarking/dis-embarking the aircraft.

A ‘from’ price is indicative of the lowest price available for your itinerary but this may vary on your date of travel. Please call our Sales team or visit our website for further information about services and prices.

We will not be liable to you for any independent arrangements made to complement the holiday services being provided by Jules Verne Ltd. Your contract(s) will be directly with the third-party supplier(s) providing those arrangements. Where we agree to provide flights or transfer services to or from any such third-party product or destination, our doing so offers no endorsement of the product or destination and our liability will remain limited only to ensuring that the contracted elements of your holiday package with Jules Verne Ltd are provided as promised.

The combination of travel services offered to you is a package within the meaning of the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018. Jules Verne Ltd will be fully responsible for the proper performance of the package as a whole. Additionally, as required by law, Jules Verne Ltd has protection in place to refund your payments and, where transport is included in the package, to ensure your repatriation in the event that we become insolvent. More information on key rights can be found by visiting vjv.com/your-package-holiday.

When you or your Travel Agent wish to confirm a booking you must pay a deposit of between £350 to £550 per person and on some of our arrangements a higher deposit may apply. Full balance is required at the time of booking in some instances and if you make a holiday booking within 61 days of your departure date then you must pay the full cost of the holiday at the booking stage. All money paid by you to one of our authorised travel agents for your holiday will be held by the agent on our behalf until paid to us.

When you make a booking, the lead name confirms that you understand and have accepted these booking conditions and our Important Holiday Information which forms our booking conditions. Once your booking is confirmed, you will be given a reference number.

Where you make your booking enquiry well in advance of departure, it may not be possible at that time to book the flights, accommodation and/or other services you have requested as they are not then available. Scheduled airlines, for example, will generally not have loaded their seats to sell until approximately 10 months before departure. Should this apply, we will inform you at the time of booking and calculate the price in anticipation that the service(s) will be available in keeping with the specially negotiated fares that apply.

Where you ask us to make a booking, we will confirm any such services subject to availability, issue an invoice recording the arrangements reserved for you and take a deposit. A contract between us will then come into existence on the basis that the price payable will be that applicable when the supplier releases its service(s) for sale. When services become available to book, we will tell you the updated price and other relevant details, such as transport timings, as these may be different to those advised at the time of booking. We will give you 7 days to tell us whether you wish to continue with the booking.

If the out of date range services cannot subsequently be booked as requested or you are not prepared to pay the applicable price, you may cancel them and receive a refund of the amount you have paid in respect of these services. Cancellation or non-availability of these services does not, however, entitle you to cancel any other confirmed element of your booking without paying the applicable cancellation charges for these. If you wish to continue with the booking, we will issue a revised invoice. In the event that services do not become available, you will receive a full refund of your deposit. We will have no other liability and will not be responsible for refunding the cost of any services booked in conjunction with the flights.

After booking you will receive a confirmation invoice with important information relevant to your holiday, inclusive of the total payment due. You must check the details carefully and notify us immediately if you believe that any of the details are incorrect. Please also check your flight timings carefully each time you receive new documentation from us, as the scheduling may have changed since the last time we contacted you. 

Approximately 14 days prior to departure you will receive your final itinerary. Please check all information, including your flight times, carefully to ensure you are prepared for your trip.

Full payment must be received not less than 61 days before departure. On some arrangements, your balance will be due sooner than 61 days before departure and you will be informed at the time of booking if this is the case . If we, or your travel agent, have not received full payment as detailed above, we reserve the right to treat your booking as cancelled by you and you will forfeit your deposit or any higher sum that we are entitled to retain – see section 22 - Cancelling your Holiday by way of cancellation charges. If we do not cancel straight away because you have promised to make payment, you must pay the cancellation charges shown in section 22 depending on the date we reasonably treat your booking as cancelled.

This is a vital part of any holiday so please ensure you take out comprehensive travel insurance as soon as your booking has been confirmed. We strongly recommend that this includes, but is not limited to, appropriate cover against the cost of termination of the holiday contract and the cost of any medical/other assistance, including repatriation, you might require whilst overseas. We are not insurance providers and cannot offer advice on insurance products. It is essential that you discuss both your itinerary and your specific needs with your chosen policy provider to ensure you are suitably protected. Please read your policy details carefully, ensure that you are familiar with the scale of your cover and take the relevant documentation with you on your holiday.

It is your responsibility to ensure you are aware of all recommended and required vaccinations, health precautions, screening and self-isolation requirements in good time before departure. You should take health advice about your specific needs as early as possible and ensure that vaccinations or preventative measures such as malaria tablets are taken in time to be effective for the duration of the holiday.  

Please ensure you allow sufficient time to successfully book appointments for screenings or tests that may be required. It is your responsibility to find out about any entry restrictions, screening or quarantine requirements for destinations that you are visiting (including those you are transiting through) that might affect you. Please ensure you include any domestic requirements that may be in place for when you return home. Be aware that there may sometimes be enhanced screening/monitoring at entry and exit ports. In some instances, borders may close or you may be required to self-isolate for a set period, even if you do not have any symptoms of illness.

Sources of information include your GP surgery, the National Travel Health Network and Centre www.nathnac.org., the Department of Health free leaflet ‘Health advice for travellers’ (available on request Tel. 0207 210 4850), or your specialist travel clinic.

The Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office also provides useful information on health and entry requirements. Please visit gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice for advice by country. Contact the UK embassy for the destination(s) you intend to visit and/or transit through if you require further information.

It is essential that you check health and entry requirement information regularly. Failure to take the appropriate action could result in denied boarding by the airline or denied entry, as countries become stricter with respect of their entry requirements. 

Every traveller requires a valid passport to travel. If your passport is endorsed in any way, please check with the relevant embassy. British passport holders should ensure a valid ten-year passport is held. We recommend that all passports are valid for a minimum of 6 months after your scheduled return to the UK as many countries require passport expiry dates to fall a considerable time beyond the dates of travel. If you are planning to travel to an EU country, your passport must be issued less then 10 years before the date you enter the country (check the ‘date of issue’) and at least 3 months after the date you plan to leave (check the ‘expiry date’). You should ensure that your passport is stamped when you enter or exit the Schengen area as a visitor.

It can take at least six weeks to get an adult passport. Requirements may change and you must check the up to date position in good time before departure. Please visit gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice for advice by country. If you are travelling on a non-British passport, you must check your requirements with the appropriate embassy, high commission or consulate.  It is your responsibility to ensure you hold passports that are valid for your trip. We regret we cannot accept any liability if you are refused entry onto any transport or into any country due to failure on your part to carry all required documentation.

Visa and entry information can change at very short notice. If you are a British passport holder, please check www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice regularly for the latest information. If you are travelling on a non-British passport, you must check any visa requirements with the appropriate embassy, high commission or consulate.

It is your responsibility to ensure you are in possession of all necessary travel documents before departure. Any costs incurred in obtaining such documentation must be paid by you. We regret we cannot accept any liability if you are refused entry onto any transport or into any country due to failure on your part to carry all required documentation.  

If failure to have any necessary travel or other documents (see also section 15 – Passports) results in fines, surcharges or other financial penalty or expenses being imposed on or incurred by us, you will be responsible for reimbursing us accordingly.

We will arrange to provide you with the various services which form part of the holiday you book with us. Before your booking is confirmed and a contract comes into existence, we reserve the right to increase or decrease, and correct errors in advertised prices and to change any of the information. Changes will be made known to you at the time of booking. The prices we advertise are based on specially negotiated rates and fares

A booking is not accepted until we issue an invoice. The date shown on the invoice is the date of booking. Please check the details on the invoice when you get it and if any details appear to be incorrect or incomplete, contact us or your Travel Agent immediately as it may not be possible to make changes later. We cannot accept any liability if we are not notified of any inaccuracy (for which we are responsible) in any document within 10 days of our sending it out (5 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 Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 require us to provide security for the monies that you pay for the package holidays booked and for your repatriation in the event of our insolvency. We hold an Air Travel Organiser’s Licence issued by the Civil Aviation Authority, 45-59 Kingsway London WC2B 6TE (ATOL no. 11234). When you buy an ATOL protected air inclusive holiday or flight from us you will receive a confirmation invoice from us (or via our authorised agent) confirming your arrangements and your protection under our ATOL. In the unlikely event of our insolvency the CAA will ensure that you are not left stranded abroad and will arrange to refund any money you have paid to us for an advance booking. Please note: Not all holiday or travel services offered and sold by us will be protected by the ATOL scheme For further information, visit the ATOL website at www.atol.org.uk.

We are a member of ABTA (ABTA no. V1661). When you buy a package holiday that isn’t covered under ATOL, protection is provided by way of a bond held by ABTA. You can contact ABTA – The Travel Association at: 30 Park Street, London SE1 9EQ, [email protected], 0203 758 8779, www.abta.co.uk for a copy of the guide to ABTA’s scheme of Financial Protection.

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.

All prices quoted on our website are calculated using dynamic rates of exchange as set by Jules Verne Ltd. Many services are typically paid in the currency of your holiday destination and pricing will fluctuate accordingly. Website guide prices can go up or down and we will give you the up to date price before you make booking, including the cost of any peak season supplements, fuel surcharges, upgrades or additional facilities which you have requested*. Once you have accepted this price and a booking has been made, the price is fully guaranteed and will not be subject to any surcharges.

*See section 10 - Out of Date Range Services

Unless otherwise stated, your booking does not include visa fees, overseas airport taxes, overseas porterage, any government taxes or compulsory charges to be paid locally, (these will be communicated within your documentation, where such fees are known to us); taxes, levies or other compulsory charges that require payment by you, directly. Where possible, we will advise you of any local charges that may be due. Optional excursions or activities booked during your holiday are payable by you. Any sundry costs incurred by you in preparation for your holiday, including but not limited to insurance, vaccinations, screening and medical certifications are at your own cost.

If you want to make changes to your holiday arrangements after the invoice has been issued, we will do our best to assist but it may not be possible. Changes will be subject to an administration charge of £50 per booking and payment of any further costs incurred as a result of the change. Costs are likely to increase, the closer to the departure date the changes are made. If we agree that you may change your booking to a holiday of lower value and then you cancel that holiday, we reserve the right to levy cancellation charges on the value of the original booking.

Scheduled airlines normally regard name changes as a cancellation and rebooking, so any alteration may incur a 100% cancellation charge in respect of the air fare. Any changes to destination or routing may incur the loss of the original deposit collected. Date and name changes are permitted, subject to availability and the relevant charges imposed as per the airline’s own policies (details available on request). Any changes made may also result in additional charges due to an increase in airfare or charges imposed. 

Please note that save for the transfer of a booking (see below) or the addition of any offers made by Jules Verne Ltd which were not requested at the time of booking, it will not be possible to make changes within 30 days of your scheduled departure date.

You can transfer your booking to another person, who satisfies all the conditions that apply to this booking, by giving us notice at least 7 days before departure. Both you and the new traveller are jointly liable for paying all costs we incur in making the transfer. Additionally, an administration charge will be made of £50 per person for requests made more than 61 days before departure, and £100 per person within 61 days. For flight inclusive bookings, you must pay the charges levied by the airline concerned. As most airlines do not permit name changes after tickets have been issued for any reason, these charges are likely to be the full cost of the flight. If you request to change all names on a booking, this will be considered as a cancellation and new booking and full cancellation charges will apply.

If you or anyone on your holiday booking decides to cancel the holiday, the lead name or their travel agent must notify us of the decision as soon as possible. A cancellation invoice will be sent within 7 days. If you do not receive this, please contact us immediately in order to prevent an increase in charges. Since we incur costs in cancelling your travel arrangements, the following scale of charges will be payable. Amendment charges are not refundable in the event of cancellation.  References to the deposit include all sums paid or payable at the time of booking. 

Please be aware that in some instances, airline ticketing deadlines may result in higher cancellation charges being applied to your booking. Similarly, hotels may charge a higher cancellation fee and you may therefore be charged a higher amount than detailed above. Amendment and cancellation charges for bookings containing cruising elements will be applied in line with the cruise provider’s own booking conditions. These could be up to 100% of the total holiday cost and may vary between cruise providers.

If you have taken advantage of an airline offer and paid a higher deposit, the cancellation charge payable by you will be the higher of this deposit or the appropriate cancellation charge detailed above.

You may cancel your booking without paying cancellation charges if the performance of your package, or the carriage of passengers to your destination, is significantly affected by unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances. In such circumstances, we will arrange for your booking to be terminated and for you to receive a full refund. We will observe advice provided by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.

It is important to enquire for full details of cancellation terms at the time of booking and cancellation. You must ensure that you have appropriate travel insurance in place for your needs. We would strongly recommend that this includes, but not be limited to, cover against loss of deposit and cancellation fees.

We rigorously check all holiday information to ensure it is correct to the best of our knowledge before being published. Product descriptions and facilities may change before and after you book as our marketing material is prepared well in advance. Please check the up to date position at the time of booking as service providers may wish to maintain or improve their facilities. Flight times, carriers and routes are given for guidance only as there may be changes and details will be shown on your final itinerary and e-tickets. Tour, excursion, cruise or safari itineraries may change as a result of local conditions. Circumstances such as these, or weather conditions, time of year, events occurring in the destination or other situations beyond our control etc., may cause some of the amenities we have described to be unavailable or different from those advertised. When we are told of any significant or long-term changes, we will always endeavour to advise you prior to your departure.

Whilst we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of the pricing information provided, regrettably errors may occasionally occur. We will endeavour to notify you at the time of booking of pricing errors (if we are then aware of the mistake), within 7 days of the time of booking or as soon as reasonably possible. If a booking is already in place, you will have the choice to continue with the chosen itinerary at the corrected price or amend to a different holiday. We reserve the right to cancel the booking if you do not wish to accept the price that applies to your holiday or any quoted alternatives.

Flight timings, routings and days of operation shown on our website, in our brochures and/or detailed within your confirmation invoice are for guidance only and may be subject to change. They are set by airlines and are determined by various factors. Any changes to such arrangements are outside of our control. Airlines occasionally change the type of aircraft used on a particular flight without advance warning. We will advise you of any significant changes and any minor timing changes will be shown on your travel documentation, which you should check carefully when received. Any change in the identity of the airline, flight timings and/or aircraft type (if advised) will not entitle you to cancel or change to other arrangements without paying our normal charges, except where specified in these conditions.

We plan arrangements a long time in advance of your holiday using independent suppliers over whom we have no direct control. On occasions changes do have to be made, and we reserve the right to make these. Most of these changes are minor. However, occasionally, changes are significant.

Examples of a significant change include: a change of accommodation to that of a lower category and/or price for the whole or a major part of your time away, a change of flight time of more than 12 hours, a change of UK departure airport (except between London airports), or a significant change of resort area. We do our best to avoid cancelling holidays but we must reserve the right to do so and will only cancel your confirmed booking after you have made full payment where we are forced to do so as a result of ‘force majeure’ as defined below (see section 28 – Changes Due To Circumstances Beyond Our Control) or lack of minimum numbers. Please note, some of our holidays require a minimum number of participants to enable us to operate them. If the minimum number has not been received, we are entitled to cancel it. We will notify you or your travel agent of cancellation for this reason no later than 61 days prior to departure.

If we have to make a significant change or cancel, we will tell you as soon as possible. If there is time to do so before departure, we will offer you the choice of the following options:-

(a) accepting the changed arrangements (with any refunds that may be due to you for changes to a lower category of service); or

(b) selecting an alternative holiday from us, of a similar standard to that originally booked if available. If this holiday is cheaper than the original, we will refund the price difference. You will be liable to us for any additional costs payable for the new arrangements; or

(c) cancelling the booking or accepting our cancellation of the booking, in which case you will receive a full refund of all monies you have paid to us, within 14 days. 

If we have to make a significant change or cancel we will, where appropriate, pay you compensation as set out in the table below. Compensation entitlements will vary depending on the circumstances and when the significant change or cancellation is notified to you subject to the following exceptions: Compensation will not be payable and no liability beyond offering the above mentioned choices can be accepted where
(i) we are forced to make a change or cancel as a result of unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances beyond our control, the consequences of which we could not have avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken or (ii) we have to cancel because the minimum number of bookings necessary for us to operate your holiday has not been reached (see above). No compensation will be payable and the above options will not be available if 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) or where a change is a minor one. A change of flight time of less than 12 hours, airline (except where otherwise stated), type of aircraft (if advised) or destination airport will all be treated as minor changes. 

Except where otherwise expressly stated in these booking conditions, 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, loss or expense of any nature as a result of, "force majeure".  In these booking conditions, "force majeure" means any unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances beyond our control which we or the supplier of the service(s) in question could not have avoided, even if all reasonable measures had been taken. Such events may include but are not limited to, whether actual or threatened: war, riot, civil strife, terrorist activity and its consequences, industrial dispute, natural or nuclear disaster, adverse weather conditions; epidemics, pandemics or other outbreaks of illness, fire and any other situations which are outside our control.

Our tours are subject to a minimum number of participants for their operation. We will advise you at least 61 days before departure if minimum numbers have not been reached and as a direct result your tour has to be cancelled.

You will then have the choice of booking an alternative holiday with us, changing your departure date at the appropriate additional cost, or having a refund of monies paid. No compensation will be payable and we are unable to offer refunds of any associated costs i.e. visas etc.

If your flight is delayed we will arrange for the following to be provided, whenever practical, and subject to the airport being able to cater for this:- over 4 hours, an appropriate meal, for delays of at least 8 hours extending beyond midnight, overnight accommodation will be provided wherever possible. However, this will depend on such factors as the expected length of delay, local availability of accommodation, immigration rulings etc. Where long flight delays result in lost holiday time, no refunds are given by hotels for unused accommodation, as rooms are held for delayed arrivals, not re-let.

(a) We promise to ensure that the holiday arrangements we have agreed to make, perform or provide as part of our contract with you are delivered with reasonable skill and care. Subject to these booking conditions, we will accept responsibility if, for example, you suffer death or personal injury or your contracted holiday arrangements are not provided as promised or prove deficient as a result of the failure of ourselves, our employees, agents or suppliers to use reasonable skill and care in making, performing or providing, as applicable, your contracted holiday arrangements. You must inform us without undue delay of any failure or improper performance of the travel services included in this package. It is your responsibility to show that reasonable care and skill has not been used if you wish to make a claim against us and we will only be responsible for what our employees, agents and suppliers do or do not do if they were at the time acting within the course of their employment (for employees) or carrying out work we had asked them to do (for agents and suppliers).

(b) We will not be responsible for any injury, illness, death, loss (for example loss of enjoyment), damage, expense, cost or other sum or claim of any description whatsoever which results from any of the following: -

- the act(s) and/or omission(s) of the person(s) affected or any member(s) of their party or
- 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

- unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances, which means a situation beyond our control, the consequences of which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken. See 'force majeure' as defined in section 28 – Changes due to Circumstances Beyond our Control.

(c) For claims which do not involve personal injury, illness or death, the most we will have to pay if we are liable to you is three times the price the person affected paid for their holiday (not including insurance premiums and amendment charges). We will only have to pay this maximum amount if everything has gone wrong and you have received no benefit from your holiday. Where enjoyment of only some days has been affected, we will refund reasonable related expenses and pay a daily sum of compensation up to £50 per day per person affected.

(d) Further to (b) above, our liability will also be limited in accordance with and/or in an identical manner to:

1. i)         The contractual terms of the companies that provide the travel services which make up your package. These terms are incorporated into this booking; and
2. ii)         Any relevant international convention, for example the Montreal Convention in respect of travel by air, the Athens Convention in respect of travel by sea, the Berne Convention in respect of travel by rail and the Paris Convention in respect of the provision of accommodation, which limit the amount of and conditions under which compensation can be claimed for death, injury, delay to passengers and loss, damage and delay to luggage. We are to be regarded as having all benefit of any limitation of the extent of or the conditions under which compensation is to be paid under these or any other applicable conventions. 

In the event that any claim is made directly with us, our liability to pay compensation and/or the amount of compensation will be limited in accordance with these conventions, where applicable.

(e) Under EU law you have rights in some circumstances to refunds and/or compensation from your airline in cases of denied boarding, cancellation or delay to flights. Full details of these rights will be publicised at EU airports and will also be available from the airlines. However, reimbursement in such cases will not automatically entitle you to a refund of your holiday cost from us. If any payments to you are due from us, any payment made to you by the airline will be deducted from this amount. If your airline does not comply with these rules you should complain to the CAA www.caa.co.uk. 

(f) 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 by us and we have not agreed to arrange them as part of our contract and any excursion you purchase in resort. In addition, regardless of any wording used by us on our website, in any advertising material or elsewhere, we only promise to use reasonable care and skill as set out above and we do not have any greater or different liability to you.

(g) The promises we make to you about the services we have agreed to provide or arrange as part of our contract – and the laws and regulations of the country in which your claim or complaint occurred – will be used as the basis for deciding whether the services in question had been properly provided. If the particular services which gave rise to the claim or complaint complied with local laws and regulations applicable to those services at the time, the services will be treated as having been properly provided. This will be the case even if the services did not comply with the laws and regulations of the UK which would have applied had those services been provided in the UK. The exception to this is where the claim or complaint concerns the absence of a safety feature which might lead a reasonable holiday maker to refuse to take the arrangements in question. Please note, however, our obligation is to exercise reasonable skill and care as referred to in 5.11(a). We do not make any representation or commitment that all services will comply with applicable local laws and regulations and failure to comply does not automatically mean we have not exercised reasonable skill and care.

(h) Our suppliers (such as airlines, accommodation or transport providers) have their own booking conditions or conditions of carriage, and these conditions are binding between you and the supplier. Some of these conditions may limit or remove the relevant transport provider’s or other supplier’s liability to you. You can get copies of such conditions from our offices, or the offices of the relevant supplier.

(i) If we make any payment to you or any member of your party for death, personal injury or illness, you must agree to transfer to us or our insurers any rights you may have to take direct action against the person or organisation responsible for causing the death, personal injury or illness and you must co-operate fully with us in seeking recovery of any payment that we make.

(j) Operational decisions may be taken by air carriers and airports resulting in delays, diversions, overbookings, downgrades or rescheduling. Jules Verne Ltd has no control over such decisions and is therefore unable to accept responsibility for them. Where, as a result of unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances we are obliged to change or end your holiday after departure, but before the end of your holiday, we will not pay compensation or reimburse you for expenses incurred. You should have adequate travel insurance for your holiday and claim via your insurance company for any loss or damage to luggage and/or personal possessions.

If it is impossible to ensure your return as scheduled due to unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances, we will bear the cost of necessary accommodation, if possible of equivalent category, for a maximum of three nights. The limit doesn’t apply to persons with reduced mobility and any person accompanying them, pregnant women and unaccompanied minors, or persons in need of specific medical assistance, provided that you notified us of these needs at least 48 hours before the start of your holiday.

(k) Whilst you are away on holiday you may be offered the opportunity to buy optional excursions and activities. These are provided by independent local companies, which are neither owned nor controlled by Jules Verne Ltd, and for whom Jules Verne Ltd acts only as an agent (if we make a booking for you). If you decide to buy an excursion or activity, your contract will be made with the local company which provides it and it will not form part of your contracted holiday arrangements with us. See 1.39 – Services Outside of your Contract with Jules Verne Ltd. The contract will be subject to the excursion/activity provider’s terms and conditions, some of which may exclude or limit its liability to you and will be governed by local law and jurisdiction. Jules Verne Ltd accepts no liability for any breach of contract or act or omission of any excursion/activity provider. Some excursions/activities may contain an element of risk or require a good level of physical fitness, and, if in doubt, you should make direct enquiries with the local provider, before deciding to buy and check that you are covered by your travel insurance policy.

Very rarely, we may be forced by "force majeure" (see section 28 – Changes due to Circumstances Beyond our Control) 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. Please ensure you have adequate travel insurance in place to cover any such eventuality.

If you cut short your holiday and return home early in circumstances where i) you have no reasonable cause for complaint about the standard of accommodation and/or the holiday services provided, or ii) any lack of conformity could reasonably have been remedied via the provision of alternative arrangements or an appropriate price reduction, your decision to curtail will be deemed elective and we will not offer you any refund for the unused elements of your holiday that were not completed, or assist with any associated costs that you may incur while returning home. Depending on the circumstances, your travel insurance may offer cover for curtailment and we suggest that any claim is made directly with them.

If in our reasonable opinion or in the opinion of any other person in authority, your behaviour is causing or is likely to cause danger, upset or damage to property or is persistently affecting the enjoyment of others, we reserve the right to terminate your holiday. Should this happen no refund or compensation will be paid to you or any member of your travelling party and we will have no further responsibility for your holiday arrangements, including return travel.

You must bring any complaint to the attention of our local representative or agent and the hotel immediately and they will do their best to rectify the situation. If matters remain unresolved, your concerns must be brought to the attention of the Jules Verne Ltd Duty Officer, without undue delay (see section 35 – Emergency Duty Officer). It is unreasonable to delay or take no action whilst on holiday, but then to complain upon your return and this may affect our ability to investigate and take remedial action and it may impact on the way your complaint is dealt with.

Jules Verne Ltd offers 24-hour assistance for emergency situations and to help resolve any general issues while you are on holiday. Many destinations have local representation and they should be contacted in the first instance, should you have a problem.

As a valued customer, we may periodically send you email surveys to complete, so we can track your satisfaction throughout the course of your booking journey. We would like to know about your experience with Jules Verne Ltd before, during and after you travel and whether there are any elements of our service that you feel we could look to improve along the way.

If a problem remains unresolved during your holiday, you should make a complaint in writing to Jules Verne Ltd within 28 days of the completion of the holiday. Please direct your correspondence to our Customer Experience team at [email protected] quoting your booking number and a daytime telephone number. We will acknowledge your correspondence as soon as possible and aim to reply to you within 28 days, as set out within ABTA’s Code of Conduct.

We are a member of ABTA, membership number V1661. We are obliged to maintain a high standard of service to you by ABTA’s Code of Conduct. You may wish to refer any unresolved matters relating to this contract to ABTA’s scheme for the resolution of disputes, which is approved by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute. You must have previously filed your complaint with ABTA in order to qualify for their ADR services. (See section 39 for further advice on Law & Jurisdiction.) For more information on the Code and ABTA’s Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) services please visit www.abta.com. 

We take the safety and security of our clients extremely seriously. If the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office advises that people should not visit a particular destination and we reasonably believe this is going to affect your holiday arrangements, we will act on this and we reserve the right to cancel your holiday.

However, we are sure you appreciate from press and television coverage that the political, economic and social conditions in many of the countries we feature in this brochure are not as stable as we are used to in the United Kingdom. Sadly, crimes against both people and their property are a fact of life the world over, and when in a foreign country it is very important to be extra vigilant and avoid drawing attention to yourself by wearing expensive jewellery, carrying expensive camera equipment etc. Travellers have the same responsibility for their health, personal safety and that of their possessions as they do at home.  We sell holidays to many parts of the world, some of which do not conform to British health and safety standards. We request that all hotels comply with the local regulations applicable in their country for health and safety but we cannot guarantee that these meet British standards and therefore urge that you undertake reasonable precautions to protect your family and yourself whilst on holiday.

To make the most of your trip abroad, check out the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office website at https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice. Packed with essential travel advice and tips, this website offers a wealth of country-specific information that only the FCDO can provide.

We both agree that English Law (and no other) will apply to your contract and to any dispute, claim or other matter of any description (hereinafter referred to as “claim”) which arises between us (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 arbitration scheme (if the scheme is available for the claim in question and you wish to use it – see 6.3) 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 claim governed by the law of Scotland/Northern Ireland as applicable (but if you do not so choose, English law will apply).

In order to process your booking, send you a brochure or respond to an enquiry, we need to collect personal data from you. Depending on what’s required, the personal data we collect may include names and contact details, credit/debit card or other payment information and special requirements such as those relating to any disability or medical condition which may affect holiday arrangements and any dietary restrictions which may disclose your religious beliefs (“sensitive personal data”). All references in this privacy policy to personal data include sensitive personal data unless otherwise stated. The person who makes the booking is responsible for ensuring that other members of your party are aware of our booking conditions and this privacy policy and that they consent to your acting on their behalf in your dealings with us.

We may disclose personal data to companies within the DERTOUR Group for business purposes and to companies who act as data processors on our behalf. In making your booking, you consent to personal data being passed on to the relevant suppliers and other third parties. We take appropriate technical and organisational measures which are intended to prevent unauthorised or unlawful processing of personal data and accidental loss or destruction of, or damage to, personal data.  

By making a booking with us, you agree to allow your insurers, their agents and medical staff to disclose relevant information to us in circumstances where we may need to act in your interests or in the interests of everyone in any group with whom you are travelling.

For information on how we collect, process and manage your data in line with the General Data Protection Regulation please refer to our Privacy Policy.

You are generally entitled to ask us what details of yours are being held or processed, for what purpose and to whom they may be or have been disclosed. Please identify any such enquiry as a Subject Access Request and direct your enquiry to a member of our Customer Experience team, who will respond to you within one month. In certain circumstances we are entitled to refuse your request. If you believe that any of your personal data which we are processing is incorrect, please contact us immediately so it may be updated.