Booking Terms & Conditions

Terms and Conditions aren’t the most fun part of booking a trip. But they do contain important information about your trip and nature of your booking with us, and are something we have to have in place to make sure things are all safe and above board . Please take a few minutes to read these before booking.

Introduction
1. These booking terms and conditions form the basis of your contract with Sisters In The Wild UK (“we”, “our”, “us”). References to "you" and "your" include the first named person on the booking and all persons on whose behalf a booking is made or any other person to whom a booking is added or transferred.
2. By making a booking, the first named person on the booking agrees on behalf of all persons detailed on the booking that they:

(i) Have read these terms and conditions and has the authority to and does agree to be bound by them;

(ii) Consents to our use of information in accordance with our Privacy Policy;

(iii) Is over 18 years of age and where placing an order for services with age restrictions declares that they, and all members of the party are of the appropriate age to purchase those services;Accepts financial responsibility for payment of the booking on behalf of all persons detailed on the booking.

2. Booking & Payment

A booking is made with us when each member of your party completes an online booking form or email (as per event listing), you pay us a deposit or full payment (depending on the event) and we issue you with a booking confirmation.
The event page for each event will detail what payment is required to book the event. For most, full payment is due up front. For others, a deposit will be enough to secure the booking, with payment of full balance on the timescales described on that individual event. If we do not receive the full balance within the timescale, we will treat as cancelled, with applicable terms from section 22 applying

A binding contract will come into existence between you and us as soon as you have paid the deposit or amount detailed on the event page, and once we have issued you with a booking confirmation that will confirm the details of your booking. Upon receipt, if you believe that any details on the booking confirmation or any other document are wrong you must advise us immediately as changes can not be made later and it may harm your rights if we are not notified of any inaccuracies in any document within ten days of our sending it out.

3. Personal Travel Insurance

It is mandatory that all participants are adequately insured in respect of: medical expenses and emergency repatriation in the event of illness or injury; personal liability (third party cover); legal expenses; baggage and personal effects; cancellation charges; missed departure, delay and abandonment. If you choose to travel without adequate insurance cover, we will not be liable for any losses howsoever arising, in respect of which insurance cover would otherwise have been available.

When taking out a policy you are advised to check that the policy provides cover for the activity you are undertaking (e.g. multi day cycle touring, off-road cycling) and covers the country/area where your chosen trip to take place and that there are any clauses that limit the amount of cover based on age and/or pre-existing medical conditions that might affect you. We also recommend considering insuring your bike, as most travel insurances do not cover this as standard.

4. Your Trip

In making your booking with us, you accept:
(i) the risks and hazards of such a trip, including the dangers inherent in cycling either on the road or off the road, the dangers inherent in the other activities included in our other trips, the dangers of foreign travel, especially to countries that are less developed, are politically unstable or are subject to natural hazards, and any risks that result from (among other things) changes of local politics, adverse weather conditions, the poor condition of the highways, border restrictions, terrorism and disease; and
(ii) the potential for (among other things) delays, alterations, loss or damage to property, inconvenience and discomfort.
All timings are provisional and for your guidance only. Final details will be advised nearer the commencement of the trip.
Weather - Our trips take place outdoors and are provided subject to appropriate weather (riding) conditions. We reserve the right to pause and/or cancel days of the trip, in the interests of participant safety, if the weather reaches an adverse level, and without compensation. We also reserve the right to seek alternative arrangements/accommodation, potentially at extra cost, if the Trip Leader decides it is essential.
There is a natural need to be flexible in a trip of this kind. The day to day agenda and ultimate aim of the trip is taken as an objective and not as a contractual obligation. it is a fundamental condition of booking that you accept this flexibility, and acknowledge that delays and alterations and their subsequent results, such as inconvenience or discomfort, or disappointment, are possible.
If there is a significant change to essential terms of your trip after booking, but before your departure date, we will notify you of these changes as soon as possible. If you are not satisfied with these changes we will work with you to find a practical alternative. If you are not satisfied with the alternatives we may be able to provide, you will be entitled to cancel your booking without penalty and receive a refund of any money you have paid to us . No refund will be provided for services not booked with us (e.g. travel costs - including flights costs).
If after departure we are unable to provide a significant proportion of the services we had agreed to provide as part of our Contract with you, we will act reasonably to make suitable alternative arrangements.
In agreeing to these Booking Conditions you agree that, on any of our trips it is necessary that you abide by the authority and instruction of the leader, who represents the Company, and whose decision is final. In the event that you commit any inappropriate, offensive or illegal act when on the trip or if in the reasonable opinion of the leader your behaviour is causing or likely to cause danger, distress or annoyance to others we may take your trip as being terminated by you with immediate effect.
We cannot - at any time - guarantee the composition of the group in terms of age, nationality, gender, singles and/or couples, in accordance with our anti-discrimination and data protection policies.
Please note that flights and other products and/or services that you purchase separately, and not through us, do not form part of your Contract with us.
Any and all travel arrangements to meet the trip or on leaving any trip, are your responsibility. Any guidance we may provide is simply that - and must be checked by you.
Our responsibility to you does not commence until the appointed time at the designated meeting point. If you fail to arrive there at the appointed time for whatever reason, we will not be responsible for any additional expenses incurred by you to meet up with the group.
Any information given by us in regard to climate, clothing, special equipment, topography etc. is done so in good faith and must be rechecked by you prior to relying on it.
No refund or compensation will be made or given for any unused hotel accommodation, services or features of the trip which were unused (for whatever reason) by you, or members of your booking, or anyone on the trip

5. Trip/Event Information

All information given about our trips, whether on our website or otherwise, is intended merely to present a general idea of the trip. Information is correct to the best of our knowledge. You will be provided with an itinerary for your trip giving details such as, the type of accommodation used, what is included in the price, passport and visa requirements, and health formalities. Changes in all of these items may be made at any time and we will notify you of any changes that we become aware of as soon as we are reasonably able to do so. For most trips we publish detailed trip notes which contain up-to-date definitive information about the trip.
You should ensure that you are fully aware of the contents of the trip notes before booking. In all cases the trip notes should be considered as being more up to date than the website, so it is your responsibility to ensure you are aware of, and agree to, the contents before your trip. The information and conditions relating to your trip (and extension/ options where applicable) contained in the trip notes will be deemed to be part of the contract between us, and you should therefore read them carefully.

6. Minimum Participants

Some of our trips have a minimum number of participants, and this will be listed on the event information page, along with a stated registration deadline. We will confirm the tour in writing to you once the minimum number of registrations has been reached by the stated registration deadline. Please do not book any flights or travel until we have confirmed the trip minimum numbers have been met. If we do not meet the minimum number of participants, we will give you a full reimbursement of monies paid to us by you to book the event,

7. Gear

The gear you will be required to bring will depend on the type of trip or event booked. We will provide you with a full kit list before departure, including details of what is available to loan or hire. For multi-day bikepacking trips, you are generally expected to carry all your own kit/equipment on your bike.

Bike

If bringing your own bike and kit on one of our trips, you must ensure that it is adequately maintained and insured. Prior to the commencement of the trip, we may request to check your bike is suitable for mixed-terrain riding, over the phone and via photos. We will endeavour to help out where needed, but cannot be responsible for the performance / safety of any bikes and kit under your own personal us

We will take all reasonable care when transporting equipment, however we are not responsible for any damage caused to equipment, whether such damage is caused whilst riding on the trip or whilst the equipment is in transit.

2. Helmets

You are responsible for bringing your own helmets and wearing them. Helmets need to conform to the latest safety standards; whilst we will do a check, you are responsible for ensuring your helmet fits and is in line with standards.

3. Clothing

You must at all times during the trip wear or carry the mandatory clothing and kit list. At the discretion of the Trip Leader, Participants without the correct clothing and equipment will be prevented from participating in the trip.

4. Kit Loan

All hired bikes, bags and camping kit remain the property of Sisters In The Wild UK and shall not be sold, hired or loaned out by the participant. You are expected to use the equipment and facilities provided to you with care and to keep them in a clean and tidy condition. We reserve the right to charge you for any extra cleaning, missing items or damage.

8. Navigation

Our routes created to incorporate the best scenery and riding in the areas we ride, and also to get us between the points we need to be. Routes will not be signed or marked out, and as such you are expected to either

Follow a navigation device of your own choosing on your handlebar
Follow the ride leaders, which will includes stopping at all possible junctions if you choose to ride on ahead of the group

Different trips have different navigation approaches (self-navigated or guided), and this will be confirmed on the individual event page. Participants should ensure they have a charged and functional mobile phone on them at all times for contact with the trip leaders.

9. Travel to start of itinerary

Participants must accept that travel to our agreed start and end points is arranged separately by you, whether by private or public transport, and does not form part of your trip booking with us.
Our responsibility does not commence until the appointed time at the designated meeting point. If you don’t arrive at the meet point for the appointed time for whatever reason, we will not be responsible for any additional expenses incurred by you to meet up with the group.
Your vehicles, including their contents, are parked at your own risk - no liability whatsoever is accepted for any vehicle used to access the start-point of any of our trip. You remain wholly responsible for assessing the suitability of any suggested car parking

10. Rider behaviour

We reserve the right, at the Trip Leaders' discretion, to terminate without notice the tour arrangements of anyone whose behaviour is unacceptable. Our responsibility for that participant will then cease. In all cases we will be under no obligation whatsoever for any costs incurred, and the participant concerned shall not be entitled to any refund

11. Accomodation

All accommodation (camping, bunkhouses, apartments, hotels etc) used on our trips/events is offered on a shared basis, unless otherwise specified. Should you wish private accommodation, please contact us before booking. Any accommodation listed in the itinerary is for guidance only and may be subject to change depending on trip/event date and availability.

12. Special Requests

We will do our best to accommodate any special requests (for example dietary requests), but these must be advised to us at the time of booking in writing, or in the timelines given. We will then do our best to meet your request but we cannot guarantee that they will be fulfilled.

13. Medical and special requirements

It is your responsibility to ensure that you are sufficiently fit and healthy to complete your chosen trip. We reserve the right to require you to produce a doctor’s certificate of fitness to participate in your chose trip. If you are affected by any condition, medical or otherwise, that might affect your or other people’s enjoyment of the trip, you must advise us before booking. If you do not do so, we may, at our sole discretion and at any time during the trip, treat your trip as being terminated by you. In this event, you will be responsible for any and all additional costs that you may incur, as a result. If you are unsure, please reach out to hello@sistersinthewild.com
Ensuring that you have the required medical vaccinations and the arranging of other preliminary travel arrangements - including ensuring that you have a valid passport and travel insurance , obtaining any visas - are your responsibility. Recommended vaccinations for each trip are detailed in the specific Trip Notes. Please check these before booking to ensure that you comply with any recommendations prior to booking. Allow suitable time to obtain any vaccinations and/or attend any consultations with your local GP.
We are not a specialist disabled trip company, but we will do our utmost to cater for any special requirements you may have. If you or any member of your party has any medical problem or disability which may affect your trip, please provide us with full details before we confirm your booking so that we can try to advise you as to the suitability of your chosen arrangements. We may require you to produce a doctor’s certificate certifying that you are fit to participate in the trip. Acting reasonably, if we are unable to properly accommodate the needs of the person(s) concerned, we will not confirm your booking or if you did not give us full details at the time of booking, we will cancel it and impose applicable cancellation charges when we become aware of these details
Any participant suffering from conditions requiring medication shall ensure that the Trip Leader is aware of this.
Participants should inform US immediately if, within 4 weeks prior to the commencement date or during the Trip, you develop an infectious or contagious medical conditions. If so, we have the right to:

Refuse to accept your booking / cancel your Trip; or
Ask you to leave, to protect the health of others.

14. Covid 19

We both acknowledge the ongoing COVID-19 global crisis and accept our obligations to comply with any official guidance from governments or local authorities, both in the UK and whilst on holiday.
We will have no liability for any refunds, compensation, costs, expenses or other losses of any kind incurred by you (including, where applicable, the cost of medical treatment), if you, or anyone in your booking party, test positive for Covid-19 and have to quarantine for a period of time, or are notified or otherwise become aware that you have, or suspect you may have, come into close contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid-19 (or where they otherwise suspect they may have Covid-19) and have to self-isolate for a period of time. Normal booking cancellation/change conditions (section 20 - 23) will apply. We highly recommend seeking travel insurance that covers you for COVID related issues, both pre and during trip.

You also acknowledge that the suppliers providing your holiday, including airlines, hotels and excursion providers, will need to comply with national and/or local guidance and requirements relating to Covid-19, and have implemented certain measures as a result. This will likely include specific requirements regarding personal protective equipment, such as use of face-masks by staff (and you may be required to wear a face-mask as well), social distancing, maximum number restrictions on the use of certain facilities, designated alternative entrance and exit routes, mandatory hand sanitisation, limited entertainment options and limited food/drink availability. We do not expect these measures to have a significant impact on your enjoyment of the holiday and all measures will be taken with the purpose of securing your safety and those around you.

15. Liability

We shall not be held liable for any injury, illness, death, damage, loss (whether direct or indirect and howsoever caused), expense, cost or other sum or claim of any description whatsoever arising from

(i) the acts or omissions of the person affected or the acts or omissions of any members of the booking; or

(iii) the acts or omissions of a third party unconnected with the provision of any of the services included in your booking; or

(iii) unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances which are beyond our control, pursuant to clause 3.1(i); or

(iv) the theft of bicycles or injury as a result of cycling either on or off road and, in particular, injuries as a result of either inadequately maintained and/or serviced personal equipment, or failure to wear the correct safety equipment (including cycle helmets).

Our liability will be limited in accordance with and/or in an identical manner to:
1. the contractual terms of the companies that provide the transportation for your travel arrangements in destination, which are incorporated into and form part of your contract with us; and
2. any relevant international convention, which shall be incorporated into and form part of your Contract with us, where applicable, and we shall further be regarded as having all and any benefit of any limitation of compensation contained in such conventions.
We will also not be liable for any direct or indirect damage or loss of any nature caused, or contributed to, by any defect in or failure (whether partial or complete) of any travel services not provided by us, and which we could not reasonably be expected to be responsible for
In some instances we are also able to offer assistance and reserve certain experiences and activities for you, for which you pay locally in resort. In these circumstances, we only act as a booking agent for the operator of the excursion or activity concerned. Your contract will therefore be with the local operator which provides it and it does not form part of your Contract with us. Your contract with the operator will be subject to the local operator’s terms and conditions of contract, some of which may exclude or limit their liability to you, and will be subject to local standards and regulations, as well as being governed by local law and subject to the local jurisdiction. We accept no liability for any breach of contract or negligent act or omission of any excursion/activity provider that you contract with outside of your booking with us.
Any activities, restaurants and/or other venues that we may refer to are not under our direct control and have not been inspected by us. Therefore any mention of them is merely an indication that these facilities have proved popular with other guests and are not a personal recommendation by us.

16. Law and Jurisdiction

These Booking Conditions are governed by English law and we both agree that the courts of England and Wales have exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute, claim or other matter which may arise between us (unless you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland, in which case you can bring proceedings in your local court under Scottish or Northern Irish law, as applicable)

17. Photography and Promotional Material

Official photography and video may be taken during the trip or event, and you consent to this. Participants agree to waive all rights to any photography, film, video and sound recordings that features them, and hereby grants Sisters In The WIld UK sole and complete permission and authority to utilise in full any photography, film, video and sound recordings. You specifically waive any right to any compensation you may want for appearing in any of the content from a Trip.

18. Passport, Visa and Immigration Requirements and Health Formalities

For any trip outside of the UK, it is your responsibility to check and fulfil the passport, visa, health and immigration requirements applicable to your itinerary. We can only provide general information about this. You must check requirements for your own specific circumstances with the relevant Embassies and/or Consulates and your own doctor as applicable. Requirements do change and you must check the up to date position in good time before departure.

Passports

Most countries now require passports to be valid for at least 6 months after your return date. If your passport is in its final year, you should check with the Embassy of the country you are visiting. For further information contact the Passport Office on 0870 5210410 or visit www.passport.gov.uk.

Up to date travel advice can be obtained from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, visit www.fco.gov.uk.

Non British passport holders, including other EU nationals, should obtain up to date advice on passport and visa requirements from the Embassy, High Commission or Consulate of your destination or country(ies) through which you are travelling.

We do not accept any responsibility if you cannot travel or incur any other loss because you have not complied with any passport, visa, immigration requirements or health formalities. You agree to reimburse us in relation to any fines or other losses which we incur as a result of your failure to comply with any passport, visa, immigration requirements or health formalities.

Conditions of Suppliers

Many of the services which make up your Trip are provided by independent suppliers. Those suppliers provide these services in accordance with their own terms and conditions which will form part of your contract with us. Some of these terms and conditions may limit or exclude the supplier's liability to you, usually in accordance with applicable International Conventions. Copies of the relevant parts of these terms and conditions are available on request from ourselves or the supplier concerned.

Foreign Office Advice

You are responsible for making yourself aware of Foreign Office advice in regard to the safety of the countries and areas in which you will be travelling and to make your decisions accordingly. Advice from the Foreign Office to avoid or leave a particular country may constitute Force Majeure

19. Cutting Your Trip Short

If you are forced to return home early, or choose to leave the Trip early, we cannot refund the cost of any services you have not used, or be liable for any associated costs you may incur. Depending on the circumstances, your travel insurance may offer cover for curtailment and we suggest that any claim is made directly with them.

20.Changes to your trip - Changes by us

As we plan our trips many months in advance we may occasionally have to make changes or cancel your booking and we reserve the right to do so at any time.

Minor Changes

If we make a minor change to your tour, we will make reasonable efforts to inform you as soon as reasonably possible if there is time before your departure but we will have no liability to you. Examples of minor changes include change of accommodation to another of the same or higher standard.

Major Changes

Occasionally we may have to make a major change to your confirmed arrangements. Examples include the following, when made before departure:

- A change of accommodation area for the whole or a significant part of your time away.

A change of accommodation to that of a lower standard or classification for the whole or a significant part of your time away.
A change of the overall length of your arrangements of twelve or more hours.
A significant change to your itinerary, missing out one or more destination entirely.

Cancellation

Cancellation: We will not aim to cancel your tour less than 63 days before your departure date, except for reasons of force majeure or failure by you to pay the final balance by the date specified on the event. We may cancel your tour before this date if, e.g., the minimum number of clients required for a particular travel arrangement is not reached.

If we have to make a major change or cancel in advance of 63 days prior to departure, we will tell you as soon as possible and if there is time to do so before departure, we will offer you the choice of:

accepting the changed arrangements (where related to a “major change”
having a refund of all monies paid; or
accepting an offer of alternative travel arrangements of comparable standard from us, if available. We will refund any price difference if the alternative is of a lower value.

You must notify us of your choice within 7 days of our offer. If you fail to do so we will assume that you have chosen to accept the change or alternative booking arrangements.

Compensation

This section is applicable to multi-day bikepacking trips longer than 3 nights in duration.

If we cancel or make a major change less than 63 days before departure, we will pay compensation as detailed below. The compensation that we offer does not exclude you from claiming more if you are entitled to do so.

Compensation we will pay per person, dependent on time that change is notified:

63 days or more: Nothing

62-42 days prior to departure: £10

41-28 days prior to departure: £20

27-14 days prior to departure: £30

Less than 14 days prior to departure: £40

We will not pay you compensation in the following circumstances:

- the trip is 3 nights or less, or is a Summer Gathering ticket.

- where we make a minor change;

- where we cancel a trip due to enrollment, within the timelines specified in the event information/booking confirmation. This may be less than 63 days before departure

- where we make a major change or cancel your arrangements more than 63 days before departure;

- where we have to cancel your arrangements as a result of your failure to make full payment on time;

- where the change or cancellation by us arises out of alterations to the confirmed booking requested by you;

- where we are forced to cancel or change your arrangements due to Force Majeure*

In the event of a change or cancellation, we regrettably cannot reimburse you for any incidental expenses incurred by you such as visas, vaccinations, equipment, transport, insurance or similar costs.

Please note: where arrangements with a higher price than the original arrangements are offered by us and accepted by you, the difference in price will be deducted from any compensation payable. In no case will we pay compensation if arrangements are offered by us and accepted by you with a higher price than that originally booked, in the same location, where no additional payment is made by you

If we become unable to provide a significant proportion of the services that you have booked with us after you have departed, we will make alternative arrangements for you at no extra charge and, if appropriate in all the circumstances, will pay you reasonable compensation.

If we have to curtail your trip after you have departed due to events of Force Majeure, then we may make a partial refund of the cost of your trip to you, but only where we are able to obtain refunds from our third party suppliers. In this event, we reserve the right to retain from any refund made to you an amount sufficient enough to cover the costs that we have incurred in relation to organising and administering your trip.

Your travel insurance may cover for any loss you suffer. We would recommend and appreciate exploring that option before requesting or accepting any refund from us

*Force Majeurre - extraordinary or unavoidable circumstances arise (events of “Force Majeure”); that shall include – but not be limited to - war, riot, civil or political unrest, terrorism (and their consequences), acts of god, floods, earthquakes and other disasters (including nuclear), fires/explosions, adverse weather conditions, epidemic or pandemic (including risks to health), airport closures or flight cancellations/alterations, industrial disputes, strikes or other industrial action, problems that may arise with transport and governmental decisions and acts (including FCO advice that may result in restrictions to travel); and/or

21.Changes to your trip - Changes by you

If you wish to change any part of your booked arrangements after our booking confirmation has been issued, you must inform us in writing as soon as possible. This should be done by the first named person on the booking. Whilst we will do our best to assist, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to meet your requested change. Where we can meet a request, all changes will be subject to payment of any applicable rate changes or extra costs incurred as well as any costs incurred by ourselves and any costs or charges incurred or imposed by any of our suppliers. Where we cannot, if you do not wish to proceed with the original booking we will treat this as a cancellation by you.

21.1Transfer of Booking:

If any member of your party is prevented from travelling, that person(s) may transfer their place to someone else, introduced by you. The transferee must be of an appropriate level of experience and ability as required by the event in question. You will be liable to pay costs and charges incurred by us and/or incurred or imposed by any of our suppliers and the transferee agrees to these Booking Conditions and all other terms of the contract between us. If you are unable to find a replacement, cancellation charges will apply. Booking transfer can be done no later than 7 days prior to trip departure

21.2 Cancellation by you

Weekend events - up to 3 nights

Refunds are available up to and no later than 45 days before the start of the event, unless specified differently in the event informaton. We will accept ticket transfers up to 14 days before the event. Requests for cancellation should be made by email to hello@sistersinnthewild.com

Multi Day Trips - over 3 nights

If you wish to cancel your trip, this must be done by the Lead Name passenger, in writing (by email to hello@sistersinthewild.com). In all scenarios, we will allow you to transfer your ticket to an appropriate person should YOU find one. If you do, we will provide a full refund minus any costs incurred to transfer the booking upon receipt of payment from that person. If you are unable to transfer the ticket, these cancellation charges will apply.

In this event, you will be liable for the following cancellation charges:

(i) Up until your balance due date*: you will forfeit your deposit;

(ii) Between your balance due date and 28 days (or the cancellation period stated in the specific event info, whichever is longer) before departure: a 50% refund of the trip price will be made;

(iii) Less than 28 days (or the cancellation period stated in the specific event info, whichever is longer) before the departure date: no refund will be given;

Note: Certain arrangements may not be amended after they have been confirmed and any alteration or cancellation could incur a cancellation charge of up to 100% of that part of the arrangements in addition to the charge above.