Booking Conditions

All bookings made with Hooked on Cycling (Partners J. Hook, S. Hook) are made subject to these Booking Conditions. When you pay your deposit, you are making an offer to purchase our services or holidays, which, if accepted by us, will result in a binding contract. Payment of your deposit does not constitute our acceptance of your offer and your deposit will be refunded in full if your offer is refused.

Once your holiday has been confirmed we will accept responsibility for it in accordance with these conditions as an “Organiser” under the Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992.

Booking Conditions

1. Your holiday contract: When you make a booking, you guarantee that you have the authority to accept and do accept on behalf of your party the terms of these booking conditions. A contract will exist as soon as we issue our confirmation invoice. This contract is made on the terms of these booking conditions.
2. A deposit of 300 pounds per person (40% of holiday amount for Italy Bike and Barge and 30% of holiday amount for all other bike and boat trips) is required at time of booking. The balance of the full holiday cost is due 10 weeks (70 days) prior to your holiday start date. If the balance is not received by the due date we reserve the right to cancel your booking and apply the cancellation charges as detailed in paragraph 4 below. When bookings are made less than 10 weeks before the start of your holiday, full payment must be made when booking.
3. Prices quoted in this brochure are in pounds sterling. Hooked on Cycling reserves the right to alter any prices at any time before your holiday is accepted. If at time of booking the price is different to that in our brochure or website, you will be advised the revised price applicable before the booking is accepted.The price of your confirmed holiday is subject at all times to variations in:(i)            transportation costs, including the cost of fuel; or

   (ii)           dues, taxes or fees chargeable for services such as landing taxes or embarkation or disembarkation fees at ports and airports; or

   (iii)          the exchange rates used to calculate your arrangements.

   We will absorb and you will not be charged for any increase equivalent to 2% of the price of your travel arrangements, which excludes insurance premiums and any amendment charges and/or additional services or travel arrangements. You will be charged for the amount over and above that, plus an administration charge of £1.00 per person together with an amount to cover agents’ commission. If this means that you have to pay an increase of more than 10% of the price of your confirmed travel arrangements (excluding any insurance premiums, amendment charges and/or additional services or travel arrangements), you will have the option of accepting a change to another holiday if we are able to offer one (if this is of equivalent or higher quality you will not have to pay more but if it is of lower quality you will be refunded the difference in price), or cancelling and receiving a full refund of all monies paid to us, except for any insurance premiums and any amendment charges and/or additional services or travel arrangements. Should you decide to cancel for this reason, you must exercise your right to do so within 14 days from the issue date printed on your final invoice.

   Should the price of your holiday go down due to the changes mentioned above, by more than 2% of your confirmed holiday cost, then any refund due will be paid to you. However, please note that travel arrangements are not always purchased in local currency and some apparent changes have no impact on the price of your travel due to contractual and other protection in place.

   There will be no change made to the price of your confirmed holiday within 30 days of your departure nor will refunds be paid during this period.

4. Cancellations must always be made in writing and are applicable only on the day received by us. The following cancellation terms apply

   Up to 70 days prior to holiday start date – loss of deposit
   35-69 days prior to holiday start date – 50% of total holiday cost
   28-34 days prior to holiday start date – 75% of total holiday cost
   1 -27 days prior to holiday start date – 100% of total holiday cost
   Any refunds will be made by cheque and in pounds Sterling.

   Bike and Barge Holidays

   Up to 42 days prior to holiday start date   – Loss of deposit
   26-41 days prior to holiday start date – 60% of total holiday cost
   0-25 days prior to holiday start date                 – 100% of total holiday cost 

   Danube Bike and Boat

   Up to 84 days prior to holiday start date   – Loss of deposit
   28-41 days prior to holiday start date        – 70% of total holiday cost
   0-27 days prior to holiday start date                 – 100% of total holiday cost

5. It is unlikely that we will have to make changes to your travel arrangements, but we do plan arrangements many months in advance. Occasionally, we may have to make changes and we reserve the right to do so at any time. Most of these changes shall be minor and we shall advise you of them at the earliest possible date. We also reserve the right in any circumstance to cancel your travel arrangements. For example, if the minimum number of clients required for a particular trip is not reached, we may have to cancel it. However, we will not cancel your trip less than 8 weeks before your departure, except for reasons of Force Majeure or failure by you to pay your holiday balance. If we need to cancel your holiday we shall offer either an alternative Hooked on Cycling & Walking tour at a similar cost or a full refund. We will also pay to you compensation as set out below.

Any refunds will be made by cheque and in pounds Sterling

6. Many countries in Europe now require tourists to be fully vaccinated. It is therefore a condition of our booking terms that all guests must either be fully vaccinated or plan to be fully vaccinated by the time of travel and meet all country or regional Covid 19 requirements. Hooked on Cycling is not liable for any additional costs should you not meet these requirements at the time of travel.  Should guests travel without a valid Covid-certificate or proof of full vaccination, you do so at your own risk.
7. We cannot accept liability or pay compensation where the contract (booking) is affected by ‘force majeure’. In the context of these terms and conditions, ‘force majeure’ is any event that we could not, even with due care, foresee or avoid. These events include but are not limited to war, threat of war, flood, explosion, sabotage, riot, civil commotion or strife, hostilities, industrial dispute, natural disaster, fire, terrorist activity, nuclear disaster, adverse weather conditions, epidemics and pandemics, government action, unavoidable technical problems with transportation or other events outside our control.
8. If you need to make alterations to your holiday after your deposit has been received and accepted by Hooked on Cycling we shall do our utmost to help, we do however charge an administration fee of 50 pounds per person. (£50 GBP per person) Alterations inside 10 weeks before departure would in effect be a cancellation and re-booking. If you wish to change the tour booked then this will be classed as a cancellation and re-booking, our cancellation terms will apply to the cancelled tour.
9. For your security Hooked on Cycling complies with the 2018 UK Package Travel Directive
10. It is a condition of booking that clients have adequate insurance with a reputable insurer to cover personal injury, medical expenses, repatriation expenses, loss or damage of luggage and its contents and expenses associated with cancellation or curtailment. The client is responsible for any loss or damage to baggage, bicycles or personal possessions or any consequential loss resulting therefrom. Hooked on Cycling accepts no responsibility for loss or damage to baggage, possessions or bicycles while in transit with us or our partners. If a client becomes ill, all hospital expenses, doctors fees and repatriation costs are the responsibility of the client and Hooked on Cycling shall not be liable to a refund of tour cost.
11. We do our utmost to ensure you have an enjoyable holiday. If you have any problems, please contact us or our partners immediately and we shall do our best to resolve them. Any complaints should be notified to us as soon as reasonably possible and in any event, notified to our office within 28 days of the end of your holiday.
12. Clients must ensure they have or plan to have adequate fitness to enable them to complete their chosen tour.
13. Hooked on Cycling cannot be held responsible for the breakdown of client’s own cycle. In the event of a breakdown which results in a tour not being completed Hooked on Cycling shall not be liable to refund any tour cost. In the event Hooked on Cycling will do their best to help get the client to the next hotel or back to the start location. Any cost incurred shall be the responsibility of the client. If a bike is hired from Hooked on Cycling full emergency backup to severe mechanical breakdown is provided.
14. The information contained in our brochure or website is to the best of our knowledge correct, all information is subject to alteration without notice. Hooked on Cycling accepts no liability for any inaccuracy in the information produced.
15. If the actions of you or your party cause damage to accommodation or property of a third party or cause accident on the highway you agree to indemnify us against any claim (including legal cost) made against us by or on behalf of the owners of such accommodation or property or resulting accident.
16. Hooked on Cycling cannot be held responsible of the conditions of the highway or trials or for other users of such routes which are included in our tours and at all times you take part in your chosen activity at your own risk. When the tour is developed, we carry out a risk assessment on the roads and trails we recommended for travel. We cannot be held responsible however of the upkeep on the condition of these roads and trails.  If you believe adverse weather or for any other reason a road or trail is unsafe to follow please contact us without delay.
17. On our group tours, we share departure dates with other European Companies and therefore cannot guarantee the composition of a group in terms of nationality, age, singles or couples. Any guide will always speak English.
18. Group and guided tours may need a minimum number of participants to start if this number is not achieved you will be notified 8 weeks prior to the start of the tour. The minimum number required will be included on your confirmation.  On a guided trip if numbers are not achieved we may still go ahead with the trip at our own discretion.
19. Our bikes are checked regularly. The customer should check the bikes before use and bring any problems to the attention of the company before use.
20. On our self-guided tours, the maps and route directions provided are for guidance only. We cannot accept responsibility for any inaccuracies of the published material which you will receive, to the best of our knowledge, was correct at the time of printing.
21. Hooked on Cycling are not responsible for any extra costs incurred if any public transport is cancelled. We do our utmost to ensure any public transport timetables are up to date in our tour material but it is the responsibility of the guest to check local information on the day of travel for current travel times.
22. When available official accommodation grading is provided. If not available Hooked on Cycling will grade the accommodation based on our experience, in this case our judgment is final.
23. 1 piece of luggage per person not heavier than 20kg is permitted on our tours. More or heavier pieces of luggage may be refused carriage or a local supplement may have to be paid.
24. Many of the services which make up your holiday 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 us or the supplier concerned.
25. It is your responsibility to arrange appropriate travel to reach the start location of your booked holiday. If you are unable to reach the start location of your holiday on the booked departure date as confirmed by us, due to delays or cancellations of transport booked via other suppliers, then Hooked on Cycling is under no obligation to offer any refunds. Under these circumstances, our cancellation terms above shall apply.
26. These conditions and any contract to which they apply are governed in all respects by Scottish Law with the jurisdiction of the courts of Scotland, you may, however, choose the law and jurisdiction of England or Northern Ireland if you live there and wish to do so.
27. Your specific passport and visa requirements, and other immigration requirements are your responsibility and you should confirm these with the relevant Embassies and/or Consulates. We do not accept any responsibility if you cannot travel because you have not complied with any passport, visa or immigration requirements.

Last updated 3rd December 2024