How to book

Before booking a trip and to ensure that you choose a holiday that is suited to your experience and ability level it is vital that you understand the Trip Grade of the activity that you are considering. Please read these details carefully and be sure you are comfortable with both the effort and skill level involved. If you know that you have any medical conditions, or previous injuries that may affect your ability to complete your holiday we strongly suggest that you consult your doctor before booking. We are always happy to answer any questions which you might have about the suitability of any trip. Just contact us and we will get back to you to discuss any queries or concerns either by email or better still arrange a time to talk about it over the phone. 

Before booking

Before you complete a Booking Form, please ensure that you are aware of the following:

• Activity Insurance After a trip with Tracks and Trails is 'guaranteed to run' it is mandatory for all participants to have suitable insurance that covers you; for mountain rescue, medical costs, and repatriation while taking part in any of the activities we offer e.g. walking in the mountains, cross country skiing, snowshoeing and trail running etc. If you are not insured by the time of the departure for your chosen activity we reserve the right to refuse to take you on the trip.
• Trip Cancellation Insurance We also advise that you take out insurance to cover any losses, delays and cancellations. This is not compulsory but we advise you to take out insurance in case you have to cancel your trip.
• Listed here are some insurance companies which provide appropriate cover for the activities which we offer. It is your responsibility to ensure that whichever insurance you choose meets your specific requirements.
• Financial Failure Insurance All bookings made directly with Tracks and Trails for a package holiday of more than a day in length are covered by our own insurance cover. Tracks and Trails Ltd are fully protected for the initial deposit and subsequently the balance of all monies paid to us, arising from cancellation or curtailment of your travel arrangements due to the insolvency of Tracks and Trails.
• Passports On the day of your trip departure some countries we visit may require you to have at least 3 months validity on your passport on the date you finish your trip. Please check this independently before booking. However we recommend that you have 6 months on your passport to cover any unforeseen circumstances which delay you leaving the country you are visiting.
• Visas Check if the country you are visiting requires an Entry Visa and allow adequate time to arrange this before departure. You must allow at least one free page in your passport for any visa required.

MAKING A BOOKING

1. Scheduled Departures

When booking on to a Scheduled Departure select the trip that you would like to join, go to the Dates & Prices section and select your preferred dates by clicking the relevent BOOK button. Please select carefully as some trips have multiple options for the same date offering different inclusions. Trips can be searched for via the different website category pages or by using the Trip Search or Trip Calendar pages. Within the Trip Search function the 'search keyword' box can be used to refine your search by using specific terms such as 'Mont Blanc' to find all trips that visit the Mont Blanc area or if known you can use this box and enter the three lettered 'trip code' which can be found under the dates and prices section for example: MBH which relates to Mont Blanc Highlights.

2. Tailormade Trips

To book a bespoke holiday or private guiding then please email, phone or use our Contact Us page to discuss the details. Once the details are confirmed we will send you a link to your personal Tailormade holiday page where you will be able to view and confirm the trip details, book and make payment. You can use our Tailormade holidays section for trip ideas, for daily guiding fees and to make an enquiry.

3. Complete our online Booking Form

Once on the trip you would like to book go to the Dates and Prices section and the relevent BOOK button relating to the dates that you wish to join. You will then be asked to complete our Booking Form. Where one person makes a booking on behalf of a group of individuals all participants within the group agree to be bound by our Terms and Conditions. Please indicate the number of travellers in your party and complete any details requested on their behalf on the same booking form. 

4. My Account

Before booking a holiday you have the option to create a Tracks and Trails Account.

Having an account allows you access to view any current or previous booking information at anytime enabling you to:

• View your booking details
• Confirm any payments made
• Confirm any outstanding balances

This information can only be accessed by you and our staff as your account is password protected.

When you click on the BOOK button our Booking Form will appear. There will be a link at the top of this page which says Log in to your account. If you wish to have an account you must Log In before you complete the Booking Form and thereafter your Bookings and Payments will be recorded in 'My Account'.

5. Read our Terms and Conditions 

MAKING PAYMENTS

To confirm your place on a trip a deposit of £300 (£'s Sterling) per person is required or if less than 8 weeks to departure full payment will be requested. You can make payments either by bank transfer, debit card or by credit card. We accept Visa, MasterCard and American Express. At the time of booking the amount to confirm your place or places on the trip will be indicated on the booking form along with payment methods.

• After sending us your Booking Form our bookings administrator will; confirm it's receipt, advise you of the trip status, provide travel advice, insurance information and a clothing/kit list.
• Trip places are only confirmed once Deposit Payments are received, or if less than 8 weeks prior to the departure date the Full Payment is received.
• A Balance Invoice will be sent to you indicating; the final amount owed, how this can be paid and when it is due by, only when a trip has reached it's minimum numbers and is confirmed by email by our bookings administrator as 'Guaranteed to Run'.
• If paying the total funds due at the time of booking you will receive a Full Payment receipt.

CONFIRMED BOOKINGS

When we have written to you confirming that your trip is 'Guaranteed to Run' it is at this point we suggest that you make your travel arrangements. Final Joining Instructions will be sent out approximately 3-4 weeks prior to the trip start date detailing: how and where to meet your guide, the accommodation details, any updates on travel arrangements, a contact number should you be delayed and any other information relevent to your trip. After we have sent out the Joining Instructions we will not send any further information prior to the trip start date unless any important changes or useful information that you should know become apparent.

FINAL PAYMENT

We ask that you pay the trip balance to us no later than 8 weeks prior to the trip departure. The date of your balance payment is shown on the Balance Invoice. Balance payments must be made in the same currency as your trip deposit which will be Pounds Sterling (£'s). If we do not receive payment by the date shown on your invoice, we reserve the right to cancel your booking and apply any cancellation charges.

CHANGES TO YOUR BOOKING

If the information which you have supplied on your Booking Form should change it is important that you advise us. If you develop an injury or illness please contact us directly by phone or via email so that we can advise you further.

TRANSFERRING YOUR BOOKING

We understand that circumstances change and we will always do our best to accommodate requests to transfer your booking. If you request to transfer your booking to an alternative departure or holiday an administration fee of £30 plus any further costs incurred will be charged. We reserve the right to refuse your request to transfer if it means the trip onto which you are already booked will no longer have the required minimum numbers to be 'Guaranteed to Run'.