Escorted Tours Terms & Conditions

Reservations & Payment

Deposit: $600 per person + completed application form or register at www.brekketours.com
Final balance: 75 days prior to departure
Early departures and/or extended stays: Must be requested at time of registration and incur a minimum surcharge of $150

For reservations or final payment made within 21 days prior to departure, there is a $50 per reservation handling/express fee. Checks, Money Orders, VISA, MasterCard and American Express are accepted as forms of payment. Please review and verify your booking invoice and contact your travel agent or Brekke Tours immediately if your invoice appears to be incorrect or incomplete. Brekke Tours cannot accept responsibility if we are not notified of inaccuracies within 5 days of sending out the invoice. In case of billing error, we reserve the right to re-invoice with correct pricing.

Travel Documents

It is the responsibility of each passenger to obtain proper travel documents, such as passport and visa. Each passenger must be in possession of a passport with a validity of at least six (6) months beyond the conclusion of their trip. A visa is not required for Scandinavia or Western Europe for stays of less than 3 months. A visa is required for passengers traveling to Russia.

It is imperative that your airline ticket matches your name as it reads on your passport. Any changes to your air booking, which include spelling, are subject to a minimum change fee of $250. With full payment, tour documents are normally sent 14-21 days prior to departure and should arrive within 6 business days. If you request documents earlier, and if it is possible to accommodate you, there is a $50 per reservation handling/ express fee.

Cancellations

The following per person cancellation fee applies:
More than 75 days prior to departure: $400;
74-45 days: $2000;
44-7 days: $2500;
less than 7 days: nonrefundable.
Cancellation fees may also apply to any additional services, including accommodations, independently supplied services, cruises and optional excursions reserved prior to, during and after the tour. Cancellations must be in writing. A change of itinerary or traveler name (substitution) after receipt of deposit will be treated as a cancellation and new reservation; standard cancellation fees apply.

Travel Insurance

Brekke Tours recommends travel insurance to protect you and your trip investment against the unexpected.

Changes

Once deposit has been received, each subsequent change will be subject to a change fee of a minimum of $50 per person, only if we can accept the change and travel documents have not been issued. If documents are issued and we can accept the change there will be an additional reissue fee minimum of $350 per person plus any fees assessed by air/land supplier/s.

Air Transportation

Price is based on scheduled transportation in economy class and nonrefundable airfare on one of our preferred airline partners (if requesting a specific carrier, an additional charge may apply) from the city specified in the itinerary. The tour package price reflects airfare currently in effect & is subject to change until ticketed. Inquire about airfare options from your home city. Passengers coming from different cities, booked or deposited at different times, may be booked on alternate routings/different flights. Passengers are responsible for charges due to delays on domestic flights (purchased as separate tickets) in connection with an international flight.
NOTE:
- If using frequent flyer miles, participants must book directly with the carrier.
- It is recommended that you do not purchase airline tickets until the land portion of your tour is guaranteed to operate.
- Purchase of a domestic ticket to connect with international flight or purchase of a land only package:
- If booking a domestic flight to connect with the trans-Atlantic flight, an overnight (at least for eastbound travel) or an early flight (with at least one backup flight available) is recommended.
- Carriers will not necessarily allow passengers to check bags through to the final destination with multiple tickets. Thus passengers will only be able to check the bag to the destination on the first ticket(s). The passenger must collect the baggage at baggage claim for their first ticketed destination, and then re-check their baggage with the down-line carrier for the next flight. Various baggage restrictions may also apply subject to carrier guidelines.

Brekke Tours is not responsible for:
- any costs/fees relating to airline delays, rescheduling or cancellation. If you miss your departure flight, it is your responsibility to work with the airline on which you are ticketed to reach your destination.
- any additional expenses incurred prior to joining the tour package.
- and will not provide any refund for services or portions of trips missed due to cancelled, rescheduled or delayed flights.

Fuel Surcharges and Taxes

Your initial billing will include the current estimated charge based on your flight itinerary. Final charges for fuel and taxes will be assessed in your statement prior to final payment.

Land Costs

The tour price is based on a minimum of 30 participants. The trip will be feasible with fewer than the minimum, but if the minimum number of participants is not reached, the price may increase or services may be modified to accommodate a smaller group. All rates are based on tariffs in effect at the time the tour was planned and are subject to increase in the event of currency fluctuation.

Land Transportation

First-class private motorcoach. Other transportation and/or accommodations as indicated.

Luggage

Size and weight limitations for carry-on and checked baggage on international, inter-European flights and domestic flights vary from airline to airline and are subject to change, so please check with the applicable carrier prior to departure. On the land portion, due to limited motorcoach capacity, we allow only 1 suitcase and 1 carry-on per person. Luggage handling at hotels for 1 suitcase is provided. Airport porterage is not included as security regulations require that travelers handle and be responsible for their own luggage. No responsibility is accepted for loss of or damage to baggage or any of the traveler’s belongings.

Special Requests

Special hotel and flight requests, such as “double bed,” “room near elevator,” “room on lower floor,” “meals,” “seating on aircraft,” etc., should be submitted in writing with final payment. Such requests, however, are outside of our control and therefore cannot be guaranteed. Please note: a quote does not constitute a reservation. All reservation requests outside of the group arrangements outlined in the itinerary, such as additional hotel nights, add-on airfares or date deviations must be explicitly requested by the tour participants and confirmed in writing by Brekke Tours.

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted on airplanes or motorcoaches. Most hotels are non-smoking in Scandinavia.

Hotels

Accommodations in rooms with private facilities at hotels specified or similar. Brekke Tours reserves the right to substitute hotels. Rooms in Scandinavian hotels may have twin, double or day beds. As Scandinavian hotels generally have small rooms, we advise against requesting triple rooms. Triple rooms are available on request only and no discount applies. A limited number of single rooms are available at the supplementary cost shown. Single rooms are generally inferior to double rooms in size and location. Please note that hotel rooms may not be available for check-in before 2:00pm. Requests for special room assignments should be submitted in writing with final payment. If you request a twin bedded room, every effort will be made to honor this request; however, on some occasions, rooms with one double bed may be the only choice available. Room requests cannot be guaranteed as all rooms are assigned by the hotel. Please be advised that not all hotels in Scandinavia are air-conditioned.

Service Charges, Tips & Taxes

Meals

Unused Services

Itinerary Variations

Not Included

• Airport/hotel transfers if your flight does not coincide with the reserved group air space. Persons on other transatlantic flights should plan to transfer to/from hotel at their own expense;
• Airport fees and taxes;
• Passport fees;
• Visa fees, where required;
• Personal expenses such as laundry, liquors, wines, phone, valet, etc.;
• Meals not specifically listed as included;
• Expenses due to flight delays, strikes, bad weather or other irregularities;
• Travel insurance;
• Excess baggage charges;
• Individual services apart from the group;
• Refunds for tour services not utilized;
• Any expenses for à la carte meal items not included in preplanned menus;
• Gratuities for tour director, city guides and driver.

Participation

Responsibility

Cancellations by Tour Operator