Terms and Conditions

Please carefully read the following conditions. They will form part of your agreement with The Great Traveller Limited (hereafter known as ‘the Operator’ or ‘us’).  A ‘placement’ means a volunteer and/ or travel package inclusive of accommodation, transfers and a work volunteer placement if requested.

  1. Your Contract with Us
    1. Your contract with the Operator and any matters arising from it shall be governed by and construed in accordance with English law and is subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.
    2. If any part, term or provision of this contract is held to be illegal or unenforceable it shall not affect the validity or enforceability of the remainder of the contract.  Furthermore, if any covenants are held illegal or unenforceable by virtue of its scale, extent or duration, it shall remain valid and enforceable in such reduced scale, extent or duration as any court may decide as being the maximum scale, extent or duration permissible.
    3. Headings are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction of any provision.  Except where the context otherwise indicates, words denoting the singular include the plural and vice versa: words denoting any one gender include all genders; words denoting persons include firms companies and other legal entities and vice versa
    4. A Minimum age of 18 at a travellers time of travel applies to all trips unless otherwise specified.
  2. Payment and Confirmation
    1. A deposit per person must be received along with your booking form before we begin to process your application and confirm your placement. This should be made payable within 7 days of receipt of reservation documents.
    2. The person signing the booking form which incorporates these terms and conditions warrants that he/she has full authority to do so on behalf of all persons whose names appear thereon and confirm that all such persons are fully aware of and accepts these terms and conditions. If, you book less than 8 weeks before departure, full payment must be received on booking. Please note that bookings for peak periods and for certain placements may require a larger deposit. You will be advised on any alterations to the amount payable at the time of booking.
    3. Payment by debit /credit / charge cards may attract a charge. Details will be clarified at the time of booking.
    4. If we accept your booking, our contract with you is made when you ask us to confirm a booking and moneys are exchanged to secure the required services (either via cash, cheque, credit card or electronic transfer). At this stage a binding contract comes into existence between you and the Operator. (Please note, though, that if you book a tailor-made itinerary or an excursion / tour including accommodation etc, this will only be requested by the Operator once your request together with a deposit has been received). Your booking confirmation will indicate your placement cost and you will be advised of any accommodation etc., which are still on request and not confirmed at the time of issue. Naturally we will try to obtain final confirmation of all your placement components as soon as possible. If a particular placement cannot be confirmed you will be offered an alternative or, failing that, a refund.
    5. It is your responsibility to check the confirmation invoice carefully and to let the Operator know immediately in the event of any error.
    6. The balance of your tour cost is payable 60 days prior to departure with time being of the essence of the agreement. If the final payment is not received by the 60th day prior to departure, the Operator reserves the right to treat the booking as cancelled by you and will levy cancellation charges as per clause 7.
    7. The Operator has included in its prices all government taxes, which can be pre paid, however there may be some that have to be paid by you locally. These are extra and for your personal account (such as international airport departure tax).
    8. Cheques must be payable to The Great Traveller Ltd Trust Account
  3. Travel Documentation
    Travel documents will be sent approximately 4 weeks before the departure of your placement. If your booking is made within 6 weeks of departure, final documents will be sent provided cleared funds have been received for the full value of your placement cost. Your travel documentation will be sent to you by ordinary post or made available for collection, or sent by special delivery or courier upon the payment of a fee. Non-UK residents may incur an additional delivery charge. For some countries you will be handed your internal travel vouchers by your tour manager/the Operator representative on arrival at your placement destination.
  4.  Special Requests
    Where special requests for room allocation, diet considerations, medical considerations etc. are requested, we, the Operator must be made aware of them in writing at the time of booking. Whilst every effort will be made to ensure that these requests are fulfilled, they cannot be guaranteed. Furthermore, the Operator will not be liable for claims for consequential loss where written advice of special needs and requirements has not been received in writing at the time of booking.

  5. If you make a change to your booking
    1. If you wish to make any alterations to your placement after the booking confirmation has been issued, and we are able to make the required change with our supplier, an amendment fee of £40 per alteration per person will apply. However, if you change your booking less than 8 weeks before departure, this will be treated as a cancellation and a new booking and you will be liable for the cancellation charges set out in this contract. Please note that a request to change the date(s) of a placement is a cancellation of the placement booked and the provisions of clause 7 will apply.  Please note that a desire to transfer your booking to another person is not an alteration but carries a administration fee of £40.
    2. If you wish to change any aspect of your placement after it has commenced, the Operator will do their best to accommodate your request, subject to you being responsible for any cancellation/retention charges that may be levied for the arrangements originally booked, for the cost of your new arrangements and for any costs incurred by the Operator in attempting to secure or securing any revised arrangements.
  6. Alterations Made To your Placement Itinerary
    The Operator reserves the right to alter any of the prices, facilities or services described in its website or promotional material at any time. Any changes will be notified to you at the time you make your booking or if after you have made a booking as soon as possible. Such changes will normally be minor. If there is a major change the Operator will try to inform you as soon as possible and offer you the choice of alternative arrangements or a refund of all monies paid unless by reason of force majeure. Force majeure includes but is not limited to war, threat of war, riot, civil disobedience or strife, industrial dispute, terrorist activity, acts of God, natural or nuclear disaster, fire, adverse weather conditions, closure of airports or any unforeseeable or unavoidable event beyond the control of the Operator or its suppliers.

  7. Cancellation by You
    1. Should you wish to cancel your booking you must notify the Operator by email or in writing. Such notification will only be deemed to have been given on receipt of your email or letter, since we can only act on receipt. The following cancellation charges will apply: - More than 60 days of departure date - Loss of Deposit, within 30 to 60 days of departure date - Loss of 50% of your total placement cost, within 0 to 30 days of departure date - Loss of 100% of your total placement cost
    2. No allowance or refunds can be made for meals, rooms, excursions etc., included in the price of your placement but not taken, nor can any refund be made for lost, mislaid or destroyed travel tickets or vouchers.
  8. Cancellation By Us
    The Operator tries never to cancel a client’s placement, but must reserve the right to do so. Should your placement be cancelled the Operator will inform you as soon as practicable and you will have the option of choosing an alternative placement of a comparable standard, if available, or receiving a prompt refund of all monies paid to the Operator for your placement (excluding any insurance premium or visa charges). In addition, unless the cancellation has been caused by force majeure, the Operator will pay you the sum of your deposit or total placement cost which ever has been paid by client.
  9. Your Responsibilities
    You have certain responsibilities with regard to your placement booking, and these responsibilities are set out below. The Operator will not be liable for any loss, damage, illness, discomfort or costs of whatever kind which you may sustain as a result of failing to discharge the responsibilities described in this clause: -
    1. Visas: It is the client’s responsibility to be in possession of such visa permits as may be required for the whole of the tour. General information concerning visa requirements is set out below. We will notify you of any changes to visa requirements, which occur before your confirmation invoice is issued, but please note that further changes could take place before you travel. All clients must obtain all necessary visas and relevant documentation prior to departure.
    2. Passports: A valid passport (valid for at least 6 months beyond the end of your placement) is required for travel.
    3. Health: We recommend that all clients should do the following before they travel: Read Health Advice for Travellers (T6) available from your local Department of Health office or the Health Literature Line on 0800 555 777. The latest Foreign Office Advice notifications are also available on the Foreign & Commonwealth Office website at www.fco.gov.uk/knowbeforeyougo. You should consult your doctor on current inoculations before you depart. If you have any medical condition that may affect your ability to enjoy and pursue fully the arrangements you book with us, you must notify us immediately. The Operator reserves the right, where appropriate, to ask you to provide written certification of your medical fitness prior to departure. It is your responsibility to ensure that you obtain all recommended inoculations, take all recommended medication and follow all medical advice in relation to your placement.
    4. Documents: It is YOUR responsibility to ensure that passports, visas, vaccination certificates and all other necessary documents are in order and, where appropriate, in your possession. It is also your responsibility to arrange adequate insurance cover for your booking and to take relevant details of the policy with you.
    5. Transportation: It is your responsibility to arrange your own flights. It is your responsibility to ensure that you arrive in good time to board all flights or other methods of transportation. To assist you, we will notify you of the times by which you should arrive at all points of departure. If you miss a flight or other transportation we will try to arrange alternative transportation, but reserve the right to recover from you any costs we incur in making such arrangements.
    6. Behaviour: You must not behave in a way which may cause distress or cause an annoyance to others or which may create the risk of danger or damage to property. If you are subject to arrest, or are prevented from travelling at the discretion of an airline or other transport providers, or if you are evicted from a hotel at the discretion of the hotel management, the Operator will not refund any portion of the cost of your placement and, if the Operator incurs any expense as a result of your behaviour, you will be obliged to compensate the Operator for that expense. You must comply with the rules, values and directives of the Operator. Failure to do so could result in you being expelled from a placement, and the Operator will not refund any portion of the cost of your placement and, if the Operator incurs any expense as a result of your behaviour, you will be obliged to compensate the Operator for that expense. The Operator pursues a policy of debt recovery through whatever means appropriate.
  10. Our Responsibilities
    We are responsible for making sure that each part of the placement you book with us is provided to a reasonable standard and as described on our website, or in any amendments to it. These services will be provided by independent suppliers contracted by us. Overseas safety standards are generally much lower than in the UK - for example, few hotels yet meet EU fire safety recommendations. This may be the case even in Europe.
  11. Liability
    1. 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: 
      i) The fault of the person(s) affected or any member(s) of his/her party or
      ii) The fault of a third party not connected with the provision of your placement which we could not have predicted or avoided or
      iii) An event of circumstance which we or the supplier of the service(s) in question could not have predicted or avoided even after taking all reasonable care
      iv) The fault of anyone who is not carrying out work for us (generally or in particular) at the time.
    2. Bookings on placements are accepted on the understanding that you appreciate the possible risks inherent in working in difficult conditions, remote locations, extreme climate conditions, with animals, and that you undertake the work, tours, treks or expeditions featured in the programme at you own volition.
    3. In addition, we will not be responsible where you do not enjoy your placement or suffer any problems because of a reason you did not tell us about when you booked your placement or where any problems you suffer did not result from any breach of our contract or other fault of ourselves or, where we were responsible for them, our suppliers or agents or where any losses, expenses, costs or other sum you have suffered relate to any business. 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 in our brochure, and we have not agreed to arrange them.
    4. For claims or complaints concerning international travel by air or road or involving a stay at a hotel, the most we will have to pay you is the most we would have to pay you if we were a carrier or hotel keeper in accordance with the applicable International Convention or regulation. When making any payment, we are entitled to deduct any money, which you have received or are due to receive from the carrier or hotelier for the complaint or claim in question.
  12. Website & promotional materials accuracy
    All facts on our website and in our promotional material are checked by us in consultation with our overseas suppliers. Changes can occur, which are beyond our control. If you have already booked, we’ll do our best to tell you about changes, if there is time, before departure. Please note that where artist’s impressions and computer generated Images have been used, it is intended solely to give you an idea of how the property will look. It is not always an exact replica of the finished building. Should details change, we will advise you of the alterations via our website, or if you have already booked, by email as soon as possible.
  13. If you have a complaint
    Please tell our local representatives immediately and they will attempt to resolve the matter to your satisfaction. It is in everyone’s interests to sort the matter out as quickly as possible. If the matter cannot be resolved, then please report  the matter to our representative and then follow it up in writing to us, within 28 days, on your return to the UK by sending your letter by recorded delivery to Customer Services, The Great Traveller Limited, 99 George Lane, South Woodford, London, United Kingdom, E18 1AN.  We will respond within 30 days of receipt of your letter. Please ensure that your booking reference and any pictures are included. If you fail to do this, any right to compensation, which you may have, will be extinguished or reduced.

  14. Travel Insurance
    It is a condition of your contract with us that you take out insurance at the time of your booking, or prior to payment of the balance of your placement cost, and if you do not purchase the policy we recommend, you must purchase an appropriate alternative and provide us with proof thereof when you pay the balance of your placement cost. The Operator cannot be held responsible if you purchase an inadequate insurance policy or if you fail to notify the Operator of factors affecting your particular requirements for cover. They are not considered to be part of the “Placement Price”, but are a necessary supplement to it. The Operator reserves the right to exclude, without refund or recompense, a client who does not have appropriate insurance cover from those activities or work forming part of the placement or tour for which adequate insurance cover is in the opinion of the Operator required.
  15. What your placement price includes
    Your placement price includes items as listed on your latest booking confirmation.

  16. What your placement price excludes
    Inter alia, travel insurance, the cost of personal items such as laundry, drinks with meals incidentals etc., airport security charges if levied by any airport to cover the cost of security arrangements, airport departure taxes payable locally, optional excursions / extras, cost of visas, passports, transport between your residence and UK airport / port / station, gratuities for service provided on a personal basis, meals other than those specified.  If there are any further exclusions the Operator will notify you at time of booking.

  17. Transportation Air, rail, road and other departure times are supplied by our nominated representatives /carriers.
    They are subject to, air traffic control restrictions, weather conditions, the need for constant maintenance and the ability of passengers to check in on time. There is no guarantee that departures will take place at the times shown either on the Operator’s website, your documentation or your booking confirmation. The timings are estimates only. The Operator does not have any liability to you for any delays which may arise. Further, your dealings with all representatives /carriers are subject to the conditions of carriage of the carrier, some of which may limit or exclude liability. We will supply you with relevant details concerning your transportation at the time of booking. However, if any of these details change subsequently, and you choose to cancel as a result, our normal cancellation charges will apply. Any arrangements in the event of a delay will be at the sole discretion of the airline or other representatives/carrier involved.

  18. Excursions/Agents and Representative
    1. Excursions only form part of your placement arrangements if they are described in a tour itinerary or are purchased before departure.
    2. Our acceptance of liability for the acts of our representatives or agents is only binding if our representatives or agents are acting with our authority and/or performing their duties as described. This excludes for example any social contact that you may have with them.
  19. Data Protection
    It may be necessary to ask you for details of a personal nature such as dietary requirements, physical/ medical disabilities and criminal record. It may be passed to partners and/or suppliers who at our discretion need to know such details in advance. We may also use your details to pass to other divisions in our company whom we may feel would be of interest to yourself. This information will be held in the company and open for your inspection Monday - Friday during our business hours. Notice of 48 hours is required. By no means will this information be used for third party marketing purposes. All information is kept strictly confidential.

  20. Financial Security
    Provided as an optional extra, cancellation insurance is offered to the client at an additional fee, to provide for financial security in the event of cancellation within reasons stated in the policy. Clients are asked to speak to the Operator for advice on this.