of Meridianosedici Deutschland GmbH

1. Reservation / Booking

1. Once effected the booking, in whatever possible form, the interested party accepts a binding travel contract. The contract will be concluded by a written confirmation sent by Meridianosedici, also possible via e-mail. The booking is binding until it is confirmed by Meridianosedici, yet with a maximal run of validity of 14 days after receipt of the booking via email, fax or by post.

If a flight is included, the booking confirmation contains the name of the flight company.

2. Temporary booking options are only possible on special request and are subject to the conditions practicable at the specific date.

3. Changes, extensions or limits to the booked services as well as deviations from the travel description or from the travel conditions require an explicit written form prior to departure or a confirmation code if the journey has already started. Such confirmations can only be declared by the executive of Meridianosedici.

4. The interested party assumes the contract responsibilities for all travel participants he/she has registered.

5. If the content of the confirmation differs from the offered content, the new offer is imperative and Meridianosedici is bound to it for a time limit of 10 days. The travel contract is then concluded on the basis of the new offer.

6. If the content of the special offer contains more or less elements than the regular program, the travel contract referring to the booking of a special offer contains these elements.

 2. Insurances

1. The travel participant has the possibility to assure against possible cancellation fees (see 4.2) by effecting a travel cancellation expenses insurance.

2. When concluding the travel contract for personal security during the journey it is recommended to book a package consisting of the following insurances:  travel cancellation expenses insurance, baggage insurance, international health insurance and  emergency insurance. Meridianosedici provides its continuous service informing about advantages and costs and, where appropriate, mediating the respective insurance protection of the specialized company.

3. If the interested party decides for a travel insurance, it will be contracted directly between the traveler and the insurance company.

3. Payment

1. Together with the booking confirmation the participant receives an insurance certificate about the safeguarded customer’s money, because the paid accounts are protected by an insurance.

2. Having received the booking confirmation and the insurance certificate, the requiring person will have to pay 20% of the participation fee for the journey immediately. The modalities are listed in the confirmation.  

3. After having paid the total of the participation fee, the travelers will receive the complete travel documents. The full payment of the participation fee has to be submitted to Meridianosedici without any extra demand until the date stipulated in the booking confirmation, though at least until 42 days before the departure date (receipt of payment); if not, the booking forfeits and the partial payment will be retained.  Bookings at short notice of less than 42 days prior to departure are payable immediately on receipt of the booking confirmation.

4. If there is a delay of payment after the booking, the travel contract can be cancelled by Meridianosedici which can further claim for compensation (see 4.2).

 5. If a booking is effected less than five days prior to departure, flight tickets might be deposited. In this case a fee of 20 euro per ticket will be charged.

 4. Cancellation or Changes

1. The traveler can withdraw from the travel contract at any time before departure. A withdrawal from the travel contract as well as a change in booking is valid only in written form. The date of receipt of the declaration applies.

2. If a participant withdraws from the travel contract according to the German Civic Law BGB § 651 the following fees will be charged (per person):

a. until the 42nd day prior to departure, 20 %

b. from the 41st till the 30th day prior to departure, 30 %

c. from the 29th till the 15th day prior to departure, 50 %

d. from the 14th day prior to departure onwards, 90 % of the respective total participation fee of the journey.

In any case, a cancellation fee of at least 50 euro per booking is charged. The person effecting the booking is responsible for proving a possible lower loss. In case of no-show without communication the full participation fee will be charged in any case.

3a. Until the 42nd day prior to departure a change in booking with respect to the accommodation or to the travel dates is possible according to availability. The fee for such a contractual amendment is 50 euro per person.

3b. According to BGB § 651 b the travel contract can be transferred on another person at any time prior to departure, though in compliance with the condition, that the other person fulfills the requirements of the respective journey. For such a conferment of contract Meridianosedici charges 20 euro per person. Further transportation costs incurred by a service provider will be charged additionally.

3c. If two persons have booked a service, e.g. a double room, and one of them cancels the journey, Meridianosedici reserves the right to ask the full participation fee.

3d. Changes in booking in a period of less than 42 days prior to departure are regarded as cancellation and new booking.

4. Possible changes in the contract’s content, which are not caused by Meridianosedici against good faith, have to be considered marginal details which are not a relevant part of the journey. In the specific case they are not a sufficient reason to cancel the contract. This applies especially to changes of flight services.

5. Those guests who miss a travel connection due to negligence have to bear the full costs of the alternative transport as well as further costs, if appropriate, for an extended stay.

6. Changes of the participation fee, due to a raise of transportation costs, airport taxes, etc. are possible up to 21 days prior to departure, until there are at least four months between the time of booking and the changed fee. If such a raise implies more than 5 % of the total amount, the person effecting the booking can withdraw from the contract, regardless of point 4.2, or the person can request the participation in a journey of at least the same value if available. These rights have to be asserted immediately.

 5. Withdrawal by Meridianosedici

1. Meridianosedici can withdraw from the travel contract within at most 15 days prior to departure if the published minimum attendance hasn’t been reached. In such a case, the person who has booked the journey is entitled to request the participation in a journey of at least equal value, which Meridianosedici is able to provide without extra costs. The request of such a substitution travel must be declared directly to Meridianosedici or to the responsible booking agency.

2. If a travel participant disturbs heavily the conduct of a journey in spite of warning notice or if he or she violates the contract to a degree that justifies the immediate cancellation of the contract Meridianosedici reserves the right to cancel the travel contract without notice. In such a case Meridianosedici can retain the paid participation fee; non-incurred expenses due to not utilized services will be refunded. Additional costs due to behavior which results in the cancellation, are charged to the traveler. 

6. Liability

1. According to the contract Meridianosedici is liable towards the travel participant for damages excluding physical harm limited to a sum, which corresponds to the triple participation fee, as far as

a. a damage or loss of the travel participant are not grossly negligent nor premeditated, or

b. Meridianosedici is solely responsible for damages caused to a travel participant with fault of a service provider,

c. a material damage has been caused by a tortuous act, but not by malicious intent nor gross negligence.

2. For services, which have been mediated or executed by other service providers, Meridianosedici will not guarantee at all, even if a travel guide was present.

 7. Rights and Obligations in Case of Lack

1a. If in the course of a journey one or more services are not provided according to the contract, the travel participant can claim for relief and set a plausible time limit for this purpose. Meridianosedici can refuse the relief if it requires disproportionate expenses.

1b. If Meridianosedici doesn’t provide remedy within specific reasonable terms, the travel participant, himself, can produce relief and claim for refund of the necessary expenses. There is no requirement to fix a period of time if Meridianosedici refuses the remedy and if a particular interest of the travel participant requires the immediate relief.

2. For the duration of a travel service which is not agreed upon contract, the travel participant can claim the reduction of the participation fee. This claim will not apply if the travel participant neglects by his own fault to report immediately eventual defects.

3. Claims resulting from a total or partial nonperformance of travel services or due to a poor supply of travel services, which had been correctly reported, though not resolved, have to be asserted in written form to Meridianosedici Deutschland GmbH within a month, or in particular cases of force majeur within a year, after the termination of the journey agreed by contract. We would like to point out that claims will not be accepted if arriving with delay or if reported to the inaccurate address.

  8. Rights and Duties of the Travel Guide

Travel guides or other agents on the spot are instructed to attend to the guests and to eventual concerns or claims for relief and if necessary and possible to provide for remedy. Still they are not entitled to recognize nor to accept effective claims for reduction or for damages towards Meridianosedici.

 9. Visa and Health Regulations

1. Information and requirements stated to the moment of having booked a travel or a travel service, respect the prevailing version to the time of the booking confirmation. The personal circumstances subject to the travel participant cannot be taken into account as far as they haven’t been expressly reported by the travel participant at the time of booking.  

2. We recommend the travel participant to inform in time about protection against infections and protection provided by vaccination as well as other prophylactic methods. We also recommend to estimate the own health state before starting any kind of  journey, as every traveler is responsible for him/herself. 

 10. Specific Travel Conditions

There are organized or also mediated travels or services linked with them, which due to their character require specific additional travel conditions. In such a case, these special travel conditions are mentioned expressly in the offer. Each interested party is asked to read them carefully and to reflect about the implications as well as his or her possible participation before starting the journey.

 11. Validity of Statements

Of course, each offer can only contain those details about the course of the journey, which had been programmed until the time of publication. The offer is subject to modifications and amendments. Only the content of the travel confirmation in combination with other contractual agreements decide over the owing service.

 12. Miscellaneous 

These travel conditions are valid for individual services or travel packages offered by Meridianosedici on own account. In case Meridianosedici is merely acting as an intermediary for journeys offered by other tour operators, then the applied conditions will be the ones of the respective tour operator.

The invalidity of single clauses of the travel contract, including these travel conditions, does not implicate the invalidity of the whole travel contract. In addition, the clauses of the travel contract law apply. 

July 2006 Version

© Meridianosedici Deutschland GmbH

                                                                                                                                  Back