Once a trip has been booked, a confirmation message/email will be sent to you. In this message will be bank details. You can either make a payment by bank transfer (this is free) or you can go to a Lloyds branch and make a cash/cheque deposit (50p charge per transaction.)
At this present time there is no paypal facility, but this service will be offered in the future. There will be an additional charge to use this feature, once it is available. Systems are constantly being reviewed, at present paying by credit card would be costly and as the aim is to keep costs as low as possible, it is felt that this isn’t cost effective at this time.
Most of the time there is a toilet on the coach, sometimes there is not a coach available with toilet facilities. Toilet breaks will be implemented during any long journeys. Be advised to perhaps limit the amount of liquid intake on the run up to travelling on the coach.
If you go to the website www.rachelscoachtrips.com go to the page title 'month year - month year' and scroll down to the date your trip is in. There you will find prices, details on the deposit, payment due date, times and other useful information.
Of course this does depend on where we are going, the pick ups, if we stop for a comfort break and traffic. If you use google maps and put in the last pick up, and the destination (and perhaps add an extra 25 minutes on to allow for the coach travelling slower than a car) and you will have the rough time of how long the journey will take.
Usually this is ok, but please be advised that Rachel’s Coach Trips or the coach company do not accept responsibility for your belongings. I would advise to leave nothing of value on the coach. Car seats and boosters can be left on the coach.
1. WHY SHOULD I READ THIS?
Because this is our contract and contains very important information. This contract forms a key part of our agreement with you and forms the basis of a legally binding contract between you as the lead name making the booking, (and anyone else in your party) and us Rachel’s Coach Trips. When you make this booking as the lead name, you undertake that you have the authority to accept, and do accept, on behalf of your party the terms of these booking conditions, which are governed by English Law, and the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the English Courts. Please take time to read through them and you will see that they set out in simple terms what responsibilities we both have when entering into a contract.
2. HOW AND WHEN DO I MAKE THIS CONTRACT WITH YOU?
You can make the contract in a number of ways. You can email rachelscoachtrips@yahoo.co.uk or contact us through Facebook. Whichever way you choose, the contract is made when your booking is entered onto our reservation system. Once a booking has been paid for a confirmation email or message will be sent to you, please check this confirmation very carefully to ensure all the information is correct and tell us immediately if any errors have been made.
3. WHEN DO I NEED TO PAY THE DEPOSIT FOR MY BOOKING AND HOW MUCH? WHEN DO I NEED TO PAY THE FULL AMOUNT BY?
At the time of booking you will need to pay a non-refundable deposit for each person travelling. The typical deposit is £12 per person, but the deposit amount does increase if tickets are involved. You will be advised of the deposit amount when you make your booking. The balance is then typically due 1 month prior to departure. If the balance is due before this then you will be advised at the time of booking. If you book within our balance due period, you will need to pay the total trip cost at the time of your booking. If you do not pay the outstanding balance for your trip on or before the date when it is due we may cancel your booking and you will be required to pay the cancellation charges. As a courtesy we may remind you prior to the balance due date. The date of cancellation will normally be the date you confirm in writing that you intend to cancel or 15 days after the balance due date, whichever comes first. Where optional items are purchased as part of the tour package these are payable on the balance due date except where items have been specifically purchased for you. In this case the cost will be payable at a separate date notified to you and will not normally be refundable unless we obtain a refund from the supplier we use.
(Additional info – some attractions offer discounts for Disabled visitors, or their carers. Please enquire at the time of booking. Proof of eligibility may be required)
4. CAN I CHANGE MY BOOKING?
After we have issued our booking confirmation we will do our very best to accommodate any changes you may want to make, but we cannot guarantee to do so. Any changes must be notified to us by the lead name. Additional costs may be incurred, these will be advised at the time of the change, or as soon as possible if further information is sought from a venue/ticket company.
5. CAN I TRANSFER MY BOOKING TO SOMEONE ELSE?
You can transfer your booking to someone else. The lead name of the booking must make the transferee aware of any travel information that Rachel’s Coach Trips has already provided. You will remain responsible for ensuring that the booking is paid for by the balance due date.
6. HOW CAN I CANCEL MY BOOKING?
You or any member of your party may cancel at any time, provided that the cancellation is made by the lead name and is communicated by email rachelscoachtrips@yahoo.co.uk You will have to pay the cancellation charges set below.
7. CANCELLATION CHARGES.
Deposits are non-refundable and non transferable
Where it is a coach only booking
Cancellations made 30+ days before the trip date = 100% refund (minus any deposit paid)
Cancellations made 18-30 days before the trip date = 50% refund (minus any deposit paid)
Cancellations made within 17 days of the trip date will receive no refunds
Where tickets have been purchased on your behalf a refund will only be given if the tickets can be re-sold. From time to time there are waiting lists for events, and people are waiting for cancellations. Should there be someone else that can take your place then the ticket money only will be refunded, the cost for travel will be retained.
Refunds will not be paid where a change is made as a result of events beyond our control including war or threat of war, riot, civil strife, terrorist activity, industrial disputes, fire, quarantine, epidemic or health risks, natural or nuclear disasters, technical problems to transport, port or airport terminal closures and/or adverse weather conditions, unless a refund can be obtained from the end supplier. If Rachel’s Coach Trips can obtain a refund of services not redeemed then this refund will be passed onto the customer minus any deposits.
If after departure we have to make a change to a significant proportion of your booking we will do our best to make suitable alternative arrangements at no extra cost to you. If it proves impossible to make suitable alternative arrangements or if you have reasonable grounds for refusing the alternative offered, we will arrange transport back to your point of departure or to an alternative location that we agree to.
From time to time an excursion may need to be cancelled due to low passenger numbers. Rachel’s Coach Trips reserves the right to cancel an excursion up to 3 days before the trip date. It is likely you will be advised prior to this date. In the event of a cancellation due to low numbers, Rachel’s Coach Trips will try to offer an alternative date. Should this alternative date not be suitable, then Rachel’s Coach Trips will aim to give a full refund within 7 days of notification the trip is to be cancelled.
8. COACH SEATING
Seating is a first come first served basis. Seating reservations will only be made if there is a medical reason for which seating near the front of the coach is required. However, if passengers would like particular reservations then it will be £1 admin fee per person. All passengers must be sat in a seat for the journey and must use the seatbelts provided. Should small children be separated from their parents then you may be politely asked if you could move to accommodate this. Unfortunately groups cannot be guaranteed seats together unless the reservation fee is paid. For all under 4’s, please bring a car seat or booster seat. The coaches will be fitted with normal car seat type seat belts.
If you feel you would benefit from a seatbelt extender, please purchase one before your trip, and bring it with you. (Around £10 on Amazon)
9. HEALTH AND SAFETY ON TRIP.
It is very important that you declare any serious illness or ailments at the time of booking. Some people may be at risk from discomfort or deep vein thrombosis (DVT) if they remain immobile on a journey for a long period of time. If you are planning to undertake a coach journey of more than 3 hours you should consult your doctor if you have ever had DVT or pulmonary embolism, a family history of clotting conditions, cancer or treatment for cancer, a stroke, heart or lung disease or if you have had major surgery in the past 3 months. We reserve the right to refuse any booking in the absence of a doctor’s certificate confirming that you are fit to travel. During the journey we will provide comfort stops as frequently as possible. During these stops you are encouraged to get off the coach and walk around. Exercise reduces any discomfort, which may be caused by periods of immobility.
10. PASSENGER BEHAVIOUR.
We want all our passengers to enjoy their journey. However, you must remember that you are responsible for your behaviour and the effect it may have on others. If you or any member of your party is abusive, disruptive or behaves in a way which in our reasonable opinion could damage property or cause damage or injury to others or affect their enjoyment of their day, we have the right, after reasonable consideration to terminate your contract with us. In the event of this happening we will have no further obligations or liability to you. The coach driver / representative or authorised official is entitled to refuse you boarding if in their reasonable opinion you are under the influence of drink or drugs or you are being violent, abusive or disruptive. If you are refused boarding on the outward journey we will regard it as a cancellation by you, if the refusal is on the return journey we have the right to terminate the contract and will have no further obligations or liability to you. Should an incident occur whilst travelling then the next safe available place will be your drop off point.
11. PICK UP POINTS AND DEPARTURE TIMES.
You are responsible for ensuring that you are at the correct departure point at the correct time, we cannot be held liable for any loss or expense suffered by you or your party because of late arrivals at the departure point. Approximately one week prior to departure we will advise you of your pick-up point and new time if it has been changed. All estimated times can be found at www.rachelscoachtrips.com Rachel’s Coach Trips reserve the right to return home earlier than stated on itinerary due to unforeseen circumstances, or operational reasons, without prior notice. Unless expressively stated, price does not include entry to attractions. If you are unsure, please ask.
12. DATA PROTECTION ACT.
In order to process your booking and to ensure that your travel arrangements run smoothly and meet your requirements we, and your travel agent, need to use the information you provide such as name, address, phone number etc. We take full responsibility for ensuring that proper measures are in place to protect your information. We will not pass information on to any person not responsible for part of your holiday arrangements. If we cannot pass this information on to the relevant suppliers, whether in the EEA or not, we cannot provide your booking. We retain your full contact details and other information in secure files and electronic storage facilities, we may use this information to contact you by mail, telephone or electronic means.
Important Notice
We reserve the right to refuse, accept, cancel and /or not proceed with any booking at any time at our sole discretion. All contracts between Rachel’s Coach Trips and its clients are made on the terms of the booking conditions which are governed by English Law and both parties shall submit to the jurisdiction of English Courts at all times. Unfortunately, it is inevitable that some of the prices or details contained within our website or Facebook may have changed since it was published. We also reserve the right to correct errors at any time prior to the price being confirmed at the time of booking. When you book your trip you will be informed of any changes to any of the relevant details which have occurred prior to you making your booking.