Important Information

THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN US
Please read these sections carefully before you book as they detail the terms and conditions of the agreement between us and also contain important information about your holiday and travel services provided by us.

Our holidays and travel are as advertised by us and the nature and type of our services and any restrictions which may apply are also detailed in these important information sections which you must read carefully.

As well as containing up-to-date prices and availability, please our website will display any changes to this information so please be sure to check these details before booking.

The type of arrangements you book will decide if your contract is with us or another supplier of travel services. Your contract will be with us if you book at least 2 or more of the following services when the services are taken together and also either a) cover a period over 24 hours or b) include overnight accommodation: 1. transport 2. accommodation 3. other tourist services not ancillary to transport or accommodation which account for a significant part of the arrangements. We will need to be aware that you have booked more than one arrangement with us.

For all other arrangements, excluding accommodation only bookings, we are a booking agent for other suppliers and your contract will be with them. We accept no responsibility for their actions or omissions. Copies of the conditions of these suppliers are available on request and we recommend that you ask for these.

When you ask us or your travel agent to confirm your holiday booking you guarantee that you accept, and accept on behalf of your party, the terms of this booking contract and have read the important information relating to your holiday. These, along with your confirmation invoice comprise your agreement with Skiworld and all those listed on the holiday booking on whose behalf the party leader is acting. No variations to these conditions shall be valid unless agreed by us in writing.

Whatever the number of people in your booking, once you have confirmed your reservation, we will only deal with the lead name for the booking in all subsequent correspondence of any kind. The lead booking name is the person responsible for ensuring the accuracy of personal details supplied and for ensuring this important information is passed to all members of the booking.

When you confirm your booking, you also consent to us processing the personal information you supply relating to you and your group in order to provide you with the services booked. Group leaders also undertake to pass this and our important information on to the members of their party.

Our holidays start and finish as stated on your invoice. We are not responsible for your travel to and from this point or for any expenses including travel, accommodation, subsistence or loss of earnings caused by delays howsoever caused. These may be recoverable from insurers subject to terms.

Your Financial Protection
The Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992
require us to provide security for the monies that you pay for the package
holidays booked from this brochure and for your repatriation in the event of
our insolvency. We provide this security by way of an ATOL number 2036
administered by the Civil Aviation Authority and a bond held by ABTA.
 
If you book arrangements other than a package holiday from this brochure,
your monies are protected by way of a bond held by ABTA.
 
When you buy an ATOL protected air holiday package or flights from us, you will receive a Confirmation Invoice from us (or via our authorised agent through which you booked) confirming your arrangements and your protection under our Air Travel Organiser's Licence number 2036.

In the unlikely event of our insolvency, the CAA will ensure that you are not stranded abroad and will arrange to refund any money you have paid to us for an advance booking. For further information visit the ATOL website at www.atol.org.uk
 
The price of our air holiday packages includes the amount of £1 per person as part of the ATOL Protection Contribution (APC) we pay to the CAA. This charge is included in our advertised prices

We are also a member of ABTA, membership number V2151. We are obliged to maintain a high standard of service to you by ABTA's Code of Conduct. We can also offer you an arbitration scheme for the resolution of disputes arising out of, or in connection with this contract. Further information on the Code and arbitration can be found at http://www.abta.com

Insurance - IMPORTANT
It is an express condition of booking that you have travel insurance offering at least the same level of cover as that suggested / offered by Skiworld. No liability will be accepted by Skiworld for any clients travelling without adequate insurance. If you decide not to purchase level of the insurance we suggest offer, you must provide us with details of your alternative policy so that we can assist in case of emergency.

The contract between us is made on the terms of these booking conditions and important information which are governed by English Law. We both agree to submit to the jurisdiction of the English Courts. Your contract is with Skiworld Ltd. We are a member of ABTA (No. V2151) holding an Air Travel Organisers Licence (ATOL) number 2036 which provide for your protection in the event of our insolvency. Our contract with you is deemed to be made at the offices of Skiworld – 3 Vencourt Place, London W6 9NU.

This brochure is published by Skiworld Ltd. August 2008. Any changes to the information contained in these pages (including prices) will be notified on our website: www.skiworld.ltd.uk

OUR OBLIGATIONS

OUR AGREEMENT WITH YOU
You must be at least 18 years of age to book a holiday with Skiworld and if you are under 18 and travelling with us, an adult must accompany you. There may be other age restrictions on certain of our offers or services and these will be detailed in these offers or the descriptions of these services.

WHEN YOU BOOK WITH US
When you or your travel agent asks for your booking to be confirmed, we will do our best to meet this request and, if so, we will send written confirmation in the form of a confirmation invoice within 14 days. A contract is not made until the date shown on our confirmation invoice. We aim to despatch confirmation invoices 2 – 3 days following receipt of your deposit/final payment and booking form/confirmation. Please contact us if you do not receive an invoice within 7 days.

As verbal descriptions and telephone conversations are subject to interpretation and cannot be proved or confirmed, we accept no liability for these. Website bookings/quotes are also subject to technical error. Therefore all telephone and website bookings and quotes are subject to our written confirmation and this is why it is important that you check your invoice as soon as you receive it. A contract is not made until we have issued a confirmation invoice.

There may be some instances where we are not able to confirm some of our arrangements straight away (such as flights) in which case this will be indicated on your invoice. A contract for these arrangements will only be made when we have confirmed them in writing. If there is a change to any of the details discussed at the time of booking and before they are confirmed in writing we will notify you as quickly as possible, including a change to the total price. If these changes are not acceptable you are entitled to a full refund, to purchase another holiday from us at the current selling price.

Waiting for confirmation from ABTA
Errors in costings are very rare. However, if there is an obvious error on your invoice we reserve the right to correct this as soon as we are aware of it.

OPTIONS
For certain departure dates we may hold an option on your chosen accommodation for up to 2 days (unless otherwise specified). After this, it will be expired automatically unless you have confirmed your booking with a payment. Please be aware that an oral request or provision of an option does not give rise to contractual obligations to you or to Skiworld and may be cancelled by either party. We do not hold options on late availability prices or for holidays on peak dates. All options expire at the end of the final day stated.

OUR PRICES
Our prices (including group and family offers/discounts) are correct on the date published but we reserve the right to increase or decrease our prices at any time prior to booking. We will be able to tell you or your travel agent the up-to-date price of your chosen holiday prior to confirming your booking.

As a result of the instability in oil prices, airlines often charge a fuel supplement which we will include in the price of your holiday. As these change regularly, the price you pay for your holiday may not be as printed in the brochure or as displayed on our website as we are not always able to make changes as quickly as these supplements change.

The price of your holiday includes £1 per person for the ATOL Proctection Contribution (APC) paid to the CAA. This will be shown separately on your invoice and is forfeit if you cancel and will therefore be added to the cancellation charges detailed.

Once the price of your chosen holiday has been confirmed, then, subject to the correction of omissions or errors, we will only increase the price in the following circumstances: changes in transportation costs, including the cost of fuel, dues, dues, taxes or fees chargeable for services such as landing taxes or embarkation or disembarkation fees at ports and airports and exchange rates mean that the price of your travel arrangements may change after you have booked. However, there will be no change within 30 days of your departure.

We will absorb and you will not be charged for any increase equivalent to 2% of the price of your travel arrangements, which excludes insurance premiums and any amendment charges. You will be charged for the amount over and above that, plus an administration charge of £1.00 per person together with an amount to cover agents' commission.  If this means that you have to pay an increase of more than 10% of the price of your travel arrangements, you will have the option of accepting a change to another holiday if we are able to offer one (if this is of equivalent or higher quality you will not have to pay more but if it is of lower quality you will be refunded the difference in price), or cancelling and receiving a full refund of all monies paid, except for any amendment charges.

We will consider an appropriate refund of insurance premiums paid if you can show that you are unable to transfer or reuse your policy.  Should you decide to cancel for this reason, you must exercise your right to do so within 14 days from the issue date printed on your final invoice.

Should the price of your holiday go down due to the changes mentioned above, by more than 2% of your holiday cost, then any refund due will be paid to you. However, please note that travel arrangements are not always purchased in local currency and some apparent changes have no impact on the price of your travel due to contractual and other protection in place.

Group, self-drive, children’s and accommodation only reductions stated in this brochure apply to brochure price holidays only. They are all subject to availability and may be changed or withdrawn at any time. In any case you will be informed at the time of booking. Reductions or supplements for late availability holidays will be advised at the time of booking.
Our brochure prices are based on the exchange rates and other costs prevailing on 2nd June 2008 (£1 = 1.2752 Euros, 2.0668 Swiss Francs, 1.9826 US Dollars and 1.9706 Canadian Dollars. Source.www.oanda.com).

CANCELLATIONS AND AMENDMENTS BY US
We plan our holiday arrangements many months in advance. Therefore it is occasionally necessary to make changes to the holidays as described in the brochure and we reserve the right to do this at any time. We, or your travel agent, will notify you of any changes before you book. If you have already booked we will notify you as soon as we can.

Your invoices will always show the latest planned route timings and these will be subject to change. The times on your tickets or e-tickets may also change due to circumstances beyond our control but it is important that you check these as soon as you receive them in case they differ from the estimated timings on your invoice.

Our aim is always to try and provide you with the holiday you have booked. But if, for example, there are not enough people booked on the holiday we may cancel it. We reserve the right to cancel your holiday in any circumstances but if we do you will be entitled to a refund or accept an alternative holiday from us of equivalent or similar standard and price (if available). In either instance we will pay compensation as detailed unless we cancel the holiday due to one of the events described in Events Beyond our Control.

Most of the changes we are obliged to make are minor changes to arrangements for which no compensation or refund is due. Many of these are defined below. If we are forced to make major changes (as or similar to those defined below) we will advise you as soon as we are in a position to do so and you have a number of options (subject only to the section on Events Beyond our Control below)

In accordance with EU Regulation 2111/2005 we are required to advise you of the actual carrier operating your flight/connecting flight/transfer. We do this by listing carriers to be used or likely to be used on our website.
 
Any changes to the actual airline after you have received your tickets will be notified to you as soon as possible and in all cases at check-in or at the boarding gate. Such a change is deemed to be a minor change. Other examples of minor changes are given below.

Minor changes: alteration of airline/flight routing, of aircraft type, of overseas arrival airport/seaport/station, of outward/return flights/travel timings by less than 12 hours, change of accommodation to another of the same or higher standard and any other change not specified as a major change (below).

Major changes: change of UK airport (excluding airports in the same region e.g. London, Gatwick, Heathrow, Luton, City Airport or Stansted and departure points London and Ashford and Ebbsfleet), resort, flight times by 12 hrs or more, or to a lower standard (including Skiworld’s rating) of accommodation and cancellation of holiday.

If we are obliged to make a major material change to the holiday you have booked and for which you have received a confirmation invoice, or if we cancel the holiday within 63 days of the original departure date you may choose to:
(a) accept the new holiday arrangement offered by us (which may involve a change of resort)
(b) purchase a replacement holiday from us at the current selling price, if one is available or
(c) cancel your holiday and receive a full refund We will pay compensation as detailed unless the change is for reasons beyond our control as described below.

We will always refund the difference in price if the replacement holiday is of a lower standard and price. You must notify us of your choice within 7 days of our offer of alternative holiday arrangements. If you do not, we will assume your acceptance of the new holiday arrangement.

COMPENSATION
Notification of major change more than 63 days before departure £0, 55-43 days £10 pp; 29-42 days £20 pp; 15-28 days £25 pp; 0-14 days £30 pp. We shall be under no further liability to you, nor shall we be liable for any costs or expenses outside the holiday cost.

Compensation will not be paid to adults or children travelling on free places but will be paid on a pro rata rate of the adult rate if children have paid a child price.

HOLIDAY COMPLAINTS – OUR ACTION
If you are not happy with any aspect of the holiday we are providing, once we received written details in resort and in our office we will investigate it and do what we can as soon as you bring it to our attention. All written correspondence to our London office is acknowledged and we will reply within 28 days. If we have not been able to finish our investigation after 28 days we will write to you advising you as to our progress.

We can usually sort out any complaints you have. In the event of us not being able to agree you can take the matter to arbitration under a special scheme offered in conjunction with the Association of British Travel Agents. The arbitration scheme is arranged by ABTA and administered independently by IDRS, part of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. It provides for a simple and inexpensive method of arbitration on documents alone with restricted liability on you in respect of costs. Full details will be provided on request or can be obtained from the ABTA website.
 
The Scheme does not apply to claims for an amount greater than £5,000 per person. There is also a limit of £25,000 per booking form. Neither does it apply to claims which are solely in respect of physical injury or illness or their consequences.   The Scheme can however deal with compensation claims which include an element of minor injury or illness subject to a limit of £1,000 on the amount the arbitrator can award per person in respect of this element.  
 
The application for arbitration and Statement of Claim must be received by IDRS within nine months of the date of return from the holiday.  Outside this time limit arbitration under the Scheme may still be available if the company agrees, but the ABTA Code does not require such agreement.
 
For injury and illness claims, you may like to use the ABTA / Chartered Institute of Arbitrators Mediation Procedure. This is a voluntary scheme and requires us to agree for mediation to go ahead. The aim is to help you resolve your dispute in a quick and cost effective way. Details on request or from www.abta.com.

EVENTS BEYOND OUR CONTROL
FORCE MAJEURE: This means that we will not pay compensation if we have to cancel or change your travel arrangements in any way because of unusual or unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control. These can include, for example, war, riot, industrial dispute, terrorist activity and its consequences, natural disasters (such as avalanches), nuclear disaster, fire, adverse weather conditions, technical problems with accommodation or transport, closure or congestion at airports, stations or ports, cancellations or changes of schedule by carriers ceasing to operate due to adverse weather conditions and all similar events outside our or their control.

OUR LIABILITY TO YOU
The following applies where we are providing a holiday package. If we are providing transport only or accommodation only, or are acting as a booking agent, this section does not apply to you and we accept responsibility only for the proven negligence of our employees when acting in our employ.

Except where we are your booking agent, this section covers injury, illness or death whilst you are using the holiday services that we have arranged. We do not have any direct control over the way our suppliers provide their services but everyone employed or contracted by us is expected to carry out their duties properly. If they fail to carry out their duties properly or at all and that fault results in your injury, illness or death we may make a payment to you which would be similar to one you would receive under English law in an English court.

We will not be liable where any failure in the performance of the contract is due to: you; or a third party unconnected with the provision of the travel arrangements and where the failure is unforeseeable or unavoidable; or unusual and unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control, the consequences of which could not have been avoided even if all due care had been exercised; or an event which we or our suppliers, even with all due care, could not foresee or forestall (force majeure); or if resulting from actions of suppliers or employees acting outside the scope of their employment/contract when the accident occurred.

Our liability, except in cases involving death, injury or illness, shall be limited to a maximum of twice the cost of your travel arrangements. Our liability will also be limited in accordance with and/or in an identical manner to:
(a) The contractual terms of the companies that provide the transportation for your travel arrangements. These terms are incorporated into this contract; and
(b) Any relevant international convention, for example the Montreal Convention in respect of travel by air, the Athens Convention in respect of travel by sea, the Berne Convention in respect of travel by rail and the Paris Convention in respect of the provision of accommodation, which limit the amount of compensation that you can claim for death, injury, delay to passengers and loss, damage and delay to luggage. We are to be regarded as having all benefit of any limitation of compensation contained in these or any conventions. 
 
You can ask for copies of the transport companies' contractual terms, or the international conventions, from our offices (3 Vencourt Place, London, W6 9NU. Telephone 08444 930 430).

We will make such payments for injury, illness or death provided that you accept that:
i) You must bring your injury or illness to the attention of the supplier and ourselves whilst in resort and as soon as possible. You must also write to us regarding your claim within 3 months of coming home from the holiday to allow us the opportunity of investigating it properly
ii) You must include a letter from your GP regarding your illness or injury
iii) You must transfer to us the rights you have against the supplier/other person
iv) You must cooperate fully if we or our insurers wish to enforce these rights
 v) Any payments we make may be limited in accordance with international conventions

Under EU law (Regulation 261/2004) you have rights in some circumstances to refunds and/or compensation from your airline in cases of denied boarding, cancellation or delay to flights. Full details of these rights will be publicised at EU airports and will also be available from airlines. However reimbursement in such cases will not automatically entitle you to a refund of your holiday cost from us. Your right to a refund and/or compensation from us is set out in clause 6. If any payments to you are due from us, any payment made to you by the airline will be deducted from this amount. If your airline does not comply with these rules you should complain to the Air Transport Users' Council on 020 7240 6061 www.auc.org.uk

PROMPT ASSISTANCE IN RESORT

If the contract we have with you is not performed or is improperly performed as a result of failures attributable to a third party unconnected with the provision of the services, or as a result of failures due to unusual and unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control, the consequences of which could not have been avoided even if all due care had been exercised, or an event which we or our suppliers, even with all due care, could not foresee or forestall, and you suffer an injury or other material loss, we will offer you such prompt assistance as is reasonable in the circumstances as long as the following requirements are met: i) You must tell us and the supplier involved whilst you are in resort and write to us within 3 months of your return from holiday. ii) You must make a claim under your insurance policy’s legal expenses section (or other if appropriate), send us proof of this claim and repay us the money to cover our expenses if and when your claim is successful.

OUR RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR HOLIDAY
We have taken all reasonable care to ensure that the services that make up your holiday are provided by reputable suppliers and businesses. These organisations follow local and national regulations and laws of the country in which they operate. However, overseas safety standards often differ from those in the UK and in some instances may not yet meet EC fire safety recommendations. Our obligations in regard to reasonable care and due diligence will be deemed to have been complied with when provision has conformed with local regulation or, in the absence of this, local custom.

The risk of skiing being adversely affected by weather conditions has to be accepted. Where transport is arranged to other resorts the costs will be paid locally by the client. Skiworld shall not be liable for any loss, delay or costs connected with, or arising out of, adverse weather conditions, including blocked roads and lengthy airline delays. If, as a result of force majeure, you miss your return departure and extra accommodation is required, Skiworld will not be responsible for this cost.

We strongly recommend you take insurance at least equal to that suggested by Skiworld, which, subject to terms, may cover these instances.

If, due to adverse weather conditions or other circumstances beyond our control, pre-booked ski packs, excursions or tours are not available, our liability is limited to a refund of monies paid for such services. No refunds are given for unused portions of the holiday, e.g. journeys, transfers, car hire, empty accommodation, unused ski packs, uneaten meals. No representative is authorised to make or promise refunds and no such promises will be accepted by Skiworld.  Where excursions or services such as ski lessons are provided by a company outside of Skiworld, even where such excursions or services are sold through our representative or a supplier of Skiworld, we will have no liability for these. We act as an agent for such services and would be happy to provide their conditions of booking on request.

EXCURSIONS
Excursions or other tours not run by Skiworld that you may choose to book or pay for whilst you are on holiday are not part of your package holiday provided by us. For any excursion or other tour that you book, your contract will be with the operator of the excursion or tour and not with us. We are not responsible for the provision of the excursion or tour or for anything that happens during the course of its provision by the operator.

YOUR OBLIGATIONS

INSURANCE
Many insurance policies and in some cases annual policies that have a ski section do not cover you for costs associated with events such as travel delays or piste closure due to too much snow as well as too little. They cover you for medical or cancellation. But there are far more elements to a ski holiday, not least of which is the weather in the mountains! It is important that you check any policy thoroughly and it is a condition of booking that you are covered by a comprehensive winter sports insurance policy of at least equivalent cover to that suggested by us.

We ask that you provide us with details of your own policy if you do not take ours so that in case of an emergency we can help quickly and efficiently. We do not hold on to these details as they are only for use in an emergency. We do not check alternative policies and it is your responsibility to ensure that the insurance you purchase is adequate for your particular needs and offers at least the same level of cover we suggest. If you do not purchase our insurance, you agree to indemnify Skiworld for any costs that arise which would have been met had the Skiworld policy been taken. This means you must pay for or reimburse us in respect of any costs arising from your failure to purchase our policy, particularly any costs that would have been met under the policy we offer had you purchased it. Please remember that insurance is non-transferable and non-refundable.

YOUR BOOKING
When you or your travel agent ask for your booking to be confirmed, or you book on the website, if we are able to confirm your booking we will send (usually by email) written confirmation in the form of an invoice. A contract exists when we issue our confirmation invoice detailing what you have booked. Please contact us if you have not received your invoice within 14 days of asking for your holiday to be confirmed.

You must send us a completed and signed booking form or an email confirming the details required on the booking form. In the case of group leaders you must do this on behalf of your group. You must check your invoice carefully as soon as you receive it. Verbal and website bookings/quotes are subject to written confirmation and so it is important that you check your invoice immediately.

If there are any omissions or errors on your confirmation invoice please tell us or your travel agent immediately as items not mentioned on your invoice will not be supplied (this includes any dietary requests). If we have not heard from you within 7 days we will presume that all details are correct and any changes thereafter will incur an amendment fee.

If you wish clarification of information or to include things in your contract, please request these in writing and we will confirm our acceptance in a written confirmation.

You must provide us with all the names (and ages of children if your party includes children) of the people in your party no less than 10 weeks before departure if you are using our charter transport services.

If you are travelling on any other type of transport including scheduled flights, names as they appear on passports must be supplied at the time of booking. These must be correct as changes to scheduled flights (including spellings of names, as well as times) will incur a 100% cancellation charge by the airline. Please be aware that any monies paid in order to go ahead with a request for flights or accommodation constitutes a commitment to proceed with the booking if your request can be fulfilled. Such monies are non-refundable unless the request cannot be fulfilled.

PAYING FOR YOUR HOLIDAY
You will be required to pay a deposit per person to secure your holiday unless you book within 10 weeks of departure in which case full payment is required.  The amount of the deposit will be specified at the time of booking and will vary according to your holiday arrangements. This is because some suppliers including airlines require full payment at the time of booking. In this case these amounts are non refundable and this can be as much as 100% of the holiday price. We reserve the right to increase or decrease these amounts and will notify you at the time of booking. Once confirmed, your booking deposit is non-refundable except in the circumstances specified. Deposits may be claimable on insurance, subject to terms. All money paid to your travel agent will be held by the agent on our behalf.

We will send you a confirmation invoice detailing the remaining amount to pay for your holiday. If this is not paid at least 10 weeks before your departure, we reserve the right to make a surcharge of £10 per overdue day per booking, reduce/remove free places and then to treat your booking as cancelled. In this instance cancellation charges apply and these may be up to 100% for certain services supplied.

You are able to pay for your holiday by cheque, credit card and debit card (e.g. Switch, Connect). In line with most tour operators there is a charge for use of credit cards of 1.5% (Visa and Mastercard), 2% (American Express). An additional surcharge will be applied for use of multiple cards for a single booking (£10 per card). Dishonoured cheques will be treated as a cancellation, with relevant charges payable. We do not issue reminders for final balances. Travel documents will not be dispatched until final payment has been received.

CANCELLATIONS AND AMENDMENTS BY YOU

CANCELLATIONS
Cancellations must be confirmed in writing (email or letter) by the person who made the booking/signed the booking form (recorded delivery advised) or by your travel agent – also in writing. We cannot accept verbal cancellations. To cover the cost of processing your cancellation and to compensate us for the risk that we may not be able to resell your holiday, the following cancellation charges are payable as a proportion of the total invoiced cost (including extras) from the date we receive written confirmation. The more notice you give us, the less we charge. The person who made the booking is responsible for this charge. Please remember that some suppliers (in particular scheduled carriers) charge 100% cancellation from the moment the booking is made. In some instance we may be able to obtain some money back from the airline but if this is possible, it is entirely dependent on your returning your travel documents and tickets to us. Even with these, refunds are entirely at the discretion of each airline.

The number of days prior to departure is taken to be from the day on which written notice is received by us:
cancellation 63 days or more prior to departure = loss of deposit and insurance premium;
28-55 days = 55% plus £1 APC
14-27 days = 70% plus £1 APC
13-3 days = 95% Plus £1 APC
2 days or less = 100%

These are in addition to 100% cancellation charges, which may be levied by scheduled carriers.

If cancellation of a party member results in under occupancy of a room, apartment or chalet, those remaining must pay the appropriate empty bed charge. Cancellations may also affect entitlement to group places.

AMENDMENTS
If you wish to make an amendment to your booking (including name changes) once we have issued a confirmation invoice, we will do our best to do so. However we cannot guarantee that we will be able to meet your request. Amendments to a booking, involve an administration charge of £25 per person if more than 10 weeks prior to departure and £50 if within 10 weeks of departure (please also see below re scheduled carriers). Any amendment must be in writing from the party leader (only) or your agent.

If your amendment involves a recalculation of holiday costs we will send a revised invoice confirming these changes. If you wish to add a person to your booking or ski packs, we cannot guarantee that this can be done and such changes cannot always be accepted within 14 days prior to the date of departure. Please also bear in mind that prices charged for additional people or items will be those applicable on the day that you ask for these changes. These prices may not be the same as when you first booked your arrangements.

Most scheduled carriers and some charter carriers, other than our own, prohibit changes (including name changes) and require that new tickets be purchased or charge a high amendment fee. These charges will be passed on to you. Once tickets (including e-tickets) have been issued and sometimes even before they have been issued, any changes at all to the ticket will result in you having to pay for the cancelled ticket and buy a new ticket at the full cost. Therefore it is important that you take great care when providing names and departure details and check your invoice carefully as soon as you receive it.

If you are staying in Skiworld accommodation and travelling to your destination on a Skiworld charter flight and you are prevented from travelling, you may be able to transfer your booking to another person provided:
i) The booking does not include services provided by suppliers who will consider the booking cancelled if changes are made
ii) Your arrangements remain exactly the same as the original booking
iii) The replacement person takes on the exact cost of your holiday as paid by you.
iv) You must put your request to transfer your booking in writing
v) That person signs a booking form or signals in writing their acceptance of the terms of our agreement
vi) That person must show us new evidence of their insurance (as any premiums paid by you cannot be refunded)
vii) You pay an amendment fee the amount of which will depend on when we are notified of the change.
viii)You will remain responsible for the payment of any balances relating to your holiday should that person be in default of payment
ix) You cannot transfer a booking within 21 days of travel In all other instances cancellation charges will apply.

IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM OR COMPLAINT
We want your holiday to be as enjoyable as possible, but occasionally even the best-laid plans can go wrong. In the unlikely event of there being something not to your liking whilst on holiday, we aim to resolve it as quickly and amicably as possible. In order to resolve problems we ask:
(i) That you must report it immediately to the relevant supplier of the services in question and to our Resort Representative, thereby giving them the opportunity to remedy the problem. Part of this reporting procedure is that you complete a form in resort so all parties are clear on the precise nature of the issues involved. It is an express condition of your Agreement that this simple procedure is followed. If you fail to follow this procedure we will have been deprived of the opportunity to investigate and rectify your complaint whilst you were in resort and this may affect your rights under this contract.
(ii) If you are still dissatisfied we ask that you write to us giving details of your complaint. We do not automatically follow up a report made in resort as in many cases these are resolved. We do not issue refunds in resort as we feel it is important that all the relevant information is gathered in fairness to all involved. Our Representatives are not authorised to promise or make payments or to vary the terms, conditions or information in the Skiworld brochure.
(iii) If you are still dissatisfied please write to us within 28 days of your return quoting your booking reference and providing details of your dissatisfaction. We will acknowledge your letter and investigate the points raised and reply within 28 days.

YOUR ACCOMMODATION
Only those people named on your confirmation invoice can use the accommodation or transport (or other service) arranged by us. You are not permitted to share accommodation or transport with anyone else. All clients undertake not to damage their accommodation, and to abide by local regulations (especially in relation to noise). Clients are liable for the cost of any damage or loss and Skiworld shall be entitled to recover costs from the client if necessary before homebound transfer. The party leader shall be liable in the first instance for any claims against the party. You or your party may be denied boarding if you refuse to pay or to undertake a commitment to pay on your return.

YOUR CONDUCT
We reserve the right to refuse to accept you as a customer or to continue dealing with you if your behaviour affects or threatens to affect other travellers or is threatening, disruptive or abusive towards our staff either in the UK or abroad (this includes on the telephone or in writing). If any of those in charge of operating our holidays such as flight staff or our resort staff consider you or any of your party to be disruptive, they can refuse to allow you to proceed with your travel arrangements. If this means you are prevented from boarding your outbound flight, we will consider your booking cancelled and the appropriate cancellation charges will apply. If this occurs abroad, you will become responsible for sourcing your own accommodation and flight home including alternative arrangements for those who will not travel without you. In any of these circumstances no refunds will be made or compensation paid. We may also make a claim against you (and/or instigate criminal proceedings) if your behaviour has resulted in additional costs to us.

CHALETS AND CHALET HOTELS
A chalet is your mountain home for your stay. You can either book a room or rooms and meet other skiers or take a whole chalet for yourselves and your party. We have chalets sleeping from 6 – 39 people so you will be sure to find something to suit your needs. More informal and relaxed than a hotel (yes, you can come to dinner in your slippers!), you return after a great day on the slopes to a delicious cake and afternoon tea or coffee and then a 3 or 4 course evening meal with unlimited wine until coffee and no washing up or cleaning. Please see pages ?? – ?? for more information on our chalet service. All our chalets are run by carefully chosen hosts who are there to look after you and take care of everything.

CHALET BOARD
All our chalet meals are freshly prepared according to our menus and are intended to be home-from-home style cooking which also incorporate some local ingredients so as to give you a flavour of the country you are visiting. In all our chalets we create a dinner party atmosphere by serving the evening meal for everyone at a set time. In all 2 – 4 rated properties, our chalet board consists of breakfast, afternoon tea and cake and a delicious 3 course evening meal with unlimited free house wine until coffee is served. In all 4+ and 5 rated properties (and those where Chalet Plus has been purchased), the standard chalet board is included and in addition an enhanced breakfast, aperitif and nibbles, a cheese board, superior regional wine (Europe) as well as other extras detailed on page ?? in our brochure and on our website. Skiworld Prestige Service is provided in 3 of our very best chalets and details of what is provided is on pages 68 -69 and 168 - 171.

CHALET HOTELS
Chalet hotels offer a different type of holiday and are equally relaxed. They tend to be larger properties where you enjoy an enhanced breakfast served until 10am, aperitifs and canapés, choice of menu, after dinner chocolates and more (see pages ?? – ??) In our chalet hotels dinner is always served between 7.30pm and 8.30pm, at a time of your choice. Gala meals in chalet hotels could include a local dish, a popular favourite or themed evening. In Skiworld chalet hotels the reception is usually open from 08.00 until 10.00 and 17.00 until 20.00. In smaller chalet hotels, there may not be a reception but staff will be on hand.

TO HELP YOU CHOOSE
To help you find your ideal mountain home-from-home we have introduced our own rating system. The ratings are not an official classification but are subjective and based on scores allocated by our senior managers and guest feedback.

We have rated our properties in the following separate categories: European chalets, European chalet hotels and North American chalets. This is because they are all slightly different types of holiday. For example, chalets in Canada and the States are more spacious, they generally tend to offer more facilities than their European counterparts and all North American chalets include soap, bath and hand towels.

To help you with your choice we have also detailed the room breakdown for each and every one of our properties. We also provide room numbers and these are shown on your invoice so you can be sure of exactly what has been booked. Further information (in addition to that on our website and in our brochure) is available on request.

As we are limited in the number of photographs we can print in our brochure, you may be able to see additional photographs of our properties on our website www.skiworld.ltd.uk.

GENERAL INFORMATION ON CHALETS AND CHALET HOTELS
As chalets and chalet hotels are a different type of holiday, please read this section carefully so that you know what to expect.

All our chalets and chalet hotels are selected with care on the basis of general comfort, character, convenience and facilities. They vary in size and can be larger purpose-built properties, apartments within complexes and alpine houses.

One of the attractions of chalet accommodation, aside from the informality is the individuality or uniqueness of the property and the rooms, making a chalet more akin to a second home.

It is indeed the case that chalets are often people’s mountain homes and as such they are very different from hotels. Occasionally beds may be against a wall, there may not always be a WC on each floor, room sizes may vary (even when priced similarly) and not all rooms have lockable doors, bathrooms may be shared with other guests or resident staff.

As in your own home, from time to time things may go wrong and we do ask that you be patient as it may not always be possible to repair or replace items immediately e.g. plumbing, furniture. We often have to contact the owner in order to this and they are not always immediately available – especially over national holiday periods such as Christmas and New Year. We will always do our best to resolve any problems as quickly as possible.

Bed linen and bath towels are provided in all European chalets. Please remember to bring your own hand towels (unless stated otherwise in the chalet descriptions). Bath and hand towels are provided in all chalet hotels with mid-week change, 4+ and 5 rated chalets (again with mid week change), all North American chalets and where Chalet Plus is purchased.

Hot water. Please bear in mind that chalets are often privately owned homes. They have a reliable but not endless supply of hot water. Please stagger your bath/shower times if possible and consider other guests in the chalet.

Chalet rooms. As many of our chalets are family homes, room sizes vary and not every room will have a lock on it. Furnishing and storage space may also vary. Storage space is limited often to a small wardrobe (rarely drawers). Cabin beds are those built into or against a wall.

Austrian twins. Austrian twin beds in our chalets are a double base with two single mattresses and two single quilts. These are very common in Austria in hotels and Gasthofs as well as chalets.

Extra beds. Some rooms in chalets can accommodate an extra bed. Please enquire at the time of booking. If this is the case these beds are likely to be fold-away beds or mattresses. Please note that the addition of a bed will also significantly reduce the space in the room and space around the dining table could also be cramped.

Bathrooms and shower rooms: Will comprise a bath or shower and basin. A WC will not always be included and may be listed separately.

Private facilities. Are not en suite but a bathroom for the use of that room nearby.

Children. Please advise your children’s ages at the time of booking so that we can be prepared for their arrival. If you require a high tea for your children we ask that they do so throughout the week. This must be requested at the time of booking and please make sure it is noted on your invoice.

Dietary Requests. We will endeavour to cater for special diets or vegetarians where possible although the availability (or not) of specialist ingredients and foods locally may prevent us from doing so. We reserve the right to make an additional charge for some special diets due to the costly nature of certain specialist ingredients so it is important to discuss this with us at the time of booking. Please check your invoice to ensure any such requests have been recorded. . Please also check with your chalet host or chef as soon as you arrive so that they can discuss your requirements with you.

Chalet Plus is only available when a group books the whole chalet.
Indulgence Pack: This is only available in chalet hotels and is subject to availability.

Drinks. In Skiworld chalets and chalet hotels free unlimited wine is provided with your meal until coffee is served. In our chalets, please feel free to bring your own drinks. Our chalet staff will be happy to provide the mixers (paid for locally in the form of an honesty bar). Due to the licensing laws which govern chalet hotels, drinks brought outside the property cannot be consumed in the building.
Satellite TV in chalets may have a very limited choice of channels – sometimes only BBC World Service or BBC 24. This is also the case with terrestrial channels.

Internet access. Whilst we always try our best to do so, we cannot guarantee continuous and uninterrupted internet connection in our chalets or chalet hotels due to technical circumstances which may be beyond our control.

Hot Tubs. Outdoor hot tubs cannot be used after 10pm. If a hot tub breaks down we always try to have it repaired as quickly as possible. However, as their repair is a specialist task, these people are often in high demand. Delays may also occur if parts need to be ordered. We always do our utmost to minimise such delays.

Smoking. In the interest of fire and safety regulations and for our owners, our chalets and chalet hotels are all non-smoking.

Cots and high chairs. In North America, parents must bring their own for children under 2 years or we can supply details of local suppliers. In Europe we have a limited number of cots and high chairs but these must be booked and paid for in advance. Cot linen is not included. Please check these requests (for both cot and high chair) have been recorded on your invoice.

Slippers. We strongly recommend that you bring slippers or suitable indoor footwear for use in the chalet as, for the comfort of all guests, outdoor shoes are often not permitted indoors.
 Chalet and chalet hotel hosts. Our hosts regularly clean your rooms and they are there to help make your holiday run smoothly. They have been chosen for their outgoing personalities and cooking abilities. The service they offer is not intended to be that of a hotel. In a small number of instances, chalet hosts may be sharing some of the bathroom facilities – this is noted in the description so that you are aware.

Staff days off. Staff in chalets and chalet hotels have one day off a week (2 days on 10 and 14 night holidays). On their day off, breakfast and afternoon tea will be laid out for you. In the evening you are free to try a local restaurant. Please do ask our resort team for their recommendations or ideas as they have often either visited restaurants themselves or had feedback from previous guests.

DVD and video machines. Video and DVD machines in the USA do not accept British videos or DVDs. Most resorts have stores from which videos and DVDs can be hired.

Keys. We cannot guarantee that guests will have their own room or chalet keys or that the chalet will be locked during the day or the evening. We are unable to accept responsibility for valuables. A small refundable deposit for chalet keys may be required, although more and more of our chalets have entry code systems.
Checking into your chalet. For those on Skiworld transfers, check-in to accommodation will normally be on arrival in resort. Check-out is normally 09.00 hrs. Otherwise accommodation is usually available from 17.00 hours. On arrival/departure day we try to provide changing/storage facilities for all clients (although this cannot be guaranteed). These may be shared with arriving/departing Snowtrain passengers with whom there may be an overlap as they normally have the added advantage of being able to ski on arrival/departure day. We ask you to be patient during this transition. As your arrival may be late, your first evening meal may be a hot soup and/or a cold buffet. If your arrival is even later, we reserve the right to substitute this for a packed lunch on your day of departure. Our staff will wait up for you as long as they can if your arrival is very late and they will leave directions to your room and refreshments out for when you do arrive. If you are not arriving on a Skiworld transfer it is very important that you notify us of your estimated arrival time and, if possible, provide us with a mobile contact number. Should you fail to do this in advance, we cannot guarantee that your room will be ready for you.

Access to chalets. Access to many chalets in the Alps is often up a hill or path. This is especially true for those properties close to the slopes. Where this is particularly the case we have mentioned it in the chalet text. Other chalets are chalet apartments and this is always specified in the description of the chalet. Such properties are often accessed by stairs and/or a lift. If you are at all concerned please ask for details. For any mountain holiday, easy to carry bags and appropriate footwear is essential. Snow conditions may also make access to chalets more difficult at some times of the season.
Ski-in/out means to within 50 – 70 metres of the chalet in normal snow conditions.

EMPTY BEDS/SOLE OCCUPANCY OF A CHALET OR ROOM
Each chalet and each room sleeps a minimum number of people. If you would like to book the whole chalet or a room for yourself, or your group’s exclusive use, and you do not have the minimum number, you can choose to pay for the empty bed to ensure you have sole occupancy of the room/chalet. Any beds or rooms below the minimum number (see individual chalet descriptions) that are unoccupied and not paid for by you will be sold to other skiers. Please check your invoice if in doubt.

The supplements for unused empty beds will be confirmed at the time of booking and may be restricted on peak dates. In Europe the supplement for an unused bed is currently 40% of the basic adult brochure price (excluding room supplements and discounts). This applies when there is one person already in the room paying the normal price i.e. empty beds are limited to one per room. On peak dates such as 20/21 and 27/28 December, 14/15 February and 4/5th and 11th/12th April the unused bed supplement is 50% of the basic brochure adult price.  In North America please see the appropriate empty bed supplement in the price panels. Please note that these may also change and you will be advised of the up-to-date price at the time of booking.
If a group wishes to have exclusive use of a chalet, we reserve the right to limit the number of empty beds to less than 1 in 10. Please check with the sales staff. If you have already paid for the maximum number of empty beds and someone from your group cancels, we reserve the right to charge the full price for this room/bed or to re-sell it to another skier(s).

We reserve the right to increase or decrease these prices at any time prior to booking. You will be advised of the up-to-date price when you book. Please note that if a single room is to be unoccupied in a European chalet/chalet hotel, the single supplement must be added to the empty bed charge.

Also, some of the chalet rooms have per person supplements for en suite facilities. Where there is one person in the room, these must be paid twice, as would be the case if 2 people shared the room.

Please remember that if a member of your group cancels and leaves a bed unoccupied, an empty bed charge applies (in addition to cancellation charges and a possible reduction of group free places).

SINGLE SHARES
We are one of the few companies to offer single shares in some of our European chalets and chalet hotels. We offer you the possibility of sharing a room with another single booker and therefore of not paying the empty bed supplement. Please note that this is subject to demand and does not apply for every departure week of the season. Places are limited and on a first come first served basis. This facility is usually offered 4 weeks before departure and details of rooms available displayed on our website.

FURTHER ACCOMMODATION INFORMATION
If specific drinks, food or toiletries mentioned in this brochure are unavailable locally or have been significantly increased in price, we reserve the right to substitute them for suitable alternatives.

Room descriptions such as suites, apartments, junior suites etc cover a variety of room configurations. These vary hugely from country to country and it is not possible for us to provide a standard description to cover all. It is best to make specific enquiries when you book to ensure that the accommodation you choose meets your specific requirements.

Any amendments to descriptions contained in this brochure will be displayed on our website: www.skiworld.ltd.uk.

SINGLE TRAVELLERS AND UNDER OCCUPANCY
Single travellers or guests who wish to occupy accommodation with fewer people than the number shown on the bedroom/chalet description may feel that the cost per person of their holiday appears higher than it should be.

The reason for this supplement is that our contract with the owners is based on a price per room while our holidays are sold per person, including flights and other elements. Therefore, the per person price for a single traveller includes the entire room cost. This applies to both single rooms in hotels and chalets and self-catering units where, for example, three people may want to occupy accommodation usually sold for four and priced accordingly.

We do not make additional or excessive profits from these sales; the prices charged merely reflect the real costs to us. In some accommodation there are rooms that are designed for single occupancy only. In this instance there will normally be a supplement but usually less than when a single person occupies a double room. These single rooms are often smaller and sometimes less well appointed.

ACCOMMODATION ONLY
On certain dates and departures we are able to offer accommodation only holidays. We may not always be able to offer a reduction on these holidays compared to packages including flights. Please enquire at the time of booking. If we are able to offer a reduction on the flight price for accommodation only, we reserve the right to increase or decrease this reduction at any time prior to booking. Our reservations team will have the most up-to-date information.

TAXE DE SEJOUR AND KURTAXE
In Europe our Representatives will collect the Taxe de Sejour levied by all resorts when you arrive. ALL visitors to resort including French nationals are required by the authorities to pay this tax. We do not cost this into the price of our holidays as the amounts charged by individual resorts are not confirmed in time for the brochure. Rather than over-estimate these costs in advance, we feel it is fairer to pass on these local taxes in resort. (See ‘what is not included’ for approximate amounts).

OTHER GUESTS
We do not have details of other guests booked into your accommodation or of any events such as conferences or wedding celebrations. We have no control over the behaviour of other guests and our reps will assist wherever possible if the behaviour of another guest is considered disruptive.

HOTELS, SELF-CATERING AND CONDOMINIUM ACCOMMODATION Prices: Prices in hotels are based on twin or double rooms (unless otherwise stated). Some of our hotels prices are for room only, others B+B and some on half board. This will be specified at the time of booking and on your invoice.

Prices for self-catering are based on the number of people specified. As most apartments include a double bed, occupancy and prices are based on 2 people sharing this bed.

Please note that in many of our hotels and apartments we have an allocation at special rates and conditions. When our allocation is full, we may not be able to obtain more at the same rate or on the same terms and therefore a supplement may apply.

Arrival and check-in:If you are arriving at our accommodation by car, on a flight or train not booked by Skiworld, it is very important that you notify us (ideally your Resort Manager) of your estimated arrival time prior to leaving the UK. Should you fail to do this in advance, we cannot guarantee that your room, mountain home or apartment will be ready for you.

Check-in is usually between 15.00 and 17.00 and check-out of rooms is between 09.00 and 10.00 irrespective of your time of departure. Some hotels/apartments are able to provide a room for bags/cases etc. but please check with the reception on your arrival. Such facilities may be shared with other guests.

Please note: there may be specific times your apartment or hotel reception is open and we cannot be responsible if you fail to obtain your keys before the reception closes. Many hotels ask for a credit card imprint when you check-in to cover incidentals.

Smoking: Many properties are non-smoking. If you require specific information, please ask at the time of booking.

Facilities: The use of some facilities in hotel and apartment complexes such as saunas, fitness facilities and Turkish baths may incur an extra charge. Where we have been informed of this it has been stated in the text. However, this is often charged by those running the properties and we are not always informed. If in doubt, please check at the time of booking. In many instances swimming hats are obligatory and there may be restrictions for children using leisure facilities. We cannot guarantee that fitness suites provide the same range or type of equipment as a purpose-built gym.

Star/Skiworld ratings: We have carefully selected the accommodation we offer to be of a good standard for the price shown. For hotels in Europe we display the star rating of the relevant tourist authority. In North America, as no such rating exists we have used the judgement of our senior managers to assign a rating based on their knowledge of the accommodation and guest feedback.

Parking: Not all hotels or apartments/condos have parking facilities. Those in North America generally do but please enquire at the time of booking. Parking is usually payable locally and in some cases this must be booked in advance. Please check at the time of booking.

Annexe accommodation: Many hotels have annexes which are sometimes in a separate building a short walk away. Please bear in mind that whilst many annexes provide access to the facilities of the property through which they are sold, rooms may not be of the same standard as the main property. This is usually reflected in the price reduction.

Apartments/condos: Our apartments may not be in the same building or next to each other and we cannot guarantee that groups booking will have apartments close to each other or even in the same building. Apartments are often privately owned and even in the same block vary in layout and size. Apartment layouts may vary from those described in our brochure. Details will be confirmed at the time of booking.

Bed linen in apartments. In most European apartments a blanket and pillow are provided for each bed. Bed linen is sometimes provided – please check when you book. Bed linen can be hired from agency receptions locally. Please check before you depart. In North American Condominiums bed linen, towels and cleaning are included. (You may be asked to provide a deposit or credit card imprint to cover breakages, damage or incidentals.)

Facilities in apartments/condos: Most French apartments, while ingeniously designed, are quite compact and prices listed are for using the maximum number of beds, including 2 people sharing any double beds. To help with your choice, where possible we have included measurements. Please note that French law stipulates beds at height (bunks etc) should not be used by children under 6 years.

Apartments in all countries have kitchenettes which are compact and equipped with basic equipment and 2 or 3 hobs. Some also have worktop ovens. Kettles are rare. Guests are normally expected to make their own beds on arrival. As there is such a variety, please check at the time of booking.

Bathrooms: Baths may not always be full size baths and showers may not always have a tray or a curtain. Soap may not be provided.
Full and Half Board arrangements:
Meals usually start with dinner on the day of arrival and finish with breakfast on your day of departure – this may be a packed breakfast if your departure is early. Similarly, if your arrival is late (please notify us in advance) you may be provided with a cold platter on the day of arrival.

A table d’hote menu is usually provided for those who have booked meal arrangements in advance with limited or no choice of menu. Please note that sometimes hotels may allocate tables on a shared basis. An a la Carte menu is available at some hotels at a supplement payable to the hotel locally.

Please note that vegetarianism is still not widespread in Europe and that some hotels may only be able to offer a very limited choice. Some hotels may also charge a supplement for specific dietary requests. It is essential that you notify us at the time of booking so that we can advise you and that this request is noted on your invoice.

Christmas and New Year: During the Christmas and New Year period a minimum stay may be imposed and meals in hotels may carry a supplement due to special celebrations. Please note that formal dress is often expected at these occasions.

Security:Unlike chalets, hotels may lock their main doors at a specified time. Please check with the hotel what time this is – especially if your arrival is likely to be late or you are delayed en route.

Caution deposits: In Europe and North America, apartment agencies require a returnable deposit on arrival (approx. £200 – £300 per apartment, according to type). Your deposit is held in case of extra cleaning, lost key or damage charges, or incidentals and refundable by the agency after you depart. This can usually be paid by credit card (occasionally travellers cheque) and is returned minus any charges incurred, after your apartment has been checked and/or your bill finalised. This may be after your return. Not all agencies will accept credit card payments – please check at time of booking, although this is the preferred option in North America.

On arrival in your apartment please check everything is present and in working order. Anything missing or broken must be reported to reception immediately or you may be charged for it. Please leave your accommodation as clean as you found it.

Austrian twins: In Austria and some other European countries, Austrian twins are one large base with 2 mattresses and 2 quilts. This is considered 2 beds.

NORTH AMERICAN CITY ADD-ONS
If you decide to extend your North American holiday with a city add-on, your departure date will determine the cost of your holiday. For example if you decide to begin your holiday earlier than the date shown in our price grids, you may have to pay a flight supplement as the air fare may be higher for this date.

TAILOR-MADE AND SHORT SKI BREAKS
For resorts where we do not have representation, you will have the services of one of our team in a neighbouring resort or our nearest local office. You will also be provided with a number in case of emergency. We do not operate ski leading services in resorts in which we do not have a representative. 

TRAVEL INFORMATION
Chris – European flight grid and European train grid to go on the transport pages

IMPORTANT
As much as we enjoy the snow, we recognise that weather conditions in the mountains can be extreme. Road closures and delays are therefore not uncommon. Many insurance policies including annual policies that have a ski section do not cover you for costs associated with events such as travel delays or piste closure. It is a condition of booking that you are covered by a comprehensive winter sports insurance policy of at least equivalent cover suggested by us.

Very rarely we may be forced by force majeure situations (such a bad weather or the forecast thereof), which may not be in your resort, to terminate your holiday before the due date and/or make changes to your travel arrangements (including means of travel) booked by us. In the unlikely instance that this does occur we regret that we will not be able to refund any portion of your holiday (unless our suppliers do), pay you any compensation or expenses you incur as a result. These may be claimable through your insurance subject to terms.

CONDITIONS OF CARRIAGE
When you travel by air, water or on land, the relevant carriers Conditions of Carriage will apply to your journey. These will be incorporated into our contract with you. Your compensation in respect of death, injury, delay to travel and loss, damage and delay to luggage may be limited by these conventions (such as the Montreal Convention for travel by air and the Athens convention for travel by seas). Details of limits of liability and these conventions are printed on your travel documents. In addition, copies of all such terms are available on request from us.

CHANGES/CANCELLATIONS
All travel arrangements including routings, timings, aircraft type and arrival airports/stations are provisional until confirmed on your tickets and may change after this due to circumstances beyond our control. Carriers and/or airports, port authorities and other competent authorities may make decisions resulting in delays, changes of route, of departure/arrival airport and rescheduling. When this occurs we are not consulted and we cannot accept liability for such decisions as they are for operational reasons. To maintain low prices and offer a variety of regional flight options, where necessary we share flights, transfer coaches and/or Reps with other operators. Occasionally this means an earlier or later departure.

TRAVEL ONLY
Clients must pay in full on booking, and dates cannot be changed once confirmed. No cancellation refunds are available. Clients are advised to take insurance, such as that offered by Skiworld, which provides a level of cover for cancellation, subject to terms.

PERSONAL PROPERTY
Clients are responsible at all times for their own personal documents, for their baggage, belongings and ski equipment whether hired or not. It is the responsibility of the owner to ensure that their property is taken from the point of arrival on to the transfer vehicle and from the transfer vehicle to the accommodation and vice versa on departure.

PASSPORTS AND VISAS
You are responsible for ensuring that your passport and other documents are as required by the country you are visiting. You must ensure that you are in possession of a full 10-year passport valid for the duration of your holiday. If you do not have a British passport please check with your own consulate or embassy regarding entry requirements for the country you are travelling to. 

At the time of going to print, British citizens do not generally need a visa for Canada or the USA provided that they are travelling on a full, valid, machine-readable passport for a stay of up to 90 days if entering the country on an airline that is a participant in the visa waiver programme (at the time of going to print all our carriers are participants). Passports issued between October 2005 and October 2006 must also have a digital photograph. The visitor needs to be in possession of a valid onward or return ticket to a destination outside the USA and must complete a Visa Waiver form which they are provided with on all our scheduled flight services.

British subjects (as opposed to British citizens), those without machine-readable passports and most other travellers require a visa. Visitors should make their own enquiries as individual cases differ. You will have your photograph and finger prints taken on arrival in the USA. . For the most up to date information please call the US Embassy in London on 020 7499 7010 or 020 7499 3443 or the Canadian Embassy in Northampton on 09068 715 000.

If you need to apply for a passport or renew one, please do so well in advance. If you need to contact the passport agency: 0870 521 0410 (calls charged at national rate), or www.passport.gov.uk, faxback information line: 0901 4700 130.

STOP PRESS: We understand that British Skiers travelling to the US from January 2009 will be required to register onlinewith US authorities at least 3 days before leaving to visit America. Please check our website for up to date information.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
 We are working with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to do all that we can to help British travellers stay safe overseas. Before you travel, check the FCO website: www.fco.gov.uk/knowbeforeyougo. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office Travel Advice Unit may have issued information about your holiday destination. You are advised to check this information on BBC2 Ceefax page 470 onwards, on the internet: www.fco.gov.uk/travel/countryadvice.asp, or on 020 7238 4503/4504. Alternatively you can call ABTA on 020 7008 0232 (calls are charged at 50p/minute).

FLIGHTS – GENERAL
Flight supplements: Holidays in this brochure are based on departures with no additional flight costs except where stated below or on page ?? for North America flights. In the European and North American flight tables these are shown as having a £0 supplement. We reserve the right to increase or decrease the supplements at any time. The up-to-date price will be quoted at the time of booking..

If you choose to fly from a different airport or on a different day or with a different airline to allow a desired stop-off, you may have to a pay a supplement as shown on the flight tables. In certain instances extra flights become available and may attract a supplement which is worked out in the same way.

The availability of the transport seats and accommodation is limited. Once our allocation has been filled, we may have to purchase more capacity. If this is the case the advertised prices/supplements may not apply as we may not be able to obtain the same favourable rates or the same booking class (even within economy). If this is the case we will inform you of this at the time of booking.

In some instances, accommodation or routes for certain holidays may only be available on flights with extra charges. This may be because the accommodation is only available on certain days or onward connections may restrict choices of dates or times of travel. You will be advised of this at the time of booking.

Late availability bookings: We charge £5 to send any scheduled tickets booked from the late availability list by special delivery. If holidays are booked very near to the departure date necessitating the issue of tickets at the airport, there will be a charge of between £10 – £25 per ticket. You will be advised at the time of booking.

Children: CAA regulations state that a child of 2 years or older (on the return date of travel) must have its own air seat and will otherwise be denied boarding by the airline. Children under 2 years (on the return date of travel) must sit on a parent’s lap and are not entitled to luggage allowance or catering on flights or seats on transfers unless these have been paid for.

Delays: The vast majority of our departures leave on time, but occasionally delays occur which are beyond our control. We liaise with aircraft operators and our policy is to endeavour to ensure that any delay is as short as possible.

Please be aware that we are often not advised by scheduled airlines of delays to flights either internal or international. For clients travelling in the US or Canada on connecting flights please call our Area Manager (details on your itinerary) to inform them of your revised travel details.

A new Europe-wide law came into force in 2005 relating to denied boarding, delays and cancellations of flights granting new rights to passengers. In certain circumstances passengers have the right to cancel their flight and receive reimbursement of the cost of their flight from their airline. Full details will be publicised at EU airports and will be available from affected airlines.

Please note that reimbursement of the cost of a flight that forms part of your holiday is the responsibility of your holiday airline and will not automatically entitle you to reimbursement of the cost of your holiday from us or your supplier if we are a booking agent.

Baggage: If the baggage allowance on any flight is exceeded there may be a charge for the excess or it may not be possible to load it on to the flight. The baggage allowance for scheduled, charter and low cost carrier flights is shown on your itinerary. Please read the appropriate sections below.

EUROPEAN CHARTER FLIGHTS
Our holiday prices are based on charter flights to Geneva, Chambery, Grenoble/Lyon or Innsbruck – whichever has a nil supplement in the price grid. We allocate a specific number of seats to each resort. This also applies to regional departures. Booking early ensures you have the full choice of all our flight routes. 

Occasionally at the beginning and end of the season we may use other carriers such as scheduled airlines and low cost carriers. In these instances the rules for scheduled airlines apply.

E-tickets: For most of our European flights you will be issued an itinerary only. E-tickets are arranged with the airline and a boarding pass will be issued at check-in on receipt of your itinerary. Where it is not possible to issue an e-ticket for late bookings, we reserve the right to charge a ticket on departure fee to cover the additional cost.

If we need to book transport specifically for your holiday (i.e. we have sold our allocation or you require a tailor-made option), you must provide a credit card authority and agree to pay the full cost before we can request the transport.

Baggage Allowance:
On our European charter flights, your baggage should not comprise of more than 1 suitcase or bag, 1 boot bag and 1 piece of hand luggage weighing no more than 5kg. Please see your itinerary for your actual allowance (generally 20kg). Skis may also be carried if booked and paid for in advance.

Should any item be off-loaded due to being overweight, Skiworld will endeavour to deliver it to your resort as soon as possible. This may mean that you are without your luggage for the start of your holiday and a service charge may be incurred.

Carriage of skis/snowboards on charter flights:
With ever larger numbers of people carrying equipment on flights, charter airlines are finding it increasingly difficult to cope with the extra weight (and therefore fuel) and handling of these items. This has increased the risk of items being offloaded from aircraft.

In line with all other major winter sports operators, we ask that you register your skis/boards with us at the time of booking at a cost of £30 per board or set of skis. If you do not pre-book, there will be a £39 per board or set of skis charge at the airport and we cannot guarantee that your equipment will be accepted. Ski and Snowboard bags must contain skis and snowboards only (in case of delay or the necessity of offloading this equipment) and weigh no more than 6kgs.

Should your skis or board which have been pre-booked fail to travel on your flight, we will arrange for them to be forwarded to your resort at no extra charge.

No fills airlines also require that skis or boards are booked in advance and their charges start at £30 per item.

UK Airport Terminal Departure Information – charter flights.
This information is subject to change. Please check your itinerary for the most up to date information:
Gatwick Departures: Monarch flights – South Terminal, Titan Airways flights – South Terminal, Hamburg International Airlines – South Terminal
Manchester Departures – Terminal 3
Birmingham Departures – Terminal 2
Bristol Departures – Main Terminal
Edinburgh Departures – Main Terminal
Newcastle Departures – Main Terminal
Leeds Bradford – Main Terminal
Stansted – Main Terminal

SCHEDULED EUROPEAN AND NORTH AMERICAN FLIGHTS
Scheduled flights: Many forms of transport such as scheduled flights require that full names are supplied at the time of booking. They also have restrictions on changing names, dates etc before and after tickets are issued. Should you request a change we may have to pass on any cost charged by the carrier which may involve repurchasing a new ticket at a higher cost.

If the amendment means we have to send you new tickets, we cannot do this or refund any monies paid (if applicable) unless we have your old tickets and documentation. Where scheduled flights are booked please be aware that there are charges levied by the airlines for re-issuing lost tickets.

Connections: For flights to the US and Canada the connection times are booked in accordance with to the airline’s recommended connection time depending on the airport through which you are transiting and the arrival and departure terminals. You must clear security at your first point of call in the US or Canada from the UK.

If you are concerned that the time recommended by the airline is not adequate, please inform us at the time of booking to enable us to search for longer stopover times – particularly if you are less mobile. In certain cases, when flight availability is limited, we may only be able to offer the minimum recommended connection time.

If you miss your flight for any reason such as a delayed flight or increased security, the airline is responsible for arranging your onward travel to your final destination.

Schedule reconfirmation: Your outbound flight (and any onward same day connecting service) is automatically reconfirmed for you. Although most airlines now have a policy that states that reconfirmation of return flights is no longer necessary, we recommend that you call and check if there have been any schedule changes to your services. Skiworld cannot be held responsible for any missed departures on a return journey due to flight schedule changes.

Carriage of skis/snowboards on scheduled flights: At the time of going to print, skis/snowboards are carried as part of the luggage allowance except on no-frills carriers (see below). Please note that a ski bag and/or a boot bag are equal to one piece of luggage. Total amount of luggage permitted is 2 pieces with a maximum weight of 23kg per piece.
With Zoom, the total amount of luggage permitted is two pieces totalling 20kg and one piece of free sporting equipment (in economy). Dimension restrictions may apply.

No-frills carriers
such as Easyjet allow  1 piece of hand luggage and supplements apply for additional bags and for sports equipment. These can be booked and paid for in advance in which case lower charges apply than at the airport. Bags or sports equipment not pre-booked may not be accepted at the airport. Please check your itinerary as this will contain the most up-to-date information.

TRAIN SERVICES
Availability: The availability of seats on our train services is limited. Bookings at the advertised supplements are on a first come first served basis. Once our allocation has been filled, we will inform you of this. We will be pleased to make a booking on your behalf for the train service required (subject to availability) but we cannot guarantee that it will be at the advertised supplement.

Groups: We will make every effort to seat groups together, however, with the Eurostar booking system it is not possible to guarantee this. Seating may be allocated in different carriages and different areas of the carriage. This is beyond our control. Seat allocations will be confirmed on your tickets.

All Eurostar services depart  from St Pancras. Please note for guests’ comfort all services are non-smoking.
 
Eurostar via Paris Snowtrain: This service stops at Ebbsfleet international. Blankets and pillows are provided in couchettes.

Eurostar Direct Overnight: This service stops at Ashford International international. Blankets and pillows are provided, although no couchettes. First class seats are available on request and the supplement will be confirmed at the time of booking. Dates in April may be on request. You will be advised at the time of booking. Departure from resort will be in the afternoon and clients will usually have time for a meal in Bourg St Maurice or Moutiers before the train departs later that evening. This is to ensure that regardless of weather and traffic conditions, clients reach their departure point in good time. If this train service is missed due to circumstances beyond our control, it is too late for clients to secure alternative means of transport to the UK that night.

Carriage of skis/snowboards on trains: On both the Snowtrain and Eurostar one set of skis or one snowboard per person is carried free.

TRANSFERS
We have provided approximate transfer times to your resort in this brochure. Please bear in mind that these are approximate as they cannot take into account prevailing weather or traffic conditions or the location and accessibility of your accommodation. This is especially true at peak dates such as New Year or February half term when other nationalities are also on holiday.

It is also important to remember that in some cases we stop transfer coaches for a break or to change driver – this is more likely if flights or road journeys have been delayed.

On occasion a change of coach at a transport hub may be necessary to ensure that you get to the airport in time for your flight if weather or traffic conditions have been or are expected to be difficult.
Lake Louise = Calgary approx 2hrs 30 mins
Vail =

WCs on coaches: Please bear in mind that the cold weather may affect the WC on your coach despite our or our drivers’ best efforts.

Representatives: We may need to combine transfers to and from resorts for passengers on different arriving and departing flights. We will of course try to keep changes and waiting times to a minimum. Whilst we try our utmost to ensure that all transfers will have a Skiworld representative this may not always be the case. If this is likely, there will be a member of staff to see the coach off and one to meet the coach at its first arrival point.

North American transfers: Due to the flexible nature of holidays to North America with multiple arrival days there will not always be a Resort Representative or Manager at the airport for your arrival.

Most transfers in North America are organised with local scheduled transfer companies who will have been given your flight arrival details. They will be expecting you. Details of transfers will be on your itinerary.

As these services are scheduled, our staff will endeavour to book the transfer closest to your scheduled landing time and this is subject to availability and recommended timings. At the beginning and the end of the season, there may be a longer wait for your transfer as our suppliers may reduce their services.

Although scheduled airlines have guaranteed departure and arrival slots, delays can occur due to bad weather conditions or technical faults. Our staff and transfer companies do everything possible to stay abreast of these delays and to reschedule your transfer times accordingly. However, this is not always possible.

In the event of a delay to any leg of your journey to North America, if you are able to advise the Resort Manager or in the case of a resort without a Skiworld Representative, the relevant transfer company (all contact details are provided with your departure documentation) from your connecting airport, it may be possible to re-arrange your transfer to match your revised arrival time in North America and therefore keep your waiting time to an absolute minimum.

CAR HIRE
Conditions of car rental state the nominated driver must be at least 21 years old (there is a supplement payable locally for drivers under 25) with a valid full British Drivers Licence (an international drivers licence is not required).

Upgrades and changes: In the case of our holidays to North America, if you have not taken advantage of our preferential prepaid rates to secure the upgraded vehicle size of your choice, you will be offered the opportunity to do so locally (subject to availability). Please note that any upgrades or changes to car-hire packages which are negotiated locally will be subject to additional sales taxes (approx 30%) all of which must be paid for locally. Please note that Skiworld are not responsible for any extra charges incurred.
Car hire vouchers: If you have pre-booked car hire you must take your voucher with you as this is form of payment. Please treat this voucher as you would cash. If you cannot present a voucher at the car hire desk you will be required to pay for the hire car locally. No refunds will be given on unused vouchers.

Car hire prices: Car hire is based on 2 people sharing unless otherwise stated. Car hire is included in all our Mammoth prices. For single use of a car a supplement applies.

CDW (Collision Damage Waiver):
All car hire prices for North America include CDW as unlike British insurance policies in which unlimited third party liability coverage is mandatory, laws in North America only require a bare minimum of third party coverage which could leave you seriously financially exposed in the event of a claim against you.

CDW protects you against damage to the rental car (including theft and vandalism) regardless of who is at fault. Without CDW you would be personally responsible for any damage up to the full value of the vehicle.

CDW package does not include: State taxes/airport fees, personal accident insurance, extra liability, facility usage fee, additional drivers, infant/child seats (children up to 5 years are required by law to be transported in approved child seats), drivers under 25 supplement, fuel (payable on arrival), oneway rental (charge varies depending on location), vehicle upgrades (supplements apply for larger vehicles or 4 door versions) or snow chains in California (State law requires cars to be equipped with snow chains in certain weather conditions and must be purchased locally for approx $40 these cannot be rented).

Alamo Gold: We strongly recommend Alamo Gold which covers State taxes/airport fees, personal accident insurance, extra liability, facility usage fee, ski rack (but not guaranteed to be a rack that will carry snowboards) and up to 3 additional drivers. It also includes a tank of petrol as well as extended protection which provides you with up to $1,000,000 third party liability coverage. The policy also covers the renter and family members up to $100,000 for accidental death due to negligent, un-insured or hit and run motorists. Alamo Gold does however not include infant/child seats (children up to 5 years are required by law to be transported in approved child seats), drivers under 25 supplement, one-way rental (charge varies depending on location) or vehicle upgrades (supplements apply for larger vehicles or 4 door versions). Please see page ??? for more details.

Caution deposits:
A credit card security deposit is required when the car is collected in the name of the lead driver, The car hire company may obtain an authorisation against the card at this time of approximately $500 per week / $100 per day. Please make sure that you have a valid credit card with you.

Luggage: We have indicated the approximate sizes of the car available in North America on page ??. The size of car you have booked will be detailed on your invoice. Please bear in mind that luggage space is limited and therefore pack with this in mind.

FERRY CROSSINGS
Deduct the following amounts from the flight prices in this brochure

(exactly the same grid as last year)
No of people in P&O FERRIES DOVER – CALAIS, a car or MPV HULL – ROTTERDAM/ZEEBRUGGE - 5 people deduct £120pp - 4 people deduct £110pp - 3 people deduct £99pp - 2 people deduct £89pp - 1 persone deduct £79pp Note: MPVs with up to eight passengers – standard self drive reductions. Maximum reduction available equates to that offered to five passengers. Mini-vans and 4x4 recreational vehicles may carry a surcharge. A cabin is required on all overnight sailings from Hull to Rotterdam and Zeebrugge. Please call for prices.

MAKING YOUR OWN TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS
If you are making your own travel arrangements and are staying in any of our European chalets you should arrive on the same day as our flight programme. If you are making your own travel arrangements and staying in one of our North American chalets you must arrive on the day stated on your itinerary. No reductions can be given if you fail to arrive on the stated day. Please advise us of your estimated time of arrival.

Parking:
Many resorts have parking restrictions and parking charges and in some, parking must be booked in advance. It may be free to take a car into the resort to unload and leave it on the outskirts. Please ask our reservations team for details.

GROUPS AND FAMILIES

GROUPS
We have a specialised team to help you not only choose the resort and accommodation to suit your needs but also to help you organise your trip and make the most of our ski pack offers and discounts.

Our website will allow you to search by size of chalet and also to look for the most sought-after ski in/out chalets or those with hot tubs and saunas. Don’t hesitate to call if you need to discuss your requirements with us.

We have some of the very best group offers around – you will find it hard to beat them especially with our great value prices. And don’t forget to check the website for special features, offers or information – especially our up-to-date independent snow reports provided by Weather2ski.

HOW TO QUALIFY FOR GROUP DISCOUNTS
All communication and payment must come from one party leader or agent and all amendments must be in writing from the group leader. In addition it is the responsibility of the group leader to ensure that all group members have read these important information sections and that they all have adequate insurance.

Payment: It is the responsibility of the group leader to ensure that payment is made by one cheque, debit or credit card. If payment is made by more than one cheque, debit or credit card on group bookings enjoying free places, there will be a handling fee of £10 per cheque/card in addition to the normal credit card charges. (Visa or Mastercard carry a 1.5% charge and Amex payments 2%).

Failure to pay the balance on the specified due date will result in free places or group reductions being withdrawn.

Calculation of free places: Free places are calculated on the lowest basic price in the booking and do not include insurance, ski packs or other supplements. If different price categories are booked, the free places come from the lowest price category (once room reductions have been applied) including children.

Free places and group discounts apply to initial numbers booked and not to subsequent additions. If the group size reduces after booking, the number of free places will also be reduced accordingly and may be forfeited if all conditions are not complied with.

Half price places are calculated by dividing the basic price by 2 and then applying any reductions e.g. self-drive, accommodation only or applying any supplements e.g. room supplements/reductions. Children (or adults) paying half price and enjoying any discount (including any child reduction) count as half a person in the calculation of free places.

Group discounts and free places do not apply to weekend breaks, self-catering, hotel accommodation or late availability prices or special offers unless otherwise specified.

We reserve the right to amend or withdraw group discounts at any time and to limit the number of such discounts in any one property.
Cancellations: Please remember, if a member of your group cancels it may incur an empty bed charge, affect your group places and carry a cancellation charge (see cancellations and amendments by you). Having a standby list of people to come on your holiday is often the best solution. If you find a substitute they naturally take on the holiday cost of the person they are replacing and there may be an amendment fee for the name change or even a 100% cancellation charge for scheduled flight services. Please check with our sales support team.

Insurance:
All group members must have adequate insurance. It is the responsibility of the group leader to ensure that this is the case and to provide Skiworld with these details of these policies so that we can help in case of emergency.

Arrival: For European and North American holidays, the whole group must arrive on the same date, though you may book different methods of travel.

Supplying names: For bookings to Europe travelling on charter flights, names of those in the group as per their passport must be supplied at least 10 weeks before departure unless your group is of 20 people or more and this has been agreed with our group’s department. For scheduled flights, correct names must be supplied at the time of booking and cancellation charges of up to 100% may be applied by the airline if alternations are made after this.

CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
Child discounts: There are a limited number of Free and reduced child price places and these are subject to availability and on a first come first served basis. For this reason we also limit the number of child discounted places on each booking. All reductions are subject to availability and may change at any time. Child reductions in Europe (see pages ?? – ??) apply to chalet and chalet hotel holidays with charter flights only. Children reductions in North America will be confirmed at the time of booking.

Where children enjoy a 50% reduction this is when they are sharing with 2 adults unless otherwise stated.

All child discounts (Europe and North America) are applied after any room or transport reductions e.g. self-drive and all supplements e.g. for rooms, flights etc are paid in full.

Child reductions do not apply to late availability prices and also cannot be combined with any other offer such as half price accommodation or promotional prices. Family room discounts or children’s discounts do not apply to self-catering accommodation, hotels, short break holidays or late availability holidays.

Children enjoying reduced price places of any level count as half a person in the calculation of group free places. Please also note that children do not count towards occupancy when hiring a car.

Children’s ages: The child’s age on the date of return must not exceed that stated on the booking form. Infants under 2 years travelling free or paying the flight ticketing charge do not have a seat on flights or transfers unless they are classified as children, in which case the child prices apply.

You may be able to pre-book locally run kindergartens and we will be happy to provide you with contact telephone numbers. These facilities will meet local regulations. Please note that we have not inspected these facilities and are therefore not able to guarantee the level of care provided.

FURTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION
SPECIAL REQUESTS
We will always try to meet any special requests and to pass them to our suppliers. Your request will be shown on your invoice to indicate that a request has been made but this is not a guarantee that your request can be fulfilled. Please note that special requests do not form part of our contractual agreement and we will have no liability if they are not met.

PASSENGERS WITH DISABILITIES AND LESS MOBILE PASSENGERS
We have a checklist produced by ABTA which has been designed as an aid to checking the suitability of the accommodation and transport facilities in a resort to which you may be interested in travelling. If you have any special requirements, we would ask that you complete this checklist in order to help us assess the suitability of your destination to your specific needs. Please call us to obtain a copy of this checklist and to discuss your needs.

LOST PROPERTY
Whilst we do everything possible to locate lost property, we cannot guarantee to do so or to be able to arrange for your property to be returned. Clients will need to contact our overseas office for lost property. If we are able to locate lost property and arrange for its return, all costs of so doing must be paid in advance along with an administration charge of £25. We cannot be held responsible for lost property whilst in transit to the UK howsoever this is arranged. We reserve the right to increase the administration charge for the return of lost property for bulky items with special dispatch costs.

BROCHURE VALIDITY
The prices and conditions in our brochure apply to the edition valid from August 2008. We reserve the right to increase or decrease the price of unsold holidays at any time and to correct omissions or errors. For these holidays supplements and discounts may not be as stated in this brochure. Any further issues of the brochure will supersede these conditions and prices. Current selling prices will be shown on our website and confirmed at the time of booking.

BROCHURE DESCRIPTIONS
All descriptions in our brochure, or made orally or in writing (including our website) are given in good faith based on information believed to be correct at the time.

After the brochure is printed however, changes can take place which are beyond our control. Our reservations staff will have the most up-to-date information and we will do our utmost to notify you of changes before your departure. We will also post these amendments on our website so please check the details of your accommodation on www.skiworld.ltd.uk.

Photographs of rooms represent the type of accommodation available but not all rooms will be the same shape, size or style. Please note that family rooms are not necessarily larger than the norm. Descriptions of apartments are a guide only, as all are individually owned and differ from one another. 

We have taken great care and checked all the distances mentioned in this brochure and on our website. However, resort layouts can often be changed when the resorts open for the next winter season and such changes may affect the distances we have mentioned.

We have new chalets in our programme, some of which are being built for the 2008/9 season. We take every possible care in writing our descriptions from architect’s plans and in trying to ensure that these projects are completed to schedule. Factors outside our control such as weather, local authorities and unforeseen building problems can cause delays and last minute changes to architect’s plans. We will advise you as soon as we have been made aware of these and been able to assess the impact on your holiday. Once notified you have the same options as a major change to your holiday and our liability will be limited to those detailed in the aforementioned section.

SKI PACKS, SKIWORLD SAVERS, LEARN 2 SKI/BOARD PACKS AND OFFERS SKI PACKS
We offer the facility to book ski packs (lift passes, equipment or tuition) in advance of your arrival in resort. We aim for the prices of pre-booked items to be less than those in resort but we cannot guarantee this. Purchasing in advance however always allows you to spread the cost of your holiday more effectively and also saves you time on your arrival in resort. Please see www.skiworld.ltd.uk for prices and details.

These are sold separately (we act as an agent for the suppliers of these services) and at an extra cost to your holiday. Suppliers booking conditions apply and we will be pleased to supply you with copies of these on request.

If you wish to add ski packs to your booking, we cannot guarantee that this can be done and such changes cannot always be accepted within 7 days prior to the date of departure.
Prices: The prices detailed in our brochure or on our website are guidelines and we reserve the right to increase, decrease or withdraw these at any time prior to booking. Up-to-date prices will be confirmed at the time of booking. All ski packs are subject to availability.

For European ski hire and lift passes purchased in advance from our London office, prices may be in sterling or Euros.  The exchange rate applied will be that displayed on our website if your purchase is in Sterling and that of your credit card company if purchased in Euros. The same is true for our North American programme.

In all cases, if our exchange rate is applied it is final and no refunds are given or supplements charged if exchange rates fluctuate.

Proof of age or that you are a family (if surnames are different) may be required for any lift passes where discounts have been obtained for children, senior skiers or family passes.

Insurance: It is essential that your insurance covers you for hired equipment. Many shops offer top-up insurance and we recommend you take this. Details of this will be displayed in the shop and we recommend you read this.

Cancellations/refunds: Once ski packs have been booked, no cancellations refunds or alterations can be accepted. Please note that we cannot refund any part of your pre-booked ski pack should you not use all or part of what has been booked.

Ski school and peak dates:
Please note that during peak dates such as Christmas, New Year, half term and even Easter, ski schools become fully booked. We therefore strongly advise that you book your lessons in advance on these dates. Please contact our sales team who will be able to help or email prebooking@skiworld.ltd.uk.

Learn2ski/board packages: Our packages are aimed at complete beginners only. Where lift passes are included they are those recommended by the instructors and these often start after the first day(s) of using free lifts where such lifts are available. Some lift passes might only be for 4 or 5 days depending on your progression from the beginner slopes. Others are for a limited area. Early or late season passes will cover the lifts that are open at that time. All skis, poles, boards and boots included in these prices are bronze level equipment. Some ski schools require a minimum number of participants. If this is not achieved, alternative arrangements will be offered and you will be responsible for any extra costs.

IN RESORT
Après-ski: The events we offer are often dependent on weather conditions and achieving a minimum number of participants. Therefore the programmes offered may not always be available. Mentions of restaurants are merely indications that these facilities exist and that they are popular. Excursions or activities that you book and partake in locally are at your own risk and liability. It is important that you check that your insurance covers you for these activities.

Changes: Details of all services mentioned in the brochure, for example bus services in resort, are correct at the time of going to press. However, these may change once the resort has opened and we are not notified by the resort in advance of these changes.

Early/late season: Facilities such as lifts, shuttle bus services, saunas, ice rinks and swimming pools may not be operational at the beginning or the end of the season. This may also affect some of the facilities in your accommodation. This may be due to factors such as weather or the number of tourists in resort, repairs or redecoration. These decisions are often made on the spot by their operators and we are not always informed. Where we do know we will do our utmost to let you know.

At the beginning at the end of the season building work in resorts may be taking place. We have no control over these building works and are not made aware of their start and finish times.

Altitude: In each resort introduction we stipulate the height of the resort and the highest skiing to give you an idea of the snow-sure nature of our resorts and the altitude at which you may be living/skiing. Please note that some people may feel the effects of altitude particularly in Breckenridge.

Safety: The safety and well being of our guests is of paramount importance to us. We continually strive to improve hygiene and safety standards in all our destinations. All our properties are obliged to meet local regulations although it is important to remember that even in European countries these may not match those in the UK, which are some of the stringent in the world. In ski resorts particularly many buildings are made of timber, often without separate fire escapes. We strongly advise that you and your party familiarise yourselves with your accommodation, safety procedures and location of fire extinguishers.

Ski leading:
Our ski leading service is offered free to our guests and is run on a ‘first come first served’ basis and is subject to minimum numbers. Our ski hosts will set the maximum number that can accompany them. They are keen skiers who enjoy sharing their enthusiasm with you, however, they are not instructors or guides and will not offer any instruction or ski with you off piste.

The Skiworld ski leading service is designed for strong intermediate to advanced skiers. For beginners and those wanting to improve their technique, our resort staff will advise as to which of the ski schools is most suitable for you and they can book you a place. Off piste skiing should only be undertaken with a qualified mountain guide and appropriate safety equipment and all the ski schools that we use can offer advice and will help you to choose your itinerary.

Our ski hosts are obliged to observe local rules and regulations. In so doing, we need to draw your attention to the fact that ski leading does not form part of your holiday contract with us or any part of your holiday cost. If we are prevented from operating this service we reserve the right to withdraw it and to offer to engage local ski guides (the basic cost of which will be passed on to participating clients). Mountain guides and transport to other resorts will carry a charge. The ski leading service is subject to weather conditions and local laws and is undertaken at our guests own risk. Skiworld cannot be held responsible for any accident or injury sustain whilst following our ski hosts.

In North American resorts with a representative, ski leading is offered for a minimum of one day a week. The majority of North American resorts have their own Ski Ambassadors to take you around the mountain.

LATE BOOKINGS AND SPECIAL OFFERS
Due to the extra administration required to handle late bookings, a charge of £15 will be made for bookings made within 14 days or departure. The prices of our late availability holidays (or holidays on special offer) may not always be less than those in our brochure. Late availability holidays also do not qualify for the offers mentioned in this brochure or on our website such as group free places and child reductions. We reserve the right to increase or decrease prices prior to booking. We reserve the right to make an additional charge for coach transfers on late availability bookings.

DATA PROTECTION
We are committed to protecting your privacy. We may disclose your details such as name, contact details, travel preferences and special needs/diets that you have supplied to us in relation to yourself and your travelling companions to our suppliers for the purposes of providing you with our services. Only the information necessary for these purposes will be supplied to them.

The information may also be provided to security or credit checking companies, public authorities such as customs/immigration if required by them or required by law. Security regulations may require us to provide government agencies access to data you disclose to us and the air carrier.

Where your holiday is outside of the European Economic Area (EEA) controls on data protection may not be as they are in this country. If we cannot pass this information to the relevant suppliers, we cannot provide your booking. Therefore, in making a booking with us, you consent to this information being passed to the relevant persons. We do not pass information on to any person not responsible for your holiday arrangement and we do not sell any information or our mailing list to any other company. Please note that where your information is held by your travel agent this is subject to their data protection policy.

We do not share information for marketing purposes with third parties. We do hold you information for our purposes i.e. to inform you of offers and promotions or to send you our brochures. If you do not wish to receive these please let us know as soon as possible. For more information please refer to our website: www.skiworld.ltd.uk. Any changes to this important information will be posted on our website.

YOUR HOLIDAY – WHAT IS INCLUDED:
 
• Chalet board – daily breakfast and afternoon tea with cakes, and 3 or 4 course evening meals (depending on the grade of chalet) with wine until coffee for one night less than the duration of your holiday except 14 night holidays during which staff have 2 nights off as confirmed on your invoice
• Return travel and transfers as confirmed on your invoice
• Airport/Airline taxes, Air Passenger Duty, APC from October 2008 and VAT
• Resort Representative services (except in selected resorts or for tailor-made bookings)
• Ski host services as detailed (as local regulations permit)
• Bath towels and soap in all chalets unless otherwise stated. Soap, hand and bath towels in chalet hotels, and 4+ and 5 rated chalets and North American chalets. L'Occitaine shower gel and soap or equivalent in 5 rated chalets
• Carriage of skis/snowboards on scheduled flights to North America. (See travel information)
• Bed linen and towels in self-catering accommodation in North America.
• Bed linen where stated in European self-catering accommodation

WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED:
• Meals out on chalet/chalet hotel staff night(s) off
• Travel to/from your UK departure point
• Flight or travel supplements where applicable
• Lift pass/ski school/ski hire unless stated on your invoice
• Carriage of skis/snowboards on European flights unless stated on your invoice. (See travel information)
• Tolls or national park entry fees for cars
• Baggage in excess of allowances
• Late booking admin fee
• Insurance
• Local European tourist taxes* (Taxe de Sejour)
• Meals if self-catering or room only in hotels
• Wine with meals in hotels (i.e. not chalets or chalets hotels)
• Bed linen and towels in self-catering accommodation in Europe unless otherwise stated
• Meals on European charter flights unless detailed in your travel documents *Approximate cost per person per week: £3 to £7 France, £6.50 Switzerland, £7 – £10 Austria, children half price, none in Canada and USA. The tax is collected by our reps and paid locally to the authorities

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