All reservations are made by and with HIB Services, trading here as "Holidays in Bulgaria" (hereinafter referred to as "Holidays in Bulgaria") and their agents subject to the following conditions:

1. Contract
a) A binding contract comes into existence between "Holidays in Bulgaria" and the person(s) on whose behalf the booking may have been made (the clients) when we issue our confirmation invoice
b) Should the balance not be paid by the due date, we reserve the right to cancel the booking and retain the deposit paid, or apply the charges outlined in clause 2 a)
c) "Holidays in Bulgaria" reserves the right to decline any booking

2. Cancellation by Customer
a) Should you wish to cancel the booking after it has been accepted, please notify us immediately in writing. The following will be payable or forfeited as the case may be:

• More than 8 weeks before departure - the full deposit

• 8-5 weeks before departure - 10% of the trip cost

• 5-2 weeks before departure - 30% of the trip cost

• Less than 2 weeks - 50% of the trip cost

b) In addition to the above charges, it may be necessary to add under-occupancy or single room supplements to other members of a group where a member(s) of that group cancel.


3. Alteration by Customer
After acceptance of the booking, if the customer alters the confirmed arrangements, an amendment fee of £10 per person, plus any increased charges, may be charged. Additionally, if the alteration is within 6 weeks of the original departure date, the cancellation charges in clause 2 a) may be applied.

Top of the page

4. Changes and Cancellation by us
We start planning the holidays we offer many months in advance. Occasionally, we have to make changes to and correct errors in itinerary and other details both before and after bookings have been confirmed and cancel confirmed bookings. Whilst we always endeavour to avoid changes and cancellations, we must reserve the right to do so. However, we promise we will only cancel your confirmed booking (8 weeks or less) before departure where you have failed to comply with any requirements of these booking conditions entitling us to cancel (such as paying on time) or where we are forced to do so as a result of circumstances outside our control "force majeure" (clause 5 below).
Most changes are minor. Occasionally, we have to make a "significant change". "Significant changes" means the following changes when made before departure: a change of accommodation to that of a lower standard for the major part of the time you are away, an overall length of time you are away of twelve or more hours, and, in the case of tours, a significant change of itinerary missing out one or more major destination substantially.
If we have to make a significant change or cancel, we will tell you as soon as possible. If there is time to do so before departure, we will offer you the choice of the following options:
(a) (for significant changes) accepting the changed arrangements or
(b) purchasing an alternative holiday from us, (if the chosen alternative is less expensive, we will refund the difference but if it is more expensive, we will ask you to pay the difference) or
(c) cancelling or accepting the cancellation in which case you will receive a full and quick refund of all monies you have paid to us.
Please note the above options are not available where any change made is a minor one.
If we have to make a significant change or cancel 8 weeks or less before departure, we will pay you compensation subject to the following exceptions. Compensation will not be payable and no liability beyond offering the above mentioned choices can be accepted where (1) we are forced to make a change or cancel as a result of unusual and unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control, the consequences of which we could not have avoided even with all due care or (2) we have to cancel because the minimum number of bookings necessary for us to operate your holiday has not been reached - in this case we will notify you by the deadline specified. No compensation will be payable if we cancel as a result of your failure to comply with any requirement of these booking conditions entitling us to cancel (such as paying on time). see group size
When offering alternative arrangements, "Holidays in Bulgaria" will, if accommodation is affected, use its best endeavours to provide an alternative in the same area. If "Holidays in Bulgaria" is only able to offer a lower classification of hotel, it will refund the difference in the quoted price.
In all cases, our liability for significant changes and cancellations is limited to offering you the above mentioned options and, where applicable, compensation payments. We regret we cannot pay any expenses, costs or losses incurred by you as a result of any change or cancellation. No compensation is payable for minor changes or where we make a significant change or cancel more than 8 weeks before departure.
Very rarely, we may be forced by "force majeure" (see clause 5) to change or terminate your holiday after departure but before the scheduled end of your time away. This is extremely unlikely but if this situation does occur, we regret we will be unable to make any refunds (unless we obtain any refunds from our suppliers), pay you any compensation or meet any costs or expenses you incur as a result.

Top of the page

5. Force Majeure
Except where otherwise expressly stated in these booking conditions, we regret we cannot accept liability or pay any compensation where the performance or prompt performance of our contractual obligations is prevented or affected by or you otherwise suffer any damage or loss as a result of "force majeure". In these Booking Conditions, "force majeure" means any event which we or the supplier of the service(s) in question could not, even with all due care, foresee or avoid. Such events may include war or threat of war, riot, civil strife, terrorist activity or actual threatened terrorist activity, industrial dispute, natural or nuclear disaster, adverse weather conditions, fire and all similar events outside our control.
 

6a. Our Liability to you
(1) We promise to make sure that all parts of the holiday we have agreed to arrange, perform or provide as part of our contract with you are performed or provided with reasonable skill and care. We do not accept responsibility if any death, personal injury failure or deficiency of your holiday arrangements is not caused by any fault of ours, or our agents or suppliers. When we talk about "fault" above, this means failure by ourselves or our agents or suppliers (as applicable) to use reasonable skill and care in performing or providing the service in question. Please note it is your responsibility to show that reasonable skill and care has not been used if you wish to make a claim.
We will not be responsible for any injury, illness, death, loss (e.g. of enjoyment), damage, expense, cost or claim of any description whatsoever which results from any of the following: -
(a) the fault of the person(s) affected or any member(s) of their party or
(b) the fault of a third party not connected with the provision of your holiday or
(c) an event or circumstances which we or the supplier of the service(s) in question could not have predicted or avoided even after taking all reasonable care or precaution.
In addition, we will not be responsible where you do not enjoy your holiday or suffer any problems because of a reason you did not tell us about when you booked with us or where any problems you suffer did not result from any breach of our contract or other fault of ourselves or, where we were responsible for them, our suppliers or agents.
Please note, we cannot accept responsibility for any services which do not form part of our contract.
(2) The promises we make to you about the services we have agreed to provide or arrange as part of our contract - and the laws and regulations of the country in which your claim or complaint occurred - will be used as the basis for deciding whether the services in question had been properly provided. If the particular services which gave rise to the claim or complaint complied with local laws and regulations applicable to those services at the time, the services will be treated as having been properly provided. This will be the case even if the services did not comply with the laws and regulations of the UK which would have applied had those services been provided in the UK.
(3) Where any claim or part of a claim concerns stay in a hotel, guest house or host family, the maximum amount of compensation we will have to pay you will be limited. The most we will have to pay you for that claim or that part of a claim if we are found liable to you on any basis is the most the hotel, guest house keeper concerned would have to pay under the international convention which applies to the travel arrangements or hotel stay in question (e.g. the Warsaw Convention as amended for international travel by air and/or for airlines with an operating licence granted by an EU country). When making any payment, we are entitled to deduct any money which you have received or are entitled to receive from the accommodation provider for the complaint or claim in question.

Top of the page

6b. Assignment of Rights
(1) In the event of making a claim against "Holidays in Bulgaria", the customer agrees to assign to "Holidays in Bulgaria" any rights against a supplier or any other person or party that they may have relating to the claim and co-operate fully with "Holidays in Bulgaria" should it or its insurers wish to enforce those rights which have been assigned to "Holidays in Bulgaria". This assignment is necessary to enable "Holidays in Bulgaria" to try and recover from suppliers any compensation paid to the customer together with associated costs.
(2) In the event of a claim made by "Holidays in Bulgaria" being covered by any insurance policy effected by the customer or for his benefit the customer agrees to pursue such claim against the relevant insurance company either in addition to or in substitution for his claim against "Holidays in Bulgaria". "Holidays in Bulgaria" agrees to indemnify the customer in respect of any expense incurred in pursuing such a claim and acknowledges that any settlement made by the Insurer shall not prejudice the customer’s rights against "Holidays in Bulgaria". In the event of the customer not submitting an insurance claim within a period expiring 5 days prior to the time specified in the relevant policy, he shall assign by letter sent by first class post to "Holidays in Bulgaria" no less than 5 days prior to the said specified time the benefit of the policy to "Holidays in Bulgaria" and give immediate notice of such an assignment to the Insurer.


7. The Cost of your Holiday
The prices advertised at the time are the only indicative prices for your holiday. They may have subsequently been amended as and when required.
We shall inform you of the price of your holiday by sending back itinerary upon receipt of an Enquiry Form. The price of your chosen holiday will be confirmed at the time of booking.
Once the price of your chosen holiday has been confirmed at the time of booking then, subject to the correction of errors, we will not increase the price of the holiday.
We reserve the right to correct errors in advertised prices. We will do so as soon as we become aware of the error.
Please note, changes and errors occasionally occur. You must check the price of your chosen holiday at the time of booking, see also section 11.

Top of the page

8. Insurance
You are required to take out an insurance to provide adequate cover for medical expenses, personal accident, loss of baggage and curtailment or cancellation of trip. It is the responsibility of all individuals to finance on-the-spot medical treatment and other contingencies, then to reclaim this from their insurance on return, and to ensure that they have adequate protection for expensive equipment. Please keep details of all the documentation which may be necessary when making a claim. Individuals should ensure their insurance covers all aspects of the programme.

9. Disputes
If you have cause for complaint while on holiday you must bring it to the attention of "Holidays in Bulgaria" local representative/agent and/or the accommodation provider who will do their best to rectify the situation. It is unreasonable to take no action whilst on holiday but then to write a letter of complaint upon return. However, should a problem remain unresolved a complaint should be made within 28 days of the completion of the holiday. Please remember to quote your holiday account number.

Top of the page
 

10. Prices and Information Accuracy
Please note the information on prices shown in these pages may have changed by the time you come to book your holiday. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the brochure and prices at the time of printing, regrettably errors do occasionally occur. You must therefore ensure you check all details of your chosen holiday (including the price) with us at the time of booking.

11. Your Financial Security Arrangements
We operate as non-flight inclusive travel agent and we have a Capital Protected Bond to protect your monies in the event of our insolvency. As we offer ground arrangements in Bulgaria only, your travel arrangements to and from the UK are your own responsibility.

Top of the page

12. Passports, visas and health requirements
A full valid passport is required for entry into Bulgaria. For UK Citizens visa is not required if the stay is less than one month.
We regret that we cannot accept any liability if you are refused entry into any transport or into any country due to failure on your part to carry correct documentation. If you or any member of your party is not a British citizen or holds a non-British passport you must check passport and visa requirements with the Embassy or Consulate of Bulgaria.

Your doctor will advise you on health care, recommend vaccinations. It is your own responsibility to take sufficient quantities of any specific medication you require.  Information on health is contained in the Department of Health leaflet T6 Health Advice for Travellers available from your local Department of Health office and most post offices.
It is your responsibility to ensure that you are in possession of all necessary travel and health documents before departure.

Top of the page

13. Conditions of suppliers
Many of the services which make up your holiday are provided by independent suppliers. Those suppliers provide these services in accordance with their own terms and conditions. Some of these terms and conditions may limit or exclude the supplier's liability to you, usually in accordance with applicable International Conventions.
 

14. Behaviour
When you book with us, you accept responsibility for any damage or loss caused by you or any member of your party. Full payment for any such damage or loss must be paid direct at the time to the accommodation owner or manager or other supplier. If you fail to do so, you will be responsible for meeting any claims subsequently made against us (together with our own and the other party’s full legal costs) as a result of your actions.
We expect all clients to have consideration for other people. If in our, or another persons reasonable opinion, you or any member of your party behaves in such a way as to cause or be likely to cause danger, upset or distress to any third party or damage to property, we are entitled, without prior notice, to terminate the holiday of the person(s) concerned. In this situation, the person(s) concerned will be required to leave the accommodation or other service. We will have no further responsibility toward such person(s) including any return travel arrangements. No refunds will be made and we will not pay any expenses or costs incurred as a result of the termination.

Top of the page

15. Special requests and medical problems
If you have any special request, you must advise us at the time of booking and clearly note it on your booking form. Although we will endeavour to pass any reasonable requests on to the relevant supplier, we regret we cannot guarantee any request will be met. Failure to meet any special request will not be a breach of contract on our part. We regret we cannot accept any conditional bookings, i.e. any booking which is specified to be conditional on the fulfilment of a particular request. All such bookings will be treated as "standard" bookings subject to the above provisions on special requests.
If you or any member of your party has any medical problem or disability which may affect your holiday, please tell us before you confirm your booking so that we can advise as to the suitability of the chosen arrangements. In any event, you must give us full details in writing at the time of booking. (If we reasonably feel unable to properly accommodate the particular needs of the person concerned, we must reserve the right to decline their reservation or, if full details are not given at the time of booking, cancel when we become aware of these details).

Top of the page

16. Safety standards
Please note, it is the requirements and standards of the country (i.e. Bulgaria) in which any services which make up your holiday are provided which apply to those services and not those of the UK. As a general rule, these requirements and standards will not be the same as the UK and may [sometimes/often] be lower.
18. Group Bookings
Group booking discounts apply to groups where one person represents the clients when making the booking arrangements and payments. In this case the confirmation invoice will be sent to him / her only. All payments to "Holidays in Bulgaria" for the trip must be made through him / her.