Terms & Conditions

RESERVATIONS AND PAYMENTS

We strongly recommend early bookings to ensure better airfares, hotel availability, and sufficient time to apply for passports and tourist visas if required. We accept checks, wire transfers, and all major credit cards. We reserve the right to charge a 4% fee for credit card payments in some cases. We will notify you in advance of the fee and will allow you to pay by check to avoid it.

PRIVATE LAND TOURS AND SHORE EXCURSIONS
Deposit: $1000 per person - at the time of reservation
Full amount if the tour is less or equals to $1000 - at the time of reservation 
Balance: 90 days before departure

If you make your reservation 90 days or less before departure, $500 per person will be collected to confirm hotels, and full payment will be due within 24 hours after hotels are confirmed.  

ESCORTED TOURS
Deposit: $500 per person - at the time of reservation
Balance: 90 days before departure *

TOURS THAT INCLUDE AIR, TRAIN, FERRIES
Deposit: $1000 per person at the time of booking
Balance: 90 days before departure

CRUISES AND TRAIN TOURS
25% at the time of booking
Balance due 120 days before departure

*Additional payment for all tourist visas is required at the time of application
*Some special train and cruise programs require final payment 120 days before departure. Please ask at the time of booking
*If you make your reservation 60 days or less before departure, $250 per person is required to confirm the tour, and full payment will be collected within 24 hours after such a tour is confirmed. 

ALBATROS EXPEDITIONS
First 25 % - A deposit will be required at the time of booking.
Final 75 % - 90 days prior to the cruise
If booking is made less than 90 days before to departure, full payment is due within 72 hours.

HOTELS ONLY
Deposit: $100 to request
Balance: 60 days before departure 

VISAS - Full nonrefundable payment is required to apply  

AIRFARE
Air payment schedules are according to airlines' policies. Some of the airfares nowadays cannot be placed on hold and require instant purchase. Other airfares can be put on hold for 24-72 hours.

CANCELLATION PROCEDURE AND FEES 

We require a written cancellation request sent by email, fax, or standard mail. Cancellation fees will be computed as of the date when we receive your cancellation notice as follows: 

AIRLINE TICKETS: $100 per person in addition to airline penalties

PRIVATE CUSTOM LAND PACKAGES AND SHORE EXCURSIONS
At the time of booking after the deposit is paid - 20% of the total cost (minimum $250 per person)
61 - 90 days before departure - 30% of the total cost
60 - 31 days before departure - 50% of the total cost 
no refund 30 days or less prior to departure 

ESCORTED GROUP TOURS
At the time of booking / after deposit is paid - $250 per person 
90 - 61 days before departure - $1000 per person
60 - 45 days before departure - 50% per person
44 - 31 days before departure - 75% per person
no refund 30 days or less before departure

TOURS THAT INCLUDE AIR, TRAIN, FERRIES
At the time of booking / after the deposit is paid - $1000 per person 
90 - 61 days before departure - $1500 per person
60 - 45 days before departure - 50% per person
44 - 31 days before departure - 75% per person
no refund 30 days or less before departure

CRUISES AND TRAIN TOURS (INCLUDING VISA-FREEEE ST. PETERSBURG)
20% of the total amount is nonrefundable at any time 
90 - 61 days - 25% of gross fare
60 - 31 days - 90% of gross fare 
no refund 30 days or less before departure 

ALBATROS EXPEDITIONS
$2,0000 per person is non-refundable between first payment and 180 days
179 - 91 days - 25% of the gross fare + $1,000 per person is non-refundable
90 days or less - 100% non-refundable

HOTELS
$100 - nonrefundable after confirmation 
4 days or more before arrival - $100 + 1 night
3 days or less before arrival - norefund

VISAS FEES ARE NONREFUNDABLE AT ANY TIME 

Please note that some tours and cruises might have a different cancellation policy, of which we will advise you at the time of booking.  

TO AVOID LOSSES, WE STRONGLY RECOMMENDED TRAVEL INSURANCE!

DELIVERY TERMS

Most of our travel documents, including hotel and tour vouchers, are electronic and can be delivered via email. They will be sent electronically approximately two weeks before departure, providing full payment has been received. Paper tickets and other required paper documents will be delivered by UPS Ground mail at our expense unless other delivery terms are requested and agreed to be paid by the customer. Paper tickets are sometimes required for train travel and rarely for airlines. Visas and passports will be delivered at the customer's expense and by preferred shipping method. Bridges Unlimited Inc. is not responsible for lost or stolen documents; therefore, any re-issuance of such may be assessed their full face value and may include an increase in cost. A special handling fee of $45 will be assessed for bookings that require overnight express delivery.

PRICE ADJUSTMENTS

Current sale pricing, promotional codes, and other special offers cannot be applied toward prior purchases.

PRIVACY POLICY

Our clients' privacy is very important to us and governs our actions regarding the information we collect. The information we receive depends on what you do when you visit our site. If you visit our site to browse or read the content, we use cookies. Cookies are small pieces of information that are stored by your browser on your computer's hard drive. We use cookies to collect and store some non-personal data: name of the domain and host from which you access the Internet, the Internet protocol (IP) address of the computer you are using; the date and time you access our site; and the Internet address of the website from which you linked directly to our site. We track this information to measure the number of visitors to different sections of our site, and to make our website more user-friendly.

If you visit our site to request information or make purchases, our check-out process requires you to provide us with contact information such as your name, address, phone & email. We use your contact data from the information request form to reply to your requests and send you additional information about your purchases. You have the option of not receiving any future mailings from us by sending us an email or calling us. We do not share this data with anyone.

Financial information, such as credit card numbers that we collect at the time of the purchase, is used to bill customers for services at the time of the purchase and is not kept in our database for any future use. We realize the sensitive nature of this information and guard it very carefully. No personally identifiable information will be shared with anyone except as part of an explicit transaction (i.e., purchasing a ticket, tour, or travel visa), providing your customer data to the airline, tour operator, or a government visa issuing agency.

As we continue to develop our business, we might sell or buy companies or assets. In such transactions, customer information generally is one of the transferred business assets. Except as outlined in this Privacy Policy, we will not willfully disclose personal data about you to any third party without first receiving your permission.

We take extreme efforts not to involve ourselves with junk mail companies. Our mail is as targeted as we can make it, and we allow you to opt-out at any time. We use dedicated Merchant Services with VeriSign Payment Flow Gateway, and follow industry standards for credit card transactions. We have implemented security policies, rules, and technical measures to protect the personal data that we have under our control from unauthorized access, improper use or disclosure, unauthorized modification, and unlawful destruction or accidental loss. All employees who have access to, or are associated with the processing of personal data, are obliged to respect our visitors' personal information.

LIMITED LIABILITY

Bridges Unlimited Inc. discloses that various travel components of the itineraries, including transportation, hotel accommodations, tours, and other services, are purchased from different independent suppliers, not affiliated with Bridges Unlimited Inc.
Although we continuously seek to choose the most reliable travel suppliers overseas, we cannot control their operations. We, therefore, shall not be liable for any delay, mishap, inconvenience, expense, bodily injury or death, or damage to property occasioned through the conduct or default of any company or individual engaged in providing these services. Each of these passenger conveyance companies, tour companies, hotels, restaurants, etc., is subject to the laws of the state or country where the service is provided.
Bridges Unlimited Inc. shall not be liable for additional expenses due to (a) trip delay for any reason (e.g. bad weather, trail conditions, land slides, flooding, sickness, or other contingency for which Bridges Unlimited Inc. cannot make provision; (b) expenses incurred in recovering lost luggage, belongings left behind on a trip, or in shipping purchases or other goods home from abroad; (c) bodily injury or property damage for any reason, including but not limited to acts of God, weather, quarantines, strikes, civil disturbance, theft, default, changes in government regulations, terrorism, war, or failure of conveyance to arrive or depart as scheduled, etc., over which Bridges Unlimited Inc. has no control. 
The right is reserved to substitute both trip leaders and hotels from those listed, as well as reverse the order of places to be visited and make reasonable changes in the itinerary where deemed advisable for the comfort and well being of the passengers.
We will not be liable or pay you compensation if our contractual obligations to you are affected by" Force Majeure." Force majeure means any event beyond our or our supplier's control, the consequences of which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken. Examples include warfare and acts of terrorism (and threat thereof ), civil strife, significant risks to human health such as the outbreak of serious disease at the travel destination or natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes or weather conditions which make it impossible to travel safely to the travel destination or remain at the travel destination, the act of any government or other national or local authority including port or river authorities, industrial dispute, labor strikes, lock closure, natural or nuclear disaster, fire, chemical or biological disaster, unavoidable technical problems with transport and all similar events outside our or the supplier(s) control.
Signatures obtained indicate acceptance of these Terms and Conditions and confirm that we have been contracted by the Client for the travel service described. Signatures also indicate that Client appoints Bridges Unlimited Inc. as dedicated Agent of Client in the acquisition of any travel services including but not limited to flights, hotels, restaurant services, guide services, tours, etc. Pursuant to the agency relationship between Bridges Unlimited Inc. and Client, Client agrees to reimburse Bridges Unlimited Inc. for all expenses and obligations incurred on behalf of Client. Bridges Unlimited Inc. has no liability to pay the Client's obligations, except as the agent of Client. Unforeseen or requested revisions to the travel services will impact actual fees &/or costs. 
Bridges Unlimited Inc. reserves the right to take photos of any of its trips and may use this material for advertising purposes.

TRAVEL INSURANCE

We recommend that you purchase a travel protection plan to help protect you and your travel investment against the unexpected. Travel protection plans can include coverage for Trip Cancellation, Trip Interruption, Emergency Medical and Emergency Evacuation/Repatriation, Trip Delay, Baggage Delay and more.

Contact our travel professionals at 800-776-3341 to learn more about how to help protect you and your trip investment. Or for more information on the available plans or to enroll, visit www.travelexinsurance.com or contact Travelex Insurance Services at 800-228-9792 and reference location number 47-0128. 

The product descriptions provided here are only summaries. The full coverage terms and details, including limitations and exclusions, are contained in the insurance policy. Travelex CA Agency License #0D10209. All products listed are underwritten by Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Company, NAIC #22276. 11.17 E7N