General Terms & Conditions

GENERAL BOOKING CONDITIONS FOR INDIVIDUAL TRAVEL

These terms and conditions apply to all ELÄMYS DMC Oy travel packages or individual travel service bookings for which the contract with the traveller commences from 1.1.2021.

ADDITIONAL AND SPECIAL CONDITIONS FOR TRAVEL PACKAGES

The Additional and Special Conditions supplement the General Conditions for Package Travel, which have been negotiated between the Association of Finnish Travel Industry and the Consumer Ombudsman. The Additional and Special Conditions have been drafted taking into account the mandatory provisions of the Directive on package travel and linked travel arrangements (EU 2015/2302) and the Act on Combined Travel Services (901/2017/www.finlex.fi/fi/laki/alkup/2017/20170901).

Due to the special nature of these trips, exceptional provisions concerning the mode of transport (e.g. booking and sales conditions for scheduled flights), exceptional accommodation and travel programme conditions, and the special conditions of the destinations, we apply cancellation, amendment, and transfer conditions that differ from those set out in sections 4.1 to 4.3 and 7 of the General Conditions of Package Travel; regardless of the reason for cancellation, amendment, or transfer. Once a trip has been booked and paid for, it cannot normally be cancelled, changed, or transferred to another person free of charge.

PACKAGE TRAVEL CONTRACT AND RESPONSIBILITY FOR PERFORMANCE OF THE CONTRACT

Insurance cover, adequate travel and luggage insurance, limits on compensation, and organiser's liability

Trips include neither travel insurance, cancellation insurance, nor luggage insurance. We encourage you to take out adequate travel insurance at the time of booking, including cancellation insurance in the event of serious illness or death of yourself, a close relative, or a travelling companion (name must be included on the insurance). We also advise you to check the cancellation cover clause of the policy and any limitation on the amount of compensation in this situation, especially in the case of annual insurance or insurance linked to a payment card. Some policies have a limited amount of cover, which may result in an increase in the traveller's own liability (e.g., 25% of cancellation costs are the responsibility of the insurer and 75% the responsibility of the insured).

We also advise travellers to take out adequate travel insurance cover for their luggage in case of loss, delay, or damage. Travel documents, means of payment, personal medicines, and other particularly valuable or essential items must be carried under the traveller's own control throughout the trip.

The organiser is not liable for damages caused by force majeure, strikes, natural disasters, terrorism, or similar situations. The organiser is also not liable for any damage to travellers or luggage.

When booking a trip, travellers must provide their name in exactly the same format and order as it appears on the passport used for the trip. Tickets and travel documents that need to be reissued will be subject to an office fee of €75 per traveller and any charges levied by the service provider. If the airline's rules do not allow you to change your name, you will also be charged the full price of a ticket.

If a traveller has a physical or sensory disability or other disability/illness that may affect the accessibility of the trip or the arrangements of the trip as agreed, the traveller must inform the organiser and agree on their participation before making a reservation. Travellers needing an assistant must declare their need before booking and negotiate the possibility to participate in the trip on a case-by-case basis. The organiser's staff cannot act as personal assistants for an individual traveller during a trip; the traveller must provide and pay for a personal assistant themselves. For airports, ports, and railway stations within the EU, assistance is available on advance request.

Luggage

The amount of free luggage varies between airlines and routes. On scheduled flights, overweight charges will be subject to International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) and/or airline regulations and charges.

Passports and visas

A valid passport is required for all our trips that include crossing a national border (for EU citizens travelling within the EU, an official identity card issued by the police is also sufficient). Every traveller, including children, must have their own personal passport. Most countries require passports to be machine-readable and valid for 6 months after travel. Travellers should check the validity and condition of their passport. The descriptions of our trips mention in the trip information the possible need for a visa for Finnish citizens, as well as the possible minimum passport validity period, etc.

The organiser is not liable for any damage caused to the traveller if their trip is prevented or interrupted due to incomplete travel documents, an expired or broken passport, or a visa refusal. The organiser is not responsible for any voluntary insurance required for the traveller during a trip, but rather, the traveller is responsible for their own insurance cover and its extent, e.g., cancellation cover. The organiser shall instruct the traveller to obtain sufficient insurance to cover accidents and property damage as well as cancellations.

CONCLUSION OF THE CONTRACT AND PAYMENT OF THE PRICE

It is the traveller's responsibility to check the confirmation and report any errors or omissions immediately upon receipt of the confirmation. A travel contract is created when, after booking a trip, a traveller pays the price of the trip as determined by the organiser.

The full price of a trip must be paid at either the time of booking or another agreed-upon time.

The traveller is obliged to inform the organiser if their travel documents have not arrived by e-mail within one (1) day or by mail within seven (7) working days of the booking. The organiser will not replace travel documents lost in the mail. Travel documents will not be sent by mail outside the borders of Finland.

If the online booking process is interrupted or a traveller does not receive their electronic travel confirmation and other travel documents for a paid trip to the provided e-mail address, the organiser’s customer service must be notified immediately.

Travellers under 18 years old

A minor (under 18) travelling alone always needs written consent from a parent or guardian to enter into a travel contract. The customer is responsible for sending this consent to the organiser. The written consent of a parent or guardian is also required when a minor is travelling alone with adults other than the minor’s guardian. The organiser reserves the right to terminate the contract if a party proves to be legally incapable of concluding a travel contract for any legal reason.

THE TRAVELLER’S RIGHT TO CANCEL A BOOKING BEFORE THE START OF THE TRIP

Due to the special nature of our trips, we apply different cancellation conditions to our trips from the general package travel conditions. The cancellation conditions apply regardless of the reason for cancellation (including cases of illness).

The traveller has the right to cancel their booking at any time before the start of the trip. The cancellation fee is based on the actual costs charged from the organiser in accordance with the booking and sales terms of the air tickets, accommodation, and other travel services. In addition to the cancellation fee, we charge an administrative fee of €75 in accordance with the organiser’s price list to cover the costs caused by the extra work.

If the trip is priced to accommodate a party of two or more travellers in the same room or apartment and one member of the party cancels their trip, the organiser is entitled to charge, in addition to the cancellation costs, the costs of the under-utilisation of the accommodation due to the cancellation. The cancelling and participating members of the party are jointly liable for the payment of these costs to the organiser. Instead of the above, the organiser and the travelling party may jointly agree on a more appropriate accommodation arrangement for the travelling party, in which case the travelling party will be responsible for any additional costs.

If a trip is not cancelled and the traveller does not arrive at the agreed-upon departure point at the agreed-upon time, or if the traveller is unable to travel because they do not have the necessary travel documents, such as a valid passport, visa, identity card, or vaccination certificate, for reasons for which the traveller is responsible, they are not entitled to a refund.

We advise travellers to take out travel insurance with cancellation cover and to check, in particular, the conditions for cancellation, amendment and surrender cover, especially in the case of annual insurance or insurance linked to a payment card.

THE TRAVELLER'S RIGHT TO CHANGE THE CONTRACT AND TRANSFER IT TO ANOTHER PERSON

Booking changes and transferring a booking to another person

Any changes made by the customer to their booking will be treated as cancellations and may be subject to charges as set out in the cancellation fee table. On some of our trips, you have the option to change your return date, for example. We will always charge the actual cost of such a change to the booking, in accordance with the necessary measures, plus an administrative fee of €75 per traveller.

If the conditions for the transfer of a travel reservation (General Terms and Conditions for Package Travel 7.2.) are met, the traveller has the right to transfer their rights under the contract to another person.

The person to whom the travel contract is transferred must be able to obtain the same flight reservation and ticket as the transferor had. Even without a change of traveller, if the name or other personal data changes after the booking, participating in the travel requires obtaining the original flight reservations and tickets with the new personal data. The organisers will charge the actual cost of the transfer in accordance with the necessary measures, plus an administrative fee of €75 per traveller.

If a trip is priced to accommodate a party of two or more travellers in the same room or apartment and one member of the party changes or transfers the trip, the organiser is entitled to charge, in addition to the change and transfer costs, the costs of the under-utilisation of the accommodation due to the change or transfer. The changing or transferring and participating members of the party are jointly liable for the payment of these costs to the organiser. Instead of the above, the organiser and the travelling party may jointly agree on a more appropriate accommodation arrangement for the travelling party, in which case the travelling party will be responsible for any additional costs.

We advise travellers to take out travel insurance with cancellation cover and to check, in particular, the conditions for cancellation, amendment, and surrender cover, especially in the case of annual insurance or insurance linked to a payment card.

Name changes

Name changes will be charged at the actual cost of the change, plus an administrative fee of €75 per traveller if the flight, ship, or train tickets have not yet been issued. The time of ticket issuing varies according to the rules of the air, ship, and train companies and the trip. If the change occurs after the ticket has been issued, the costs will be determined by the rules of the air, train, and ship companies. For example, airlines have the right to impose flight, price category, or season-specific restrictions on name changes to reservations. As a rule, airline regulations do not allow any changes to airline tickets after they have been issued.

INDIVIDUAL, TAILOR-MADE GROUP AND SPECIAL TRIPS

Terms of payment, cancellation, amendment, and transfer

The conditions for special trips tailored to individual groups are published in the relevant travel programmes. We apply special conditions to these trips because the costs of cancellation, for example, would be borne entirely or mainly by the organiser because the trip cannot be sold to another person due to the individuality, special nature of the trip, or another reason of similar importance.

PRICE CHANGES

Price changes and final price of the trip

The prices of our trips are given without obligation before the travel contract is concluded and are based on the tariffs and exchange rates in force on the date of pricing indicated in the trip description or conditions. We reserve the right to change prices in accordance with section 8 of the General Terms and Conditions for Package Travel. The final price may be affected by tariff changes or fuel and exchange rates. Our trips are made on international scheduled flights and, due to the special nature of the mode of transport, the organiser has the right to increase prices after the contract has been concluded in the event of changes in airfares, fuel taxes, or air taxes set by the authorities. In case of any changes, we will send you a new final invoice. The pricing date for each trip is indicated in the trip programme.

Additional charges due to official regulations
If the authorities in Finland, the destination countries, or countries on the route impose regulations or instructions affecting the execution of the trip after the travel contract has been concluded, the organiser will inform the travellers of the regulations without delay. The official regulations are not considered changes made by the organiser and do not entitle the traveller to cancel the travel package contract, nor do they entitle the traveller to a cancellation free of charge if the organiser is still able to carry out the trip in accordance with these conditions. If the traveller is prevented from travelling for reasons imposed by the authorities, the situation will be interpreted as a cancellation by the traveller and the cancellation and amendment conditions of the tour operator for the trip in question will apply. Any additional costs caused by the official regulations will be borne by the traveller as such, and the organiser will not be liable for these costs. If the organiser charges an additional cost as part of the price of the travel package, the provisions of clauses 8.1b, 8.2 and 8.3 for price change situations will apply.

CHANGES TO THE TRAVEL PACKAGE CONTRACT MADE BY THE ORGANISER

Change of tour guide, tour leader, or another travel expert

If our representative suddenly falls ill or is otherwise unable to work while travelling, we reserve the right to use an English-language representative until we can find a replacement in the language of the service originally confirmed. We also reserve the right to replace the tour leader or expert appointed in advance in the travel programme with another qualified person in case of emergency. Changing to another representative does not entitle the traveller to a price reduction, compensation, or cancellation without charge.

The impact of official regulations on the travel contract

If the authorities in Finland, the destination countries, or countries on the route impose regulations or instructions affecting the execution of the trip after the travel contract has been concluded, the organiser will inform the travellers of the regulations without delay. The official regulations are not considered changes made by the organiser and do not entitle the traveller to cancel the travel package contract, nor do they entitle the traveller to a cancellation free of charge if the organiser is still able to carry out the trip in accordance with these conditions. If the traveller is prevented from travelling for reasons imposed by the authorities, the situation will be interpreted as a cancellation by the traveller and the cancellation and amendment conditions of the tour operator for the trip in question will apply. Any additional costs caused by official regulations will be borne by the traveller as such, and the organiser will not be liable for these costs.

THE ORGANISER'S RIGHT TO CANCEL AND INTERRUPT THE TRIP

Implementation of additional travel services and excursions

Additional services and excursions often need a sufficient number of participants to be carried out. The organiser reserves the right to cancel additional services and excursions where the minimum number of participants is not met. The travellers will be notified of the realisation or cancellation of these services as soon as possible, often during the trip. For cancelled or unrealised services, any fees paid by the traveller will be refunded. Cancellation of an excursion booked as an additional service does not entitle the traveller to a price reduction or compensation in excess of the price of the excursion.

ERRORS AND COMPLAINTS

The nature of certain destinations means that transport arrangements are unstable, so travellers should be prepared for possible changes in transport timetables or arrangements. If a change is due to force majeure (unavoidable and exceptional circumstances), the organiser will assess the error on a case-by-case basis.

The traveller must inform the organiser without undue delay of any shortcoming or error that occurs during the trip.

ERROR CORRECTION

The traveller must always first and without delay inform the organiser of any errors, shortcomings, or problems. The traveller can only take the initiative to correct an error after agreeing with the organiser.

THE PROVISION OF ALTERNATIVE SERVICES BEFORE OR DURING THE TRIP

If a significant part of travel services cannot be provided as agreed during a trip, the organiser must offer, at no extra cost to the traveller, suitable alternative arrangements for the continuation of the travel package which are, as far as possible, of at least the same quality as the agreed-upon travel services. The obligation to provide alternative arrangements also applies in cases where the traveller's return to the place of departure is not as agreed.

The organiser must grant the traveller an appropriate price reduction if the travel package with alternative arrangements is of inferior quality to the travel package under the travel package contract.

The traveller may refuse any alternative arrangements offered if they are not comparable to those agreed upon in the travel package contract or if the price reduction offered does not correspond to the significance of the error. If the traveller justifiably refuses alternative arrangements, or if it is not possible to offer alternative arrangements, the traveller is entitled to an appropriate price reduction and compensation even if they do not cancel the contract. If the travel package includes transport for the traveller, the organiser must, without undue delay, provide the traveller with return transport in accordance with the contract, at no extra cost to the traveller.

If a traveller refuses alternative arrangements without the above-mentioned acceptable reasons, they are not entitled to compensation or a price reduction.

GENERAL

Paid additional services for events

Unless otherwise stated, additional services such as event tickets or registrations and other additional services ordered separately at the customer's request are not part of the travel package contract.

Individual services are ordered at the traveller's request and booked on an individual basis. In addition to the price of the stand-alone service, a fee will be charged in accordance with the organiser's service price list. Bookings become binding after confirmation, and the booking, payment, amendment, and cancellation terms enter into force at the time of confirmation. Due to the specific nature of the specialised services, the conditions for amendments and cancellation are very strict.

If the traveller wishes to change or cancel their booking, they must contact the organiser’s customer service without delay. Change and cancellation costs are determined in accordance with the booking, payment, amendment, and cancellation terms of additional services, and the traveller will be charged the actual costs caused by the change or cancellation, as well as the administrative fees in accordance with the organiser’s price list. Entrance tickets are generally unchangeable, and their cancellation fee is the price of the entrance ticket.

Event cancellations and transfers

The organiser is not liable for cancellations, changes in event arrangements, changes of time or place, or errors in the event programme, nor for any damage or costs caused to customers by the above-mentioned defects. In the event of cancellation or rescheduling of events, the booking, payment, amendment, and cancellation conditions of the additional event service will apply.

The cancellation or rescheduling of an event does not entitle the customer to a no-cost cancellation or rescheduling of the travel package contract. If the traveller wishes to cancel or reschedule a trip due to the cancellation or rescheduling of an event, the actual costs of cancellation or rescheduling will be charged, plus an administrative fee of €75 per traveller in accordance with the organiser's service price list.

Free extra services and activities

Free additional services or activities included in the trip are not part of the travel package contract.

Hotels

According to international practice, hotel rooms are usually made available by 3.00 pm on the day of arrival and vacated by 12.00 pm on the day of departure. For early arrivals, the travel programme will indicate if rooms are available before the official check-in time. At meals, drinks are not included in the price of the trip unless otherwise stated. Most hotels require a valid international credit card at check-in to guarantee payment for any additional services. Hotel rooms may vary in size, shape, and decoration, especially in individual hotels in the centres of old cities.

Airline overbooking situations

If a traveller voluntarily accepts the compensation and re-routing offered by an airline – as required by Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 – in the event of overbooking and thus leaves the organiser’s group, this is interpreted as a unilateral withdrawal of the traveller from the travel package contract with the organiser. In this case, the organiser's legal responsibility ceases and the traveller takes responsibility for the rest of the trip. No refunds will be made for unused services.

Car rental

Car rental services are offered as part of travel packages through a Third Party. These car rental services are subject to the terms and conditions of each company providing car rental services. During the rental period, the car rental company may submit a request for authorisation to a credit card company as security, which the car rental company will keep. Other charges, such as fuel, additional driver, young driver, delivery, and collection charges, may be levied locally. Elämys DMC shall not be liable for any such charges described above or similar charges. Furthermore, in the event of damage or theft, Elämys DMC is not liable for any insurance excess.

Using the traveller’s own vehicle

For some trips, travellers may use their own vehicle instead of a rental vehicle or shuttle service for the transfers specified in the travel programme. The use of the traveller’s own vehicle and any delays or obstructions caused by the use of the traveller’s own vehicle are not included in the travel package contract. It is the traveller's responsibility to provide the necessary documents required for using their vehicle in the countries included in the travel programme and for crossing the border in the vehicle. These include compulsory insurance according to national legislation, road user charges, certificates of vehicle ownership and control, driver's licences that meet international standards, and so on.

Deductions on compensations received under other legislation

Any price reduction given or compensation paid to a traveller pursuant to European Union laws governing the rights of travellers or international conventions will be deducted from any compensation payable pursuant to the General Terms and Conditions of Package Travel and these terms and conditions. The traveller has a duty to declare to the organiser any compensation they have received from other parties because of breaches of the package travel contract.

Data protection

Personal data provided for the purpose of the trip will be transferred to partners and authorities relevant for the execution and booking of the trip, both within and outside the EU/EEA. The principles of EU data protection law apply to the processing of data. Under the EU Commission's decision, airlines are obliged to grant the immigration and security authorities of several countries (e.g., USA, Canada, Australia, Japan, Russia, and EU countries) access to each traveller's booking and flight details. The PNR data to be transferred consists of several elements, e.g., the name of the travel agency and the name and contact details of the traveller. The data is used for security purposes.

As brochures from different countries and service providers’ websites may contain inaccuracies or errors, the organiser is only responsible for the content of the brochures, websites, and programmes it produces. The organiser reserves the right to change the trip and brochure information and the contractual conditions before the travel contract is concluded. We are not responsible for any printing or typographical errors.

Valid information can be checked on our website and at our office.

The organiser has lodged a guarantee for all its travel packages with the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority and registered it in the guarantee register.

Responsible organiser:

Elämys DMC Oy
Hämeentie 31
00500 Helsinki
Phone: 030 621 9450
incoming@elamysgroup.com
www.elamysgroup.com
Business ID: 3135324-7
KKV registration nr.: 524/21/Mj

Authority:

Kilpailu- ja kuluttajavirasto
PL 5, 00531 Helsinki
address: Siltasaarenkatu 12 A, 00530 Helsinki
Phone: 029 505 3000

kirjaamo@kkv.fi
www.kkv.fi

OTHER TRAVEL CONDITIONS

INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITIES AND ACCOMMODATION SERVICES

These terms and conditions apply to individual third-party activity and programme service products and accommodation services sold and brokered by Elämys Group's Elämys DMC Oy.

Conclusion of the contract and payment of the price

Products are available for purchase through the online services operated by Elämys DMC. Customer orders are always delivered electronically to the e-mail address provided by the customer. The customer will receive a PDF file containing a ticket or hotel voucher that entitles them to the service. Products are paid in full at the time of ordering. If the customer does not receive a confirmation of their paid order to the indicated e-mail address, the customer should contact Elämys DMC's customer service without delay. In connection with your purchase, you agree to be bound by the current terms of delivery.

The prices offered are set by the service provider and include VAT. No delivery charges are added to the prices.

Payment

Payments with Visa, Visa Electron, or MasterCard

The payment service is provided by Paytrail Plc (business ID 2122839-7) in cooperation with Finnish banks and credit institutions. For payments made with Visa, Visa Electron, or MasterCard, Paytrail Plc shall appear as the recipient of the payment on the card invoice and forward the payment to the merchant. Paytrail Plc holds a payment institution licence.

Paytrail Oyj, (FI21228397)

Innova 2

Lutakonaukio 7

40100 Jyväskylä

Phone: 0207 181830

Online banks

The payment service is provided by Paytrail Plc (business ID 2122839-7) in cooperation with Finnish banks and credit institutions. From the user's point of view, the service works just like a traditional online payment.

Change and cancellation conditions

Changes and cancellations can be made to an order under the terms and conditions set by the service provider for each product. However, for individual activities, the cancellation fee in case of cancellation is always at least 10% of the total amount of the order.

In case of changes or cancellations, please contact Elämys DMC customer service as soon as possible.

Force Majeure

Elämys DMC has the right to cancel a booking for compelling reasons due to force majeure (the service provider cannot deliver the promised services due to, e.g., strike, fire, water damage, natural disaster, state of war, etc., which is beyond the parties' control). In this case, Elämys DMC has the right to charge the cancellation costs.