Terms and Conditions

Terms and Conditions

Terms and Conditions must be checked carefully as they represent a binding agreement between the customer (Client) and I want to visit Russia web site (Company). These terms are the first part of the contract between the Client and the Company. The second part of the contract is the actual travel itinerary prepared by the Company at the time of reservation.

Booking a tour represents acceptance of these Terms and Conditions as outlined.

RESERVATION POLICIES
 
Package Programs
Deposit is required at reservation in the amount of 300 USD per traveler, or 20 percent of the total tour price, whichever is greater. Final remaining balance is due 30 days before first day of the tour. For cruise reservations, final payment is due 90 days before first day of the cruise. Reservation made under special offers or promotions may be subject to additional payment terms, such as full payment due at the time of reservation. Specific payment terms for special offers are described in corresponding special offer details.

CANCELLATION POLICIES
 
Package Programs
Amount of cancellation fee is based on the cancellation date, as follows:
 
(i) more than 90 days before departure: loss of deposit;
(ii) 89-60 days before departure: 35 percent of tour price;
(iii) 59 - 31 days before departure: 80 percent of tour price;
(iv) 30 days or less before departure: 100 percent of tour price.
 
In event of cancellation Company will pay cancellation fees to suppliers and, if any amount remains after such payment, Company may allow customer to apply such remaining amount towards future trips.
 
Cancellation and Modifications: Rail Tickets
Ticket cancellations are accepted by The Company only if the person making the purchase, hereafter Customer, submits the cancellation request three business days before the departure date. If the Customer desiring the cancellation has missed this deadline but still wishes to cancel tickets, the only available option to do so is for the Customer to cancel directly with the appropriate rail company at the appropriate rail station ticket window. Please note, Russian Railways accepts cancellations up to one hour before train departure, but only for domestic routes. The cut-off time for cancelling tickets at Russian rail stations is six hours for all international routes, including the Helsinki - St. Petersburg route. Tickets on Ukrainian Railways can also be canceled no later than six hours before departure time for domestic or international routes.
 
The Company is able to assist with cancellation of electronic tickets only. Paper tickets can only be canceled by the individual named on the ticket, hereafter Passenger, at the appropriate rail station ticket desks. This includes all international and domestic routes. Even though the legal cut-off time for cancelling tickets at the rail station is one hour before departure, Passengers seeking ticket cancellation should not wait until last minute. The Company advises such Passengers to proceed to the appropriate rail station as early as possible to cancel paper tickets.
 
The Company's fee for cancelling tickets is 30 percent of the total ticket price if tickets have already been issued (whether or not the tickets have been received by the Customer). If the order has been placed, but tickets have not yet been dispatched, The Company's cancellation fee is 10 percent of the ticket price.  Cancellation fees charged at the rail station, if cancelled by the Passenger without the help of The Company, vary depending on how far in advance the Passenger cancels tickets.
 
Neither The Company nor rail operators will take any responsibility for missed trains or interrupted trips, regardless of circumstances. This includes trips interrupted as a result of the absence of valid travel documents, such as boarding passes, passports, or visas. It is the sole responsibility of the Passenger to have all valid documents required to board the train and to travel on it in Russia or across international borders, if any such boundaries are encountered in the course of travel.
 
Return of tickets at the train station
If you want to cancel an e-ticket directly at the rail station, kindly note that only the passenger named on the e-ticket can do that. At the appropriate train station, the passenger must show the printed e-ticket and the passport.
 
Discounts for rail tickets
Select rail companies offer discounts for children and senior citizens. The Company will do its best to display accurately those discounts on its websites, but there may be a lag with the update of websites. If the Client believes that special discounts apply, the Client may contact the Company’s customer service team before or after placing any reservation. If any discounts are indeed applicable, the Company will pass those discounts to the Client’s credit/debit card.
 
Cancellation of Other Services

Hotels, Theater and Museum Tickets, Guides, Transfers, Visas 
Services booked as part of package tours or cruises are subject to the reservation policies of package tours.
 
Online Hotel reservations can be cancelled 3 days before the check-in without cancellation fee. If canceled later on, it will be subject to a one-night cancellation penalty. A no-show is considered a cancellation and is subject to this penalty.
 
Theater tickets
Once tickets are booked and issued they cannot be exchanged and/or refunded. 100% cancellation fees are applied.
 
Day tours and transfers can be canceled no later than 7 days before service date. The amount of refund depends on the date of cancellation. If cancellation is made 15 days or more before the scheduled service date, a refund of 70 percent will be issued. Refund for cancellations made between 14 and 7 days before the service date will be refunded at 50 percent of the price. Services canceled less than 7 days before service date are non-refundable. Museum tickets are non-refundable in all circumstances.
 
Visas and Travel Documents 
Clients are solely responsible for having valid visa documents for their trips. The Company bears no responsibility for absence of such documents or for incorrectly issued documents by consulates, including incorrect entry and exit dates on visas and incorrect number of entries. The Company is not responsible for actions of consulates and border authorities that may prevent Clients from starting or continuing their trips.
 
Company does not represent government of any other country. Company may assist its Clients in obtaining visas and submitting applications, but it does not guarantee issuance of visas by any Consulate.
 
All visa services provided by the Company to Clients are non-refundable regardless if visa was issued or denied. Clients are responsible for communicating with the Company in a timely manner about the preparation of their visas. The Company will not be responsible for any extra costs arising from the additional fees issued by Consulates in the preparation of a Client’s visas.
 
Insurance 
The Company recommends all of its Clients to obtain trip insurance for their trips. In event of trip cancellation or interruption, this may be the only source of reimbursement.
 
Claims and Refunds 
All claims must be submitted within 30 days after the tour end date, or after the date of the termination of the tour program, in writing to the E-mail address. Claims will be investigated in light of the facts presented by the Client and the staff and vendors of the Company. If it is determined that services were not delivered as promised or quality of services was substandard, the Company will issue a refund to the Client. The Company is not able to issue any refunds for services outside of its control, including air tickets, hotel accommodation, theater tickets, rail tickets, and visas. Refunds for these services will be issued only if they were missed as a result of an error by the Company.
 
There will be no refunds for missed services, except for verifiable extenuating circumstances. For verifiable claims to be considered, they must be received in writing within 30 days of the termination of the program and be accompanied by supporting documentation. Any adjustment considered will be based on the actual price of the services involved and not on a per diem basis.
 
ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS
  
Travel Agency 
The Company is a travel agency that makes travel arrangements and does not own or operate any ships, hotels, aircrafts, vehicles, or trains. All services are purchased from carriers, vendors and its partners.
 
Online Payments 
When paying for any program or tickets by a credit card, the Client authorizes the Company to charge that card and agrees not to dispute this transaction, and to resolve all disputes directly with the Company. 
 
Credit card transactions made in US dollars are processed by the Company. 
 
Company reserves the right to request additional information from a cardholder to prevent fraudulent activity.
 
Itineraries, Changes and Price Increases 
The Company will provide all services as described in the final booking confirmation; it is not responsible for providing any services that are not included in the final booking.
 
The Company shall not be required to refund any amount paid by any Client who must leave a tour prematurely for any reason, nor shall the Company or its affiliated or partners be responsible for lodgings, meals, return transportation, or other expenses incurred by such Clients. Refunds will be issued only when the Company fails to provide a service, or if the provided service differs significantly from what was offered to the Client at the time of reservation. No refunds will be issued if the Client is unsatisfied with a portion of a tour or with a particular service, such as a hotel room, theater play, or ship cabin size. It is the sole responsibility of the Client to become acquainted with details about the reservation that is being booked.
 
The Company also reserves the right to withdraw a tour, or any part therein, or to make such alterations in the itinerary or with the tour inclusions as it deems necessary or desirable, and to pass on to the Client any expenditures or losses caused by delays or events beyond its control. This includes changing specific trains, car classes, or dates on train travel, particularly those associated with the Trans-Siberian.
 
The Company will endeavor to make every reasonable assurance of the provision of transfers listed on a final booking. However, a transfer may fail to show, or may be delayed. If the Client elects to take an alternative taxi, the Company will compensate the Client for such costs upon provision of a taxi invoice or receipt, or other form of proof of purchase.
 
Prices are based on current rates of exchange and the Company reserves the right to increase prices to reflect fluctuations in the foreign exchange markets. If the currency rate between the US dollar and Russian ruble moves by 5 percent or more from the day of quotation to the day of receipt of a booking request, or from the day when ticket is booked to the day when it is issued, the Company reserved the right to re-quote the service, if it deems it necessary or desirable.
 
The Company is not responsible for errors and omissions in itineraries and its websites, in printing and/or presentation errors, and reserves the right to make corrections as required, including adjustment of incorrectly displayed prices.
 
Limits of Responsibility 
The Company is not responsible for any injury, loss, death, inconvenience, delay, or damage to personal property in connection with the provision of any goods or services, whether resulting from, but not limited to, acts of God or force majeure, illness, disease, acts of war, civil unrest, insurrection or revolt, animals, strikes or other labor activities, criminal or terrorist activities of any kind, overbooking or downgrading of services, food poisoning, mechanical or other failure of aircraft or other means of transportation, or for failure of any transportation mechanism to arrive or depart on time.
 
The Company is not responsible for delays, changes, or cancellation costs resulting from incorrect, incomplete, or expired traveler documents.
 
In the event of cancellation, delay, or rescheduling mandated by any of the aforesaid causes beyond the Company's control, the Client shall have the option of accepting in lieu of the original tour such rescheduled tour or other substituted tour(s) as may be offered, or else, receiving a refund of as much of such advance tour expenditures as the Company can recover on the Client’s behalf from carriers, third-party tour vendors, etc. However, the Company shall not have any obligation or liability to the Client beyond the foregoing. For more details, see the section on Itineraries, Changes and Price Increases.
 
The Company reserves the right to make alterations to tour itineraries and substitute hotels, vehicles, ships, or activities, if this is required. The Company reserves the right to cancel, delay, or reschedule any tour before departure, and, so long as this is not the result of any of the aforesaid causes beyond our control, the Client shall be entitled to a full refund of all monies paid to that point if he/she so desires, less any non-refundable deposits or uncollectible expenses incurred. For more details, see the section on Cancellation Policies.
 
Clients specifically release the Company from any and all claims for loss or damage to baggage or property, or from personal injuries or death, or from loss or delay, arising out of the acts, omissions, or negligence of any independent contractors, such as air carriers, hotels, shore excursion operators, restaurateurs, transportation providers, medical personnel, or other providers of services or facilities. All arrangements made for Clients with independent contractors, including medical services, are made solely for convenience to Clients and are done at the Clients’ own risk. The Company specifically disclaims all liability for damages for emotional distress, mental suffering, or psychological injury of any kind, except to the extent prohibited by Title 46 of the United States Code Section 183c(b), where applicable.
 
Adventure Travel Risks 
Some of the tours offered by the Company are for adventure type of travel. There are certain inherent risks in adventure travel. These include, but are not limited to, hiking, climbing injuries and altitude sickness, and in all trips dangers of animals, inaccessibility to medical attention, and difficulty in evacuation from remote locations in the case of a medical emergency. The Client assumes all such risks with regard to these possibilities.
 
Travel Advisories/Warnings 
It is the responsibility of the Client to become informed about the most current travel advisories and warnings by referring to the appropriate travel advisories issued by their country. For the United States, this includes the State Department's travel website at www.travel.state.gov, also available by phone at 1-888-407- 4747. For the United Kingdom, this includes the Foreign and Commonwealth Office travel website at http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/travel-advice-by-country/, also available by phone at 0845-850-2829.
 
In the event of an active Travel Warning against travel to the specific destination location(s) of the trip be issued by the Client’s home country, or by any other country, and should the Client elect to travel, notwithstanding any travel advisory or warning, the Client assumes all risk of personal injury, death, or property damage that may arise out of events, such as those advised or warned against.
 
Arbitration Agreement 
Any controversy or claim arising out of or relating in any way to these Terms and Conditions, to the Responsibility Clause, to the Itinerary, or any information relating in any way to the trip, or to the trip itself, shall be settled solely and exclusively by binding arbitration in the U.S. State of Virginia, in accordance with the rules of the Arbitration Association then existent.
 
Clients Representations 
The Client represents that neither he nor she nor anyone traveling with him or her has any physical or other condition or disability that could create a hazard to himself or herself or other members of the tour. The Company reserves the right to decline acceptance of anyone on a trip. The Company reserves the right to remove from the trip, at the Client’s sole expense, anyone whose condition is such that he or she could create a hazard to the Client or others, or otherwise impact the enjoyment of other passengers on the trip.
 
Additional Provisions for Cruises 
Tickets, vouchers, and any other travel documents are subject to all terms and conditions of the respective suppliers (some of which may limit supplier's liability). Under no circumstances shall the Company be construed as a carrier under a contract for safe carriage of the passenger or his or her belongings. The Company and the owners and operators of the vessels for which the Company offers cruises shall be entitled to any and all liability limitations, immunities, and rights applicable to them, or any of them, under the Strasbourg Convention on the Limitation of Liability of Owners of Inland Navigation Vessels (CLNI), with protocols and amendments, together with the further provisions of the International Convention of Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims, 1976, with revisions and amendments (hereinafter collectively referred to as the "Convention"), if and as applicable, and by those other and further limitations of liability set forth in the statutory and general maritime law of the United States, (including Title 46 of the U.S. Code, Section 181-186, 188), as well as any other applicable nation's laws limiting liability. The Company and the owners and operators of its partner vessels shall be entitled to claim the benefit of whichever law, regulation, treaty or doctrine provides the greatest legal protections to the Company and the owners and operators of these vessels.
 
Acts of God, Strike, Or Other 
Neither the Company nor its partners shall be liable for delay or inability to perform any condition in its Itineraries caused by or arising out of strikes, lockout, or labor difficulties or shortages, whether or not the Carrier is party thereto, or explosion, fire, collision, standing or foundering of the vessel, or breakdown or failure of, or damage to, the vessel or its hull or machinery or fittings howsoever and wheresoever any or the same may arise or be caused, or civil commotion, riot, insurrection, war, government restraint, requisitioning of the vessel, political disturbance, acts or threats of terrorism, inability to secure or failure of supplies including fuel, Acts of God, or other circumstances beyond their control.
 
Air Transportation 
The Company has no responsibility for any changes in travel plans caused by airline delays and will not accept any responsibility for mistakes or errors in airfare bookings made by independent third parties. It is solely up to the Client to ensure the correct arrival and departure flight information from the tour start and end cities as well as a correct spelling of his/her name.
 
The airlines concerned are not to be held responsible for any act, omission or event during the time Clients are not on board their planes or conveyances. These programs may use the services of any IATA carrier. International air carriers are subject to international air conventions limiting their liability. The limitations of liability are contained on the reverse side of the airline ticket and form part of the terms and conditions of this package. The passage contract in use by these companies, when issued, shall constitute the sole contract between these companies and the Client who purchases these travel programs and/or passage.