Booking Terms & Conditions

Thank you for visiting Sudden Journeys Travel. This site is owned and operated by Kyle Campbell / Sudden Journeys Travel. When you make a booking for a Sudden Journeys Travel experience, your contract is with Kyle Campbell as Sudden Journeys Travel. In these terms and conditions “we” “us” or “our” mean Kyle Campbell and Sudden Journeys and they form the basis of your contract.

Before working with, using the services of, or booking through Sudden Journeys please read the following:

Sudden Journeys offers small group tours, itinerary design, travel consultation, advisory, and trip management services including but not limited to planning and building of trip itinerary, destination research, client research as it pertains to travel, routing, negotiating, etc. Sudden Journeys offers booking services to select clients such as accommodations, vacation rentals, private small group tours, classes, museums, and rail ticketing. Sudden Journey is not a travel agency and cannot book flights or issue airline tickets.

Once you have confirmed with us which signature tour or bespoke travel proposal you are happy with, we will proceed to request you submit a traveler intake form, take payment and issue you with a booking confirmation. Please check that all names are the same as the relevant passport, that dates and timings and all other elements of your trip are correct. Where this is not done and there is an unreasonable delay in notifying any discrepancies in the confirmed arrangements, you will be responsible for any additional charges that may arise as a result of alterations that have to be made to the booking.

A binding contract between us and you (the lead name on the booking) is only formed when we issue you with our booking confirmation after having received a payment from you, cleared funds, of either the required deposit or the full price of your trip (depending on when the booking is made relative to the intended departure date). By making the booking you accept that you have the authority to bind all members of your party to these terms and conditions of booking and you take responsibility as the lead name on the booking to make payment and to receive documentation on behalf of your party.

SIGNATURE GROUP TOURS

PRICE AND PAYMENT

We reserve the right to alter the prices of any trips shown on our website or in our written proposal to you at any time before your booking is confirmed. You will be advised of the current price before your booking is confirmed. Pricing is displayed in US dollars, based on double occupancy and includes all taxes. Prices are displayed in USD based on daily currency exchange rates, current at the time of quotation. Due to currency fluctuation and other factors beyond our control, tour prices may change without notice at any time. Price changes are not retroactive and tour participants who have already registered for a tour will not be affected by any price changes.

Services and/or bookings may be prepaid on your behalf and cannot be changed once payment is applied. Sudden Journeys may charge part of the trip cost through our merchant services, and another part directly to the supplier/vendor depending on what Sudden Journeys has negotiated with the supplier/vendor and/or how the bookings are packaged.

Where any costs cannot be reasonably calculated by us in advance of the conclusion of your contract, we will give you an indication at the time of booking of the type of additional costs which you may still have to bear. There is no price reduction for participants arriving late or leaving a tour early. Single supplements are available on a limited basis at additional cost. The actual cost of a single supplement for each tour is listed on the overview page for each tour. A single supplement is not meant to penalize solo travelers but reflects the actual cost difference when splitting the cost of a room since the two participants are sharing the cost vs. a single traveler paying the entire cost of the room themselves. In the case of computer or human billing error we reserve the right to re-invoice tour participants with correct billing.

Please note that all payments taken on debit or credit card will be taken in USD. If you are a customer whose payment card is not denominated in USD, the final price will be calculated in accordance with the applicable exchange rate on the day your card issuer processes the transaction.

INCLUDED IN TOUR PRICE

All accommodations from the start to end date of the tour. Specific hotels for each tour are listed on each tour’s itineraries. Sudden Journeys reserves the right to substitute accommodations of similar standard when necessary.
All transportation in vans, shuttles, buses, or local public transportation (i.e. metro/subway), depending on the size of the group, is included during group activities as per itinerary.
Transfers between the airport or train station and the hotel on arrival and between the hotel and the airport or train station on departure differ depending on each tour. If tour participant arrives or departs outside of these times, Sudden Journey can assist in arranging transfers for an extra fee. At times, tours will begin and/or end at the hotel. It will be up to the participant to make travel arrangements.
All meals are listed in the itinerary. “B” Breakfast, “L” Lunch, “D” Dinner. Sometimes Afternoon Tea is included. This qualifies as a lunch. At a minimum, one drink included per dinner, alcoholic or nonalcoholic. If the tour is in a location where it is not possible to drink the local tap water, bottled water will be included with meals.
All included group activities, side excursions, entrance fees, and admissions, as per itinerary.
Gratuities for the chauffeur, restaurant, and hotel portage.
A full-time Sudden Journeys tour director will be with the group on all planned activities and available 24/7.
Note: The itinerary is descriptive, not definitive, and is subject to change. There also may be modifications due to weather, restoration works taking place are historic sites, and availability of local activities and guides.

NOT INCLUDED IN TOUR PRICE

Airfares and airport taxes (unless otherwise noted) and other transportation to and from tour location.
Personal charges such as laundry charges, telephone calls, wifi, room service charges, mini-bar charges, all items of personal nature.
Travel, accident, baggage, health, or life insurance.
Private excursions, and recreational activities not mentioned in the itinerary.
Optional activities.
Passport and/or visa charges when applicable.
Gratuities for the Sudden Journeys tour director

A note about tipping: All local guide, driver and restaurant tips are included in the tour price, per itinerary; however, gratuities for your Sudden Journeys tour director are not included in the price. Industry standard is approx. 5% of your tour price. Please tip your guide at your discretion, based on his/her level of professionalism, guest care and service

ADDITIONAL EXPENSES INCURRED AS A RESULT OF DELAY, CHANGE OF SCHEDULES, ILLNESS, WEATHER, STRIKES, HOSTILITIES, QUARANTINE, GOVERNMENT REQUISITION OF HOTEL SPACE, OR ANY OTHER REASONS BEYOND THE CONTROL OF Sudden Journeys Travel, SHALL BE BORNE BY THE PARTICIPANT.

BAGGAGE

We recommend that tour participants bring one bag/suitcase per person, plus a small carry-on bag. Due to a limited shuttle/coach capacity, we request that only one bag per person be carried on the coach. Baggage is carried at owner’s risk and baggage insurance is strongly recommended.

HEALTH

Sudden Journey Signature Tours include a lot of walking, including walking on uneven ground, stairs, some hiking, and standing while sightseeing. All tour participants should be able to walk several miles a day on uneven surfaces, including steps. If you have any concerns regarding your physical ability to participate in the tour, we strongly recommend that you consult your doctor or physician before signing up for a trip. Any pre-existing physical, mental, or emotional disability that may require attention or treatment must be reported in writing prior to the beginning of a tour. The group’s itinerary cannot be adjusted for people who are not able to keep up with the rest of the group.

All tour participants are required to complete and sign a Medical Release and Waiver Agreement. It will be your responsibility to ensure that you and all members of your party will be able to comply with all health formalities for the destination concerned.

If you or any member of your party have any disability, reduced mobility or medical condition, it is extremely important that you tell us before you book in order that we can ensure that the travel experience you are interested in is appropriate to and safe for your needs and make the necessary arrangements to make your experience go safely and smoothly. All health and mobility information will be only be used in order to advise you in relation to your booking and for passing to suppliers of your travel experience in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

Smokers may smoke only outdoors and away from the group and never in hotel rooms or during group meals or activities.

TRAVEL INSURANCE

When booking with Sudden Journeys, we strongly encourage and highly recommend the purchase of comprehensive travel protection to cover possible additional costs (lost airline tickets, loss of luggage, trip delay, illness, medical evacuation, etc.)

If you choose not to or fail to purchase travel insurance, you are fully responsible for any costs related to the cancellation or delay of your trip. Refunds are not possible for any reason, so please protect your travel investment with travel insurance. Comprehensive travel insurance benefits may include trip cancellation, interruption, travel delay, lost baggage, worldwide health & medical coverage, emergency medical evacuation, hurricane protection, and more.

We partner with Wanderwell, a Certified B Corp travel insurance agency that can offer coverage and advice for travel insurance plans. Wanderwell makes this as simple as possible, offering a modern, comprehensive trip protection style plan designed to cover the most common travel perils related to trip cancellation, trip interruption, trip delay, travel Medical Expenses, baggage & personal effects, Emergency Medical Evacuation, and more.

If you choose to purchase through Wanderwell, you can buy the trip from our Sudden Journeys partner page by clicking here and at least 1% of your purchase premium price will be donated to the Planet Impact Fund through 1% for the Planet network.

Sudden Journeys assumes no liability for the safety of any tour participant while in transit or during the tour. Before participating in the travel activities, all tour participants will be required to sign a Medical Release and Release of Liability. Sudden Journeys is not responsible or liable for loss, damage, or theft of luggage or personal injury, accidents, or illness while on tour nor for any type of trip interruption. Sudden Journeys requires travelers who choose not to purchase travel insurance to send us a statement in writing stating this choice.

More questions about travel insurance and why we recommend it for all our trips? Check out our helpful blog here.

TRAVEL DOCUMENTS: PASSPORTS AND VISAS

CHANGE OF ITINERARY

While we endeavor to operate all trips as described in the itinerary, Sudden Journeys reserves the right to make date, route and hotel modifications as necessary due to circumstances beyond our control. Some of these circumstances may include but are not limited to: local or national holidays, museum or site closures, illness of a local guide/chef/site owner, weather, strikes.

WAIVER OF RESPONSIBILITY

Sudden Journeys and its representatives will take no responsibility or liability for: 1. injury, loss, or damage to persons or property, including luggage. 2. additional expenses resulting from changes in exchange rates, tariffs, or schedule. 3. the act or default of any company or person engaged in conveying the tour participants, or in carrying out the arrangements of the tour, or otherwise. 4. additional expenses incurred or due to sudden sickness, weather conditions, strikes, or other causes or acts of God. 5. losses due to cancellations.

INTERNATIONAL AIR TRAVEL

Participants are responsible for their own travel arrangements to and from the tour location. Please note that some tours start and end in two different destinations or there may be more than one option for tour participants' arrival/departure city. Sudden Journeys is available to advise tour participants in choosing the best arrival and departure airports and routing. Some tours will include transportation from a set train station or airport. This is specific to each tour.

TOUR PAYMENTS

In all cases, in order to make a booking, a deposit is required. All deposits and tour payments must be made in US dollars and can be made by Visa, MasterCard, American Express or bank transfer. Credit card payments incur a processing fee of 2% of the total amount paid with the credit card.

The balance payment is due 90 days in advance of the intended departure date. If the booking is made less than 90 days before departure, the full price of the trip will be payable on booking. Your booking confirmation will advise the balance payment due date. If, following the payment of a deposit at the time of booking, any balance remains unpaid within 8 weeks of the intended departure date, we reserve the right not to issue travel documentation and treat your booking as canceled.

Payments must be made in the currency of the invoice and you will be responsible for any bank charges that may be incurred. Payments can be made by bank transfer, debit or credit card. In all cases, a booking will not be confirmed until we are in receipt of cleared funds.

Deposit Requirement

A NONREFUNDABLE deposit of $495.00 is required at the time of booking to confirm your spot. Deposits can be paid by credit card via the booking form on the website or bank transfer to Sudden Journeys. No reservation is considered confirmed until the deposit is received by Sudden Journeys and the funds cleared by the bank. Each participant must pay a deposit.

Payment Plan

Within two weeks of your official sign-up date, you will be sent an email (the email address provided by you) with your trip balance along with payment plan options. You will be given four options as to how many payments you would like for the tour in either one, two, three, or monthly payments (for an additional $5 per payment). A date will be listed requesting you to respond to the email and notify us of your option. After the date passes, (2) attempts to contact you over 30 days will be made. If after this time there is no response for these attempts, you will forfeit your deposit and your spot will be released.

Please check your email is correct when you sign up and that you check your junk mail if you don’t hear from us within 48 hours of reserving your spot.

Final Payment

The final balance of your payment is due no less than 90 days before the start of the tour. If a tour participant registers after the final balance is due, the entire amount is due within 8 days of registration. Price is subject to change without notice due to currency fluctuations but is locked in once your deposit is paid.

We understand travel is expensive and this is an investment. If making smaller payments over a longer period is of interest to you, contact us and we can work this out with you.

Surcharges, Taxes and Currency Rate

Tours are priced and advertised inclusive of applicable taxes. Sudden Journeys will not increase the price of your Tour after you have paid in full. Prior to this time, Sudden Journeys reserves the right to increase the price of confirmed tours solely to allow for increases that are a direct consequence of changes in:

(a) The price of the carriage of passengers resulting from the cost of fuel or other power sources;

(b) The level of taxes or fees applicable to the tour imposed by third parties not directly involved in the performance of the tour, including tourist taxes, city taxes, and port taxes.

(c) The exchange rates relevant to the package.

You will be charged for the amount of any increase in accordance with this clause. Should you decide to cancel for this reason, you must exercise your right to do so within 7 days from the issue date printed on your final invoice.

There will be no change made to the price of your confirmed tour within 20 days of your departure nor will refunds be paid during this period.

AMENDMENT AND CANCELLATION BY YOU

In the unfortunate event that you must cancel your reservation, the tour deposits are not refundable. Cancellation fees apply regardless of the reason for a cancellation. We strongly recommend travel insurance that includes trip cancellation coverage to protect against financial loss due to certain cancellations and other trip interruptions. You can purchase travel insurance online at safetywing, chubb, allianz travel insurance, travelguard or another insurance companies of your choice.

Any cancellation or amendment request must be sent to us in writing by email to hello@mysuddenjourneys.com and will not take effect until received by us.

The following formula will be used to determine your refund, if any. The tour deposits are not refundable. All final tour payments are due 90 days prior to the beginning of the tour and are refundable according to the list below:

>120 days: Deposits are nonrefundable*. The entire amount minus a $50 administration fee is refundable.
91-120 days: Deposits are nonrefundable. For tours priced over $1500, $1000 will be refunded. For tours priced under $1500, $500 will be refunded.
0-90 days: No refund

(a) Amendment: If after our booking confirmation has been issued, you wish to change your travel arrangements in any way, we will do our best to assist you in amending your arrangements after booking, but we cannot guarantee that this will always be possible. Any request for changes must be in writing from the person who made the booking. You may be asked to pay an administration charge of $50 in addition to the costs we incur in making those amendments. If we are unable to make the amendments and you decide to cancel, we may require you to pay us cancellation charges.

(b) Cancellation: You, or any member of your party, may cancel your travel arrangements at any time before the start of the tour or package. The cancellation will take effect from the date that we receive written notification of cancellation from you. We will accept notification of cancellation by email, on the understanding that you agree and accept that where you are shown as the sender of the email, we will be entitled to assume that such email has been sent by you. Cancellations may incur cancellation charges depending on how much notice you give us before the departure date.

Cancellation charges represent our reasonable costs of terminating your contract based on the time of termination of the contract before the start of the tour.

Cancellation charges for your trip can be confirmed to you on request at any time including before booking. Please ask for confirmation of the amount of any cancellation charge before cancellation.

Please note that if the reason for your cancellation is covered under the terms of your insurance policy, you may be able to reclaim some or all of the cancellation charges. Please speak to your insurance provider.

*EXCEPTIONS TO NONREFUNDABLE DEPOSITS: In extenuating circumstances, deposits may be transferred to a future trip within ONE YEAR of the original booking. This will be determined by Sudden Journeys in the event of extenuating circumstances (death in family, medical diagnosis). This will be considered case by case. Conflicting plans or a desire to no longer travel are not a consideration.

In all cases, where cancellation results in us making a refund payment to you, such payment will be made to you as the lead and contracting member of your party, or any substitute lead and contracting member of the party (see above). This will be the case regardless of which members of the party make the deposit and balance payments for the booking. All refunds will be paid within 14 days of cancellation.

PLEASE NOTE: Refunds will be issued to the card you used to purchase your tour. If you no longer have access to the card used to purchase your trip, you will be given a credit in the amount of a refund towards a future tour within two years of cancellation.

Note: Refunds take up to 20 business days to return to your bank account.

TOUR COMMUNICATION

IMPORTANT: Once you have signed up for a tour, a personal account will be set up for you within 48 hours. The main form of communication will be through the email address YOU PROVIDE. It is your responsibility to read through all communication sent to you via the email address you provide Sudden Journeys. Please check your spam/junk folder to ensure you are receiving emails.

Failure to respond to emails regarding payment schedules and due dates after three attempts to contact you will be considered a cancellation. After three attempts to set up a payment schedule and collect payment - with no response - an official email from Sudden Journeys will be sent to you within 24 hours canceling you from the tour. Deposits are non-refundable.

TOUR CANCELLATION

Sudden Journeys will do all within our power to never cancel a tour, however, it may occasionally become necessary due to insufficient registrations, terrorism, natural disasters, political instability, global pandemics, or other external events. If a tour is canceled due to low enrollment, you will be notified at least 60 days before the start of the tour and your entire payment will be refunded to you within twenty days business after the tour cancellation. If the tour is canceled due to external events outside our reasonable control, refunds will be less than any unrecoverable cost. These costs will vary depending on the nature of the situation causing the cancellation and the number of days before the start of the tour. Sudden Journeys will not be responsible for any incidental expenses that you may have incurred as a result of your booking including, but not limited to, airfare, visas, vaccinations, travel insurance, passport fees, supplies, etc. If a tour is canceled due to a natural disaster, strike, or other event outside our control, we cannot guarantee the 60-day notice, but guarantee you will receive notice as quickly as possible.

RELEASE OF LIABILITY

Guests will be asked to fill out a Release of Liability before trip departure. Guests who fail to provide this signed Release will not be allowed to join the trip and the cancellation policy will apply.

PHOTOGRAPHS

When participating in a Sudden Journeys Signature Tour, the participant is consenting to us using images of you taken during the tour for marketing and promotional purposes in any medium we choose. You grant Sudden Journeys a perpetual, royalty-free, worldwide license to use such images for publicity and promotional purposes.

LEAVING THE TOUR

Sudden Journeys reserves the right to accept, decline, or retain any person as a tour participant in the tour at any time without liability and without any obligation to pay a refund or any other amount whatsoever. Sudden Journeys and its representatives take no responsibility or liability for any participant who leaves the tour before its conclusion or for any activity undertaken by any participant that is not included on the tour itinerary. There will be no discounts or refunds for any tour participant who temporarily leaves the tour and then returns to the tour later.

SPECIAL REQUESTS & DIETARY REQUIREMENTS
Should the tour participant have special dietary requirements or room requests, Sudden Journeys will do everything possible to deliver such requests, provided we receive the request at the time of booking, however, we cannot guarantee all requests.
Payment of deposit or full payment shall be deemed as consent by the tour participant to the above Terms and Conditions.

If joining a tour that is based in a self-catering accommodation (where meals are prepared for you) and you have special dietary needs such as gluten-free, no dairy, no meat, etc then an additional surcharge will be added to your trip price to accommodate your dietary needs. This will start at $25/day.

PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY
I am entirely responsible for my own personal safety, health, and mental, physical, emotional, and general well-being during and after the tour. I release Sudden Journeys and its representatives and any of their employees, assistants, and affiliates of any liability for any injuries or damages mentally or physically I or any of my family members might incur during or after the tour. I understand that no health insurance or travel insurance will be provided by the Tour Organizers, and, if I wish to be insured, I must do this myself.

BESPOKE TRAVEL

Travel Consultation Fee: For a flat-rate fee of $189, Sudden Journeys offers 55-minute consultation phone calls to assist individuals seeking travel advice, destination insight, general knowledge, and recommendations.

Calls are NONREFUNDABLE.

ADDITIONAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

In addition to any terms and conditions described above, the following terms and conditions apply to Sudden Journey’s bespoke travel services:

Payments are to be made upfront before service delivery. Payment is non-refundable. If you cancel your trip, you can use this credit towards a future trip within 1 year of cancellation.
If a call is made and you do not answer, I will send you an email within 15 minutes of our scheduled call asking if you’d like to reschedule for another time. This is only available once, after that a new call is to be booked.
No refunds are given due to missed calls.
If you do not respond to emails seeking your approval of the draft itinerary or other requests, after 3 attempts, whatever has been designed for you will be sent as your final PDF.
Sudden Journeys reserves the right to modify and otherwise change these Terms and Conditions at its sole discretion. No amendment, modification, or waiver to these Terms and Conditions shall be binding on Sudden Journeys unless made in writing and signed by an authorized officer of Sudden Journeys.
Sudden Journeys will assign a Travel Specialist to assist you throughout the planning of your trip. You are responsible for supplying any flight schedules, passport names, or information needed to plan your trip promptly. Sudden Journeys is not responsible for delays caused by information not given to us promptly. If you have any questions about this, please call or email us at hello@mysuddenjourneys.com, we will be happy to answer any questions you have.
Every reasonable effort will be made by Sudden Journeys to supply itineraries, services, and accommodations as outlined. If these cannot be supplied due to causes beyond Sudden Journey's control, Sudden Journeys reserves the right without prior notice to substitute or delete such service and accommodations.

VENDORS, SUPPLIERS, AND PARTNERS

Terms of our vendors, partners, and suppliers: Sudden Journeys will accept the Terms & Conditions and all similar Terms of Use of the suppliers, brands, hotels, cruises, tours, and any other travel service companies on your behalf. By accepting Sudden Journeys Terms & Conditions, you are also accepting these terms.

TRAVEL INSURANCE

When booking with Sudden Journeys, we strongly encourage the purchase of comprehensive travel protection to cover possible additional costs (lost airline tickets, loss of luggage, trip delay, illness, medical evacuation, etc.) If you choose not to or fail to purchase travel insurance, you are fully responsible for any costs related to the cancellation or delay of your trip. Refunds are not possible for any reason, so please protect your travel investment with travel insurance. Comprehensive travel insurance benefits may include trip cancellation, interruption, travel delay, lost baggage, worldwide health & medical coverage, emergency medical evacuation, hurricane protection, and more. By visiting our website, signing supplied client information sheets, and/or booking any service, you agree that you have read Sudden Journeys’ travel protection recommendations. You fully understand that travel protection is your decision and responsibility. Your e-signature accepting these terms will also be considered confirmation that you are voluntarily declining the travel policy should you choose not to purchase a travel protection policy. You are responsible for purchasing travel protection.

If you choose to purchase through Wanderwell, you can buy the trip from our Sudden Journeys partner page by clicking here

PASSPORTS, VISAS AND HEALTH FORMALITIES

We will provide you with general information relating to passport and health formalities relevant to US citizens of the destinations included in your trip. Most countries now require passports to be valid for at least 6 months after your return. Ultimately, it is your responsibility to ensure that you and your party will be able to obtain, and will have, all necessary travel documents/visas in advance of travel. It will also be your responsibility to ensure that you and all members of your party will be able to comply with all health formalities for the destination concerned. We will not accept liability if you or any member of your party is refused entry onto any transport or into any country due to failure on your/their part to carry correct documentation or to comply with relevant health formalities. If you or any member of your party have any disability, reduced mobility, or medical condition, you must tell us before you book so that we can ensure that the travel experience you are interested in is appropriate to and safe for your needs and make the necessary arrangements to make your experience go safely and smoothly. All health and mobility information will be only be used to advise you about your booking and for passing to suppliers of your travel experience in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

INFORMATION

While we make every effort to ensure that the information on our website is accurate and not misleading, it may have been published many months before your travel experience takes place and may be subject to change. We reserve the right to make changes to the website and any information it contains at any time. We will confirm all details of your experience in your booking confirmation.

I have read, understood, and fully agree to the foregoing TERMS AND CONDITIONS. I release Sudden Journeys and its representatives from all responsibility and liability.