Definitions

These terms and conditions set out the terms on which your contract with us, ‘Stories HQ Ltd’ is based upon. In these terms and conditions of booking, Road Stories is a trading name of Stories HQ Ltd, registered as a limited company in England Wales, Company Registration Number 16826644. This contract is made on the terms of these booking conditions, which are governed by English Law, and the jurisdiction of the English Courts.

In these terms and conditions “You” and “Your” means all persons named on the booking (including anyone who is added or substituted at a later date).

“We”, “us” and “our” means Stories HQ Ltd.

GBP refers to Pounds Sterling as the currency.

Except where otherwise stated, these booking conditions only apply to the holiday arrangements that you book with us and which we agree to make, provide or perform (as applicable) as part of our contract with you. All references in these booking conditions to “holiday”, “booking”, “contract” or “arrangements” mean such holiday arrangements unless otherwise stated.
References to “Tour” or “Event” refer to the booking that this document refers to.

Acceptance

Your participation in the tour/event including any deposit, or payment in full, made at the time of booking or prior to the tour/event, shall be deemed to be your acceptance of these Terms and Conditions.

By making a booking of a Tour/Event on our website, the first named person on the booking agrees on behalf of all persons detailed on the booking that they:
have read these Booking Terms & Conditions, our Website Terms Of Use and Privacy Policy, and has the authority to and does agree to be bound by them;
consents to our use of personal data in accordance with our Privacy Policy and is authorised on behalf of all persons named on the booking to disclose their personal details to us, including where applicable special categories of data (such as, but not limited to information on health conditions or disabilities and dietary requirements);
is over 18 years of age.
accepts financial responsibility for payment of the booking on behalf of all persons detailed on the booking;

Nature of Event

The Road Stories tour/event is a tailored navigational road trip supported by your dedicated Road Stories team. You will provide your own vehicle, and it is your responsibility to have suitable insurance for yourself, the vehicle and your passengers.

All events originate in the UK from a meeting point which will be provided to you in the confirmation. You will be given a daily route with a finishing point and you will be expected to navigate to it using your own map or/and Sat Nav system.  There is no obligation or requirement to drive in convoy, and any route provided is a suggestion.

You are expected to behave in a manner that does not affect the enjoyment of other individuals on the tour, or cause loss or inconvenience to service providers who are providing services to us.

We are not responsible or liable for actions against you by third parties as a result of antisocial or unreasonable behaviour or any kind.

Booking

A booking has been made when you pay the total non-refundable deposit amount stated on our website for the relevant tour/event, (or the full payment if you are booking within twelve weeks of the tour/event start date).
By booking, you guarantee full payment to us of the total tour value.

We will either email or write to you to confirm your booking. The remaining balance outstanding must be paid no later than twelve weeks before the start of the tour (if this date has already elapsed then full payment is due upon reserving a place on the tour).

If full settlement is not received by the due date we reserve the right to cancel the booking in line with the charges as detailed in “Cancellation made by you”.

You can either make your booking by filling in the online booking form on our website or by contacting us directly and providing us with the required contact information.  We will provide a payment link via email to be connected to our secure portal to either pay your non refundable deposit or your full payment to secure your place on the tour/event.

A binding contract will exist between us once we have accepted your booking, received your non-refundable deposit payment and issued confirmation and an invoice. It is your responsibility to inform us of any errors on any booking documents, confirmations, tickets or other documents that we, or our suppliers, send to you.

If we cannot accept your booking, any monies paid will be promptly refunded. In the case where a holiday is based on specially negotiated rates; this includes but is not limited to Hotel upgrades or accomodation requests, limited ferry or rail fares or specific booking class, you will be notified at the time of booking if space is not available at the special rate. We will endeavour to secure booking for you with an alternative provision and will advise you of any change in cost. At this point you will have the choice whether or not to continue with your booking. Please note: Once booked, transportation and hotels are non-refundable and non-changeable.

We reserve the right to decline any booking.

We reserve the right to remove individuals from a trip if their behaviour is deemed non-compliant, anti-social, illegal or bringing the Road Stories tour operation into disrepute.

Payment

No bookings are accepted without payment of the required deposit.  The balance must be received by us no later than twelve weeks prior to departure, or by the final payment due date shown on your tour confirmation invoice and tour documentation. If you do not pay the full cost within the time specified, we may treat your holiday as being cancelled by you in which case the cancellation charges stated will apply. No additional charges will be incurred if paying by personal credit card or debit card - we accept Visa and MasterCard credit. We also accept payments made by direct bank payment. All payments must be in GBP.

Price

Tour prices include (unless otherwise stated):

Hotel accommodation.  This is usually inclusive of dinner, bed and breakfast; your booking confirmation will detail this information.

Driver information pack - routes and guidance notes

Applicable ferry and/or Eurotunnel crossings for our relevant tours

Prices are based on two people sharing a vehicle and a twin /double room. Single supplements are payable for sole occupancy.

We reserve the right to notify you of any alteration in the advertised price and any changes in holiday arrangements before accepting your booking.

Tour prices do not include:

Any add-on costs.  These may include but not be limited to:

Food, drink and other charges on your ferry crossings

Drinks, room service and other chargeable items - you are responsible for any items or additional services you order at the accommodation and during the duration of your trip and must pay off in full any outstanding accounts before checking out.  Unpaid charges will be invoiced to you and payable within seven days.

Local charges such as tourist tax

Internal transfer costs such as local ferries or carriage charges during a trip.

Fuel, tolls and road charges, fines, breakdown, insurance, meals not included in the tour package, personal expenditure, car maintenance and repair, personal loss or damage or any other expenses of any kind.

Ferry crossings: – if you miss any prearranged ferry crossings or other third party carriage included in the tour package it is your responsibility to pay for any additional costs incurred.

As is the nature of booking events many months in advance your booking may be subject to price variations. These generally fall into the following categories:

Third party variations: – we will endeavour to fix prices with our suppliers wherever this is possible. If in the event we cannot there may be an additional cost to bear if suppliers increase their prices.

Currency variations: – The price of the tours are calculated at the rate of exchange against the GBP at the time the tour is posted onto the website.

Government action – Items such as levies or landing fees may alter without prior notice.

Cancellation by you

Cancellation by you may come through the following routes;

Failure to Pay

If you fail to pay the full cost of the holiday within the specified time you will be liable as a minimum, to pay the charges detailed below up to the point of cancellation. Or in the case of failure to pay your balance by the due date, we may deem your booking to have been cancelled by you.

Cancellation in Writing

All cancellations must be made in writing by the person who made the booking. Any cancellation charges will be calculated according to the date when we receive written notice of cancellation by email to our contact address, or the date upon which your cancellation is treated as occurring due to non-payment.

In both cases, you will be liable to cancellation charges as detailed below:

More than 12 weeks: 50% of holiday cost (or deposit if greater)
Less than 12 weeks: 100% of holiday cost

Additional accommodation costs for reduced occupancy or other components, may be payable in the event that one or more passengers cancel but where remaining passengers still wish to travel. If your cancellation falls within the provisions of your travel insurance policy you may be able to make a claim which must be made direct to your insurance company.

Group Bookings – cancellation charges shown above will apply to all and any members of the group who wish to cancel in the event of the cancellation by the lead booking/passenger.

Cancellation by Us

We reserve the right to cancel your holiday under any circumstances.
If an alternative equivalent holiday is available we will first offer you the option to go on this (or allow you to use your deposit for another tour or event with us). Otherwise you are entitled to a full refund of all money received from you up to the time of the cancellation.

If the cancellation of your booking is due to the reasons below (see “Termination made by us” or “Force Majeure”), we reserve the right to cancel your booking without refund of any monies received from you.

Termination made by us:
In the interest of all concerned, we reserve the right to prohibit your participation in the tour if we become aware of any illegal, inappropriate or antisocial behaviour.
If this condition is enforced you will in no circumstances be entitled to any refund of the booking fees and we will not be held responsible for any additional costs you incur as a result of your termination.

We strongly recommend that all guests take out comprehensive insurance to cover disruption caused by force majeure, extreme weather, or other unforeseen events.

Minimum Numbers - Some of our holidays require a minimum number of cars and/or participants to enable us to operate them. If the minimum number required has not been achieved, we reserve the right to cancel the tour providing we notify you of the cancellation no less than twelve weeks before departure. In such cases we cannot be held liable or responsible for costs of additional travel arrangements made in association with the cancelled holiday unless these arrangements are booked through Road Stories.

Cancellation - Very rarely, we may be forced by ‘circumstances beyond our control’ to change or terminate your holiday after departure but before the scheduled end of your holiday. This is extremely unlikely but if this situation does occur, we will be unable to make any refunds (unless we obtain these from our suppliers), pay you any compensation or meet any costs or expenses you incur as a result.

Participation - it is a condition of participation in one of our holidays that you agree to accept the authority and decisions of our employees, tour leaders and agents whilst on holiday with us. If in the opinion of such a person, your health or conduct at any time, before, during or after departure, appears likely to endanger the safe, comfortable, or positive progress of a holiday, you may be excluded from all or part of the tour and/or we may terminate your holiday, with no refund and any additional costs incurred by you as a result of such exclusion will be your responsibility. In the case of ill-health, we may make such arrangements as we see fit and recover any resulting costs from you.

Variations:

From time to time it may be necessary to amend the terms and conditions to reflect the nature or timing of a particular tour. In these instances details will be made clear on the itinerary page of the applicable tour under “Special Conditions”.

Variations made by us are not considered suitable grounds for termination or cancellation.

These may include, but are not limited to;

Minor Changes - Most changes are minor. Minor changes include; a change of ferry, ferry company, ferry or Eurotunnel time change of less than 12 hours, and changes to supplementary arrangements such as excursions, or change of accommodation to another of the same standard.

Route details - we cannot be held liable for changes in road conditions (such as emergency road closures) that may involve a detour from the proposed route(s).

Variation by you

Alterations to your booking are at our discretion and must be requested by the person making the booking. You will be liable for any additional booking charges incurred as a result of the changes made.

This includes; Any costs resulting in changes in occupancy following a cancellation (see “Cancellation by You”). Additional fees may be charged, depending on the cost and work caused to us by the requested change. If you are unable to travel for an unavoidable reason we may, subject to acceptance by our suppliers, transfer your booking to another person(s) suggested by you provided that a request for such a transfer is made at least 30 days before departure and is accompanied with all original travel documents which you may have received and the full name and address of the transferee. The transferee must fulfil any conditions that apply to the holiday, and all costs of the original booking and of the transfer must be paid before the transfer can be effected.

The cost of the transfer will consist of both an administration charge for Road Stories and any costs which our suppliers impose. If you cut short your holiday or pre-booked hotel or accommodation duration we are unable to offer you any refund of your holiday not completed or assist with any curtailment cost you may incur. This includes any reimbursement for meals, excursions or other holiday components not taken for this or any other reason.

Own arrangements

We cannot be held liable or responsible for any elements of your holiday which are considered “own arrangements” i.e., not included in our holiday package. We recommend that you ensure that you take out appropriate insurance to cover any such arrangements.

Circumstances beyond our control

Except where otherwise expressly stated in these booking conditions, we regret we cannot accept liability or pay any compensation where the performance of our obligations under our contract with you is prevented or affected by, or you otherwise suffer any damage, loss or expense of any nature as a result of ‘circumstances beyond our control’.

In these booking conditions, ‘circumstances beyond our control’ means any event which we or the supplier of the service(s) in question could not, even with all due care, foresee or avoid. Such events may include actual or threatened war, riot, civil strife, terrorist activity and its consequences (including suspected terrorist activity and all action taken during any “terror alert”), industrial dispute, natural or nuclear disaster, adverse weather conditions, epidemics and pandemics (including restrictions imposed by local or national governments or authorities as a result of COVID and any other notifiable diseases), unavoidable technical problems with transport, fire and all similar events outside our control.

Other Hotel Guests - It is normal for hotels or other types of accommodation to have other groups staying at the same time as you. This may result in hotel facilities being much busier than usual or additional demands on hotel staff and services. In this case we cannot be held liable or responsible for any inconvenience caused by such groups or their activities.

This list is not exhaustive.

Liability:

Our liability to you:
We will endeavour to make sure that for all parts of your tour that we have agreed to arrange, perform or provide as part of our contract with you are done so with reasonable skill and care.
In relation to the supply of goods and services, we will not be liable to you or a member of your party, except where expressly stated within these terms and conditions, for any injuries, liabilities, damages or other losses incurred by you or your property. Unless stated otherwise in these terms and conditions, our total liability to anyone lodging a claim in relation to our negligent act shall not exceed the cost of the tour incurred by that person.

Unfortunately, it is the nature of making bookings in advance that prearranged events may be delayed for reasons out of our control. Any travel delays both before and during the tour, whether foreseen or not, can in no way be deemed to be our responsibility and therefore we will not be liable for any extra costs you may incur. Examples of such costs are, but not limited to, hotels, ferry crossings, hire cars, meals and drinks.

These conditions apply regardless of the how the delays were brought about.

Examples are, but not limited to, adverse weather conditions, natural disasters, technical difficulties industrial disputes. For whatever reason you are unable to complete the tour you will in no circumstances be entitled to any refund for any unused services booked on your behalf.

Should delays due to weather conditions disrupt your itinerary, additional costs may be incurred, and these would be the responsibility of you, the client. We regret we are not in a position to offer you any assistance in the event of delay at your outward or homeward point of departure;

Third party liability:

Those parts of your tour which involve utilising the services of third parties (e.g. flights, hotels, ferry crossings, visits, activities) will be governed by the terms and conditions of each individual third party and we will not be liable to you or a member of your party, except where expressly stated within these terms and conditions, for any injuries, liabilities, damages or other losses incurred by you or your property.

Your liability:

You and the members of your party are responsible for all add on costs as described elsewhere within these terms and conditions, in addition to items such as fines, penalties, damages and other expenses incurred by you during the tour. If we are in anyway held accountable for such items, you will indemnify us and promptly repay any amounts we pay on your behalf. In participating on a tour, you do so voluntarily and in the full knowledge that any accident, injury or other incident to you or third parties as a result of your actions is entirely your responsibility and liability and you therefore indemnify Road Stories / Stories HQ Ltd and its directors and officers in full against any claim brought about by you, a member of your party or a third party.

It is your responsibility to ensure you abide by all statutory laws and regulations of each of the countries the tours travel through. These include, without limitation to, your regard to speed limits, the legality of your vehicle (e.g. tax, insurance, MOT) and not driving under the influence of any intoxicating substances.

You must hold a full valid driving license and passport if applicable. If required by the country of travel, drivers must also carry an international driving permit.

It is the participants responsibility to ensure that their vehicle is Properly maintained and in good mechanical condition, and you have appropriate insurances and assistance such as breakdown.

You will indemnify the Road Stories / Stories HQ Ltd, its directors, officers, employees and consultants against any and all claims, lawsuits and causes of action whatsoever or howsoever arising and brought against them by any third party as a result of your action or participation in the event, including without limitation, your violation of any laws or regulations or your breach of these Terms and Conditions of entry.

It is each passenger’s responsibility to ensure that they have a valid passport and all required visas/documentation (Including Health documentation and requirements).

If you or any member of your party is not a British Citizen or does not hold a British citizens passport, it is your responsibility to check the passport and visa requirements with the Embassy or Consulate of the country or countries through which you are travelling through.

Special Circumstances

Our tours are not designed for participants to undertake special projects or research whether in connection with study, employment or otherwise. We cannot accept any liability for any losses or damages arising out of such use or planned use nor for any loss or damage which has special financial consequences. Road Stories accept no responsibility or liability for these endeavours.

Special Requests, Medical Conditions & Disabilities

If you have any special requests, you must advise us at the time of booking.

Although we will endeavour to pass any reasonable requests on to the relevant supplier, we cannot guarantee any request will be met. Failure to meet any special request will not be a breach of contract on our part. Confirmation that a special request has been noted or passed on to the supplier or the inclusion of the special request on your confirmation invoice or any other documentation is not confirmation that the request will be met.

If you or any member of your party has any medical condition or disability which may affect your holiday or has any special requirements as a result of any medical condition or disability (including any which affect the booking process), you must tell us before you confirm your booking so that we can assist you in considering the suitability of the arrangements and/or making the booking. In any event, you must give us full details in writing at the time of booking and whenever any change in the condition or disability occurs.

Parking

Whilst every effort is made to contract hotels with complimentary secure on-site car parking. There may be occasions where the parking offered is not operated by the hotel, and/or parking charges may be payable locally. This will be detailed in your documentation upon booking, however if you wish to have this information prior to booking, please contact us. Where possible we ask hotels to reserve parking for our clients however, we cannot guarantee this and, in the case where hotel car parks become full, we cannot be held liable for any costs incurred as a result. Some hotels offer secure underground parking; however, this may not be suitable for over-height vehicles or vehicles with low ground clearance. It is the responsibility of the driver for their vehicle at all times.

Road Stories / Stories HQ Ltd is not responsible for loss or damage to participant’s cars or property at any time during the Tour.

Complaints

If you feel there is justification for complaint either before or during the tour you must notify one of our representatives immediately in order that we can attend to your complaint as effectively as possible. If upon returning home you are not satisfied with how your grievance has been attended to please inform us in writing within three weeks of the last day of the event.

Refunds policy

Where a refund is applicable, it will normally be processed in the form of payment used at the time of booking. This will be made payable to the person who made the original payment. The time the refund takes will depend on the form of payment.

Personal Data

Your personal data (including sensitive personal data) has been provided to us for the purposes of: making a reservation; recording and issuing a ticket/itinerary and confirmation invoice and ancillary documentation associated with your holiday; advising you of changes to your itinerary; responding to your queries or requests; issuing receipts; providing you with your holiday; providing you with ancillary services related to your holiday; administration of accounting, billing and auditing procedures and other administrative purposes; meeting security requirements; prevention and detection of crime; handling customer relations issues; analysis of statistics; assisting us in future transactions with you; systems testing; market analysis; tailoring our marketing to your specific holiday needs; bench-marking and performance measures; IT maintenance or development training; meeting legal obligations to you; making data available to government agencies in connection with your holiday (for example, security, customs or immigration where we are required by applicable law to do so); making data available to third parties that we deem necessary in the event of an emergency; and other purposes associated with or incidental to your holiday.

For all these purposes, you authorise us to retain and use such data and to transmit to and/or to share it with our own offices; our principals or agents; our other companies and/or brands; anyone to whom we transfer our rights and duties; third party companies offering related services; governments and government agencies; credit card and other payment card companies; and airlines or providers of such related services, or other third parties that we deem necessary. We may also retain your personal data for direct marketing, but we will obtain your authority to do this first.

We may require the name and contact details of a third party whom we may contact in an emergency. It is your responsibility to ensure that the third-party consents to the disclosure of the information provided for that purpose. If you would like to know what personal data we are holding about you and/or correct the personal data that we hold about you, please contact us.

Image Rights:

In participating on a tour you consent to have photographs and video footage taken of you and your property and agree to allow Stories HQ Ltd the use of these images for its website, social media or other promotional purposes such as magazines, films and documentaries without any charge. You are entitled to capture your own photographs and footage for non commercial use only.

Intellectual Property Rights including Copyright and Trademarks

a) The names, images and logos identifying Stories HQ Ltd, Road Stories and all associated companies or third parties and any products and services are proprietary marks of these parties. Nothing in the Terms shall be construed as conferring to you any licence or right under any intellectual property right of any of the above parties unless expressly stated otherwise.

b) All copyright, trade marks and other intellectual property rights in the Website (including the design, arrangement and look and feel) and all material, software or content supplied as part of the Website, shall remain at all times our property or the property of our licensors and is protected by intellectual property law.

Acceptance of Terms and Conditions

In booking a tour you are deemed to have read and fully understood the terms and conditions of participation and agree to be bound by them in their entirety.

Registered Office details

Unit 1 Stirlin Court Skellingthorpe Road, Saxilby, Lincoln, England, LN1 2LR