Tour Operator, Edelweiss, Terms & Conditions
01. English is the official language of this trip.
02. It is not allowed, under any circumstance, for any student to separate from the program during the trip.
03. All students must bring their original passport on the trip, however please leave a copy of your passport with your host family.
04. At the beginning and end of the trip, each student must leave from and go directly to their host community, unless the student has written permission from their program and their host family.
05. Edelweiss Tours is not responsible for purchasing transportation to or from a trip's arrival or departure cities. It is the student's responsibility to purchase any bus/airline/train tickets needed
06. Illegal drug use of any kind is prohibited.
07. Stealing of any kind will be severely punished in additional to any possible legal consequences.
08. Purchasing or consuming alcoholic beverages is strictly forbidden.
09. Our schedules and itineraries must be followed by all students. The trip coordinator reserves the right to make changes in the schedule, when necessary, or if it is in the best interest of the group.
10. Lodging does not cover incidental costs, such as phone calls, mini-bar purchases, etc. If the students decide to use these services, they are responsible for paying these costs.
11. Keep luggage to a minimum. All students will carry and be responsible for their own luggage at all times. Remember to keep those items you will need during the day with you on the bus - like iPods, cameras, wallets, etc.
12. All departure/arrival times from/to our activities will be decided by the coordinators, depending on the exact length of each activity.
13. The trip has a limited number of vacancies, which will be filled on a "first come - first serve" basis.
14. Swimming: Even if you know how to swim please BE CAREFUL, because you are unfamiliar with the pool/places and are not aware of all potential hazards.
15. Please bring all cash in US Dollars.
16. Travel expenses from your host city to the trip's departing airport are not included in the tour fee.
17. If you take any regular medication, make sure to bring enough for the trip's duration. Also, please bring a copy of the prescription in case you might need it (just to be safe.)
18. Since we will be out in the sun a lot, please be careful and use lots of sunscreen.
19. If any student's conduct is considered harmful to the rest of the students, or if any student breaks any of the program rules, he or she can be sent back to their host community immediately, assuming all extra costs. Additionally, any violation of the rules and any students removed from the program will be reported to their program.
20. All other optional activities that may be offered during student's free time are considered extra costs, and are not included in the overall trip price.
21. Edelweiss Tours is not responsible for the cost of the student's travel expenses from his/her host city to the departure point and back.
22. Lost & Found: all the students' items found during the trip will be sent to Edelweiss Tours office and kept for 60 days after the end of the trip. Any student who has lost something must send us an e-mail with the description of the item within 60 days of the end of the trip. Postage to return the item to any student is the student's responsibility.
23. All students who take part in this trip grant image use rights to Edelweiss Tours, as well as use of photos from the trip on our website and program materials.
24. Please make any comments or complaints regarding the trip in writing (via email or standard letter) to Edelweiss Tours within 30 days of the end of the trip to ensure Edelweiss Tours a chance to respond. All contracts with Edelweiss Tours officially end 30 days after the trip and Edelweiss Tours, the tour operator, is therefore relinquished of any responsibility.
Cancellation and Refund Policy:
25. In case we do not achieve the minimum number of participants needed, Edelweiss Tours reserves the right to cancel the trip or to transfer the date and/or to offer other options of tours as well, according to the clients wish. If this occurs, the Edelweiss portion of your booking will be reimbursed or applied to another date.
26. If the student chooses to leave the program or is sent home for breaking any program rules, the cancellation policy still applies.

28. Students are responsible for any reimbursements or change fees associated with flight or travel arrangements.
29. Safety: Please be aware that during your participation in vacations operated by Edelweiss Tours, certain risks and dangers may arise beyond our control, including but not limited to: the hazards of traveling in undeveloped  areas; travel by boat, train, automobile, aircraft, or other means of  transportation; the forces of nature; political unrest; acts of  lawlessness or terrorism; and accident or illness in remote regions without means of rapid evacuation or medical facilities. We will not have liability regarding provision of medical care or the adequacy of any care that may be rendered. It is understood that we will use our best efforts to ensure that adequate measures are taken. The trip participant agrees that neither the Company nor its affiliates  shall be liable for any damage, loss (including personal injury, death,  and property loss), or expense occasioned by any act or omission of any supplier providing services, any insurer or insurance administrator under the Travel Protection Plan, or any other person.

Edelweiss Tours BOOKING CONDITIONS
These Booking Conditions are valid for all Edelweiss Tours and are subject to change with or without notice. The most current Booking Conditions at the time of your departure will apply.

Cancellation Policy
Standard Cancellation Policy*
– 150 days or more prior to departure: Full refund less a $300 cancellation fee.

– 149 to 110 days prior to departure: Full refund less a $350 cancellation fee.

– 109 to 31 days prior to departure: Full refund less a $490 cancellation fee.

– 30 days or less prior to departure: No refund will be issued.

*Travelers who purchase a Travel Protection plan have the opportunity to cancel and receive a refund from the travel insurance company, subject to the terms and coverage amounts in the policy. Edelweiss Tours will provide any additional paperwork required by the travel insurance company for cancellations.*
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WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED IN THE TOUR PRICE? – Rooming supplement (if applicable) – Optional excursions (except where indicated) – Global Travel Protection plan (travel insurance available as an Add On)– Beverages and lunches (except where specified) – Transportation to free-time activities – Customary gratuities (for your Tour Director, bus drivers and local guides) – Porterage – Any applicable baggage-handling fees imposed by the airlines – Expenses caused by airline rescheduling, cancellations or delays caused by the airlines, bad weather or events beyond control – Passport, visa and reciprocity fees PRICE VALIDITY Availability of prices in this brochure is limited, and at the time a traveler enrolls on a tour, prices may be different. GROUP TRAVEL How does group travel work? We believe that all students should have the opportunity to travel, which means we do everything we can to keep our program prices the lowest in the industry without sacrificing quality. One of the ways we do that is by combining groups to fill a tour bus, so that all travelers help cover the costs of the bus, the Tour Director, local guides, etc. Consolidating groups also allows travelers to meet students from other schools, although groups may not be of the same age level. Therefore, in order for everyone to travel for the lowest price possible, group travel requires some flexibility. Each group submits its preferred tour choices and travel dates, and then we book all of the groups with the same requested tours on one specific departure date.


ROOMING Please ensure that all rooming requests are submitted by 45 days prior to departure. How are students roomed? Students will room in triples or quads with others of the same gender from the entire tour group. This means that students from different schools may room together. Edelweiss Tours uses hotels with rooms that contain two double beds (beds for two people). Two students are expected to share each bed. Can a student request their own bed? The following additional fees will apply: – $40 per hotel night per student

MISCELLANEOUS When does the tour officially start and end?  We retain the right to cancel, modify or delay the tour as a result of unforeseeable events that are beyond our reasonable control, including but not limited to, acts of God, war (whether declared or undeclared), terrorist activities or threats of terrorists activities, instability in a destination country, incidents of violence, public health issues or quarantine or threats of public health issues, substantial currency fluctuations, strikes, government restrictions, fire or severe weather conditions, or any other reason that makes it impossible or commercially unreasonable in the sole opinion of Edelweiss Tours to conduct the tour as originally contracted. Causes for cancellation described in this section shall not be a violation of its obligations to any traveler. What if a refund is due? Refunds for overpayments will be issued upon written request and after the most recent payment has been in the traveler’s account for 21 days. Refunds will be issued to the original form of payment less administrative and credit card fees. What about lost belongings? Edelweiss Tours is not responsible for loss of passports, airline tickets or other documents, or for loss of or damage to luggage or any other passenger belongings.  What about travelers with food allergies? We recognize that some travelers may have severe food allergies. We will do our best to ensure that our suppliers are informed of the situation but we cannot guarantee that all requests will be accommodated.


RELEASE & AGREEMENT
I (or parent or guardian if enrollee is under 18) am an enrollee for an Edelweiss Tours educational tour. By booking the Educational Tours, I understand and agree to the following: I acknowledge and understand that Edelweiss Tours does not own or operate any entity which is to or does provide goods or services for my program, including, for example, hotels, arrangements for or ownership or control over houses, apartments or other lodging facilities, tour directors, airline, vessel, bus or other transportation companies, local ground operators, visa processing services, providers or organizers of optional excursions, food service or entertainment providers, etc. I acknowledge that all such persons and entities are independent contractors and not employees of or employed by Edelweiss Tours. As a result, Edelweiss Tours is not liable for any negligent or willful act or failure to act of any such person or entity, or of any third party. Without limitation, Edelweiss Tours, each of their directors, officers, employees, volunteers, sponsors, independent contractors, agents and authorized representatives are not responsible for any injury, loss or damage to person or property, death, delay or inconvenience in connection with the provision of any goods or services occasioned by or resulting from, but not limited to, acts of God, force majeure, acts of government, acts of war or civil unrest, insurrection or revolt, strikes or other labor activities, criminal, terrorist or threatened terrorist activities of any kind, overbooking or downgrading of accommodations, structural or other defective conditions in houses, apartments or other lodging facilities (or in any heating, plumbing, electrical or structural problem therein), mechanical or other failure of airplanes or other means of transportation or for any failure of any transportation mechanism to arrive or depart timely or safely, dangers associated with or bites from animals, insects or pests, sanitation problems, food poisoning, epidemics or the threat thereof, disease, lack of access to or quality of medical care, difficulty in evacuation in case of a medical or other emergency, or any negligent or willful act or failure to act of any third party, or for any other cause beyond the direct control of EF or MTW. 4. I agree to release Edelweiss Tours and my school, my school district, my school board, MTW, and my Group Leader (the “Released Parties”) from, and agree not to sue the Released Parties for, any and all claims, of any nature related in any manner to my participation in an Edelweiss Tours-sponsored tour, including but not limited to, claims for negligence, breach of contract, breach of express or implied warranties, negligence or wrongful death or any statutorily based claim. I hereby unconditionally and unequivocally waive any and all claims and demands for all damages, losses, costs and expenses of any nature whatsoever (including attorneys’ fees) on account of or arising out of any and all personal injury, death, bodily injury, mental anguish, emotional distress, property or other damage that I may suffer from any cause whatsoever related in any way to my participation in any Edelweiss Tours-sponsored tour. I further agree to release the Released Parties from any and all decisions to cancel, modify or delay the tour as a result of unforeseeable events that are beyond the reasonable control of Edelweiss Tours or which become necessary or advisable so as to increase the quality of the tour. I understand that travel in other nations is not similar to travel within the United States. Programs outside the United States can involve inconvenience and risk, including, but not limited to, forces of nature, geographic and climatic conditions, different hygienic standards, infrastructure problems (including road maintenance, transportation delays and accommodation condition), civil unrest, vandalism, crime, political instability and terrorism. Medical services or facilities may not be readily available or available at all during all or part of a program and, if available, may not be equal to standards in participant’s home country. I assume all risk of bodily injury, death, emotional trauma, property damage, inconvenience and/or loss resulting from negligence or any other acts of any and all persons or entities, however caused, including, but not limited to, those risks mentioned above. It is my intention fully to assume all of the risks of travel and participation in the program and to release the Released Parties from any and all liabilities to the maximum extent permitted by law. If this form is also signed by a parent or legal guardian, that parent or guardian is making a similar release. My tour begins with the landing in the destinations airport and ends upon the boarding return flight back to the origination airport. The air carrier’s liability for loss of or damage to baggage or property, or for death or injury to person, is subject to and limited by the airlines’ contract of carriage, its tariff, the Montreal Convention or Warsaw Convention and their amendments or both. Edelweiss Tours or my Group Leader reserves the right to refuse or cancel my registration at its sole discretion. In such event, standard cancellation policies as outlined in the Booking Conditions apply. I agree to abide by Edelweiss Tours regulations and the directions of my Group Leader, my Tour Director during my tour. Failure to do so may result in my Group Leader or Edelweiss Tours terminating me from the tour immediately. I understand that to disobey such rules or directions is to waive the right to a refund of any part of my program price, and that my Group Leader or Edelweiss Tours may then send me home at my own expense. I agree to abide by all local laws when abroad. I understand that if I abuse or disobey such laws, even unintentionally, I waive my right to a refund of any part of the program price, and my Group Leader or Edelweiss Tours may send me home at my own expense. I also understand that should local authorities be involved, I will be subject to the laws of the country I am visiting. If I become ill or incapacitated, Edelweiss Tours, or my Group Leader, may take any action they deem necessary for my safety and well-being, including notifying parents/guardians and/or securing medical treatment (at my own expense) and transporting me home. Edelweiss Tours retains the right, in its sole discretion, to contact the traveler’s parent(s) and/or guardian with regard to health issues or any matter whatsoever that relates to the traveler’s tour. These rights transcend any and all privacy regulations that may apply. In the event of a medical emergency, Edelweiss Tours will attempt to cause appropriate treatment to be administered, and the traveler authorizes Edelweiss Tours to do so. Edelweiss Tours, however, make no warranty that it will be able to cause effective (or any) emergency treatment to be administered or to be timely administered I have made the choice to travel with the teacher/Group Leader organizing my group. I understand that this choice is not the responsibility of Edelweiss Tours. This Release and Agreement and Edelweiss Tours Booking Conditions constitute the entire agreement between Edelweiss Tours and me with reference to the subject matter herein, and I do not rely upon any promises, inducements or agreements not herein, including but not limited to any oral statements made to me by any agents or employees of Edelweiss Tours, or by my school or Group Leader. This agreement may be amended or modified only in a writing, signed by Edelweiss Tours. This agreement and performance hereunder shall be governed in all respects, by the substantive laws. In the event of any claim, dispute or proceeding arising out of my relationship with Edelweiss Tours, or any claim which arises between the Parties, whether or not related to this agreement, the literature for the trip or the trip itself, it shall be resolved solely in courts of the United States District Court for the District of Oregon. LIMITED POWER OF ATTORNEY For parents/guardians of travelers under the age of 18 I understand and agree, in accordance with the “Enrollment Booklet,” “Release and Agreement” and “Booking Conditions,” that the tour itinerary may include certain activities that may require the Group Leader to sign a release on behalf of the travelers (who are minors and cannot sign for themselves) in order to allow participation. This Limited Power of Attorney allows the Group Leader to execute these documents on your behalf should the need arise. Your execution of this Limited Power of Attorney is voluntary and if you choose not to grant this Limited Power of Attorney your child may still participate in the tour but may not be able to participate in some tour activities. With regard to said activities: 1. I understand and agree that my child with my permission has voluntarily chosen to participate in the activities and we assume all dangers and risks associated with the activities. 2. I do hereby delegate to the Group Leader a “Limited Power of Attorney” and full authority to sign any documents, including but not limited to liability releases, permission slips, waivers and/or any other type of participation agreement required by the operators of any activity for participation. By booking with Edelweiss Tours, I understand and agree to the above. RELEASE & AGREEMENT Edelweiss Tours RULES ALL TRAVELERS MUST ADHERE TO THE FOLLOWING REGULATIONS WHILE ON TOUR All scheduled activities are obligatory. If you are sick or have a physical ailment that might prevent you from participating in an activity, you must tell the Group Leader, who should notify the Tour Director. If you want to visit friends or relatives in a destination country, your Group Leader must be told before the tour begins. You are expected to respect the nightly curfew that your Group Leader may set for your own safety and security. Room checks will be conducted at the Group Leader’s discretion. Visitors or group members of the opposite sex are not permitted in your room. Smoking is not allowed on buses, during meals, in hotel rooms or in any other shared, enclosed space. Hitchhiking and the driving or renting of any motor vehicle is strictly forbidden for all travelers. You are required to pay for any phone calls or incidental personal expenses incurred at hotels. These will be payable the evening before departure at each hotel. Illegal activities will not be tolerated and are punishable by immediate dismissal from the tour. If you are involved in any illegal activities, all costs to return home are at your expense. If the local authorities are involved, you will be subject to the laws of the country you are visiting. Payment for damage done to hotel rooms or to buses is your responsibility. If you notice any damage upon arrival at a hotel, you should notify the Tour Director immediately.