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HOW TO
BOOK A TOUR


 

We no longer need a booking form to be completed.

All we need from you is:

e-mail us
 

PERSONAL CONDUCTED TOURS
 

  • Your name and address and contact phone number(s)
     

  • A rough outline of where you would like to visit (such as Somme and Ypres or just the Somme battlefield, and/or a particular cemetery or memorial - anywhere possible!)
     

  • How many in your group and what sort of hotel rooms they would like (i.e. single/double/twin)
     

  • When you have in mind to travel
     

  • How many days/nights you wish to be away (two and three day tours most popular).
     

  • Which hotel(s) you would like to stay at (click here for options)

    We will the get in touch with you to discuss options and cost
     

SELF-DRIVE TOURS
 

             As above plus:

  • How many in your group
     

  • Which battlefields you wish to visit
     

  • The dates
     

  • Channel crossing - Tunnel or ferry
     

  • Which hotel(s) you wish to stay at
    (see 'Hotels etc' page)
     

  • Which nights
     

  • What rooms (i.e. single/twin/double)
     

  • A deposit of £80 per person (which may be paid by credit card or cheque)

Please see our 'Terms and Conditions'  (below)
then phone, e-mail or write to us at:

SOMME BATTLEFIELD TOURS LTD
19 OLD ROAD,
WIMBORNE,
 DORSET.
 BH21 1EJ
ENGLAND

+44 (0) 1202 880211


e-mail

FAQs? - See 'Contact Us' on main menu - or click here.

Please note - Somme Battlefield Tours Ltd fully complies with the provisions of the UK Tour package, Tour Travel etc Regulations 1992.  We are fully insured in accordance with these regulations (especially Tour Liability, and comprehensive 'Private hire' vehicle insurance, a legal requirement  which not all small tour operators have - always check), as well as all provisions regarding the handling of client's monies.
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The regulations provide that such monies be held in a separate Trust Account which can not be released to our company until the tour has been provided (see
Terms and Conditions). Always be cautious of anyone asking for cheques to be made payable to an individual as opposed to a Trust Account or similar. Full details of our trustees (Barclays Bank) are available upon request.  We also operate as a fully registered Limited company and as such our accounts are open to inspection by any person (upon payment of a small fee to Companies House).

The above regulations are rightfully intended to protect travellers such as yourself.  The small rise for 2005 reflects the higher insurance costs we are obliged to pay, especially client liability and private hire insurance which are there to safeguard you as our customer.

 

And remember...

  • There are no more than six persons per tour. 
     

  • We do not employ tour guides - James Power, the owner and founder of this company, personally organises and accompanies ALL tours.
     

  • The above tour cost includes all meals (including 'proper' lunches, wine and coffee with the evening meal), snacks, museum entry fees etc. 
     

  • We deliberately restrict the number of tours each year to no more than a couple or so a month. We have no wish to grow in to a large tour company (quite the opposite!) as we so enjoy arranging everything ourselves and keeping our tours very much on a personal footing.

 

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF
OUR CONTRACT WITH YOU

(Copyright © Somme Battlefield Tours Ltd 2007)

Abbreviations and meanings
For the purposes of these booking conditions terms such as ‘us’, ‘we’ and ‘our’ shall mean Somme Battlefield Tours Ltd (the tour ‘organiser’). ‘Tour’ refers to both Self-Drive and Conducted Tours unless otherwise stated. The term ‘you’ refers to the person making the booking. ‘Party’ and ‘group’ means those persons travelling with you, on behalf of whom you are making the booking. 

How to book
Please contact us by ‘phone or e-mail to make a booking and/or to seek clarification on any aspect of the tours offered. We are committed to clearly explaining what is and what is not included in your tour, as well as outlining our tour itinerary.
 

No contract shall exist between you and us until your booking is confirmed in writing by us, such confirmation including our standard ‘Terms and Conditions’ which, together with our letter, shall form the basis of the contract between you and us. You may cancel a tour within 7 days of receipt of your tour confirmation letter and receive a full refund should you not agree with what is stated (but subject to the conditions outlined under ‘Cancellations’ below).

Payment

Deposit

A deposit of £80 per person is payable on booking either a conducted or self-drive tour.

Payments can be made either by credit card or by cheque.  Cheques/Postal Orders should be made payable to ‘Somme Battlefield Tours Ltd Trust Account’.  All credit card payments are paid direct to our Trust Account (see Security of Payments).

Single supplement  (conducted tours only)

If you would like a single hotel room there is an additional £40 supplement.  If you are happy to share a twin hotel room with another tour member (of the same gender) then there is no extra charge - subject to such an arrangement being possible

All payments must be made in GB Pounds Sterling (credit card payments for those living outside the UK are usually converted automatically).

Final balance

If you do not pay in full when booking your tour, your outstanding balance is payable not less than 56 days (8 weeks) prior to your date of departure.  If the balance has not been paid by 48 days prior to departure, we may cancel your booking and levy the cancellation charges set out below under ‘Cancellations’.

Self-Drive Battlefield Guide(s) will be forwarded on receipt of the final balance.

Security of Payments
We fully comply with the provisions of the Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992 (EEC Directive 90/314). In accordance with these regulations, all payments made to Somme Battlefield Tours Ltd., either as deposit or final settlement (including all credit card payments), are held in a separate trust account (Barclays Bank plc, Wimborne, Dorset A/c No. 40812048) and as such cannot be released to Somme Battlefield Tours Ltd. until the specified tour has taken place.  This regulation guarantees a full refund of all monies paid in the most unlikely event of us failing to provide the tour booked.

Cancellations
In the unlikely event of us having to cancel a tour, for whatever reason, we will inform you as soon as possible. We require a minimum of 5 persons to make up a tour. Should this number not be met we agree to tell you not less than 28 days ahead of the planned tour.  You will have the choice of accepting either an alternative tour or having an immediate full refund of all monies paid (including deposit).

Should it be necessary for either you or any member of your party to have to cancel a booking, then the person making the booking must notify us in writing. The cancellation will be effective from the date this written communication is received by us. You may substitute another person in the place of any of your group at no extra charge, should you or any member of your group be unable to come on a tour.

The following scale of cancellation charges shall apply (relative to date of departure):

More than 56 days          tour deposit

56 - 28 days                   30% of tour price

27 - 8 days                    70% of tour price

7 days or less                100% of tour price

‘Force Majeure’  
We accept full responsibility for ensuring that the services we contract to provide are to a reasonable standard, subject to the provisions of ‘force majeure’.  This provision means that we do not accept liability for any damage, losses or additional expenses suffered by you or any member of your group, as the result of causes beyond the reasonable and foreseeable control of us, such as war, riot, accident, civil strife, industrial dispute(s), crime, natural or nuclear disaster, disease, Acts of God, adverse weather conditions, as well as the illness or other incapacitation of James Power (tour organiser), or such similar occurrences.

Travel Insurance
Clients must be insured for travel to Belgium and France (and UK for non-UK residents), in respect of medical cover and repatriation, as a condition of travelling with Somme Battlefield Tours (conducted tours only). Such insurance is also strongly recommended for those booking self-drive tours.

Tour Party Size (Conducted Tours)
Tour parties will be limited to a maximum of 6 persons (both Somme and Somme/Ypres conducted tours) or 7 by special arrangement.

Passports
You must ensure that you and all members of your group are in possession of a valid passport for travel to France and Belgium (and UK for non-UK residents). We will not be liable for the consequences of any failure to comply with this important requirement.

Transport (Somme & Ypres Conducted Tours)
We own our own 8-seat Ford Tourneo minibus (or similar vehicle). All vehicles are fitted with seat belts and forward facing seats. 

Please exercise great care when accessing/exiting the vehicle.  Seat belts should be worn at all times.  Please ask for help if in any doubt.

Please keep luggage as compact as possible as space is limited. Soft holdalls are preferred to rigid suitcases.

Pick-up Points (Conducted Tours)
We will offer you at least two pick-up location options, these locations usually being central London (Victoria), and the M20 Maidstone Services.

Accommodation
We will tell you which hotels we will be using when you book your tour. We only use two, three and four star hotels (and guest house options for self-drive tours to the Somme or Ypres battlefield) situated either on or very close to the battlefield(s), such as close to the principal battlefield towns of Albert (France-Somme) and Ypres (Ieper-Belgium), rather than the larger hotels used by some other tour operators some distance away. All hotel/guest house rooms have en-suite facilities unless otherwise stated. You will not be expected to share accommodation with persons not in your personal group.

Meals (Conducted Tours)
Unless otherwise stated (ie private tours) your tour cost includes all meals whilst in France/Belgium, including wine with your evening meal, as well as all transport and museum fees. Lunches are usually set menus, whereas evening meals have a choice of dishes. In addition, complimentary snacks/drinks etc will be available all the time we are touring the battlefields.

Smoking (Conducted Tours)
Clients are respectfully requested not to smoke in the vehicle, dining room or at any other time in the close proximity of other clients. Smoking hotel rooms may be available subject to prior notification being given.

Tour Itinerary (Conducted Tours)
Please note that the tour itinerary is flexible and may be subject to change and/or variation according to prevailing circumstances, or to accommodate the particular wishes (within reason) of members of the tour group. Often we are able to include additional sites of interest to those shown in the itinerary (time permitting).

Self-Drive Tour Costs
We undertake to arrange your ferry/tunnel travel, and bed and breakfast hotel/guest house accommodation.  We will also provide you with a comprehensive tour pack as described in the appropriate section of our website (www.battlefield-tours.com).

The tour cost does not include lunch and evening meal as experience has shown that travellers usually wish to have freedom of choice regarding where and what to eat, as opposed to being tied to a hotel.

The tour price does not include additional costs such as cabin/room upgrades, newspapers, telephone calls, additional food and beverages, wine/beers/spirits etc.

Eurotunnel - Liability for excess charges
Please note that if you arrive either early or late at Eurotunnel Check-In within 2 hours of your booked departure time, Eurotunnel will, at no extra charge, transfer you to a space on the next available shuttle. However, please note that this could take a while during busy periods.


If you arrive between 2 and 24 hours after your booked departure time, Eurotunnel may charge you the difference between the price paid originally by Somme Battlefield Tours Ltd and the price applicable to your new departure.  If you arrive more than 24 hours after your booked departure time, you will need to buy a new ticket. Any excess charges will be required to be paid direct to Eurotunnel at the time of travel.

Vehicles fitted with LPG
LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) and dual powered vehicles (i.e. vehicles fitted with an LPG tank as an alternative fuel) cannot be accepted for transport by Eurotunnel.  Vehicles fitted with LPG containers to power domestic services e.g. cooking, refrigeration, heating and water heaters are accepted as long as the containers are switched off, weigh no more than 47kg and are not more than 80% full. If your vehicle is fitted with such a container, you must declare this at Check-In.

Disruptive Behaviour
Client(s) behaving in a disruptive manner may, after warning and/or at the discretion of us (or hoteliers in the case of self-drive tours), be required to leave the tour or hotel premises without recompense for termination of residence/booking/tour contract. Under such circumstances we shall not be liable for any additional costs (e.g. travel, accommodation etc), nor refund for termination of stay/residence/tour contract etc.

Disability and other Special Requirements
Having regard to the nature and size of our organisation, we are committed to taking all reasonable steps to accommodate persons experiencing most forms of disability.  It is important that you tell us in advance if you (or any of your group if appropriate) have any disability, dietary requirement, or other condition/special need. It is also important that we have advanced notification of any cemetery, memorial or other battlefield location that you may wish to visit (and not already included in the itinerary) as it may be possible, at the discretion of SBT, to make a small diversion to our usual route to cater for such requests.

Complaints
Any complaint about our failure to fulfil our commitment to you, or the inadequate performance of our contract with you, should be made not more than 28 days following your tour. To date (after 12 years) we have not received a single complaint.

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