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Cycle Europe - serving bicycle travellers since 1972

Cycle Europe Terms and Conditions

Cycle Europe is a BikesPlus SRL company based in Forli, Italy.

Last revised: October 22, 2021 (previously updated March 19, 2021)

Due to the uncertainty surrounding travel because of the Covid-19 pandemic, Cycle Europe has introduced new payment and cancellation terms with the objective of offering our travelers more flexible conditions. These flexible terms remain in effect for 2022 departures, or for as long as Covid-19 travel restrictions exist (either in the traveler’s country of origin or in the tour destination country).

When Covid-19 travel protocols are lifted and travel conditions stabilize, we expect to amend these new terms, or return to our Standard Terms & Conditions. We will notify anyone who has booked a Tour, Rental or Service with us of these changes and provide at least a 30 day grace period before the Standard Terms and Conditions are reinstated.

For additional information, please read our updated FAQs on Covid-19 and Travel (click link).

The following payment and cancellation terms apply to new bookings made for departures in the 2022 season.

 

Open or close each Terms section below by clicking on the + or – signs.

The tour price is based on double occupancy and includes the services specified in the itinerary plus optional activities listed in the package. The price does not include services and meals not listed specifically in the itinerary package, passports or other travel documents, air and/or other transportation to and from the tour start and ending points, visas, vaccinations where required, or personal expenses such as laundry, medical insurance, and communications (unless otherwise stated in the tour itinerary).

A change fee of up to €150 per departure may be incurred for any modifications to standard itineraries published on our website. For changes requested by customers who have already booked a tour, a handling fee of up to €150 per change may be applied.

Custom requests to current itineraries or custom tour development requests may incur modified payment and tour terms, which will be communicated at the time of reservation.

We highly recommend that you purchase travel insurance, which includes coverage for Trip Cancellation, Trip Interruption, Emergency Medical and Emergency Evacuation/Repatriation, Trip Delay, Baggage Delay.

In addition to the Payment and Cancellation terms specified here, please be sure to read our General Terms and Conditions for Tourism Packages, in the section below.

 

Payment terms: 

Reserve your space on a trip with a deposit payment of €200 per person for tours with a base package price below €700, and €400 per person for tours with a base package price above €700.

Final payment is due 30 days prior to tour start date (except specific cases where hotels or vendors may require special payment terms on some tours or departures, in which case we will communicate these specific terms individually). For custom or private tours, special payment terms may also apply.

 

Cancellation and postponement 

If you cancel your reservation, we will incur costs and expenses the exact amount of which would be difficult or impractical to determine. Therefore, we will retain all or a portion of your deposit as liquidated damages, not as a penalty, which you agree is fair and reasonable. The following options are available if you cancel or postpone:

  • 45 or more days before departure date: full refund of deposit payment, minus a €50 per person booking fee; or, 100% money on account for all payments made (to be used within two calendar years of cancelled departure).
  • 30 or more days before departure date: 100% of payments as money on account, without fees or penalties (to be used within two calendar years of cancelled departure date); or refund of 50% of payments made.
  • Any portion of your reservation paid with money on account will return on account if you cancel up to 30 days before departure. Within 29 days, cancellation options listed below apply. In addition, a handling fee may apply when you cancel and re-book two or more times using your money on account – more details below.
  • 29 to 20 days before departure date: 70% of payments as money on account (to be used within two calendar years of cancelled departure date); or refund of 30% of payments made.
  • 19 to 0 days before departure date: depending on funds paid by Cycle Europe to third-party suppliers (such as hotels), we will try to maintain up to 40% of payments as money on account (to be used within two calendar years of cancelled departure date.)

The above cancellation terms apply to our tour packages listed and booked on our website – in the few cases where hotels or local vendors may require special payment or cancellation terms, we will communicate these specific terms individually.

Please note that in the case a refund payment is made by Cycle Europe to customer, any bank transfer or credit card fees associated to said refund payment/s, will be discounted from the total refund amount.

All cancellation requests must be received in writing or via confirmed e-mail (to inquiries@cycleeurope.com).

 


Pre COVID-19 Tour Package terms (listed here for reference only)

A deposit payment of 400 euro reserves your space on the trip. Final payment is due 60 days prior to tour star date. Cancellation terms are as follows:

Days Before Departure Cancellation Fee Per Participant
 91 or more  100 Euros
 90 – 61  Full deposit
 60 – 31  Full deposit + 50% of final payment
 30 – 1  100% of the tour price

Tour Terms and Conditions:

Fundamental rights of the traveler under the EU Decree 2015/2302

  1. Before the conclusion of the contract Travelers will receive all the essential information about the package.
  2.  There is always at least one expert responsible for the proper implementation of all the tourist services included in the contract.
  3. An emergency telephone number or contact point address to reach the Organizer or Travel agent will be communicated to the Travelers.
  4. Travelers may transfer the package to another person, subject to reasonable notice and possibly upon payment of additional costs.
  5. The price of the package can be increased only if specific costs increase (for example, fuel prices) and if expressly stated in the contract and, in any case, no later than 20 days before the start of the package. If the price increase is more than 8% of the package price, the Traveler can terminate the contract. If the organizer reserves the right to increase the price, the Traveler is entitled to a price reduction if there is a decrease in the relevant costs.
  6. Travelers may terminate the contract without having to pay termination fees and obtain full repayment of payments if any of the essential elements of the package, other than the price, has changed substantially. If, before the start of the package, the expert responsible for the package cancels the package, Travelers have the right to obtain reimbursement and, where appropriate, indemnity.
  7. Travelers may, under exceptional circumstances, terminate the contract without having to pay termination fees before the start of the package, for example if there are serious safety problems at the place of destination which may affect the package. Furthermore, Travelers may at any time, before the start of the package, withdraw from the contract upon the payment of standard penalties previously accorded or, failing that, the adequate and justifiable penalties calculated pursuant to art. 41, paragraph 1 of the Tourism Code.
  8. If, after the start of the package, substantial elements cannot be provided according to what was agreed, suitable alternative solutions must be offered to the Traveler, without a surcharge. Travelers can withdraw from the contract, without the cost of termination fees, if the services are not performed as agreed and this significantly affects the execution of the package and the organizer has not solved the problem.
  9. Travelers have the right to a price reduction and / or compensation for damages in the event of failure to comply with or incomplete performance of the tourist services.
  10. The Organizer is required to provide assistance if the Traveler is in difficulty.
  11. If the Organizer-Seller becomes insolvent, the payments will be refunded by the Insurance company. If the Organizer-Seller becomes insolvent after the start of the package and if transportation is included in the package, the repatriation of Travelers is guaranteed. BikesPlus SRL is covered by the following insurance: FONDO VACANZE FELICI S.c.a.r.l. policy number 2383 .
  12. Travelers can contact the insurance company FONDO VACANZE FELICI S.c.a.r.l., addressed at Sede legale: Via Larga n. 6 – Milano, Tel – +39 292 979 050, e-mail segreteria@fondovacanzefelici.it or, if necessary, the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism – General Directorate of Tourism, Italian Competent Authority according to art. 48, paragraph 2 of the Tourism Code (Via del Collegio Romano, 27 – 00166 Rome – phone +39 06/67232131 mail dg-t@beniculturali.it) if, due to the insolvency of the Organizer-Seller, the above mentioned services are denied.
  13.  The Traveler is informed that s/he can underwrite insurance policies to cover the withdrawal penalties by the Traveler or the costs of assistance and repatriation, in case of accident, illness or death. The insurance policies may be indicated by the Organizer as mandatory for their package offers.
  14. For further information on the fundamental rights of the Traveler purchasing travel packages (as defined in Article 32, paragraph 1, letter g of the Tourism Code) refer to Directive (EU) 2015/2302, and of D. Lgs 21.5.2018, n. 62 transposted into local law and published here.

Photographs: please note that BikesPlus (under the brand Cycle Europe) may use, re-use and reproduce any images, photos or videos that our travelers send us, or that are taken by our staff and/or other travelers of individually or group travelers, in any medium, including but not limited to print, electronic media, or Internet, free of charge and without your right to inspection, for promoting and publicizing our travel products and services worldwide.

For any tour that also includes a bike, please review our bike rental contract (which you will be asked to sign at the time of bike delivery):

We highly recommend that you purchase travel insurance, including benefits such as Trip Cancellation, Trip Interruption, Emergency Medical and Emergency Evacuation/Repatriation, Trip Delay, Baggage Delay.

For rentals and services to tour operators or companies operating tour packages and itineraries in Europe, please note that specific terms may apply, in which case these will be communicated on an individual basis.

 

Payment terms:

Reserve your Rental Service with a deposit payment equal to 25% (100 euro minimum payment). Final payment is due 30 days prior to rental start date

Cancellation and postponement:

If you cancel your reservation, we will incur costs and expenses the exact amount of which would be difficult or impractical to determine. Therefore, we will retain all or a portion of your deposit as liquidated damages, not as a penalty, which you agree is fair and reasonable. The following options are available if you cancel or postpone:

  • Up to 30 days before rental start date: 100% of funds can be kept as Money on Account (to be used in the following two calendar years); OR a full refund of payments made, minus a €50 per person booking fee. 
  • 29 to 14 days before rental start date: 100% of funds can be kept as Money on Account to be used in the following two calendar years; OR a 50% refund of payment/s is possible.
  • Any portion of your reservation paid with money on account will return on account if you cancel up to 14 days before departure. Within 13 days, the cancellation terms listed below apply. 
  • 13 to 0 days before rental start date: any non-refundable costs or expenses incurred by Cycle Europe will be forfeited by Customer (such as travel arrangements for delivery); of the remaining funds, 75% can be kept as Money on Account for use in the following two calendar years; or a 25% refund of the remaining funds is possible.

Any non-refundable arrangement or cost incurred by Cycle Europe for delivery or collection services may incur charges if rental is cancelled. These will have been communicated to you prior to booking for your approval.

In the case a refund payment is made by Cycle Europe to customer, any bank transfer or credit card fees associated to said refund payment/s, will be discounted from the total refund amount.

All cancellation requests must be received in writing or via confirmed e-mail (to inquiries@cycleeurope.com).

No refunds are possible after the rental begins. Refunds take 2-4 weeks to process from the date written cancellation is received.

 


Delivery Conditions

Renter acknowledges that Cycle Europe will do its best to deliver and pick up from locations at agreed upon times but force majeure or other exceptional circumstances (unusual traffic en route to drop-off or delivery) may cause delays.  Renter agrees to adhere to scheduled or agreed-upon delivery and pick-up times, and authorizes Cycle Europe to charge their credit card if meeting times are not met and additional expenses are incurred due to renter’s delays (i.e. staff time, highway tolls, staff meals and lodging, etc.). If there are changes to the pick-up location or time once the rental has started this must be communicated by confirmed email or direct telephone contact at least 48 hours before the rental equipment is returned to Cycle Europe.

If delivery location does not allow for easy access by van to drop off or pick up the rental equipment, please make necessary arrangements and provide Cycle Europe advance notice so that we can plan accordingly. Examples include a remotely-located villas in rural areas with steep gravel roads and low-hanging trees; or central/historical center parts of European cities with limited traffic access (ZTL areas in Italy). Cycle Europe is not responsible therefore for any additional time and expense that may accrue if changes in delivery location or means are necessary.  It is the renter’s responsibility to know whether the pick-up and drop- off location is acceptable.

Rental Contract to be signed upon delivery whether you are simply renting services or purchasing a tour package:  CE Bike Rental Contract and CE Van Rental Contract (whichever applies).

 

Pre- COVID-19 Rentals Package terms (listed here for reference only)

The following table explains cancellation fees for all rentals and associated services:

 Days Before Pick Up  Cancellation Fee
 30 or over  25% of rental/service fee
 30-15 days  50% of rental/service fee
 14 days or less  100% of rental/service fee

Cycle Europe reserves the right to cancel a Tour, Rental or Service prior to start date for any reason.

In the case that the reason for cancellation is within the control of Cycle Europe a choice will be provided between a full refund, which constitutes full settlement, or Money on Account credit will be issued. Refunds are for funds paid to us for booked Tour, Rental or Service and excludes expenses incurred by customer/s in instances where Cycle Europe is forced to cancel a tour, rental or service.

If the reason for cancellation is an event of force majeure (including new travel restrictions or quarantine requirements imposed by the destination or authorities due to Covid-19) Cycle Europe will abide by the mandates of local legislation, or will credit 100% of customer funds as Money on Account towards a future tour reservation or Rental departure or Service, to be used within two seasons of the cancellation date. Prices of Tours, Rentals or Services may change in that time period – travelers will be required to pay the difference between what is on account and the new price.

Events of force majeure include, but are not limited to, an act of God, fires, explosions, earthquakes, drought, tidal waves, floods, extreme weather events such as hurricane or heat wave, war, hostilities, rebellion or revolution or insurrection, military or usurped power, civil war, theft of tour equipment such as the van or bikes en route to the tour, strikes, contamination by radioactivity or biological agents, epidemics, pandemic or contagion, acts or threats of terrorism, and/or government-imposed sanctions, embargos, or advisories that restrict travel. These events will also include the failure of third parties, such as suppliers (e.g. sites visited on the tour itinerary, hotels, restaurants, taxis, etc.), subcontractors, or necessary transportation services (e.g. airlines), to perform their obligations. Cycle Europe will make a cancellation for an event of force majeure once there is indication that the event is likely to negatively impact the Tour, Rental or Service in a way that cannot be accommodated.

This section describes the terms available for participants and travelers who have placed funds for cancelled or postponed tours as credit for future use, also known as Money on Account (MOA).

  • The MOA amount made available is determined by cancellation terms based on when the participant, or Cycle Europe, communicates a cancellation, as detailed in the above sections for Tours or Rental packages.
  • MOA must be used for a booking by December 31 two years after cancellation.
  • MOA from trips in 2020 are extended and have an expiration of December 31, 2023.
  • MOA can be extended upon written request.
  • MOA can be used by the traveler originally booking the Tour or Rental, or the traveler can transfer their MOA credit to anyone else (with written, express authorization).
  • MOA cannot be applied to other travel-associated costs, like transportation or hotel costs outside of the Cycle Europe Tour or Rental package. We will only apply credit for the funds paid by the traveler towards their booked Cycle Europe Tour or Rental.
  • Any money left on account beyond expiration will be automatically forfeited.

The Organizer, BIKESPLUS SRL Agenzia Viaggi On Line (online travel agency) with registration in Forlì, Italy with the following protocol numbers: SCIA at the City Hall of Forlì (FC). Protocollo n.10890 del 09/02/2015, respecting e-commerce legislation (D.Lgs.70/2003, D.Lgs 206/2005 – Codice del Consumo, D.Lgs. 21/2014); registered with chamber of commerce with number N. 315592

Contact information and Legal address:
BikesPlus srl
via de Amicis 4/d, 47121 Forlì (FC), Italy
VAT Number and Fiscal Code:  IT03765960400
R.E.A. N. 315592
Website: www.cycleeurope.com
Email: info@cycleeurope.com
PEC (certified email):  BikesPlus@pec.it