Booking Terms

Booking Terms

For quick and convenient access to our cancellation and amendment terms please click on the links below

Cancellation and Amendment Terms for:

Accommodation Only Bookings
Other Travel Arrangements

1. These terms govern all bookings made (whether through OctopusTravel's web site or otherwise) with OctopusTravel.com Limited ("OctopusTravel") registered in Hong Kong SAR under number 3134016-000-10-00-4 whose registered office is at 19/F, Malaysia Building, 50 Gloucester Road, Hong Kong. All correspondence should be addressed to OctopusTravel.com Limited, 11/F, Greatmany Centre, 109-115 Queens Road East, Wanchai, Hong Kong. You accept these booking terms on behalf of all members of your party.

2. Any booking made or order placed by you shall be deemed to be an offer by you to purchase the relevant accommodation and/or travel arrangements subject to these booking conditions. No contract between you and OctopusTravel shall come into existence until octopustravel (a) issues a booking reference number; (b) issues a booking confirmation by email, fax or post; and (c) receives payment in full.When the items have been confirmed and payment has been received, you will be able to print the accommodation or sightseeing vouchers from your account. The vouchers must be presented to the accommodation reception at the time of check in, or to the service provider, as evidence that the services have been booked and paid for in advance. Failure to present the voucher may result in your being charged again (at the full service providers published rates) or the service not being provided.

3. Payment in full is required at the time of booking. Payment should be made through OctopusTravel's web site by credit or debit card. Where OctopusTravel is unable to confirm the initial requested accommodation an alternative may be provided and an email notification will be sent to inform you of the details. The reservation will be held for 48 hours in order for you to signify acceptance by making payment in full. Failure to make payment within 48 hours of the booking confirmation for accommodation not available for immediate confirmation will result in automatic cancellation of the booking.

4.Prices are shown in the currency requested with rates of exchange calculated on a daily basis. Prices may therefore differ on a daily basis to reflect any movement in exchange rate levels. When a booking is made the exchange rate will be fixed at the time the booking is created and will apply to any amendments or cancellations to items within the booking or to any items added subsequently. Exchange rates are determined by OctopusTravel.

5. Bookings for travel arrangements will not be accepted less than 72 hours prior to the date of arrival, unless the arrangements requested are shown as “Available” immediately.

6. Hotels. Star ratings are used to symbolise the overall quality, level of service, food standard and range of facilities available in any given hotel property. The criteria applied within each country will vary depending on the specific requirements established by the relevant issuing body but the outlines below will give a general understanding of what can typically be expected within each category:

(THESE RATINGS ARE FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND ARE NOT A GUARANTEE OR WARRANTY OF ANY KIND BY OCTOPUSTRAVEL)

1	Majority will be small, independently owned properties. There is likely to be a limited range of meals and facilities.
2	Varying from small to medium sized properties offering more extensive facilities. Reception and staff will aim for a more professional presentation than at one star level and a wider range of services, including food and drink, is likely to be found. Some rooms may be provided with en-suite facilities but this is not guaranteed.
3	Hotel properties will usually be of a size to support higher staffing levels and with a greater quality and range of facilities. Reception and public areas will be more spacious. All bedrooms should come with en-suite facilities and room service may be available.
4	At this level there should be a noticeable difference in the degree of quality in the furnishings, décor and equipment. Bedrooms are usually more spacious than those found in lower starred properties. Services such as porterage, 24-hour room service, laundry and dry cleaning may be available.
5	These properties should provide spacious and luxurious accommodation throughout the hotel. Flawless attention to the guest's requirements should be provided.

The room types used by OctopusTravel are as follows:

Twin room

Contains two single beds in the same room. Suitable for two people.

Double room

Contains one double bed. Suitable for two people.

Single room

Contains one single bed. Suitable for one person.

Triple room

Contains twin or double bed/s + extra bed, or two double beds. Most hotels do not have one full size bed for each guest in their triple rooms.

Twin room for sole use

Contains two single beds or one double bed in the same room, to be occupied by one person.

Quad room

Contains two double beds or four beds in a room suitable for accommodating four adults.

Twin/Double + child

Twin or Double room with an extra bed suitable for a child aged between 2-18 years.

Cot/ cradle or crib

Suitable for a child under the age of 2 years.

You must make payment for extras (such as incidental charges, meals, meal supplements, mini-bar, dry cleaning and laundry) prior to your departure from the hotel. Hotels in California may levy a daily supplement to be paid prior to departure due to an increase in the State power charges.

7. Apartments and villas. Where this information is available, apartments and villas are graded according to the general standard of the accommodation. However, this grading is not always carried out by an official body, and is not equivalent to standard star ratings used for hotels. Grading (where available) should be regarded as a general guide only. THE GRADINGS ARE FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND ARE NOT A GUARANTEE OR WARRANTY OF ANY KIND BY OCTOPUSTRAVEL.

Grade 1 : acceptable overall level of quality. Adequate provision of furniture, furnishings and fittings.

Grade 2 : good overall level of quality. Good overall standard of furnishings, service and guest care.

Grade 3 : good to very good level of quality. Good standard of maintenance and decoration. Ample space and good quality furniture.

Grade 4 : excellent overall level of quality. Very good care and attention to detail will be obvious throughout.

Grade 5 : exceptional overall level of quality. High levels of décor, fixtures and fittings, together with excellent standards of management efficiency and guest services. Excellent range of accessories and personal touches.

You should note the following points about apartment/villa accommodation.

You and the other members of your party are responsible for any damage caused by your party.

You and your party must comply with any rules and regulations set by the accommodation provider.

The total number of people (including infants and children) using the accommodation must not exceed the maximum occupancy shown on the website, otherwise you may be refused access to the accommodation or charged an additional amount.

You and the other members of your party are responsible for payment of any charges made for use of facilities, such as electricity, gas, water, telephone, linen and security, and for any other fees levied by the accommodation provider for the use of amenities.

You are likely to be asked to pay a deposit when you arrive at the accommodation, which will normally be applied to a credit card, in order to cover supplementary charges that may be incurred by you during your stay.

The website may contain a plan of the layout of the accommodation. If so, this is based on specifications provided to us by the accommodation providers. The plan will only be a general representation of the accommodation. Actual unit size, design, fixtures, furnishings and facilities may vary from those shown on the plan.

8. OctopusTravel does not endorse or recommend any particular accommodation or travel product. Reasonable care has been taken that the content of this web site is correct but it is subject to amendment at any time without notice. All content on this web site (including information about travel products, tours and accommodation facilities) is published in good faith but you acknowledge that OctopusTravel cannot check the accuracy of all information provided by its suppliers.

9. You confirm that you are at least 18 years of age. All bookings are personal to you and may not be sold, assigned or otherwise transferred. You must be 21 years of age to check in to Las Vegas hotels.

10. Our privacy statement and site terms are incorporated into these terms. From time to time we randomly record telephone calls as a security measure and to monitor and improve customer service.

11. Passport, visa and health requirements for you and your party are your responsibility. You are strongly recommended to obtain travel insurance against cancellation and for medical cover.

12. Cancellations and amendments to confirmed bookings are subject to the following conditions.

For accommodation:

i) A cooling off period of 24 hours will apply to those bookings (other than those mentioned below) made more than 72 hours in advance of the arrival date at the accommodation.

This will allow cancellation or amendment of an item within the 24-hour period after the first confirmation of that item without any charges being applied.

No cooling off period applies to bookings of

apartments, made between 0-10 days prior to arrival or

other accommodation made for times when trade fairs, exhibitions, major conferences or other major events are being held at the relevant location. These sorts of events are referred to in this section as “Special Events”. Customers will be notified at the time of booking if a Special Event applies.

ii) - For accommodation (other than apartments) during non-Special Event periods -

Cancellation charges will be applied in relation to the notice period between notification of cancellation and the date of stay at EACH place of accommodation within a booking

Amendments and changes where EITHER the number of rooms (irrespective of room type) OR the number of nights decreases will be charged as below

Cancellations

Notice Period	Charges
0-72hours	the charge for the first nights accommodation
72hrs-1 week	The lesser of USD 50 or the charge for the first nights accommodation
1 week-3 months	The lesser of USD 25 or the charge for the first nights accommodation
More than 3 months	No charges

Amendments

Notice Period	Charges
0-72 hours	The lesser of USD 25 or the charge for the first nights accommodation
More than 72 hours	The lesser of USD 13 or the charge for the first nights accommodation

Passenger name changes or child age changes will incur no charges. All amendments are subject to availability.

If you do not arrive at the accommodation on the date on which you booked to arrive or you leave the accommodation earlier than the date on which you booked to leave, then you will only be entitled to cancel or amend the booking from the time when OctopusTravel receives notification from you during OctopusTravel working hours. All such cancellations and amendments are subject to you incurring the charge for the next twenty-four hours accommodation after OctopusTravel's receipt of notification.

Cancellations notified directly to the hotel or other accommodation will not be effective. Requests for cancellations and amendments must be made on the OctopusTravel.com website.

iii) For accommodation (other than apartments) during Special Event periods -

#CUSTOMERS WILL BE NOTIFIED AT THE TIME OF BOOKING IF SPECIAL CONDITIONS WILL APPLY#

100% cancellation charges will apply to any dates of stay falling within a Special Event period. For dates of stay within the same booking, not falling within a Special Event period, our standard non-Special Event period cancellation and amendment conditions will apply.

Any changes or modifications for dates of stay falling within a Special Event period will be treated as cancellations and will incur charges as above. The only exceptions to this will be where additional rooms/beds/cots/nights are added to existing confirmed rooms or nights.

iv) For apartment accommodation -

Cancellations

Notice period	Charges
0-10 days	100% charges
More than 10 days	No charges

Where additional rooms/beds/cots/nights are added to existing confirmed rooms or nights, no amendment charges will apply. Any other changes or modifications to apartment bookings will be treated as cancellations and only incur amendment charges between 0-10 days prior to arrival.

For other travel arrangements:

Scheduled Sightseeing Tours

Special conditions

Where special conditions are attached to any Tours you will be informed at the time of booking of the relevant cancellation conditions which will apply.

For Tours without special conditions cancellation charges will be applied in relation to the notice period between notification of cancellation and the date the service is due to commence

Cancellations and Amendments

Notice period Charges

0-72hours 100% charges

More than 72 hours No charges

Amendments will only be charged at 100% where the number of clients decreases.

Private Transfers and Tailor-Made Sightseeing Tours

Special conditions

Where special conditions are attached to any Tours you will be informed at the time of booking of the relevant cancellation conditions which will apply.

For Tours without special conditions cancellation charges will be applied in relation to the notice period between notification of cancellation and the date the service is due to commence

Cancellations and Amendments

Notice period Charges

0-96 hours 100% charges

More than 96 hours No charges

Amendments will only be charged at 100% where the number of clients decreases.

13. Important Information for Sightseeing Tours -

Scheduled Sightseeing

Tips are not included. These are at your discretion.
Children travelling free may not be entitled to meals and must be carried on the lap of accompanying adults if no seats are available.
Suppliers of sightseeing tours reserve the right to ask any person to withdraw from any tour if they deem their acts or conduct offensive or a nuisance to other passengers and there shall be no further liability.
Suppliers of sightseeing tours decline any responsibility for articles forgotten or lost in their vehicles.
Pick up times from hotels and duration of all tours are approximate and may be subject to traffic conditions.
Where hotel pick-up is offered, suppliers will pick up from the majority of major hotels in the city, but not necessarily from all hotels.
If the supplier is unable to pick you up from your requested hotel, an alternative pick-up point will be suggested.
Suppliers of sightseeing tours reserve the right to alter itineraries or to cancel the tours at short or no notice for any reason.
Where it is necessary to cancel the tour, you will be offered at least one of the following options:

- To join the requested tour at an alternative time or at an alternative date.

- To join an alternative tour.

- To receive a full refund from OctopusTravel.com

Private Transfers and Tailor-Made Sightseeing Tours

Porterage is not included.
Tips are not included.
For services where you have luggage with you, it is your responsibility to ensure that a large enough vehicle is booked to accommodate all luggage. If you bring extra luggage that cannot fit in the vehicle, you will need to cover any additional costs incurred in transferring your luggage.
For services beginning at airports, stations or ports, it is your responsibility to ensure that you wait for your Driver or Representative at the appointed meeting point as detailed on your voucher.
Should you not be able to locate your Driver or Representative at the start of a service, it is your responsibility to call the relevant telephone number as shown on your Extra Information sheet before making alternative arrangements.
For services beginning from accommodation, please ensure that you are waiting at the appointed meeting point, as shown on your voucher, at least 5 minutes prior to your confirmed pick up time.
Tailor-made sightseeing with a Driver and a Local Guide does not include any entrance fees. Local Guides enter many attractions free of charge, but where you require your Guide to accompany you into an attraction, you may be asked to cover the Guide’s entrance fee as well as your own.
Where available, tailor-made sightseeing may be conducted with a Driver providing the commentary whilst driving. You should note that although drivers are able to give commentary while driving, they may not be able to park the vehicle and accompany you inside specific attractions and they may not be permitted to conduct tours on foot, due to guiding regulations. This option is therefore best suited to visitors looking for a panoramic city tour.
Tailor-made sightseeing should be conducted within the city limits.
For tailor-made sightseeing services you can expect your local guide to have a good overall knowledge of the city sights but if you require exceptionally in-depth commentary on a particular attraction, this may not be possible.
For transfer services where a Local Representative is included in the service, they will assist with check-in as necessary at your accommodation, airport, port or station.
For transfers that include the services of a Driver who speaks either the local or a foreign language, the driver will not assist with check-in at your accommodation or at the airport, port or station unless stated in the extended description for that particular service.
For transfer services where a Local Representative is available at the airport only, they will escort you to your waiting driver who will carry out the rest of the service in your booked vehicle.
When advising details for the service you wish to book, it is your responsibility to ensure that all details sent to us are correct.
The durations of all transfers are representative of the driving time in average driving conditions. We take no responsibility for a flight, train or other connection being missed should the duration of the service exceed that which we display.

RAIL PASS: GENERAL TERMS & CONDITIONS

Rail Passes are issued in a booklet with a cover or wallet (pass cover) containing additional conditions which apply to the Rail Pass. The coupon(s) in the booklet, together with the pass cover, form a single travel document. Coupon(s) without a cover and/or without a date stamp and/or imprint of the issuing office are invalid.
Each Rail Pass is valid for travel within the countries and on the services specified for each type of pass.
The rail pass is strictly personal, non-transferable and only valid upon presentation of a passport or a valid travel document replacing the passport.
The Rail pass will be issued to you within <10> working days by post
The Rail Pass must be validated by a European railway ticket office before travel and within 6 months of the pass being issued, in accordance with the instructions on the pass cover. Validation on board trains will be subject to an extra fee.
Travel must be completed within the period of validity on the pass.
Seat reservations are compulsory on most long distance trains. The Rail Pass does not guarantee a seat on a train or passage on a ship - if this is included in your pass - unless a seat reservation is secured in advance. Please enquire before travel at the issuing office or in Europe at a railway station or a shipping company office.
Fees for seat reservations, sleeping accommodation, meals and other extra services on board trains and ships - where applicable - are not included and must be paid for separately.
If the traveller cannot present a valid passport with his/her Rail Pass, control staff are authorized to demand payment of a full fare ticket and a fine, charged in conformity with the conditions of the rail carrier concerned.
Rail Passes may be confiscated and/or fines imposed if the pass is not validated, has been altered or tampered with, is forged or used by a person other than the named traveller and if the pass is used beyond the validity period.
Neither Octopus nor the rail carrier will be held responsible for loss due to strikes, delays or missed connections,
Neither Octopus nor the rail carrier will be held responsible for loss due to theft or loss of non-registered baggage.
Octopus is merely an intermediary of the rail carriers of Europe and accepts no liability resulting from the transport contract.
No refunds or replacements will be made for loss, theft or partly used Rail Passes. For refunds on unused passes please refer to the conditions on the pass cover
The Rail Pass is valid in the class indicated on the pass. For 1st class travel with a 2nd class pass, the full difference between 1st and 2nd fare on the respective route must be paid, where this is permitted, within the conditions of the pass.
Where trains transit through a country not covered by the Rail Pass, an additional ticket must be purchased, in accordance with that rail company.
The pass holder must enter the chosen date of each travel day on the pass before boarding the first train/ship of that day. Please refer to the conditions on the Rail Pass for more details.

15. OctopusTravel shall not be liable for any failure or delay in performance of its obligations which results directly or indirectly from any cause or circumstance which is beyond its reasonable control. The following shall be regarded as examples of such circumstances: act of God, outbreak of hostilities, riot, civil disturbance, acts of terrorism, revolution, the act of any government or authority (including but not limited to refusal or revocation of any licence or consent), fire, flood, lightning, explosion, fog or bad weather, interruption or failure of a utility service (including but not limited to electricity, gas, water or telecommunications), renovations undertaken by the hotel, strikes, lockouts or boycotts, embargo, blockade.

16. Any complaint about the booking service must be notified to OctopusTravel in writing or by email as soon as possible. Any complaint regarding the travel arrangements must be brought to the attention of the local supplier’s management as early as possible during your stay and, if not resolved to your satisfaction, should be notified to OctopusTravel in writing.

17. For bookings of accommodation and services which are not covered by the Package Travel Regulations legislation we accept responsibility for the acts and/or omissions of our employees, agents and suppliers except where they lead to death, injury or illness. OctopusTravel endeavours to ensure that its discount vouchers are always redeemable; however we allow our supplier partners to change the terms of these vouchers or withdraw them without notice at any time. This rarely happens and whilst the discount should be available it cannot therefore be guaranteed.

18. OctopusTravel shall not be liable for any failure or delay in performance of its obligations which results directly or indirectly from any cause or circumstance which is beyond its reasonable control. The following shall be regarded as examples of such circumstances: act of God, outbreak of hostilities, riot, civil disturbance, acts of terrorism, revolution, the act of any government or authority (including but not limited to refusal or revocation of any licence or consent), fire, flood, lightning, explosion, fog or bad weather, interruption or failure of a utility service (including but not limited to electricity, gas, water or telecommunications), renovations undertaken by the hotel, strikes, lockouts or boycotts, embargo, blockade.

OctopusTravel's liability to you is limited to the higher of (a) USD 1,500 and (b) twice the value of the booking made with OctopusTravel. To the extent permitted in law, all conditions, warranties or obligations whether express or implied by statute, common law or otherwise are excluded and these terms shall apply in their place. However, this will not apply to OctopusTravel's liability for death or personal injury caused by OctopusTravel's negligence in respect of which there is no limitation.

17. OctopusTravel reserves the right to change these terms from time to time.

18. Your booking is governed by Hong Kong SAR law and is subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Hong Kong SAR courts. The booking confirmation and these terms represent the entire agreement between OctopusTravel and you. You confirm that you have not entered into the contract with OctopusTravel on the basis of any representation not expressly incorporated into these documents.

19. Except as otherwise provided in these booking terms and conditions, your statutory rights are not affected.