Terms of Travel

The general terms and conditions agreed within the industry by the Swedish Travel Industry Association (SRF) on 28 June 2018 (revised 20 May 2021) apply to the trip, together with the organiser's special terms, which are stated below. Epic Trails' special terms are indicated in italics.

The tour operator has the right to apply special terms that deviate from the general ones, if the application of special terms is justified by the special nature of the trip, special provisions regarding the mode of transport (such as booking and sales conditions for scheduled flights), differing accommodation conditions due to the special nature of the trip, or special circumstances at the destination. The special terms may not conflict with the Package Travel Act to the detriment of the traveller.
The general and special terms are part of the agreement.

1.    THE AGREEMENT

1.1    The agreement becomes binding on the parties when the organiser has confirmed the traveller's order in writing, unless otherwise agreed. The organiser shall confirm the traveller's order without delay. The right of withdrawal does not apply to package travel agreements.

1.2    The main traveller is the person in whose name the agreement has been made. The main traveller is stated first in the travel documents or in another clear way. The main traveller is responsible for payment under the agreement. All changes and any cancellation must be made by the main traveller. Exceptions may be made if the main traveller becomes seriously ill and is unable to carry out the change or cancellation. The main traveller is responsible for providing the organiser with correct booking information for other travellers covered by the agreement. Any refund is made to the main traveller.

1.3    If the traveller is under 18 years of age and travels without a guardian, this must be stated at the time of booking. Certain trips may require an age limit higher than 18 years. Information is provided at the time of booking.

1.4     The departure and return times in the booking confirmation are preliminary. The organiser shall, as soon as possible and if possible no later than 20 days before departure, specify the departure times that will apply to the trip.

1.5    The organiser shall provide general information about what applies regarding passports and visas.

1.6    The organiser shall provide general information about health regulations for the destination.

1.7    A connecting trip or special arrangement is included in the package travel agreement only if these have been booked together and at one and the same time as the services included in the package trip, or if these have been sold together with other services for a total price.

1.8    Any wishes or special services at the traveller's request are included in the agreement only if these have been explicitly confirmed in writing by the organiser.

1.9    The traveller is obliged to check the booking confirmation/travel documents as soon as they are received and that all information is correct, including that names are spelled correctly and match the passport. Any inaccuracies must be reported as soon as possible. The organiser reserves the right to charge a fee corresponding to the actual cost of correcting incorrect information, together with reasonable compensation for the extra work the correction entails. If the inaccuracy is due to the organiser or someone engaged by them, the correction shall be made free of charge for the traveller.

1.10    The main traveller shall immediately notify the organiser of any changes to address, email address, telephone number, or other information relevant to the organiser's ability to contact the traveller.

1.11    For certain trips, a minimum number of participants is required for the trip to be carried out. In such cases, the traveller shall receive clear information about this no later than at the time of booking.

1.12    If flight tickets are part of the package trip, these must be used in the correct order. The traveller may therefore not use only a return ticket when both outbound and return have been booked, or only part of a flight route. If the ticket is not used from the start, the remaining parts will be cancelled.

Flight information (airports, airlines, times, flight numbers, etc.) is preliminary until the ticket has been issued.
If you book your own flight/connection to the trip's starting point, we are not responsible for it no longer being suitable if the trip has to be changed or cancelled.

2.    PRICE AND PAYMENT

2.1    The price shall be stated in such a way that the total price of the trip is clearly indicated. The price shall include all services included in the agreement, as well as mandatory surcharges, taxes and fees.

2.2    The traveller shall pay the price of the trip no later than the time stated in the agreement.

Final payment must reach us no later than 40 days before the departure date. Other deadlines may apply due to stricter supplier conditions.

2.3    The organiser may, in connection with the booking confirmation, charge a first partial payment (registration fee). The registration fee shall be reasonable in relation to the price of the trip and the circumstances in general.

The registration fee is 20% of the trip price plus 100% of an individually booked flight ticket and must reach us no later than 7 days from the booking confirmation. If the booking is made later than 40 days before departure, the entire trip must be paid immediately.
Due to stricter supplier conditions on certain trips, the registration fee must be paid earlier or before we begin booking the trip's content, and is non-refundable if the trip can be confirmed.

2.4    If the traveller does not pay the price of the trip in accordance with the agreement, the organiser has the right to terminate the agreement and charge reasonable compensation.

2.5    Unless otherwise explicitly stated, the price of the trip is based on accommodation for two people in a shared double room. For accommodation for only one person in a double room or larger room intended for more than one occupant, the organiser has the right to charge a supplementary fee.

If you have booked a shared room and no other traveller is available to share with, you will be charged a supplement for a single room shortly before departure. This does not constitute valid grounds for terminating the agreement.

2.6    The organiser is further obliged to inform the traveller of any additional costs that may arise.

3.    THE TRAVELLER'S RIGHT TO CHANGE AND CANCEL

3.1    The traveller has the right to change the agreement if the organiser permits this. Changes to the agreement may result in additional costs for the traveller from the organiser or others.

3.2    The traveller has the right to cancel the trip. The organiser reserves the right to demand compensation from the traveller for the costs incurred by the organiser as a result of the cancellation. The organiser may set reasonable standardised cancellation fees based on the time of cancellation. If the organiser has not set any standardised cancellation fees, the organiser is entitled to a reasonable cancellation fee.

Cancellation must be made in writing by email. Non-payment does not count as a cancellation.
Cancellation fees:
•    More than 40 days before departure: the registration fee
•    40-15 days before departure: 50% of the trip price
•    14-0 days before departure: 100% of the trip price
100% of an individually booked flight ticket is charged upon cancellation, in addition to the above share for the land arrangement.
Other deadlines may apply due to stricter supplier conditions.

4.    THE TRAVELLER'S RIGHT TO TRANSFER THE AGREEMENT

4.1    The traveller may transfer the agreement to someone who meets all the conditions for participating in the trip. Such a condition may, for example, be that the transport company or another party engaged by the organiser must, according to applicable rules, accept the change of traveller. The traveller must notify the organiser or reseller of the transfer within a reasonable time before departure. Notification made no later than seven days before departure is always considered to have been made within a reasonable time.

4.2    The organiser may charge a reasonable fee for the transfer. The fee may not exceed the costs incurred by the organiser as a result of the transfer. The organiser shall show how the cost has been calculated.

4.3    The transferor and the transferee are jointly and severally liable to the organiser or reseller for everything remaining to be paid for the trip and for the extra costs incurred by the transfer.

5.    CHANGES BEFORE DEPARTURE

5.1    Change of contract terms
The organiser has the right to make changes to the agreement provided that the organiser informs the traveller of the change in a clear, comprehensible and understandable way on a durable medium. If the change is insignificant, for example minor changes to flight times, the traveller is not entitled to a price reduction or damages. In the event of significant changes to the trip, the traveller shall, if possible, be offered an alternative trip or the right to terminate the agreement without a cancellation fee.

5.2    Change of price
5.2.1     The organiser may increase the price of the trip if the increase is due to changes in fuel costs, taxes   and public charges, or exchange rates.
5.2.2     The price of the trip may be increased by an amount corresponding to the traveller's share of the cost increase incurred by the organiser. The right to a price increase exists only if the total cost increase exceeds SEK 100 per booking.
5.2.3     The price of the trip shall be reduced if the organiser's costs, for the reasons stated above, decrease by a total of at least SEK 100 per booking. The organiser may, when reducing the price, deduct actual administrative costs.
5.2.4     The organiser shall notify the traveller of the price changes as soon as possible. The notification shall include a justification for the change and a calculation.
5.2.5     The price may not be increased, and does not need to be reduced, during the last 20 days before the agreed departure date.
5.2.6     The organiser may, in its special terms, waive the right to increase the price under 5.2.1. In that case, the organiser also does not need to reduce the price under 5.2.3.

5.3    The traveller's right to terminate the agreement without a cancellation fee
5.3.1     If the traveller wishes to terminate the agreement due to a significant change, e.g. if the price increases by more than 8% of the total price of the package trip, the traveller must notify the organiser that the agreement is being terminated within a reasonable time specified by the tour operator from when the organiser informed the traveller of the change. If the traveller does not do so, the traveller will be bound by the new agreement.
5.3.2     If the package travel agreement is terminated, the organiser shall, without undue delay and no later than 14 days after the agreement was terminated, refund the entire price of the trip.

5.4    The organiser's and the traveller's right to terminate the agreement in the event of unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances
5.4.1     Both the organiser and the traveller have the right to terminate the agreement if the performance of the package trip or the transport of passengers to the destination is significantly affected by unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances at the destination or in its immediate vicinity. Unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances refer, for example, to serious security problems such as war, terrorism, outbreaks of serious illness, or natural disasters. In such cases, the traveller has the right to terminate the agreement without paying any cancellation fee. If the organiser terminates the agreement in accordance with this point, the traveller is not entitled to damages. In such cases, the traveller is entitled to a full refund in the manner set out in 5.3.2.
5.4.2     The traveller does not have the right to terminate the agreement if the unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances were generally known at the time the agreement was entered into.
5.4.3     To investigate whether the event is of such a serious nature as stated above, expert Swedish or international authorities shall be consulted. From 14 days before departure, a current travel advisory from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs is grounds for termination if the advisory covers the time of the traveller's trip. A current travel advisory from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs shall also be considered grounds for termination if it is otherwise clear that the circumstances underlying the advisory affect or will affect the destination at the time of the traveller's trip.

6.    THE ORGANISER'S RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PERFORMANCE OF THE PACKAGE TRIP

6.1    Deficient performance
If a travel service is not performed in accordance with the agreement, the organiser shall remedy the defect within a reasonable time. However, the organiser is not obliged to remedy the defect if it is impossible or if remedying it would entail disproportionate costs. If the organiser does not remedy the defect, the traveller may be entitled to a price reduction and damages.

6.2    Significant defects
6.2.1     If, after departure, a significant part of the agreed services cannot be provided, the organiser shall, if possible, arrange equivalent or at least equivalent alternatives at no extra cost to the traveller. If the organiser cannot offer this, the organiser may offer alternatives of lower quality combined with a reasonable price reduction. The traveller may only reject such alternatives if they cannot be considered comparable to those that would have been provided under the agreement, or if the offered price reduction cannot be considered reasonable.
6.2.2     If the organiser cannot offer any alternative, or if the traveller has the right to reject such alternatives under 6.2.1, the traveller may be entitled to a price reduction and damages.
6.2.3     In the event of a defect that significantly affects the performance of the package trip and which the organiser has not remedied within a reasonable time, the traveller may terminate the agreement and may also be entitled to a price reduction and damages.
Defects and changes that affect less than 25% of the trip's content are not considered significant.
6.2.4     If the organiser cannot offer any alternative, or if the traveller has the right to reject such alternatives under 6.2.1, or if the traveller has terminated the agreement under 6.2.3, the traveller has the right to equivalent transport home without undue delay and at no extra cost if the package trip includes transport and the traveller is at the destination.

7.    PRICE REDUCTIONS AND DAMAGES

7.1    No price reduction is granted if the organiser can show that the defect is due to the traveller.

7.2    The traveller is not entitled to damages if the organiser shows that the defect is due to the traveller or to a third party unrelated to the provision of travel services included in the package trip, or if the defect is due to unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances.

7.3    If the defect is due to someone the organiser has engaged, the organiser is exempt from liability for damages under these travel terms only if the party engaged by the organiser would also be exempt under that provision. The same applies if the defect is due to someone else at an earlier stage.

7.4    The right to damages due to the organiser having cancelled the trip does not exist if the organiser shows that fewer people than a minimum number specified in the agreement have registered for the trip and the traveller is notified in writing within a time specified in the agreement that the trip has been cancelled.
Notification that a trip is being cancelled must be given no later than
•    20 days before departure if the trip lasts longer than 6 days
•    7 days before departure if the trip lasts between 2 and 6 days
•    48 hours before departure if the trip lasts less than 2 days
We may cancel the trip if the number of participants falls below ten.

7.5    Damages under these terms include compensation for pure financial loss, personal injury, and property damage. The traveller is obliged to limit the damage as far as possible.

7.6    Unless another limitation follows from the Package Travel Act or other mandatory legislation, the organiser's liability for damage is limited to three times the price of the package trip. However, this limitation does not apply to personal injury or damage caused intentionally or through negligence.

8.    COMPLAINTS

8.1    The traveller may only invoke defects in the agreed services if, within a reasonable time after noticing or should have noticed the defect, they notify the organiser or reseller of the defect. This must be done as soon as possible and, if possible, at the destination. When determining any price reduction or compensation for damages, the point in time at which the traveller made the complaint shall be taken into account, if such notification would have meant that the organiser could have remedied the defect.

8.2    Notwithstanding point 8.1, the traveller may invoke a defect if the organiser or reseller has acted with gross negligence or in bad faith.

9.    THE TRAVELLER'S RESPONSIBILITY DURING THE TRIP

9.1    The organiser's instructions
The traveller is obliged to follow the instructions for the performance of the trip given by the tour leader or by another person engaged by the organiser. The traveller is obliged to respect the rules of conduct that apply to the trip and at the destination, and to behave in such a way that other travellers or others are not disturbed. If the traveller significantly breaches this, the organiser may terminate the agreement without the traveller being entitled to compensation or a refund.

It is the traveller's responsibility to choose a trip that suits their physical and mental ability. If the trip must be interrupted due to insufficient ability or health, the organiser is not liable for additional costs or price reductions, but refers to the traveller's own travel insurance.

9.2    The traveller's liability for damage
The traveller is liable for any damages resulting from damage that the traveller, through negligence, causes the organiser.
The traveller is liable for compensation directly to the supplier for damage and theft resulting from negligence (for example, but not limited to, means of transport, accommodation, borrowed or rented equipment such as bicycles).

9.3    The traveller's responsibility for formalities
9.3.1    The traveller is personally responsible for observing the necessary formalities for the performance of the trip, such as possession of a valid passport, visa, vaccinations, and insurance.
9.3.2    The traveller must have completed check-in for all transport services included in the package trip in accordance with the itinerary or other instructions from the organiser or carrier.
9.3.3    The traveller is personally responsible for all costs arising from deficiencies in the aforementioned formalities, for example transport home due to lack of a passport, unless the deficiencies were caused by incorrect information from the organiser or reseller.
9.3.4    The traveller is responsible for reviewing information provided by the organiser.

9.4 Deviating from the arrangement
A traveller who, after the trip has begun, deviates from the arrangement is obliged to notify the organiser or their representative of this.

10.    THE ORGANISER'S OBLIGATION TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE

If the traveller finds themselves in difficulties during the trip, the organiser is obliged to provide appropriate help without undue delay. Such help may, for example, be information about health and medical services, local authorities, and consular support. The organiser has the right to charge a reasonable fee for such help if the situation was caused intentionally or through negligence on the part of the traveller.

11. DISPUTE RESOLUTION
The parties should try to resolve disputes concerning the interpretation or application of the agreement on their own. If the parties cannot agree, the dispute can be examined by the National Board for Consumer Disputes (ARN), Box 174, 101 23 Stockholm, www.arn.se, or by a general court. A dispute can also be examined via the EU Commission's online platform: http://ec.europa.eu/odr.