Booking Information
A private tailored journey should feel exciting, not uncertain. This page is designed to make the practical side clear: what is generally included, what is not, how payments work, what happens if plans change, and what to expect before departure.
Every journey we arrange is bespoke. Your confirmed itinerary is always the final reference for the exact travel services included in your booking.
Trip Prices & Inclusions
Trip prices are quoted in U.S. dollars unless otherwise agreed in writing, and are based on the travel services confirmed in your itinerary.
What Is Typically Included
As a general guide, trip costs typically include:
- Bespoke itinerary design and planning
- Hotel accommodations, including accommodation taxes and service charges
- Private sightseeing with official, English-speaking local guides
- Admission fees during private guided touring
- Regional surface transportation
- Private airport, train station, and port transfers as specified
- Internal flights where specifically included
- 24/7 support before and during your trip
- Pre-trip travel documents
Your confirmed itinerary is the definitive reference for exactly what is included in your trip. Itemized cost breakdowns are not available.
What Is Not Included
Unless explicitly stated in your confirmed itinerary, the following are not included:
- International flights
- Airport departure taxes
- Travel insurance
- Gratuities for guides, drivers, hotel staff, and porters
- Laundry
- Alcoholic beverages and minibar charges
- Excess baggage charges
- Visa fees for visas obtained on arrival
- Meals not specified in the itinerary
- Optional experiences not listed in the itinerary
- Personal expenses
- Any service not specifically confirmed as included
Payments
Your trip is confirmed with a deposit of 25% of the total trip cost, due at the time of booking.
A second payment of 50% is due 60 days before your first service date.
Your final payment of 25% is due 30 days before your first service date.
For bookings made within 30 days of the first service date, full payment is due at confirmation.
We accept major American credit cards through our secure U.S.-based merchant account, as well as bank wire transfers in U.S. dollars or euro. We never ask clients to send full card details by email.
Please note that certain trips during peak travel periods, holidays, or major events may require additional advance deposits or different payment terms. If so, those terms will always be shared before confirmation.
For villa and yacht arrangements, separate terms and conditions apply and will be provided at the time of booking.
Why Our Payment Structure Works This Way
A bespoke private journey involves significant work long before departure: designing the itinerary, securing the right hotels and guides, coordinating logistics, and making commitments with trusted local partners on your behalf.
Our three-stage payment structure reflects that reality. Your final payment is just 25% of the total — due 30 days before you travel — because we believe the financial commitment should ease as your departure approaches, not increase.
Cancellation Policy
If you need to cancel, the following terms apply from the date we receive written notice by email.
A decision not to travel for any reason — including government advisories, health concerns, fear of travel, illness, weather concerns, or personal circumstances — is treated as a cancellation under these terms.
91 or More Days Before the First Service Date
At your request, your deposit may be applied in full as a credit toward one future trip departing within 12 months of the cancellation date. This credit may be used once only and is not transferable, refundable, or redeemable for cash. If no credit is requested or agreed, the deposit is forfeited. We are happy to discuss extensions in exceptional circumstances.
61 to 90 Days Before the First Service Date
The deposit is non-refundable. No further payment is due at this stage.
31 to 60 Days Before the First Service Date
50% of the total trip cost is non-refundable, reflecting the custom planning, destination expertise, administrative work, and supplier commitments already made on your behalf in the design and delivery of your trip.
0 to 30 Days Before the First Service Date
The full trip cost is non-refundable.
A change of dates or destination after confirmation is treated as a cancellation and rebooking, and cancellation charges will apply. No refunds are available after the trip has started for missed or unused services.
Please note that cancellation penalties imposed by individual suppliers — hotels, guides, rail providers, or experience operators — may be additional and will be deducted from any refund otherwise due.
Some special experiences, private events, or peak-season properties may carry separate deposit or cancellation terms. If so, those will be explained at the time of booking.
If Someone in Your Party Drops Out
Trip pricing is based on the number of travelers confirmed at booking. If one traveler withdraws after confirmation, the remaining travelers are responsible for any repricing required, including rooming changes, transport reconfiguration, loss of group rates, or single-supplement charges.
If a traveler withdraws before any deposit is paid, we will simply recalculate the proposal for the remaining group at no penalty.
Travel Insurance
Comprehensive travel insurance is strongly recommended for all trips.
For trips with a total cost of $5,000 or more, comprehensive travel insurance — including trip cancellation, trip interruption, medical expenses, and emergency evacuation — is required unless expressly waived by us in writing. Proof of coverage is required no later than your second payment date.
For lower-cost trips, we still strongly recommend equivalent coverage.
Insurance protects your investment against unforeseen events before and during travel, and is especially important for private custom trips involving advance supplier commitments. Any questions about what travel insurance does or does not cover should be directed to the insurance provider directly.
Passports, Visas & Travel Documents
All travelers are responsible for ensuring they have valid passports and all required travel documents for every destination on their itinerary. Traveler names on all bookings must match passports exactly.
Entry requirements, health requirements, and travel authorization rules can change without notice, so we encourage clients to verify all documentation requirements well in advance of departure.
Travelers to Spain, Portugal, and other Schengen Area countries should be aware that the EU’s ETIAS travel authorization system is expected to launch in late 2026, requiring advance online registration and payment of a fee before entry. Details including the launch date and fee are subject to change. Check travel-europe.europa.eu/en/etias for the most current information.
A Few Practical Notes
Baggage
Baggage is carried at the owner’s risk. Standard vehicle planning assumes one checked bag and one carry-on per traveler unless otherwise arranged. Train travel in Spain and Portugal generally does not include luggage assistance — you will be responsible for your own bags on all train journeys. If you are bringing additional or oversized luggage, please let us know at least 30 days before departure so we can plan accordingly.
Rooms & Hotel Requests
Room type, bedding, adjoining rooms, views, floor level, and similar preferences are requests only and cannot be guaranteed unless specifically confirmed in writing. Hotel classifications and standards vary by country and may differ from U.S. expectations, particularly in historic properties and more remote areas.
Dietary, Allergy & Mobility Needs
Dietary requests, allergy information, and mobility considerations should be shared with us in writing as early as possible — ideally at the time of booking — so that we can plan accordingly and communicate your needs to all relevant suppliers in advance. While we will make every reasonable effort to accommodate disclosed needs, supplier accommodations cannot always be guaranteed.
