Terms & Conditions

The following document, together with all information relating to your chosen holiday contained in our literature, forms the basis of your contract with Contours Walking Holidays Ltd trading as Contours Walking Holidays, Contours Trail Running Holidays and Contours Cycling Holidays. Please read them carefully as they set out our respective rights and obligations.

Contours Walking Holidays LTD is a registered company in England & Wales. Our registration number is 04661126, with registered office Contours Walking Holidays, Unit 11, Via Gellia Mill, Via Gellia Road, Bonsall, Matlock, DE4 2AJ, United Kingdom.

We are registered with the Information Commissioner's Office in accordance with the Data Protection Act. Our reference is A8271437, and our data protection officer is Karen Simons (info@contours.co.uk).

1 Booking and payment

Please complete the online booking process via www.contours.co.uk, www.contoursrun.co.uk, or www.contourscycle.co.uk. You can also book by telephone by calling + 44 (0) 1629 821900 (our office is open from Monday to Saturday, 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM British local time excluding bank holidays). A non-refundable deposit of £200 per person per holiday, or per person per tour section if booking consecutive tours, is required at the time of booking. Some bookings may require a higher deposit due to certain services requiring payment upon booking, however this will form part of your overall price and is not an additional supplement. Full payment is required if the booking is being made within six weeks of commencement of the holiday.

Payments may be made by credit card (Mastercard or Visa), debit card (Maestro/Switch, Visa or JCB), cheque (made payable to 'Contours Holidays') or BACs bank transfer.

On receipt of your booking form and deposit, we will send you an acknowledgement of your booking and an invoice for the balance. The balance must reach us at least six weeks before the start of your holiday. The date on which the final balance of your holiday is due is shown on the invoice. If the balance is not paid in time we reserve the right to cancel your holiday, retain your deposit and apply a late payment fee of £50 per person to cover the extra administrative costs of rebooking your tour. Late payment will also delay your tour pack.

All correspondence for your booking will be sent to the person who has placed the booking with us, known as the “Lead Traveller,” only.  It is the Lead Traveller’s responsibility to manage all payments due and forward all relevant correspondence onto your party. Please note that we cannot send correspondence to other named parties on the booking due to data protection legislation.

Your tour pack will be sent to the Lead Traveller approximately four weeks before the start of your holiday.

2 If you change your booking

If you wish to make any changes to your booking prior to the due date for final payment, we will do our utmost to help, subject to an administrative charge of £50 per person, plus any additional costs we incur in making changes to your booking e.g. lost accommodation deposits. Alterations after this date will be treated as a cancellation of the original holiday and a new booking for a different holiday, and the charges set out in paragraph 4 will apply. Any alterations you wish to make to your booking must be notified to us in writing by email or letter by the Lead Traveller.

If the start date of the tour is to be altered, the administrative charge of £50 per person will apply, and the holiday cost will be adjusted to reflect the current price of the tour if it has changed since the booking was placed.

Please note that the start date of your tour may only be altered once; further alterations to the start date will be treated as a cancellation of the original holiday and a new booking for a different holiday, and the charges set out in paragraph 4 will apply.

Please note that any administrative alteration charges will not be refunded in the event of a cancellation.

3 Joining a party

If you choose to add another person to your party after making your initial booking, this will be considered a change to the booking and will incur an administration charge. We are unable to disclose the details of another customer's holiday. We are required by the UK Data Protection Act 1998 to follow strict security procedures. With the permission of the Lead Traveller of all parties involved, we can assist two parties who wish to join each other on one of our holidays. Administrative charges as set out in paragraph 2 will apply if changes to a booking are required.

4 If you cancel your booking

Should you or any member of your party be forced to cancel your booking, you must do so in writing and this email/letter must be submitted by the Lead Traveller. The cancellation will take effect from the date that such written notice is received in this office. For a cancellation received more than 42 days/6 weeks before the start date of the holiday the deposit will be forfeit, whilst any other balance payments towards the cost of the holiday will be refunded. For later cancellations the deposit will be forfeit but any balance payment towards the holiday will be refunded less the following charges:

41 – 29 days before the start:   50% of the total cost of the holiday balance 
28 – 15 days before the start:   75% of the total cost of the holiday balance

No refund can be given for a cancellation 14 or less days before the start of a holiday or whilst the holiday is in progress.

Additionally, any administrative alteration charges as described in section 2 will not be refunded in the event of a cancellation.

In addition to the above charges, it may be necessary to add single room supplements to other members of a party where member(s) of that party cancel, and reduce the group discount.

As all legal measures regarding the outbreak of Covid-19 have now been removed in the UK, your tour can still legally proceed if a member of your group contracts or tests positive for Covid-19. Should you feel too ill to travel, or otherwise decide against proceeding with your holiday, our standard cancellation policy applies.

These cancellation fees are implemented in all cases, so we recommend that you are fully covered by a comprehensive travel insurance policy.

5 Groups

We offer discounts for groups of three or more travellers booking a holiday together. Details are available on our websites. Group discounts do not apply to travel agent bookings or in conjunction with any other discounts or special offers.

When making a group booking, the person first named on the booking form will become the Lead Traveller, accepting on behalf of all your party these booking conditions. The confirmation invoice and holiday pack for the group will be sent to the Lead Traveller. Any questions concerning the holiday from members of the group must be sent to us by the Lead Traveller only.

6 Website accuracy

The information given on our website, and any other publications from Contours Holidays, has been carefully checked and we believe that it is correct at the time of publication. We reserve the right to make changes and where they occur, they will be advised to you before the booking contract is concluded. The prices shown include VAT. Should VAT rise above 20% the prices shown may alter. If there are any changes to the published prices, these will be confirmed at the time of booking.

7 Changes or cancellation by us

Very occasionally we have to make changes to a holiday after a booking has been confirmed or cancel confirmed bookings. Whilst we always endeavour to avoid changes and cancellations we must reserve the right to do so. If we have to cancel your holiday or make a significant change before departure (such as a change of accommodation to that of a lower official classification or standard for the whole or a major part of the time you are away, a change of accommodation area for the whole or a major part of the time you are away or a change to the date of departure) we will tell you as soon as possible and you will have the choice of:

• accepting the changed arrangements or
• taking an alternative holiday (and where this is of a lower price we will refund the difference, but where the price is higher we may ask you to pay the difference) or
• cancelling or accepting the cancellation and receiving a full refund of all monies paid.

Please note that the above options are not available where any change is a minor one (i.e. any change not included above). Compensation will not be payable and no liability beyond offering the above mentioned choices can be accepted where we have to cancel as a result of unusual and unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control or force majeure.

We regret we cannot pay any expenses, costs or losses incurred by you as a result of any change or cancellation. No compensation will be payable if we cancel as a result of your failure to comply with any requirement of these booking conditions entitling us to cancel, such as paying on time.

8 Force majeure

We regret we cannot accept any liability or pay any compensation where the performance or prompt performance of our contractual obligations is prevented or affected by, or you otherwise suffer any damage or loss as a result of force majeure. Force majeure means any event which we, or the supplier of the service(s) in question, could not, even with all due care, foresee or avoid. Such events include war or threat of war, riots, civil strife, terrorist activities, industrial disputes, fire, natural or nuclear disasters, adverse weather conditions and all similar events outside our control.

9 Our responsibility

We will accept responsibility if any death, personal injury, failure or deficiency of your holiday arrangements is caused by negligence or omissions by us, or our agents or suppliers. We will not be responsible for any injury, illness, death, loss, damage, expense, cost or other sum or claim of any description whatsoever which results from the fault of the person(s) affected or any member(s) of their party or results from an event or circumstance which we or the supplier of the service(s) in question could not have predicted or avoided even after taking all reasonable care. We cannot accept responsibility for any services which do not form part of our contract. This includes, for example, any additional services or facilities which your hotel or any other supplier agrees to provide for you where the services or facilities are not advertised on our website and we have not agreed to arrange them. The maximum liability for any damages other than for personal injury or illness will be limited to the price paid for the holiday.

10 Your responsibilities

It is your responsibility to ensure that you are physically fit, adequately experienced, suitably equipped for your holiday and aware of the risks involved in such a holiday. Although Contours Holidays will ensure the holiday is as safe as possible you must accept that the sole responsibility for your personal safety remains with you. In the interests of safety you must undertake to follow the advice in the guidebook or route notes provided, as well as that provided by anybody on our behalf, heed any warning or advisory notices encountered on your holiday, follow the Country Code and act sensibly and prudently at all times.

Following the outbreak of Covid-19, service providers such as taxis and accommodations implemented special measures to ensure the safety of their staff and guests. Even though all legal measures to combat Covid-19 have now been removed in the UK, all customers must still adhere to any health and safety guidelines set by their hosts throughout the course of their holiday.

Additionally, any damage caused by group members to accommodations or taxis used in the course of your holiday is the responsibility of the group. Likewise, any damage caused by solo travellers is their own responsibility.  Contours Holidays cannot accept responsibility for any such damage, and accommodations/taxis booked retain the right to reclaim costs from the Lead Traveller, whether they are travelling as part of a group or alone.

Contours Holidays cannot accept responsibility for any wear & tear to equipment you provide for your holiday. Likewise, you accept responsibility for any breakages that occur during your tour, even if they hinder your ability to complete your tour. We will do our utmost to assist you in procuring replacements or repairs, but any cost for the same lies with you, and no refunds can be issued for tours halted due to damaged or broken equipment.

Unless instructed or agreed otherwise, UK-based customers should expect their tour pack to be dispatched to your given home address four weeks prior to the start date of your holiday, and you will receive an email confirming the dispatch. You must inform us in a timely manner if you fail to receive your tour pack for whatever reason - if you inform us within 7 working days of your holiday start date that your tour pack has not arrived, you may incur additional charges to have a replacement tour pack sent via priority mail. Overseas customers should expect their tour pack to be dispatched to their first night's accommodation to be collected at the start of your holiday; a digital copy will also be emailed to you (sans guidebooks/maps) four weeks prior to the start date of your holiday, and alternative arrangements can be offered and discussed as required.

Activities that you may choose to undertake whilst you are on one of our tours that are not booked or paid for by us are not part of your Contours arrangements. We are not responsible for anything that happens during the course of such activities. Travellers must wear a CE EN 1078-compliant cycling helmet to be covered by our liability insurance for any injuries sustained while cycling.

11 Luggage Transfers

Contours Holidays does not accept any liability for damage or loss to any item of luggage or its contents during transportation. It is your responsibility to ensure that your bags are safely packed and contain no valuable and/or fragile items such as laptops, tablets, cameras, mobile phones or glass. Your luggage and its contents must be protected by a suitable insurance policy.

Each bag being transported must not weigh more than 20kg (44 lbs) and must be of a suitable construction, e.g. a suitcase or duffle bag which can be closed and its contents secured; open bags will not be accepted. Each customer is entitled to one bag. Additional bags may be added for a fee. There must be no items attached to the outside of the bag or any items which may have sharp edges. Our agents who move the luggage reserve the right to refuse overweight bags or bags that do not fit the above-mentioned criteria. Contours Holidays does not accept any liability or costs or inconvenience that this refusal may incur.

12 Gift Vouchers and Credit Notes

Gift vouchers may be purchased from the Contours websites, and are valid as part or whole payment against the balance of any Contours holiday. Gift vouchers purchased on or after 14/11/2018 are valid for two years after purchase.

Credit notes may be issued by Contours at our discretion, and are likewise valid for two years after issue if issued after 14/11/2018.

13 Complaints and problems

In the unlikely event that you have any reason to complain or experience any problems with your holiday whilst away, you must contact our office immediately so that we have the opportunity to rectify your complaint at the time and we will do our best to resolve the problem straight away. Should it not be possible to resolve your complaint immediately, you should write to us, giving full details, within 14 days of the holiday’s conclusion. Complaints received after this date can be very difficult to investigate.

14 Privacy

We treat your data with care and keep it as secure as is reasonably possible. We’ll never sell your personal details to another organisation, and we’ll always ask your consent before sending marketing emails. For further details see our privacy policy.

By sharing any contribution (including any text, photographs, graphics, video or audio) with Contours Holidays, you agree to grant Contours, free of charge, permission to use the material in any way it sees fit (including modifying and adapting it for operational and editorial reasons). When submitting feedback, Contours Holidays reserves the right to both act on information given (in order to resolve issues and improve our services) and share testimonials with approved third-party review partners.

15 Jurisdiction

All matters arising from your contract with us are governed by English Law and are subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

16 Travel Insurance

You must protect yourself, your equipment and luggage with a suitable holiday insurance policy as a condition of travel. This insurance should also be arranged to cover non-returnable costs should you have to cancel your trip due to unexpected personal circumstances.

17 Consumer protection

In accordance with the UK Package Travel & Linked Travel Regulations 2018, Directive (EU) 2015/2302 or the local applicable law in the country of residence of the passenger(s) booking with Contours Walking Holidays Ltd. are fully protected for the initial deposit and subsequently the balance of all monies received by us, including repatriation costs and arrangements, arising from cancellation or curtailment of your travel arrangements due to the insolvency of Contours Walking Holidays Ltd.

The respective laws accordingly to the country of residence of the passenger(s) usually only requires us to provide cover for Package & Linked Travel Arrangements, there is no requirement for Financial Protection of day trips or single elements, and none is provided unless the local law requires such. If you have questions on this then please contact Contours Walking Holidays Ltd.

Contours Walking Holidays Ltd. has taken out an insurance provided by International Passenger Protection Ltd (IPP) with Liberty Mutual Insurance Europe SE (LMIE) trading as Liberty Specialty Markets, a member of the Liberty Mutual Insurance Group. LMIE's registered office: 5-7 rue Leon Laval, L-3372, Leudelange, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Registered Number B232280 (Registre de Commerce et des Sociétés).  LMIE is a European public limited liability company and is supervised by the Commissariat aux Assurances and licensed by the Luxembourg Minister of Finance as an insurance and reinsurance company. This insurance is only valid for passengers who book and pay directly with/to Contours Walking Holidays Ltd.

In the event of our insolvency please make contact as soon as practically possible giving full details of what has happened quoting the name of your Travel Operator: 

For UK & Worldwide excluding EU Passengers
IPP Claims at Sedgwick
Telephone: +44 (0)345 266 1872
Email: Insolvency-claims@ipplondon.co.uk
Or online at http://www.ipplondon.co.uk/claims.asp

For EU Passengers
IPP Claims at Sedgwick
Telephone: +31 103120666
Email: ippclaims@nl.sedgwick.com
Or online at https://www.ipplondon.co.uk/claims.as

18 Storing your data

We store and process your data based on the contract formed when you make your booking, and in line with the General Data Protection Rules (2018).

We securely process and store data in order to enable us to process your booking, fulfill the services we offer, send you your holiday details, and help us to contact you urgently if there are any problems. We also use your details to enable website functionality including bookings history, members’ area logins and to calculate loyalty discounts.

We retain your data only as long as is necessary to provide the aforementioned service and functionality. We will remove or redact personal data under the following circumstances…

• You request erasure of your data, as is your right, by contacting our Data Protection Officer, Karen Simons (info@contours.co.uk).
• The customer is deceased.
• The customer hasn’t made a booking in the past 7 years.

19 About this document

This document was last updated on the 2nd April 2024. We reserve the right to update this document without notice.