Booking Terms & Conditions

The following Booking Conditions together with the General Information form the basis of your contract with Ski France Limited.

Please read them carefully as they set out our respective rights and obligations. In these booking conditions, you and your means all persons named on the booking (including anyone who is added or substituted at a later date. We, us and our means Ski France Limited, Ski France Ltd Top Floor, Linkline House, 65 Church Road, Hove, East Sussex BN3 2BD. These Booking Conditions only apply to holiday arrangements, which you book with us in the UK and which we agree to make, provide or perform (as applicable) as part of our contract with you. All references in these Booking Conditions to holiday, booking, contract, package, tour or arrangements mean such holiday arrangements.

1. Your holiday contract

When you make a booking you guarantee that you have the authority to accept and do accept on behalf of your party the terms of these booking conditions. A contract will exist as soon as we issue our confirmation invoice to you or your travel agent.

We both agree that English Law (and no other) will apply to your contract and to any dispute, claim or other matter of any description, which arises between us (except as set out below). We both also agree that any dispute, claim or other matter of any description (and whether or not involving any personal injury) which arises between us must be dealt with by the Courts of England and Wales only unless, in the case of Court proceedings, you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland.

In this case, proceedings must either be brought in the Courts of your home country or those of England and Wales. If proceedings are brought in Scotland or Northern Ireland, you may choose to have your contract and any dispute, claim or other matter of any description which arises between us governed by the law of Scotland/ Northern Ireland as applicable (but if you do not so choose, English law will apply).

Note: If you had not seen these terms and conditions when you made your booking and you are not happy to proceed with the booking now that you have seen them please return all documentation to us or your travel agent within 7 working days of the date of issue of the confirmation invoice. Your booking will be cancelled and your monies returned in full. This clause does not apply if your booking was made within 10 weeks of travel.

2. Confirmation Invoice

Once we have received your booking and all appropriate payments (see clause 4 below), we will, subject to availability, confirm your holiday by issuing a confirmation invoice. This invoice will be sent to the party leader or your travel agent. Please check this invoice carefully as soon as you receive it. Contact us immediately if any information, which appears on the confirmation, or any other document appears to be incorrect or incomplete as it may not be possible to make changes later. [We regret we cannot accept any liability if we are not notified of any inaccuracies in any document within [ten days] of our sending it out ([five days] for tickets)]. We will do our best to rectify any mistake notified to us outside these time limits but you must meet any costs involved in doing so. The only exception to this requirement to meet costs is where the mistake in question was made by us and there is good reason why you did not tell us about it within these time limits.

3. Your Financial Protection

We hold an Air Travel Organiser’s Licence issued by the Civil Aviation Authority (ATOL number 5671.) This means the air holidays in this brochure are ATOL protected. In the unlikely event of our insolvency, the CAA will ensure that you are not left stranded abroad and will arrange to refund any money you have paid to us for an advance booking. For further information, visit the ATOL website at www.atol.org.uk

4. Your Holiday Price

When you make your booking you must pay a deposit of £125 per person (or in the case of ‘Travel Only’, reservations using scheduled services, or if you are booking within 8 weeks of departure, the full amount of the cost of your booking) at the time of booking. In the case of some holiday promotions a condition of the promotional price is that balance is paid in full at the time of booking. You will be advised of this at the time of booking. The full balance of the price of your travel arrangements must be paid at least 8 weeks before your departure date. If the deposit and/or balance is not paid in full and on time (including any surcharge where applicable), we shall cancel your travel arrangements. If the balance is not paid in full and on time we shall retain your deposit. If we do not cancel straight away because you have promised to make payment, you must pay the cancellation charges shown in clause 7 depending on the date we reasonably treat your booking as cancelled.

All monies you pay to one of our travel agents are held by him on our behalf at all times until they are paid to us or refunded to you.

If payment is made by credit card we will impose a 2.5% charge on the entire amount placed on the card.

We reserve the right to make changes to and correct errors in advertised prices at any time before your holiday is confirmed. We will advise you of any error of which we are aware and of the then applicable price at the time of booking.

Once the price of your chosen holiday has been confirmed at the time of booking, then subject to the correction of errors, we will only increase or decrease the price in the following circumstances. Price increases or decreases after booking will be passed on by way of a surcharge or refund. A surcharge or refund (as applicable) will be payable, subject to the conditions set out in this clause, if transportation costs or dues, taxes or fees payable for services such as landing taxes or embarkation or disembarkation fees at [ports or] airports increase or decrease or our costs increase or decrease as a result of any adverse or favourable changes in the exchange rates which have been used to calculate the cost of your holiday.

Even in the above cases, only if the amount of the increase in our costs exceeds 2% of the total cost of your holiday (excluding insurance premiums and any amendment charges), will we levy a surcharge. If we do so there will be an administration charge of £1 per person together with an amount to cover agents commission. If any surcharge is greater than 10% of the cost of your holiday (excluding insurance premiums and any amendment charges), you will be entitled to cancel your booking and receive a full refund of all monies you have paid to us (except for any amendment charges) or alternatively purchase another holiday from us as referred to in clause 7 Changes and Cancellations by us. Although insurance (where purchased through us) does not form part of your contract with us or of any package, we will consider an appropriate refund of any insurance premiums you have paid us if you can show you are unable to use/reuse or transfer your policy in the event of cancellation or purchase of an alternative holiday.

You have 14 days from the issue date printed on the surcharge invoice to tell us if you want to choose option (b) or (c) as set out in clause 7 below. If you do not tell us that you wish to choose either of these options within this period of time, we are entitled to assume that you do not wish to do so and will pay the surcharge. Any surcharge must be paid with the balance of the cost of the holiday or within 14 days of the issue date printed on the surcharge invoice, whichever is the later. Please note that travel arrangements are not always purchased in local currency and some apparent changes have no impact on the price of your travel due to contractual and other protection in place.
We promise not to levy a surcharge within 30 days of departure.

Please note, changes and errors occasionally occur. You must check the price of your chosen holiday at the time of booking.

5. If You Change Your Booking

If, after our confirmation invoice has been issued, you wish to change your travel arrangements in any way, for example your chosen departure date or accommodation, we will do out utmost to make these changes but it may not always be possible. Any request for changes to be made must be in writing from the person who made the booking or your travel agent. You will be asked to pay an administration charge of £20 (and £40 if within 10 days of departure) per change together with any costs incurred by ourselves and any costs or charges incurred or imposed by any of our suppliers in making this alteration. You should be aware that these costs could increase the closer to the departure date that changes are made and you should contact us as soon as possible.

Note: Certain travel arrangements (eg Eurostar tickets) may not be changeable after a reservation has been made and any alteration request could incur a cancellation of up to 100% of that part of the arrangements.

6. If You Cancel Your Holiday

You, or any member of your party, may cancel your holiday arrangements at any time. Written notification from the person who made the booking or your travel agent on your behalf must be received at our offices. Since we incur costs in cancelling your holiday arrangements, you will have to pay the applicable cancellation charges up to the maximum shown in clause 7.

Note: If the reason for the cancellation is covered under the terms of your insurance policy, you may be able to reclaim these charges. Claims must be made directly to the insurance company concerned. Where any cancellation reduces the number of full paying party members below the number on which the price, number of free places and/ or any concessions agreed for your booking were based, we will recalculate these items and re-invoice you accordingly.

*If any member of your party is prevented from travelling, the person(s) concerned may transfer their place to someone else (introduced by you) providing we are notified not less than [two weeks] before departure. Where a transfer to a person of your choice can be made, all costs and charges incurred by us and/or incurred or imposed by any of our suppliers as a result together with an amendment fee of £20 must be paid before the transfer can be effected. [For flight inclusive bookings, you must pay the charges levied by the airline concerned. As most airlines do not permit name changes after tickets have been issued for any reason, these charges are likely to be the full cost of the flight.]

7. If We Change Or Cancel Your Holiday

We start planning the holidays we offer many months in advance. Occasionally, we have to make changes to and correct errors in brochure and other details both before and after bookings have been confirmed and cancel confirmed bookings. Whilst we always endeavour to avoid changes and cancellations, we must reserve the right to do so. However, we promise we will only cancel your confirmed booking 8 weeks or less before departure where you have failed to comply with any requirement of these booking conditions entitling us to cancel (such as paying on time) or where we are forced to do so as a result of force majeure as defined below. We will not cancel after this date for any other reason.

Most changes are minor. Occasionally, we have to make a significant change. A significant change is a change made before departure which, taking account of the information you give us at the time of booking and which we can reasonably be expected to know as a tour operator, we can reasonably expect to have a major affect on your holiday. Significant changes are likely to include the following changes when made before departure; 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, a change of outward departure time or overall length of time you are away of twelve or more hours, a change of UK departure point to one which is more inconvenient for you.

If we have to make a significant change or cancel, we will tell you as soon as possible. If there is time to do so before departure, we will offer you the choice of the following options:-
(a) (for significant changes) accepting the changed arrangements or
(b) purchasing an alternative holiday from us, of a similar standard to that originally booked if available. We will offer you at least one alternative holiday of equivalent or higher standard for which you will not be asked to pay any more than the price of the original holiday. If this holiday is in fact cheaper than the original one, we will refund the price difference. If you do not wish to accept the holiday we specifically offer you, you may choose any of our other then available holidays. You must pay the applicable price of any such holiday. This will mean your paying more if it is more expensive or receiving a refund if it is cheaper.
(c) cancelling or accepting the cancellation in which case you will receive a full and quick refund of all monies you have paid to us.
Please note, the above options are not available where any change made is a minor one.

If we have to make a significant change or cancel we will as a minimum where compensation is due pay you the compensation payments set out in the table below depending on the circumstances and when the significant change or cancellation is notified to you subject to the following exceptions. Compensation will not be payable and no liability beyond offering the above mentioned choices can be accepted where (1) we are forced to make a change or cancel as a result of unusual and unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control, the consequences of which we could not have avoided even with all due care or (2) we have to cancel because the minimum number of bookings necessary for us to operate your holiday has not been reached - in this case we will notify you by the deadline specified [in the details of the holiday in question]. No compensation will be payable and the above options will not be available 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).

Very rarely, we may be forced by "force majeure" (see clause 9) to change or terminate your holiday after departure but before the scheduled end of your time away. This is extremely unlikely but if this situation does occur, we regret we will be unable to make any refunds (unless we obtain any refunds from our suppliers), pay you any compensation or meet any costs or expenses you incur as a result.
Force Majeure

Except where otherwise expressly stated in these booking conditions, we regret we cannot accept liability or pay any compensation where the performance or prompt performance of our obligations under our contract with you is prevented or affected by or you otherwise suffer any damage or loss (as more fully described in clause 9(1) below) as a result of "force majeure". In these Booking Conditions, "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 may include war or threat of war, riot, civil strife, terrorist activity or actual threatened terrorist activity, industrial dispute, natural or nuclear disaster, adverse weather conditions, fire and all similar events outside our control.


8. If You Have A Complaint

If you have a problem during your holiday, please inform the relevant supplier (eg hotelier or chalet host and the NBV resort manager or representative) immediately.

Any verbal notification must be put in writing and given to our representative and the supplier as soon as possible who will endeavour to put things right. If your complaint is not resolved locally, please follow this up within 28 days of your return home by writing to our Customer Service department at Ski France Ltd, Top Floor, Linkline House, 65 Church Road, Hove BN3 2BD or emailing customer.service@skifrance.co.uk giving your booking reference and all other relevant information. Please keep your correspondence concise and to the point. This will assist us to quickly identify your concerns and speed up our response to you.

It is strongly suggested that you communicate any complaint to the supplier of the services in question as well as to our representative without delay and complete a report form whilst in resort.

If you fail to follow this simple procedure we will have been deprived of the opportunity to investigate and rectify your complaint whilst you were in resort and this may affect your rights under this contract.


9. Our Liability To You

(1) We promise to make sure that the holiday arrangements we have agreed to make, perform or provide as applicable as part of our contract with you are made, performed or provided with reasonable skill and care. This means that, subject to these booking conditions, we will accept responsibility if, for example, you suffer death or personal injury or your contracted holiday arrangements are not provided as promised or prove deficient as a result of the failure of ourselves, our employees, agents or suppliers to use reasonable skill and care in making, performing or providing, as applicable, your contracted holiday arrangements.
Please note it is your responsibility to show that reasonable skill and care has not been used if you wish to make a claim against us. In addition, we will only be responsible for what our employees, agents and suppliers do or do not do if they were at the time acting within the course of their employment (for employees) or carrying out work we had asked them to do (for agents and suppliers).

(2) We will not be responsible for any injury, illness, death, loss (for example loss of enjoyment), damage, expense, cost or other sum or claim of any description whatsoever which results from any of the following: -
l the act(s) and/or omission(s) of the person(s) affected or any member(s) of their party or
l the act(s) and/or omission(s) of a third party not connected with the provision of your holiday and which were unforeseeable or unavoidable or
l ‘force majeure’ as defined in clause 7 above

(3) Please note, 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 in our brochure and we have not agreed to arrange them and any excursion you purchase in resort. Please also see clause 22 Excursions Activities and Brochure Information. In addition, regardless of any wording used by us on our website, in any of our brochures or elsewhere, we only promise to use reasonable skill and care as set out above and we do not have any greater or different liability to you.

(4) The promises we make to you about the services we have agreed to provide or arrange as part of our contract - and the laws and regulations of the country in which your claim or complaint occurred - will be used as the basis for deciding whether the services in question had been properly provided. If the particular services which gave rise to the claim or complaint complied with local laws and regulations applicable to those services at the time, the services will be treated as having been properly provided. This will be the case even if the services did not comply with the laws and regulations of the UK which would have applied had those services been provided in the UK. The exception to this is where the claim or complaint concerns the absence of a safety feature, which might lead a reasonable holidaymaker to refuse to take the holiday in question.

(5) As set out in these booking conditions we limit the maximum amount we may have to pay you for any claims you may make against us.
Where we are found liable for loss of and/or damage to any luggage or personal possessions (including money), the maximum amount we will have to pay you is £30 per person affected unless a lower limitation applies to your claim under this clause or clause 9(6) below.
For all other claims which do not involve death or personal injury, if we are found liable to you on any basis the maximum amount we will have to pay you is twice the price (excluding insurance premiums and amendment charges) paid by or on behalf of the person(s) affected in total unless a lower limitation applies to your claim under clause 9 (6) below. This maximum amount will only be payable where everything has gone wrong and you have not received any benefit at all from your holiday.

(6) Where any claim or part of a claim (including those involving death or personal injury) concerns or is based on any travel arrangements (including the process of getting on and/or off the transport concerned) provided by any air, sea, rail or road carrier or any stay in a hotel, the maximum amount of compensation we will have to pay you will be limited. The most we will have to pay you for that claim or that part of a claim if we are found liable to you on any basis is the most the carrier or hotel keeper concerned would have to pay under the international convention or regulation which applies to the travel arrangements or hotel stay in question (for example, the Warsaw Convention as amended for international travel by air and/or for airlines with an operating licence granted by an EU country, the EU Regulation on Air Carrier Liability for national and international travel by air, the Athens convention for international travel by sea). Please note: Where a carrier or hotel would not be obliged to make any payment to you under the applicable International Convention or Regulation in respect of a claim or part of a claim, we similarly are not obliged to make a payment to you for that claim or part of the claim. When making any payment, we are entitled to deduct any money, which you have received or are entitled to receive from the transport provider or hotelier for the complaint or claim in question. Copies of the applicable International Conventions and Regulations are available from us on request.

(7) Please note, we cannot accept any liability for any damage, loss, expense or other sum(s) of any description (1) which on the basis of the information given to us by you concerning your booking prior to our accepting it, we could not have foreseen you would suffer or incur if we breached our contract with you or (2) which did not result from any breach of contract or other fault by ourselves or our employees or, where we are responsible for them, our suppliers. Additionally we cannot accept liability for any business losses.

(8) You must provide our insurers and ourselves with all assistance we may reasonably require. You must also tell us and the supplier concerned about your claim or complaint as set out in clause 8 above. If asked to do so, you must transfer to us or our insurers any rights you have against the supplier or whoever else is responsible for your claim or complaint (if the person concerned is under 18, their parent or guardian must do so). You must also agree to cooperate fully with our insurers and us if our insurers or we want to enforce any rights, which are transferred.


10. Personal Injury Unconnected With Your Booked Travel Arrangements

If you, or any member of your party, suffer death, illness or injury whilst overseas arising out of an activity which does not form part of your package travel arrangements or an excursion arranged through us, we shall at our discretion, offer advice, guidance and assistance. Where legal action is contemplated and you want our assistance, you must obtain our written consent prior to commencement of proceedings. Our consent will be given subject to you undertaking to assign any costs, benefits received under any relevant insurance policy to us. We limit the cost of our assistance to you or any member of your party to £5000.


11. Conditions Of Carriage

Many of the services, which make up your holiday, are provided by independent suppliers. Those suppliers provide these services in accordance with their own terms and conditions. Some of these terms and conditions may limit or exclude the supplier’s liability to you, usually in accordance with applicable International Conventions (see clause 9 (4)). Copies of the relevant parts of these terms and conditions are available on request from ourselves or the supplier concerned.

This brochure and our website www.skifrance.co.uk is our sole responsibility, as a tour operator. It is not issued on behalf of, and does not commit the airlines mentioned herein or any airline whose services are used in the course of your travel arrangements. Please note that in accordance with Air Navigation Orders in order to qualify for infant status, a child must be under 2 years of age on the date of it’s return flight.

12. Travel Documentation

It is your responsibility to ensure that you are in possession of all necessary travel and health documents before departure. We regret we cannot accept any liability if you are refused entry onto any transport into any country due to failure on your part to carry correct documentation. If failure to have any necessary travel documents or other documents results in fines, surcharges or other financial penalty being imposed upon us, you will be responsible for reimbursing us accordingly. We will have no further responsibility towards such person(s) including any return travel arrangements. No refunds will be made and will not pay any expenses or costs incurred as a result.


13. Passports Visa’s/Vaccinations

It is the passenger’s responsibility to have a valid passport, visa, permits or any other travel regulations. If necessary, passports should be applied for/renewed at least 8 weeks before departure. Requirements may change and you must check the up to date position in good time before departure. Information on health is contained in the department of Health leaflet T6 (Health Advice for travellers) available from your local Department of Health office and most Post Offices. For European holidays, you should obtain a completed and issued EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) (details in leaflet T6 referred to above) prior to departure.

You must pay all costs incurred obtaining such documentation. If you or any member of your party is not a British citizen or holds a non-British passport, you must check passport and visa requirements with the Embassy or Consulate of the country (ies) to or through which you are intending to travel. Early application for visas etc is advised. There are no vaccinations required at current time for either staying in or travelling through France or Switzerland.

14. Transfers

We occasionally share travel arrangements with other ski tour operators. This will not affect your holiday service in any way. We shall not be liable for any loss, delay or costs connected with and arising out of adverse weather or traffic conditions including blocked roads. In the event that you should miss your return flight/train/ ferry crossing due to adverse conditions such as blocked roads or closed resorts we will endeavour to organise a suitable alternative, however any additional costs will have to be borne by you as every passenger is assumed to have adequate travel insurance including ‘missed departure’.

15. Behaviour

When you book with us, you accept responsibility for any damage or loss caused by you or any member of your party. Full payment for any such damage or loss must be paid direct at the time to the accommodation owner or manager or other supplier. If you fail to do so, you will be responsible for meeting any claims (including legal costs) subsequently made against us as a result of your actions.

We expect all clients to have consideration for other people. If in our reasonable opinion or in the reasonable opinion of any other person in authority, you or any member of your party behaves in such a way as to cause or be likely to cause danger, annoyance or distress to any third party or damage to property, we are entitled, without prior notice, to terminate the holiday of the person(s) concerned. In this situation, the person(s) concerned will be required to leave the accommodation or other service. We will have no further responsibility toward such person(s) including any return travel arrangements. No refunds will be made and will not pay any expenses or costs incurred as a result of the termination.


16. Special Requests/Medical Conditions

If you have any special requests, you must advise us at the time of booking and clearly note it on your booking form. *Although we will endeavour to pass any reasonable requests on to the relevant supplier, we regret we cannot guarantee any request will be met. *Failure to meet any special request will not be a breach of contract on our part. Confirmation that a special request has been noted or passed on to the supplier or the inclusion of the special request on your confirmation invoice or any other documentation is not confirmation that the request will be met.

Unless and until specifically confirmed, all special requests are subject to availability. We regret we cannot accept any conditional bookings, i.e. any booking which is specified to be conditional on the fulfilment of a particular request.

If you or any member of your party has any medical problem or disability, which may affect your holiday, please, tell us at the time of booking and provide us with any information required to ensure we can prepare adequately. If we reasonably feel unable to properly accommodate the particular needs of the person concerned, we must reserve the right to decline their reservation or, if full details are not given at the time of booking, cancel when we become aware of these details.


17. Safety Standards

It is French standards and regulations, which apply to the services and accommodation which make up your holiday, and not those of the UK. These requirements and standards are often different to the UK and may sometimes be lower.


18. Apres Ski activities and brochure information

The information contained in our brochure is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of the brochure going to print. We may provide you with information (in our brochure and/or when you are on holiday) about activities and excursions that are available in the area you are visiting.

We have no involvement in any such activities or excursions that are neither run, supervised nor controlled in any way by us. They are provided by local operators or other third parties who are entirely independent of us. They do not form any part of your contract with us even where we suggest particular operators/other third parties and/or assist you in booking such activities or excursions in any way. We cannot accept any liability on any basis in relation to such activities or excursions and the acceptance of liability contained in clause 9 of our booking conditions will not apply to them. We do not however exclude liability for the negligence of ourselves or our employees resulting in your death or personal injury.

We cannot guarantee accuracy at all times of information given in relation to such activities or excursions or about the resorts/area you are visiting generally (except where this concerns the services which will form part of your contract) or that any particular excursion or activity which does not form part of our contract will take place as these services are not under our control. If you feel that any of the activities mentioned in our brochure which are not part of our contract are vital to the enjoyment of your holiday, write to us immediately and we will tell you the latest known situation. If we become aware of any material alterations to resort/area information and/or such outside activities that can reasonably be expected to affect your decision to book a holiday with us, we will pass on this information at the time of booking.


19. Prices and Website/Brochure Accuracy

Please note, the information and prices shown on this website or in our brochure may have changed by the time you come to book your holiday. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the website, brochure and prices at the time of printing, regrettably errors do occasionally occur. You must therefore ensure you check all details of your chosen holiday (including the price) with us [or your travel agent] at the time of booking.

Included in your holiday price

• Accommodation and meals as specified
• Taxe de sejour in catered chalet holidays
• Services of NBV Leisure resort representative

Optional Travel (if booked)

• Return travel as booked from UK departure point
• Return coach/minibus/taxi travel with flight and train included packages
• Channel crossing (as specified) for self drive packages.

Not included in your holiday price

• Credit card charges
• Travel Insurance or motorist breakdown cover
• Travel to and from, parking at UK departure points
• Motorway tolls, petrol and overnight stops for self drive packages
• Ski Packs
• Taxe de Sejour for hotel and self catered holidays
• Linen and towels in self-catering apartments (unless specified)
• Wine, coffee or other drinks in hotels.
• Ski Carriage - £30 per set of skis