1. Subject of the Terms and Conditions

These General Terms and Conditions (GTC) govern the legal relationship between you and LeRidier GmbH. When third-party services, such as other tour operators or individual services like hotel, flight, or car rental, are mediated, you enter into the contract directly with the respective company, and we are not a party to the contract. Please also note the information regarding insurance in section 14.

 

2. Conclusion of the Contract

2.1 A contract is established between you as the customer and us as the tour operator upon receipt of your written, telephone, or personal booking, and it does not require any special form. From that moment on, the rights and obligations arising from the contract become effective for you and LeRidier GmbH. We will inform you of the contract conclusion with a written booking confirmation by mail or email. For organizational reasons, we can generally only accept bookings up to 60 days before the start of the trip. If you register additional travelers, you are also responsible for their contractual obligations.

2.2 Special requests will only become part of the contract if they have been expressly accepted and confirmed by LeRidier GmbH.

2.3 You are obliged to provide your name and the names of your fellow travelers as they appear on the identification documents used for the trip (passport, etc.) at the time of booking. If the names on the travel documents, especially the airline ticket, do not match the names on the identification documents, you may be denied the travel service (e.g., by the airline), or you may incur costs for reissuing the ticket. LeRidier GmbH cannot cover these costs, and unused services cannot be refunded.

2.4 We also point out that our services generally apply only from the destination. Please refer to the relevant information in our documents. Therefore, it is your responsibility to arrive on time at the starting point of the tour. This also applies if we organize the journey outside our program.

 

3. Travel Price and Payment Terms

3.1 The prices are listed in our brochures, price lists, or offers. Unless otherwise mentioned, they are per person in Swiss francs and with accommodation in a double room. All prices include the legal value-added tax and are cash prices. Price changes are governed by section 4.

3.2 Prices calculated in foreign currency will be converted and charged in Swiss francs at the internal daily rate approximately 2 to 4 weeks before departure unless otherwise agreed.

3.3 A deposit of 30% of the agreed package price is due within 10 days of the final booking. Your deposit will be credited to the total travel price.

3.4 The remaining balance is due no later than 60 days before departure and must be received by LeRidier GmbH without prompting. For short-term bookings, the full amount must be paid at the time of contract conclusion. If the deposit or final payment is not made on time, LeRidier GmbH may withdraw from the contract without compensation and demand cancellation fees. Certain flights must be paid for at the time of ticket issuance.

3.5 LeRidier GmbH may charge fees for consultation and reservation, even if LeRidier GmbH only acts as an intermediary. These will be communicated at the latest at the time of booking.

3.6 When booking packages without flights ("land-only arrangements") or exclusive hotel bookings ("hotel-only bookings"), the travel agency may charge a booking fee, which will be disclosed at the time of booking.

3.7 LeRidier GmbH may charge an express fee for short-term bookings.

 

4. Price Changes

4.1 We reserve the right to increase the prices published in our catalogs, price lists, and offers in the following cases: increases in transportation costs, introduction or increase of fees or government levies, or in the event of exchange rate fluctuations.

4.2 If LeRidier GmbH needs to change the specified prices for the above reasons, you will be notified of this price increase no later than 3 weeks before departure. If the price increase exceeds 10% of the originally booked total price, you have the right to withdraw from the contract free of charge within 5 days of receiving our notification. In this case, LeRidier GmbH will refund all payments made by you.

 

5. Changes, Cancellations, and No-shows by the Customer

5.1 In principle, cancellations or changes must be made in writing.

5.2 For changes (e.g., name changes, date changes, accommodation rebooking) and cancellations of booked services, LeRidier GmbH charges a processing fee of CHF 150 per person, but a maximum of CHF 300 per order. Additionally, telephone and postage costs and any additional service costs may apply.

5.3 In case of cancellation of the entire trip or parts thereof, the following costs will be charged in addition to the processing fee, up to a maximum of 100% of the package price:

• More than 60 days before departure: 30% of the travel price

• 60 to 45 days before departure: 50% of the travel price

• 45 to 31 days before departure: 75% of the travel price

• Less than 30 days before departure: 100% of the travel price

• No-show: 100% of the travel price

The relevant date is the receipt of the cancellation by LeRidier GmbH during business hours. For Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays, the next business day is decisive. Other conditions may apply if communicated by LeRidier GmbH at the time of booking.

5.4 If you need to terminate your trip early for any reason or wish to change services, we are generally not obligated to provide a refund. Furthermore, we recommend that you contact our local representative, who will assist you as much as possible in organizing your early return or fulfilling your change requests.

5.5 LeRidier GmbH recommends that you take out travel interruption insurance in case you need to terminate the trip early due to an urgent reason (e.g., illness or accident, serious illness, or death of a relative).

 

6. Substitute Traveler

6.1 If you are unable to travel, you may designate a substitute person up to 45 days before the trip begins, provided this person is accepted by all service providers.

6.2 The substitute traveler must be willing and able to enter the contract under the existing conditions. In particular, they must meet any requirements regarding health, vaccinations, government regulations, etc.

6.3 The substitute person must be notified in writing to LeRidier GmbH.

6.4 The customer and the substitute traveler are jointly and severally liable for the total price plus any additional costs and handling fees of up to CHF 250.

 

7. Complaints During the Trip

7.1 If it is impossible to carry out a trip as promised or agreed with you, we will try, without assuming any liability for success, to provide a replacement solution that maintains the objective purpose or character of the trip as much as possible.

7.2 If you have reason to complain during the trip, you must inform our local representative or the service provider immediately. This is a necessary condition for later asserting your claims for compensation and also enables most complaints to be remedied on the spot. If your intervention does not lead to an appropriate solution, you are obliged to obtain a written confirmation from our representative or the service provider documenting your complaint and its content. Compensation claims cannot be made or acknowledged on-site.

7.3 If the defect is not minor, you are entitled to remedy the defects of your trip yourself, provided our representative or the service provider does not offer an appropriate solution within 48 hours. The costs incurred will be reimbursed by LeRidier GmbH upon presentation of receipts, provided they are within the agreed contractual services, and the customer has complained about the defect and obtained written confirmation.

7.4 If the customer wishes to assert claims against the travel agency, they must do so in writing within 30 days after the contractual end of the trip; otherwise, they lose their rights.

 

8. Program Changes, Non-Execution, or Termination of the Trip by LeRidier GmbH

8.1 The tours are based on a minimum participation, which may vary. If the minimum participation required for your trip is not met, LeRidier GmbH is entitled to cancel the trip up to three weeks before the scheduled start of the trip. In this case, we will, of course, try to offer you an equivalent alternative program. If this is not possible or you decline the alternative program, we will refund all payments already made. Further compensation claims are excluded.

8.2 LeRidier GmbH also reserves the right, in your interest, to change programs or individual agreed services (e.g., accommodation, transportation, aircraft type, airline, excursions, etc.) before the start of the trip or during the tour if unforeseen circumstances require it. LeRidier GmbH will try to offer you equivalent replacement services and, if possible, inform you of the effects on the price. Further claims by the customer are excluded.

8.3 In rare cases, LeRidier GmbH may be forced to cancel your trip for reasons beyond our control, either for your safety or due to other compelling circumstances, such as denial or withdrawal of landing rights, force majeure (this includes low and high water levels in river cruises and delayed hotel openings), acts of war, unrest, strikes, etc. LeRidier GmbH will, however, strive to inform you of such cases as quickly as possible and offer you a replacement solution.

8.4 We reserve the right to replace a specifically named airline with another airline or a specifically named ship/tour hotel with an equivalent one. The name of the new airline or ship/hotel will be communicated to you as soon as possible.

 

9. Passport, Visa, and Vaccination Requirements

Information in the travel documents regarding passport and entry requirements applies, unless otherwise specified, to Swiss citizens. Your travel agency or us will be happy to inform you of the necessary formalities for citizens of other countries. It is up to you to observe the rules and regulations of the respective country regarding passport, visa, and vaccination requirements. All consequences resulting from non-compliance, especially the payment of cancellation costs, are your responsibility.

 

10. Luggage and Lost Property

10.1 For flights, the luggage regulations of the relevant airline apply. Please note that the regulations for international flights often differ from those for domestic flights. The corresponding regulations are specified in the travel documents.

10.2 LeRidier GmbH recommends that you do not leave any valuables (e.g., jewelry, electronic devices, cash, credit cards) in your checked baggage.

10.3 If your luggage is lost or damaged during the trip, you must immediately notify the service provider (airline, hotel, transfer company, etc.) and ensure that a written confirmation of the loss or damage is issued. We recommend insuring your luggage.

 

11. Liability

11.1 LeRidier GmbH's liability as the tour operator is limited to direct damage to the customer that has occurred due to a breach of contract. Claims are limited to the travel price and, in any case, the amount paid by our insurer. We accept no liability for indirect damage or consequential damage (loss of profit, missed holidays, additional expenses, etc.).

11.2 We accept no liability for personal injury, damage, or loss that may arise in connection with services provided by third parties. This is especially true for the individual services mentioned under item 1.

 

12. Insurance

12.1 LeRidier GmbH recommends taking out travel cancellation insurance and additional travel insurance for your own protection.

 

13. Health

The customer is responsible for the personal condition required for the trip. We advise you to undergo a medical examination before the trip and comply with any necessary vaccinations and health regulations. During the trip, you must inform our representatives of any personal health-related issues, so the necessary measures can be taken.

 

14. Final Provisions

14.1 These General Terms and Conditions are governed by Swiss law.

14.2 Should any provision of these GTC be or become invalid, this does not affect the validity of the remaining provisions.

14.3 Place of jurisdiction is Wollerau.