Covid 19 - We Are Open! NEW Flexible Booking Policy Available
We understand that it’s normal to feel cautious about making travel plans in the near future. You’re not alone. We’ve been talking to customers frequently throughout this difficult and uncertain time and have paid close attention to their feelings and feedback.
Our customers are anxious and apprehensive, yet they’re also seeking something to look forward to in post-quarantine life.
That’s why we’ve introduced our new Flexible Booking Policy to give you total peace of mind so you can confidently book your next trip with Viva Velo whilst eliminating any risk. The new policy has a number of elements:
1. Flexibility to change your tour at no extra charge. You can choose from either our Full Flex or Ultimate Flex booking options depending on what YOU feel comfortable with.
We want you to have clarity in where you stand with us going forwards and allow you to feel totally comfortable about changing your mind.
Both of our FLEX options give you freedom from financial worry or tie-in by allowing you to delay your departure and transfer your payment to another date of your choice, free of charge.
2. Deposit and Balance refunds up to as late as one week before you travel in the event of a Covid related issue.* We are negotiating with our suppliers and partners to get as much flexibility in our payment terms with them. These terms will obviously vary from tour to tour but we will pass on this flexibility to you so you can be assured that should Covid intervene to spoil your travel plans you will be able make the call to cancel as close to your travel date as possible
We’re here to reassure you that booking with Viva Velo means it’s time to stress less and get excited about your next cycling trip! Let’s face it, we all need a good holiday and we are doing everything we can to help you make those plans without having to worry about losing your money.
*We need to apply some conditions in order to make this possible for everyone so we have outlined these in full on our FAQs section below. Still got questions? Chat to us by email or by phone for more details. We’d love to hear from you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Your flexible booking terms are great but what happens if Viva Velo fails financially due to the crisis?
It is a legal requirement for all travel companies to have financial failure insurance and Viva Velo is insured as a member of Travel Vault. In the highly unlikely event of financial failure at Viva Velo any deposit or balance payments you have made are insured. For more information click here
Q. How late can I get my deposit back if Covid intervenes and I have to cancel my trip?
This will depend on each trip as we will be passing on the payment flexibility we have negotiated with our hotel partners and other suppliers. Specific details of deposit and balance refunds for each tour will be available on the relevant page for that tour on our website. As an example, our 2021 spring Mallorca camps will be offering free cancellation due to Covid up to 7 days before departure.
Q. What does ‘cancellation due to Covid’ mean?
‘Cancellation due to Covid’ includes the following circumstances. These are not exclusive and we will look at each request on a case by case basis.
Personal infection (on production of a valid positive test result).
Notification of infection of a friend or family member with whom you have been in contact (on production of a valid positive test result).
Governmental intervention preventing travel to or from a given destination. This includes quarantine restrictions imposed when returning to the UK from a given destination.
Postponement of a trip by Viva Velo in anticipation of an increase in Covid cases in a given destination and/or potential government action likely to be prejudicial to you and your fellow travellers.
Q. Is there a charge for deposit and balance refund due to cancellation due to Covid?
Yes. An administration fee of £25 will be deducted from any refund.
Q. How do the Full Flex and Ultimate Flex booking policies work exactly?
Both Full Flex and Ultimate Flex allow you to change your booking date with Viva Velo. The level of flexibility is entirely up to you and which payment option you choose. Full Flex and Ultimate Flex will apply to all new and existing reservations made for holidays that start from 1 March 2021 onwards.
Full Flex
To secure your booking for any tour of your choice right now simply pay the relevant tour deposit. (£175 or £250 depending on the tour). Where the deposit has been paid and you wish to amend your booking, the following terms apply:
Changes you can make under Full Flex:
The tour dates
The tour package (you can move to an alternative tour entirely)
The destination country of the tour
Under Full Flex, you are able to make a maximum of two changes. We ask that you make these changes as soon as possible and at the very latest 90 days before the departure date*.
If you choose to change the dates of your tour, the new tour dates must be within 12 months of the original booked tour date.
Once your new tour has been confirmed, we will of course send you the new information by email so you have a full copy of the details.
After confirmation, the balance of the tour will be invoiced to you and payable 60 days before the new tour start date.
Credit vouchers:
We understand that you may be uncertain as to when you will be able to travel. That’s why we’ve introduced credit vouchers.
Credit vouchers for the full value of the deposit paid by you can be issued in cases where you are uncertain as to when you will be able to travel. The vouchers will have a validity period of 12 months, and can be gifted to another person of your choice if you decide not to travel within that period. For further terms and guidance on using credit vouchers, please refer to I have a credit voucher, how do I use it?
* Transfers to other tours are subject to availability on the given tour.
Please note that if the balance of payment has been made or the full payment was made at the time of booking, Ultimate Flex applies (see next section).
Ultimate Flex
You will be eligible for Ultimate Flex terms if you have paid for your tour in full, either:
a. At the time of booking, or
b. By deposit and balance installments.
Changes you can make under Ultimate Flex:
The tour dates
The tour package (you can move to an alternative tour entirely)
The destination country of the tour
When you choose Ultimate Flex, you are free to make an unlimited number of changes.
We ask that you make these changes as soon as possible and at the very latest 90 days prior to the tour departure date*. If you choose to change the dates of your tour, the new tour dates must be within 24 months of the original booked tour date. Once your new tour has been confirmed, We will, of course, send you the new information by email so you have a full copy of the details.
In cases where you are changing to a higher priced tour, we ask that the outstanding balance is paid in full at the time of the change. In cases where you are changing to a lower priced tour, a credit voucher will be issued for the difference in price. This voucher has a 24 months validity and can be gifted to another person of your choice if you decide not to travel within that period.
More on credit vouchers:
We understand that you may be uncertain as to when you will be able to travel. That’s why we’ve introduced credit vouchers. Credit vouchers for the full value paid by you can be issued in cases where you are uncertain as to when you will be able to travel. The vouchers will have a validity period of 24 months, and can be gifted to another person of your choice if you decide not to travel within that period. For further terms and guidance on using credit vouchers, please refer to I have a credit voucher, how do I use it?
* Transfers to other tours are subject to availability on the given tour.
Private Groups:
For private groups, please note that we will ask the whole group to make changes as a group. Where the group size reduces due to a change, a re-price of the tour may be required.
Flights:
During these uncertain times, we recommend making flight payments by credit card so that you also have recourse via your credit card company if flights are cancelled by the airline. In addition, most airlines are offering to transfer cancelled flights to new dates for free.
Q: How many times can I change my booking?
Full Flex entitles you to make two free-of-charge amendments to your original booking, including date, tour and destination up to 90 days before the departure date.
Once you have used your free Full Flex amendments, you cannot change dates again unless you pay the remaining balance in full so that Ultimate Flex applies.
Ultimate Flex entitles you to make unlimited free-of-charge amendments to your original bookings, including date, tour and destination up to 90 days before the departure date.
Q: Is there a time limit within which I can rebook after I change my original booking?
Full Flex requires that you reschedule your trip within 12 months of your original departure date.
Ultimate Flex requires that you reschedule your trip within 24 months of your original departure date.
Q: I want to cancel my booking altogether - can I have a refund of my deposit?
Should you decide to completely cancel your trip with us, our standard terms and conditions apply in that your deposit is non-refundable UNLESS the cancellation is due to the Covid crisis specifically. (See What does ‘cancellation due to Covid’ mean?) However, if you pay the remaining balance in full then our Ultimate Flex Booking Policy applies and you can choose alternative dates within 24 months of your original departure date.
Another option is to transfer your deposit payment to a credit voucher. This voucher is valid for 12 or 24 months depending on the Flex Option you chose, and can be gifted to another person of your choice if you decide not to travel.
For further terms and guidance on using credit vouchers, please refer to I have a credit voucher, how do I use it?
Q: How long do I have to notify Viva Velo of a date change to my trip once I have decided to FLEX?
For Flex option (Full Flex and Ultimate Flex), please let us know up to 90 days before your departure date. At this point you must notify us immediately of your new preferred departure date at the time of amendment. If you are uncertain as to when you will be able to travel, we will issue a credit voucher for the full value of the deposit paid by you, with a validity period of 12 months for Full Flex customers and 24 months for Ultimate Flex customers.
Q: Can I change both the destination and date of my booking?
Yes! Both Full Flex and Ultimate Flex means you can transfer your booking to another date or destination of your choice with no penalty within 12 or 24 months of your original departure date.
Q: What if I want to move my deposit to a date/destination which costs more or less than my original tour?
That’s no problem! If the tour or departure date to which you are moving is a higher price than the tour you are moving from:
With Full Flex - your deposit will be re-allocated to the new booking as a deposit in full against the total value of the new tour, and we will then issue a new invoice for the balance of the tour, payable 60 days before the new tour start date.
With Ultimate Flex - Payment of the difference will be required at the time of the change.
If the tour or departure date to which you are moving is a lower price than the tour you are moving from:
With Full Flex - your deposit will be re-allocated to the new booking as a deposit in full against the total value of the new tour, and we will then issue a new invoice for the balance of the tour, payable 60 days before the new tour start date.
With Ultimate Flex - A credit voucher will be issued for the difference in price. This voucher has a 24 months validity and can be gifted to another person of your choice if you decide not to travel within that period.
Q: I have a credit voucher, how do I use it or gift it to another?
Credit vouchers are valid for 12 or 24 months depending on the Flex Option you chose, and can be gifted to another person of your choice if you decide not to travel. If you chose to gift your credit voucher, we will need to be notified in writing/email and informed of the recipient’s name, email address and telephone number. The recipient of your credit voucher must use the voucher within the original validity period.
Tour prices are not fixed or guaranteed until you have re-booked using your credit voucher. The published tour price at the time of booking will apply at the time of re-booking.
To re-book a tour using a voucher, simply contact our Reservations Team by email or by phone.