TERMS AND CONDITIONS

 

NATURE OF PILGRIMAGE: St. Francis Pilgrimages, LLC operates spiritual pilgrimages rather than secular tours, and there will be time set aside for prayer and spiritual teaching. Participants must be willing to participate in spiritual nature of the trip.

 

ACCOMMODATIONS: Accommodations are personally hand-picked based on appearance, service, quality, and location. They would be rated at superior tourist class (or better). All accommodations have private bath. Italian accommodations sometimes offer fewer services and amenities (such as TV or hair dryers in rooms). A limited number of single rooms may be available at an additional price, however we cannot guarantee one. Because air conditioning usage is not widely used in Italy, and is restricted by Italian law, we cannot guarantee it. Given the religious nature of the pilgrimage, and that we often overnight in religious institutes operated by religious Orders, pilgrims are asked to adhere to the moral expectations within those institutes; unmarried couples are not permitted to overnight together in the same room.

 

PAYMENT: A non-refundable (but transferable) deposit of $300 is due to reserve your place on the pilgrimage. $1,200 is due 120 days before departure and the remainder is due 90 days before departure. The entire cost of the trip may be made in one payment. Once airline tickets are printed, additional taxes and surcharge will be assessed, which we will communicate you. Once we receive the trip payment in full, you will be issued your ticket and trip guide. The published price per person includes airfare, ground bus transportation by private coach, room based on double-occupancy, and continental breakfast plus one meal per day. It does not include airfare taxes/surcharges (currently around $310), one meal per day ($8-$20 per meal), tips ($5-10/day), travel insurance (highly recommended), or passport/visa fees. A ground package is available for anyone wishing to make their own airfare arrangements.

 

CANCELLATIONS:  Should you cancel, refunds are made based on the following: 119-90 days prior to departure: amount paid minus $300; 89-30 days: 50% amount paid; 29-7 days: 10% amount paid. Additionally, deposits are non-refundable. Further, once tickets are printed, they are non-refundable, depending on specific airline policy. We recommend trip cancellation insurance at www.tripinsurance.com If a pilgrimage is cancelled by St. Francis Pilgrimages, LLC, everyone who has registered will be refunded all payments including deposits. However, if an individual cancels before St. Francis Pilgrimages officially cancels, refunds will be based on the above criteria. St. Francis Pilgrimages will only cancel a pilgrimage if there is an insufficient number of registrations, or possibly if a Travel Warning is issued by the US State Department in the destination country.

 

TRAVEL INSURANCE: We recommend purchasing travel insurance before departure which will insure things like lost baggage, health insurance, ticket re-booking fees, cancellations, etc. The cost of our pilgrimage does not include travel insurance. If you would like travel insurance, please contact www.tripinsurance.com

 

PRICE GUARANTEE: All trip prices and costs are published in dollars and are calculated based on the Euro/dollar exchange rate at the time of booking. St. Francis Pilgrimages, LLC reserves the right to adjust the price prior to departure based on large currency rate fluctuations. Our 2008 pilgrimages were priced on the dollar/euro exchange rate of 1.40 dollars per euro.

 

PASSPORTS & VISAS: A valid passport is required to enter Italy. If you do not have one, please apply well in advance, as there has been a recent backlog. Passports must be valid 3 months after the return date. A prior visa is not necessary for US citizens to enter Italy; however, if you are not a US citizen, check with your consulate to see if you will need a visa.

 

MEDICAL AND HEALTH CONDITIONS:

If you have any health complications, you must check with your doctor to see if he/she recommends you attend this pilgrimage. Previous pilgrims have noted that our trip involves much walking - some on uneven cobblestone and on dirt trails. Unfortunately, many of the medieval cities in Italy and other countries abroad are not handicap-accessible. Should you have any medical conditions or should difficulty in walking prevent you from following the scheduled itinerary and keeping up with a group of relatively healthy middle-aged adults at a medium pace, St. Francis Pilgrimages will not be held responsible. St. Francis Pilgrimages will help with additional taxi service and aid pilgrims as best they can, but are unable to create alternate itineraries.

 

DISCLAIMER: The responsibility of St. Francis Pilgrimages, LLC is strictly limited. St. Francis Pilgrimages, LLC organizes tours and pilgrimages utilizing various contractors and suppliers and cannot be responsible for the suppliers that provide transportation, hotel accommodations for St. Francis Pilgrimages, LLC. They are independent contractors and are not agents or employees of St. Francis Pilgrimages, LLC. By utilizing the service of the suppliers you agree that St. Francis Pilgrimages, LLC will not be liable for any change in schedule, strikes, delay, acts of governments, acts of war, acts of terrorism, fires, riots, theft, pilferage, epidemics, quarantine, medical or customs regulations, accident, loss, injury, damage, or death to you or to those traveling with you in connection with any accommodations, transportation or any other services or resulting directly or indirectly from any occurrence or conditions beyond its control, including defects in vehicles, breakdown in equipment, thefts, delay or cancellation of or changes in itinerary for any act, omission or event during the time you are on board the aircraft. Neither St. Francis Pilgrimages, LLC and/or agents of the airlines concerned are to be held responsible for the late arrival of passengers at airports or hotels due to inclement weather, nor are they to be held liable for payment or any refund for unused hotel accommodations or meals occasioned by such late arrivals at the hotels holding rooms as confirmed itineraries. St. Francis Pilgrimages, LLC cannot be held responsible for any medical expenses incurred by any member or for any additional costs incurred by participants who cannot complete the program for whatever reason. St. Francis Pilgrimages, LLC reserves the right to make changes in the itinerary whenever St. Francis Pilgrimages, LLC deems it necessary for the comfort, convenience, or safety of the tour participants, and to cancel a tour at any time. If St. Francis Pilgrimages, LLC cancels a tour, it shall have no responsibility beyond the refund of all money paid to St. Francis Pilgrimages, LLC by the tour participant.