THE TRAVELING PROFESSOR
TRAVELING PROFESSOR LLC
GENERAL GUIDELINES and CONDITIONS
This document serves as a guideline for the Terms and Conditions of all Traveling Professor LLC (aka “The Traveling Professor") tours. Deviations or amendments to these Terms and Conditions must be confirmed in writing (typically by email) by The Traveling Professor to be valid. Individual information sheets issued for specific tours may also amend these Terms and Conditions.
PRICING AND INCLUDED SERVICES
TOUR PRICES
- All tour prices are shown in US Dollars.
- Prices shown are per person, double occupancy.
- Single Supplement pricing applies unless otherwise stated on tour description.
- Prices and Tour Dates are listed on The Traveling Professor website.
INCLUDED
Each tour includes lodging, guides, activities, tours, transportation and other items as explicitly specified in the tour description published on The Traveling Professor website.
NOT INCLUDED
Air transportation unless specified, all meals not listed on tour itinerary, personal expenses, room service, phone calls, etc. unless explicitly specified in tour description. Travel insurance is not included in the cost of the trip.
TIPPING
Tipping is optional. Tour leaders do not accept tips. Local tipping customs may be provided on individual tour information sheets.
SINGLE SUPPLEMENT
We consistently have single travelers on our tours. They are provided with single-use double rooms when available. The additional single supplement cost is dependent upon the tour and hotels for each tour.
FEES AND EXPENES FOR OPTIONAL EXCURSIONS AND ACTIVITIES
Activities and excursions listed in the tour description are included in the price of the tour. However, optional activities and excursions at additional costs may be offered. These are usually activities and excursions that the entire group may not wish to participate in. They may have limited appeal, are strenuous or require special skills, or have very early or late starting times. Examples are golf in Ireland, early morning bird watching in Peru, or a late night cabaret show in Paris. In these cases, additional expenses will be for non-included meals, fees, admission, guiding, moderate tipping where appropriate, and personal sightseeing or shopping.
DEPOSITS AND PAYMENTS
The purpose of taking deposits and payments is to guarantee and secure the traveler their place on a tour. In turn, we make commitments to travel suppliers (hotels, transportation companies, guides, trains, ferries, tickets, etc.) on the traveler's behalf.
INITIAL DEPOSITS FOR BOOKINGS FOR TOURS MORE THAN 365 DAYS IN ADVANCE
- A “Hold My Spot/Good Faith” deposit amount is $250 per person. Upon receipt, it holds a space for the traveler on a specified tour.
- Travelers will be invoiced for an amount of up to 50% of the cost of the trip within 9-12 months of departure date.
INITIAL DEPOSITS FOR BOOKING FOR TOURS LESS THAN 365 DAYS IN ADVANCE
- The deposit amount is $1000 per person (depending upon which trip is selected). Upon receipt, it holds a place for a specified tour.
PAYMENTS
- The Traveling Professor acknowledges the receipt of deposits and payments via email, usually within 48 hours of receipt. Exceptions may be when out of the office traveling. Within a reasonable time of return to the office, an acknowledgement of payment will be sent.
- Final payments are due approximately 90-180 days before trip start date for the majority of tours. For those exceptions, payment date may vary and will be communicated to the traveler via email and/or on the website tour description.
- Preferred method of payment of deposits and payments is by check or easy Zelle bank transfers in U.S. dollars. There are no additional fees for these forms of payment. Zelle payments can only be accepted to our Zelle ID, info@travelingprofessor.com
- When sending payments by check, please include all traveler names, phone number, and email address. If paying by other means, please send traveler names, phone number, and email address to The Traveling Professor by email at info@travelingprofessor.com.
- Credit cards and PayPal are accepted with payments in U.S. dollars. However, a 3.75% service fee may be added in to cover additional fees charged by banks and PayPal.
- Payments are considered late if they are not received within 10 days after the due date. At that time The Traveling Professor will notify the client by email and if possible, by phone, of the late status of the payment. If the payment is not received within 7 days of the late notification, the traveler’s status may be considered as “cancelled by the traveler”.
- Any change to the payment policy will be communicated to the traveler by The Traveling Professor via email. We do our best to work with travelers with payments schedules but it is the responsibility of the traveler to contact The Traveling Professor before payments are due to make alternative payment arrangements. In other words, call or email if payment cannot be made on the due date. We will do our best to provide other arrangements.
CANCELLATIONS & REFUNDS
IF YOU CANCEL
- Timely notification by email (preferred) or by phone is necessary for travelers who wish to cancel their place(s) on a tour. The cancellation will be confirmed by The Traveling Professor by email. The earlier a cancellation is made, the easier it may be to provide the traveler with a refund or credit, if a refund/credit can be made at all.
- Regardless of any other policy stated herein, all payments and deposits will be fully refunded if the traveler’s place(s) on the tour can be filled and the tour is filled to capacity. Travelers filling your place must be paying the same price as the cancelled travelers paid in order to receive a full refund. Otherwise a refund in the amount of what the replacement travelers have paid will be made.
- All payments are fully refundable upon request if the trip commencement date is more than 11 months in advance.
- Regardless of when a cancellation may occur, The Traveling Professor will make a reasonable attempt to work with clients in securing refunds/credits for cancelled trips.
IF WE CANCEL or POSTPONE
- In general, The Traveling Professor may cancel or postpone a trip approximately 6 months before tour start date. Usually, the reason for such cancellation or postponement is because of under-subscription of the tour. Travelers will be immediately notified. All payments and deposits will be promptly refunded.
- In the unlikely event The Traveling Professor cancels or postpones a tour for a reason other than under-subscription, all payments will be refunded. However, there are some exceptions due to circumstances beyond our control such as but not limited to:
- Act(s) of War, or war-like actions, including Undeclared or Civil War
- Act(s) of Terrorism
- Labor Actions
- Civil or Political Unrest
- Restrictions by Governmental Agencies
- Natural Disaster
- Epidemic/Pandemic
- Health/Medical Crisis
- Emerging Conditions Outside the Control of The Traveling Professor that Would Place Those on a Tour in Danger
- Emerging Logistical Issues Outside of the Control of The Traveling Professor that Would Make the Trip Impractical to Complete as Originally Planned
In the event a tour is cancelled or postponed due to circumstances as explained above, The Traveling Professor will make a best effort to recover and refund any or all deposits and payments made. No guarantee is made for a partial or full refund under such circumstances.
INSURANCE
EMERGENCY MEDICAL, EVACUATION INSURANCE & COMPREHENSIVE TRAVEL INSURANCE
We strongly and emphatically recommend travelers have health and emergency evacuation insurance coverage while on a trip. We urge travelers to strongly consider purchasing trip cancellation insurance.
Where to purchase insurance is the traveler’s decision. No endorsement of any specific insurance company is offered here. However, here are some resources to consider:
- Geo Blue: (health and emergency evacuation insurance only)
- Allianz: Comprehensive coverage. A quote for annual travel coverage, with COVID options, can be found here.
- InsureMyTrip.Com: Comprehensive coverage
- Your credit card may provide comprehensive travel insurance
Please read and understand the terms, conditions and coverages of any travel insurance policy you may purchase. The Traveling Professor assumes no responsibility for claims decisions made by the trip insurance company.
GENERAL EXPECTATIONS
HOTELS
In general, hotels are centrally located and walking distance to many sites and restaurants. Rooms usually have one queen or king bed or two twin beds, with private bath. Especially in Europe, it is common practice to have two twin beds pushed together to make up a double or king-size bed. Unless specifically detailed in the tour outline, hotels include breakfast.
LUGGAGE
Pack light. Travelers may be responsible for getting their own luggage on/off trains, vans, boats, ferries, taxis, etc. There can be limited space on trains and other transportation modes. We suggest bringing a daypack for carrying water, guidebooks, jacket, rain gear, etc. for day trips and city walking tours. We send out a detailed information sheet for each tour specifying specific needs for each trip.
TRANSPORTATION
Different forms of public and private transportation such as taxis, buses, vans, trains, boats, ferries, etc. may be used on The Traveling Professor tours.
ACTIVITY LEVEL
In general, our tours are for healthy active adults. They are not suited for those with mobility issues. Travelers should be prepared to spend at least a few hours a day on their feet. Depending upon the tour, there can be walking on hilly, rocky or uneven surfaces, up and down stairs and hills. Always wear comfortable and sturdy shoes that are broken in. Carry appropriate weather gear.
ETIQUETTE
For the enjoyment of all our guests on tour we ask those who choose to travel with The Traveling Professor to be congenial, lighthearted, and to take small issues in stride. Should you have any issues please address them to your tour manager/leader – he/she is your Traveling Professor representative during your time on the tour.
AGE RESTRICTION
We welcome travelers over 25 years of age.
TRAVELER RESPONSIBILITIES
STARTING AND ENDING DATES OF TOURS
It is the responsibility of the traveler to arrive and depart tour starting and ending points on the prescribed day and times. The Traveling Professor shall not be liable for the costs of unused lodging or activities missed due to a traveler arriving late or departing early from a tour. Furthermore, if travelers arrive late or depart early from a tour, the traveler assumes all costs in meeting the tour in progress or all costs in terminating the tour due to an early departure.
PASSPORTS, VISAS & OTHER TRAVEL DOCUMENTS
Immediately after sending in a deposit for a trip, and at least 3 months before the commencement of a trip, travelers need to ensure their passports and other travel documents are in order.
- Passports need to have an expiration date of at least 6 months after the tour has been completed.
- Passports need to have at least 2 blank pages available for stamping by passport control agents.
- For those not holding a valid U.S.A. passport, it is the traveler’s responsibility to make sure all visa requirements have been met.
- It is the responsibility of all travelers to meet visa requirements of any and all countries they may be connecting through to/from their tour destination.
- It is the traveler responsibility to provide required vaccine, immunization and other health documentation as determined by regulatory agencies.
- Starting in 2025, visitors that currently do not need a visa to enter Europe may be expected to apply for an ETIAS travel authorization. It is the responsibility of the traveler to obtain ETIAS travel authorization.
Travelers are encouraged to bring multiple photocopies of passports and other travel documents on trips.
TOUR DESCRIPTIONS AND INFORMATION
General descriptions of tours are on the website. In advance of tour start date, via email, travelers will be provided with a more detailed tour information sheet specific to that tour. It will contain information on such matters as how to get to/from hotel, money matters, packing, anticipated weather, detailed itinerary and starting times of activities, hotel contact information, general expectations, and other details relating to the specific tour. Travelers should print and bring this information sheet with them on the tour. Travelers are expected to be familiar with this information.
RESPONSIBILITY AND LIABILITY
TOUR CHANGES
All information on this website is, to the best of our knowledge, correct. However, The Traveling Professor reserves the right to make changes in accommodations, visits, and itineraries at any time should it become necessary or desirable. Delays or itinerary changes caused by strikes, severe weather, traffic, or other unforeseen circumstances beyond our control are not reasons for travelers to be compensated for inconvenience.
In the unusual event a service, accommodation or activity as described in the tour description cannot be provided, The Traveling Professor will make a best effort to provide a substitute service, accommodation or activity. However, The Traveling Professor will not be held liable for not providing that service, accommodation or activity.
LIMIT OF LIABILITY
No responsibility is accepted for any loss, expense, accident, injury, or damage to any person or property due to the actions or omissions of any person, or any cause, including but not limited to acts of God, acts of terrorism, war, labor actions, defects in machinery, breakdown of equipment, weather, quarantine, curfews, border controls or other causes beyond our control. The Traveling Professor is not responsible for expenses incurred but not limited to any of the following: travel insurance, non-refundable flights, passports or visas.
THIRD PARTY PROVIDERS
In the course of operating a tour, The Traveling Professor may contract with third parties such as hotels, restaurants, transportation companies, guides, excursion companies, activity providers, etc. which The Traveling Professor neither owns, operates, or controls. The Traveling Professor will not be held liable for the negligent acts or omissions of any third-party provider.
UNRESOLVED DISPUTES
During a tour, travelers must direct concerns or complaints to the tour manager/leader while the tour is in progress. Travelers agree to present unresolved disputes or claims against The Traveling Professor within 60 days after the completion of a tour. Both parties shall first have up to 30 days for the opportunity to resolve such issues without intervention by outside parties. After that time period, The Traveling Professor reserves the option to choose one of the following avenues to resolve any outstanding claims or disputes:
- Binding arbitration governed by the laws of the State of Texas. The arbitrator(s) and not any federal, state or local court shall have the final authority to resolve any such dispute.
- Federal, state, or local court located in the State of Texas.
IMAGES AND MARKETING
The Traveling Professor, guides, and tour leaders may take photos and video while on tours. Travelers may take photos and video while on tours and share them with The Traveling Professor, guides and tour leaders or other tour participants. Images of travelers may be included in these photos or video. Unless expressly prohibited by travelers, these photos may be shared with other tour participants. The Traveling Professor may place these photos on social media, promotional materials, or on The Traveling Professor website. Travelers are not due compensation, royalties or any other benefits from The Traveling Professor in respect to the use or distribution of images or videos.
PARTICIPATION
The Traveling Professor reserves the right to accept, reject, or not retain any person as a tour participant whose condition or general deportment impedes the operation of the tour or, in the opinion of the tour manager, affects the rights and enjoyment of other guests. A guest not retained on tour shall have no cause for complaint or refund and shall bear any and all extra expenses that ensue.
CONTACT INFORMATION FOR THE TRAVELING PROFESSOR
- Email: info@travelingprofessor.com
- Website: www.travelingprofessor.com
- Phone: 413.528.2125
- Business Address: 3965 Cotton Gin Road, Frisco TX 75034, USA.
Updated 19-February-2024