General travel terms

These general terms govern travel contracts between you (the ‘traveller’) and Ιθάκη Ταξιδιωτική Ι.Κ.Ε. (trading as ‘Ithaka’), with its head office at Xenofontos 12, 105 57 Athens, Greece (the ‘organiser’, ‘we’), for the trips we organise and sell on the website, by phone or at our offices.

Group tours, tailor-made trips and other trips that combine at least two types of service (for example transport, accommodation, visits or excursions) are ‘package holidays’: they are protected by Directive (EU) 2015/2302 and by the Greek law that transposed it. In these cases we, as the organiser, are responsible for the proper performance of the whole package.

For tailor-made trips, these terms apply together with the quote you accept; if the two conflict, the accepted quote prevails.

These terms are to be read together with the pre-contractual information, the tour page and the booking confirmation. By booking, you confirm that you have read and accepted them.

Before you book, we give you, in a clear and understandable way, the essential information about the trip: the main characteristics of the services (destinations, itinerary and dates, means of transport, accommodation, meals, visits and excursions), the level of physical effort required, the language in which the trip is conducted and, for group tours, the minimum number of participants.

We also tell you the total price including taxes and charges, the payment terms (deposit and balance due date), the information on passport, visas and health formalities, the cases in which you can withdraw from the contract and any insurance, whether compulsory or optional.

This information forms part of the contract: we can change it only with your express agreement, or by clearly telling you of the changes before the contract is concluded.

These are our details. On request, we send you a copy of these terms and of the pre-contractual information on a durable medium, for example by email.

Online, you book in a few steps: you choose the trip, the departure, the travellers, any extras and the payment method. At the end you receive a booking code, and the seats stay reserved for a limited time, stated in the section Booking and payments.

The contract is concluded when we receive the first payment and send you the booking confirmation on a durable medium, normally by email to the address you gave us. If the confirmation does not arrive, check your spam folder and write to us.

Whoever makes the booking also does so on behalf of the other travellers named in it, for whom they declare that they have authority to act, and is responsible for the accuracy of the details entered. At least one traveller on the booking must be 18 or over on the departure date.

Check the travellers’ details carefully: names must match the travel document exactly. A mistake can result in change fees or prevent boarding.

You can find and manage your booking with the code and email from the Manage booking page or from your account.

Prices are in euros and, unless stated otherwise, are per person in a double room and include applicable taxes. Each trip lists what is included (for example accommodation, transport and visits in the programme, the meals stated, support from the tour leader and, where applicable, flights) and what is not.

Unless the tour page states otherwise, the following are not included: meals not stated, drinks, personal expenses, tips, visas and entry fees for countries, tourist taxes payable on the spot, optional excursions and travel insurance.

Children aged 2 to 11, as of the departure date, pay a percentage of the adult price shown on the tour page; infants under 2 pay a fixed fee and do not occupy a seat, but travel with an adult (one infant per adult).

If you choose a single room, the supplement shown for the departure applies for each adult traveller who occupies it.

A promo code reduces the price of the trip and of the supplements, but not of the extras; only one code can be used per booking, and only on the terms stated in the offer.

The final price is always shown before payment. After confirmation it does not change, except in the cases set out in the section Changes by the organiser.

When you book, you can pay the full amount or a deposit, normally 25% of the total with a minimum of €200 (never more than the total); the exact percentage is shown in the summary before payment. The balance is due at least 30 days before departure.

If the departure is within 45 days, or if the total does not exceed the minimum deposit, payment in full is required at the time of booking.

You can pay in any of these ways; the booking summary shows the ones available for your departure:

• Credit or debit card (Visa, Mastercard): the amount is charged immediately and the booking is confirmed immediately. If payment is not completed within 30 minutes, the seats become available again.
• Bank transfer: seats stay reserved for 72 hours. Use the booking code as the payment reference: the booking is confirmed when the money reaches our account.
• PayPal and IRIS (payment from your bank): you are taken to the provider’s secure page and the booking is confirmed once the payment goes through.
• At our office: you can pay at one of our offices within 48 hours; in the meantime the seats stay reserved.

With the card you can ask to pay in interest-free instalments, depending on the amount to pay:

• 3 instalments for amounts from €300
• 6 instalments for amounts from €600
• 9 instalments for amounts from €900
• 12 instalments for amounts from €1,200

Instalments are handled by the bank or card issuer under its own terms: we do not charge interest or extra costs and we receive the full amount.

Pending bookings that are not paid within the stated deadlines expire automatically and the seats become available again, with no cancellation charge.

The balance reminder we email you is a courtesy service: the balance is due on the due date even if you do not receive it. If it is not paid by the due date and you do not contact us after our payment reminder, we may cancel the booking and apply the cancellation charges in force at that time.

You can find the details of the payment methods on the Payments and instalments page.

After confirmation you can ask us to change the booking details (names, contact details, special requests, rooms, extras) by writing or calling us and quoting the booking code. We will do our best to help, subject to the service providers.

Correcting simple typing errors is free if you let us know in good time. For other changes we tell you beforehand the actual costs we have to bear (for example changing the name on an air ticket, which some airlines do not allow).

Changing the departure or the trip, and reducing the number of travellers, depend on availability. As a rule they are treated as a cancellation followed by a new booking, and the charges in the section Cancellation charges apply, reduced to actual costs only when the services already booked can be reused.

If you cannot travel, you can transfer the trip to another person who meets all the required conditions (for example age, documents and requirements stated on the tour page). You must tell us in writing, on a durable medium (for example by email), with reasonable notice before departure.

To give us time to change the names with the providers, in particular airlines, we recommend that you tell us at least 7 days before departure.

The person who transfers the trip and the person who receives it are jointly and severally liable for payment of the balance and for any additional costs resulting from the transfer. We tell you the actual cost of the transfer: it is not unreasonable and does not exceed the costs we actually incur. A transfer does not involve cancellation charges.

Before departure we may change the terms of the contract, other than the price, only if the change is minor and is clearly communicated to you on a durable medium.

If we are forced to make a significant change to one of the main characteristics of the services, if we cannot meet a special request that we had accepted, or if we propose a price increase of more than 8%, we tell you without delay, on a durable medium, stating the change, its effect on the price, the deadline for replying and what happens if you do not reply.

Within that period you can accept the change or withdraw from the contract with no cancellation charge; in that case we may offer you another trip of equivalent or higher quality. If you withdraw and do not accept another trip, we refund everything you have paid without delay and in any case within 14 days. If the changed trip is of lower quality or cost, you are entitled to an appropriate price reduction.

After the contract is concluded, the price can increase only if the contract allows it, as these terms do, and only as a result of changes in:

• the cost of carrying passengers resulting from the cost of fuel or other sources of power;
• the level of taxes or fees on tourist services imposed by third parties not directly involved in performing the trip, such as landing, disembarkation and embarkation fees at ports and airports;
• the exchange rates applicable to the trip.

The increase is clearly communicated to you, with the justification and the calculation, on a durable medium and at least 20 days before departure: after that deadline the price can no longer increase. If the same costs fall, you are entitled to the corresponding reduction; we may deduct our actual administrative expenses and, if you ask, we will provide proof of them.

If a departure does not reach the minimum number of participants stated on the tour page, we may cancel it and refund you in full, giving you notice at least 20 days before departure for trips lasting more than 6 days, at least 7 days before for trips of 2 to 6 days and at least 48 hours before for trips of fewer than 2 days. When a departure is marked as a ‘guaranteed departure’, the minimum number has already been reached.

We may also cancel the trip if we are prevented from performing it by unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances (for example war, serious safety or health risks, natural disasters), giving you notice without delay before departure. In these cases, and where the minimum number is not reached, we refund everything you have paid, without delay and in any case within 14 days, and we owe no further compensation.

You can withdraw from the contract at any time before departure by telling us in writing: online from the Manage booking page, by email or in person at one of our offices. The withdrawal takes effect from the day we receive it.

Withdrawal involves an appropriate and justified cancellation charge: we use charges expressed as a percentage of the total booking, set according to the time remaining before departure. The closer the departure, the less we are able to reuse or resell the services already booked and the higher the costs we have to bear in any case.

If only one of the travellers on a booking withdraws, the charge is calculated on their share and we recalculate the supplements for the others (for example the single room).

You are entitled to a full refund, with no cancellation charge, if before departure unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances arise at the destination or in its immediate vicinity that significantly affect the performance of the trip or the carriage of passengers to the destination. Examples are a war or other serious security problems such as terrorism, significant risks to human health such as the outbreak of a serious disease, or natural disasters that make it impossible to travel safely. We assess each case with you, taking into account the guidance of the competent authorities; the refund is made without delay and in any case within 14 days.

Failing to show up at departure, or turning up without the necessary documents, is equivalent to a withdrawal notified on the day of departure.

Online bookings of package holidays do not carry the 14-day right of withdrawal that generally applies to distance purchases: for package holidays, the rules in this section apply.

The charge is a percentage of the booking total (trip, supplements and extras, net of discounts) and depends on the calendar days left before departure at the moment we receive the withdrawal (Athens time):

If you have already paid more than the charge, we refund the difference by the same payment method, without delay and in any case within 14 days; if you have paid less, the difference remains due.

A pending booking for which you have not yet paid anything is cancelled with no cancellation charge.

Worked examples, rules for changes and a calculator are on the Cancellation charges and refunds page.

You are responsible for having valid travel documents: a passport or ID card, depending on the destination and your nationality, with the required validity (often at least six months after your return), visas and entry authorisations and, for minors, any accompanying documents.

The information we give you refers, unless stated otherwise, to Greek citizens: if you hold another nationality, check with the consulate of the destination country. You will find the details on each trip’s page and on the Documents and visas page.

If you cannot travel or continue because your documents are not in order (expired, missing or with incorrect details), the costs and consequences are yours and the cancellation charge for failing to show up applies.

Ask your doctor or the relevant health authorities about the vaccinations and precautions recommended for the destination. The level of physical effort required is stated on the tour page. If you have health conditions, dietary needs or mobility difficulties that may affect the trip, tell us before you book: we will assess together whether the trip is right for you and how to adapt it.

Minors travel accompanied by an adult who is responsible for them; the minimum age for each trip, where there is one, is stated on the tour page.

We recommend travel insurance that covers medical expenses, assistance, luggage and cancellation. Some cover can be added as extras during booking; the terms and exclusions are those of the insurer and should be read before you accept. More information on the Travel insurance page. If insurance is compulsory, we say so on the tour page.

During the trip we ask you to respect the timetable and instructions of the tour leader and guides, the laws and customs of the places you visit and the other participants.

Anyone whose behaviour seriously compromises safety, the running of the trip or the harmony of the group may be removed from the trip, with no right to a refund, and is liable for any damage they cause.

We are responsible for the performance of all the tourist services included in the trip, even when they are provided by others (hotels, carriers, local guides).

If a service is not performed as the contract provides, tell us without delay, if possible on the spot, through the tour leader or the assistance contact given in your travel documents. We will put it right within a reasonable time and at no cost to you, unless that is impossible or disproportionately costly. If we do not, you can arrange a remedy yourself and ask us to reimburse the necessary expenses.

You are entitled to an appropriate price reduction for the period in which the service did not conform, and to compensation without delay for the damage you suffered, unless the lack of conformity is attributable to you, to a third party unconnected with the provision of the trip’s services in an unforeseeable or unavoidable way, or to unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances.

For individual services, the limits on compensation set by international conventions and by law (for example for air transport) remain valid.

We are not responsible for services you buy yourself on the spot that are not part of the trip, nor for personal belongings and money that you have not handed over to us.

If you are in difficulty during the trip, we help you without delay: we give you information on health services, local authorities and consular assistance, and we help you with remote communications and with finding alternative travel arrangements. If the difficulty is caused by you intentionally or through negligence, we may charge you the actual costs we incur in assisting you, to a reasonable extent.

During the trip you can turn to the group’s tour leader; emergency contact details are in the travel documents you receive before departure. You can reach our office using the following contact details: info@ithaka-travel.example · +30 210 123 4567.

As an organiser of package holidays, we hold a guarantee which, if we became insolvent, ensures a refund of what you have paid for services not performed and, if the trip includes transport, your return home. The guarantee is provided in the forms required by Greek law.

On request we give you the details of the guarantee and the contact details of the guarantor, whom you can contact directly if we are no longer able to perform the trip because of insolvency.

The guarantee covers the trips we organise as package holidays and does not cover services you buy separately.

Greek National Tourism Organisation (GNTO) licence no. 0000 Ε60 0000000

If something goes wrong, tell us straight away: if you are travelling, tell the tour leader or use the assistance contact, so that we can still put it right.

After the trip you can send us a written complaint at info@ithaka-travel.example or by post to our office, quoting the booking code and, if you can, attaching any useful documents (photos, receipts). We recommend doing so as soon as possible, so that we can check the facts with the providers. We reply in writing, normally within 30 days.

If we cannot resolve the matter together, as a consumer you can turn to an alternative dispute resolution body, for example the Consumer Ombudsman (Συνήγορος του Καταναλωτή in Greek), the independent Greek authority responsible for consumer protection. You can in any case always go to court.

We process your personal data as described in the privacy policy. To organise the trip we have to share the travellers’ details with the service providers (airlines, hotels, guides, insurers), including in countries outside the European Union.

The contract is governed by Greek law, without prejudice to the mandatory consumer protection rules of the country where you live.

The courts of Athens have jurisdiction over any dispute, without prejudice to your right as a consumer to go to the court of the place where you live, where the law allows it.

These terms are drawn up in Greek, English and Italian: if the versions differ, the Greek text prevails.

We may update these terms. Your booking is governed by the version in force on the day you booked; the date of the last revision is shown at the top of the page.

If any clause is found to be invalid, the others remain in force.