Terms and Conditions

The Grown-up Travel Company Ltd

Company number: 10639831

Registered office: 71–75 Shelton Street, London WC2H 9JQ, United Kingdom

Email: andy.higgs@grownuptravel.co

Telephone: +47 4591 9660

Version 2.1 — effective 1 October 2026

These booking conditions apply to packages organised and sold by The Grown-up Travel Company Ltd. Please read them alongside your quotation, itinerary, any booking-specific conditions and your booking confirmation. Together, these documents explain your arrangements, payment obligations and rights if something changes.

1 Definitions and scope

Company, we, us and our mean The Grown-up Travel Company Ltd.

You and traveller mean each person named on the booking. Lead Booker means the person who makes the booking on behalf of the travellers.

Package means the combination of travel services we organise and sell to you which constitutes a package under the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018, as amended. Booking means your confirmed contract with us for that package.

Package Price means the total agreed price of the services included in your package, including applicable taxes and compulsory charges disclosed before booking. Start Date means the date on which the first travel service included in your package begins, as shown in your booking confirmation. It may differ from the date on which you leave home.

Supplier means a business or person providing a service included in the package, such as accommodation, transport, guiding or an activity.

Unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances mean circumstances outside the control of the party relying on them, whose effects would remain unavoidable despite taking all reasonable precautions.

References below to days before departure mean calendar days before the Start Date. Your confirmation will show the actual payment due dates.

These conditions do not remove or restrict rights that the law gives you. Where mandatory consumer law applies, it takes precedence over any conflicting wording here. A booking-specific variation must be expressly agreed in writing and cannot override those rights.

2 Booking and contract formation

Before you commit to a booking, we will provide the applicable information about the package, these conditions, any booking-specific conditions and the prescribed package-travel information describing your key rights. This includes the applicable insolvency-protection information and any available alternative dispute resolution procedure and participation information. Information may be supplied in an email, attached document or another form which you can retain.

Sample itineraries on our website illustrate the types of journey we can arrange. Your proposed itinerary, availability and price will be set out in your individual quotation. Any quotation expiry date or temporary supplier hold will be stated in the quotation. Availability remains subject to confirmation under this section.

A contract is formed when we have received the required deposit or full payment and have issued written confirmation accepting your booking. An enquiry, quotation, provisional itinerary or temporary supplier hold is not, on its own, confirmation of a booking. If we cannot accept the booking, we will return any payment received for it.

The contract includes the agreed package information supplied before booking, your confirmed itinerary, accepted special requirements and any expressly agreed changes. A later invoice or confirmation does not, by itself, permit us to change what you have agreed.

Please check your confirmation promptly, including names, dates, accommodation, transport, inclusions and payment deadlines, and tell us about any error as soon as you discover it. This request does not reduce our responsibility for errors for which we are legally liable.

3 The Lead Booker

The Lead Booker must be at least 18 and have authority to make the booking and communicate with us on behalf of the named travellers. They must ensure that all travellers receive the relevant booking documents and understand the conditions which apply.

The Lead Booker is responsible for supplying accurate information and passing on our communications. They accept responsibility for payment of the agreed booking price on behalf of the party by the agreed deadlines. They must be authorised to provide information on behalf of the other travellers and ensure that those travellers receive our privacy information. Authority to book does not, by itself, constitute another adult traveller’s consent to the processing of health or other sensitive personal information. We will normally communicate with the Lead Booker, although each traveller retains their own statutory rights.

4 What your package includes

Your quotation and confirmed itinerary identify the services included in the Package Price and any exclusions. Flights to and from Africa are not sold or included by us. Flights within Africa, including domestic flights and regional flights between African countries, are included only where expressly identified in your quotation and confirmed itinerary.

Unless expressly included, the price excludes travel insurance, visas and entry authorisations, personal purchases, optional activities, meals and drinks not listed as included, and voluntary gratuities. Tipping is optional. Any compulsory service charge forming part of the package will be identified in the pricing information.

Please obtain written confirmation of your package before committing to separately booked flights or other arrangements which depend on it, and allow suitable connection time. Services you book independently are generally covered by a separate contract with their provider. Our responsibilities for your package, including any liability arising from our own breach, remain unaffected.

An activity expressly included in your confirmed package remains part of that package when provided by a local supplier. An activity you book independently under a separate contract with its provider is not included unless we expressly agree to add it to your package. If you ask us to arrange an additional service, we will identify our role, whether it becomes part of your package, and the applicable terms before you agree.

Accommodation classifications and descriptive ratings may reflect local systems or a supplier’s assessment and are not directly comparable between countries. Your quotation and confirmed itinerary describe the accommodation and facilities included in your package. We will identify material limitations known to us which are relevant to your proposed stay. These explanations do not reduce our responsibility to provide the arrangements agreed with you.

Photographs may illustrate a property or type of experience rather than the precise room, vehicle or view you will receive. They do not override the agreed description of your package. Wildlife sightings, particular species and animal behaviour cannot be guaranteed unless a specific contractual promise has been made.

5 Deposits and payment

The standard deposit is 30% of the Package Price, payable when you request confirmation. The remaining balance must reach the designated account 70 days, or ten weeks, before the Start Date. For bookings made 70 days or fewer before the Start Date, full payment is required at booking unless we expressly agree a different payment schedule in writing.

Some arrangements require a different deposit, earlier payment or staged payments. We will set out any such schedule before you book. Once expressly agreed, it replaces the standard payment schedule for that booking.

A deposit is an advance payment towards your package. Its retention following cancellation is governed by section 8 and any properly disclosed booking-specific cancellation conditions. It is not excluded from statutory refund rights, and paying a deposit does not remove your right to transfer the package under section 10.

Payments are made by bank transfer using the instructions we provide. Your booking documents will identify the currency in which the Package Price is agreed. If payment is to be made in another currency, we will explain and agree the conversion method before you book and show the amount required on the relevant invoice. An invoice conversion is not permission to increase the agreed Package Price outside section 7.

Any bank or transfer fees you are required to cover will be disclosed before booking. Please allow enough time for funds to arrive and use the stated payment reference. Contact us promptly if you expect difficulty meeting a deadline.

6 Late or missing payment

If payment for a confirmed booking is overdue, we will contact the Lead Booker in writing, identify the amount outstanding and give a reasonable deadline for payment. We will explain that failure to pay may result in termination of the booking.

If payment is still not received within that deadline, we may terminate the booking by written notice and apply an appropriate cancellation charge under section 8, calculated at the date of termination. We will account for payments already received and refund any remaining amount due to you. The charge must remain reasonable and justifiable.

Where no contract has been formed because the initial required payment has not been made and we have not accepted the booking, a provisional hold may be released. The cancellation table does not, by itself, create a cancellation charge for an unconfirmed booking.

7 Prices and price changes

We may change the price of an unbooked package before acceptance. We will tell you about a change to your quotation before you become bound. A pricing error in a confirmed booking will be addressed fairly and in accordance with the law; it does not give us an unrestricted right to impose a new price.

After confirmation, the Package Price may increase only because of changes directly affecting:

• passenger transport costs resulting from changes in fuel or other power costs;
• taxes or fees imposed on included travel services by third parties not directly providing those services; or
• exchange rates relevant to your package.

An ordinary increase in a supplier’s accommodation rate or our operating costs is not, by itself, a permitted surcharge under this section.

We will identify the relevant original cost and currency bases, including applicable exchange rates and the conversion method, in your quotation or other written information supplied before booking. The calculation will use the quantities of affected services and those original bases. We will compare the original cost with the revised cost of the same services, convert them into the agreed Package Price currency on the stated basis, and apply only the resulting net change. Overlapping changes will not be counted twice and no profit mark-up will be added to a surcharge. We will provide the justification and calculation in writing.

We will absorb eligible net increases up to 2% of the original Package Price and charge only the amount above that allowance. We will not impose a price increase within 30 days before the Start Date. Notice of any permitted increase will be supplied clearly in a form you can retain at least 30 days before that date.

If a proposed increase payable by you exceeds 8% of the original Package Price, you may accept it or terminate the contract without a cancellation charge under section 11.

You are also entitled to a corresponding price reduction if the relevant costs decrease after confirmation and before the package starts. Reductions will use the same underlying calculation, without withholding the first 2%. We will not deduct an administration fee from such a reduction. This reduction right is not limited by our 30-day restriction on increases.

8 Cancellation by you

You may cancel your package at any time before it starts. The Lead Booker, or a traveller cancelling their own participation, should email andy.higgs@grownuptravel.co, identifying the booking and the travellers affected. Notice takes effect when received by us. We will acknowledge it; if no acknowledgement arrives, please contact us to check receipt. An acknowledgement is not required for a notice we have received to take effect.

Unless a statutory right to cancellation without a fee applies, or an expressly agreed booking-specific cancellation schedule applies, the following standard charges apply to the Package Price attributable to the cancelling traveller or travellers:

Charges apply to the applicable Package Price. Each range includes both endpoints: cancellation exactly 70 days before the Start Date falls in the 35% band; exactly 14 days falls in the 90% band.

These are standard termination fees, subject to the requirement that the charge is appropriate and justifiable. They reflect the timing of cancellation and expected savings or income from using the services for another booking. We will take account of relevant savings, refunds and recoveries, reduce a charge where necessary to meet that requirement, and explain the charge if you ask. Payment of the full balance does not mean you automatically lose the full amount if you cancel.

Where a required advance payment is higher than the standard 30% deposit, that does not automatically increase your cancellation liability. Any cancellation schedule departing from the standard table, including the treatment of a higher deposit, must be explained before booking and expressly agreed.

Certain services, such as permits or particular tickets, may have stricter cancellation conditions. We will identify those conditions and their effect on your cancellation charge before you book. Where a separate component charge is agreed, that component’s disclosed price will be removed from the amount to which the standard percentage is applied. The component charge and the charge on the remaining services must not duplicate the same loss, exceed the relevant Package Price or override statutory rights. The combined charge must be appropriate and justifiable.

If only some travellers cancel, the arrangements and price for those continuing may need to change because shared costs or room occupancy change. We will explain any proposed change and obtain agreement; there is no automatic assumption that the remaining package can be repriced pro rata. Costs already included in the cancellation charge will not be charged again to the remaining travellers.

We will deduct the applicable charge from payments received. Any refund due following termination will be paid without unnecessary delay and within 14 days of termination. If the valid charge exceeds payments received, we will explain the calculation and invoice the difference. We do not make your statutory refund conditional on receiving a supplier refund first.

Your insurance may cover your cancellation charge, depending on its terms. We can provide relevant booking and cancellation documents for a claim.

Package travel contracts do not carry the ordinary 14-day cooling-off right under the UK Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013. This does not remove your cancellation rights under these conditions or any mandatory rights which apply under other law.

If you choose not to use an included service or leave the package early for personal reasons, a refund is not automatic. Please contact us promptly so that we can discuss the arrangements, any recoveries available and any assistance you need. Your insurance may cover costs arising from illness or other insured events. This provision does not restrict your rights where an included service is not provided as agreed or where the law entitles you to end the package without a fee. The pre-start cancellation table above does not automatically determine your rights or charges after the package has begun.

9 Cancellation without a termination fee

You may terminate the contract before the package starts without paying a termination fee where unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances at the destination or its immediate vicinity significantly affect the performance of the package or passenger transport to the destination. In that case, you are entitled to a full refund of payments made for the package within 14 days of termination, but no additional compensation under this cancellation right.

Other rights to terminate without a fee, including those arising from significant changes or a qualifying price increase, are explained in section 11. These rights also apply to deposits and to components described as non-refundable.

10 Changes requested by you and booking transfers

Please send amendment requests in writing. We will check availability and explain the proposed arrangements, price difference and any reasonable supplier or administration costs before you decide whether to proceed. We will not impose an undisclosed flat amendment fee. An amendment takes effect when expressly agreed in writing.

Some requested changes may require cancellation of existing services and a new booking. We will explain any cancellation charge before you authorise the change. A change in dates or destination is not automatically available at the original price.

You have the right to transfer your package to another person who meets the conditions applicable to it, by giving reasonable notice in a form we can retain. Notice given at least seven days before the Start Date is always treated as reasonable; shorter notice will be considered in the circumstances.

Transfer costs must be reasonable and must not exceed the costs we actually incur because of the transfer. We will tell you what those costs are and provide supporting evidence. The original and replacement traveller are jointly and severally responsible for the transfer costs. We will also confirm how any unpaid Package Price is to be settled. Supplier restrictions will be addressed as part of arranging the transfer and explaining actual costs; they do not remove your statutory transfer right.

11 Changes made by us before travel

We may make an insignificant change to the package before it starts, provided we inform you clearly in writing. The significance of a change depends on your particular booking; replacing accommodation or changing transport is not automatically insignificant.

If circumstances outside our control require a significant change to the main characteristics of your package, we cannot meet a special requirement we have accepted, or we propose a price increase payable by you exceeding 8%, we will explain in writing:

• the proposed change and its effect on the price;
• any substitute package available and its price;
• a reasonable deadline for your decision; and
• what will happen if you do not respond.

You may accept the change or terminate the contract without a cancellation charge. If we offer a substitute package, you may choose to accept it. Where the changed or substitute package has a lower quality or cost, you are entitled to an appropriate price reduction.

If you terminate and do not accept a substitute, we will refund all package payments within 14 days of termination. Any entitlement to compensation will be determined under the Regulations.

If you do not reply by the stated deadline, we will send a second notice before deciding whether to terminate. Silence does not automatically mean you accept the change. If we then terminate in accordance with the Regulations, we will refund all package payments within 14 days.

12 Cancellation by us before travel

If unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances prevent us from performing your package, we may terminate the contract by informing you without unnecessary delay before the package starts. We will refund all package payments within 14 days of termination. No additional compensation is payable under that statutory termination provision.

For any other cancellation by us, your rights to a refund and, where applicable, compensation remain governed by the law. Supplier failure does not automatically relieve us of our responsibilities as organiser. We will not restrict a refund to what the arrangements cost us.

Termination for non-payment is dealt with in section 6. Any fixed group departure requiring minimum numbers must have separate, expressly agreed conditions stating the minimum number and lawful cancellation notification deadline. No minimum-number condition applies to a private bespoke booking unless stated and agreed before booking.

13 Performance of your package and assistance

We are responsible for the proper performance of the travel services included in your package, including services delivered by suppliers.

Please notify us without undue delay if an included service is not provided as agreed. We must remedy a failure within a reasonable period you set, unless remedy is impossible or would entail disproportionate costs, taking account of the extent of the failure and the value of the affected services. Where those exceptions apply, your rights to a price reduction or compensation remain governed by the Regulations.

If we refuse to remedy a failure, or immediate remedy is required, you may take necessary steps yourself and are entitled to reimbursement of necessary expenses under the Regulations. You do not have to set a deadline, or wait until the end of a deadline already set, in those circumstances. Contact us first where practicable so that we can help, and keep evidence and receipts where possible. The absence of prior authorisation does not, by itself, remove a statutory right to reimbursement.

If a significant proportion of the included services cannot be provided as agreed, we will offer suitable alternatives at no extra cost, of comparable or better quality where possible. If the alternatives are of lower quality, an appropriate price reduction applies. You may reject alternatives which are not comparable, or where the offered reduction is inadequate.

Where a failure substantially affects your package and is not remedied within a reasonable period, you may terminate without a fee and seek the remedies available under the Regulations. Where applicable, we will arrange the return transport required by law at no extra cost. Obligations concerning delayed return and necessary accommodation will be met to the extent required by the Regulations, including their exceptions to accommodation limits.

We will provide appropriate assistance without unnecessary delay if you are in difficulty, including information about medical services, local authorities and consular support, help with communications and help finding alternative travel arrangements. If the difficulty was caused deliberately or negligently by you, we may charge a reasonable assistance fee limited to our actual costs.

Your booking documents will contain effective contact details for assistance and reporting problems. Emergency details and relevant local contacts will also be supplied before travel. Assistance does not mean every resulting third-party expense is payable by us; responsibility depends on the contract, applicable law and the circumstances.

14 Special requirements and suitability

Please tell us before booking about mobility or accessibility needs, relevant medical conditions, serious allergies, dietary needs and any other requirement which may affect your ability to use the proposed services safely. We will provide information about the package’s general suitability for travellers with reduced mobility and, on request, information relevant to your particular needs.

We will distinguish between a preference passed to suppliers and a requirement we accept as part of the contract. A requirement becomes an accepted contractual requirement when we confirm that acceptance in writing. If something is essential to your decision to book, please obtain that confirmation before committing.

Dietary preferences cannot always be guaranteed. We will explain any known limitations and will not use this statement to exclude responsibility for a requirement we have accepted. Please tell us promptly if relevant needs change after booking so that we can discuss any necessary adjustment.

We may need further relevant information to assess the suitability of a proposed itinerary, particularly for remote travel, light-aircraft flights or specialist activities. Any request for medical advice will be proportionate to the arrangements and your circumstances. If we cannot safely meet an essential requirement before booking, we will explain this and discuss alternatives where possible. If a relevant condition or requirement changes or becomes known after booking, we will assess the circumstances and discuss the options with you; cancellation charges do not arise automatically merely because information was not disclosed earlier.

15 Travel documents and traveller responsibilities

We will provide the applicable general passport, visa and health-formality information before booking, including approximate visa application times where relevant. Tell us each traveller’s nationality and any circumstances which affect entry requirements.

Each traveller must obtain the documents and permissions needed for the itinerary, including transit countries, and check their validity. Entry requirements may change; please review relevant official advice before travel and tell us if you need help identifying the applicable requirements. Our information duties and responsibility for our own errors remain unaffected.

Supply names exactly as shown in passports and check tickets and confirmations promptly. Follow the luggage, weight, age and other eligibility restrictions disclosed for your arrangements, particularly light-aircraft flights and specialist activities. Material supplier restrictions will be explained before booking where relevant; operational instructions and supplier rules do not displace our responsibilities for your package.

For children and other travellers who require a guardian, tell us about the travelling party and relevant ages before booking. We will identify applicable operator age limits and relevant general entry or consent-document requirements for the proposed itinerary. The responsible adult must obtain the necessary parental authorisations, guardianship documents and other permissions, subject to our information duties and responsibility for our own errors.

Where the final operating time of an internal flight is not available when you book, we will identify that limitation and explain how the timing will be confirmed. We will notify you of changes as soon as reasonably possible and provide the applicable check-in, baggage and weight instructions. Please check the latest confirmed timings and contact us promptly if a change affects a connection. Any required reconfirmation procedure, including who is responsible for it, will be explained in your travel documents. Changes to included transport remain subject to sections 11 and 13.

If a delay, cancellation or missed connection may affect your arrival or an included service, contact us and the relevant transport provider as soon as possible using the contacts in your booking documents. We will explain the available options and any proposed additional charges before you agree to revised arrangements where practicable. Responsibility for costs depends on the cause, the services included in your package and applicable law. A disruption to separately booked travel does not automatically create a refund right for unused package services; your statutory rights and our responsibilities for included services remain unaffected.

You must behave reasonably and safely, follow lawful and reasonable safety instructions, respect wildlife and local rules, and arrive in time for included services. If a traveller’s conduct presents a serious safety risk or materially disrupts others, we or a supplier may take proportionate steps, including ending that traveller’s participation where justified. We will explain any resulting charges or refund position according to the circumstances and the law; there is no blanket forfeiture of the whole booking price.

You are responsible for loss or damage which you cause and for which you are legally liable. Any claim passed to you will identify the damage, the basis of your responsibility and the amount claimed. A claim against one traveller does not automatically make every other member of the party liable. Any required accommodation security deposit and its material conditions will be disclosed before you agree to the relevant arrangements.

Activities may depend on weather, water levels, wildlife conditions and safety assessments. Any necessary change or cancellation of an included activity remains subject to your contractual and statutory rights. A safety decision does not, by itself, remove a right to a suitable alternative or price reduction.

16 Travel insurance

Adequate travel insurance is a condition of booking. Arrange it when you book so that cancellation cover can apply from that point. It should cover your destinations, planned activities and relevant medical conditions, as well as cancellation, medical treatment, evacuation and repatriation. Check the policy’s limits, exclusions and any requirements concerning remote areas or adventure activities.

We may request confirmation of cover and emergency assistance details. You are responsible for deciding whether the policy meets your needs, with advice from your insurer where required. Insurance does not replace our legal obligations or reduce a claim against us for which we are legally responsible.

17 Financial protection

The Grown-up Travel Company Ltd is a member of Protected Trust Services (PTS), membership number 5360. Payments for packages covered by our PTS arrangements are made to the designated PTS trust account using the instructions supplied for your booking.

Before you commit to a booking, we will provide the applicable insolvency-protection information. Your booking documents will identify the protection provider and claims contacts, together with the applicable refund and, where relevant, repatriation arrangements. Please review this information alongside your booking confirmation and contact us if you need clarification.

Any ATOL protection applicable to a booking will be expressly identified in the booking documents, and an ATOL Certificate will be supplied where required. The protection applicable to your particular booking is the arrangement identified in those documents.

You can verify our PTS membership through the PTS member listing or by contacting PTS. Its general contact details are: Protected Trust Services Ltd, Arena Offices, Victoria House, County Gates Gyratory, Westbourne, Bournemouth BH12 1AZ, United Kingdom; telephone +44 (0)20 7190 9988; email ask@protectedtrustservices.com; website https://www.protectedtrustservices.com. These are general contact details; use the claims contacts in your booking documents where different.

Financial protection does not replace travel insurance or create an unrestricted refund right for a cancellation you choose to make.

18 Problems and complaints

If a problem arises during travel, notify us without undue delay using the contacts in your booking documents. You can also ask the relevant local supplier to help, but please ensure that we are informed so that we can respond as organiser. Do not wait until you return where the problem could be addressed during your trip.

If the problem remains unresolved, please email andy.higgs@grownuptravel.co with your booking reference, an explanation and any supporting evidence. We aim to acknowledge complaints within five working days and will explain the next steps and expected response time. If investigation takes longer, we will keep you informed.

Prompt reporting helps us investigate and reduce losses. We will consider any effect a delay has had on our ability to put matters right, where relevant under the law. Missing a seven-day post-travel deadline does not mean you have accepted the service or lost your legal rights; no such deadline applies under these conditions.

Information about any available alternative dispute resolution procedure and any applicable scheme, including the provider and our participation position, will be supplied with your booking information. If we cannot resolve your complaint, we will give you the applicable information in writing and explain whether we are required or willing to participate in the relevant procedure.

Nothing in this complaint procedure removes your right to pursue a legal remedy.

19 Liability and statutory remedies

Your entitlement to a price reduction or compensation is governed by the Regulations and other applicable law. A price reduction is generally due for a period when an included service is not provided as agreed, unless the failure is attributable to you.

Compensation may not be payable where the legally applicable exception concerns your own actions, an unforeseeable or unavoidable act of an unconnected third party, or unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances. These compensation exceptions do not automatically remove separate rights to refunds, price reductions or assistance.

Where an applicable international transport convention limits compensation or the conditions for a claim against a transport provider, the corresponding limits may apply to us as allowed by law. Any compensation or price reduction already received for the same loss may be taken into account to avoid duplicate recovery.

Nothing in these conditions excludes liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud, or any responsibility which the law does not permit us to exclude or limit.

20 Governing law and other provisions

The contract is governed by the law of England and Wales, subject to any mandatory consumer protections which apply and cannot be excluded, including those applicable in your country of habitual residence. The courts of England and Wales may hear disputes, without restricting any right you have under applicable law to bring proceedings elsewhere.

If a provision is unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue to apply to the extent permitted by law. Nothing in this clause permits a term to be rewritten to remove a traveller’s statutory rights.

A person who is not a party to the contract has no right to enforce these conditions under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999. This does not exclude the rights of travellers who are parties to the booking or rights arising independently under the law.

Personal information will be processed in accordance with our Privacy Policy and applicable data-protection law. Information needed to arrange your services may be shared with relevant suppliers and protection providers as explained in that policy. We will collect only relevant information for the purposes explained to you. Where health or other sensitive personal information requires a separate consent or other lawful condition for processing, we will use the appropriate process; acceptance of these booking conditions is not blanket consent for every traveller. Where separate consent is required, it will be sought from the relevant traveller or a person lawfully able to give it on their behalf.

21 Versions and existing bookings

The version supplied and agreed when your booking is made applies to that booking. We may update these conditions for future bookings, but a website update or a later email does not automatically replace the conditions of an existing contract.

Any agreed variation to an existing booking must be recorded in writing and remains subject to mandatory legal rights. We will identify the applicable version in your booking documentation.