We are ABTOT members so you can book with peace of mind.This means that in the event of our insolvency financial protection for your money is provided by our ABTOT bond.

Terms and Conditions effective 24th February for season 2023/24

(The season 22/23 conditions are at the bottom of the page)

These terms and conditions apply to all 23/24 holidays. 

The following booking conditions form the basis of your contract with Family Ski Company, Bank Chambers, Walwyn Road, Colwall, Malvern, WR13 6QG UK. Registered in England & Wales no. 3257449.

Please read them carefully as they set out our respective rights and obligations. By asking us to confirm your booking, we are entitled to assume that you have had the opportunity to read and have read these booking conditions and agree to them. 

These booking conditions only apply to arrangements which you book with us and which we agree as part of our contract with you. All references in these booking conditions to “booking”, “contract”, or “arrangements” mean such arrangements unless otherwise stated. “You” and “your” means all persons named on the booking. “We”, “us” and “our” means Family Ski Company Limited.

COVID-19 Guarantee Season 23/24

Just in case it proves necessary, we are continuing to provide a Covid-19 guarantee for next season. Normally, protection applies if we cannot deliver holidays, but we are now covering other likely situations. The ultimate protection remains our ABTOT bond which protects the money you have paid us in the event of our insolvency and stands behind this guarantee. The guarantee is below in paragraph 27.

1. Making your booking

The first named person on your booking will be the “party leader”. The party leader must be authorised to make the booking on the basis of these booking conditions by all persons named on the booking and by their parent or guardian for all party members who are under 18 when the booking is made. By making a booking, the party leader confirms that he/she is so authorised. The party leader is responsible for making all payments due to us. 

The party leader is responsible for ensuring all payments to us, although we may accept payments from family leaders. Deposits are not refundable, except as provided in Clause 8 ‘Changes & Cancellations by us’. Please check your booking confirmation as soon as you receive it and notify us immediately if you believe there are any errors or omissions as it may not be possible to make changes later. By asking us to confirm your booking, you are deemed to have agreed to these Booking Conditions. If you have not received your booking confirmation within 14 days of making payment, please contact us to make sure that your booking is confirmed. As soon as you receive your booking confirmation, please visit your booking page (to which we will provide a link) and provide the requested additional information.

Please take the time to read our refunds policy and terms and conditions below. These booking conditions set out the terms of your contract with us including our obligations to you.

2. Payment 

The balance of your accommodation cost must be received by us not less than 10 weeks prior to departure. The cost of additional services must be received not less than 6 weeks prior to departure. This date will be shown on the booking confirmation. If we do not receive all payments due in full and on time, we are entitled to assume that you wish to cancel your booking. In this case, we will be entitled to keep all deposits paid at that date and apply the appropriate cancellation charges. If we do not cancel straight away because you have promised to make payment, you must pay the cancellation charges shown in clause 7 depending on the date we reasonably treat your booking as cancelled.  We also reserve the right to apply a late payment charge of £20 per day payment is overdue per booking.  

All payments should be made by bank transfer.

3. Your contract 

A binding contract between us comes into existence when we send our booking confirmation to the party leader. We both agree that English law (and no other) will apply to these booking conditions, your contract and to any dispute, claim or other matter of any description which arises between us (“claim”) except as set out below. We both also agree that any claim must be dealt with by the Courts of England and Wales only unless, in the case of Court proceedings, you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland. In this case, proceedings must either be brought in the Courts of your home country or those of England and Wales. If proceedings are brought in Scotland or Northern Ireland, you may choose to have your contract and any claim governed by the law of Scotland/Northern Ireland as applicable (but if you do not so choose, English law will apply). 

4. The cost of your arrangements

We reserve the right to correct errors in at any time before your holiday date.  We will advise you of any error of which we are aware, the then applicable price and details of any applicable currency surcharge formula at the time of booking.

Once the price of your chosen arrangements has been confirmed at the time of booking, we will only increase or decrease the price in the following circumstances. Price increases after booking will be passed on by way of a surcharge. A surcharge will be payable if our costs increase as a direct consequence of a change in the level of taxes or fees on the services included in the contract imposed by third parties not directly involved in the performance of the arrangements including tourist taxes and the exchange rates relevant to the arrangements. We also reserve the right to pass on increases of electricity costs greater than 20% of the effective cost, net of any government subsidies that applied for the month of February 2023.

You will also be entitled to a price reduction where there is a decrease in our costs as a result of a decrease in the costs referred to in the above paragraph which occurs between confirmation of your booking and the start of your holiday.

We also reserve the right to introduce a currency surcharge formula applicable to the price of services for your holiday at any time before your holiday is confirmed. We will absorb, and you will not be charged for, any increase equivalent to 2% of the price of your holiday arrangements, which excludes insurance premiums and any amendment charges. You will be charged for any increase in our costs over and above that. If any surcharge is greater than 10% of the total holiday cost, clause 8 will apply on the basis that the surcharge is a significant change. You will be notified of any price increase or reduction applied in accordance with this clause together with the justification for and calculation of this not less than 20 days before departure. Where a reduction is applicable, we are entitled to deduct our administrative expenses from the refund.

Any surcharge must be paid within 14 days of the issue date printed on the invoice, whichever is the later. Please note that arrangements are not always purchased in local currency and some apparent changes have no impact on the price of your holiday due to contractual and other protection in place.

We promise not to levy a surcharge within 20 days of your departure.  No refund will be payable during this period either.

5. Special Requests/medical conditions/disabilities/reduced mobility

We will endeavour to meet special requests where we can but cannot guarantee their delivery. If you have any special requests, for example special dietary requirements or ‘additional needs’ childcare or any other special requirement such as a cake on a child’s birthday, we will do our best to assist, but you must discuss these when booking. If we feel unable to meet any such special request, we will normally inform you verbally of this immediately, although we may need to make further enquiries before confirming whether or not we can meet requests. You must also confirm such special requests on the on-line booking confirmation details form or by email. This ensures that any descriptions, agreements and assurances given verbally are properly documented and therefore correctly actioned.

Please note, confirmation that a special request has been noted or passed on to the supplier, or the inclusion of the special request on your booking confirmation form (or any other documentation) is not confirmation that the request will be met. Any special requirement which we have accepted will be specifically confirmed as accepted on your booking confirmation.

Before you make your booking, we will advise you as to whether the proposed holiday arrangements are generally suitable for someone with reduced mobility.  However, reduced mobility of course means different things to different individuals as we fully appreciate that individual capabilities, restrictions and requirements are likely to vary considerably. When we refer to reduced mobility, this means any material reduction in mobility whether this is permanent or temporary and whether caused by age or by physical or mental disability or impairment or other cause of disability. If you suffer from any medical condition, disability or reduced mobility which may affect your holiday (including the booking process) or have any special requirements as a result, please tell us before you confirm your booking so that we can advise as to the suitability of the chosen arrangements. In any event, you must give us full details in writing on the on-line booking confirmation details form or by email at the time of booking and as soon as possible in the event that any disability, medical condition or reduced mobility develops or deteriorates after booking.

6. Changes by you 

We will, whenever possible, endeavour to make changes or additions to your booking on request, but are not under any obligation to do so. Should you wish to make any changes to your confirmed booking, you must notify us in writing as soon as possible. Whilst we will endeavour to assist, we cannot guarantee we will be able to meet any such requests. Where we can, an amendment fee of £35.00 per person will be payable together with any costs incurred by ourselves and any costs or charges incurred or imposed by any of our suppliers. 

A change of booking dates will normally be treated as a cancellation of the original booking and re-booking in which case cancellation charges will apply. Changes may result in the recalculation of the booking cost where, for example, the basis on which the price of the original booking was calculated has changed. 

If any member of your party is unable or no longer wishes to travel for any reason, the person(s) concerned may transfer their place to someone else (introduced by you) providing we are notified of their name and contact details prior to your arrival.  If any costs and charges are incurred by us and/or incurred or imposed by any of our suppliers as a result, these must be paid prior to arrival. In any case a booking amendment fee will apply as in 6, above.

7. Cancellation by you

You may cancel your confirmed booking at any time before departure. We must be informed in writing if you wish to cancel your holiday. The following charges apply based on the date we receive your written notification. Where the cancellation charge is shown as a percentage, this is calculated on the basis of the total cost payable by the person(s) cancelling excluding amendment charges. Amendment charges are not refundable in the event of the person(s) to whom they apply cancelling. In calculating these cancellation charges, we have taken account of possible cost savings and the generation of income from other bookings which may be able to utilise cancelled services to the extent this is likely to be achievable. Where costs for ski lessons and lift passes have not been incurred or are recoverable we will deduct these amounts from our invoice.

Bookings for sole occupancy of a chalet are treated as a single booking under a single contract with a single party leader responsible for the booking and payment for it, even where payment may be made by several family leaders. If any members of this booking are unable to take their holiday for any reason, then payment for the entire booking will remain due including accommodation, childcare and extras and be the responsibility of the party leader.  You may normally substitute other party members in which case we will make an administration charge of £35 per new party member which will be added to the invoice price. If you wish we will attempt to reduce any increased cost per party member by selling holidays to other guests under a separate booking and where we are able to do this we will reduce your invoice. If you increase your party size by agreement with us we will add the cost of the additional party members to the original invoice price.

Period before departure and cancellation charges where written notice is received by us :

  • 70 days or more deposit only 
  • 29-69 days 50%
  • 15-28 days 70%
  • less than 14 days, or no show 100%

8. Changes and cancellation by us 

We start planning the arrangements we offer many months in advance. Occasionally, we have to make changes to and correct errors in advertising and other details both before and after bookings have been confirmed and cancel confirmed bookings. Whilst we always endeavour to avoid changes and cancellations, we must reserve the right to do so. 

If for any reason we are unable to offer you accommodation in the chalet you have booked you accept that we will provide alternative equivalent accommodation in the same resort.  This can happen for example if a chalet becomes unserviceable or if a cancellation means that you would be the only family in a multi-family chalet. 

For the season of 2023/24 the terms of our COVID-19 guarantee below will apply in the case of any COVID-related changes.

We will not be responsible for any other expenses including without limitation, the cost of flights or any other form of transport, accommodation or other expenses you incur as a result.

Very rarely, we may be forced by “force majeure” (see clause 9) to change or terminate your arrangements after they have commenced but before their scheduled end.  This is very unlikely but if this situation does occur, we regret we will be unable to make any refunds (unless we obtain any refunds from our suppliers), pay you any compensation or meet any costs or expenses you incur as a result. 

9. Force majeure 

Except where otherwise expressly stated in these booking conditions, we regret we cannot accept liability or pay any compensation or expenses where the performance or prompt performance of our obligations under our contract with you is prevented or affected by or you otherwise suffer any damage, loss or expense of any nature as a result of “force majeure”. In these booking conditions, “force majeure” means any situation within our reasonable contemplation, which is beyond our control, the consequences of which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken. Such situations may include, whether actual or threatened, riot, civil strife, terrorist activity, industrial dispute, natural disaster, exceptional adverse weather conditions, fire, the effect of the United Kingdom’s decision to leave the EU, and all events of a similar nature. 

10. Our liability to you 

We undertake to use our reasonable skill and care in the provision of the accommodation services where these services are provided by our employees in the course of their employment. For all services (which includes transfers) which are provided by any person or entity other than our employees, we undertake to use our reasonable skill and care in the selection of those suppliers but, providing we have done so, are not responsible for their acts and omissions or for the actual performance of those services.

We will not be responsible for any injury, illness, death, loss (including loss of enjoyment or possessions), damage, expense, cost or other sum or claim of any description whatsoever which results from any of the following: – 

  • the act(s) and/or omission(s) of the person(s) affected; or 
  • the act(s) and/or omission(s) of a third party not connected with the provision of your arrangements; or 
  • ‘force majeure’ as defined in clause 9 above.

Please note, we cannot accept responsibility for any services which do not form part of our contract. This includes, for example, any additional services or facilities which any supplier agrees to provide for you where we have not agreed to provide these as part of our contract and any activities which we arrange for you during your holiday. Regardless of any wording used by us on our website, in any advertising material or elsewhere, we only promise to use reasonable skill and care as set out above and we do not have any greater or different liability to you.

Where we are found liable for loss of and/or damage to any luggage or personal possessions (including money), the maximum amount we will have to pay you is £250.00 per person affected. Any payment is subject to your producing appropriate proof of the contents and value of the luggage or personal possessions concerned and demonstrating that you have taken proper care of your property. For all other claims which do not involve death or personal injury, we limit the maximum amount we will have to pay you in the event that we are found liable to you on any basis to twice the cost paid by the person(s) affected. 

11. Complaints and problems 

In the unlikely event that you have any reason to complain or experience any problems with your booking whilst away, you must immediately inform us and the supplier of the service(s) in question. Any verbal notification must be put in writing. Until we know about a complaint or problem, we cannot begin to resolve it. Most problems can be dealt with quickly. If you remain dissatisfied, however, you must write to us within 28 days giving your booking reference and full details of your complaint. Only the party leader should write to us. For all complaints and claims which do not involve death, personal injury or illness, we regret that we cannot accept liability if you fail to notify the complaint or claim entirely in accordance with this clause.

If you have any cause for complaint during your holiday you must contact your Resort Manager immediately, so that we have the opportunity to deal with your complaint. You must accept that it is not reasonable to complain later about something that we have not been given the chance to address whilst you are on holiday. If,once you have made us aware of it, you are not satisfied with the handling of your complaint in resort, the party leader must put your complaint in writing to us within 28 days of leaving your resort.

We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint, investigate and normally respond within 28 days and will let you know if we need longer than this. It is very important to follow the above Complaints Procedure and in the event that you do not do so, any right you may have had to claim compensation, where applicable, is likely to be affected and may be lost altogether. Any assistance provided by us to help you to resolve any complaints you may have in relation to ski lessons, lift passes and/or transfers booked through us (except for inclusive transfers) is provided on a goodwill basis and in our capacity as booking agent only. We accept responsibility for inclusive transfers booked with your accommodation but please note that this does not extend to traffic and weather conditions outside our control causing missed flights.

12. Insurance 

We require the purchase of comprehensive travel insurance as a condition of your booking with us. You must purchase travel insurance at the point of the holiday booking with us so that you have cancellation protection and not just prior to your departure on holiday.

 It is a condition of booking with us that you and your party obtain suitable winter sports travel insurance, from a reputable provider. This insurance must cover at least the following:

  • Cancellation of your trip or curtailment for any reason not provided for in the Covid Guarantee.
  • Emergency medical expenses, including cover for any pre-existing condition. Amongst other costs this should cover; mountain rescue, ambulance charges and repatriation to your home country.  Depending on the reason for this you may be required to make a claim via your travel insurance policy.  In which case, we will support your claim with documentation required to facilitate the claim.
  • Personal liability to include, amongst other liabilities; damage caused by your negligence and that of your party to the property in which you are staying, and which must include contractual liability of the party leader for the actions of your party
  • Travel and transfer delays which must include amongst other costs; additional costs incurred in the event of a delay eg, if your arrival flight is late and you miss your transfer to resort or delays in your return transfer mean you miss your flight home.

The policy must include the activities you are likely to do and in particular off-piste skiing with or without a guide (it is possible to ski off-piste inadvertently).  The policy must cover the period from the date of booking to the last day of your trip and may not have a clause allowing the insurer to cancel the insurance except in the case of unusual circumstances e.g. fraud and misrepresentation.

There are other sections to winter sports travel insurance such as baggage, legal expenses, personal accidents and so on which you should pay close attention to.

In the event that you fail to obtain suitable winter sports travel insurance we shall not be liable for any costs incurred or claims made against us due to your failure to comply with this term.

13. Damage 

When you book with us, you accept responsibility for any damage or loss caused by you or any member of your party. Full payment for any such damage or loss (reasonably estimated if not precisely known) must be made as soon as possible. If the actual cost of the loss or damage exceeds the amount paid where estimated, you must pay the difference once known. If the actual cost is less than the amount paid, the difference will be refunded. You will also be responsible for meeting any claims subsequently made against us and all costs incurred by us (including our own and the other party’s full legal costs) as a result of your actions. 

14. Behaviour

We expect our Clients to behave courteously and show consideration for other guests and our members of staff. We reserve the right, at our absolute discretion, to terminate your holiday without prior notice if we have reason to believe that your behaviour is unreasonable or likely to cause distress, danger, or significant disturbance to any of our Clients, members of staff, or any of our suppliers or other third parties. In the event that we exercise our reserved right you will be required to leave your accommodation immediately, our responsibility and liability to you will cease immediately and we will not be liable for any consequent costs or expenses that you may incur (including any alternative accommodation arrangements), nor will we pay any refunds or compensation.  

15. Ski lessons, lift passes, transfers, car hire, ferry crossings and train travel

The services which make up your booking eg, lift passes, ski lessons, private transfers are provided by independent suppliers. Those suppliers provide these services in accordance with their own terms and conditions. Some of these terms and conditions may limit or exclude the supplier’s liability to you.

The ESF is not a company and therefore not a legal entity.  All ESF Ski Instructors are effectively self-employed and we have no control over which Instructor will be allocated to lessons attended by children that we book with the ESF on your behalf.  We have no control over the ski lessons, the ESF or other ski lesson providers and we cannot accept any liability for the lessons provided by or for the acts or omissions of the ESF or other ski lesson provider or any of their employees or other personnel (including ski instructors).  Where we make or take a booking from you for, without limitation, lift passes, private transfers, ferry crossings, rail travel and/or car hire we do so as an agent only for the entity providing those services.  We have no control over, and cannot accept any liability for, the provision or operation of any of these services  (or any of their employees or other personnel).

In the event however that we are found liable in any respect for any of these services (for example in our capacity as booking agent), that liability is limited to the cost of the particular service concerned. We do not limit or exclude our liability for death or personal injury arising from our negligence or that of our employees.

16. Chalets

Our chalets and resorts are chosen for their location and suitability for family skiing holidays. Chalets can never be perfect in every respect and you accept that a degree of tolerance is required for this type of holiday. The family skiing holiday chalet that is perfect in absolutely every respect does not exist in the Alps. Alpine standards of room space, ceiling heights, plumbing and electrics can sometimes require a degree of tolerance to be exercised.

 We cannot guarantee and indeed it is almost impossible, to keep accommodation spotlessly clean, particularly access areas such as hallways and staircases, due to the constant comings and goings of people, especially children, into and out of chalets. Sometimes things like cooking facilities, hot water supply and electrics do fail in which case we will move as quickly as reasonably possible to remedy the situation once we are aware of it. However, this will often depend on securing tradesmen at short notice which can be problematic in the Alps in the winter season. We will not generally be liable to pay compensation for such breakdowns provided we have done our best to remedy the problem as quickly as we reasonably can in the circumstances.

We try to ensure that our chalets are child-friendly, but it must be remembered that most chalets are rented and the owners do not always allow us to make all the changes that we would like. In some chalets there are steep staircases unsuitable for very young children and floors in French chalets are often tiled and smooth. There are also hard and sharp or hot surfaces such as around fireplaces. Parents should familiarise themselves with potential hazards, take all sensible precautions and supervise children at all times. 

We will accept no liability for death or injury caused by any equipment provided by the owners of the accommodation in respect of infants and children such as cots, high chairs, stools etc. It is your responsibility to ensure that these items are safe. If there are any concerns these must be reported on the day of arrival to our representatives and the items must not be used. 

17. Jacuzzis, hot tubs, saunas, and WiFi

Please note safety is of the utmost importance: Jacuzzis and Hot Tubs, (referred to as ‘Hot Tubs’ below) can be dangerous if used without due care and attention. Children under the age of 16 years wishing to use the Hot Tubs must have adult supervision at all times. All persons using the Hot Tubs do so at their own risk. Instructions for the use of the Hot Tubs will be displayed in each chalet, and we cannot stress strongly enough the importance of being aware of and abiding by these instructions. In particular, we ask all persons to shower before entering the Hot Tubs and not to use any shampoos, soaps, or gels in the Hot Tub, since the use of these often cause problems with filtration and water purity and often result in closure of the Hot Tubs for deep cleaning and maintenance. Drinking of alcohol is not recommended when using the Hot Tubs and the use of any glass container is forbidden. We will not be liable to pay compensation where failure to follow instructions or other misuse by any party member in the chalet has put the hot tub out of service.

Please note that Hot Tubs are often, but not always, deep cleaned on arrival and departure days and therefore may not be available for use on such days. Please also note that Hot Tubs have many pumps, motors, blowers, and filtration equipment and from time to time any of these components can fail, thereby resulting in the closure of a Hot Tub. Such events are by definition outside our control and whilst we will use our best endeavours to bring the Hot Tub back into service as quickly as reasonably possible, it is sometimes impossible to remedy the problem straight away. We will not be liable to pay any compensation due to any Hot Tub being out of service in this situation.

Please note that, under French Law, we understand that it is not permitted for anyone under the age of 16 years to enter a Sauna. In the event that a Sauna is out of service for an operational reason beyond our control, we will use our best endeavours to bring the Sauna back into service as soon as possible, but we will not be liable to pay any compensation due to any Sauna being out of service.

Please note that WiFi in the mountains is not always reliable and generally of a lower speed than may be considered ‘normal’ in the UK, especially under the strains of multiple connections in a chalet. We do ask guests to help each other by avoiding data-hungry web use, and keeping only one device per person connected to the WiFi.  Whilst we will do our best to bring any internet connection back into service as quickly as reasonably possible, we cannot guarantee that this will be possible, and in some instances it may be outside of our control and we will not be liable to pay any compensation due to any WiFi connection being out of service.

18. Excursions, activities and general area information 

We may provide you with information (before departure and/or when you are away) about activities and excursions which are available in the area you are visiting. We have no involvement in any such activities or excursions which are neither run, supervised, controlled nor endorsed in any way by us. They are provided by local operators or other third parties who are entirely independent of us. They do not form any part of your contract with us even where we suggest particular operators/other third parties and/or assist you in booking such activities or excursions in any way. We cannot accept any liability on any basis in relation to such activities or excursions including their availability. We do not however exclude liability for the negligence of ourselves or our employees resulting in your death or personal injury.  

19. Delays to flights and other transport

We have no control over the operation of flights and other public transportation, and cannot accept any responsibility or liability for any technical or other operational problems. Please allow plenty of time for flight and train departures, etc., as we cannot accept responsibility for the consequences of missed transfers. If you have booked transfers with us between airports or train stations and our resorts and your flight arrives later than the specified operating time for your transfer of which you have been advised, you may have to pay for private or public taxi transfers at the prices quoted at the time. Therefore, although we will use our best endeavours to give you practical help and advice to reduce where possible the costs of such transfers to you, we strongly advise you to ensure your travel insurance covers missed connections and transfers. On return transfers we plan to include a reasonable margin of safety to cover most traffic and weather conditions but we cannot be held responsible for the consequences of missed flights for conditions beyond our control.

20. Flights and transport

We do not sell flights. We may however assist our Clients in finding flights through third party travel agents or flight suppliers who are totally independent of us. These third parties will either be the agent of an ATOL (Air Travel Organiser’s Licence) holder or an ATOL holder who will ensure your flight booking is financially protected in accordance with ATOL Regulations. Your contract will be with the ATOL holder and payment will be made directly to the ATOL holder or their authorised agent (and not us). No contract for the arrangement of flights will be entered into between the Client and Family Ski Company Ltd.

21. Website/advertising material accuracy 

The information contained on our website and in our other advertising material is believed correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of printing or publication. However, errors may occasionally occur, and information may subsequently change. You must therefore ensure you check all details of your chosen arrangements (including the price) with us at the time of booking. 

22. Terms and conditions

Please note, we reserve the right to make changes to these Booking Conditions, always provided that we inform you of any such changes at the time of your booking. We will confirm any such changes to you in writing either before or at the time we send out your Booking Confirmation if you decide to proceed with your booking.

23. Safety standards

Please note, it is the requirements and standards of the country in which any services that make up your holiday are provided which apply to those services and not those of the UK. As a general rule, these requirements and standards will not be the same as the UK and may sometimes be lower.

24. Financial security

We are bonded with ABTOT, the Association of Bonded Travel Organisers’ Trust. This arrangement means your money will be refunded in the unlikely event of our being unable to provide your holiday due to our insolvency. Please note, the holiday arrangements we offer and make for you do not constitute a “package” and accordingly, the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 do not apply to them.

In the unlikely event that you require assistance whilst abroad due to our financial failure, please call their 24/7 helpline on 01702 811397 and advise you are a customer of an ABTOT protected travel company. ABTOT’s address is at 117 Houndsditch, London EC3A 7BT.

25. Foreign Office advice

The government publishes advice on travel to France on its website  which you are strongly recommended to consult before booking and in good time before departure. It is entirely your own responsibility to meet requirements.

26. Passports, visas and health requirements

Currently your UK passport for travel to Schengen areas including France must be:

  • Issued less than 10 years before the date you enter the country (check the ‘date of issue’)
  • valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave (check the ‘expiry date’)

You must ensure you are in possession of all necessary travel and health documents before departure.  All costs incurred in obtaining such documentation must be paid by you.  We regret we cannot accept any liability if you are refused entry onto any transport or into any country due to failure on your part to carry all required documentation.  If failure to have any necessary travel or other documents results in fines, surcharges, other financial penalty, costs or expenses being imposed on or incurred by us, you will be responsible for reimbursing us accordingly. Cancellation charges will apply as in clause 7 if you are unable to travel because you cannot meet legal and documentary requirements.

27. Covid-19 Guarantee

This guarantee comes into force if we unfortunately get to a point where you can’t go on holiday and/or we can’t provide your holiday for any of the COVID-related reasons below. It comes into effect at the point when and not before it is clear that the situation cannot change. It is subject to all payments due being up to date. (Other reasons continue to be dealt with under clauses 6-8, below.)  It will apply because any or all of the following occur provided they related to Covid-19:

  • there is a general travel restriction in place that prevents you travelling to take up your holiday,
  • there is a quarantine restriction in the UK or your Home Nation, which means you would be required to self-isolate for more than 7 days on return,
  • there is an FCDO advisory notice (or Home Nation equivalent) advising against all but essential travel to France,
  • the chalet, resort or country is closed due to local Covid regulations and we are unable to offer you an alternative chalet or resort,
  • we are not able to provide your accommodation because of any COVID-19 related reason

We will apply 100% of the funds that you have paid as a holiday credit to be taken later in the season or in the following season. This will be in the resort, chalet and time of your choosing subject to availability and the credit will be applied to the following year’s prices and without the re-application of any pricing concessions or offers that have been made. If the deferred holiday is at a lower price then you will have the option of receiving a cash refund of 75% of amounts paid or 100% credit for a subsequent holiday. If the holiday cost is greater you will be responsible for the difference. If you later need to cancel the new booking, you will receive a refund of  70% of amounts paid.

The final payment date remains 10 weeks before your holiday. If payment in full has not been received by us by the due date, we shall have the right to cancel the booking and retain the deposit paid, and in this case, no refund or holiday credit will be due.

Please bear in mind that COVID-19 may impact holiday arrangements in other ways. We may, for example, be unable to provide or significantly need to change the way we deliver certain advertised services or facilities as a result. We may also need to change your accommodation or resort at short notice if it becomes unavailable. Greater flexibility is therefore likely to be required for the foreseeable future, both before and after departure, and our booking terms stipulate that you will not be entitled to a refund or holiday credit, and will incur cancellation charges if you do not accept a reasonable alternative.

We require all guests to agree to comply with COVID-19 safe practices and behave responsibly to protect other guests and staff. This may include for example accepting temperature checks, providing vaccine certificates and other measures for all your family which we consider necessary to keep everyone as safe as possible. Failure to do so will constitute unacceptable behaviour and clause 14 “Behaviour” will apply.  You must also accept that there is inevitably a degree of personal risk involved in taking a holiday at this time and we cannot be held responsible for any consequences other than as described above.

There will be no full or part refund or holiday credit should you decide to leave or cancel/curtail your holiday part way through your stay for any reason including COVID-19 related reasons or government advice, and you decide to leave once you have arrived in the resort or you do not travel/arrive on the expected day of your arrival, except as provided for above.

Refunds and holiday credit are only for services you have booked with us, not directly with any third parties. You may need to approach those companies for a refund or credit note. Official statements must have been published to verify closures/restrictions. Please note, the holiday arrangements we offer and make for you do not constitute a “package” as defined by  the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018. 

The additional COVID Guarantee terms above take precedence over the preceding terms and conditions.

Terms and Conditions effective 6th March for season 2022/23

(These terms and conditions little changed from last year’s and continue to include a Covid guarantee. The season 21/22 conditions are at the bottom of the page)

NB Our COVID-19 Guarantee deals with what happens if your holiday cannot go ahead due to restrictions as detailed below. To complement our COVID-19 Guarantee you need to ensure that your travel insurance includes protection for if you fall ill with COVID, as well as other illnesses either before or during your holiday.

Searching for an insurance policy:

We suggest that when searching for a policy you look for the following in relation to Covid, as well as other requirements mentioned in paragraph 12, below:

  • Coronavirus medical and repatriation cover: To cover you if you’re infected when you’re away.
  • Coronavirus cancellation cover: You’ll need this if you want to be able to claim on insurance for refunds if COVID-19 stops you or your family travelling for reasons including falling ill or needing to self-isolate.

It is vital that whichever insurer you choose, you have understood what they cover.

Terms and Conditions effective 8th March 2022 for season 2022/23

We have continued with temporary changes to our booking terms and conditions to include a COVID-19 Guarantee. There is also an additional section related to Brexit.  These terms and conditions apply to all holidays booked and confirmed after 8th March 2022 (all 22/23 holidays). 

The following booking conditions form the basis of your contract with Family Ski Company, Bank Chambers, Walwyn Road, Colwall, Malvern, WR13 6QG UK. Registered in England & Wales no. 3257449.

Please read them carefully as they set out our respective rights and obligations. By asking us to confirm your booking, we are entitled to assume that you have had the opportunity to read and have read these booking conditions and agree to them. 

These booking conditions only apply to arrangements which you book with us and which we agree as part of our contract with you. All references in these booking conditions to “booking”, “contract”, or “arrangements” mean such arrangements unless otherwise stated. “You” and “your” means all persons named on the booking. “We”, “us” and “our” means Family Ski Company Limited.

COVID-19 Guarantee Season 22/23

We are continuing to provide a Covid-19 guarantee for next season, temporarily changing our booking terms and conditions to provide reassurance of how we will protect your holiday money in different circumstances. Normally, protection applies if we cannot deliver holidays, but we are now covering other likely situations. The ultimate protection remains our ABTOT bond which protects the money you have paid us in the event of our insolvency and stands behind all the following:

A.This guarantee comes into force if we unfortunately get to a point where you can’t go on holiday and/or we can’t provide your holiday for any of the COVID-related reasons below. It comes into effect at the point when and not before it is clear that the situation cannot change. It is subject to all payments due being up to date. (Other reasons continue to be dealt with under clauses 6-8, below.)  It will apply because any or all of the following occur provided they related to Covid-19:

  • there is a general travel restriction in place that prevents you travelling to take up your holiday,
  • there is a quarantine restriction in the UK or your Home Nation, which means you would be required to self-isolate for more than 7 days on return,
  • there is an FCDO advisory notice (or Home Nation equivalent) advising against all but essential travel to France,
  • the chalet, resort or country is closed due to local Covid regulations and we are unable to offer you an alternative chalet or resort,
  • we are not able to provide your accommodation because of any COVID-19 related reason,
  1. Then, if only your non-refundable deposit were due and you had paid it, we will transfer it in full to the following season or later in the season but it will not be refunded.
  2. For other payments you have  made you can decide, between:
  • taking 100% of that amount as a holiday credit for 2023/24 or, if we are able to offer it, the current season 2022/23, or
  • receiving a cash refund of 75% of accommodation and all childcare including ski lesson components of childcare (These costs will have been substantially incurred by then.) and 100% of extras including lift passes, adult ski lessons and private transfers (after any retention by the transfer company). 

Holiday credit may be applied to a booking for this season 2022//23 where possible or the following season.  The booking must be made by 30th April 2023.  The new booking can be for any date, resort or chalet, subject to availability and will be at normal prices without carrying over any offers on the previous booking.  If you later cancel the new booking, you will receive a refund as in C, above but at 70% accommodation and childcare.

The guarantee is for either a deferral or a refund as above, not partial refund and partial deferral.

The final payment date remains 10 weeks before your holiday. If payment in full has not been received by us by the due date, we shall have the right to cancel the booking and retain the deposit paid, and in this case, no refund or holiday credit will be due.

Please bear in mind that COVID-19 may still have an impact on holiday arrangements for some time. We may, for example, be unable to provide or significantly need to change the way we deliver certain advertised services or facilities as a result. We may also need to change your accommodation or resort at short notice if it becomes unavailable. Greater flexibility is therefore likely to be required for the foreseeable future, both before and after departure, and our booking terms stipulate that you will not be entitled to a refund or holiday credit, and will incur cancellation charges if you do not accept a reasonable alternative.

We require all guests to agree to comply with COVID-19 safe practices and behave responsibly to protect other guests and staff. This may include for example accepting temperature checks, providing vaccine certificates and other measures for all your family which we consider necessary to keep everyone as safe as possible. Failure to do so will constitute unacceptable behaviour and clause 14 “Behaviour” will apply.  You must also accept that there is inevitably a degree of personal risk involved in taking a holiday at this time and we cannot be held responsible for any consequences other than as described above.

There will be no full or part refund or holiday credit should you decide to leave or cancel/curtail your holiday part way through your stay for any reason including COVID-19 related reasons or government advice, and you decide to leave once you have arrived in the resort or you do not travel/arrive on the expected day of your arrival, except as provided for above.

Refunds and holiday credit are only for services you have booked with us, not directly with any third parties. You may need to approach those companies for a refund or credit note. Official statements must have been published to verify closures/restrictions. Please note, the holiday arrangements we offer and make for you do not constitute a “package” as defined by  the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018. 

Impact of Brexit

  1. Brexit may restrict or prevent our ability to provide some elements of your booked arrangements especially since we can no longer rely on the Posted Workers Directive to employ resort staff in Europe. If for any Brexit-related reason we are prevented from providing products and services, we will endeavour to provide suitable alternatives. If we are unable to do so and only if the omission is significant will we make partial refunds for services we are unable to deliver.
  2. Provided that we offer reasonable alternative products and partial refunds as above, we shall have no further liability to you for non-delivery of booked arrangements as a result of Brexit.
  3. We may need to significantly change the way we deliver some services or facilities as a result. Greater flexibility may therefore be required for the foreseeable future, both before and after departure, and you will incur normal cancellation charges if you do not accept a reasonable alternative.
  4. It should also be noted that Brexit may also have an impact on your ability to take part in your booked arrangements. This could include, but is not limited to, the need to acquire a visa to visit your destination country or the need to purchase additional insurance to meet your needs if the European Health Insurance scheme (EHIC) comes to an end. Any new obligations imposed on you as a result of Brexit are entirely your responsibility.

The additional COVID Guarantee and Brexit Terms above take precedence over the following terms and conditions.

1. Making your booking

The first named person on your booking will be the “party leader”. The party leader must be authorised to make the booking on the basis of these booking conditions by all persons named on the booking and by their parent or guardian for all party members who are under 18 when the booking is made. By making a booking, the party leader confirms that he/she is so authorised. The party leader is responsible for making all payments due to us. 

The party leader is responsible for ensuring all payments to us, although we may accept payments from family leaders. Deposits are not refundable, except as provided in Clause 8 ‘Changes & Cancellations by us’. Please check your booking confirmation as soon as you receive it and notify us immediately if you believe there are any errors or omissions as it may not be possible to make changes later. By asking us to confirm your booking, you are deemed to have agreed to these Booking Conditions. If you have not received your booking confirmation within 14 days of making payment, please contact us to make sure that your booking is confirmed. As soon as you receive your booking confirmation, please visit your booking page (to which we will provide a link) and provide the requested additional information.

Please take the time to read our refunds policy and terms and conditions below. These booking conditions set out the terms of your contract with us including our obligations to you.

2. Payment 

The balances of your accommodation  booking cost and any additional services must be received by us not less than 10 weeks (8 weeks for 2020/21 season) prior to departure. This date will be shown on the booking confirmation. If we do not receive all payments due in full and on time, we are entitled to assume that you wish to cancel your booking. In this case, we will be entitled to keep all deposits paid at that date and apply the appropriate cancellation charges. If we do not cancel straight away because you have promised to make payment, you must pay the cancellation charges shown in clause 7 depending on the date we reasonably treat your booking as cancelled.  We also reserve the right to apply a late payment charge of £20 per day payment is overdue per booking. 

Accommodation deposit payments may be paid by debit card or bank transfer. Accommodation balance payments must be paid by bank transfer. 

3. Your contract 

A binding contract between us comes into existence when we send our booking confirmation to the party leader. We both agree that English law (and no other) will apply to these booking conditions, your contract and to any dispute, claim or other matter of any description which arises between us (“claim”) except as set out below. We both also agree that any claim must be dealt with by the Courts of England and Wales only unless, in the case of Court proceedings, you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland. In this case, proceedings must either be brought in the Courts of your home country or those of England and Wales. If proceedings are brought in Scotland or Northern Ireland, you may choose to have your contract and any claim governed by the law of Scotland/Northern Ireland as applicable (but if you do not so choose, English law will apply). 

4. The cost of your arrangements

We reserve the right to make changes to and correct errors in advertised prices at any time before your holiday is confirmed.  We will advise you of any error of which we are aware, the then applicable price and details of any applicable currency surcharge formula at the time of booking.

Once the price of your chosen arrangements has been confirmed at the time of booking, we will only increase or decrease the price in the following circumstances. Price increases after booking will be passed on by way of a surcharge. A surcharge will be payable if our costs increase as a direct consequence of a change in the level of taxes or fees on the services included in the contract imposed by third parties not directly involved in the performance of the arrangements including tourist taxes and the exchange rates relevant to the arrangements. 

You will also be entitled to a price reduction where there is a decrease in our costs as a result of a decrease in the costs referred to in this paragraph which occurs between confirmation of your booking and the start of your holiday.

We also reserve the right to introduce a currency surcharge formula applicable to the price of services for your holiday at any time before your holiday is confirmed. We will absorb, and you will not be charged for, any increase equivalent to 2% of the price of your holiday arrangements, which excludes insurance premiums and any amendment charges. You will be charged for any increase in our costs over and above that. If any surcharge is greater than 10% of the total holiday cost, clause 8 will apply on the basis that the surcharge is a significant change. You will be notified of any price increase or reduction applied in accordance with this clause together with the justification for and calculation of this not less than 20 days before departure. Where a reduction is applicable, we are entitled to deduct our administrative expenses from the refund.

Any surcharge must be paid within 14 days of the issue date printed on the invoice, whichever is the later. Please note that arrangements are not always purchased in local currency and some apparent changes have no impact on the price of your holiday due to contractual and other protection in place.

We promise not to levy a surcharge within 20 days of your departure.  No refund will be payable during this period either.

5. Special Requests/medical conditions/disabilities/reduced mobility

We will endeavour to meet special requests where we can but cannot guarantee their delivery. If you have any special requests, for example special dietary requirements or ‘additional needs’ childcare or any other special requirement such as a cake on a child’s birthday, we will do our best to assist, but you must discuss these when booking. If we feel unable to meet any such special request, we will normally inform you verbally of this immediately, although we may need to make further enquiries before confirming whether or not we can. You must also confirm such special requests on the on-line booking confirmation details form or by email. This ensures that any descriptions, agreements and assurances given verbally are properly documented and therefore correctly actioned.

Please note, confirmation that a special request has been noted or passed on to the supplier, or the inclusion of the special request on your booking confirmation form (or any other documentation) is not confirmation that the request will be met. Any special requirement which we have accepted will be specifically confirmed as accepted on your booking confirmation.

Before you make your booking, we will advise you as to whether the proposed holiday arrangements are generally suitable for someone with reduced mobility.  However, reduced mobility of course means different things to different individuals as we fully appreciate that individual capabilities, restrictions and requirements are likely to vary considerably. When we refer to reduced mobility, this means any material reduction in mobility whether this is permanent or temporary and whether caused by age or by physical or mental disability or impairment or other cause of disability. If you suffer from any medical condition, disability or reduced mobility which may affect your holiday (including the booking process) or have any special requirements as a result, please tell us before you confirm your booking so that we can advise as to the suitability of the chosen arrangements. In any event, you must give us full details in writing on the on-line booking confirmation details form or by email at the time of booking and as soon as possible in the event that any disability, medical condition or reduced mobility develops or deteriorates after booking.

6. Changes by you 

We will, whenever possible, endeavour to make changes or additions to your booking on request, but are not under any obligation to do so. Should you wish to make any changes to your confirmed booking, you must notify us in writing as soon as possible. Whilst we will endeavour to assist, we cannot guarantee we will be able to meet any such requests. Where we can, an amendment fee of £35.00 per person will be payable together with any costs incurred by ourselves and any costs or charges incurred or imposed by any of our suppliers. 

A change of booking dates will normally be treated as a cancellation of the original booking and rebooking in which case cancellation charges will apply. Changes may result in the recalculation of the booking cost where, for example, the basis on which the price of the original booking was calculated has changed. 

If any member of your party is unable or no longer wishes to travel for any reason, the person(s) concerned may transfer their place to someone else (introduced by you) providing we are notified of their name and contact details prior to your arrival.  If any costs and charges are incurred by us and/or incurred or imposed by any of our suppliers as a result, these must be paid prior to arrival. In any case a booking amendment fee will apply as in 6, above.

7. Cancellation by you

You may cancel your confirmed booking at any time before departure. We must be informed in writing if you wish to cancel your holiday. The following charges apply based on the date we receive your written notification. Where the cancellation charge is shown as a percentage, this is calculated on the basis of the total cost payable by the person(s) cancelling excluding amendment charges. Amendment charges are not refundable in the event of the person(s) to whom they apply cancelling. In calculating these cancellation charges, we have taken account of possible cost savings and the generation of income from other bookings which may be able to utilise cancelled services to the extent this is likely to be achievable. Where costs for ski lessons and lift passes have not been incurred or are recoverable we will deduct these amounts from our invoice.

Bookings for sole occupancy of a chalet are treated as a single booking under a single contract with a single party leader responsible for the booking and payment for it, even where payment may be made by several family leaders. If any members of this booking are unable to take their holiday for any reason, then payment for the entire booking will remain due including accommodation, childcare and extras and be the responsibility of the party leader.  You may normally substitute other party members in which case we will make an administration charge of £35 per new party member which will be added to the invoice price. If you wish we will attempt to reduce any increased cost per party member by selling holidays to other guests under a separate booking and where we are able to do this we will reduce your invoice. If you increase your party size by agreement with us we will add the cost of the additional party members to the original invoice price.

Period before departure and cancellation charges where written notice is received by us :

  • 70 days or more deposit only 
  • 29-69 days 50%
  • 15-28 days 70%
  • less than 14 days, or no show 100%

8. Changes and cancellation by us 

We start planning the arrangements we offer many months in advance. Occasionally, we have to make changes to and correct errors in advertising and other details both before and after bookings have been confirmed and cancel confirmed bookings. Whilst we always endeavour to avoid changes and cancellations, we must reserve the right to do so. 

If for any reason we are unable to offer you accommodation in the chalet you have booked you accept that we will provide alternative equivalent accommodation in the same resort.  This can happen for example if a chalet becomes unserviceable or if a cancellation means that you would be the only family in a multi-family chalet. 

For the season of 2022/23 the terms of our COVID-19 guarantee above will apply in the case of any COVID-related changes.

We will not be responsible for any other expenses including without limitation, the cost of flights or any other form of transport, accommodation or other expenses you incur as a result.

Very rarely, we may be forced by “force majeure” (see clause 9) to change or terminate your arrangements after they have commenced but before their scheduled end.  This is very unlikely but if this situation does occur, we regret we will be unable to make any refunds (unless we obtain any refunds from our suppliers), pay you any compensation or meet any costs or expenses you incur as a result. 

9. Force majeure 

Except where otherwise expressly stated in these booking conditions, we regret we cannot accept liability or pay any compensation or expenses where the performance or prompt performance of our obligations under our contract with you is prevented or affected by or you otherwise suffer any damage, loss or expense of any nature as a result of “force majeure”. In these booking conditions, “force majeure” means any situation within our reasonable contemplation, which is beyond our control, the consequences of which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken. Such situations may include, whether actual or threatened, riot, civil strife, terrorist activity, industrial dispute, natural disaster, exceptional adverse weather conditions, fire, the effect of the United Kingdom’s decision to leave the EU, and all events of a similar nature. 

10. Our liability to you 

We undertake to use our reasonable skill and care in the provision of the accommodation services where these services are provided by our employees in the course of their employment. For all services (which includes transfers) which are provided by any person or entity other than our employees, we undertake to use our reasonable skill and care in the selection of those suppliers but, providing we have done so, are not responsible for their acts and omissions or for the actual performance of those services.

We will not be responsible for any injury, illness, death, loss (including loss of enjoyment or possessions), damage, expense, cost or other sum or claim of any description whatsoever which results from any of the following: – 

  • the act(s) and/or omission(s) of the person(s) affected; or 
  • the act(s) and/or omission(s) of a third party not connected with the provision of your arrangements; or 
  • ‘force majeure’ as defined in clause 9 above.

Please note, we cannot accept responsibility for any services which do not form part of our contract. This includes, for example, any additional services or facilities which any supplier agrees to provide for you where we have not agreed to provide these as part of our contract and any activities which we arrange for you during your holiday. Regardless of any wording used by us on our website, in any advertising material or elsewhere, we only promise to use reasonable skill and care as set out above and we do not have any greater or different liability to you.

Where we are found liable for loss of and/or damage to any luggage or personal possessions (including money), the maximum amount we will have to pay you is £250.00 per person affected. Any payment is subject to your producing appropriate proof of the contents and value of the luggage or personal possessions concerned and demonstrating that you have taken proper care of your property. For all other claims which do not involve death or personal injury, we limit the maximum amount we will have to pay you in the event that we are found liable to you on any basis to twice the cost paid by the person(s) affected. 

11. Complaints and problems 

In the unlikely event that you have any reason to complain or experience any problems with your booking whilst away, you must immediately inform us and the supplier of the service(s) in question. Any verbal notification must be put in writing. Until we know about a complaint or problem, we cannot begin to resolve it. Most problems can be dealt with quickly. If you remain dissatisfied, however, you must write to us within 28 days giving your booking reference and full details of your complaint. Only the party leader should write to us. For all complaints and claims which do not involve death, personal injury or illness, we regret that we cannot accept liability if you fail to notify the complaint or claim entirely in accordance with this clause.

If you have any cause for complaint during your holiday you must contact your Resort Manager immediately, so that we have the opportunity to deal with your complaint. You must accept that it is not reasonable to complain later about something that we have not been given the chance to address whilst you are on holiday. If,once you have made us aware of it, you are not satisfied with the handling of your complaint in resort, the party leader must put your complaint in writing to us within 28 days of leaving your resort.

We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint, investigate and normally respond within 28 days and will let you know if we need longer than this. It is very important to follow the above Complaints Procedure and in the event that you do not do so, any right you may have had to claim compensation, where applicable, is likely to be affected and may be lost altogether. Any assistance provided in assisting you to resolve any complaints you may have in relation to ski lessons, lift passes and/or transfers booked through us (except for inclusive transfers) is provided on a goodwill basis and in our capacity as booking agent only. We accept responsibility for inclusive transfers booked with your accommodation but please note that this does not extend to traffic and weather conditions outside our control causing missed flights.

12. Insurance 

We require the purchase of comprehensive travel insurance as a condition of your booking with us. You must purchase travel insurance at the point of the holiday booking with us so that you have cancellation protection and not just prior to your departure on holiday.

 It is a condition of booking with us that you and your party obtain suitable winter sports travel insurance, from a reputable provider. This insurance must cover the coronavirus pandemic for COVID-related circumstances not covered by our COVID guarantee and include at least the following:

  • Cancellation of your trip or curtailment for any reason not provided for in the Covid Guarantee.
  • Emergency medical expenses, including cover for any pre-existing condition. Amongst other costs this should cover; mountain rescue, ambulance charges and repatriation to your home country.  Depending on the reason for this you may be required to make a claim via your travel insurance policy.  In which case, we will support your claim with documentation required to facilitate the claim.
  • Personal liability to include, amongst other liabilities; damage caused by your negligence and that of your party to the property in which you are staying, and which must include contractual liability of the party leader for the actions of your party
  • Travel and transfer delays which must include amongst other costs; additional costs incurred in the event of a delay.

The policy must include the activities you are likely to do and in particular off-piste skiing with or without a guide (it is possible to ski off-piste inadvertently).  The policy must cover the period from the date of booking to the last day of your trip and may not have a clause allowing the insurer to cancel the insurance except in the case of unusual circumstances e.g. fraud and misrepresentation.

There are other sections to winter sports travel insurance such as baggage, legal expenses, personal accidents and so on which you should pay close attention to.

In the event that you fail to obtain suitable winter sports travel insurance we shall not be liable for any costs incurred or claims made against us due to your failure to comply with this term.

13. Damage 

When you book with us, you accept responsibility for any damage or loss caused by you or any member of your party. Full payment for any such damage or loss (reasonably estimated if not precisely known) must be made as soon as possible. If the actual cost of the loss or damage exceeds the amount paid where estimated, you must pay the difference once known. If the actual cost is less than the amount paid, the difference will be refunded. You will also be responsible for meeting any claims subsequently made against us and all costs incurred by us (including our own and the other party’s full legal costs) as a result of your actions. 

14. Behaviour

We expect our Clients to behave courteously and show consideration for other guests and our members of staff. We reserve the right, at our absolute discretion, to terminate your holiday without prior notice if we have reason to believe that your behaviour is unreasonable or likely to cause distress, danger, or significant disturbance to any of our Clients, members of staff, or any of our suppliers or other third parties. In the event that we exercise our reserved right you will be required to leave your accommodation immediately, our responsibility and liability to you will cease immediately and we will not be liable for any consequent costs or expenses that you may incur (including any alternative accommodation arrangements), nor will we pay any refunds or compensation.  

15. Ski lessons, lift passes, transfers, car hire, ferry crossings and train travel

The services which make up your booking eg, lift passes, ski lessons, private transfers are provided by independent suppliers. Those suppliers provide these services in accordance with their own terms and conditions. Some of these terms and conditions may limit or exclude the supplier’s liability to you.

The ESF is not a company and therefore not a legal entity.  All ESF Ski Instructors are effectively self-employed and we have no control over which Instructor will be allocated to lessons attended by children that we book with the ESF on your behalf.  We have no control over the ski lessons, the ESF or other ski lesson providers and we cannot accept any liability for the lessons provided by or for the acts or omissions of the ESF or other ski lesson provider or any of their employees or other personnel (including ski instructors).  Where we make or take a booking from you for, without limitation, lift passes, private transfers, ferry crossings, rail travel and/or car hire we do so as an agent only for the entity providing those services.  We have no control over, and cannot accept any liability for, the provision or operation of any of these services  (or any of their employees or other personnel).

In the event however that we are found liable in any respect for any of these services (for example in our capacity as booking agent), that liability is limited to the cost of the particular service concerned. We do not limit or exclude our liability for death or personal injury arising from our negligence or that of our employees.

16. Chalets

Our chalets and resorts are chosen for their location and suitability for family skiing holidays. Chalets can never be perfect in every respect and you accept that a degree of tolerance is required for this type of holiday. The family skiing holiday chalet that is perfect in absolutely every respect does not exist in the Alps. Alpine standards of room space, ceiling heights, plumbing and electrics can sometimes require a degree of tolerance to be exercised.

 We cannot guarantee and indeed it is almost impossible, to keep accommodation spotlessly clean, particularly access areas such as hallways and staircases, due to the constant comings and goings of people, especially children, into and out of chalets. Sometimes things like cooking facilities, hot water supply and electrics do fail in which case we will move as quickly as reasonably possible to remedy the situation once we are aware of it. However, this will often depend on securing tradesmen at short notice which can be problematic in the Alps in the winter season. We will not generally be liable to pay compensation for such breakdowns provided we have done our best to remedy the problem as quickly as we reasonably can in the circumstances.

We try to ensure that our chalets are child-friendly, but it must be remembered that most chalets are rented and the owners do not always allow us to make all the changes that we would like. In some chalets there are steep staircases unsuitable for very young children and floors in French chalets are often tiled and smooth. There are also hard and sharp or hot surfaces such as around fireplaces. Parents should familiarise themselves with potential hazards, take all sensible precautions and supervise children at all times. 

We will accept no liability for death or injury caused by any equipment provided by the owners of the accommodation in respect for infants and children such as cots, high chairs, stools etc. It is the responsibility of the client to ensure that these items are safe. If there are any concerns these must be reported on the day of arrival to our representatives and the items must not be used. 

17. Jacuzzis, hot tubs, saunas, and WiFi

Please note safety is of the utmost importance: Jacuzzis and Hot Tubs, (referred to as ‘Hot Tubs’ below) can be dangerous if used without due care and attention. Children under the age of 16 years wishing to use the Hot Tubs must have adult supervision at all times. All persons using the Hot Tubs do so at their own risk. Instructions for the use of the Hot Tubs will be displayed in each chalet, and we cannot stress strongly enough the importance of being aware of and abiding by these instructions. In particular, we ask all persons to shower before entering the Hot Tubs and not to use any shampoos, soaps, or gels, since the use of these often cause problems with filtration and water purity and often result in closure of the Hot Tubs for deep cleaning and maintenance. Drinking of alcohol is not recommended when using the Hot Tubs and the use of any glass container is forbidden. We will not be liable to pay compensation where failure to follow instructions or other misuse by any party member in the chalet has put the hot tub out of service.

Please note that Hot Tubs are often, but not always, deep cleaned on arrival and departure days and therefore may not be available for use on such days. Please also note that Hot Tubs have many pumps, motors, blowers, and filtration equipment and from time to time any of these components can fail, thereby resulting in the closure of a Hot Tub. Such events are by definition outside our control and whilst we will use our best endeavours to bring the Hot Tub back into service as quickly as reasonably possible, it is sometimes impossible to remedy the problem straight away. We will not be liable to pay any compensation due to any Hot Tub being out of service in this situation.

Please note that, under French Law, we understand that it is not permitted for anyone under the age of 16 years to enter a Sauna. In the event that a Sauna is out of service for an operational reason beyond our control, we will use our best endeavours to bring the Sauna back into service as soon as possible, but we will not be liable to pay any compensation due to any Sauna being out of service.

Please note that WiFi in the mountains is not always reliable and generally of a lower speed than maye be considered ‘normal’ in the UK, especially under the strains of multiple connections in a chalet. We do ask guests to help each other by avoiding data-hungry web use, and keeping only one device per person connected to the WiFi.  Whilst we will do our best to bring any internet connection back into service as quickly as reasonably possible, we cannot guarantee that this will be possible, and in some instances it may be outside of our control and we will not be liable to pay any compensation due to any WiFi connection being out of service.

18. Excursions, activities and general area information 

We may provide you with information (before departure and/or when you are away) about activities and excursions which are available in the area you are visiting. We have no involvement in any such activities or excursions which are neither run, supervised, controlled nor endorsed in any way by us. They are provided by local operators or other third parties who are entirely independent of us. They do not form any part of your contract with us even where we suggest particular operators/other third parties and/or assist you in booking such activities or excursions in any way. We cannot accept any liability on any basis in relation to such activities or excursions including their availability. We do not however exclude liability for the negligence of ourselves or our employees resulting in your death or personal injury.  

19. Delays to flights and other transport

We have no control over the operation of flights and other public transportation, and cannot accept any responsibility or liability for any technical or other operational problems. Please allow plenty of time for flight and train departures, etc., as we cannot accept responsibility for the consequences of missed transfers. If you have booked transfers with us between airports or train stations and our resorts and your flight arrives later than the specified operating time for your transfer of which you have been advised, you may have to pay for private or public taxi transfers at the prices quoted at the time. Therefore, although we will use our best endeavours to give you practical help and advice to reduce where possible the costs of such transfers to you, we strongly advise you to ensure your travel insurance covers missed connections and transfers. On return transfers we plan to include a reasonable margin of safety to cover most traffic and weather conditions but we cannot be held responsible for the consequences of missed flights for conditions beyond our control.

20. Flights and transport

We do not sell flights. We may however assist our Clients in finding flights through third party travel agents or flight suppliers who are totally independent of us and with whom we work. These third parties will either be the agent of an ATOL (Air Travel Organiser’s Licence) holder or an ATOL holder who will ensure your flight booking is financially protected in accordance with ATOL Regulations. Your contract will be with the ATOL holder and payment will be made directly to the ATOL holder or their authorised agent (and not us). No contract for the arrangement of flights will be entered into between the Client and Family Ski Company Ltd.

21. Website/advertising material accuracy 

The information contained on our website and in our other advertising material is believed correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of printing or publication. However, errors may occasionally occur, and information may subsequently change. You must therefore ensure you check all details of your chosen arrangements (including the price) with us at the time of booking. 

22. Terms and conditions

Please note, we reserve the right to make changes to these Booking Conditions, always provided that we inform you of any such changes at the time of your booking. We will confirm any such changes to you in writing either before or at the time we send out your Booking Confirmation if you decide to proceed with your booking.

23. Safety standards

Please note, it is the requirements and standards of the country in which any services that make up your holiday are provided which apply to those services and not those of the UK. As a general rule, these requirements and standards will not be the same as the UK and may sometimes be lower.

24. Financial security

We are bonded with ABTOT, the Association of Bonded Travel Organisers’ Trust. This arrangement means your money will be refunded in the unlikely event of our being unable to provide your holiday due to our insolvency. Please note, the holiday arrangements we offer and make for you do not constitute a “package” and accordingly, the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 do not apply to them.

In the unlikely event that you require assistance whilst abroad due to our financial failure, please call their 24/7 helpline on 01702 811397 and advise you are a customer of an ABTOT protected travel company. ABTOT’s address is at 117 Houndsditch, London EC3A 7BT.

25. Foreign Office advice

The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office publishes regularly updated travel information on its website www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice and https://travelaware.campaign.gov.uk which you are strongly recommended to consult before booking and in good time before departure.

26. Passports, visas and health requirements

Currently for stays up to 3 months in duration a passport with a minimum validity of 3 months from the start of your holiday is required. However, if you are a British citizen with a British passport you should ensure that your passport has a minimum validity period of 6 months from the start of your holiday. If you renewed your passport before it expired, any unexpired time which is added to your new passport is unlikely to count towards the minimum 6 month validity period. British Citizens do not presently require a visa for holidays in France. However, you must check the up to date position in good time before departure. A full British passport presently takes approximately 3 to 6 weeks to obtain but may be longer.  If you will be 16 or over when you go on holiday and haven’t yet got a passport, you should apply for one at least 6 weeks before your holiday.  

The UK Passport Service has to confirm your identity before issuing your first passport and will ask you to attend an interview in order to do this. If you are not a British citizen or hold a non-British passport, you must check passport and visa requirements with the embassy or consulate of the country(ies) to or through which you are intending to travel.

It is your responsibility to ensure you are aware of all recommended vaccinations and health precautions in good time before departure. Details are available from your GP surgery and from the National Travel Health Network and Centre http://travelhealthpro.org.uk. Information on health abroad is also available on www.nhs.uk/Live-well/healthy-body/before-you-travel 

Currently your EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) will only be valid until its expiry date but this and vaccination and other health requirements/recommendations are subject to change at any time for any destination. Please therefore check with a doctor or travel clinic not less than 6 weeks prior to departure to ensure that you have met the necessary requirements and have the applicable information.

You must ensure you are in possession of all necessary travel and health documents before departure.  All costs incurred in obtaining such documentation must be paid by you.  We regret we cannot accept any liability if you are refused entry onto any transport or into any country due to failure on your part to carry all required documentation.  If failure to have any necessary travel or other documents results in fines, surcharges, other financial penalty, costs or expenses being imposed on or incurred by us, you will be responsible for reimbursing us accordingly. Cancellation charges will apply as in clause 7 if you are unable to travel because you cannot meet legal and documentary requirements.

Terms and Conditions 1st February 2021/22

NB Our COVID-19 Guarantee deals with what happens if your holiday cannot go ahead due to restrictions as detailed below, recognising that this will not be covered by insurance. To complement our COVID-19 Guarantee you need to ensure that your travel insurance includes protection for if you fall ill with COVID, as well as other illnesses either before or during your holiday.

Searching for an insurance policy:

We suggest that when searching for a policy you look for the following things:

  • Coronavirus medical and repatriation cover: To cover you if you’re infected when you’re away.
  • Coronavirus cancellation cover: You’ll need this if you want to be able to claim on insurance for refunds if COVID-19 stops you or your family travelling for reasons including falling ill or needing to self-isolate.

It is vital that whichever insurer you choose, you have understood what they cover.

Effective 1st February 2021 for season 2021/22

We have continued with temporary changes to our booking terms and conditions to include our COVID-19 Guarantee. There is also an additional section related to Brexit.  These terms and conditions apply to all holidays booked from 1st February 2021 and are available by agreement for bookings made earlier.

The following booking conditions form the basis of your contract with Family Ski Company, Bank Chambers, Walwyn Road, Colwall, Malvern, WR13 6QG UK. Registered in England & Wales no. 3257449.

Please read them carefully as they set out our respective rights and obligations. By asking us to confirm your booking, we are entitled to assume that you have had the opportunity to read and have read these booking conditions and agree to them. 

These booking conditions only apply to arrangements which you book with us and which we agree as part of our contract with you. All references in these booking conditions to “booking”, “contract”, or “arrangements” mean such arrangements unless otherwise stated. “You” and “your” means all persons named on the booking. “We”, “us” and “our” means Family Ski Company Limited.

COVID-19 Guarantee Season 21/22

We recognise that the current uncertainty is difficult for our guests.  As a result, we have temporarily changed our booking terms and conditions to provide reassurance of how we will protect your holiday money in different circumstances. Normally, protection applies if we cannot deliver holidays, but we are now covering other likely situations. The ultimate protection remains our ABTOT bond which protects the money you have paid us in the event of our insolvency and stands behind all the following:

A.This guarantee comes into force if we unfortunately get to a point where you can’t go on holiday and/or we can’t provide your holiday for any COVID-related reason and it is unlikely that the situation will change. (Other reasons continue to be dealt with under clauses 6-8, below.)  It will apply because of any or all of the following:

    • there is a travel restriction in place that prevents you travelling to take up your holiday,
    • there is a quarantine restriction in the UK or your Home Nation, which means you would be required to self-isolate for more than 7 days on return,
    • there is an FCDO advisory notice (or Home Nation equivalent)advising against all but essential travel to France,
    • the chalet, resort or country is closed due to local regulations and we are unable to offer you an alternative chalet or resort,
    • we are not able to provide your accommodation because of any COVID-19 related reason,
    • there is a quarantine restriction in place in France or Switzerland (if that prevents transfers)

B. Firstly, we will refund lift passes and adult ski lessons in cash where we can recover them. 

C. Then, if you have paid only your non-refundable deposit we will transfer it in full to the following season but it will not be refunded.

D. If you have paid your accommodation in full you can decide, for the remaining balance, between:

    • taking 100% of that amount as a holiday credit for 2022/23 or, if we are able to offer it, the current season 2021/22, or
    • receiving a cash refund of 75% of your full holiday cost, including deposit, less refunded amounts (bear in mind that considerable holiday set up costs have been incurred)

E. Holiday credit may be applied to a booking for this season 2021/22 where possible or the following season.  The booking must be made by 31st March 2022 in all cases.  The new booking is subject to availability and will be at normal prices.  If you later cancel the new booking, you will receive a refund of recoverable amounts paid for lift passes and adult ski lessons in cash. If you have paid your accommodation, you will also receive 70% of the value of your original holiday including deposit, net of these refunded extras. If you have paid deposit only, it will not be refunded.

F. The final payment date remains 10 weeks before your holiday. If payment in full has not been received by us by the due date, we shall have the right to cancel the booking and retain the deposit paid, and in this case, no refund or holiday credit will be due.

G. Please bear in mind that COVID-19 may have an impact on holiday arrangements for some time. We may, for example, be unable to provide or significantly need to change the way we deliver certain advertised services or facilities as a result. We may also need to change your accommodation or resort at short notice if it becomes unavailable. Greater flexibility is therefore likely to be required for the foreseeable future, both before and after departure, and our booking terms stipulate that you will not be entitled to a refund or holiday credit, and will incur cancellation charges if you do not accept a reasonable alternative.

H. We require all guests to agree to comply with COVID-19 safe practices and behave responsibly to protect other guests and staff. This may include for example accepting temperature checks, providing vaccine certificates and other measures for all your family which we consider necessary to keep everyone as safe as possible. Failure to do so will constitute unacceptable behaviour and clause 14 “Behaviour” will apply.  You must also accept that there is inevitably a degree of personal risk involved in taking a holiday at this time and we cannot be held responsible for any consequences other than as described above.

I. There will be no full or part refund or holiday credit should you decide to leave or cancel/curtail your holiday part way through your stay for any reason including COVID-19 related reasons or government advice, and you decide to leave once you have arrived in the resort or you do not travel/arrive on the expected day of your arrival, except as provided for above.

J. Refunds and holiday credit are only for services you have booked with us, not directly with any third parties. You will be required to approach those companies for a refund or credit note. Official statements must have been published to verify closures/restrictions. Please note, the holiday arrangements we offer and make for you do not constitute a “package” as defined by  the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018. 

Impact of Brexit

K. Brexit may restrict or prevent our ability to provide some elements of your booked arrangements especially since we can no longer rely on the Posted Workers Directive to employ resort staff in Europe. If for any Brexit-related reason we are prevented from providing products and services, we will endeavour to provide suitable alternatives. Should this prove impossible we will offer a partial refund for specific elements of your arrangements that we are unable to provide. 

L. Provided that we offer reasonable alternative products and services or reimburse any products or services that we are unable to provide, we shall have no further liability to you for non-delivery of booked arrangements as a result of Brexit.

M. We may need to significantly change the way we deliver some services or facilities as a result. Greater flexibility may therefore be required for the foreseeable future, both before and after departure, and you will incur normal cancellation charges if you do not accept a reasonable alternative.

K. It should also be noted that Brexit may also have an impact on your ability to take part in your booked arrangements. This could include, but is not limited to, the need to acquire a visa to visit your destination country or the need to purchase additional insurance to meet your needs if the European Health Insurance scheme (EHIC) comes to an end. Any new obligations imposed on you as a result of Brexit are entirely your responsibility.

The additional COVID Guarantee and Brexit Terms above take precedence over the following terms and conditions.

1. Making your booking

The first named person on your booking will be the “party leader”. The party leader must be authorised to make the booking on the basis of these booking conditions by all persons named on the booking and by their parent or guardian for all party members who are under 18 when the booking is made. By making a booking, the party leader confirms that he/she is so authorised. The party leader is responsible for making all payments due to us. 

The party leader is responsible for ensuring all payments to us, although we may accept payments from family leaders. Deposits are not refundable, except as provided in Clause 8 ‘Changes & Cancellations by us’. Please check your booking confirmation as soon as you receive it and notify us immediately if you believe there are any errors or omissions as it may not be possible to make changes later. By asking us to confirm your booking, you are deemed to have agreed to these Booking Conditions. If you have not received your booking confirmation within 14 days of making payment, please contact us to make sure that your booking is confirmed. As soon as you receive your booking confirmation, please visit your booking page (to which we will provide a link) and provide the requested additional information.

Please take the time to read our refunds policy and terms and conditions below. These booking conditions set out the terms of your contract with us including our obligations to you.

2. Payment 

The balances of your accommodation  booking cost and any additional services must be received by us not less than 10 weeks (8 weeks for 2020/21 season) prior to departure. This date will be shown on the booking confirmation. If we do not receive all payments due in full and on time, we are entitled to assume that you wish to cancel your booking. In this case, we will be entitled to keep all deposits paid at that date and apply the appropriate cancellation charges. If we do not cancel straight away because you have promised to make payment, you must pay the cancellation charges shown in clause 7 depending on the date we reasonably treat your booking as cancelled.  We also reserve the right to apply a late payment charge of £20 per day payment is overdue per booking. 

Accommodation deposit payments may be paid by debit card or bank transfer. Accommodation balance payments must be paid by bank transfer. 

3. Your contract 

A binding contract between us comes into existence when we send our booking confirmation to the party leader. We both agree that English law (and no other) will apply to these booking conditions, your contract and to any dispute, claim or other matter of any description which arises between us (“claim”) except as set out below. We both also agree that any claim must be dealt with by the Courts of England and Wales only unless, in the case of Court proceedings, you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland. In this case, proceedings must either be brought in the Courts of your home country or those of England and Wales. If proceedings are brought in Scotland or Northern Ireland, you may choose to have your contract and any claim governed by the law of Scotland/Northern Ireland as applicable (but if you do not so choose, English law will apply). 

4. The cost of your arrangements

We reserve the right to make changes to and correct errors in advertised prices at any time before your holiday is confirmed.  We will advise you of any error of which we are aware, the then applicable price and details of any applicable currency surcharge formula at the time of booking.

Once the price of your chosen arrangements has been confirmed at the time of booking, we will only increase or decrease the price in the following circumstances. Price increases after booking will be passed on by way of a surcharge. A surcharge will be payable if our costs increase as a direct consequence of a change in the level of taxes or fees on the services included in the contract imposed by third parties not directly involved in the performance of the arrangements including tourist taxes and the exchange rates relevant to the arrangements. 

You will also be entitled to a price reduction where there is a decrease in our costs as a result of a decrease in the costs referred to in this paragraph which occurs between confirmation of your booking and the start of your holiday.

We also reserve the right to introduce a currency surcharge formula applicable to the price of services for your holiday at any time before your holiday is confirmed. We will absorb, and you will not be charged for, any increase equivalent to 2% of the price of your holiday arrangements, which excludes insurance premiums and any amendment charges. You will be charged for any increase in our costs over and above that. If any surcharge is greater than 10% of the total holiday cost, clause 8 will apply on the basis that the surcharge is a significant change. You will be notified of any price increase or reduction applied in accordance with this clause together with the justification for and calculation of this not less than 20 days before departure. Where a reduction is applicable, we are entitled to deduct our administrative expenses from the refund.

Any surcharge must be paid within 14 days of the issue date printed on the invoice, whichever is the later. Please note that arrangements are not always purchased in local currency and some apparent changes have no impact on the price of your holiday due to contractual and other protection in place.

We promise not to levy a surcharge within 20 days of your departure.  No refund will be payable during this period either.

5. Special Requests/medical conditions/disabilities/reduced mobility

We will endeavour to meet special requests where we can but cannot guarantee their delivery. If you have any special requests, for example special dietary requirements or ‘additional needs’ childcare or any other special requirement such as a cake on a child’s birthday, we will do our best to assist, but you must discuss these when booking. If we feel unable to meet any such special request, we will normally inform you verbally of this immediately, although we may need to make further enquiries before confirming whether or not we can. You must also confirm such special requests on the on-line booking confirmation details form or by email. This ensures that any descriptions, agreements and assurances given verbally are properly documented and therefore correctly actioned.

Please note, confirmation that a special request has been noted or passed on to the supplier, or the inclusion of the special request on your booking confirmation form (or any other documentation) is not confirmation that the request will be met. Any special requirement which we have accepted will be specifically confirmed as accepted on your booking confirmation.

Before you make your booking, we will advise you as to whether the proposed holiday arrangements are generally suitable for someone with reduced mobility.  However, reduced mobility of course means different things to different individuals as we fully appreciate that individual capabilities, restrictions and requirements are likely to vary considerably. When we refer to reduced mobility, this means any material reduction in mobility whether this is permanent or temporary and whether caused by age or by physical or mental disability or impairment or other cause of disability. If you suffer from any medical condition, disability or reduced mobility which may affect your holiday (including the booking process) or have any special requirements as a result, please tell us before you confirm your booking so that we can advise as to the suitability of the chosen arrangements. In any event, you must give us full details in writing on the on-line booking confirmation details form or by email at the time of booking and as soon as possible in the event that any disability, medical condition or reduced mobility develops or deteriorates after booking.

6. Changes by you 

We will, whenever possible, endeavour to make changes or additions to your booking on request, but are not under any obligation to do so. Should you wish to make any changes to your confirmed booking, you must notify us in writing as soon as possible. Whilst we will endeavour to assist, we cannot guarantee we will be able to meet any such requests. Where we can, an amendment fee of £30.00 per person will be payable together with any costs incurred by ourselves and any costs or charges incurred or imposed by any of our suppliers. 

A change of booking dates will normally be treated as a cancellation of the original booking and rebooking in which case cancellation charges will apply. Changes may result in the recalculation of the booking cost where, for example, the basis on which the price of the original booking was calculated has changed. 

If any member of your party is unable or no longer wishes to travel for any reason, the person(s) concerned may transfer their place to someone else (introduced by you) providing we are notified of their name and contact details prior to your arrival.  If any costs and charges are incurred by us and/or incurred or imposed by any of our suppliers as a result, these must be paid prior to arrival. 

7. Cancellation by you

You may cancel your confirmed booking at any time before departure. We must be informed in writing if you wish to cancel your holiday. The following charges apply based on the date we receive your written notification. Where the cancellation charge is shown as a percentage, this is calculated on the basis of the total cost payable by the person(s) cancelling excluding amendment charges. Amendment charges are not refundable in the event of the person(s) to whom they apply cancelling. In calculating these cancellation charges, we have taken account of possible cost savings and the generation of income from other bookings which may be able to utilise cancelled services to the extent this is likely to be achievable. Where costs for ski lessons and lift passes have not been incurred or are recoverable we will deduct these amounts from our invoice.

Bookings for sole occupancy of a chalet are treated as a single booking under a single contract with a single party leader responsible for the booking and payment for it, even where payment may be made by several family leaders. If any members of this booking are unable to take their holiday for any reason, then payment for the entire booking will remain due including accommodation, childcare and extras and be the responsibility of the party leader.  You may normally substitute other party members in which case we will make an administration charge of £30 per new party member which will be added to the invoice price. If you wish we will attempt to reduce any increased cost per party member by selling holidays to other guests under a separate booking and where we are able to do this we will reduce your invoice. If you increase your party size by agreement with us we will add the cost of the additional party members to the original invoice price.

Period before departure and cancellation charges where written notice is received by us :

  • 70 days or more deposit only 
  • 29-69 days 50%
  • 15-28 days 70%
  • less than 14 days, or no show 100%

8. Changes and cancellation by us 

We start planning the arrangements we offer many months in advance. Occasionally, we have to make changes to and correct errors in advertising and other details both before and after bookings have been confirmed and cancel confirmed bookings. Whilst we always endeavour to avoid changes and cancellations, we must reserve the right to do so. 

For the season of 2021/22 the terms of our COVID-19 guarantee above will apply in the case of any COVID-related changes.

We will not be responsible for any other expenses including without limitation, the cost of flights or any other form of transport, accommodation or other expenses you incur as a result.

Very rarely, we may be forced by “force majeure” (see clause 9) to change or terminate your arrangements after they have commenced but before their scheduled end.  This is very unlikely but if this situation does occur, we regret we will be unable to make any refunds (unless we obtain any refunds from our suppliers), pay you any compensation or meet any costs or expenses you incur as a result. 

9. Force majeure 

Except where otherwise expressly stated in these booking conditions, we regret we cannot accept liability or pay any compensation or expenses where the performance or prompt performance of our obligations under our contract with you is prevented or affected by or you otherwise suffer any damage, loss or expense of any nature as a result of “force majeure”. In these booking conditions, “force majeure” means any situation within our reasonable contemplation, which is beyond our control, the consequences of which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken. Such situations may include, whether actual or threatened, riot, civil strife, terrorist activity, industrial dispute, natural disaster, exceptional adverse weather conditions, fire, the effect of the United Kingdom’s decision to leave the EU, and all events of a similar nature. 

10. Our liability to you 

We undertake to use our reasonable skill and care in the provision of the accommodation services where these services are provided by our employees in the course of their employment. For all services (which includes transfers) which are provided by any person or entity other than our employees, we undertake to use our reasonable skill and care in the selection of those suppliers but, providing we have done so, are not responsible for their acts and omissions or for the actual performance of those services.

We will not be responsible for any injury, illness, death, loss (including loss of enjoyment or possessions), damage, expense, cost or other sum or claim of any description whatsoever which results from any of the following: – 

  • the act(s) and/or omission(s) of the person(s) affected; or 
  • the act(s) and/or omission(s) of a third party not connected with the provision of your arrangements; or 
  • ‘force majeure’ as defined in clause 9 above.

Please note, we cannot accept responsibility for any services which do not form part of our contract. This includes, for example, any additional services or facilities which any supplier agrees to provide for you where we have not agreed to provide these as part of our contract and any activities which we arrange for you during your holiday. Regardless of any wording used by us on our website, in any advertising material or elsewhere, we only promise to use reasonable skill and care as set out above and we do not have any greater or different liability to you.

Where we are found liable for loss of and/or damage to any luggage or personal possessions (including money), the maximum amount we will have to pay you is £250.00 per person affected. Any payment is subject to your producing appropriate proof of the contents and value of the luggage or personal possessions concerned and demonstrating that you have taken proper care of your property. For all other claims which do not involve death or personal injury, we limit the maximum amount we will have to pay you in the event that we are found liable to you on any basis to twice the cost paid by the person(s) affected. 

11. Complaints and problems 

In the unlikely event that you have any reason to complain or experience any problems with your booking whilst away, you must immediately inform us and the supplier of the service(s) in question. Any verbal notification must be put in writing. Until we know about a complaint or problem, we cannot begin to resolve it. Most problems can be dealt with quickly. If you remain dissatisfied, however, you must write to us within 28 days giving your booking reference and full details of your complaint. Only the party leader should write to us. For all complaints and claims which do not involve death, personal injury or illness, we regret that we cannot accept liability if you fail to notify the complaint or claim entirely in accordance with this clause.

If you have any cause for complaint during your holiday you must contact your Resort Manager immediately, so that we have the opportunity to deal with your complaint. You must accept that it is not reasonable to complain later about something that we have not been given the chance to address whilst you are on holiday. If you are not satisfied with the handling of your complaint in resort once notified, the party leader must put your complaint in writing to us within 28 days of leaving your resort.

We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint, investigate and normally respond within 28 days and will let you know if we need longer than this. It is very important to follow the above Complaints Procedure and in the event that you do not do so, any right you may have had to claim compensation, where applicable, is likely to be affected and may be lost altogether. Any assistance provided in assisting you to resolve any complaints you may have in relation to ski lessons, lift passes and/or transfers booked through us (except for inclusive transfers) is provided on a goodwill basis and in our capacity as booking agent only. We accept responsibility for inclusive transfers booked with your accommodation. 

12. Insurance 

We require the purchase of comprehensive travel insurance as a condition of your booking with us. You must purchase travel insurance at the point of the holiday booking with us so that you have cancellation protection and not just prior to your departure on holiday.

 It is a condition of booking with us that you and your party obtain suitable winter sports travel insurance, from a reputable provider. This insurance must cover the coronavirus pandemic for COVID-related circumstances not covered by our COVID guarantee and include at least the following:

  • Cancellation of your trip or curtailment for any reason.
  • Emergency medical expenses, including cover for any pre-existing condition. Amongst other costs this should cover; mountain rescue, ambulance charges and repatriation to your home country.  Depending on the reason for this you may be required to make a claim via your travel insurance policy.  In which case, we will support your claim with documentation required to facilitate the claim.
  • Personal liability to include, amongst other liabilities; damage caused by your negligence and that of your party to the property in which you are staying, and which must include contractual liability of the party leader for the actions of your party
  • Travel and transfer delays which must include amongst other costs; additional costs incurred in the event of a delay.

The policy must include the activities you are likely to do and in particular off-piste skiing with or without a guide (it is possible to ski off-piste inadvertently).  The policy must cover the period from the date of booking to the last day of your trip and may not have a clause allowing the insurer to cancel the insurance except in the case of unusual circumstances e.g. fraud and misrepresentation.

There are other sections to winter sports travel insurance such as baggage, legal expenses, personal accidents and so on.

In the event that you fail to obtain suitable winter sports travel insurance we shall not be liable for any costs incurred or claims made against us due to your failure to comply with this term.

13. Damage 

When you book with us, you accept responsibility for any damage or loss caused by you or any member of your party. Full payment for any such damage or loss (reasonably estimated if not precisely known) must be made as soon as possible. If the actual cost of the loss or damage exceeds the amount paid where estimated, you must pay the difference once known. If the actual cost is less than the amount paid, the difference will be refunded. You will also be responsible for meeting any claims subsequently made against us and all costs incurred by us (including our own and the other party’s full legal costs) as a result of your actions. 

14. Behaviour

We expect our Clients to behave courteously and show consideration for other Clients and our members of staff. We reserve the right, at our absolute discretion, to terminate your holiday without prior notice if we have reason to believe that your behaviour is unreasonable or likely to cause distress, danger, or significant disturbance to any of our Clients, members of staff, or any of our suppliers or other third parties. In the event that we exercise our reserved right you will be required to leave your accommodation immediately, our responsibility and liability to you will cease immediately and we will not be liable for any consequent costs or expenses that you may incur (including any alternative accommodation arrangements), nor will we pay any refunds or compensation.  

15. Ski lessons, lift passes, transfers, car hire, ferry crossings and train travel

The services which make up your booking eg, lift passes, ski lessons, private transfers are provided by independent suppliers. Those suppliers provide these services in accordance with their own terms and conditions. Some of these terms and conditions may limit or exclude the supplier’s liability to you.

The ESF is not a company and therefore not a legal entity.  All ESF Ski Instructors are effectively self-employed and we have no control over which Instructor will be allocated to lessons attended by children that we book with the ESF on your behalf.  We have no control over the ski lessons, the ESF or other ski lesson providers and we cannot accept any liability for the lessons provided by or for the acts or omissions of the ESF or other ski lesson provider or any of their employees or other personnel (including ski instructors).  Where we make or take a booking from you for, without limitation, lift passes, private transfers, ferry crossings, rail travel and/or car hire we do so as an agent only for the entity providing those services.  We have no control over, and cannot accept any liability for, the provision or operation of any of these services  (or any of their employees or other personnel).

In the event however that we are found liable in any respect for any of these services (for example in our capacity as booking agent), that liability is limited to the cost of the particular service concerned. We do not limit or exclude our liability for death or personal injury arising from our negligence or that of our employees.

16. Chalets

Our chalets and resorts are chosen for their location and suitability for family skiing holidays. Chalets can never be perfect in every respect and you accept that a degree of tolerance is required for this type of holiday. The family skiing holiday chalet that is perfect in absolutely every respect does not exist in the Alps. Alpine standards of room space, ceiling heights, plumbing and electrics can sometimes require a degree of tolerance to be exercised.

 We cannot guarantee and indeed it is almost impossible, to keep accommodation spotlessly clean, particularly access areas such as hallways and staircases, due to the constant comings and goings of people, particularly children, into and out of chalets. Sometimes things like cooking facilities, hot water supply and electrics do fail in which case we will move as quickly as reasonably possible to remedy the situation once we are aware of it. However, this will often depend on securing tradesmen at short notice which can be problematic in the Alps in the winter season. We will not generally be liable to pay compensation for such breakdowns provided we have done our best to remedy the problem as quickly as we reasonably can in the circumstances.

We try to ensure that our chalets are child-friendly, but it must be remembered that most chalets are rented and the owners do not always allow us to make all the changes that we would like. In some chalets there are steep staircases unsuitable for very young children and floors in French chalets are often tiled and smooth. There are also hard and sharp or hot surfaces such as around fireplaces. Parents should familiarise themselves with potential hazards, take all sensible precautions and supervise children at all times. 

We will accept no liability for death or injury caused by any equipment provided by the owners of the accommodation in respect for infants and children such as cots, high chairs, stools etc. It is the responsibility of the client to ensure that these items are safe. If there are any concerns these must be reported on the day of arrival to our representatives and the items must not be used. 

17. Jacuzzis, hot tubs, saunas, and WiFi

Please note safety is of the utmost importance: Jacuzzis and Hot Tubs, (referred to as ‘Hot Tubs’ below) can be dangerous if used without due care and attention. Children under the age of 16 years wishing to use the Hot Tubs must have adult supervision at all times. All persons using the Hot Tubs do so at their own risk. Instructions for the use of the Hot Tubs will be displayed in each chalet, and we cannot stress strongly enough the importance of being aware of and abiding by these instructions. In particular, we ask all persons to shower before entering the Hot Tubs and not to use any shampoos, soaps, or gels, since the use of these often cause problems with filtration and water purity and often result in closure of the Hot Tubs for deep cleaning and maintenance. Drinking of alcohol is not recommended when using the Hot Tubs and the use of any glass container is forbidden. We will not be liable to pay compensation where failure to follow instructions or other misuse by any party member in the chalet has put the hot tub out of service.

Please note that Hot Tubs are often, but not always, deep cleaned on arrival and departure days and therefore may not be available for use on such days. Please also note that Hot Tubs have many pumps, motors, blowers, and filtration equipment and from time to time any of these components can fail, thereby resulting in the closure of a Hot Tub. Such events are by definition outside our control and whilst we will use our best endeavours to bring the Hot Tub back into service as quickly as reasonably possible, it is sometimes impossible to remedy the problem straight away. We will not be liable to pay any compensation due to any Hot Tub being out of service in this situation.

Please note that, under French Law, we understand that it is not permitted for anyone under the age of 16 years to enter a Sauna. In the event that a Sauna is out of service for an operational reason beyond our control, we will use our best endeavours to bring the Sauna back into service as soon as possible, but we will not be liable to pay any compensation due to any Sauna being out of service.

Please note that WiFi in the mountains is not always reliable and generally of a lower speed than maye be considered ‘normal’ in the UK, especially under the strains of multiple connections in a chalet. We do ask guests to help each other by avoiding data-hungry web use, and keeping only one device per person connected to the WiFi.  Whilst we will do our best to bring any internet connection back into service as quickly as reasonably possible, we cannot guarantee that this will be possible, and in some instances it may be outside of our control and we will not be liable to pay any compensation due to any WiFi connection being out of service.

18. Excursions, activities and general area information 

We may provide you with information (before departure and/or when you are away) about activities and excursions which are available in the area you are visiting. We have no involvement in any such activities or excursions which are neither run, supervised, controlled nor endorsed in any way by us. They are provided by local operators or other third parties who are entirely independent of us. They do not form any part of your contract with us even where we suggest particular operators/other third parties and/or assist you in booking such activities or excursions in any way. We cannot accept any liability on any basis in relation to such activities or excursions including their availability. We do not however exclude liability for the negligence of ourselves or our employees resulting in your death or personal injury.  

19. Delays to flights and other transport

We have no control over the operation of flights and other public transportation, and cannot accept any responsibility or liability for any technical or other operational problems. Please allow plenty of time for flight and train departures, etc., as we cannot accept responsibility for the consequences of missed transfers. If you have booked transfers with us between airports or train stations and our resorts and your flight arrives later than the specified operating time for your transfer of which you have been advised, you may have to pay for private or public taxi transfers at the prices quoted at the time. Therefore, although we will use our best endeavours to give you practical help and advice to reduce where possible the costs of such transfers to you, we strongly advise you to ensure your travel insurance covers missed connections and transfers.

20. Flights and transport

We do not sell flights. We may however assist our Clients in finding flights through third party travel agents or flight suppliers who are totally independent of us and with whom we work. These third parties will either be the agent of an ATOL (Air Travel Organiser’s Licence) holder or an ATOL holder who will ensure your flight booking is financially protected in accordance with ATOL Regulations. Your contract will be with the ATOL holder and payment will be made directly to the ATOL holder or their authorised agent (and not us). No contract for the arrangement of flights will be entered into between the Client and Family Ski Company Ltd.

21. Website/advertising material accuracy 

The information contained on our website and in our other advertising material is believed correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of printing or publication. However, errors may occasionally occur, and information may subsequently change. You must therefore ensure you check all details of your chosen arrangements (including the price) with us at the time of booking. 

22. Terms and conditions

Please note, we reserve the right to make changes to these Booking Conditions, always provided that we inform you of any such changes at the time of your booking. We will confirm any such changes to you in writing either before or at the time we send out your Booking Confirmation if you decide to proceed with your booking.

23. Safety standards

Please note, it is the requirements and standards of the country in which any services that make up your holiday are provided which apply to those services and not those of the UK. As a general rule, these requirements and standards will not be the same as the UK and may sometimes be lower.

24. Financial security

We are fully bonded with ABTOT, the Association of Bonded Travel Organisers’ Trust. This arrangement means your money will be refunded in the unlikely event of our being unable to provide your holiday due to our insolvency. Please note, the holiday arrangements we offer and make for you do not constitute a “package” and accordingly, the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 do not apply to them.

In the unlikely event that you require assistance whilst abroad due to our financial failure, please call our 24/7 helpline on 01702 811397 and advise you are a customer of an ABTOT protected travel company. ABTOT’s address is at 117 Houndsditch, London EC3A 7BT.

25. Foreign Office advice

The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office publishes regularly updated travel information on its website www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice and https://travelaware.campaign.gov.uk which you are strongly recommended to consult before booking and in good time before departure.

26. Passports, visas and health requirements

Currently for stays up to 3 months in duration a passport with a minimum validity of 3 months from the start of your holiday is required. However, if you are a British citizen with a British passport you should ensure that your passport has a minimum validity period of 6 months from the start of your holiday. If you renewed your passport before it expired, any unexpired time which is added to your new passport is unlikely to count towards the minimum 6 month validity period. British Citizens do not presently require a visa for holidays in France. However, you must check the up to date position in good time before departure. A full British passport presently takes approximately 3 to 6 weeks to obtain but may be longer.  If you will be 16 or over when you go on holiday and haven’t yet got a passport, you should apply for one at least 6 weeks before your holiday.  

The UK Passport Service has to confirm your identity before issuing your first passport and will ask you to attend an interview in order to do this. If you are not a British citizen or hold a non-British passport, you must check passport and visa requirements with the embassy or consulate of the country(ies) to or through which you are intending to travel.

It is your responsibility to ensure you are aware of all recommended vaccinations and health precautions in good time before departure. Details are available from your GP surgery and from the National Travel Health Network and Centre http://travelhealthpro.org.uk. Information on health abroad is also available on www.nhs.uk/Live-well/healthy-body/before-you-travel 

Currently your EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) will only be valid until its expiry date but this and vaccination and other health requirements/recommendations are subject to change at any time for any destination. Please therefore check with a doctor or travel clinic not less than 6 weeks prior to departure to ensure that you have met the necessary requirements and have the applicable information.

You must ensure you are in possession of all necessary travel and health documents before departure.  All costs incurred in obtaining such documentation must be paid by you.  We regret we cannot accept any liability if you are refused entry onto any transport or into any country due to failure on your part to carry all required documentation.  If failure to have any necessary travel or other documents results in fines, surcharges, other financial penalty, costs or expenses being imposed on or incurred by us, you will be responsible for reimbursing us accordingly. Cancellation charges will apply as in clause 7 if you are unable to travel because you cannot meet legal and documentary requirements.