General Travel Information

Here is some information to assist with your travel arrangements.

Passport, Visa and Immigration Requirements

Your specific passport and visa requirements, and other immigration requirements are your responsibility and you should confirm these with the relevant Embassies and/or Consulates. We do not accept any responsibility if you cannot travel because you have not complied with any passport, visa or immigration requirements.

Please – don’t leave it to the last minute to check these details. The following information is for United Kingdom passport holders only in relation to the USA, other nationals including Eire should consult the appropriate embassy.

UK residents are allowed to enter the USA with a ten year passport, with no less than 6 months left before the expiry of the passport, if staying in the US for less than 90 days. However, the rules are constantly updated, so we advise that you check your own individual situation as the visa waiver programme is subject to strict criteria, and for example, if you have a criminal record or have previously been refused entry to the US, you may not qualify for entry under the Visa Waiver programme. Please check your status with the rules.

Passengers are no longer permitted to enter the USA with a non-machine readable passport unless their old style passport has a valid Visa stamp. The newer red passports are machine readable. CHILDREN MUST HAVE THEIR OWN PASSPORT – If in doubt please contact the passport advice line on 0300 222 0000, or Passport Office Website or if applicable the American Embassy on 0207 499 9000 or the US Embassy Website

IMMIGRATION TO THE USA There are now very strict guidelines on entry to the USA and a new system put in place whereby you must have registered with the Department of Homeland Security at least three days before you travel. More information can be found on the Department’s Official Website

Health Information

We advise all customers to check what the latest health requirements are for travel to their chosen destination. Please consult your doctor, practice nurse or travel health clinic and/or obtain the relevant health leaflets e.g. the D.O.H. leaflet “Protect your Health Abroad” from your local Post Office or the Department of Health. Also consult the following websites for advice: www.fco.gov.uk, www.dh.gov.uk, www.hpa.org.uk, www.nathnac.org

Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) advice

The Foreign & Commonwealth Office provides up-to-date travel advice to help British travellers make informed decisions about travelling abroad. Please refer to www.fco.gov.uk/knowbeforeyougo

Baggage

Typically one average sized suitcase only per person is permitted – weight allowances do vary dependant on the carrier, so please check with the carrier. Infants do not have any baggage allowance. Due to recent security alerts, the approved items for carriage within the cabin or aircraft hold have been subject to change. Please refer to your carrier for the very latest information prior to departure, and to the departure airport website and the Department for Transport www.dft.gov.uk

Hotel Check In/Check Out

The standard international practice is to let rooms from mid afternoon on the day of arrival until mid morning of the day of departure. Occasionally when you arrive at your accommodation, you may have to wait a short while until your room is ready. Similarly, if you are leaving the destination on a flight later in the day, you may be required to check out of your hotel room earlier in the day. In some cases, you may be able to extend you stay in your room or have access to facilities at the accommodation to change and refresh yourself in, but we cannot guarantee this, and this should be arranged with the accommodation management.</p.

Room Sharing

If you are travelling alone and do not wish to pay the applicable supplement for a single room, we will, if you wish and subject to availability, match you up with someone of the same sex on a “twin to share” basis wherever possible. If you select a room sold on this “twin to share” basis you will be sharing with another participant on the tour and not have sole use of the room. In such cases we are not allowed to give any details regarding the name, address or phone contact of the parties requesting sharing arrangements. Please note that where a room has been booked for one person only, whether it be a single room or the sole occupancy of a larger room, no other person is permitted to stay in that room, even if there is physically space for that person.

Insurance

We strongly recommend that you have adequate travel insurance for any travel on our events.

For travel in 2009 onwards, SPORTS TOURS INTERNATIONAL LTD (trading as Sports Tours International, Club La Santa, Graham Baxter Sporting Tours, Wheel 2 Wheel or the Golf Travel Club) is an Introducer Appointed Representative of Global Travel Insurance Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. For more information on the insurance that is offered, please visit www.globaltravelinsurance.co.uk/quote/spo09 Please note, from January 1st 2009 we have not been able to offer any advice on travel insurance under the current regulations.

Tours and itineraries

Whilst we try very hard to deliver your tour itinerary as specified at the time of booking, sometimes circumstances beyond our control may prevent us from providing the exact tour itinerary that is advertised and in such circumstances we do not assume liability for any loss of the advertised elements of the itinerary. Please see the rest of these terms and conditions for further details.