Teilnahme— und Reisebedingungen der Ulrich Bexte Touristik / Bct-Touristik

1. Tour operator

a) The tour operator is the Ulrich Bexte Touristik, BCT-Touristik, Bonnerstr. 37, 53721 Siegburg, Germany, called BCT. The brands "BCT-Touristik", "Klafa"(school classes trips), "Europatouristik" (trips in Europe) and "Studienfahrten & Fernreisen für Junge Leute" (study & long-distance trips for young people) and Pilgerreisen (pilgrim travels) belong to the Bexte Touristik.
Münster telephone number: 0251-55595, Fax.:0251-55596
Siegburg telephone number: 02241-9424211,

Fax.: 02241-9424299
b) With its study trips, seminars, educational events etc., promoted by the BCT through public media, the firm proves to has the right to proclamate itself an organizer and tour operator, as far as it is allowed by law. Within this context, it only provides the necessary organizational help.
The organizer in this case will respectively be the association of young people/the educational institution etc. for whom BCT organizes the trip.

2. Subscription / Conclusion of the travel contract

a) Within its subscription to a trip, the prospective customer concludes with the tour operator a contract, which binds him/her to the tour operator until the latter gives him/her the written acknowledgement/confirmation.
b) The subscription can first be written, oral, per email or per phone, but it has then to be confirmed in written form according to the rule.
c) If a participant subscribes to a trip him/herself and other participants, he/she is responsible form the latters and agrees with all the travel terms and conditions also in the name and on behalf of them.
d) In any case, the BCT can ask each participant to subscribe for him/herself in order to avoid any conflict.
e) The contract is established with the acceptance of BCT. This acceptance does not require any specific form. During or directly after the conclusion of the contract, the tour operator will hand out or send to the participant its written confirmation for the trip.
f) If for any reason a subscription would not be taken into account, BCT would immediately inform you. We recommend an early subscription since we often have more interested customers than places.

3. Underage participants

a) A subscription for an underage participant has to be signed by the young him/herself and by his/her parents or tutors.
b) As there are no age limits indicated in the offers' descriptions, the following minimum ages are effective: 1) a young who travels alone within the EU: 16 years of age or outside the EU: 18 years of age; 2) a young who travels accompanied by a responsible adult within the EU: 12 years of age or outside the EU: 14 years of age. Exceptions are possible only according to the case 2) after speaking with the BCT-Touristik according to the characteristics of the journey.
c) With the subscription to a journey, the parents or tutors give their consensus to the underage participant to be allowed to move alone at his/her own risk during the trip.
d) This is also effective when the agreement for an underage participant is given in an age under the minimum age brackets indicated.
e) The parents or tutors allow the underage participant to stay up during the night until an hour fixed by the tourist guide / study trip guide.
f) Underage participants need the consensus of the parents or tutors in written form to be allowed to leave the territory.

4. Travel price / participation fees

a) Participation fees / travel price stand on the participation agreement.
b) If the participation fees or the performance description of the agreement differ from the subscription or announcement, they become the new offer of BCT to which it is bound for a period of 7 days. The travel contract is concluded when the participant makes his/her subscription to the trip in written form or pays the fees within 7 days.
c) BCT is authorized to change the participation fees if there are more than 4 months left from the travel confirmation to the beginning of the journey. The travel price can change only if there is an extraordinary rise of transport costs, changes in the price of specified performances like harbour and airport taxes, or changes in the currency rate.
d) If there is any change in the travel price, BCT has to inform the participant at the latest 3 weeks before the beginning of the journey.
e) The participant is authorized to cancel his/her travel for free if the rise reaches more than 5%.
f) If he/she withdraws from his/her journey, he/she is authorized to ask for another trip of the same standards, without paying any supplement fees, if the tour operator can offer him/her such a journey. The participant is entitled to do so only after having spoken with the tour operator about the rise of the price.
g) A rise of the price from 3 weeks on before the beginning of the trip is not permissible.
h) When study trips are assisted by aids from some governmental institutions, the participant has to take part in all the meeting set for talking about the program and promoted by these institutions. If he/she does not, he/she has to pay extra cost. This applies for the study trips and the pre and post events.
BCT would like to precise that aids are sometimes in charge for the participation fees regarding the study trips, seminars and meetings.
i) Special prices, discounts & reductions have to be given while booking. A late reduction after billing is not possible.
j) A combination of multiple discounts is not possible.

5. Performances

a) There is a description of the performances which are applied to the contract in our offers and in the participation confirmation. The tour operator is bound to these performances. However it has the right to change them before the conclusion of the contract but has to inform the participant before the booking (see 4b).
b) Additional conventions that change the described performances are permitted only with the agreement of the BCT. Intermediaries, tourist offices, travel agencies and tourist guides are not allowed to do so.
c) The description of the performances is in accordance with the local conditions/standards/ categories. The performances are always adapted to the country and place. For further information, please consult the description of the countries of destination. Please pay attention to the fact that most of the countries outside the EU do not follow the European standards. They have other criteria about cleanness, punctuality and comfort.
d) Decide to go on a trip to a country without European standards only if you can bare a small level of cleanness and comfort without loosing the pleasure of the journey. If you cannot imagine staying in such a country, we can only not advice you to travel to a developing country.
e) For each group trip we have at your disposal an optional program. This one, which has been conceived on the ground of our earlier experiences and propositions, is to give you an overview of what can and should be done during these trips.
f) Each group can decide after speaking with its tourist guide of the final realisation of the journey.
g) The elements of the performances are only those described in the program.
h) BCT keeps the right to change the order of the performances or to provide them on another day if it is mentioned in the offer and in the travel contract (changes in the program or in its progress under reserve) and if it reasonable for the participants.
i) Entrance fees, guided tours, tips, visas, official and governmental taxes (airport taxes; arrival and departure taxes) and travel insurances do not appear in the elements of the performances.
j)See "Changes of performances"
k) See 6 (g) "Change of location for the overnight staying"
l) See "Non standard performances"
m) See "Non provided performances"

6. Overnight stay in hotels, rooms and changes of location

a) Single bedroom or double bedrooms have not automatically a better standard or better facilities.
b) It is possible that participants without booking or extra fee get this kind of accommodation.
c) If possible, we place all the participants in a single room, but we cannot guarantee it.
d) You can access the rooms from 2pm when arriving and stay until 12am before leaving. These rules also apply when you arrive early from the airport or leave late in the evening for your flight.
e) It is possible that the BCT decides to stay longer or shorter in a place. The participants will be directly informed and this will not cause a rise of the price. If an important point of the program is cancelled, it should be proposed something equivalent.
f) Please pay attention to the fact that in the Tropes, while or directly after monsoon/rains, small changes might be done and you will have to accept some disadvantages like water spots on the wall, wallpaper or mats.

7. Changes in the performances

a) Changes and differences in the trip performances concluded in the contract that became necessary and are not induced against fidelity and belief by the tour operator are possible, as far as these changes and differences are not considerable and do not prejudice the booked travel.
b) Possible requirements of guaranty cannot happen as far as the changed performances are not liable for defects.
c) The tour operator has to inform the customers of the changes and differences in the performances. As the case may be, it has to propose the customers the possibility to cancel or change their booking for free if the performances have considerably changed.
d) In case the performances of the trip changed considerably, the tour operator has to warn the customers at the latest 21 days before the beginning of the trip.
e) In case of considerable change in one of the important performances of the trip, the participant has the right to cancel his trip without paying anything or to be offered another trip of the same value if the tour operator can propose such a trip. The participant has the right to do so after having being explained the reasons of the changes.

8. Payment

a) For the subscription, after giving back a chattel paper, you have to pay a 10% deposit of the total travel price; however, this can never be higher than 250€.
b) Notwithstanding a), some small deposits can be fixed, you will find these conditions in the bases of the journey or in the conditions of the subscription.
c) Under a 150€ participation fee, you will not have to pay any other deposit.
d) Fees for insurance and other travel supplies, extra costs because of recession or of reservation's modification have to be paid without delay.
e) If no deposit is paid during the subscription, the participant has to pay it in the following 7 days according to the subscription conditions. With this deposit, he accepts the travel conditions of BCT.
f) If the subscription happens within the 4 weeks before the beginning of the trip, the participant has to pay the total participation fees while subscribing. The reservation form has to be handed out without delay.
g) If the subscription happens within 3 weeks before the journey, BCT has the right to require 15€ per participant because a late booking costs the travel agency money.
h) The deposit and the rest of the price have to be paid only after the hand-out of the reservation form according to the §651 ch. 3 of the German Law. If the trip does not last more than 24h, there is no overnight-stay and the travel price does not exceed 75€. In this case, the total price can be paid without hand-out of the chattel paper.
i) The rest of the travel price has to be paid 4 weeks before the beginning of the trip, when the journey can not be cancelled anymore according to 27a). When the trip can still be cancelled according to 28b), the rest has to be paid 3 weeks before the beginning of the trip.
j) The travel documents will be handed out after the payment. If the total price has not been paid, BCT has the right not to hand out these documents/tickets.
k) BCT is not obliged to accept you for the journey if you have not paid the total price before the beginning of the trip. If it happens, BCT is allowed to require money because of extra costs (postal charge + work accomplished) from the second letter: fixed rate 5€
l) If the total price has not been paid before the beginning of the journey, BCT is not obliged to carry on with this trip. Moreover it has the right to ask for compensation.
m) We inform you that the money transfer can sometimes last more than 6 days. As far as the money is not on our accounts, we consider the journey as being not paid.

9. Tips, presents, etc.

a) Tips, even those related to the events organized by BCT or to the performances specified in the contract, are not included in the participation fees and the participant has to pay them directly during the journey.
b) This is also the case for the presents to the host, the referee, the tourist guides and the bus driver.

10. Recognition of the conditions of participation

With his/her participation to the journey, each participant recognizes the conditions of participation.

11. Other participant

a) Until the beginning of the journey, the participant can say that someone else will take part in the trip instead of him. BCT can refuse the participation of this third person if he/she does not fit to the requirements of the travel, or if his/her participation is against the statutory provisions or the official order.
b) BCT can refuse the participation of this third person if he/she does not/cannot comply with the requirements of public needs for the journey.
c) BCT can refuse the participation of this third person if the participant had to comply with special requirements for the participation to the journey or if the group of participants was restricted by BCT (i.e. membership, location, age bracket etc.)
d) BCT can eventually ask for extra costs from the participant who was replaced (i.e. application for visas, single room, insurance etc.)
e) For the handling costs, BCT can also ask the person for a supplement of 30€. For the trips outside EU this tax reaches 60€ after 14 days before the beginning of the journey.
f) If a third person concludes the contract, he/she and the former participant are liable for the travel price and the extra-costs to the tour operator.

12. Exclusion from a journey

a) If a participant behaves grossly negligent and illegally, disturbs the journey even after several sustained reprimands, does not follow the tourist guide's directives or does not fulfil his duties for the journey, he/she can be excluded from the journey after one or several warnings, or in the worst case without any, without legitimate claim. BCT has in this case the right on the travel price.
b) In case of rescission from an underage participant, his/her parents/tutors have to pay the costs (and eventually also those of his/her travel escort).
c) After one participant's exclusion from a journey, there is the possibility to find a substitute participant.

13. Smoking ban

a) Because of sanitary and security reasons, you are not allowed to smoke during the journey. The smoke can damage the health of the participants and can lead to an exclusion from the journey.
b) During bus and car trips, it is expressly forbidden to smoke. During flying and train trips, you are allowed to smoke only in the smoking areas.
c) In common accommodations/sport halls it is not allowed to smoke both in the buildings and in the common areas.
d) In the bedrooms it is allowed to smoke only if there is no other restriction in the building and if it does not disturb the others.
e)In all the common meetings, discussions, talking sessions and meal times, etc. the smoking ban is always valid.

14. Participant's contribution duties

a) If a journey is promoted by public Medias, the participant has to take part in each event that are related to it, before or after the journey.
b) If the participant has not received his/her travel documents/visa before, during or after the journey, he has to inform BCT as soon as possible. If within the 7 days before the journey's beginning he/she has not received these documents, he/she has to inform BCT without delay.
c) If the performances of the journey are disturbed during the trip, the traveller has to inform his tourist guide or the representative of the BCT. If none of them is reachable, he/she has to contact the BCT in Münster. If the lack gets not reported the participant has no right for a reduction in price.
This is in order to solve any problem you could have.
d) The tourist guides and representatives of BCT are not entitled to recognize the participants' guarantee claims.
e) If a lack is not compensated, you will have to write a report with your tourist guide. Our tourist guides and representatives have no right to confirm and sign a report you have written alone.
f) Independently from this report, you will have to show a written document to BCT Touristik, Bonner Straße 37, 53721 Siegburg, Germany, within the 4 weeks following the end of the journey.
g) If there is any spoilt performance, the participants have to do their best to avoid the eventual damage or to limit it.
h) During bus trips, overnight stays in accommodations for young people, in sports halls or on tents areas, participants have to mind to leave the site clean and tidied up.

15. Trips for young people/study trips

a) Some trips from the BCT are specially organized for the young participants. These trips can be more active than the others, especially for what concerns the arriving and departures at night-time. The participants cannot ask for any compensation for this.
b) The former rule applies also for a big number of adult participants who want to take part in those trips.

16. Non standard performances

a) If a participant does not want to take part in one of the performances proposed by the BCT, BCT will give him/her the money back when it is possible. This does not happen if it deals about an insignificant performance, if the expenditures are irrelevant or if the payback is opposed to the official directive or to the local conditions.
b) For the accommodations, the transports and programs booked by the BCT, and also the events that lead to a rise of costs, if the number of participants reduces but the total price remains the same, no payback is possible for non claimed performances.
c) In the conception-program of the BCT, participants can decide themselves in which part of the program they will take part (this is not valid, though, for those points of the program which are fundamental for the whole trip). The non-participation because of a participation restriction or for other reasons to any points of this program cannot lead to repayments.

17. Non-provided performances

a) If any point of the program does not take place due to exceptional cases of violence in the site, strikes, official directives or actions of renovation of the site, the price will be reduced as far as this point of the program belonged to the performances and BCT does not propose any alternative to the program.
b) If during the journey the wished accommodation in single, double, triple or quadruple bedrooms cannot be realized, the participant has the right to receive a reduction if the placing has led to extra costs. Especially for the group trips it can happen that the overnight stay does not take place in the wished accommodation and a change has to be made.

18. Performance guaranties

a) Remedy: if the journey does not take place as specified in the contract, the participant can ask for a remedy. The tour operator can refuse this remedy if it requires disproportional expenditures. But it also can find a remedy that represents a substituted performance of the same or higher value.
b) Reduction of the price: if the duration of the journey is not respected, the participant can ask for a reduction of the price. This reduction is calculated according to the price it should have been sold at the first place and not according to the lack of time the customer suffered.
c) Cancellation of the contract: if a trip contains lacks and the tour operator does not remedy to these, the traveller, according to the travel contract, can cancel his/her journey with a written report that states the reasons of his withdrawal.
d) The participant can ask for compensation because of missed fulfilment of some points despite the reduction or the cancellation, unless the tour operator is not liable for the error in the journey.

19. Flights, flight plans, flight times, luggage

a) The airline companies, the captain and the national administration of coordination decide on the flight plans and flight times. Short-term changes of the flight times and of the routing because of congestion of the international air space or of the big airports are not always avoidable. Eventual claims from the passengers for performances changes will not be accepted.
b) Flight times: the first and last days of the journey are first and foremost for the transport by the BCT. The flight times in the detailed offers and on the website of the BCT, and the information about the flight times from the travel agencies are just there to give you an idea. On direct flights, your plane may have to stop over because of technical problems. The right flight times are written on your travel documents.

20. Information about changes (flight timetables) & confirmation

You will be directly informed by the BCT about changes in the flight times or in the performances. During the round trip, your tourist guide will tell you this. For the participants who prolonged their journeys, they will have to inform the representative of the BCT or directly communicate it to the airline company
a) Because of delays during the flight, it is possible that you arrive a day later in the country. However the basis of the performances of the travel contract is the number of overnight stays.
b) The meals on the planes are included in the performances. They are given according to the local time. Because of delays of your flight, you might have these meals directly in the country.
c) For each flight, the traveller is allowed to bring 20kg luggage in suitcases.
d) The carrying of sport material (surfboard, diving gear, skies etc.), animals, rolling chairs and other special equipments are not included in your travel contract. This is the case for the flight but also for the transfers, visits and sightseeing in the country. Each traveller has to check him/herself with the airline company what he/she should do for these special equipments. If one of our employees helps him/her, we do not offer any guarantee.
e) Damages or lost of your luggage have to be reported directly after your arriving to the airline company at the airport. To do so, you will need your flight ticket with the number of luggage, their weight and the place you put it. The airline companies take the responsibility only for a certain weight of luggage; this is why we advise you not to leave anything valuable in your luggage. You will have to write a report describing the loss. You will give one of the copies to the airline company and keep the other one as a proof.

21. Visa/official consensus

a) BCT is responsible to teach the people who live in the country where the journey is offered about the regulation of the passports, visas, health certificates or other eventual changes before the beginning of the journey. For the participants of other nationalities the proper consulate will give you information.
b) For the trips offered in the Federal Republic of Germany, the stated passports, visas, health and other official certificates refer only to German people.
c) It is presumed that no particular passports are existent for exceptional conditions (dual citizenship, previous extradition or denied entry to a country of transfer or to a country of destination, undesired persons, passport registration etc.)
d) The participant is him/herself responsible for the compliance with all the important preconditions for the accomplishment of the journey/study trip. All the drawbacks that follow because he/she did not follow these preconditions are at his/her charge.
e) If BCT takes care of the organization and the provision of the visas or other formalities, it is not liable for the not-in-time distribution/handling by embassies, consulates or other official administrations, unless BCT is to blame for the delay.
f) The participant is him/herself responsible for the compliance with all the important preconditions for the accomplishment of the journey. All the drawbacks, especially the cost for an earlier flight back, that follow because he/she did not follow these preconditions (i.e. if he/she does not have the possibility to start the journey because of previous extradition or denied entry) are at his/her charge, unless he/she was misinformed by the tour operator.

22. Insurances, illness, vaccinations etc.

a) BCT informs the participants about the safety precautions for travels abroad according to its knowledge but without guarantee.
b) BCT recommends the participant to stipulate a cancellation insurance for any journey, health insurance for the travels abroad in combination with a words and deeds pack, a luggage insurance and an insurance against accidents or for responsibility obligations.
c) If BCT provides insurances to one participant or to a group, they will have to refer directly to the insurance company in case of damages. BCT does not take any responsibility in this context.
d) Travel cancellation insurances must be taken within the 14 days after having received the travel confirmation.

23. Jurisdiction / Complaint / Limitation

a) The jurisdiction is in all cases referred to the registered office of BCT in Siegburg (Germany): if BCT sues a passenger the address of Siegburg is the one that figures on the denuciation. Even when registered traders and persons who have their address / jurisdiction not or not any more in Germany after having signed the contract and / or after the report at an unknown place, the denunciation is always compatible with the BCTaddress in Siegburg.
b) The participant has one month-time after the end of the journey (as it was fixed on the contract) to enforce the claim against a missed accomplishment of some performances of the journey / excursion / seminar in question to BCT in written form, except the case in which he/she might not comply with the term due to cases that are not his fault. The complains right is prescribed (no longer valid) 1 year after the contractual agreed end of the journey or after 3 years in cases of claim for compensation after a body damage/injury, involuntary manslaughter or not allowed/violent actions. An assertion of the demands stops the time limitation until the day of the rejection made by the organizer in written form, at pending hearings, until the participant or the tour operator refuses the continuation of the hearing. The time limitation occurs at least 3 months after the inhibition.
c) Claims of single participants can only be transferred by their fellow passengers or to the travel declaring. The juridical assertion of these demands through third parties on one's own behalf is not acceptable.

24. Responsibility of BCT

a) BCT is responsible for:
- the faithful travel arrangements, the careful choice and control of the collaborative agencies, the accuracy of our performance descriptions, the accuracy of all the performances promised for the journey in the catalogues if BCT has not announced a change within the allowable terms (see 5a and 4b) and for the correct realization of the contractual travel performances.
b) BCT is responsible for a fault caused by a person that was operating in the name and on behalf of BCT.
c) If there is an extra transportation using scheduled services during the journey or immediately after it and the passenger receives an appropriate ticket for this transportation mean, the tour operator effects contracted (or exceptional) services for this transportation if it is told so in the travel description and in the travel announcement. It is not responsible, though, for the accuracy of the transportation performance. In this case the possible responsibility is of the carrying company. The passenger has to be informed about this company in written form and this information must be made available to him/her.

25. Responsibility restrictions

a)The responsibility of BCT for damages that are not of physical kind are limited to the amount of 3 times the travel price.
- As far as the damages to the passenger / participant were not committed deliberately or carelessly
- BCT is responsible for damages committed to passengers caused only by one of the connected agencies.
b) For all demands of compensation made by the customer to the tour operator regarding actions that weren't committed intentionally or for carelessness, the tour operator guarantees for damages of property up to 4100 Euros. If the travel price is higher than 1366 Euros the amount is limited to 3 times the travel price. These limits apply for every passenger and journey. Also the customers are always advised to stipulate an insurance contract for travel accidents and for luggage mishandling.
c) BCT is not responsible for interruptions of services that are arranged by a third party, for example: sightseeing flights, sport events, visits to a theatre, expositions, extra programs like travels by air, water and land.
d) BCT is not responsible for damages to persons or properties caused by hotels or other connected agencies which result from forbidden actions (for example thievery, damage of clothes caused by the personnel) and for actions that decrease the value of the journey.
e) BCT is not responsible for damages caused during trips, sightseeing tours and other special events which the tour operator offers for free or for refund of the entry fees and driving costs (without making any profit on it)
f) BCT cannot guarantee for the accuracy:
- of things described in the brochures of hotels or destination countries that serve as own advertisement;
- of catalogues / brochures of tourist offices / associations and so on;
- of guidebooks sold or advised by the BCT.
g) If the tour operator itself provides an air carrying service the responsibility is arranged according to the regulation of the aviation law combined with the International Agreement of Warsaw, the Haag, Guadalajara, the Arrangement of Montreal and the Directions of the European Union. This agreement in normal cases limits the responsibility of the air carrier in cases of death, bodily injury, loss and damage of the luggage. The Directions of the European Union arrange the rights of the passenger in the case of delays. If the tour operator provides services also in other fields it is responsible for the observance of the above mentioned regulations.
h) If the BCT itself provides services as shipping company for trips by ship/boat the responsibility is arranged according to the code of commercial law and the law of inland water navigation.

26. Responsibility of the participants

Every participant and the eventual tutor of teenagers/children are responsible for disadvantages caused by their behavior or the behavior of the people under their own responsibility. If the participants or their tutors don't have a private insurance for the responsibility against accidents they should conclude one before the time of the trip.

27. Withdrawal by the participants

a) The participant can recede from the journey any time before the start. Is the tour operator itself that describes the terms and conditions for the admission of a withdrawal. If the customer recedes from the contract before the beginning of the journey or doesn't show up at the first meeting at the beginning of the journey, the tour operator is allowed to be compensated/ reimbursed for all the expenditures that already took place.
b) If a participant simply doesn't pay for the journey are not valid the rules for withdrawals.
c) The costs of a journey withdrawal depend on the time at which it took place and it can grow up to the full trip price. In case of a contract withdrawal the tour operator has the right to enlarge the costs. For that reason a withdrawal should be told immediately.
d) The costs for a trip cancellation differ for every trip. However, it basically depends on the total amount of services (provided by third parties, meaning connected agencies) that were booked by the group itself (transportation, tours and visits, etc.) and on the minimum number of participants for that specific trip because ti might lead to extra costs or even advantages. Also the commissions for the tour operator and the taxes paid by the latter for the whole process need to be taken into account.
e) The costs for a cancellation can be compensated flat-rate because we take into account the savings on intermediaries costs, on advance payments and their following use. It is up to you to prove that BCT would have had lower costs / minor economical damage through ulterior uses. If this doesn't happen you have to pay the following cancellation costs.
f) The flat-rate cancellation costs account for common cases in the following different conditions or in cases not specifically described in the participation confirmation:
g) At bus journeys in Europe for single passengers:
- Until 45 days before the start: 20 % of the travel price
At least 25 Euros
- 45th to 25th day before the start: 60 % of the travel price
- 24th to 16th day before the start: 70 % of the travel price
- From the 15th day before the start: 75 % of the travel price
- From 48 hours before the bus start: 95 % of the travel price
h) At bus journeys in Europe for groups with 5 or more persons:
- Until 61 days before the start: 20 % of the travel price
At least 25 Euros
- 60th to 25th day before the start: 75 % of the travel price
- 24th to 16th day before the start: 85 % of the travel price
- From the 15th day before the start: 97 % of the travel price
i) All other journeys:
- Until 45 days before the start: 20 % of travel price
At least 45 Euros
- 45th to 31st day before the start: 30 % of the travel price
- 30th to 25th day before the start: 50 % of the travel price
- 24th to 16th day before the start: 60 % of the travel price
- From the 15th day before the start: 65 % of the travel price
- From the 8th day before the start: 75 % of the travel price
- From 48 hours before the start: 95 % of the travel price
j) The flat-rate compensation for cancellation costs account for trips to Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine for every declared participant as follows:
- Until 45 days before the start: 20 % of the travel price
- 45th to 31st day before the start: 30 % of the travel price
- 30th to 25th day before the start: 35 % of the travel price
- 25th to 16th day before the start: 45 % of the travel price
- From the 15th day before the start on: 69 % of the travel price
- At the date of departure: 85 % of the travel price
k) The flat-rate compensation for cancellation costs account for trips to Australia, Belize, Guatemala, India, Mexico, Nepal, Swaziland, Singapore, Sri Lanka and South Africa for every declared participant as follows:
- Until 45 days before the start: 20 % of the travel price
- 45th to 31st day before the start: 45 % of the travel price
- 30th to 25th day before the start: 55 % of the travel price
- 24th to 16th day before the start: 75 % of the travel price
- From the 15th day before the start: 85 % of the travel price
- From 48 hours before the start: 95 % of the travel price
l) The named compensation costs listed above show the maximum costs for standard travel destinations and can therefore be diminished by the tour operator itself if the compensation costs result as being lower than the ones mentioned before.
m) In some countries and at some specific dates the compensation costs can be higher. If that is the case you will be told about it when you are still in your country, through the information about the destination and at the moment of reservation.
n) Claims of single travelers about the participation terms and conditions cannot in general be taken into account.

28. Trip cancellation done by BCT

a) BCT is allowed to withdraw from the journey until 4 weeks before it starts, if the accomplishment of the promised performances and services cannot take place because of economical reasons.
b) The right for a withdrawal from the contract is only permitted if BCT is not to blame for the causing reasons (for example calculation errors), if BCT demonstrates the reasons (for example not enough participants) and if BCT shows to the passenger another offer.
c) BCT is allowed to withdraw from the contract if the minimum attendance is not reached (see 28).
d) If there are special costs to be sustained for booking a journey (telephone, postal charges) BCT will pay back an overall amount of 10 Euros, in special cases up to a maximum of 20 Euros.
e) Note the chapter about "minimum attendance" and "Completion / break of the journey caused by the act of nature beyond human control".

29.Minimum attendance

a) If the minimum attendance for a journey is not reached until 2 weeks before the beginning of the trip, BCT is allowed to cancel it. At short trips up to 5 days the deadline is only 10 days, at one-day trips is even shorter and corresponds to 5 days before the start.
b) Already in previous moments BCT has to inform the participants that the trip won't take place if the minimum attendance is not reached and that, in that case, BCT will inform immediately all the participants.
c) The cancellation of the journey will be told every participant immediately. The paid amount for participation and the money for booking (see 27 d) will be reimbursed.
d) If there isn't any written minimum attendance in the announcement / participation conditions than the following general rules are valid:
- The minimum attendance for journeys by plane and their advanced programs, additional trips and other events: 15 participants
- The minimum attendance for journeys by bus: 30 participants
- No minimum attendance for all-inclusive tours in a city or at a sea-side location without any organized tour (only flight, transfer and hotel)

30. Completion / break of the journey caused by the act of nature beyond control

a) In case of an action of nature beyond control, that was unpredictable at the time of the contract's conclusion (ABC-accidents, strikes, general confusion, war-like circumstances, natural catastrophes, etc.) due to which the journey becomes endangered, spoiled or heavily hindered, BCT as well as the participants can cancel the travel agreement without observance of deadlines.
b) With the contract cancellation for the above mentioned reasons, BCT can claim for a compensation for the already carried out performances or travel services that are necessary for the completion of the journey.
c) Further on BCT is committed to bring the passengers back to their hometown, especially if the contract includes a return ticket.
d) The eventual additional costs have to be bared half by BCT, half by the participants. All other additional costs have to be bared completely by the participants.

31. Warranty / travel-guarantor

a) The trips of Ulrich Bexte Touristik / BCT-Touristik are insured by the
Generali Versicherung AG (Generali insurance), Adenaurring 7, 81737, Munich and by the Reisegarant GmbH, Jessenstraße 4, 22767 Hamburg, telephone: (040)-380 372 30, fax: (040) 380 372 50, web: www.reisegarant.de, email: info@reisegarant.de.

32. Errors / Oral Agreements

a) All information in the program brochures, fliers, posters and newsletters, etc. contains the information at the date of their print. Changes (for example of prices, performances, dates, printer's errors, mistakes and so on) can take place until the registration's confirmation by BCT.
b) Caused for example by place or other reasons the information about the participation conditions and extra conditions written in the brochures, info-writings and newsletters can be also partially incomplete. The full participation conditions and the country/journey information can be seen in the travel announcement, at the BCT itself or can be received by email/post after having sent a special request. Otherwise they can be read in the participation's confirmation.
c) No tourist agency, intermediate or tourist guide is allowed to give any consensus, guaranty or make any promise that differ from the travel terms and conditions or brochure information.
d) Special requests have to be denoted on the registration form. Within 7 days you will receive an affirmation or a notification about your request's processing. If this doesn't happen it means that your personal request cannot be satisfied. Our travel confirmation will then offer you a new offer that you can accept or decline.
e) With the editing and publication of a new trip program / brochure / catalogue all older ones lose their validity.

33. Computing acquisition of data

a) The participants of the trips, study-holidays and seminars agree that personal data will be saved and used for computing farther information arrangements.
b) The participants agree that their addresses, telephone numbers and dates of birth are added to the participants' list that all other participants of this trip can read. If someone does not want to be added to the list then just write a short message to BCT. The participants have a right of objection by §28 clause 4, sentence 2 of the German Data Protection Act.

34. Ineffectiveness of single terms and conditions

If one of the conditions /contents above mentioned should be or become ineffective or invalid it doesn't mean that all the participation conditions or contents inside the trip contract become also invalid. All other terms remain valid and it does not affect the laws and their effects.

35. Contract conditions

a) There apply the conditions described above
b) Except a) there apply the effective contract conditions, house rules or other conditions of the accommodations, travel, bus, flight and all other transport companies or of particular organizers or BCT-contract partners. For all travels by plane apply the carrying terms and conditions set by the airline company itself.
c) There is a special announcement for information that are denoted by the BCT-Touristik about the destination country or the trip itself in the brochures / booklets / catalogues / info letters and participation confirmation. This information is part of the travel contract.
d) If there are other versions that differ from the above mentioned conditions for what might concern special events you will be informed about them through announcements and in the participation confirmation.

Verdere informatie over onze reizen vindt u vanaf 2018 ook in de reisverhalen van reizigers uit de hele wereld. De reisvoorwaarden van BCT-Touristik GmbHvindt u

• " hier als een seperaat pdf-document,
• " als pdf-printversie op de achtere brochurepagina's in het downloadbereik (2 pagina's),
• " in onze Japan-brochure resp. in ieder andere reisbrochure van BCT-Touristik.
• " Wij sturen u altijd graag onze Japan-brochure resp. de reisvoorwaarden gratis toe.
  Telefon 02241-9424211 oder Email: japan@japan4youth.de