GENERAL BOOKING CONDITIONS

The booking and contracting of any of the trips offered by PILGRIM implies full acceptance of the general contracting conditions.

These general conditions shall be governed by Royal Legislative Decree 1/2007 of 16th November, which approves the revised text of the General Law for the Defence of Consumers and Users and other complementary laws, (BOE 287 of 30 November 2007), and other provisions in force.

The contractual relationship between the Organising Agency and the client is governed by these general conditions, and by the technical details of the trip which detail its final content. The client is obliged to check the documentation received from the Organising Agency, and any questions in this respect must be notified before the start of the trip.

The client is responsible for the data provided on the booking form. PILGRIM is not responsible for any consequences that may arise from the introduction of false or incorrect data by the client.

If the client requests a specific trip, different from those proposed on the website, they will be subject to a specific booking and cancellation policy that will be sent by the agency in each particular case.

ORGANISATION: The technical organisation of the trips has been carried out by PILGRIM TRAVEL, S.L. CIF: B27480045, with registered office at C/ MANUEL MURGUÍA, SN, EDIFICIO CASA DEL AGUA, PLANTA 1ª, LOCAL Nº L1B, A CORUÑA, GALICIA, Spain. CP: 15011, (telephone or e-mail). Travel Agency duly registered with the Directorate General of Tourism of the Xunta de Galicia with License XG-635.

The Agency has a compulsory Civil Liability Insurance as required by law. Likewise, all our trips include travel assistance insurance.

In addition, there is an optional cancellation coverage service that the client, if he/she wishes, can take out when formalising the trip. This coverage can only be taken out at the time of confirming the package; once the contract has been made, it will not be possible to take out this coverage service.

CONFIRMATION AND BOOKING MANAGEMENT

To confirm the trip it is necessary to make a payment corresponding to the 30% of the total of the booking, with a minimum of €100 per person, non-refundable, within a maximum of 7 days from the day of confirmation. The remaining amount of the booking must be paid at least 30 days before the start date of the trip. Each time Pilgrim receives a payment from you, we will send you a notification that the payment has been received correctly.

The holder client making the reservation must provide a photo or copy of his/her ID card or travel document, as well as the full name and ID number of each of the other members of the reservation. In addition, for billing purposes, it is essential to provide a full address of the person making the payment.

For tailor-made quotations, the booking process will be made by e-mail at info@pilgrim.es or reservas@pilgrim.es or by calling Pilgrim’s customer service telephone number. These quotes are valid for 30 days from the date sent.

In the case of those bookings made directly in our Web Planner and purchased directly from it, the accommodation contracted, as well as the services included, are subject to confirmation by the agency. The agency will check that the planning is logistically and technically feasible, as well as confirming that there are no errors in the price indicated at the end of the planning. For this reason, such planning is not binding even if the user has made and paid the purchase.

If it is not possible to carry out the Camino for any of the aforementioned circumstances, the customer is entitled to a full refund of the amount paid.

AMENDMENT OF THE BOOKING

Once the client has formalised the reservation and paid the corresponding payments:

  • The management fees to be paid in the event of requesting a modification that requires altering your itinerary or travel dates will be as follows:
    • 25€ for bookings of between 1 and 6 nights
    • 40€ for bookings between 7 and 14 nights
    • 60€ for bookings of 15 nights or more
  • The client can modify or add any service that is not included in the booking up to 5 days before departure. This payment will be waived for those modifications or bookings that do not require an alteration to the itinerary or travel dates.
  • Modifications in accommodation by your own will, for example, if you want to lengthen or shorten a stage or want to finish the Camino earlier than planned, will not be accepted less than 24 hours in advance and will entail the costs of modification indicated above as well as possible penalties applied by the accommodation booked.
  • Modifications that involve an alteration in the initially confirmed quote (e.g. change of season) will entail the payment of the difference by the customer, in addition to the modification charges.

CANCELLATION POLICY

In the event that the client cancels the trip before departure, he/she is entitled to reimbursement of the amounts paid except:

Management fees: 100€ per person V.A.T. included. This amount is not covered by any covergae and is not refundable.

If you have a cancellation coverage service contracted: in no case will the amount corresponding to it be refunded. If you do not have cancellation coverage or the reason for cancellation is not covered by such coverage, the client will have to compensate the agency with the following amounts (% to be applied to the sales amount):

  • 5% of the total amount of the trip if the cancellation occurs more than 16 days in advance.
  • 30% of the total cost of the trip if the cancellation occurs between 15 and 11 days prior to departure.
  • 50% of the total cost of the trip if the cancellation occurs between 10 and 6 days prior to departure.
  • In case of cancellation within 5 days prior to the departure date, the client will not be entitled to any refund of the total amount paid.
  • In the event of a no-show on the departure date or in the event of cancellation/abandonment during the trip, no refund will be made.

With the aim of being covered against various contingencies, mainly medical, family or work-related, that may prevent the customer from travelling, Pilgrim Travel offers the possibility to enhance the cancellation conditions of their trip by purchasing additional coverage with Pilgrim Cancellation or Pilgrim Cancellation Plus services. You can find more information about this service in the following section.

Courier services and backpack transfer between stages can be cancelled free of charge up to 24 hours before the start of the service. After this period, 100% will be charged.

Parking services, massages, day tours or guided visits can be cancelled free of charge up to 48 hours before the start of the service. After this period, 100% will be charged.

Support vehicle en route or accompanying guide services can be cancelled free of charge up to 7 working days before the start of the service. After this period, 100% will be charged.

In the case of bicycle rental, the cancellation policy to be applied is as follows, as long as the service is fully confirmed and the deposit is paid:

  • Up to 31 days before the start of the service, 100% of the amount paid will be refunded
  • Between 30 days and 16 days before the start of the service, 50% of the amount paid will be refunded
  • Between 15 days and the start of the service, no refund of the amount paid for the booking will be made

In the case of private transfers, the cancellation or modification policy to be applied is as follows:

  • Modifications and cancellations more than 24 hours before the start of the service will not be penalised
  • Modifications and cancellations (including those arising from force majeure) with less than 24 hours will be subject to a penalty corresponding to 50% of the service
  • In case of no-show or failure to notify a delay after the pick-up time, the penalty will be 100% of the service
  • The maximum waiting time is 1 hour in the case of airport, train or bus station pick-ups and 30 minutes in other locations
  • In the case of pick-ups at the airport, train or bus station the waiting time is one hour, after this time and up to 4 hours after the initial scheduled arrival time, the service is guaranteed to be provided with an extra 15% increase, if necessary by referring you to another provider other than the one initially booked

In the event that the booking includes any other type of service with its own cancellation policy, this will be governed by the same.

PILGRIM CANCELLATION COVERAGE

Pilgrim Cancellation

It guarantees the refund of the amount paid for the trip, except for 100€ per person, VAT included, corresponding to management fees, and the amount paid for the Pilgrim Cancellation service itself, provided that the cancellation occurs at least the day before the start of the trip and the reason is included among the following causes:

  • Decease, serious illness or accident of: The contract holder, their spouse, ascendants or descendants up to second degree.
  • Serious matter affecting the residence (primary or secondary) or business premises of the contracting party, occurring within the two weeks prior to the start of the trip.
  • Dismissal from employment of the contracting party, ocurring after confirming the trip (disciplinary dismissal is excluded).
  • Summons as a party or member of a jury or witness of a Court of Justice after the trip reservation has been confirmed.
  • Invitation to serve as a member of a polling station after the trip reservation has been confirmed.
  • Attendance at official examinations organised through a public body after the trip reservation has been confirmed.
  • Signing of official documents of the reservation holder on the dates of travel, exclusively with the Public Administration.
  • Complications of pregnancy or miscarriage in the first six months of pregnancy of the contracting party, their spouse or common-law partner.
  • Medical quarantine decreed by health authorities after the trip reservation has been confirmed.
  • The official declaration of the disaster area of the contracting party’s place of residence or travel destination.

In the event of cancelling the trip after it has started, no refund shall be made for the services or nights of accommodation not used.

Pilgrim Cancellation Plus

It guarantees the refund of the amount paid for the trip, except for 100€ per person, VAT included, corresponding to management fees, and the amount paid for the Pilgrim Cancellation Plus service, regardless of the cause of cancellation of the trip.

Furthermore, in the event of cancelling the trip after it has started, the customer may recover the amount of any services and nights of accommodation not used which may be cancelled without charges in the form of a voucher to use for future reservations with Pilgrim.

COMMUNICATION AND TRAVEL DOCUMENTATION

After having made all the necessary arrangements for your route, we will send you your travel documents by email along with your travel insurance policy. The estimated period for sending your documents is 30 days before departure. However, please note that until the 100% of your booking payment has been confirmed (in the case of payment in instalments, until we receive payment of 70% of the second instalment), you will not receive your travel documents by email.

The client is obliged to check and read carefully all the contents of the travel documentation, as well as the indications given therein regarding the services or accommodation contracted, paying special attention to the dates, towns and remarks accompanying each stage. Any questions or errors detected should be reported to the agency as soon as possible.

CESSION OF THE BOOKING

The principal contracting party or the beneficiary may transfer his or her reservation free of charge to a person who meets all the conditions required for the same, by giving written notice at least 15 days before the date of start of the trip. The person who transfers his/her reservation and the transferee will be jointly and severally liable before the Agency for the payment of the balance of the price, as well as for the justified additional expenses that the said transfer may have caused.

PRICES

All prices indicated are valid, except for typographical errors, until they are modified in writing. Pilgrim reserves the right to modify the price of any experience or service published on the website based on the season of the year without prior notice.

The validity of the quotations made to clients is 30 days from the date the quotation is sent, except for temporary promotions with end dates specified in the quotation itself, by email or by telephone, or in those special quotations where the contrary is indicated due to availability of accommodation or of any of the services requested.

BOOKING PAYMENT

To confirm the trip it is necessary to make a payment corresponding to the 30% of the total of the booking, with a minimum of €100 per person, non-refundable.

The remaining amount of the booking must be paid at least 30 days before the start date of the trip. You can pay for your booking by bank transfer, credit or debit card or via PayPal.

PAYMENT OF REMAINING AMOUNTS

The rest of the payment must be paid 30 days before the start of the trip. Pilgrim will always try to contact the client to remind him/her to proceed with the payment of the remaining amount of the trip, but it is the client’s responsibility to make the payment or to ask the agency for the necessary means to proceed with the payment in case he/she does not receive a reminder communication from the agency.

It is possible to book a trip with less than 30 days notice, in which case the full amount of the trip requested must be paid.

Payments for our experiences and services are governed by the following rules:

  • Bookings made more than 30 days before the start of the trip: 30% of the amount of the experience (accommodation and selected board) within a maximum period of 7 days from the booking confirmation and the remaining 70% before 30 days prior to the departure of the trip.
  • Bookings made between 30 and 11 days before the start of the trip: 100% of the amount within 72 hours of sending the confirmation.
  • Bookings made between 10 and 4 days before the start of the trip: full payment must be made by credit or debit card or PayPal within 24 hours of sending the confirmation.
  • Bookings made 72 hours before the start of the trip will be considered as last minute bookings and will be governed by the rules and conditions stipulated in the following section.

LAST MINUTE BOOKINGS

Bookings made 72 hours before the start of the trip will be considered as last minute bookings and will be governed by the following rules and conditions:

  • Payment of 100% of the reservation must be made by credit or debit card or PayPal before 15:00 hours on the day of confirmation.
  • In the event that payment is made within the stipulated time, if the agency is unable to confirm the booking due to lack of availability, the full amount will be refunded within 24 hours.
  • In the event that it is necessary to make changes in the category of any of the accommodations and/or services, the client will be informed of the alternative and will be refunded in the event of downgrading/impossibility of carrying out the service or a supplement will be requested if it is necessary to upgrade the category/modify the service.
  • If it is necessary to modify the end of the stage with transfers, Pilgrim will cover one transfer and in the event that further transfers are necessary, this will be paid for by the client. This supplement will be communicated within 24 hours.
  • Maximum duration of the trip: 10 nights.
  • Reservations will only be accepted 48 hours in advance for the routes of the last 100 kilometres of each Camino and the epilogue Santiago – Fisterra/Muxía with a maximum of 7 nights in all cases, in which case the total payment of the reservation must be paid before 15:00 hours the day before departure.
  • In the case of the Camino del Norte, the minimum time in advance to book a trip on this route is 10 days.

Pilgrim Travel will reimburse the client the total amount paid when it is forced to cancel the experience due to lack of availability of accommodation that meets the minimum quality criteria required by Pilgrim or logistical reasons caused for the imminent departure date requested by the user. However, Pilgrim Travel will not have the obligation to do so when the cancellation is due to reasons of major cause: beyond the control of those who invoke it, abnormal, unavoidable consequences, etc.

CATEGORY CHANGES AND TRANSFERS

Pilgrim reserves the right to modify the type of accommodation if the availability of the selected type at the indicated stage does not meet the required quality standard or if there is no accommodation of the contracted type.

In those quotations made for the category of shared dorm (hostel) and in the event that there is no availability of places in this type of accommodation at the time of starting the booking process, Pilgrim reserves the right to establish a supplement for upgrading to a private room, in which case, the client will receive this information by email and/or telephone to accept or decline this supplement, being able to go ahead with the booking after payment of the same. If, on the contrary, the supplement is declined, the reservation will be cancelled and the amount previously paid will be refunded.

Accommodation on the Camino de Santiago is sometimes scarce, so the accommodation at the destination, i.e. at the point of completion of the stage, is subject to change due to availability at the time of confirming the reservation. Accommodation can be located in urban centres, right at the route of the Camino, in areas bordering or far from it. In the event that a transfer is required for the latter case, Pilgrim will assume one transfer; in the event that more transfers are necessary, these will have to be paid for by the client, who will be informed in writing of the value of the transfers to be paid for.

In cases where the end of the stage is altered by the location of the accommodation booked, the pilgrim must finish the stage in the accommodation indicated. For alterations of more than 3 kilometres (on foot) or 8 kilometres (by bicycle), a private transfer will be provided under the aforementioned premises.

BOOKING CONSTRAINTS

All those pilgrims who book their trip with accommodation in shared dorm (hostels) should bring sleeping bag. Pilgrim Travel requests sheets in all bookings of this category of accommodation for its customers, however, in some hostels do not offer them or even, according to what is allowed by state regulations, are paper sheets, so that, both for comfort and shelter, it will be necessary to have your own sleeping bag.

All those pilgrims who do the Camino with their own bicycle must carry a lock to secure it, since the spaces enabled / facilitated by the accommodation may be in common use with other pilgrims or customers of the establishment.

The service of transferring backpacks between stages, if contracted, will only be carried out in those stages defined in the quote or travel programme that are on foot or by bicycle, never in a means of transport such as a vehicle, train, bus or similar. Whenever the itinerary reflects a transfer from one stage or route of the Camino to another, either managed by the Agency or by the client himself, it will be the responsibility of the client to take his luggage with him to the next point. This service is only available from April to October, for services outside this period you should consult with the agency.

Breakfasts start, as a general rule, between 7:00 and 8:00 in the morning, although it will depend exclusively on the policy of each establishment, so Pilgrim is not responsible in case the client wishes to have breakfast out of the timetable established by the accommodation, especially if he/she wishes to have it earlier.

SINCLUDED AND OPTIONAL SERVICES

The services included and optional services are those specified in the travel data sheet of the experiences on the website www.pilgrim.es or, in the case of tailor-made quotations, those specified in the quotation sent to the client in .pdf format.

Optional services are not included by default in the total price indicated, and it will be up to the client to expressly indicate those that he/she wishes to contract when confirming the trip.

Travel documentation, travel insurance and Pilgrim’s Credential are services included by default in all our packages. The travel documentation and insurance are mandatory for the proper functioning of the trip so that in no case may be excluded from your package. In the case of the Credential, it can be subtracted from your experience if you do not wish to include it or if you already have one. This does not affect the price of the service as it is a complement offered completely free of charge by Pilgrim to its clients.

The Credential is usually sent to the first accommodation contracted for our clients or, failing that, to the client’s home address, which will be indicated in their travel documents. In those cases in which the client purchases the experience 4 or less days before the departure date, we do not guarantee that we will be able to provide the Credential, in which case we will indicate the places where you can purchase one yourself at an average cost of 2€ to 3€. Pilgrim cannot be held responsible for clients who present this situation and book at such short notice not having a Credential to stamp during their itinerary.

ROOM TYPE

With regard to the type of room selected, subject to availability, the type of room that the customer has indicated as a priority will be assigned. However, the following cases of adjustment may occur due to lack of availability:

  • A customer with a single room may be assigned a double room for single use
  • A customer with a double room may be allocated a triple room for double occupancy
  • A customer with a double room may be allocated a twin double room

TRAVELLING WITH PETS

In the case of travelling with your pet you should consider the following aspects:

  • Priority will be given to the type of room and accommodation booked, but due to the limited number of pet-friendly accommodations along the Camino, we may need to make adjustments which will be communicated to you prior to the start of the trip
  • In the event of travelling with more than one pet in the same room, it may be necessary to book extra rooms due to the policy of each accommodation and, therefore, the corresponding supplement will be applied. This supplement will be communicated to you in writing prior to departure
  • In the event of travelling with more than one pet but in different rooms, it may be necessary to split the booking in more than one accommodation
  • Pets are generally not allowed in the breakfast rooms of the accommodation
  • Accommodation generally does not allow pets to be left alone in the rooms
  • Pet owners are responsible for any damage caused by the pet in the accommodation
  • It is essential to wear a car harness, in case you need to move your pet
  • It is advisable to wear a muzzle in case it is required in any establishment on the Camino that you intend to enter with your pet

BOOKINGS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

If you are in the situation of any of the following conditions, we recommend that you let us know at the contracting stage in order to speed up the communication of these conditions to our suppliers:

  • In the case of reduced mobility, it would be advisable to let us know:
    • If you are accompanied by someone
    • If you are completely wheelchair dependent
    • If you use a wheelchair, whether or not you can walk at all, what is the width of the wheelchair?
    • If you are able to walk at all: Can you climb steps? Will you be able to move around the room with the wheelchair?
  • If you are travelling with a breathing machine or CPAP, it would be helpful if you could let us know:
    • Approximate size/weight
    • If you need a constant power supply connection
    • If you carry it with you or in backpacks or backpacks
  • If you need to store medication in cold storage, it would be advisable to let us know:
    • Type of medication (approximate size)
    • Whether you need to store it in a refrigerator or freezer
    • If you need to have access to it 24 hours a day
  • In case of food intolerances or allergies, such as:
    • Coeliacs
    • Vegetarians / Vegans
    • Lactose intolerance
    • Specific allergies (dust, cleaning products, peanuts, shellfish…)

DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR TRAVEL

All persons registered for the trip are responsible for having the necessary documentation in order for the country they are visiting (ID card, passport, visas, health cards, etc.). With regard to enquiries, the Agency acts as an informant, but it is the client’s responsibility to confirm them with the competent authorities.

In the event that, due to the lack or incorrectness of the necessary documentation, the client is forced to cancel or abandon the trip, the Agency will apply the conditions indicated in the cancellation policy. Current legislation in Spain requires that during the trip you always have an official accrediting/identifying document, so we strongly request that you travel with your ID card, NIE or official document from your country of origin in force.

In the case of bookings for minors travelling unaccompanied by adults, the following conditions apply:

  • Minors resident in Spain
    • Given that the current legislation does not establish a minimum age for travelling alone, the capacity of the minor to manage during the trip and of the companies providing services will be taken into account.
    • If the minor is going to travel alone on public transport, it is important to know that many companies include among their services that of accompanying minors during the journey. Some require a minimum age of 4 years. This must be requested when purchasing the ticket, comply with the company’s rules and stay with the child until they board the means of transport. The child will only be handed over to the person whose details have been authorised by the parents or guardians on arrival at the destination.
    • All travelling children over 14 years of age must carry a National Identity Card (DNI) or passport. The DNI is compulsory in Spain by law from that age onwards. In the event that the trip is within Spain, it is not compulsory for children under 14 years of age, but if the relevant authorities so require, they will have to be accredited in another way. One of the documents that may be useful is the family record book.
    • If the minor wishes to start the Camino in France or Portugal unaccompanied by any of his/her legal representatives (parents or guardian/s), he/she must be in possession of a valid ID card or passport and the corresponding parental authorisation issued by the appropriate authorities (police, civil guard, courts, notaries, etc.), since he/she must leave Spain for a foreign country.
    • In the case of foreign minors residing in Spain, their legal representatives or these, by virtue of the provisions of their respective national regulations, must go to their consular authorities to complete the appropriate documentation in accordance with their national legislation.
  • Minors not resident in Spain
    • Foreign minors shall be governed by the provisions of their national legislation, therefore, it shall be the responsibility of their legal representatives (parents or guardian/s) to comply with the regulations for leaving the country and travelling to Spain unaccompanied by adults.
    • In the case of foreign minors who are in Spain for their departure from the national territory, they must carry the Passport of their respective State or valid Travel Document in force.

DOCUMENTATION FOR CAR RENTAL

In order to rent a vehicle, it is necessary to have a valid driving licence, as well as a credit card with the name and number embossed on it, as this will serve as a guarantee in case of any damage or incident with the vehicle. There are certain models or types of vehicles for which two credit cards are required. This documentation is essential in order to collect your rental vehicle, even if the service has been paid for in advance, and it is the customer’s responsibility to have them available at the time of collection of the vehicle. Otherwise, the service may be cancelled without the right to any financial compensation.

ALQUILER DE BICICLETAS

The rental of our MTB (mountain bike) or eBike (electric bike) is governed by specific general terms and conditions and by our own cancellation policy. You can consult the terms of both by clicking here.

For a bike rental service to be fully confirmed, the deposit of 200€ per bike must be paid at least 30 days before the start of the trip. If after this period, the deposit has not been paid, the service will be considered as cancelled by the client, with no right to any refund of the service. The rest of the package will remain in force unless the client expressly indicates otherwise.