Booking: Podium will accept booking until the end of available allotments. Our offers are only in a written form. Whenever the clients has not clear any part of the offer and the related conditions is welcome to ask any clarification. The confirmation from the client includes the comprehension of the following conditions.
Organizer: The tourist packages object of this contract are organized by Podium Srl, Strada Cardio, 18 - 47899 Serravalle - Republic of San Marino - Phone: +378 0549 975 345. All sales contracts are ruled by European law and the national touristic law in force at this moment.
Contract - The contract will be in force from the moment the clients send a written confirmation to Podium and Podium will send a written reconfirmation to the client. The client’s confirmation is subordinate to a previous written offer from Podium and respecting the option indicated on the offer. All options, if not differently indicated, will expire at noon, (12:00 am, central EU time), of the indicated day. In case of generic offers from the organizer, the client’s confirmation need to be validate by Podium in a written form too. As written confirmation from the side of the organizer are valid these forms: sending a pro-forma invoice where is indicated quality and quantity of all products that Podium is obliging to supply. Account request, or full payment, is also a form of acceptance from the organizer’s side. Whenever client is not respecting these rules, the organizer has no responsibilities or duties toward the client. On the same way cancellation for any reason, (without penalties if possible), but validating any right to the organizer, (follow the penalty sections of this ‘General Sales Conditions’), need to be communicated in written form to the organizer. The free penalties will be only valid after Podium has accepted them in a written form.
Contents of the contract - all contracts among parties are made by this ‘General Sales Conditions’, by ‘Special Condition’, (including all clear and written details via emails), and by the ‘Technical Conditions’ that you can find on previous pages of this catalogues. Since all offers are ‘business to business’ and tailor made, are considered as special conditions all emails that changes any detail after the first sent offer that are accepted by the parties. All Podium’s obligations are those written in the last pro-forma invoice. You’ll receive one of these invoice at any change of program requested by you. The client has the obligation to check if she/he has always an updated pro-forma invoice and to receive the related vouchers.
Prices - The package’s price is specified by the ‘special conditions’ as defined on the previous point also called ‘Contents of Contract’. The rates in the offers do not include drinks, tips, personal expenses, transfers, excursions, transportations, personal insurances, a part of what is included in the offer and specified at the paragraph: ‘The price includes’. All what is not indicated at the ‘Price includes’ is not included. The prices of extra €uro currency are based on the exchange rates in the moment of the confirmation of each group.
Change of rates - the price of an offer can change in these cases:
Depending by the transportation costs, due mainly to fuel costs, by city tax, VAT, airport tax, port tax, etc., or in connection with exchange currency rates for part of travel outside of €uro countries.
VAT is normally included. City tax are normally not included if not indicated. The fluctuation of any kind of tax can automatically change the price of the whole journey. These variations can be included in the invoices or paid on spot, (only in case of city tax). The price changing will be proportionally to the single change of price regarding a specific product. The client will receive a clear specification of the elements of changes from the first offer to the last update before departure.
Payments & accounts - confirmation will be valid if the client meanwhile the confirmation will also send an account of 25% of the total amount of the group, unless otherwise indicated by market conditions and particular suppliers . The full payment need to be released 21 days prior departure. Groups confirmed after 21 days prior departure need to be full paid at the day of confirmation.
Cancellation - whenever client will renounce to depart and will cancel the contract after the confirmation, (a part the cases included in ‘Contract’s cancellation’ of this catalogue), will be subject to the following conditions: organizer-working fee of € 500. In addition, 30% of all package from the confirmation until 30 days prior arrival, or 75% between the 29th to the 8th day prior arrival, or 100% for all other cancellation with shorter timing as indicated above. In all cases, there are no reimbursements in case clients do not arrive, no show, later arrivals or anticipated departures. In the event of different conditions than those indicated above, by suppliers in a particular situation of strenght on the market, they will automatically be adapted to those of the supplier proposed by Podium T.O. to the travel agent customer.
In any case, all cancellations under any reason need to be communicate from client to Podium in written form, and will be effective only if followed by written communication of acceptance by Podium.. Whenever possible the organizer will not apply any penalty, or the lowest as possible in the only interest of clients. Podium need to communicate the receiving of the cancellation and to communicate the final sum of penalty as soon as possible to clients.
In any case, all cancellations under any reason need to be communicate from client to Podium in written form. Whenever possible the organizer will not apply any penalty, or the lowest as possible in the only interest of clients. Podium need to communicate the receiving of the cancellation and to communicate the final sum of penalty as soon as possible to clients.
Services’ insurance - following the in force laws as guarantee to the obligation that Podium takes towards the clients we have proper insurance. Clients can also buy the following insurance:
1) Medical assistance including baggage lost;
2) Insurance to cover penalties due to clients’ cancellation;
3) Hotel’s damages to things or persons in case of youngs under 18.
All insurance need to be definitely check by the Agent together with a Podium’s operation. It is a priority that all insurances are held before clients’ departures.
Specific agreements - clients can requests on the moment of the request for specific needs whenever this will be technically possible the organizer will take care of them. In this case, these agreements will be included in the special conditions following all parties’ agreement. After the offer has been confirmed all changes to the package need to be approved in a written form among all parties.
Contract’s transfer - whenever the clients cannot travel anymore, she/he can transfer the contract to a third person. The new traveler need to accept all package without any change. If this is the case, the client that cannot travel need to communicate to the organizer in written form and need to be sure that the organizer received that communication. Such communication need to arrive not later than 7 days prior departure and need to report the name of the new traveler. Name, family name, gender, date of birth and citizenship are also required. For all changes a fee will be added to the package. Normally this addition is not higher than 1.000 €. After the transfer of the right of travelling both parties, (old and new clients), have obligation to pay the full amount.
Cancellation of contract - client can cancel the journey without any penalty in these cases: a) increase of price of package more than 8% of the prior price; b) essential and important changes to the travel’s program requested by the organizer not acceptable for the traveler. The client need to confirm her/his intention to participate, or cancel the journey in two working days from the receiving of the proposal of changes. In all cases, even if the organizer will cancel the package, (excluding the client’s fault), client has following possibilities:
a) To get an equivalent package, or an higher quality package, (without any increase of price), or a lower quality package receiving back the difference between the two different qualities;
b) To get back the paid account in seven working days from the moment of the communication of departure cancellation by the organizer. Client has two working days to communicate the intention of proceed with journey or to cancel.
Minimum number of participants - the price you’ll see in the catalogue are only for groups and not for individuals or FIT. The minimum number of participants in order to consider a group is 10 pax.
Change in number of participants - once the client has confirmed the number of participants of a group, the organizer will accept to change that number depending by the availability of beds in the hotels at the moment of the change request. The reduction of participants will lead to supplier’s penalties. The penalties will correspond to the reduction of partecipants. Penalties will follow the quantity indicated at the ‘Contract’s cancellation’ part of this ‘General Sales Condition’. In case of increase in the number of participants, the organizer will try to accommodate all group in same hotel without increase of price. In case, this will be not possible other equivalent products will be offer to exceeding part of the group.
Cancellation of whole group because exceeding part of it will not be possible to accommodate are not accepted. In this case, penalties as above at ‘cancellation’ will apply. Fees could also apply.
Change after departure - after departure if part of the program, considered essential, can’t be done depending by the organizer, he will provide with alternative program in order to continue the journey. The traveler will not pay anything due to prosecution of journey. Alternatively, the organizer will reimburse clients for the part of trip not provided. Whenever not possible for the organizer to continue the trip, (or traveler will not accept it), he will provide for a transportation in order to give to clients the possibility to reach the departure place, or another one. In this case, the transportation will depend by available sits. The part of journey which has not been used will be paid back to the client.
Travel abroad of minors - for travel of minors abroad Podium indicates this phone number during working time: 0549 975345. This number is located in the Republic of San Marino and the international code is +378. Of course our Help Line is always reachable 17 hours per day at number +39 335 570 35 75. These number are to be considered as emergency use.
Personal passport & I.D. Cards - all travelers are suggested to have always an ID card with them even if travelling inside the European Union. Who needs international passport and Schengen Visa is required to provide for her/himself and check that following own nationality the Schengen visa is valid. The responsibility of this operation is in charge of clients. Podium can’t be responsible for loosing of documents, or invalid.
Sanitary duties - the sanitary obligations are changing periodically. This means the organizer cannot be responsible for local changes, request of vaccines, or quarantine. We will check each requested duty before start of journeys sharing responsibility with the Agent.
Official category of hotels - all indicated categories of hotel are following the official indication given by local authorities. Inside European Union there is not common official category. As instance in Germany some hotel have no official category, but they have excellent quality. The official category are as follow: 5 stars = luxury - 4 stars = 1st category - 3 stars = 2nd category.
Organizer’s responsibility - the responsibility of organizer towards the traveler is following the international conventions, the European laws, and the local law of May 21st 2018, nr. 62. This responsibility will be taken and held only if the client, (the traveler or his Agent), will let the organizer to know during the trip of any occurring inconvenience. Podium cannot accept complaints after the end of journey. The number to immediate communication are 00378 0549 975 345, (the use of local code 0549 from outside Italy depends by the country you are calling from), and our Help Line working at least 17 hours a day with number +39 335 570 35 75. The immediate communication is the only reason that Podium can solve the matter right away. Once the journey finish is too late. For any complaint the only acceptable form is written and 10 days latest after the end of journey. The organizer will not take in any consideration complaints that have been not communicate during the journey and it should be a communication with proof of receipt on the side of the organizer. The responsibility of the organizer will not exceed in any case, the mentioned laws. Podium will take no responsibility whenever the complaints are consequence of attitude of the client, or their behaviors. The same will be if the clients has taken agreement with a third party during, or before, the journey. The responsibility of the organizer during the trip are only taken towards the services he provides. The journey sold through this catalogue are not to be consider as final product ready to travel, since some essential products are missing. The responsibility of the whole package is therefore on the side of the Agent that provides full package including transportation. The organizer will not liable for damages coming out by products not included into the organizer’s packages, but added by the client itself, or by the Agent during, or before the journey starts.
Complaints - all missing expectation during the journey need to be communicate to the organizer in the moment the lack of service is evident. Only in this case the organizer can provide with corrections. Same as under point ‘Organizer’s Responsibility’. The traveler, or the Agent need as soon as they are back to their departure location, communicate the lack of service they are complaining. Podium will not take in consideration any complaint that will arrive only after the journey ends.
Local representatives - Podium is not using local representatives and the assistance is directly given via phone numbers during working days at 0549 975 345, (adding the international code +378 and in this case using, or not, the local code 0549, depending where you are calling from), and via Help Line from 6 am to 11 pm 7/17 or 7/24 in high season. Calling the Republic of San Marino from Italy you do not need any international code.
Cancellation for website info: we are not accepting them since they are often manipulated and already condemned in several European Countries. The penalties for these kind of cancellations are the same as those of Podium’s ‘General Condition of Sale”.
Attention: the Italian law is punishing with jail prostitution and pornography of minors even if this happens abroad to Italian citizens or in Italy for foreigner citizens. Law nr. 38/2006, point 17.
Baggage - baggage is travelling under risk and responsability of the traveller. Podium is never responsible in case of damage, lost or theft.
GDPR - Podium has adequate own procedure to protect data.
Competent law jurisdiction: Republic of San Marino
Technical direction - Dott. Alda Valentini