Terms and Conditions

Terms and Conditions for

Guided and Self-guided Bicycle Tours and Rentals

 

Conditions regarding guided bicycle tours

  1. Services

Contractual services are valid when a client confirms their booking, when Etna Bike Tours confirms the client’s booking or order, and arising from the publically announced conditions, e.g, on the Etna Bike Tours website, or the Etna Bike Tours flyers. Additional agreements beyond the regular contractual services require a written confirmation from Etna Bike Tours.

  1. Bike Tours

An exact adherence to the planned route and running order of the tour cannot be guaranteed. Therefore, Etna Bike Tours reserves the right to change the route or the tour content, in the event of impediments such as trails/roads being impassable due to snow or rain or unsafe conditions, blockages or similar unforeseen occurrences during the tour. In this case, tour participants will be immediately informed. Each guide may make appropriate changes to the tour as the given conditions require. Tours will take place irrespective of weather conditions provided that the safety of the participants is not at risk.

  1. Cancellations and Booking Changes

Clients may cancel their bookings of extra tours free of charge up to 30 days before the beginning of the planned event. Beyond this, the following cancellation fees apply:
No cancellation fees up to 30 days before the date. 10% cancellation fees up to 20 days before the date, 50% cancellation fees up to 10 days before the date, 75% cancellation fees up to 4 days before the date, 90% up to 24 hours before the date. No refund will be given in the case of cancellations made less than 24 hours before the tour start. If the client does not turn up on the agreed date, there will be no refund.

Special regulations pertaining to bad weather:

In the event of continuous heavy rain or unsafe weather/volcanic conditions: we may offer a replacement bike tour in another area or find an agreed new time and date for the bike tour; or we can make an exception to the booking cancellation terms and allow a cost-free cancellation. Please note that the cost-free cancellation of a tour due to continuous, non-rideable or unsafe conditions is only possible when agreed by email with Etna Bike Tours.

 

  1. Safety

Clients participate in our tours at their own risk. Tour participants must obey traffic regulations at all times (Italian Codice della Strada), and must also obey the laws regarding the use and abuse of illegal substances such as drugs and alcohol. Etna Bike Tours is not liable for injury or damage caused by wilful or negligent behaviour of tour participants, accidental falls and accidents occurring to the participants during tours. Participants must decide themselves if they are in an appropriate state to be able to safely complete the tour. During both guided and self-guided bike tours and bike rental, it’s compulsory to wear a bike helmet when riding.

  1. Limitation of Liability

Etna Bike Tours is not liable for damage caused by insufficient working order of either Etna Bike Tours bicycles, or their own private bicycles used on the tour. Participants must check the working order of their bikes themselves before the tour starts and let their guide know immediately if anything is wrong.

  1. Notification of Defects

Where services are insufficient or defect, participants may demand assistance. In this case, participants are obliged to notify Etna Bike Tours either by informing the tour guide or calling Etna Bike Tours on the number given. Etna Bike Tours may decline to give assistance where the effort required holds little relation to the problem at hand. If the customer is culpable of not providing notification of defects, the customer’s claims may be rendered totally or partially invalid.

  1. Cancellation by Etna Bike Tours

Etna Bike Tours reserves the right to cancel an event without further notice when a participant sustains disruptive behaviour on a tour despite fair warning to desist. In this case, Etna Bike Tours will retain the amount paid for the tour (less expenses not incurred and refunds through service provider or other similar benefits obtained through other use of the services withdrawn). Extra costs incurred through the discontinuation of the tour must be paid by the persons responsible for disrupting the tour.

  1. Conditions of Payment

The  full tour price must be paid before the tour starts.

  1. Privacy

All personal data made available to Etna Bike Tours by the customer will be processed electronically and will only be used for contractual or customer service purposes. Etna Bike Tours is obliged to adhere to the regulations stipulated in the European Data Privacy Regulations (GDPR) regarding the levying, processing and use of personal data. Please read carefully our Privacy Policy

 
Terms and Conditions of Self-Guided tours and Bicycle Rental
  1. Bicycle and Bicycle Accessory Rentals and Deposits

Etna Bike Tours is obliged to ensure that all equipment for hire is in an operational condition at the beginning of the hire period. With their signature, the person hiring (hereafter called “the customer”) declares that the equipment is in good operational order. The customer must produce personal identification. The customer must consent to the compilation of necessary personal data. If the form of personal identification does not display a valid postal address, the customer must pay a deposit of €200. Etna Bike Tours reserves the right to withhold this deposit in the case that the hired bicycle or bicycle accessories are not returned, or returned with significant damage. This does not release the customer from liability for the difference up to the damage incurred.

  1. Conditions of Payment

The rental price must be paid upon the signing of the rental contract.

  1. Extension of the Rental Period

An extension of the rental period must be agreed upon before the end of the initial rental period. If the rental period is not adhered to and no notice is given of an intention to extend the rental period, Etna Bike Tours will notify the police of theft within 24 hours.

  1. Minimum Age Requirements

The minimum age requirement for bike rental is 18. Youth and children under the age of 18 will only be permitted to use rental bikes under the supervision of an adult. In this case, the adult concerned is liable through their signature on the rental agreement.

 

  1. Use of Bicycles and Bicycle Equipment

The customer declares with their signature that they are in a fit state to use the equipment and that they are aware of the road rules (Italian Codice della Strada), as well as declaring that they are themselves responsible for adhering to these road rules both on and off-road. Without explicit written permission beforehand, it is not permitted: to ride the bikes on downhill courses; to use the bikes for freeriding, four-cross, dirt jumping or trials, to use the bikes for sporting competitions; to hire or lease the bikes or bike equipment to third parties. The customer is obliged to secure rental equipment against theft. When hired bicycles are not in use, the person hiring is obliged to lock the bike to an anchored object (such as a bike-stand or lamp post). The customer must notify Etna Bike Tours immediately of any loss or theft of the hired equipment. The customer will be responsible for paying the costs of the value of the equipment in the case of loss or theft. The customer is obliged to register cases of theft with the police and of notifying Etna Bike Tours.

  1. Limitation of Liability

Etna Bike Tours is liable for limited damages to persons or property only when the damage is clearly caused by Etna Bike Tours or otherwise caused by the actions of Etna Bike Tours. Such claims must be made directly to Etna Bike Tours, at the latest by the return of the hired equipment. Exclusion of liability is valid in the case of hidden defects or material defects. Etna Bike Tours is not liable to damage caused to the equipment during the rental period.

  1. Customer Liability for Damage to Equipment

The customer is obliged to return rental equipment in good working order and without damage. Repair costs for damaged incurred to rental equipment over the rental period must be paid by the customer. Claims must be made by Etna Bike Tours upon return of the rental equipment. Repairs are to be carried out by Etna Bike Tours. Repairs may not be undertaken by the customer or third parties without the implicit agreement of Etna Bike Tours.

  1. Accidents

In case of emergency the customer must call the Italian Emergency Number 112. If the customer is involved in a road or off-road accident, the customer must call Etna Bike Tours for assistance, giving the exact location and details of the accident.

  1. Other Regulations

All agreements between the customer and Etna Bike Tours, are done so under the Italian laws. Place of jurisdiction and fulfilment is Catania. Should individual clauses in this Terms and Conditions be legally ineffective, this does not affect the validity of the remaining clauses.