Booking Terms and Conditions - Self-Guided Walking Holidays
These terms and conditions govern the relationship between you and Great British Escapes Limited trading as Muddy Boots Walking Holidays (“Muddy Boots”). It is important that you read these terms and conditions carefully as they form a binding contract between you and Muddy Boots and include some limitations and exclusions of liability.
1. Definitions and Interpretation
Muddy Boots means Great British Escapes Limited, a company incorporated in England and Wales with company number 8464542, having its registered office at 8 King Edward Street, Oxford OX1 4HL, and trading as Muddy Boots Walking Holidays. Reference to ‘we’ and ‘our’ also refer to Muddy Boots.
you means the person or persons engaging Muddy Boots to provide a service and named on the Muddy Boots booking form for that service.
Your Party means the people on whose behalf your booking with Muddy Boots is made.
Terms means these terms and conditions or any part of them.
Service means the service provided to you by Muddy Boots to include the booking of your holiday and related advice.
Booking Confirmation means the booking confirmation form provided to you by Muddy Boots and containing a summary of your holiday.
Commencement Date means the date on which your holiday arranged by Muddy Boots begins as stated in the Booking Confirmation.
In these Terms any reference to the singular includes the plural and reference to one gender includes all genders.
The headings used in these Terms are for reference only and shall not affect the interpretation.
2. Booking and Terms
2.1. Muddy Boots will reserve all agreed elements of your holiday following receipt of a deposit of 20% of the value of your holiday.
2.2. Your contract with Muddy Boots becomes binding and these Terms become effective once Muddy Boots has confirmed the reservation of your holiday and provided you with the Booking Confirmation, not on the receipt by Muddy Boots of your deposit. If, for any reason, Muddy Boots is not able to confirm your holiday, your deposit will be refunded in full.
2.3. These Terms constitute the entire agreement between you and Muddy Boots to the exclusion of any prior oral or written agreement. These Terms can only be varied by express written agreement between you and Muddy Boots.
2.4. You are responsible for full payment to Muddy Boots of the total cost of the holiday as stated in the Booking Confirmation for you and Your Party and warrant that you are entitled to enter into a contract with Muddy Boots on behalf of all members of Your Party and that you have their consent to do so.
3. Payment
3.1. A deposit of 20% of the total cost of your holiday is payable to Muddy Boots at the time of booking.
3.2. The balance of the cost of your holiday is payable to Muddy Boots no less than 30 days in advance of the Commencement Date.
3.3. If you book your holiday 30 days or less in advance of the Commencement Date, the full cost of your holiday is payable to Muddy Boots at the time of booking.
3.4. You may pay for your holiday by bank transfer, by using a major debit or credit card or by cheque. Muddy Boots does not accept American Express.
3.5. All prices are quoted in pounds sterling (£).
3.6. The sample prices included on Muddy Boots’ website are for guidance only and are not binding. The total cost of your holiday will depend on a number of factors, including time of year of travel and choice of accommodation and transport. The actual cost of your holiday is as set out in the Booking Confirmation.
3.7. The quoted cost of your holiday will include any tax that we are required to charge you at the time of booking. However, where there is a change to the level of tax that we are required to charge, Muddy Boots reserves the right to charge you the additional tax.
4. Travel Insurance
4.1. Muddy Boots requires you and Your Party to obtain travel insurance at the time of booking that covers the entirety of the period of your holiday with Muddy Boots. It is your responsibility to ensure that your travel insurance and that of Your Party is adequate to cover cancellation or curtailment of your holiday, any medical expenses and for all activities that you intend to undertake as part of your holiday.
4.2. Muddy Boots is not liable for any losses suffered by you or any member of Your Party as a result of a failure to take out adequate insurance cover.
5. Amendments to your booking
5.1. Should you wish to change or amend any part of your holiday after it has been confirmed in the Booking Confirmation, Muddy Boots will do its best to accommodate you. However, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
5.2. There may be costs associated with making amendments to your booking after it has been confirmed in the Booking Confirmation for which you will be liable. These will be discussed with you before any amendment is made.
5.3. Whilst it is unlikely that Muddy Boots will make any amendments to your holiday following its confirmation, there are circumstances beyond our control that may require us to do so and we reserve the right to do so. In those circumstances, we will notify you of any necessary changes as soon as possible and discuss the alternative options with you. For example, should an accommodation provider no longer be able to provide you with the room arranged, we will find alternative options for you and let you know any effect on the overall price of your holiday of each of those options.
6. Cancellation of your booking
6.1. Should you cancel your trip after you have received the Booking Confirmation, the following charges will apply:
Cancellation Fees
Days in advance of Commencement Date Cancellation Fee
More than 30 days Deposit only
Between 29 and 7 days 50% of total holiday price
Less than 7 days 100% of total holiday price
6.2. All cancellations must be made in writing to Muddy Boots and include your booking reference, which can be found on the Booking Confirmation.
6.3. Should you have to cancel your holiday, we strongly advise that you contact your insurers to determine whether you can claim any costs incurred.
6.4. In the unlikely event that Muddy Boots has to cancel your holiday after you have received your Booking Confirmation, you will receive a full refund of all monies paid to Muddy Boots.
7. Muddy Boots’ Responsibilities and Liability
7.1. Muddy Boots will provide the Service to you in the manner to be reasonably expected of a competent tour organiser.
7.2. Muddy Boots does not accept liability for any losses, costs, expenses or other sums of any type which:
7.2.1. Muddy Boots could not have reasonably foreseen that you or Your Party would suffer if Muddy Boots breached its contract with you; or
7.2.2. were caused either directly or indirectly as a result of an action or omission by you or any member of Your Party or from the breach of these Terms; or
7.2.3. did not result from any breach of contract or other failure by Muddy Boots or, to the extent that we are responsible for them, our suppliers and sub-contractors; or
7.2.4. are indirect or consequential losses, loss of profit, loss of revenue, loss of business, costs or expenses or for any form of economic loss; or
7.2.5. were caused as a result of Covid-19 (as to which, see clause 9); or
7.2.6. were caused as a result of force majeure (as to which, see clause 10).
7.3. Muddy Boots is not responsible for any services that are not part of this contract including, without limitation, any additional services that you obtain directly from any other supplier, whether or not that supplier is the provider of accommodation or other services arranged for you by Muddy Boots.
7.4. Whilst Muddy Boots considers that any third party suppliers that it recommends have excellent levels of service, Muddy Boots is not liable to you for the actions of third party suppliers with whom you contract directly, whether recommended by Muddy Boots or otherwise.
7.5. Muddy Boots is not liable to you for any sums which are recoverable under any policy of insurance.
7.6. Where you book only one element of a holiday through Muddy Boots, for example hotel accommodation or transport, Muddy Boots is acting as an agent for the service provider and does not have any liability for the service provided.
7.7. Nothing in these Terms shall exclude the liability of either party for death or personal injury resulting from negligence or for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation.
7.8. In the event that Muddy Boots is liable to you either under contract or tort, Muddy Boots’ liability to you shall not exceed £250,000.
8. Your Responsibilities
8.1. Passports and Visas. It is your responsibility to ensure that you and Your Party have any necessary valid passports (and that they are valid for the requisite length of time following your trip) and any necessary visas for entering the United Kingdom.
8.2. Travel Documents. It is your responsibility to ensure that you and Your Party take with you all travel documents that you require for your trip, whether they have been provided to you by Muddy Boots or otherwise.
8.3. Special Requirements. It is your responsibility to notify Muddy Boots at the time of booking of any requirements that you or any member of Your Party have that may affect the service provided by Muddy Boots, its suppliers or sub-contractors. For example, it is very important that you notify Muddy Boots at the time of booking if any member of your party has any physical disabilities, if you are travelling with small children or if you are travelling with an animal.
8.4. Use of Accommodation. Accommodation booked on your behalf by Muddy Boots may only be used by those people specified in the Booking Confirmation. You and Your Party are required to adhere to the rules (if any) of all accommodation providers, which will be explained to you on arrival or during your stay. It is your responsibility to arrive at all accommodation at the appropriate date and time to take up your accommodation. No refund or credit will be given for a failure to take up any part of your holiday.
8.5. Behaviour. It is your responsibility to ensure that you and Your Party behave responsibly at all times during your holiday. You must not do anything that causes damage to property (including the accommodation and taxis provided as part of the Service), injury to any person, voids any contract of insurance or breaches these Terms and you agree to indemnify Muddy Boots for any liability, cost, expense, loss or damage incurred by Muddy Boots as a result of your or Your Party’s acts or omissions during your holiday or as a result of the breach of these Terms. In addition, Muddy Boots or any of our suppliers or agents may cancel or terminate your holiday completely or any part of it should we or they consider it necessary for the safety or well-being of other customers or members of the public as a result of the behaviour of you or any member of Your Party.
8.6. Additional Costs. You will be responsible for any costs incurred by you or any member of Your Party that do not form part of this contract. This includes any costs incurred at accommodation, such as for food and drink or leisure services, and payment for these additional services should be made directly to the accommodation provider. The accommodation provider may require credit card details from you at the time of check in to cover any additional costs that you may incur.
8.7. Parking. Although Muddy Boots provides suggestions of where to leave your car for the duration of your trip, cars are parked at your own risk and Muddy Boots does not accept any responsibility for the theft of or damage to any vehicle, or the theft of items from inside the vehicle. Where your car is parked in a car park belonging to an accommodation provider, that car remains parked at your own risk and the accommodation provider does not accept any responsibility for the theft of or damage to any vehicle, or the theft of items from inside the vehicle.
8.8. Personal Property and Luggage Transfer. The personal property of you and all members of Your Party remains your responsibility at all times and Muddy Boots does not accept any responsibility for the theft of or damage to your personal property, including any liability for damage or loss to any item of luggage or its contents during transportation. It is your responsibility that you and Your Party ensure that your bags are safely packed and contain no valuable and/or fragile items such as laptops, tablets, cameras, mobile phones or glass. Your luggage and its contents must be protected by a suitable insurance policy.
8.9. Physical Fitness and Suitability. Please ensure that you are aware of the levels of physical activity that will be undertaken during your holiday, and that you are physically fit, adequately experienced and suitably equipped to complete the holiday. Your booking is accepted on the basis that you understand and accept the inherent risks involved in activity holidays, and you must accept that the sole responsibility for your personal safety remains with you. If you decide that you are unable to continue the holiday you will be responsible for making your own alternative arrangements at your own expense.
9. COVID-19
9.1. Please ensure that you and Your Party are aware of the government guidelines regarding COVID-19, including those relating to social distancing, personal hygiene, testing and reporting health issues, and adhere to these during your holiday.
9.2. You and your party acknowledge that travelling while the virus is still active is increasing your risk of infection and Muddy Boots has no liability for any related losses, costs, expenses or other sums of any type.
9.3. Itineraries may need to be changed as a result of ongoing COVID-19 disruption, government advice, or other reasons beyond Muddy Boots’ control and Muddy Boots reserves the right to do so.
9.4. If you have any of the recognised symptoms of COVID-19 you must follow the guidance in place from the government in relation to self-isolation.
10. Force Majeure
10.1. Muddy Boots shall not be liable for any failure or delay in the performance of the Service if that failure or delay is due to causes beyond Muddy Boots’ control, including, but not limited to, war, civil unrest, riot, strikes or labour disputes, epidemics and pandemics, terrorist activities, natural or nuclear disasters or adverse weather conditions. Itineraries may need to be changed as a result of adverse weather conditions, road closures or other reasons beyond Muddy Boots’s control and Muddy Boots reserves the right to do so.
10.2. Where Muddy Boots is unable to comply with any of its obligations under the Terms or provide you with any part of the agreed Service as a result of anything covered in clause 10.1, we will use our reasonable endeavours to advise you of this as soon as possible and provide you with an alternative where possible.
11. Data Protection
In order to provide you with the Service, Muddy Boots will need to use the information provided by you to use during the booking process and to pass relevant information to our accommodation, transport and other suppliers where necessary. By making a booking with Muddy Boots you agree to Muddy Boots using your information and passing it to third parties where necessary in order to provide the Service or where required by law. Muddy Boots will store and process your data in accordance with the General Data Protection Rules (2018) and we will not use your information for any purposes not connected with your booking with Muddy Boots.
12. Distance Selling Regulations
Please note that any right to cancel the Service under the Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000 shall not apply once we have begun to provide the Service to you which shall be considered to be when we first book accommodation or services on your behalf.
13. Complaints
In the unlikely event that you should want to make a complaint about any part of your holiday with Muddy Boots:
13.1. If the complaint relates to the accommodation in which you are staying or have stayed as part of your holiday, in the first instance you should raise the issue as soon as possible with the accommodation provider;
13.2. If the complaint relates to any other service that you are being or have been provided as part of your holiday, you should raise the issue as soon as possible with the relevant service provider;
13.3. If you are unable to resolve your complaint by communicating with the accommodation or other service provider, you should notify Muddy Boots of the issue at the earliest opportunity and Muddy Boots will do what it can to resolve your dispute;
13.4. If you remain dissatisfied, you must notify Muddy Boots in writing as soon as possible and, in any case, within 14 days of the end of the holiday arranged for you by Muddy Boots either by email to info@muddybootswalkingholidays.com or in writing addressed to our Customer Services Manager at Great British Escapes Limited c/o Wellers, 8 King Edward Street, Oxford OX1 4HL. Other than in relation to claims involving death or personal injury, Muddy Boots does not have any liability to you if you fail to notify Muddy Boots of your complaint in accordance with the provisions of this clause.
14. Termination for Breach
Muddy Boots reserves the right to cancel the contract between you and Muddy Boots in the event of any material breach of these Terms by you, by giving you notice in writing either by letter or by email to the last postal or email address supplied to us. Should Muddy Boots cancel the contract on this basis, no refund will be due to you and cancellation fees may apply.
15. Severability
Each of the paragraphs of the Agreement operates separately. If any of them are found by a Court to be unreasonable or inapplicable the others will still apply.
16. Governing Law and Jurisdiction
This Agreement is governed by English law and is subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts, which both you and Muddy Boots submit to.