Big Trail Adventures – Refund Policy

1. Overview

Big Trail Adventures provides two distinct types of products:
- Itinerary-Only Services, in which we create a custom day-by-day plan for your self-guided walking or cycling experience. You then book your own accommodation and baggage transfers directly with providers of your choice.
- Full Holidays, where we act as tour operator and coordinate accommodation and baggage transfer services with local partners on your behalf.
This Refund Policy applies to both models and should be read together with our Booking Conditions.

2. Itinerary-Only Services

2.1 Purchase and Activation
Upon purchase of an itinerary-only Service, you will receive:
- A unique access code; and
- An Adventure Planner Form corresponding to your chosen route.
If the experience is purchased as a gift, the purchaser should forward the access code and Adventure Planner Form to the intended recipient.
Your unique access code is valid for 12 months from the date of purchase.

2.2 Refund Eligibility (Before Planning Commences)
You are entitled to a full refund within the 12-month validity period provided that:
- You have not yet submitted the completed Adventure Planner Form; and
- We have not produced your Initial Adventure Plan.

2.3 Initial Adventure Plan Process
Upon submission of your completed Adventure Planner Form, Big Trail Adventures will provide an Initial Adventure Plan within 24 hours, tailored to your preferences.
If we are unable to create a plan that meets your needs, you may modify your preferences and receive a revised plan; or
Once your Initial Adventure Plan is issued, you will have 14 calendar days to respond. During this period, you may:
- Accept the plan – acceptance will be deemed confirmed after 14 days unless otherwise stated; or
- Request modifications (by emailing hello@bigtrailadventures.com);

2.4 Final Adventure Plan and Time Limits
Once you accept the Initial Adventure Plan (explicitly or by default), you will have 18 months from the original purchase date to:
- Book your accommodation; and
- Request your Final Adventure Plan, which includes custom door-to-door GPX files.
If you do not complete these steps within 18 months, your purchase will be considered lapsed, and no refund will be provided.

2.5 Final Adventure Plan Confirmation
Once you confirm that accommodation has been booked and request your Final Adventure Plan:
- No refunds will be issued under any circumstances.

3. Full Holidays (Including Accommodation and Baggage Services)

3.1 Booking Fee
When you submit a booking request, an £80 per-person booking fee is payable. It forms part of your deposit. It is refundable if we are unable to confirm your booking; once we confirm it, it becomes non-refundable.

3.2 Deposit and Balance
On confirmation, a deposit of 20% of the total holiday price per person is due. Your £80 booking fee counts towards this, so the additional amount to confirm is 20% of the price minus £80. The balance is due no later than six (6) weeks (42 days) before departure.

3.3 Refunds and Cancellation Charges
You will receive the following percentage of the total holiday price back, depending on notice given. Each figure is the total refund you receive — it already allows for the non-refundable deposit and is not an additional deduction.
43 days or more: full refund of everything paid except the 20% deposit (you forfeit only the deposit)
28–42 days: 50% of the total holiday price
15–27 days: 30% of the total holiday price
14 days or fewer / no-show: no refund
Example: total price £1,000 (deposit £200). Cancelling 40 days before departure falls in the 28–42 day band, so you receive 50% of £1,000 = £500.

3.4 Cancellations by Big Trail Adventures
If we cancel your Holiday due to lack of availability or other operational reasons, you will be entitled to:
- A full refund of all monies paid; or
- The option to transfer your booking to an alternative Holiday of comparable value (subject to availability).
Where cancellation is due to force majeure (including but not limited to natural disasters, war, or pandemics), refunds will depend on the recoverable amounts from our suppliers.

4. Financial Protection

Pending formal ABTOT membership or equivalent protection, 100% of all client funds for confirmed Holidays will be held in a segregated client account, separate from Big Trail Adventures’ trading funds.
This arrangement ensures that, in the unlikely event of our insolvency prior to completion of your Holiday, you will receive a full refund of monies paid for any unfulfilled arrangements.

5. Method of Refund

All refunds will be made to the original payment method unless otherwise agreed.
Refunds are processed in GBP. Currency fluctuations or bank fees are outside our control and non-refundable.

6. Acceptance of Terms

By purchasing any product or Holiday from Big Trail Adventures, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to this Refund Policy and our Booking Conditions.