Trip Prices
Prices include all services as per detailed itinerary (expert leadership, accommodations, meals, water and coffee with group meals at restaurants, taxes, transportation, visits to museums and other points of interest). Air travel, or other form of transportation to and from the trip, trip cancellation or medical/evacuation insurance, and personal expenses (telephone calls, alcoholic drinks or sodas, laundry, etc.) are not included. We recommend you read the “What Is Included in the Price of the Trip” section of your itinerary very carefully, as the inclusions for each program may vary.

Prices are quoted in local currency (Swiss Francs or Euros), per person, and based on sharing double accommodations at hotels, or in rifugios (mountain huts) with multiple-bed, co-ed accommodations. Participants wishing to have a single accommodation will need to pay a single supplement.

Prices are subject to availibility of accommodations and services.

Air Travel Arrangements
We do not arrange for air travel. You must make your own travel arrangements or call your travel agent. Please check with us before issuing your tickets to make sure all logistics are confirmed.

Terms and Conditions
A non-refundable deposit of 20% of the total cost of the trip is required to sign up for any of our classic programs. Final payment is due 60 days before your trip begins. All payments must be made in local currency and by wire transfer. Sender is responsible for all wire-transfer fees.

If we receive cancellation notice between 59 and 30 days prior to the beginning of the trip, the cancellation fee will be equal to 50% of the price of the trip.
If we receive cancellation notice 29 days or less prior to the beginning of the trip, the cancellation fee will be equal to 100% of the cost of the trip.

All cancellation and transfer notices must be received in writing.

Terms and Conditions for custom programs may vary.

Once a participant has paid the non-refundable deposit on an Alps and Beyond trip, he/she agrees to be bound by all our terms and conditions listed above and in our Participant Information & Liability Release document. Please contact us if you would like to have a copy sent to you.

Trip Itinerary
We always try to adhere to the trip itinerary, but please keep in mind that weather and natural conditions in general, or causes of force majeure, play a big role when it comes to safety on a trip. The trip leader has the right and responsibility to make changes to any of the days on the itinerary, if necessary. Also, last minute changes in logistical details, such as hotels or restaurants, at times are out of our control. Should any such changes occur, we will inform you as promptly as possible.

Trip-specific Documentation
Once full payment has been received, we will send you the following documentation:

Quality Standards of Our Programs
We design signature vacations of high quality standards, with days filled with extraordinary cultural, historical and physical activities, and nights welcoming us with creature comfort and well-deserved luxury. Our goal is to provide an unforgettable and most authentic experience.

Accommodations
On the majority of our trips, accommodations are in elegant, three-star, superior three-star, four-star hotels and/or exquisite Villas. We always request spacious superior rooms, or higher category. Rooms, however, are subject to availibility. All rooms have private bathrooms with shower or bath tub, telephone, television, minibar, safe, air-conditioning. Depending on the region we visit, some hotels have outdoor pools. Air-conditioning is not available at hotels located at higher elevations (600 m/1850 ft and up), where the temperatures drop at night.

On some of our programs (mostly hiking or trekking tours), we overnight at simple mountain hotels/inns and/or rifugios (mountain huts). Even in these circumstances we pick the best. Sometimes, even in the mountains, there may also be three- or four-star hotels. Given the choice, we may still opt for a simple inn or mountain hut, if this enhances the authentic atmosphere of the place we visit.

Mountain hotels/inns are basic, but very comfortable and clean. All rooms have private bathrooms with shower. These hotels generally do not have a safe or a minibar in the rooms, and tlevisions are small and offering very few channels. In some cases, there is not a telephone in the room.

Rifugios (mountain huts) are located at higher elevations in the mountains (1500 m/4500 ft and higher), and have co-ed, dormitory-style rooms, with bunk beds or platforms with mattresses. Bathrooms and showers are shared. Some huts have double rooms, but it is a rarity and not to be expected. However, when available, we book those rooms for our clients. Their location in spectacular: the remote settings and the higher elevations in the mountains, most times with splendid panoramas make up for their rustic but intimate atmosphere.

We may choose a mountain hotel/inn over a four-star hotel, if we feel that the second is more in line with or it enhances the authenticity of the area we are visiting.

Meals
A feast for the senses, our meals introduce us to the extraordinary culinary traditions of the distinct regions we visit.

Breakfast at the hotels is wonderful spread of continental items such as brioches, croissant, cereals, freshly baked breads, meats, cheeses, fresh fruit salads, juices, and plenty of coffee or tea. At simple mountain hotels or rifugio, breakfasts are more baseic, with plenty of coffee and tea and, generally, toasted bread with butter and jam and some meats and cheese.

Our sit-down lunches and dinners are mostly in intimate, local, family-run restaurants. In Italy, we patronize restaurants recognized by the SlowFood movement (www.slowfood.com) for their exquisite cuisine, and for their commitment to sustainable farming and agriculture. One One can try typical dishes, fresh hand-made pastas, main courses served with mouthwatering sauces, and outstanding desserts.

Picnic lunches are elaborate. In keeping with good and healthy food, we do not limit ourselves to a simple sandwich with an apple and a soda. We go all out. We purchase fresh cheeses, meats and produce locally made and grown, and we accompany all these tasteful fixings with freshly baked bread. Each participant carries part of the picnic items in his or her daypack and, once we reach the perfect spot, we set up a wonderful spread.

Trip Ratings
Rating a trip is difficult when everyone’s level of fitness is different, and the environment and terrain each person is accustomed to may vary. Here are some guidelines on how we rate our trips, in order to help you choose the best program for you:

Easy – Walking or hiking on well maintained trails and paths; easy terrain, such as hills and altitudes between 600 and 2’500 ft. Hiking time may vary from 2 to 4 hrs per day, with up to 2-3 consecutive days.
Moderate – Hiking can be quite varied, at moderate elevations (up to 6’000 ft.) and in an alpine environment. It may entail some long ascents and descents. Trails are seldom very steep and the terrain, although rocky at times, is generally not demanding. Hiking time varies from 3 to 6 hrs per day, with up to 6 consecutive days.
Strenuous - Trails are often steep and rocky, at elevations reaching up to 9’000 feet, in an alpine environment. There can be long ascents and descents, with elevation gains and drops of up to 4’500 feet, and some exposure. Hiking time ranges from 7 to 9 hrs each day, with up to 6 consecutive days. Overnights could be at mountain huts, at moderate elevations.
Very Strenuous – Hiking and trekking at elevations of up to 15’000 ft. and on very challenging terrain, such as steep trails, boulder fields, glaciers, and snowfields. There may be long and steep ascents and descents as well as some exposure. Overnights may be at mountain huts, at higher elevations. Hiking time ranges from 7 to 10 hrs per day, with up to 6 or 7 consecutive days. Some of our very strenuous trips require a licensed UIAGM/IFMGA mountain guide.

All trips require that you are in excellent health and appropriate physical fitness.

References
We will be happy to provide references upon request.

Privacy
We do not sell, rent, or lease our clients' lists to third parties. However, we need to collect your personal information in order to provide the services you request.
Passport number, address, place and date of birth will be shared, when necessary, with our trustworthy third parties. Italian and Swiss laws require that hotels obtain traveler’s personal information. Additionally, our guides in the field need your personal and medical information in the event of an emergency.