Useful Information

Before booking your trip, we invite you to read these opening pages and the General Terms and Conditions with the utmost care, so that you can choose your tour wisely and set off fully informed about every aspect of the trip. Guiness Travel has always aimed to provide as much information as possible, so that its tours attract travellers who will appreciate the product and find their expectations fully met. To this end, we invite you to visit our website www.guinesstravel.com, where you can check availability on our tours by clicking on “availability and guaranteed departures”, and request your quote online.

1. 1. CHOOSING YOUR TRIP 21. DAYTIME EXCURSIONS
2. 2. BOOKING 22. ADMISSION FEES
3. 3. CHANGES TO A BOOKING
4. 23. VISITS TO MAJOR MUSEUMS or MONUMENTS
5. 4. TRAVEL DOCUMENTS
6. 24. PUBLIC TRANSPORT
7. 5. REQUIREMENTS FOR RECEIVING YOUR TRAVEL DOCUMENTS
8. 25. HOTELS
9. 6. INDIVIDUAL BOOKING FEE & TRIP CANCELLATION INSURANCE
10. 26. HOTELS AND CREDIT CARDS
11. 7. DOCUMENTS FOR TRAVEL ABROAD
12. 27. RESTAURANTS
13. 8. TRAVEL DOCUMENTS FOR MINORS 
14. 28. BUFFET DINNERS IN HOTELS
15. 9. MEDICAL ASSISTANCE
16. 29. DRINKS IN HOTELS/RESTAURANTS
17. 10. ALLERGIES - COELIAC DISEASE
18. 30. BREAKFASTS
19. 11. WALKING DIFFICULTIES - MEDICAL CONDITIONS
20. 31. LOCAL GUIDES
21. 12. SCHEDULED FLIGHTS
22. 32. TOUR LEADER
23. 13. LUGGAGE
24. 33. INSURANCE
25. 14. LOST LUGGAGE – FLIGHT CANCELLATIONS – FLIGHT DELAYS 
26. 34. AIRPORT TRANSFERS
27. 15. LUXURY TOURING COACHES
28. 35. TIPS
29. 16. COACH SEAT ALLOCATION – COACH TRANSFERS
30. 36. 100% GUINESS TOURS - AIR FARES AND SUPPLEMENTS
31. 17. DEPARTURE POINTS
32. 37. PENALTY-FREE CANCELLATION PROMOTION
33. 18. DRIVERS
34. 38. GUINESS GUARANTEED DEPARTURES
35. 19. COMPLIMENTARY MINIBAR ON BOARD THE COACH
36. 39. EXCLUSIVE JOURNEYS, LIMITED PLACES
37. 20. EVENING EXCURSIONS

1. CHOOSING YOUR TRIP

When choosing a trip, it is important to identify the destination, study the itinerary, plan the visits and book the hotels. We take care of all of that, leaving you only the task of picking your destination, bearing in mind that the customs, traditions and habits of the countries you visit may be very different from our own.

2. BOOKING

Once you have chosen your tour, you can contact your trusted travel agency, which will forward the booking to Guiness Travel. Booking early allows you to benefit from the special offers published on pages 8-9 of this catalogue, and to secure the best seats on the coach during the tour.

3. CHANGES TO A BOOKING

For any changes to a booking made after the booking date (e.g. change of departure/return point, flight changes, requests for extra nights, etc.), subject to their feasibility, Guiness will charge a fee of €50.00 per person, in addition to any penalties that carriers or suppliers may apply.

4. TRAVEL DOCUMENTS

One week before departure you will be sent a Departure Notice containing the departure time and place and the full list of hotels with their addresses, your air tickets, an Information Sheet with the detailed day-by-day programme, the tour leader's contact details, the Insurance Policy and a fact sheet about the trip. For organisational reasons, these documents cannot be made available earlier than one week before the tour's departure date. On departure, your tour leader will hand you an information guide, a document wallet and luggage tags.

5. REQUIREMENTS FOR RECEIVING YOUR TRAVEL DOCUMENTS 

We recommend paying the balance in good time (at least 30 days before departure) so that the travel agency can in turn forward the balance to us. Travel documents are only sent once the balance has been settled within the required time. It is very important to follow this procedure, as late payments cause unwelcome complications. For this reason, please note that failure to pay by the stated deadline results, as set out in the Payments paragraph of the General Terms and Conditions, in the cancellation of the booking and a claim for damages.

6. INDIVIDUAL BOOKING FEE & TRIP CANCELLATION INSURANCE

All tours in this catalogue carry an individual booking fee, which includes Trip Cancellation Insurance valid up to the day of departure, together with administrative and file-handling costs.

7. DOCUMENTS FOR TRAVEL ABROAD

All travellers, whether Italian citizens or not, must hold a Passport or an Identity Card valid for travel abroad, both as proof of identity and for boarding flights.

Under Regulation (EU) 2019/1157, all paper identity cards will cease to be valid from 3 August 2026, regardless of the expiry date shown on the document.

From 3 August 2026, paper identity cards will no longer be valid, either in Italy or abroad.

As stated on the website www.viaggiaresicuri.it of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs:

“Travellers heading abroad are advised always to carry a passport, with the remaining validity (at least 6 months) and any visa required by the destination country (enquire with the relevant diplomatic or consular office in Italy or with your travel agent). The passport remains the main document for travel across borders, since it is universally recognised, whereas not many countries accept the Italian identity card valid for travel abroad. In particular, please note that some countries still do not accept the electronic identity card, and it is therefore advisable to check with the Embassies or Consular Offices of the destination countries whether that travel document is accepted. In this regard, please note that considerable difficulties (up to and including refusal of entry at the border) are frequently caused by paper identity cards renewed with a stamp applied by the holder's Municipality, electronic cards renewed with an extension sheet issued by the Municipality, and identity cards whose validity has been extended to the holder's date of birth, as provided for by the recent Decree-Law no. 5 of 09.02.2012, art. 7, paragraph 1, issued with Ministry of the Interior Circular no. 2 of 10.02.2012”. Foreign nationals must make sure that the countries they are travelling to do not require visas, residence permits or special documents. Please remember that it is entirely the passengers' responsibility to ensure they hold an identity document that meets the requirements of the local authorities, together with any other documentation required. Should you be unable to depart because your documents are not in order, no refund of any kind will be given. In particular, please remember that ministerial identity passes and driving licences are not valid documents and do not allow you to board flights and/or cross borders.

8. TRAVEL DOCUMENTS FOR MINORS

As stated on the website www.viaggiaresicuri.it of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs: “since 26 June 2012, all Italian minors who travel must hold an individual travel document. Therefore, from that date, minors – even if entered on their parents' passports before 25 November 2009 – must hold an individual passport or, where the countries crossed recognise its validity, an identity card valid for travel abroad. In order to make it easier for these citizens to travel abroad and to avert the risk of their being taken abroad illegally on behalf of third parties, since 2010 it has been possible to ask the offices responsible for issuing the document to have the parents' names entered on the passport. Where this information is not present, before setting off it is advisable to obtain a family status certificate or an extract of the minor's birth certificate, to be shown at the border should the authorities request it. Please note that under Circular 1 of 27 January 2012 of the Ministry of the Interior, “the identity card valid for travel abroad issued to minors under fourteen years of age may, on request, bear the names of the parents or of whoever acts in their stead.

Until they reach the age of 14, Italian minors may travel abroad provided that they are accompanied by at least one parent or by whoever acts in their stead, or that the name of the person, organisation or transport company to whose care they are entrusted is entered on the passport, or on an accompanying declaration issued by whoever is entitled to give consent or authorisation under article 3, letter a) of Law no. 1185 of 21 November 1967, and endorsed by an authority competent to issue it (the Questura in Italy, a consular office abroad).

On 4 June 2014, new rules on the accompanying declaration came into force, designed to give minors greater protection, to make border checks easier and to simplify the submission of the declaration, including by electronic means (email, certified email (PEC), fax).

9. MEDICAL ASSISTANCE

All passengers are covered by an Allianz Global Assistance insurance policy, the detailed terms of which are set out on the website www.guinesstravel.com. To supplement this policy, however, we recommend carrying your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which extends healthcare cover to EU countries.

10. ALLERGIES - COELIAC DISEASE

Passengers with food intolerances or allergies are asked to inform their travel agency when booking. It should be made clear, however, that it is not always possible to cater for special dietary requirements while travelling. For passengers with various allergies or coeliac disease, we can notify the hotels and restaurants, but as our tours often take place in several countries with very different standards, we cannot in any way guarantee that every hotel and restaurant we book is equipped to provide a meal that is 100% suitable for people with allergies. We therefore recommend bringing whatever you need with you. To ensure the above, we must receive notification of the allergy or coeliac disease, together with the relevant signed waiver, at the time of booking.

11. WALKING DIFFICULTIES - MEDICAL CONDITIONS

Our tours include visits on foot (historic centres, museums, royal palaces, archaeological sites) and are therefore not recommended for passengers with walking difficulties. People with reduced mobility must therefore consider their chosen itinerary carefully, as some tours are wholly unsuitable for those with serious difficulties, and in any case must give their travel agency precise details of their needs at the time of booking. Requests not received at the time of booking and submitted later cannot be considered, for technical and organisational reasons.

12. SCHEDULED FLIGHTS

The flights on our tours are operated exclusively by scheduled airlines, to ensure maximum punctuality. Some airlines serve meals or snacks on board, others do not. On European routes, almost all airlines no longer serve snacks and/or drinks. The scheduled flights we book, as indicated in the catalogue for each trip, may exceptionally be operated on one or more sectors by the aircraft and crews of other partner airlines.

13. LUGGAGE

The rules for hand and hold luggage vary from airline to airline. As a rule, the luggage allowance for economy class passengers on European or intercontinental flights is one piece of 23 kg, with some exceptions. Any excess may incur a surcharge payable at check-in, in proportion to the excess weight. In addition, you may take into the cabin one piece of hand luggage measuring no more than 115 cm (length, width and depth combined) and weighing 8/10 kg. Luggage is covered by an insurance policy, the detailed terms of which are set out on the website www.guinesstravel.com. The amount of liquid you may carry in hand luggage is limited to 100 ml per container; containers must be placed in a transparent, resealable plastic bag measuring no more than 20x20 cm, up to a total of 1 litre. Passengers must present the plastic bag at security checks. The same restriction applies to products of similar consistency (pastes, gels, foams, etc.). Hand luggage may not contain sharp and/or pointed objects.

14. LOST LUGGAGE – FLIGHT CANCELLATIONS – FLIGHT DELAYS

If the airline fails to return your luggage, the traveller, supported by the tour leader where present, must immediately file a report with the relevant office – lost and found – which exists in every airport. Responsibility for this event and its consequences can under no circumstances be attributed to the Tour Operator. The tour leader will do everything possible to help the customer with the airport reporting procedure. We therefore ask for mutual cooperation. Should this happen, you will need to be patient, buy basic necessities locally and, on your return, submit a documented claim to the insurer within the limits set by the policy. A further piece of advice is not to pack valuables or expensive clothing in your suitcase, as insurers do not pay out beyond the ceilings set in their policies, which are clearly limited. The Tour Operator Guiness Travel accepts no liability for moral or physical harm, or for a spoilt holiday, arising from the late return or loss of luggage. Travel is culture, knowledge, socialising and respect for the rules. Minor mishaps can occur, just as they do in everyday life. 

COMPENSATION FOR LOST LUGGAGE: if luggage is lost on the outbound journey, the Guiness tour leader will explain the procedure to follow to obtain any compensation and assist passengers with it. 

COMPENSATION FOR FLIGHT CANCELLATIONS or DELAYS: in the event of flight delays or cancellations, the Guiness tour leader will explain to passengers the procedure to follow to obtain any compensation.

In both of the above cases, the refund claim is handled by the traveller, assisted if necessary by the travel agency through which the trip was booked, since sensitive data protected by privacy law is requested during the process.

15. LUXURY TOURING COACHES

The coaches we use are equipped with every comfort and, on tours that set out by coach from Italy, with a coffee machine as well.

16. COACH SEAT ALLOCATION – COACH TRANSFERS 

Coach seats are allocated in order of booking and remain the same for the entire trip. On coach tours departing from Italy, on the first and last days only, seats are in some cases not allocated, as these are transfers. On these same tours, on the first and last days and only in some cases, there may be a change of coach between the departure city and the destination (for example: day 1 on the Naples/Udine route with a change of coach in Bologna, or Bologna/Munich with a change of coach in Verona). Changing coaches is very straightforward and is overseen with the utmost care and assistance by drivers and tour leaders. Seat rotation is categorically not practised by our organisation.

17. DEPARTURE POINTS

When booking, please state your departure point precisely. In this regard, please note that in addition to the many places listed in each tour programme, you can also depart from a great many motorway toll stations on the A1, A4 and A14.

Changes to the departure point are not permitted in the 14 working days before departure.

18. DRIVERS

Our partner transport companies guarantee that the coaches are staffed by qualified personnel who are skilled drivers, familiar with the routes to be travelled, courteous and helpful.

19. COMPLIMENTARY MINIBAR ON BOARD THE COACH

On board our coaches we offer a minibar service and a courtesy service with refreshing wipes. Coffee is charged at €1.00. On tours using non-Italian coaches, the minibar service does not include coffee. In some destinations, for reasons connected with the host culture and the unavailability of certain types of drink, the minibar service may differ slightly, but it is always geared towards showcasing the typical products of the country being visited.

20. EVENING EXCURSIONS

Our tours include many evening excursions, and the tour leader is always available, free of charge, even for a simple stroll around town or a particular request from a group of travellers. Evening excursions are completely free of charge except for the cost of admission to any sites, shows or attractions and any public transport used (metro, bus, tram, taxi), unless otherwise stated. Evening excursions already listed in the programmes and made by Guiness coach end back at the hotel at a time that varies according to the driver's available driving hours, in accordance with European Regulation No. 561/2006, in force since April 2007. Should some travellers wish to explore the cities further and enjoy their nightlife, they are perfectly free to do so, using public transport and/or taxis to return to the hotel. Tour leaders will be happy to provide useful directions. Where coaches are unavailable owing to driving-hour rules, some evening excursions may be made by public transport (at minimal cost, especially in some countries) with the tour leader. This option also means you are not strictly bound by time limits. The wording "evening stroll" with tour leader indicates that the tour leader will be present: this is an excursion that may be made on foot or with the help of public transport and/or taxis.

21. DAYTIME EXCURSIONS

Excursions during our tours are not charged for. Where free time is indicated, passengers may organise themselves as they see fit or ask the tour leader for advice.

22. ADMISSION FEES

Unless expressly stated otherwise, tours do not include daytime or evening admission fees to museums, palaces, churches, attractions, shows and the like. In these cases, payment is made locally through our tour leader. The cost of admission fees, in part or in full, is given as a guide in the catalogue under each tour programme. Admission fees are almost always shown in euros to simplify payment.

Access to the main museums, monuments and royal palaces sometimes requires compulsory advance booking for groups. This measure, necessary for the internal management of each attraction, makes it possible to guarantee visits with expert guides and, in some cases, priority-lane access. The amount for this booking must be paid to the tour leader at the start of the tour, as specified in the tour programme, including by holders of free-admission entitlements of any kind.

23. VISITS TO MAJOR MUSEUMS or MONUMENTS

Programmes are drawn up on the basis of official information from the sites and/or monuments to be visited. Should a visit, wholly exceptionally and for reasons that could not be foreseen when the catalogue went to print, prove impossible, this cannot constitute grounds for complaint or for voiding the contract, given the large number of visits a tour involves. If a visit is unavailable owing to force majeure, alternative visits compatible with the planned itinerary are generally proposed and carried out.

24. PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Some evening excursions and, exceptionally, some daytime visits are made by public transport, with the small cost involved borne by participants, unless otherwise stated. Excursions are always led by the Guiness Travel tour leader. This choice considerably reduces the travel time caused by heavy traffic in some cities, taking advantage of highly efficient public transport networks and reaching the very heart of cities, most of which are now pedestrianised.

25. HOTELS

The hotels selected for our tours are in the 3/4/5-star categories and generally offer a buffet breakfast. The classification shown in each programme is that of the host country and almost always matches international standards. In some cases a lower category than the official one has been indicated, to better manage travellers' expectations. Please note that in some Northern European countries air conditioning is not always available, even in high-standard hotels. The distinction between a twin room and a double room is an Italian peculiarity, so a double bed cannot always be guaranteed. Triple rooms may be twin rooms with a third bed added, and therefore suitable only for children. This is why, where triple rooms are requested for adults, Guiness Travel reserves the right to ask customers to sign a waiver confirming that they are aware of the possible inconvenience. Furthermore, in certain destinations in particular, the availability of triple rooms is minimal, and at times non-existent.

26. HOTELS AND CREDIT CARDS

Please note that some hotels may ask for a credit card or cash as a deposit/guarantee for use of the minibar and/or the internet connection in their rooms and/or for extras.

27. RESTAURANTS

For all meals taken during the trip, we have always selected restaurants that will satisfy our travellers. It is important to stress that dining abroad may differ from what the Italian customer is used to, but that does not mean it lacks quality. Drinks are sometimes offered even though they are not included in the price.

28. BUFFET DINNERS IN HOTELS

Many programmes include buffet dinners in hotels, an important feature of the Guiness Travel product. However, with very small groups – whose departure is guaranteed nonetheless, so as not to penalise travellers – a good-quality 3/4-course dinner may be served instead of the buffet. Occasionally, even with larger groups, owing to the hotel's particular requirements or its occupancy levels, the buffet may not be available, in which case it is always replaced by a served 3/4-course dinner.

29. DRINKS IN HOTELS/RESTAURANTS

On all tours, still water is provided at the table for the meals included in the price; exceptionally, however, in some hotels, for technical reasons or because the water is temporarily unfit to drink, only mineral water may be served, at a charge. Other drinks, unless otherwise stated, are charged for.

30. BREAKFASTS

On all tours, breakfast is generally served buffet-style.

31. LOCAL GUIDES

The scheduled visits are entrusted to the expertise of licensed, Italian-speaking professional local guides, who provide historical and cultural background and interesting facts about the country being visited. In some more remote destinations, or during peak season, owing to the difficulty of finding Italian-speaking local guides, it may exceptionally be necessary to use an English-speaking guide. Real-time translation for participants is always provided by the tour leader.

32. TOUR LEADER

The Guiness Travel tour leader is at participants' disposal for the entire duration of the trip. Their duties consist of providing general information about the trip, handling check-in and any lost-luggage reports at the airport, allocating seats on the coach and rooms in the hotels, dealing with the various customs formalities and resolving any problems that may arise. They assist passengers on all excursions, even when a local guide is present, lead the evening excursions, run the minibar service on board the coach for the entire tour and help passengers with any particular need.

33. INSURANCE

All tours include payment of an Insurance policy (included in the booking fee, which is always payable) covering the passenger for events during the trip and for cancellation of the trip up to the day of departure. Before booking a tour, we invite you to read carefully the detailed terms set out on the website www.guinesstravel.com In the event of a cancellation, you must contact your travel agency only, whereas for any event occurring during the trip you should contact the tour leader, who will give you all the information and assistance you need. Handling the claim after the event has occurred is under no circumstances the responsibility of the Tour Operator Guiness Travel. In addition to the compulsory insurance policy provided for in the catalogue, supplementary policies may be taken out.

34. AIRPORT TRANSFERS

Only on a few tours are airport/hotel transfers and vice versa not included. Nor are they provided for passengers whose flight schedule differs from that of the group. Where a transfer is not included, you can ask through your travel agency about the availability and cost of a private transfer service.

35. TIPS

Tips are not included, but at the end of the tour, if you feel that the people who accompanied you were courteous, professional and, above all, helpful, you may reward them with a tip. In some destinations, especially outside Europe, tipping is an essential custom and an integral part of the local culture. In these cases, therefore, a dedicated tipping amount is provided for, always clearly indicated in the tour programme.

36. 100% GUINESS TOURS - AIR FARES AND SUPPLEMENTS

All the tours in this catalogue are produced 100% by Guiness Travel; they are not tours created by other Italian or foreign operators and marketed by Guiness Travel. The services that make up the package have all been pre-purchased for a certain number of places on each departure date, particularly as regards flights. For this reason, once the seats purchased on a scheduled flight have sold out, the tour may still have availability but at a higher price, owing to the higher fare charged by the airline itself. The only way to avoid this possible supplement is to book your trip as early as possible.

37. PENALTY-FREE CANCELLATION PROMOTION 

The promotion “Cancel your trip without penalty up to 45 days before departure” cannot be applied in the case of binding requests or bookings of individual services.

38. GUINESS GUARANTEED DEPARTURES

Departures are GUARANTEED with a minimum of 10 participants and are constantly updated on the website.

39. EXCLUSIVE JOURNEYS, LIMITED PLACES 

All the itineraries in this catalogue are exclusive journeys for GUINESS customers, produced by GUINESS TRAVEL TOUR OPERATOR, with a limited number of places on every departure and always with a tour leader from Italy.