Any booking of a journey with Discovery Trains implies acceptance of these Special Conditions of Sale by the person making the booking. The latter undertakes to inform all travellers who are also subject to the acceptance of these conditions through their intermediary.
ARTICLE 1 - Purpose
ARTICLE 2 - Entry into force and duration
ARTICLE 3 - Pre-contractual information
ARTICLE 4 - Description of Services
4.1. Hosting service
4.2. Visits and excursions
4.3. Car hire
4.4. Air travel
4.5. Photos
ARTICLE 5 - Ordering
5.1. Placing the Order
5.2. Changing the Order
5.3. Cancellation of the Order by the Customer
5.4. Cancellation of the journey by Discovery Trains
ARTICLE 6 - Administrative and health formalities
ARTICLE 7 - Prices
ARTICLE 8 - Payment
ARTICLE 9 - Liability
ARTICLE 10 - Force majeure
ARTICLE 11 - Insurance
ARTICLE 12 - Termination
ARTICLE 13 - Assignment
ARTICLE 14 - Data Protection
ARTICLE 15 - Complaints - Mediation
ARTICLE 16 - General provisions
ARTICLE 17 - Applicable law and jurisdiction
ARTICLE 1 - Purpose
. These Special Terms and Conditions of Sale, which supplement the General Terms and Conditions of Sale, are binding on DISCOVERY TRAINS, a limited liability company with capital of €40,000, registered in the Paris Trade and Companies Register under number 503 435 398, with its registered office at 58, rue de Paradis, 75010 Paris, and on the Customer.
. Discovery Trains is registered with the Registre des agents de voyages et autres opérateurs de la vente de voyages et de séjours at Atout France 23 place de Catalogne 75014 Paris under number IM 075130071.
. Discovery Trains also holds contract no. RCP 0079717 with HISCOX France, 19 rue Louis le Grand 75002 PARIS and a financial guarantee issued by the Association Professionnelle de Solidarité du Tourisme (APST), 15 avenue Carnot, 75017 Paris.
These terms and conditions of sale are available on the www.discoverytrains.net website and may be revised. Only the version in force on the day the Order is placed shall be binding on Discovery Trains and its Customer.
ARTICLE 2 - Entry into force and duration
The Special Terms and Conditions of Sale come into force on the date of payment of the first instalment by the Customer. They are concluded for the duration of the Service or in the travel programme.
ARTICLE 3 - Pre-contractual information
The Vendor shall provide the Customer with a Travel Programme and/or a detailed quotation for the services prior to the entry into force of the Special Conditions of Sale.
The Programme or quotation shall include the following information:
the destination, means, characteristics and categories of transport used ;
the type of accommodation, its location, its level of comfort and its main characteristics, its certification and its tourist classification do not correspond to the regulations or customs of the host country. They are indicated according to French standards, based on the expertise of the Discovery Trains teams;
the catering services offered;
a description of the itinerary in the case of a tour;
administrative and health formalities to be completed;
the visits, excursions and other services included in the package or available at extra cost;
the amount or percentage of the price to be paid as a deposit on conclusion of the contract and the timetable for payment of the balance;
the price revision terms and conditions;
cancellation conditions;
information concerning the optional subscription of an insurance policy covering cancellation or repatriation.
information about the flight taken by the Customer.
These documents constitute the contractual information referred to in articles L211-8 and R211-4 of the French Tourism Code.
concerning the administrative and health formalities to be completed, the information contained in your documents is given for information only. You are responsible for complying with the police, customs and health regulations of the countries you visit. We recommend that you check the list of compulsory documents (passport, national identity card, vaccination certificates, etc.) with the authorities in the destination country. Discovery Trains cannot be held responsible if visas or other documents required for your journey are not issued.
ARTICLE 4 - Description of the Services
Discovery Trains offers the Customer tailor-made tourist Packages comprising all or part of the Services below.
4.1. Accommodation Service
The accommodation mentioned in the programme is marked "or similar". Reservations are subject to availability at the time of travel confirmation.
4.2. Visits and excursions
Discovery Trains reserves the right to modify the order of the visits and excursions mentioned in the programme according to planning and organisation requirements in the destination country, for unexpected changes in transport services or connections or for other reasons (safety, weather, etc.).
4.3. Air transport
Discovery Trains undertakes to offer only airlines authorised by the French authorities to serve the territory. The responsibility of the Seller cannot replace that of the French or foreign carriers ensuring the transport or transfer of passengers and luggage. Under no circumstances can Discovery Trains be held responsible for circumstances beyond its control, for the actions of third parties not involved in the provision of the planned Services or for poor execution due to circumstances attributable to the Customer.
If the Customer decides to take care of his/her own pre/post transport, it is recommended that he/she buys tickets that can be modified and/or refunded and that he/she allows sufficient connecting time to cover any unforeseeable events that may occur during these journeys.
In the event that events caused by a third party or by the Customer modify the journey contracted with Discovery Trains, Discovery Trains will not bear any costs.
4.4. Post and pre-routing
If post and pre-routing have not been booked with Discovery Trains, the agency accepts no responsibility for their smooth running and they are your sole responsibility.
4.5 Photographs
The photos and illustrations used in our programmes were taken in the destination countries. However, they may not constitute an exact illustration of what will be seen by the Customer during the journey, insofar as the journey takes place in different places and different seasons.
ARTICLE 5 - Ordering
5.1. Placing an Order
All Orders become definitive on receipt of the deposit.
5.2. Modification of the Order
Changes imposed by the Vendor
In accordance with Article L211-15, when, after departure, one of the essential elements of the Contract cannot be performed, Discovery Trains will endeavour, unless duly justified, to offer the Customer Services to replace those that are not provided.
If the Customer does not accept the proposed modification, the Vendor must provide the Customer with the necessary tickets for the return journey, without prejudice to any damages to which the Customer may be entitled.
Changes requested by the Customer
On site, any modification requested by the Customer must be paid for in accordance with the terms and conditions of the local Service Provider, who may not be obliged to comply with requests in the event of non-payment of the additional Services requested by the Customer.
No refund will be given for any trip cut short or Service not carried out.
5.3. Cancellation of the Order by the Customer
Terms and conditions
In the event of cancellation of the journey and the Services, the Client undertakes to inform Discovery Trains by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt or by email as soon as possible.
Cancellation charges will be calculated from the date of receipt of the registered letter or the first working day following receipt of the email by Discovery Trains.
In the event that one or more of the Participants registered on the same trip is/are forced to cancel, Discovery Trains cannot guarantee the fare mentioned on the order documents.
The Services can only be maintained if the other Participants pay the possible additional cost of the Services that have had to be modified.
Any refusal by one of the remaining Participants will be considered as a cancellation, to which the fees below will be applied.
Cancellation charges
The costs specific to each trip are mentioned on the quotation or programme given to the customer.
Otherwise, the fees below will apply.
Cancellation period / Associated cancellation charges
Between the booking date and 46 days before departure: 5% of the cost of the trip
Between 45 and 30 days before departure: 30% with a minimum of €200 per person
Between 29 and 21 days before departure: 50% of the cost of the trip
Between 20 and 8 days before departure: 75% of the cost
Less than 8 days before departure (or no show): 100%.
Special cases
In the event of cancellation, for whatever reason, external costs incurred by the Customer, such as vaccination costs, transport to and from the place of departure and visa fees, will not be reimbursed.
100% cancellation fees will be withheld from air tickets after the date of issue.
100% cancellation fees may be retained on certain cruises, certain hotels and certain periods.
Non-participation
A stay cut short at the customer's initiative, or non-participation in planned activities, will not give rise to any reimbursement or compensation. Any change in the services provided at the Customer's request (hotel, category of room, etc.) is likely to generate a supplement which cannot be reimbursed.
5.4. Cancellation of the journey by Discovery Trains
. In the event of cancellation of the Trip by Discovery Trains, for objective technical reasons making travel impossible (closure of borders, cancellation of flights or trains to the destination, etc.), Discovery Trains undertakes to refund the entire amount of the trip within 14 working days following the date of cancellation.
. In the event of cancellation of the trip due to the fact that the minimum number of participants has not been reached, Discovery Trains undertakes to inform passengers at least 3 weeks before departure. The minimum number of participants is indicated on all group trips. In the absence of a minimum number of participants, the trip is not subject to a minimum number of participants.
ARTICLE 6 - Administrative and health formalities
Formalities
. Once the order has been confirmed, the Customer is invited to check the documents requested on the diplomatie.gouv.fr website (under the heading "Advice for travellers") or with the relevant authorities (embassy, consulate, etc.).
It is important to note that some destination countries that accept the French national identity card do not accept its extension, authorised by the French authorities. It is therefore strongly recommended that you use a valid passport rather than a CNI with an expired validity date.
Under French law, minors of all ages must have their own passport for all destinations requiring a passport.
Since 1 January 2013, French regulations have abolished exit permits for French minors travelling abroad without their legal representatives.
However, some destination countries still require them. In addition to proof of identity and any visas required, it is therefore advisable for children travelling without their parents to carry their family record book and/or an authorisation to leave the country drawn up on plain paper by the person exercising parental authority over them.
It is imperative, particularly for spouses and children, that the name on the identity document is identical to the name under which the order was placed and the travel and residence documents issued.
The completion of formalities remains the responsibility of the Customer, with the exception of obtaining a visa, which may be paid for by Discovery Trains. The cost of issuing passports, visas and other travel documents (tickets or ticket redemption) cannot, under any circumstances, be reimbursed.
Some airlines allow pets to travel; in this case you must be in possession of an up-to-date vaccination certificate.
Obtaining a visa
Some countries require you to obtain a visa.
Discovery Trains offers to take care of the visa formalities for nationals living in France who hold a French passport. If the Customer does not wish to entrust Discovery Trains with obtaining visas, he/she alone is responsible for the process and its timely completion. In the event of refusal or failure to receive the visa on time, no refund will be considered: the cancellation conditions mentioned above will apply.
If the Customer entrusts the consular procedure to Discovery Trains, in order to enable it to be carried out in the best possible conditions, the Customer undertakes to provide the required documents no later than thirty (30) days before departure in the case of a single visa, sixty (60) days in the case of a double visa and ninety (90) days in the case of a triple visa.
In the event of cancellation by the Customer, the visa fee is non-refundable.
The amount of the visa fee varies according to each country. The cost of the Service does not include the cost of returning the documents to the Customer's home address, which may or may not be invoiced separately.
In the event of urgent processing, special conditions and additional charges, detailed in the Travel Programme, may apply.
Important: in order for a visa to be issued, some countries require that the passport be valid for more than six (6) months after the date of return, have two blank pages facing each other, or have a return or onward ticket and sufficient funds.
Health risks
For any information concerning the health risks that may be present in the country (or countries) of destination, and the countries of stopovers and transits and of the Customer's journey, as well as the recommendations issued by the authorities on the subject and to comply with the latter, the Customer will find the necessary information by consulting the various following websites:
Ministère des Affaires Etrangères (French Ministry of Foreign Affairs): www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/conseils-aux-voyageurs and more particularly the sub-headings "country risk" and "health";
Ministry of Health: www.sante-sports.gouv.fr
Institut de Veille Sanitaire: www.invs.sante.fr;
World Health Organisation (WHO): www.who.int.
If the Customer is travelling within the European Union (EU), it is recommended that they obtain the European Health Insurance Card (free of charge) which, in the 28 EU Member States, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, will allow them to benefit from the same access to public healthcare as nationals of the country visited. If this healthcare has to be paid for, the Customer will be reimbursed after his return to his country of origin on the basis of French rates by the health insurance institutions.
France has international or bilateral social security agreements with other countries which allow the Customer to be reimbursed on the basis of French rates for treatment received abroad; for more information, visit www.cleiss.fr.
In addition, due to the risk of introducing diseases into the EU, the import of non-commercial personal packages of products of animal origin into the EU is subject to strict procedures in application of a European regulation dated 5 March 2009. For more information, the Customer may consult the European Commission website: https://ec.europa.eu/food/animals/animalproducts/personal_imports_en.
ARTICLE 7 - Prices
Prices
All prices are quoted in Euros, payable from France, in the Travel Programme or quotation. The total price to be paid includes the various components of the Order, any service charges and applicable taxes.
In accordance with the VAT regime applicable to travel agents, the invoices issued by the Seller do not mention the VAT collected on the Services sold.
Revision of prices
The prices indicated are those in force on the date of the Order.
The price of the Services becomes firm and definitive upon signature of the Quotation, the programme or, failing this, the last document received before payment of the 1st instalment.
Prices have been set on the basis of the following economic data: cost of transport linked in particular to the cost of fuel, transport charges and taxes (landing tax, embarkation tax, disembarkation tax, security tax, ecotax, etc.), exchange rate applied to currencies depending on the trip or holiday concerned.
In accordance with article L211-12 of the French Tourism Code, in the event of a variation in these data and in particular in the amount of taxes, passenger charges and/or fuel surcharges applied by the authorities and/or airlines, these will be fully and immediately reflected in the price of all Services from the date of application, including for Customers who have already registered and paid for the corresponding Service.
Fluctuations in exchange rates may also lead to a revision of the price of the Services. The currencies likely to have an influence on prices are, in particular, the US dollar and the currencies of the countries in which Accommodation Services are offered.
During the thirty (30) days prior to the scheduled departure date, the price fixed in the Contract may not be increased.
ARTICLE 8 - Payment
All registrations become definitive on receipt by Discovery Trains of the first deposit.
Unless otherwise indicated on its quotation or programme, for any registration made more than forty-five (45) days before the departure date, Discovery Trains requires a deposit of 100% of the air tickets and 30% of the cost of the land.
Unless otherwise indicated on the quotation or programme, payment of the balance of the Services must be made no later than forty-five (45) days before the departure date. Any delay in the payment of the balance may be considered as a cancellation, to which the Vendor will apply the stipulated charges.
For any registration made less than forty-five (45) days before the departure date, Discovery Trains requires payment in full for the Services.
The Services may be paid for by :
credit card,
bank transfer,
cash (within the limit stipulated by article L 112-8 of the French Monetary and Financial Code).
ARTICLE 9 - Responsibilities
. Discovery Trains selects its suppliers (carriers, local operators, accommodation, etc.). The train and bus companies used offer all the guarantees of comfort and safety required by the local authorities.
. The consequences of any accident or incident that may occur during transportation are governed by local transport regulations, in accordance with the law of the country concerned.
. Under certain compelling circumstances, Discovery Trains may have to replace one means of transport by another, one hotel by another, modify plans or cancel certain excursions, without incurring any compensation.
. Any complaint or recrimination concerning the services of Discovery Trains must be formulated and justified on the spot, without delay, by any means available to the customer (e-mail sent to Discovery Trains, information of the contact person on the spot...).
. Any complaint that could not objectively be reported on site must be made within 15 days of the passenger's return, failing which it will not be taken into account.
. Discovery Trains cannot be held responsible for the following events :
. Loss or theft of your tickets up to the point of departure.
. Inability to present the documents required for entry into the travel area or for boarding.
. Unforeseeable incidents such as war, political unrest, strikes, supplier bankruptcy, weather problems, delays, loss or theft of baggage, etc.
. Delays caused by any of the above, as well as changes to itinerary, transport, accommodation, program or activities that may result. No compensation will be paid for any change in the duration of the program originally planned, nor for any delay in connecting flights. Any additional costs will be borne by the customer.
. Travelers are responsible for looking after their luggage and personal belongings for the duration of their trip.
ARTICLE 10 - Force majeure
Discovery Trains cannot be held responsible for fortuitous events, cases of force majeure as defined by the French Civil Code and the jurisprudence of French courts and tribunals, the actions of third parties, or the fault of the Customer (late arrival, failure to comply with administrative, customs or health formalities, failure to show for boarding, etc.).
The Customer will therefore bear all the financial consequences resulting from the occurrence of a case of force majeure affecting the performance of Discovery Trains' obligations.
However, Discovery Trains undertakes to do its utmost to find solutions and overcome the difficulties, without being obliged to assume the costs incurred.
In accordance with the provisions of article L211-13 of the French Tourism Code, when, prior to departure, compliance with one of the essential elements of the Contract is rendered impossible as a result of an external event that is imposed on the Seller, the latter undertakes to warn the Customer within forty-eight (48) hours and inform him of the option he has either to cancel the Contract, or to accept the modification proposed by the Seller.
This warning and information will be confirmed in writing to the Customer, who must inform the Vendor of his choice as soon as possible.
When the Customer terminates the Contract, he/she is entitled, without incurring any penalties or costs, to reimbursement of all sums paid by him/her.
ARTICLE 11 - Travel insurance
No insurance is included in the Services offered by Discovery Trains. It is advisable to justify or take out at least repatriation assistance in the event of accident or illness, and preferably a multi-risk insurance contract covering the consequences of certain cases of cancellation or modification of the trip, as well as luggage insurance.
Discovery Trains offers several insurance solutions that the customer can take out at the time of booking the trip:
- Repatriation insurance from Mutuaide Assistance
- Multi-risk insurance from Mutuaide Assistance
Full details of the various options are available on request. Please note: to be valid, comprehensive insurance covering cancellation must be taken out at the time of payment of the first deposit.
Please note that no insurance covers cancellations due to the fact that the documents required to travel to the destination country have not been obtained, or have not been obtained in time.
ARTICLE 12 - Termination
In the event of a breach by a Party of any of its obligations under the Special Terms and Conditions, the Party suffering the breach may give formal notice to the other Party, by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt, to remedy the breach within a maximum period of fifteen (15) calendar days.
If, at the end of this period, the breach has not been remedied, the Party suffering the breach may terminate the Special Conditions by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt, without prejudice to any damages to which it may be entitled.
If, prior to departure, Discovery Trains terminates the Contract in the absence of any fault on the part of the Customer, all sums paid by the latter shall be returned to him/her, without prejudice to any damages to which he/she may be entitled.
ARTICLE 13 - Assignment
In accordance with articles L211-11 and R211-7 of the French Tourism Code, the Customer may assign his Contract to a third party who fulfils the same conditions as he does to take the trip or stay, as long as the Contract has not produced any effect.
The Customer is required to inform the Vendor of this decision by any means capable of producing an acknowledgement of receipt no later than seven (7) days before the start of the trip. In the case of a cruise, this period is extended to fifteen (15) days.
In the case of airlines, the Contract takes effect upon registration. The Contract is therefore non-transferable. This is also the case for river or rail cruises, most train tickets and rail passes, shows, insurance and visas.
ARTICLE 14 - Data protection
DISCOVERY TRAINS is responsible for processing personal data.
The processing is necessary for the performance of the Contract to which the data subject is a party, or for the performance of pre-contractual measures taken at the request of the data subject.
The Internet user, a natural person, is informed that the information collected is subject to computer processing intended to carry out operations relating to customer management concerning requests for quotations, orders, contracts, invoices, accounting and management of customer accounts, commercial prospecting, monitoring of customer relations, management of requests for right of access, rectification and deletion in particular, preparation of commercial statistics, management of unpaid invoices and disputes, management of notices.
The recipients of the data are :
persons in charge of the marketing department, sales department, customer relations and prospecting departments, administrative departments, IT and technical departments, and their line managers;
DISCOVERY TRAINS subcontractors.
DISCOVERY TRAINS keeps personal data only as long as is necessary for the operations for which they were collected and in compliance with the regulations in force.
The individual is also informed that the company DISCOVERY TRAINS will keep the data transmitted according to the criteria and recommendations of the CNIL available in its reference standard: simplified standard No. 48.
In accordance with the French Data Protection Act of January 6, 1978, amended in 2004 and 2016, and the General Data Protection Regulation, all individuals have the right:
access to data (limited to two access requests per year, subject to proof of identity),
rectification of data,
to the deletion of information concerning them under the conditions set out in Article 17 of the General Data Protection Regulation,
The individual also has the right to object to the processing of his or her personal data for legitimate reasons, as well as the right to object to such data being used for commercial prospecting purposes.
Finally, the data subject may, if necessary, lodge a complaint with the CNIL (https://www.cnil.fr/fr/plaintes). To do so, they can contact the CNIL by mail or telephone (information available here: https://www.cnil.fr/fr/vous-souhaitez-contacter-la-cnil).
It may exercise these rights by proving its identity and by contacting the company DISCOVERY TRAINS at the e-mail address This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by post at the address mentioned in Article 1.
ARTICLE 15 - Complaints - Mediation
Complaints will be examined solely with regard to the contractual elements of the Customer's reservation.
Any failure in the execution of the Special Conditions must be noted on site, reported and justified by the Customer to Discovery Trains by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt, accompanied by supporting documents, within 15 days after the date of return, to the following address: DISCOVERY TRAINS 58, rue de Paradis, 75 010 Paris.
The response time may vary from thirty (30) to sixty (60) days, depending on the length of the investigation with the Partners concerned. Any letter not accompanied by supporting documents will be filed without further action.
In the absence of a satisfactory response within sixty (60) days of contacting DISCOVERY TRAINS' customer service department, the customer may refer the matter to the Médiateur du Tourisme et du Voyage (MTV), whose contact details are as follows: MTV Médiation Tourisme Voyage BP 80 303 - 75 823 Paris Cedex 17 and contact details are available on its website: http://www.mtv.travel/.
ARTICLE 16 - General provisions
The Special Terms and Conditions, which supplement the General Terms and Conditions, represent the entire agreement between the Parties with respect to its subject matter. In the event of contradiction between the text of the Special Terms and Conditions and any of its appendices, the Special Terms and Conditions shall prevail.
The Special Conditions may only be modified by a written document signed by the Parties.
The fact that the Vendor refrains from exercising any remedy following a breach by the Customer of its contractual obligations and commitments shall not constitute a waiver of the right to exercise said remedy in respect of said breach or any subsequent breach.
In the event that any one or more of the provisions of the Special Terms and Conditions shall, for any reason whatsoever, be deemed invalid or unenforceable, such invalidity or unenforceability shall not affect any other contractual provision and the Parties shall replace said provision with a valid and enforceable provision, in compliance with legal and regulatory provisions, the effect of which shall be as close as possible to the economic result or any other result expected by the Parties.
ARTICLE 17 - Applicable law and jurisdiction
The Special Terms and Conditions, any amendments thereto and any documents issued in application thereof are governed by French law.
In the event of a dispute with a consumer, the competent court will be, at the Customer's option :
the defendant's place of residence in France, or the place where the service was provided;
the Customer's place of residence at the time of conclusion of the Special Terms and Conditions or the occurrence of the harmful event.
