Legal information 

Some of these conditions do not apply to specific sales or to Chefs Escapes ®. 

The specific conditions are communicated to the client at the time of reservation. 

  

The prices indicated by Hiddenist are per person and have been calculated on the basis of a minimum of 2 people travelling together (unless otherwise stated). Final prices will be confirmed upon registration/booking. These prices have been established as at 15 March 2024, based on the exchange rates and airfares in force at that date. Prices are subject to revision at any time to take account of any changes in exchange rates, airline insurance and other costs. Airline taxes, security taxes, airport taxes and surcharges are indicative and subject to change without notice.  

  

1. CONTRACT AND ACCEPTANCE OF THE BOOKING CONDITIONS 

1.1 By signing the registration form or any other contractual document issued by the travel agent that constitutes a registration/reservation, the Client acknowledges that he/she has read all the terms of the sales contract, in particular Article R211-4 of the French Tourism Code relating to pre-contractual information, the special conditions of sale, the essential rights of travellers and the registration form, and expressly accepts them. The contract is formed once Hiddenist has confirmed availability (hereinafter the "Contract") and has issued a booking confirmation, after having received payment from the Client, in cleared funds, of either the required deposit or the full price of your holiday (depending on when the booking is made relative to the intended departure date). By making the booking you accept that you have the authority to bind all members of your party to these terms and conditions of booking and you take responsibility as the lead name on the booking to make payment and to receive documentation on behalf of your party. 

  

1.2 The information provided to the Client may be amended in writing before or after the date of registration/booking under the conditions set out herein. 

  

2. PRICES 

2.1 The prices shown in the communications and on the website of Hiddenist are expressed in Euros and per person (unless otherwise stated). They are established on the basis of economic data known on 1 March 2023. Prices vary according to the date of the trip and the number of participants. 

Prices must be confirmed by Hiddenist prior to the signature of the registration form or any other contractual document from the travel agent valid as a registration/reservation. After this, no price dispute can be taken into account. 

Only the services explicitly mentioned in the trip descriptions are included in the price. In particular, and unless otherwise indicated, the following services are not included in the price 

- passport and visa fees 

- vaccination fees 

- optional but strongly recommended insurance 

- excess luggage 

- meals taken during the connection between two flights 

- drinks 

- optional excursions 

- personal expenses (tips, telephone, various deposits, etc.) 

- exceptional expenses resulting from unforeseen events, such as strikes or weather conditions. 

  

2.2 Hiddenist may modify, between the day of registration/booking and at the latest 20 days before departure, the prices upwards to take into account variations (Art. L. 211-12 and R. 211-8): 

- the cost of transport, in particular the cost of fuel 

- fees and taxes relating to the services offered, such as landing, embarkation and disembarkation taxes in ports and airports 

- the exchange rates applied to the trip or stay in question 

Hedonist informs the Client of these by any means on a durable medium. These variations are passed on as follows: 

- for transport costs, fees and other taxes, the variations are passed on in full to the Client 

- in the case of exchange rates, variations shall be passed on pro rata and only on the amounts of the services concerned. 

In the event of a price increase of more than 8% of the initial price of the trip or in the event of an obvious pricing error, Hiddenist will inform the Client by any means on a durable medium no later than 20 days before departure, so that the Client has the option of (a) cancelling the Contract in writing on a durable medium within a reasonable period of time following the sending of the information, or (b) accepting the change in price and, in fact, the Contract. 

  

2.3 Terms of payment 

On signing the registration form or any other contractual document issued by the travel agent that constitutes a registration/booking, the Client shall pay a deposit equal to 45% of the total amount of the price of the trip. The balance is payable no later than 60 days before departure, without any reminder from Hiddenist. Any delay in the payment of the balance is likely to result in the cancellation of the trip, leaving the Client to pay the cancellation fees inherent to the file and which can be consulted below. 

If the booking is made less than 60 days before departure, the full price of the trip will be payable on booking. 

  

Please note that all payments taken on debit or credit card will be taken in Euros and so if you are a client whose payment card is not denominated in Euros, the final price will be calculated in accordance with the applicable exchange rate on the day your card issuer processes the transaction. To avoid this we can accept payment in EUR, GBP and USD by bank transfer and can specify the exact amount required for payment in the specified currency. 

  

Payments must be made in the currency of the invoice and you will be responsible for any bank charges that may be incurred. Payments can be made by bank transfer, or online by credit card, or in cash within the legal limit authorised in France (no payment by cheque will be accepted). For a registration less than 15 days before departure: only cash or credit card payment is accepted.  

In all cases, a booking will not be confirmed until we are in receipt of cleared funds.  

  

The provisions of article 2.3 are not applicable to specific, special, promotional or private sales. 

  

3. AIR TRANSPORT 

  

3.1 In the event of the booking and sale of flights, the delivery of a ticket is carried out under the sole responsibility of the carrier, with Hiddenist acting as a mere intermediary between the carrier and the Client (Art. L. 211-7). The responsibility of Hiddenist cannot replace that of the carriers providing the transport or transfer of passengers and luggage. 

  

3.2 Air transport is subject to operational and safety requirements that may cause delays beyond the control of Hiddenist. Hedonist shall not be held responsible for changes in timetables or itineraries resulting from external events such as force majeure and the actions of a third party not involved in the provision of the services provided for in the Contract, and the Client shall not be entitled to claim any compensation as a result. Hiddenist draws the Client's attention to the fact that the type of aircraft is given as an indication only and may be modified at the airline's discretion. 

Depending on availability, Hiddenist offers the Client pre-routing and/or post-routing by plane from the provinces to the Paris airports. These flights cannot be changed, exchanged or refunded. Any costs or ticket repurchases due to air delays during pre-routing and/or post-routing, resulting from causes beyond the control of Hiddenist, shall be borne by the Client. 

If the flight scheduled for the pre-carriage or post-carriage is cancelled or delayed for any reason whatsoever, the companies reserve the right to provide transport by any other means. Hedonist accepts no responsibility for delays and/or cancellations of pre- or post-carriage booked directly by the Client. 

Hedonist advises the Client to allow sufficient connection time for their connections and to avoid making any commitments on the same day and the following day of their outward and return journeys. 

The term "direct flight" means without change of aircraft but does not preclude the possibility of one or more stops made during the journey by the same aircraft. 

The liability of the carrier is governed by the conditions stated on the Client's ticket and by the provisions resulting from the Warsaw Convention of 12 October 1929 and the Montreal Convention of 28 May 1999. 

  

3.3 Hiddenist shall inform the Client, for each flight segment, of the identity of the contracting carrier and, where applicable, of the carrier likely to carry out the transport(s) in question (Art. R. 211-15 - R. 211-18). 

The identity of the effective air carrier is communicated to the Client as soon as it is known, at the latest on the date of the Contract for scheduled flights and at the latest 8 days before the departure date or on the date of the Contract if this date is less than 8 days before the start of the journey for charter flights. 

Any change in the identity of the actual air carrier occurring after the conclusion of the Contract of Carriage will be passed on to the Client by the contracting carrier or by Hiddenist as soon as it becomes aware of it and, at the latest, at check-in or boarding for connecting flights. 

The Client is informed that airlines enter into code share agreements with each other, which consist of marketing a flight under their own name while it is operated by an aircraft of another company. 

In accordance with Article 9 of the European Regulation 2111/2005 of 14 December 2005, the list of airlines banned from operating in the European Community can be consulted in agencies and on this website. 

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4. DURATION OF STAY - ACCOMMODATION 

The duration includes the day of the meeting at the airport of departure and the day of the return even in the early morning. Prices are calculated on the basis of nights (not days). 

The usual practice in the international hotel industry is for rooms to be vacated at 11.00 a.m. and occupied from 3.00 p.m. onwards. If a room is made available outside of these times, a payment may be made which is not included in our price list. 

The triple room, when available, is generally a double room + extra bed and the single room may be smaller than the double. 

The classification of the selected establishments is based on the official standards of the countries concerned.  

  

5. MODIFICATION AND CANCELLATION AT THE INITIATIVE OF HIDDENIST 

5.1 Hiddenist has the right to modify or cancel the services or to replace them by substitute services (Article R. 211-9). Exceptional and unavoidable circumstances are likely to force Hiddenist to modify or cancel all or part of the services. 

  

5.2 Hiddenist may, as of right, without prior notice and without compensation, cancel the Contract if the Client fails to pay the full price of the services no later than 60 days before the departure date. 

  

6. MODIFICATION AND CANCELLATION AT THE CLIENT'S INITIATIVE 

6.1 Any request to cancel the Contract must be sent to Hiddenist in writing on a durable medium. Cancellation shall take effect on the date of receipt of the writing. 

6.2 In accordance with Article L 221-28 of the French Consumer Code, the Client does not benefit from a withdrawal period for the purchase of travel services. His registration is final as soon as he signs his travel programme.  

6.3 Requests by the Client to change the departure city, flights and their routings (itineraries planned by the airlines), the destination, the hotel(s) and the services are considered as cancellations. 

The same applies to failure to check in at the place of departure and to failure by the Client to pay the full price of the services no later than 60 days before departure. 

  

6.4 Unless otherwise agreed in writing at the time of registration/booking, the following charges will apply in the event of cancellation: see the summary of charges below. 

  

The Client may take out insurance policies to cover the financial consequences of cancellation of the Contract. 

  

6.5 Unless otherwise agreed in writing in the Contract, any request by the Client to change or correct surnames, first names and/or titles may be made before the departure date subject to payment of the following charges: see the schedule of charges in paragraph 7. 

  

6.6 Notwithstanding the previous provision, in the event that Hiddenist fails to comply with its obligation to provide information as set out in Article 3.3 above, the Client may terminate the Contract and request reimbursement of the sums paid without being liable for any costs or penalties. 

  

6.7 Any trip that is cut short or any service that is not consumed due to the Client's fault may not give rise to any refund or compensation. 

If the Client has taken out optional insurance covering such events, he/she must comply with the terms and conditions set out in the insurance policy provided. 

If the traveller(s) registered for the trip are obliged to cancel their participation in the trip, they must inform their insurer and the person who registered for the trip must inform Hiddenist by any written means that allows for an acknowledgement of receipt, as soon as the event giving rise to the cancellation occurs: the date on which the written document is issued will be taken as the date of cancellation for the purposes of invoicing the cancellation fees. We would like to draw your attention to the fact that the insurer assesses the date of the event leading to the decision to cancel participation in the trip, based on the documents communicated directly by the insured, in order to agree to reimburse the cancellation costs. The insurance premium, the registration fee and the visa fee (the cost of obtaining the visa) are not refundable by Hiddenist or by the insurer.  

  

7. CONDITIONS AND FEES FOR CANCELLATION / RESOLUTION 

7.1 TOTAL CANCELLATION FEE 

• More than 60 days before the departure date: 45% of the total price of the trip  

• From 60 to 46 days before the departure date: 45% of the total price of the trip  

• 45 to 29 days before departure date: 60% of the total price of the trip  

• 28 to 15 days before the departure date: 80% of the total price of the trip  

• Less than 14 days before the departure date: 100% of the total price of the trip  

These fees vary according to the travel period (especially at Christmas and New Year). Some carriers, cruise lines, hotels and/or other service providers whose booking systems and/or programmes impose more restrictive conditions in the event of cancellation, which may be passed on to the Client, up to a maximum of 100% of the total price of the trip.  

Hiddenist will provide you with details of all charges when you sign your registration form. 

  

7.2 PARTIAL CANCELLATION FEES 

If one or more Clients registered on the same trip cancel their participation in a trip that is maintained for the other participants: 

For personal (non-shared) services: the above cancellation fees will be calculated for the cancelling traveller(s) on the price of the services (air tickets...) not consumed on the trip at the date of cancellation,  

For shared services: a fee equal to 100%, regardless of the date of cancellation, will be charged to the participant(s) who cancel(s) on their share of the shared services of the trip, 

When several travellers have registered on the same file and one of them cancels his/her trip, the cancellation fees will be deducted from the sums collected by Hiddenist for this file, regardless of who made the payment.  

For any cancellation/rescission, for any reason whatsoever, the costs outside the trip subscribed to Hiddenist and incurred by the traveller(s), such as transport costs to the place of departure of the trip and return home, costs of obtaining visas, travel documents, vaccination costs, etc., will not be reimbursed. At the date of your cancellation, if your trip includes air tickets, either (1) Hedonist has collected the full price of your trip and the amount of cancellation fees charged will include the reimbursement of air taxes and fees, or (2) Hedonist has only collected a deposit of the total price of your trip and the amount of cancellation fees, which will be deducted from the deposit, will not include air taxes and fees.  

  

8. TRANSFER 

The Client may assign the Contract (excluding insurance contracts) to a third party (Art. R. 211-7 and L. 211-11) provided that he informs Hiddenist by any means that allows for an acknowledgement of receipt at the latest 7 days prior to departure and pays the fees. In addition, the transferring Client and the transferee are jointly and severally liable to Hiddenist for the payment of the balance of the price as well as the additional costs incurred by this transfer and which the Hiddenist Travel Designer will inform you of. 

  

9. INSURANCE 

No insurance or repatriation assistance is included in the price of Hiddenist trips. It is essential that you take out a comprehensive travel insurance policy to cover you before, during and after your trip. Hiddenist will not be responsible for any costs incurred by you or any member of your party before, during or after your trip as a consequence of inappropriate or insufficient travel insurance being purchased. 

We strongly recommend our clients to take out the optional insurance presented by our partner Assurever or any other good travel insurance. 

This insurance contract must be taken out on the day you book your trip; the premium is not refundable.     

The insurance contract is concluded between the client and the insurer. Claims must be made directly to the insurance company in accordance with the terms and conditions of the insurance contract. 

 

10. PUBLIC LIABILITY 

Hiddenist has taken out professional liability insurance (policy no. MTRC202000238) covering the following damage: bodily injury, material damage and consequential damage, up to a limit of €1,500,000 per insurance year with the company HISCOX France 38, avenue de l'Opéra 75002 Paris France. 

  

11. COMPLAINTS 

11.1 The Client must immediately inform the private guides and the local reception staff of the non-performance or improper performance of a service by calling the emergency number, the details of which will be given to you on the documents provided by Hiddenist. Any complaint must also be addressed to Hiddenist in writing. In the event of a complaint, account will be taken, where applicable, of your failure to report any non-conformity in the performance of the services during your trip if this could have financial consequences.  

  

11.2 After the trip, each Client may submit a complaint about the conditions under which the services provided during the trip were carried out in writing to Hiddenist - Client Relations Department - 150 rue de Rennes 75006 Paris France, as soon as possible after the date of return from the trip, accompanied by the supporting documents. Once you have contacted our Client Relations Department and if you have not received a satisfactory response within a maximum of 60 days, you may refer the matter to the Tourism and Travel Ombudsman, whose contact details are as follows MTV Médiation Tourisme Voyage - BP 80 303 - 75 823 Paris Cedex 17. You will also find all the procedures for making a complaint on this website. 

  

11.3 The services contracted by the Client with third parties outside of the Contract constitute independent contracts and may not in any way engage the responsibility of Hiddenist or give rise to reimbursement or compensation on its part. 

  

11.4 Hiddenist shall not be held liable for the non-performance of all or part of its obligations that is attributable to the Client, or to a case of force majeure or to the unforeseeable and insurmountable act of a third party outside of the Contract and shall not be liable for any compensation of any kind whatsoever in this respect. 

For example (non-exhaustive list): 

• Loss or theft of air tickets by the Client(s).  

• Failure to present to the authorities and/or carriers (airlines, etc.) the administrative and/or health documents required to undertake the trip and/or enter the country(ies) of the trip and/or cross the borders, in accordance with the information provided by Hiddenist. 

• Arrival after the scheduled check-in and/or boarding time of any transport route, including air transport. No reimbursement of the transport ticket will be due by Hiddenist in this case. 

• Unforeseeable or unavoidable events of a third party such as: war, political unrest, strikes outside of Hiddenist, riots outside of Hiddenist, technical or administrative incidents outside of Hiddenist, airspace congestion, bad weather, delays (including in mail forwarding services), breakdowns, loss or theft of luggage or other personal effects of the Clients.  

• Cancellation imposed by exceptional and unavoidable circumstances, and/or for reasons related to the safety of the travellers, and/or injunction of an administrative authority: in this hypothesis, Hiddenist reserves the right to modify the dates, schedules or itineraries planned if it deems that the safety of the travellers is at stake, without recourse for the latter.  

In the event that Hiddenist's liability is called into play due to the actions of service providers, the limits of compensation provided for by international conventions will be applied, in accordance with article L 211-17-IV of the French Tourism Code. Except in the case of personal injury, the maximum financial liability of Hiddenist will be limited to three times the total price of the trip.  

  

12. PASSPORTS, VISAS AND HEALTH FORMALITIES 

12.1 The formalities indicated in the trip descriptions apply only to French nationals at the date of publication of these documents. In view of the regulatory changes that may occur, the Client is strongly advised to check the accuracy of the information required for these formalities before departure. All other nationals must contact the competent authorities of the country or countries of destination to find out about the specific formalities that concern them. 

Most countries now require passports to be valid for at least 6 months after your return. 

 

12.2 Children under the age of 18 must have identity papers in their name. Applications for minors must be signed by the father, mother or legal guardian and marked "agreement of father, mother or guardian". 

Minors who are not travelling with their parents or guardians must be in possession, depending on the destination, of a valid authorisation to leave French territory, in addition to the identity documents (CNI or passport, as the case may be) required for the trip. For minors travelling with one of their parents, guardians or other adults, you must ensure that you are in possession of the necessary documents for the accompanying minor (national identity card or passport and, where applicable, authorisation to leave the country) to enable him or her to leave the country and/or to establish, in particular if the minor does not have the same surname as the accompanying adult, proof of parental authority (family record book, court decision, etc.).  

  

12.3 The Client must be: 

• in possession of identity documents valid for 6 months after the date of return to France (for all trips outside the European Union) and any other document required for the trip, including the PCR tests now required by almost all airlines and countries visited. 

• up-to-date with the vaccinations required to travel to the country (ies). 

  

Hiddenist cannot be held responsible in any way for 

• the Client's failure to comply with the formalities thus required and the consequences thereof 

• the Client's failure to present valid identity and/or health documents required for the trip. 

  

13. INFORMATION ON SECURITY AND HEALTH RISKS 

The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) offers you the possibility of consulting country-specific information sheets relating to your trip on this website.  

In addition, the French Ministry of Health publishes information and recommendations on the health risks of the country or countries you are travelling to on this website.   

 
14. ACCESSIBILITY 

If you or any member of your party have any disability, reduced mobility or medical condition, it is extremely important that you tell us before you book in order that we can ensure that the travel experience you are interested in is appropriate to and safe for your needs and make the necessary arrangements to make your experience go safely and smoothly. All health and mobility information will only be used in order to advise you in relation to your booking and for passing to suppliers of your travel experience in accordance with our Privacy Policy. 

If your request includes transport services, particularly air transport, it is up to the traveller concerned to inform us in advance in order to organise the necessary assistance for transport, particularly air transport, both at the airport and in flight. 

  

15.  DOCUMENTATION 

The travel logs are sent to the Client by email at the latest the day before departure. The departure and arrival times are communicated to the Client in good time before departure. 

  

16. PROTECTION OF PERSONAL DATA 

Hiddenist attaches particular importance to the protection of your personal data.  

The collection, use and transfer of your personal data is carried out in accordance with the conditions described in our Privacy Policy. Cookies are managed according to our Cookie Policy. 

  

17. APPLICABLE LAW 

The Contract and its consequences are subject to French law. 

  

18. TRAVELLER'S RIGHTS  

The combination of travel services offered to you is a package within the meaning of Directive (EU) 2015/2302 and Article L.211-2 II of the Tourism Code. 

You will therefore benefit from all the rights granted by the European Union applicable to packages, as transposed in the Tourism Code. Hiddenist will be fully responsible for the proper execution of the package as a whole.  

In addition, as required by law, Hiddenist has protection to refund your payments and, if transport is included in the package, to ensure your repatriation in the event that it becomes insolvent.  

Essential rights under Directive (EU) 2015/2302 transposed into the Tourism Code:  

Travellers will receive all essential information about the package before concluding the package travel contract. 

The organiser as well as the retailer are responsible for the proper execution of all travel services included in the contract.  

Travellers are provided with an emergency telephone number or contact details for the organiser or retailer. 

Travellers may transfer their package to another person, subject to reasonable notice and possible additional charges.  

The price of the package may only be increased if specific costs increase (e.g. fuel prices) and if this possibility is explicitly provided for in the contract and may in any case not be changed less than twenty days before the start of the package. If the price increase exceeds 8% of the package price, the traveller may withdraw from the contract. If the organizer reserves the right to increase the price, the traveller is entitled to a price reduction if the corresponding costs are reduced.  

Travellers may withdraw from the contract without paying withdrawal costs and receive a full refund of payments made if any of the essential elements of the package, other than the price, are significantly changed. If, prior to the start of the package, the professional responsible for the package cancels it, travellers may obtain a refund and compensation, if applicable.  

Travellers may cancel the contract without paying a cancellation fee before the start of the package in the event of exceptional circumstances, for example if there are serious safety problems at the destination that are likely to affect the package. 

If, after the start of the package, important elements of the package cannot be provided as planned, appropriate alternative services must be offered to the travellers at no extra cost. Travellers may withdraw from the contract without paying a withdrawal fee if the services are not performed in accordance with the contract, if this significantly disrupts the execution of the package and if the organiser does not remedy the problem.  

Travellers are also entitled to a price reduction and/or compensation in the event of non-performance or poor performance of travel services. 

The organiser or retailer must provide assistance if the traveller is in difficulty.  

If the organiser or retailer becomes insolvent, the amounts paid will be refunded. If the organiser or retailer becomes insolvent after the start of the package and if transport is included in the package, repatriation of the travellers is guaranteed. Hiddenist has taken out insolvency protection with APST.  

Travellers can contact this entity if they are refused services due to the insolvency of Hiddenist. 

  

The transposition text of Directive (EU) 2015/2302 in France is available on the Legifrance website.