General
This website is provided to its visitors (“’you”) conditioned upon your acceptance, without modification, of any and all terms, conditions and notices as set forth below (collectively known as the “Agreement”). As a visitor to the Cultural Italy website, you agree to be bound by this Agreement and represent that you have read and understood the terms contained herein.
Cultural Italy may change or modify any of the terms of this Agreement at any time. You acknowledge and consent that your continued use of this website represents your acceptance of the modified or updated Agreement.
Cultural Italy, Inc., its agents, employees and representatives are not responsible for any damages, accidents, losses, detention, annoyance, consequential damages of any kind; delays, and expenses due to the same; quarantine, strikes, force majeure; disturbances, government actions, restrictions or regulations, discontinuance or change in transit or hotel services or schedules or rate changes; and any other causes over which we have no control and which are not caused by any negligence, wrongful action or omission on the part of Cultural Italy Inc., its agents, employees, and any associated companies.
Without limiting the above, you are hereby given notice, and you hereby understand and agree that all tickets issued, and all arrangements for transport or conveyance, or for hotel accommodations, and any other arrangements provided herein, are made only on the expressed condition that Cultural Italy, Inc., its agents, employees and representatives shall not be liable for any injury, damage, loss, expense, accident, delay, problem or irregularity which may be occasioned either by reason of any defect in any vehicle or aircraft or other means of conveyance, or through the acts, omissions or defaults of any company or person engaged in conveying the passengers herewith, or of any hotel proprietor or servant, or any other person, firm or entity, not under the direct supervision, control or employment of Cultural Italy Inc., its agents, employees, representatives, and associated companies.
Refunds
All deposits, final payments, and consultation fees are non-refundable. All rendered services are non-refundable. We recommend purchasing travel insurance.
Payment by
– credit card (visa, mastercard, amex)
– paypal
– check made out to Culturaly Inc., mailed to 2801 B Street #149, San Diego, CA 92102
Confirmation
Within 20 business days after final payment, you will receive an email with a detailed confirmation of all the services booked. Your confirmation will have all the necessary information. Please read carefully.
INDIVIDUALLY CUSTOMIZED TRAVEL PACKAGES
Cultural Italy offers individually customized travel packages to Italy.
Conditions
• Payment procedures for packages are:
– a 30% non-refundable and non-transferable deposit is due when the order is confirmed.
– the remainder of 70% of the package price is due 90 days prior to the departure date and is non-refundable.
– If the order is placed within 90 days of departure date, the full amount of the package is due at reservation and is non-refundable.
Confirmation
Within 15 business days after final payment, your agent will email you a detailed confirmation of all the services. Your confirmation will have all the necessary information on the accommodation and services you have booked. Please read carefully.
Changes
• Most reservations cannot be changed after itinerary approval. Changes are subject to availability and they may incur a price increase of the trip.
• Confirmed reservations cannot be changed. However, it may be possible to add services.
Refund policy
• deposits and final payments on packages are non-refundable and non-transferrable
Cultural Italy strongly recommends the purchase of full-coverage travel insurance to protect against unforeseen events.
Accommodation
Cultural Italy arranges accommodations in hotels, villas, farmhouses, castles, all of which are independently managed.
Conditions
• Cultural Italy Inc. will not be responsible for any injury sustained during your stay in any of the properties booked, or resulting from the breakdown of water, gas, electricity, phone, swimming pool filter systems, road conditions, and overall conditions of the property.
• Once selecting Cultural Italy Inc. to arrange your accommodations and paying in full you agree to release Cultural Italy from any claims of damages for refund or credit. You further agree that any claim for refund or credit will be made directly to the accommodating property or properties. Therefore, if problems arise during your stay or if the accommodation is not to your liking, you have the responsibility to contact the property manager immediately and see if they can find a better solution for you.
• Booking and deposit policies (including deposits and utilities in case of rental) applied are those of the particular property.
• For all booking through other companies, their general conditions of lease will also apply.
• Failure to pay in accordance to the rental agreement will result in cancellation of the reserved property, and a cancellation fee will apply.
• Cultural Italy Inc. will not be responsible for damage, injury or travel cancellation charges resulting from cancellation of a confirmed accommodation due to booking error of the property’s management or of Cultural Italy Inc..
• It will be your responsibility to arrive at the property at the scheduled time, and to let us (or the property owner) know of any variation of your arrival time.
• Only the agreed number of people will be able to be accommodated at the property, and you will have the responsibility to act in a respectful and civilized manner. Should the number of people exceed the number of people agreed upon, or should you behave in a manner that is not respectful and civilized, the property owner has the right to refuse entrance to the property.
Refund policy
• No refund will be provided on booked & paid hotels, villas, castles or farmhouses.
Walking and coach tours, group and private
Cultural Italy offers private and group city tours in Italy. All walking tours are with officially authorized guides.
Conditions
• Cultural Italy Inc. does not guarantee the availability of tours.
• Cultural Italy Inc. and any of its affiliates and hired guides will not be responsible for any injury sustained during a walking tour, nor for injury or other damage resulting from the use of a taxi during transfers from the hotel to the beginning of the tour and back, and for transfers within the tour.
• It will be your responsibility to be at the meeting point on time. Tours go on rain or shine.
For group tours, you will most likely miss the tour if don’t arrive on time. Missed tours due to late arrivals cannot be refunded.
For private tours, if you are tardy, it is your responsibility to call the number or numbers provided in the confirmation email. Delays over 30 minutes will result in a penalty fee of Euro 40 for every half hour (or portions of it) after the first 30 minutes. If the delay is over 1.5 hours from the time of the appointment, the tour will be cancelled and no refund will be granted. If other arrangements are made between you and the guide, additional charges might apply.
• In case of delay at the Vatican in the morning, the guide will be with you for the entire tour, no matter how many hours at no additional cost (after the initial delay charges for delays over 30 minutes,) but you might have to wait in line.
• Length of tours is approximate; a variation of about 20 minutes, more or less, is standard and depends on the number of people present at the visited venue, traffic and walking speed, and other factors.
• It will be your responsibility to follow the instructions given in the confirmation, which will have name, telephone, and cell phone of your guide(s) or of the guides’ coordinator, who you will be able to contact the evening prior to your tour.
• You will be responsible to let the guide know of any dissatisfaction when it occurs so that prompt measures can be initiated.
• Unless differently specified, entrance tickets to museums and sites are not included in the cost of the tours. Charges for entrance tickets to museums and sites visited with a tour are subject to change without notice by any museum management. Cultural Italy Inc. will do its best to keep you informed of current rates but is not responsible for any error in terms of the cost of any ticket. It will be your responsibility to pay the amount due shown in the receipt, and displayed at the museum, or site, on the date of your visit.
Refund policy
• No refund will be provided on booked & paid walking and coach tours.
Private drivers, transfers, boat excursions, balloon rides
Cultural Italy acts as an agent of selected Italian private limousine companies and boat excursionists. Italian law requires full insurance for all drivers and vehicles.
Conditions
• Cultural Italy Inc. will not be responsible for any death, injury or damage resulting from any arranged transfer, driving service, boat excursion, or balloon flight.
• It will be your responsibility to be at the meeting point on time. If you are late, it is your responsibility to call the number or numbers provided in the confirmation email. Otherwise, the driver will be obliged to wait for you for one hour only. If the driver is late, it is your responsibility to call the number or numbers provided in the confirmation email as well.
• For transportation to and from an airport, it will be your responsibility to provide the exact flight number, departure and arrival time. In case of a delayed flight, the driver will know and will be waiting for you at no additional cost.
• It will be your responsibility to inform Cultural Italy Inc. if you have more luggage than 1 suitcase and 1 carry-on. If a larger vehicle or an extra vehicle is required for the extra luggage, you will be responsible for the price difference.
Refund policy
• No refund will be provided on booked and paid driving services.
Events
Cultural Italy offers a reservation service for tickets to opera and other events in Italy. All the venues where these events take place are independently owned and managed.
Conditions
• Cultural Italy Inc. does not guarantee the availability of tickets.
• Calendar of events is updated regularly and to our best knowledge. Cultural Italy Inc., however, is not responsible for errors in the online calendar.
• Cultural Italy Inc. will be securing the tickets on your behalf, in the selected price range. Orders will be placed by phone or online either directly with the venue where the performance is staged, or with an authorized ticket agency or broker. Acceptance of terms and conditions authorizes Cultural Italy Inc. to complete the requested purchase on your behalf which will be final and non-refundable.
• In most cases, tickets will be picked up at the box office by presenting your passport and a copy of the confirmation email. Cultural Italy Inc. is not responsible if instructions contained in the confirmation emails are not followed properly. Cultural Italy Inc. will inform you when tickets will be mailed to your address and if there will be additional shipping charges. For tickets to special events, custom arrangements are made.
• For some venues, tickets will be paid in advance; for others, Cultural Italy Inc. will charge a reservation fee, and you will pay for the entrance tickets at the door.
• If a certain event is sold out at the venue’s box office, Cultural Italy Inc. may be able to purchase tickets on your behalf from other sources. In this case, there will be additional charges, related to the degree of difficulty, and the cost of obtaining these tickets.
• For reduced price tickets it will be your responsibility to show proof of eligibility (students under the age of 26 will need to have a valid student ID; seniors over 65 will need to have a valid ID).
• You are responsible for being at the venue at the indicated time or before the beginning of the show. Otherwise, you will be able to enter only after intermission. No refund will be provided in this case.
Refund policy
• There is no cancellation or refund for tickets to events, including operas, concerts, and special events like the Palio, the Venice Carnival, and others. Refunds will be provided in certain cases of cancellation of an event due to a labor strike or other unforeseen event or decision by the event’s organizers. Cultural Italy Inc. will not be responsible for any inconvenience caused by the cancellation of an event or performance. If an event is canceled by the organizers for any reason, it will be your responsibility to obtain a refund of the face value of the tickets directly at the box office on the day of the performance or within the period granted by the theater. Box office personnel may offer you tickets to another date. You can choose this option, or request a refund. There will be no refund on the reservations fees and any other additional fees charged by Cultural Italy Inc.
Museums
Cultural Italy offers a museum reservation service to avoid the line at the entrance of selected museums in Italy. All these museums are independently owned and managed.
Conditions
• Confirmed dates, times, and instructions contained in the confirmation emails will need to be respected, otherwise, museums will not be able to honor your reservation. If this happens, reservation fees and tickets will not be refunded. If you request a change of date or time after your reservation is confirmed, there will be an additional fee of Euro 5 per ticket. If that change isn’t possible, no refund will be granted.
• If ordered reservations are not confirmed before departing from home, you have the responsability to contact Cultural Italy at least 2 days before departure to verify the status of your order. If you won’t be able to speak to a person, you have the responsibility of leaving a clear message and letting Cultural Italy know the name and phone number of the hotel or other accommodation where you will be staying, and/or your cellular phone number.
• Cost of entrance tickets to museums is subject to change without notice.
• If you arrive late it will be up to the museum officer to allow you in or to refuse entrance.
• Some museum tickets are to be paid on-site, others in advance. Cultural Italy’s reservation fee is added to the cost of the tickets.
• If yours is a last-minute order, please indicate pertinent contact information (cell phone, hotel name and phone number, name under which reservation at hotel is made if it is different than yours). There may not be sufficient time to process your order; if this is the case, your order will be cancelled and no charge will be applied. Cultural Italy is not responsible for any inconvenience, or damage resulting from cancellation, total or partial, of any order.
Refund policy
• No refund will be provided on booked & paid museum tickets and reservations. No refund will be provided in case of museum closing due to unexpected events (ex: strike) or sudden closing of a museum or site for any reason.
Classes and Restaurants
Cultural Italy offers cooking classes, wine tasting, meals at restaurants, arts & crafts classes through independently owned and managed Italian providers.
Conditions
• Cultural Italy Inc. does not guarantee the availability of requested classes.
• You are responsible for arriving at your appointment for the class/tasting/meal on time and for calling the organizers in case of delay.
• You are responsible for letting Cultural Italy and the Italian service providers know about any food allergy or intolerance.
• Cultural Italy, Inc. does not assume liability for adverse reactions to foods consumed, or items any of its clients or customers may have while in Italy or on route to Italy. If you have a food allergy we provide the following information for your attention: http://www.foodallergyitalia.org
Refund policy
• There is no cancellation or refund on confirmed and paid classes.
Weddings
Cultural Italy helps you arrange your wedding in Italy.
Conditions
• It will be your responsibility to check with the closest Italian consulate if you have all the right documents (copies and originals) which are necessary for the wedding.
• It is your responsibility to arrive in the country early enough to complete all the necessary documents (getting a permit from your country’s consulate and a permit from the Italian prefecture in the province town closer to where the wedding will take place.)
• Cultural Italy Inc. will not be responsible for failure in the completion of the documents for any reason. If this happens, Cultural Italy will try to rearrange, if possible, the ceremony as a symbolic one (with no legal value.)
• Villa rentals’ terms & conditions apply when renting a property.
Refund policy
• There is no cancellation or refund on confirmed weddings.
Train tickets
Travel easily with your reservation code or electronic tickets.
Conditions
• No refund will be provided for missed trains.
Refund policy
• No cancellation or refund on purchased tickets for any reason. In case of a strike, our travelers’ assistance team can help you arrange private transfers at an additional cost.
Jurisdiction and Governing Law
This web site is controlled and operated by Cultural Italy, Inc., from its offices in San Diego, California, United States of America. The parties hereto irrevocably consent to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of any court of the State of California sitting in the County of San Diego over any suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement, except as otherwise agreed by the parties or as described in the Arbitration Option in the paragraph below.
Arbitration Option
For any claim (excluding claims for injunctive or other equitable relief) where the total amount of the award sought is less than $10,000, the party requesting relief may elect to resolve the dispute through Binding-non-appearance-based arbitration (“Arbitration”). Where a party elects Arbitration, the party shall initiate such arbitration through the American Arbitration Association.
Each party shall bear its own costs, fees, and attorneys’ fees in the event of an action or proceeding arising out of this Agreement.
Severability
In the event that one or more of the provisions, terms or clauses of this Agreement is determined by a court of competent jurisdiction to be illegal, invalid, or unenforceable, such offending term or clause shall be severed from the Agreement and the remaining provisions, terms or clauses shall not be affected and shall remain. In the event of such severance, the remaining provisions, terms and clauses shall be binding and enforceable.
Phone numbers
By providing my phone number to “Cultural Italy”, I agree and acknowledge that “Cultural Italy” may send text messages to my wireless phone number for any purpose. Message and data rates may apply. Message frequency will vary, and you will be able to Opt-out by replying “STOP”. For more information on how your data will be handled please visit https://culturalitaly.com/privacy-policy/