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Our Policies: Terms & Conditions

Why Authentic Ireland? Because we are fanatical about customer service and offer our customers a 100% satisfaction guarantee. With our Risk-Free Cancellation Policy, you are protected against any cancellation charges up to a week prior to departure! No questions asked. This is unique in the travel industry.

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Our Booking Procedures
To make a reservation instantly, please contact us by phone at:

Toll-free from the US and Canada: 1-888-771-8350
Toll-free from the UK: 0808-101-4366
Rest of World: 353-65-684-4941

If you prefer instead to contact us via email, please fill out the form below and be sure to advise us of your tour(s) of interest. Once you have submitted this form, these are the steps involved in making a reservation with us online:

Price Quote Created. Your request will be forwarded to our team of travel specialists in Ireland, and an agent will create a price quote based on your travel preferences (e.g. number of people, nights, time of year)

Price Quote Emailed & Posted To Your Online Account. An online account will be created for you that allows you to view your request and quote online at any time. Log into your account at the top of any of our webpages.

Reserve & Pay Online. Once your quote has been posted to your online account, you can pay for your tour online on our secure server with a Visa/MasterCard or American Express.
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Deposits and Payment
Car & Accommodation Travel Packages: we require a 20% deposit of the land-costs to reserve your tour. The remaining balance is due 60 days prior to departure. We require full payment to purchase your airline tickets.

Group / Chauffeur Packages: We require a deposit of $500 per person to reserve your tour. The remaining balance is due 30 days prior to departure. We require full payment to purchase your airline tickets.

Escorted Tours: We require a deposit of $250 per person. The remaining balance is due 70 days prior to departure. We require full payment to purchase your airline tickets.

We accept payment by Visa, MasterCard and American Express cards. You can pay through our secure server on your online account, or phone or fax in your card details. We also accept checks and money orders made payable to Authentic Ireland Travel. However, we will not issue you your final confirmation until your check has cleared.
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Risk-Free Cancellation Policy - No Cancellations Fees!
(Excluding Escorted Bus & Group Tours*)
Life happens, we all know that. If you need to cancel the Authentic Ireland portion of your travels up to 7 days before your departure date for any reason, you may reschedule your vacation within 365 days with no cancellation fees. We want your travels to be stress-free and happy. No worries, no pressure. Just relaxation and wonder… That’s what travel is about.

The full value of amounts paid to Authentic Ireland will be held on file for you and used as credit towards the rescheduled tour.

If you are forced to cancel within 7 days of your arrival in Ireland, it is likely that we will incur some small cancellation charges from our partner suppliers. These amounts will vary depending on your reserved accommodation types, and unfortunately, Authentic Ireland has no choice but to pass such charges on to you.

If you cancel your tour, and do not wish to reschedule for a future date, the following penalties will apply, depending on the timing of your cancellation:

- More than 8 weeks prior (to your arrival in Ireland): 20%
- 4 to 8 weeks prior: 40%
- 2 to 4 weeks prior: 60%
- 1 to 2 weeks prior: 80%
- Less than 1 week prior: 90%

*Group tours are not eligible to avail of our risk-free cancellation policy, and will be subject to the cancellation penalties outlined above.

Airfare cancellation fees are subject to specific airline terms and conditions.

Cancellations: Escorted Bus Tours
All cancellations must be advised in writing (by mail, fax or e-mail) to Authentic Ireland Travel prior to tour departure during normal business hours (8:00 am to 4:00 pm EST, Mondays through Fridays). Cancellations received within 60 days of departure date are subject to the following penalties on the land portion:

- 70 days or longer: Forfeiture of Deposit
- 69 - 46 days: 25%
- 45 - 8 days: 35%
- 7 - 1 days: 50%
- On departure Day: 100%

Cancellation fees on banquets are $25 per person. All Aer Lingus fares require instant purchase and are non-refundable. No refunds can be made for non-refundable airfares.
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Car Rental/ Car Hire Policies
Our car rental providers have one of the newest fleets of automobiles in the country. Through them we offer compact to SUV size automobiles with either automatic or stick shift transmission. Your comfort and safety is our priority. All cars are reserved through Thrifty/ Dollar Car Rental.

Car rental includes 3rd party insurance, Collision Damage Waiver*, theft protection, unlimited mileage, 24-hour roadside assistance and all taxes. There are no hidden costs or taxes! These extras are not included in prices quoted by many of our competitors, which is worth bearing in mind when comparing prices.

The price quoted is for a specific number of days car rental. If, for example, you are staying in Ireland for 8 nights, your car will be rented for 8 full days. If you return the car after 9 rather than 8 days (i.e. – you exceed your allotment of 8 x 24-hour periods), your credit card will be charged for the extra days rental by Thrifty Car Rental.

License Requirements Driver must be in possession of a valid driver's license for at least two years. An international driver's license is not required if you are a US, Canadian or EU citizen. The primary driver must be the holder of a major credit card - this cannot be a debit card with a visa/mastercard symbol.

Minimum driver age: 25
Maximum driver age: unlimited (over age 75 needs to submit extra documents as outlined below)
Drivers aged 75 and above: If a driver is over the age of 75 years, the car rental company will need to receive the following details:

1) Letter from your GP that states you are fit to drive
2) Letter from your insurance company that states that you arecurrently driving and have been accident free for 5 years

These forms will need to be received & processed by the car rental insurance department in advance of the rental so we advise that you fax/email your agent the documents at the time of booking. No extra charges willbe incurred.

Additional drivers cost 9:08 Euro per day, payable directly to Malone/ Thrifty Car Rental at time of pickup.

GPS Units are available to rent at an additional cost of 10:00 Euro per day or 50:00 Euro per week. If you wish to reserve a GPS device, please contact your agent as this item needs to be booked in adance.

Collision Damage Waiver (CDW): CDW comes into play if you are unfortunate enough to have an accident in your rental car. What is CDW? CDW is basically your insurance deductible. For example, if your CDW is 1600 Euro, you will have to pay 1600 Euros worth of repairs to the car, but no more, regardless of how much damage is done. CDW varies depending on the type of car rented. Please see table below:

CDW deductible & Car Type
1200 Euro (compact/midsize manual)
1600 Euro (compact/ midsize/ full-size auto, full-size/ stationwagon manual)
1800 Euro (7-seater minivan manual/auto)
2000 Euro (VW Shuttle, luxury vehicle)

The CDW can be reduced for an additional daily charge, varying from 17.03 Euro to 19.30 Euro per day, depending on car type. This surcharge is payable directly to Thrifty Car Rental at time of pickup.

Extension of Rental/ Extra Days. Clients must contact the branch from which they collected the vehicle to see if extension of the rental is possible. Extensions will be charged directly to the client by Thrifty Car Rental.
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Changes made by you while in Ireland
Should you wish to alter your travel arrangements in any way after arriving in Ireland, we will do our best to accommodate changes. Authentic Ireland Travel does not guarantee that we will be able to accommodate your request. All changes will be subject to an amendment fee of US$30 per reservation change.
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Changes Made by Us
We plan your travel arrangements many months in advance. Regrettably, amendments may sometimes be necessary for reasons beyond our control. We reserve the right to make such changes at any time prior to your arrival in Ireland.

In the unlikely event that changes do need to be made to the original booking before departure, or in the case of advertised accommodations being unavailable at time of booking, Authentic Ireland will offer an alternative of the same standard as close as possible to the original location.

If the entire tour is canceled for any reason other than nonpayment by you, then you will be offered the choice of purchasing another arrangement from the Company, with the price difference payable/refundable as appropriate, or of receiving a full refund of all monies paid to the Company.
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Escorted Tours (all-inclusive guided bus tours)
All of our escorted tours are offered through our partner, CIE Tours international, the leader of Irish tours for over 74 years. Please read below for more detailed information on our CIE tours.

SECURITY & RELIABILITY
CIE Tours International has provided over a million travelers with the highest quality vacations to Ireland and Britain during the past 72 years. As a division of Ireland's National Transport Company, we have built up an enviable reputation for security and reliability with our satisfied clients and the travel industry throughout North America.

BONDED PROFESSIONALS
CIE Tours International is a member of the United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA) and has lodged a million dollar irrevocable bond. We are also full members of the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA). These professional organizations ensure that their members meet stringent standards to protect the traveling public.

INCLUSIVE COACH TOURS
Our coach tours offer all the advantages of a luxury cruise — without the water. Programs encompass airport transfers, daily sightseeing program, full breakfasts, table d´hote dinners, medieval banquets, cabarets and visits to attractions. Our passengers pay in US dollars and know that almost everything has been covered. Our trained personnel take care of all the details. We urge you to compare the tour features to those of our competitors to understand why we have earned our excellent status for quality and value. If you are considering a self drive vacation, we suggest that you compare coach tour prices as they offer better value for money when overall daily costs are considered.

NO HIDDEN EXTRAS
CIE Tours does not believe in offering "optional" extras when you are on vacation. This policy allows your tour director to focus totally on your needs rather than selling optional tours. Check our "Tour Includes" panel for each vacation to see the exciting features that are included. Note that all of our tours in Scotland feature a Scottish evening with dinner and entertainment, all passengers staying in Edinburgh when the Tattoo is operating in August receive prime reserved seats for this exciting event. And in Ireland our tours include Irish cabaret dinner and show in Dublin and/or Medieval Banquet in Shannon. So check each itinerary to see what is covered — these features could add up to hundreds of dollars if purchased separately.

GUARANTEED PRICES
We guarantee that no increase in land costs will be charged to you, once you have paid the deposit for your tour. This is your protection against international currency fluctuations. When you have paid for your airfare in full, there will be no change in the cost of the ticket.

For more information on our available escorted tours, please click here.
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Our Responsibility & Liability
We accept responsibility for ensuring that the travel arrangements you book with us are supplied as described in promotion material and that the services offered reach a reasonable standard. We will always strive to ensure that any special requests you may make, e.g. Non Smoking Room, are fulfilled. If any part of your travel arrangement is not provided as promised we will pay you appropriate compensation if we agree this has affected the enjoyment of your trip.

Authentic Ireland Travel acts only as a booking agent for the various travel service providers. Bookings and transactions arranged by Authentic Ireland Travel are subject to the terms and conditions and limitation of liability imposed by accommodation providers and car rental agencies.

Authentic Ireland Travel does not accept any liability for any loss, claim damages (direct or indirect, incidental, special or consequential, including but not limited to lost profit or lost savings), accident, delay, omission or act whether negligent or otherwise on the part of a supplier of facilities for travel or any representative, employee, agent or servant of a supplier of facilities for travel.
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Travel Insurance
In case your trip has to be postponed, travel insurance covers you. Authentic Ireland is proud to be partnered with the leading travel insurer. Their rates are affordable, and a small price to pay for peace of mind. We want you to relax when you’re here, have agreat time, and then come back again! We highly recommend you purchase travel insurance to protect your health while in Ireland as most foreign health insurance companies will not cover you should you require medical treatment. More information on our travel insurance here.