Terms & Conditions

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This document outlines what Karen Gros agrees to provide when you sign up for a trip, and what you agree to do in return. This is very important information, so please read it carefully before you complete your reservation request.

Contents:
Legal Responsibilities
Passports
Price and what it includes
Transportation
To reserve
Exchange rate
Carbon offsets & GREEN travel
Activities subject to change ~ being flexible
Sleeping arrangements
Single travelers
Social responsibility
Right to be photographed
Children
No smoking
Baggage & Packing
Traveling can be physical
Pacing yourself
Trip insurance
Disabilities
Agreement

Legal Responsibilities : Karen Gros is a resourceful trip organizer and travel companion, and as such will be responsible for making all reservations for air travel and accommodations, as well as organizing, booking, and facilitating group activities. Karen Gros is not a professionally licensed tour operator. Neither Cuisine Karen nor Karen Gros and her agents and assigns own or operate any person or entity, which is to or does provide goods or services for these trips. Because neither maintains any control over the personnel, equipment, or operations of these suppliers, Cuisine Karen and Karen Gros assume no responsibility for and cannot be held liable for any personal injury, death, property damage or other loss, accident, delay, inconvenience, or irregularity which may be occasioned by reason of (1) any wrongful, negligent, willful or unauthorized acts or omissions on the part of any of the suppliers or other employees or agents, (2) any defect in or failure of any vehicle, equipment, or instrument owned, operation or otherwise used by any of these suppliers, or (3) any wrongful, willful or negligent act or omission on the part of any other party not under the supervision of Cuisine Karen and Karen Gros. Additionally, neither Cuisine Karen nor Karen Gros accept responsibility for losses or expenses due to sickness, lack of appropriate medical facilities or practitioners, weather, strikes, theft or other criminal acts, war, terrorism, civil unrest, computer problems, or other such causes. All services and accommodations are subject to the laws of the country in which they are provided. Arbitration: You agree that any dispute concerning, relating to this contract, the brochure or any other literature concerning my trip, or the trip itself, shall be resolved exclusively by binding arbitration according to the then existing rules of the American Arbitration Association in Arkansas. Substantive Arkansas law will govern such proceedings.

Passports are required for this trip at your expense. To visit countries within the European Union, your passport must be valid 3 months from the date of return home.

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“9 days in Paris” 2009 Trip Price of $2,685 includes: 8 nights lodging in high-quality, centrally-located apartments, airport pick-up & return, 1 breakfast, 2 lunches, 3 dinners, 2-day museum pass, transportation costs to Reims, unlimited metro/bus in Paris, detailed Michelin street map, carbon offset for flight, trip insurance, all highlights above, tips & advice from Karen Gros.

“12 days in Provence” 2009 Trip Price of $3,395 includes: 9 nights lodging in beautiful, high quality accommodations (3 nights in Vaison La Romaine, 3 nights in Arles, 1 night in Cassis, 3 nights in Marseille), all breakfasts, 5 lunches, 5 dinners, airport pick-up & return, rental van, full auto insurance, fuel, toll and parking fees, 1 cooking course w/diploma & recipe, boat tour of Calanques, carbon offsets for flight, trip insurance, and all highlights listed in Provence Highlights. Please note rates does not include airfare.

PLEASE NOTE: Trips are LAND ONLY; airfare not included.

Transportation: Paris: Unlimited public transportation within the city of Paris ~ metro, bus, and tram ~ is included in the trip price. Taxis are not included, although I will be more than happy to reserve taxis for you, at your convenience. Provence: Since the Provencal villages and countryside are best enjoyed at our own pace, I plan to rent a minivan plus one car. I will drive the minivan; and I will ask for one volunteer driver for the car. I will assume all costs associated with the rental of said vehicle, including full insurance, fuel charges, parking, and tolls. It is possible to include a secondary driver on the contract, in order to share the driving.

Reserve Your Spot: To reserve a seat on one of the trips to France with Karen Gros, you must agree to these Terms & Conditions and provide us with a nonrefundable deposit of $600 per person. All trips are limited to 8 people per trip. Reservations are accepted on a first come, first served basis.

Trip payments: I accept personal checks, money orders and bank drafts for all trip payments. I cannot accept credit or debit cards for any trip payments. The deposit and all payments are non-refundable, unless a suitable replacement is found with permission from Karen Gros.

Exchange rate: The current price of the trips are based on an exchange rate of 1.50 USD to 1.00 Euro. If the Euro becomes valued at more than this rate either before or during the trip, you agree to pay the additional increase.

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Carbon offsets & GREEN travel: Starting in 2009, Karen is including carbon offsets to counterbalance the carbon dioxide emissions of your flight. A roundtrip flight from Arkansas to France produces roughly 4 tons of CO2. The money paid for the offset will fund renewable energy projects currently underway, such as the Farm Methane project and Farmer-Owned Distributed Wind projects. Visit NativeEnergy for more information about carbon offsets and renewable energy projects.

Trip activities are subject to change: Europe is full of surprises and we need to be flexible enough to take advantage of whatever comes along so that we may provide you with the best possible tour. Therefore, Karen Gros reserves the right to make changes in the published itinerary whenever, in her sole judgment, conditions warrant, or if she deems it necessary for the comfort, convenience, or safety of the tour. She reserves the right to withdraw from any activity announced. Uncompleted or unattended group activities in the itinerary are not cause for refund.

Sleeping Arrangements:
In Paris, each party traveling together will have their own private apartment with all amenities. • Apartments will be located within a 15 minute walk of each other. • Sleeping arrangements are based on doubles, i.e. two persons per bedroom. • Odd-numbered parties traveling together may share one apartment by utilizing the high-quality sofa bed(s) in the living area. • Please inquire about studio possiblities for single travelers.
In Provence, accommodations are based on doubles; all rooms have private bathroom and toilets. It is possible to request a private single room, at a supplement, please inquire.

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Single travelers: If you're traveling solo, you won't necessarily pay the mandatory “single supplement” required by tour companies. Instead, you will have the option to share a room with another traveler of the same gender. You may, of course, opt to pay a supplement for a private room.

Social Responsibilities: Karen Gros reserves the right to decline to accept any person as a member of the trip, or to require any participant to withdraw from the trip at any time, when such action is determined by her to be in the best interest of the health, safety, and general welfare of the group or of the individual participant. • While I want everyone to have a good time, it sometimes happens that someone participating in an activity can misbehave or do things that are incompatible with the safety, comfort or convenience of other members of the group. • You agree that in those circumstances Karen Gros has the exclusive right and discretion, to expel someone, or even you, from an activity at any time, without any claims or complaints by you against Karen Gros. • I thank you for respecting protocol when traveling, as discussed in Travel Philosophy.

Participants may be photographed by other trip participants. You agree that these photos, as well as your comments may be used by Karen Gros for the promotional purposes of future tours.

Children between the ages of 18 and 21 must room with and be accompanied on the trip by a parent or guardian. Travelers must be 18 years of age at the time of trip departure. There is no reduced rate for children.

No Smoking: These trips are designated as non-smoking for the health and comfort of the entire group. There is no smoking inside any apartment, or during any of the group activities. If you do smoke, you may smoke only outdoors and downwind from the group. Thank you for your help and understanding.

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Baggage: Baggage and personal effects are the sole responsibility of the owner at all times. Please note that you will carry your own bags up to your room, which in Provence, may entail walking a block or two up hill and/or upstairs.
Baggage limit: For the convenience of the group, I allow a maximum of ONE CHECKED BAG (48 linear inches maximum) and ONE CARRY-ON per person, despite airline regulations. You may however, pack a folding duffel bag, in order to return with two checked pieces.

Packing: Two things that determine the enjoyment of your trip are good shoes and pacing (see below). My perferred brands of comfortably stylish shoes ~ flats and heels ~ are brands such as Bolo, Merrell, Born, and Clarks.
Paris: Each apartment will have a clothes washer, but not necessarily a dryer. It is common to hang clothes inside the apartment to dry. Expect cool and breezy evenings, with daytime temperatures varying from cool to warm; it could be rainy this time of year. You may wish to pack one nice outfit for our chef dinner.
Provence: Pack efficiently with clothes you can hand wash in the sink and air dry. We will not have access to laundry facilities. Expect warm to hot sunny days, and cool evenings; very small chances of cool weather or rain, but as with everywhere, the weather is becoming more and more unpredictable. You may wish to pack one nice outfit for fine-dining in Marseille. Bring sturdy walking shoes.

Traveling can be physically demanding. To enjoy the experience, you will want to be in fairly good shape. Whether you are 28 or 78, you will get more out of your experience if you get in shape before you leave.
Paris: Paris is a walker's city. Depending on how you plan your free time, you may find yourself averaging 5 miles of walking per day. You will likely encounter uneven cobble stones, and compact soil pathways such as those in the Tuileries Gardens or Luxembourg Gardens. Standing during sightseeing tours or museum visits can be hard on the legs and feet. Lastly, don't forget about steep stair-climbing if you plan to visit the towers of Notre Dame, or the Sacre Coeur in Montmartre. • If you plan to use the metro a lot, you must be able to walk quickly, aptly and have no trouble climbing lots and lots of stairs. The Paris buses offer a pleasant alternative to the metro (except during rush hour), allowing maximum visibility of this beautiful city. Taxis are also an option; taxi queues are found at major museums and monuments, as well as some of the larger squares and commercial areas. Please note that taxis in Paris can rarely be hailed on the street, as in New York City.
Provence: We will be staying in authentic residences, which include climbing hills and stairs. Please be prepared for lots of walking and hill climbing, cobblestone alleys, and spiral staircases.

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Pace yourself: You will not enjoy your trip if you do not stop to smell the roses. Balance your time in France between intense and relaxed periods. Every trip, and every traveler, needs at least some down time. Assume you will return. Slow down and ask questions. Most locals are eager to assist and point you in their idea of the right direction. Often, letting go of our rushed agendas leads us to the greatest reward of traveling: spontaneous magical moments.

Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance & Travel/Medical/Evacuation Insurance is included in all trip prices. • I have chosen Travel Guard's Essential Expanded (Silver) package, which includes standard coverage and 24-hour emergency travel assistance. Trip cancellation is covered is any member of our group (traveling companion), including myself, must cancel for a covered reason. See full description of coverage. • This trip insurance is for the LAND-ONLY trip package, i.e. monies paid to Karen Gros. You may obtain cancellation insurance to include your airfare, at a supplement of approximately $100, payable by you. • Neither Cuisine Karen nor Karen Gros accept liability for any airline cancellation penalty fees incurred by the cancellation of any ticket NOT purchased by Karen Gros.

Disabilities : Any pre-existing physical, mental, or emotional disability that may require attention or treatment must be reported in writing prior to the beginning of a tour. All travelers are required to complete, sign and return, prior to the trip departure date, a Medical Release and Waiver Agreement.

You have read and agree to these Terms & Conditions: Any payment to Karen Gros constitutes acceptance of these Terms & Conditions.

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