Backroads Terms & Conditions
Reserving Your Trip
How to Sign Up: To reserve your Backroads trip please call 800-GO-ACTIVE (800-462-2848) or your professional travel agent. You may also book 24 hours a day on our secure website.
Trip Deposits: The deposit per person is $600. Deposits may be made by check or a major credit card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, Diner's Club, American Express).
Paying Your Balance: The balance of your trip cost is due 95 days prior to departure except for Special Departures,* in which case the balance is due 125 days prior to departure. Balances may be paid by check or money order in U.S. dollars or by credit card. With your authorization, we automatically bill your credit card when the balance is due. If final payment is not received when due, Backroads reserves the right to cancel the reservation.
Trip Price: Prices shown are per person based on double occupancy, quoted in U.S. dollars, and are set well in advance of the trip departure date. Our prices vary depending on a variety of cost factors, with peak travel times being the most expensive. Once you book your Backroads trip, your price is guaranteed. Prices cover land costs only; they do not include airfare to and from the trip. State sales tax will be charged on Alaska and Utah trips.
Trip Cancellation Policies: If you must cancel your reservation, your cancellation fee will be determined according to the policy outlined below. Exceptions to our cancellation policy cannot be made for any reason, including weather, terrorism, civil unrest or personal emergencies. There is no refund for arriving late or leaving a trip early. Private room and internal air charges are considered part of the total trip cost and are subject to cancellation fees. Percentage charges are calculated on total trip cost. Transfers: You may transfer from one trip to another up to 95 days before trip departure without penalty—except on our Special Departures,* where you can transfer up to 125 days before the trip departs—after which time our cancellation policy applies.
| Days Prior to Trip Start | Regular Departures | Special Departures* |
|---|---|---|
| 126+ days | $200† | $600† |
| 96+ days | $200† | 30% |
| 61-95 days | 30% | 50% |
| 31-60 days | 60% | 75% |
| 0-30 days | 100% | 100% |
Bike Cancellation Policies: If you are renting a Specialized Roubaix, Ruby or Co-Motion Tandem, a $200 cancellation fee will apply in the event you cancel your bike and/or your trip reservation inside 30 days.
Release of Liability: Guests are required to provide a signed "Release of Liability, Assumption of All Risks, and Arbitration Agreement" form and a completed Personal Information Form prior to trip departure; you will receive these materials shortly after reserving your trip. We are unable to allow guests to participate in any aspect of a Backroads trip without a signed release form.
Guarantee Policy: Backroads Inn trips are guaranteed to run once five or more guests book*, camping trips are guaranteed to run once six guests book, excepting only in cases of force majeure or the failure of third parties—such as hotels or campgrounds—to honor their reservations, in which case all payments received to date will be refunded, which constitutes full settlement. Backroads is not responsible for expenses that are incurred in preparation for any canceled trips, such as airline tickets, or for costs that are incurred due to travel delays, flight cancellations or illness.
Group Size: The average group size for all Backroads trips is 16. The maximum number of guests ranges from 14-20 on our walking trips, and 18-26 on biking and multisport trips.
* View our Special Departures. Guarantee Policy does not apply to these trips.
† Rather than forfeit the cancellation fees, you may choose to keep your trip deposit ($600) in a holding account to use on a future Backroads trip with no expiration date.
