Private Trip Terms & Conditions 

Updated February 29, 2024

We’re excited to host you on a Private Trip! The following Private Trip terms, including important details regarding reservation and payment policies, are supplemental to our Standard Terms & Conditions. 

*When you see “days” below, we’re referring to calendar days.

Private Trip Pricing

Pricing per person varies based on your destination, the time of year you travel, how early you book and how many people join you. The majority of our trips offer the most favorable per-person pricing starting with groups of 12. You may also benefit from select youth discounts for kids under 18 offered on our designated Family Trips.

Your Private Trip Itinerary

Our itineraries have been designed and honed over time to provide flexibility and the perfect balance of activities and downtime. Over 45 years, we’ve learned that making changes can increase the price, decrease the quality of your trip and are often just not feasible. For that reason, even minor adjustments are not recommended.

Booking Your Private Group

Private Trip Organizer Savings

Private Trip Organizers enjoy exclusive savings on their individual trip price when they take over a scheduled date: 

Applicable savings will be applied to the PTO’s reservation at Final Payment (185 days prior to departure) and adjusted accordingly at 95 days prior to departure if your group size increases. Note that PTO savings do not apply to Private Trips for non-scheduled dates. 

Still have questions? Give our experienced Guest Services team a call at 800-462-2848.

Note: We may update or revise our Private Terms & Conditions at our discretion without prior notice. Current Terms & Conditions are always available on our website.

When Your Booking Window Expires

If you aren’t able to get everyone to commit with deposit payments before the end of your 21-day booking period, we offer a few options: 

• Keep your reservation but open the date back up to the public. (The best of both worlds!)
• Keep your trip private by paying the outstanding guest deposit amounts. We’ll refund the Private Trip Organizer if and when new guests book or we’ll reprice your trip based on the existing guest count.  
• Cancel the trip and transfer your deposit or request a refund. (All deposits are refundable during the 21-day booking window or transferable until the Final Payment date (185 days prior to departure), when the full balance is due. See Private Trip Cancellation Policies below.   

Booking within Final Payment

While we recommend booking as early as possible, you can book your Private Trip within the Final Payment window (185 days before your departure) if hotel rooms are available and your group is committed. To reserve the trip, the Private Trip Organizer submits their non-refundable $1,000 deposit. Each guest then has 21 days from the PTO’s deposit date to book their spot with a non-refundable $1,000 deposit. Final payment for all guests, based on the final guest count, is due at the end of the 21-day booking window.

Private Trip Cancellation Policies 

Life happens, and if you or your guests must cancel your reservation before Final Payment but after the 21-day booking period, your non-refundable $1,000 deposit is transferable to your Backroads account or another trip unless someone else can fill the vacant spot(s). If you cancel your reservation after Final Payment, our Private Trip cancellation fees apply:

If your group books a regularly scheduled departure and later converts to a Private Trip, Private Trip cancellation terms and fees apply.