How your money
is protected.

No, we don’t have ATOL — so let’s start there. ATOL exists to protect package holidays sold in the UK that include flights. We are a land-only ground operator: you book your own international flight, we build and run everything on the ground in China. ATOL doesn’t apply to us — but insolvency cover under the applicable EU/UK package-travel rules (the UK PTRs, §651r in Germany) is being arranged, and any operator who implies that doesn’t matter is being careless. What applies instead is below — in writing, with the exact numbers.

Layer one: a small deposit that actually comes back

Locking your dates costs €250 per person — a deposit, not a down payment. If you cancel 45 days or more before departure, it is refunded in full: 100%, no deductions, no “administration fee”. If your plans simply move, your booking includes one free date change — the deposit moves with you and nothing is lost.

Layer two: the balance waits until 60 days before travel

Most of your money never leaves your account until you genuinely owe it. The balance is due 60 days before departure — close enough to the trip that hotels and trains are already being confirmed for you, far enough for you to see the shape of the journey before the large number moves. Until that point, the most you can possibly have at risk is the deposit.

Layer three: refund terms in writing, before you sign

Cancellation terms are not a paragraph we recite on a call. They are a clause of the journey agreement you receive before any payment, on paper, in English, with the deadlines and percentages spelled out. If you ever need to test them, you are pointing at a signed document — not at a promise someone made politely.

Layer four: the gap we won’t paper over

Here is the most honest sentence on this page: we do not yet have third-party insolvency protection. In Germany you would expect a Sicherungsschein; in the UK, ATOL-style failure cover. The simple fact is that the policy is not yet in force; what we are doing about it is this: an equivalent insolvency insurance policy is being arranged, and the insurer’s name — and the certificate — will be published on this page the moment it is in force. Until then we do not ask for or accept bookings or deposits from travellers resident in an EU member state. What we can show you today is the structure that keeps your exposure small: a small refundable deposit, a balance that stays in your account until 60 days before travel, and terms you hold in writing. If that is not enough for you today, that is a fair position, and we would rather lose the booking than blur it.

Don’t trust us. Verify us.

Trust is cheap on the internet, so we’d rather you checked. Before paying anything, you can:

• Read the agreement first. Ask for the sample journey agreement — terms, refund clauses and payment schedule included — before you commit a euro. We reply within one working day.
• Check the numbers against this page. €250 deposit, 45-day full-refund window, 60-day balance. If a quote ever disagrees with this page, we resolve it with you in writing before you pay — the final invoice is the reference.
• Confirm the beneficiary with your own bank. Payment goes to a named business account attached to a formal invoice; your bank can verify the beneficiary before the transfer goes.
• Watch this page for the insurance update. When the insolvency policy is signed, the insurer will be named here — publicly, where everyone can check it.

Straight answers to the usual questions

What exactly happens to my money if I cancel?

Cancel 45 days or more before departure and your €250 deposit is refunded in full — 100%, no deductions, no admin fee. Inside 45 days the deposit helps cover costs we have already committed on your behalf; the journey agreement spells out the sliding scale in writing before you sign anything.

How fast does a refund actually arrive?

We initiate the refund as soon as the cancellation is confirmed in writing. Bank transfers between Europe and China typically take three to five business days to land, depending on your bank. We send you the transaction reference the moment the payment leaves our account, so your bank can trace it.

What about the exchange rate?

Every journey is priced in euros, and refunds come back in euros at the amount stated on your invoice. Any refund comes back in euros at the amount stated on your invoice — the currency risk between booking and refund is ours.

Can I change my dates instead of cancelling?

Yes — every booking includes one free date change. Tell us before the 45-day mark and the change itself is free; the new journey is re-priced at current rates and any difference is quoted in writing before you confirm. Further changes are usually possible too, subject to availability, and we tell you any cost implication before you decide, never after.

Do peak dates change the protection terms?

No. Chinese New Year, golden weeks and other high-demand periods sometimes make hotels and trains scarcer, but the protection terms are identical: €250 deposit, full refund at 45 days out, balance at 60 days before travel, one free date change. The numbers don’t move with the calendar.

Is it safe to send a bank transfer to China?

A SEPA or SWIFT transfer to a named business account is traceable end to end — your bank can confirm the beneficiary, and the transaction reference identifies the payment permanently. We issue a formal invoice first, so the transfer is attached to a written agreement, not a promise. If your bank asks for verification documents, we provide them.

A trustworthy operator is one that tells you where the gaps are. Ours is on this page, in the same type size as everything else.

When you’re ready to see what the money buys, the Classic China journey ships with a full day-by-day sample itinerary and an itemised price breakdown — before anyone asks you for a deposit.