Breaking Italian Booking Terms & Conditions

This agreement outlines what Breaking Italian, a venture of Maiarts, LLC, agrees to provide when you sign up for a vacation, as well as your responsibilities. Please read these terms carefully before you complete your reservation request. Our base prices do not include airfare, and are subject to change without notice due to the unpredictability of currency rates and vendor availability. However, the price for the vacation you've selected will be guaranteed from the moment we receive your deposit.

Included in the hand-picked experience that is Breaking Italian:

  • one immersive learning track and all of its related content (only one track per person per trip is feasible)
    airport pickup from Pisa or Florence and ground transportation to your apartment. Pickup at other locations will incur an additional charge.
  • an apartment within the walls of Lucca for 10 nights
  • regular cleaning of your apartment (or not, if you prefer - no refunds for refusal of this service will be made, however)
  • a cell phone - so you can call us, or each other, or your new Italian friends
  • a stocked kitchen upon your arrival - tell us what you want and it will be waiting when you open the door.
  • 4 group outings (meal included with most outings)
  • 5 vouchers for dinner (or lunch, if you prefer) at some of Lucca’s best and beloved restaurants
  • self-guided vacations for the days you don't want to be tethered to one of our amazing guides
  • museum admission, when applicable
  • conversational Italian (this is in a very relaxed format and setting. It is not a formal language class)
  • a bicycle
  • full-time services of on-site company manager
  • One (1), 30-minute pre-trip personal consultation via phone or video chat.
  • welcome and farewell dinners
  • Tips
  • surprise gifts

No refunds will be made for unused vouchers, or for opting out of activities.

Extras available at additional cost:

  • upgrade your housing to a 4-star hotel
  • extra outings
  • extra meal vouchers
  • a seat on our group flight
  • laundry service
  • additional minutes on your cell phone (beyond what was already pre-loaded upon your arrival)
  • Personal chef
  • Single supplement for solo travelers - please check with us for current rates

Itineraries are subject to change: Italy is great at last-minute changes. We need flexibility so that we may provide you with the best possible experience. Uncompleted portions of the vacation itiner­ary are not cause for refund.

Payments: To reserve a seat on a vacation you must agree to these Terms & Conditions and provide us with a deposit of $750 per person, and agree to the terms of the Waiver & Statement of Responsibility. We accept MasterCard, Visa and American Express for all payments. (Note: we cannot accept credit card information via email or over the phone for data security reasons.) We also accept your personal check written on a US bank account (or a bank draft/money order drawn on a US or Canadian bank) made payable to "Maiarts LLC" in US dollars. Your final vacation payment is due in our office no less than 60 days prior to the start of the vacation. The due date is listed on your initial confirmation email and invoice. We reserve the right to remove you from the vacation if you fail to pay the final balance by your due date. If you sign up for a vacation less than 60 days before its departure, the entire vacation price must be paid, and the deposit portion is non-refundable.

Solo travelers and single supplements: Please contact us for current single supplement rates, which will be guaranteed at the time we receive your deposit. Single supplements are refundable if cancelled at least 60 days prior to vacation departure; those cancelled later will be forfeited.

Travel insurance: All participants in the Vacation are strongly advised to get travel, medical, accident, cancellation, and baggage insurance independently. Breaking Italian/Maiarts LLC carries no insurance whatsoever for the Vacation Participants. Participants are advised to consult the following non-profit informational web site: insuremytrip.com

Transferring to another vacation: Up to 60 days prior to your vacation's start, you can transfer to any other vacation within one year of your original vacation start date, when/if seats are available, applying your existing deposit and with no transfer fee. If you transfer to a different vacation, the price of that vacation will be applied, effective on the date we confirm your transfer. Transfers less than 60 days before your vacation’s start may not be possible. We reserve the right to refuse transfers less than 60 days prior to the start of your Breaking Italian vacation.

Passports & visas: You are responsible for obtaining any travel documents and verifying entry requirements necessary for each country of travel on your selected tour itinerary, including any required vaccinations, as Breaking Italian/Maiarts LLC is not responsible for providing this information or documentation. U.S. citizens are required to have a passport for all trips outside of the United States, which must be valid for at least six months beyond the completion date of the tour. Entry laws differ with respect to travelers’ citizenship. You are responsible for any expenses incurred as a result of delays or itinerary changes related to your lack of appropriate travel documents and are therefore ineligible for any refund from Breaking Italian/Maiarts LLC. We recommend that you apply for any necessary visas with a visa service. If you decide to apply for your visa directly with the applicable consulate(s) and require additional assistance and/or documentation from Maiarts LLC/Breaking Italian, you may be subject to a special arrangements fee of $95. For more information on countries requiring visas for U.S. citizens, please refer to the U.S. Department of State website: travel.state.gov.

Cancellations and refunds:
Deposits for vacations are 100% refundable for 30 days from the date they are received. After 30 days following payment your deposit becomes non-refundable, and will be forfeited should you decide to cancel your reservation. All deposits made less than 60 days before a vacation departs are non-refundable, even if that date occurs less than 30 days after your deposit payment. If you cancel your vacation, the loss of funds is as follows:

59-46 days prior to start of vacation: 50% of total cost, per person

45 - 1 day(s) prior to start of vacation: 100% of total cost, per person

Above costs are exclusive of airfare, unless you have purchased a seat on our group flight. If you have purchased a seat on our group flight, the airfare portion may not be eligible for refund.

Cancellations must be in writing: sent via email to info@breakingitalian.com. Cancellations become effective on the date received by Breaking Italian.

You should consider purchasing optional comprehensive travel and health insurance for your trip.
If we cancel a vacation you have reserved for reasons other than safety/security of the participants and/or an Act of God, the entire amount you have paid to Breaking Italian for the applicable vacation will be refunded to you within 14 days after the vacation's cancellation. Or, you may choose to transfer to another vacation with seats available (see "Transferring to another vacation," above). Once this occurs, Breaking Italian and its representa­tives have no other obligations to vacation members on cancelled trips including any additional costs or fees related to the issuance and/or cancellation of airline tickets or other travel reservations not made by Breaking Italian.

Vacation forms, obligations, and risks: To travel on a vacation, all Breaking Italian members are required to agree to a waiver and statement of responsibility when booking their trip and paying their deposit. Any pre-existing physical, mental, or emotional disability that may require attention or treatment must be reported prior to the beginning of a vacation. Omitting important information could result in expulsion from a vacation at your own expense. Breaking Italian has no additional travel or health coverage to protect vacation participants. Vacation members intentionally assume the many risks inherent in international travel.

Participation: It sometimes happens that someone participating in a vacation can behave in a way that is incompatible with the safety, comfort or convenience of other members of the vacation. In those circumstances we have the exclusive right and discretion, to expel someone from a vacation at any time, without any claims or complaints by you against us, and/or without refund.

Breaking Italian vacations are somewhat physically active: On any vacation you should be capable of participating in the following levels of activity:

  1. Be comfortable on your feet with climbing stairs and using public transportation (which involves stepping up onto and off of a bus, train, etc.), plus standing and walking for up to four hours, without assistance from us.
  2. Be comfortable walking up and down stairs to reach your apartment, stores, etc.
  3. Be comfortable walking to and from restaurants and other sites within Lucca’s historic center, and within other nearby historic centers. Cars are not allowed in most historic centers in Italy and will only be used for your personal transport on your initial arrival and your departure.

Smoking is not allowed in bars and restaurants, or in your accommodations.Failure to comply with this will result in cleaning fees and/or additional penalties. Please be considerate of those in your group and smoke outside, away from others in your group, and downwind, during scheduled outings.

Children under age 18 must room with and be accompanied on the vacation by a parent or guardian, who is responsible for participating in all vacation activities in which the child partakes.

Governance:this agreement is governed by the laws of Hamilton County, Ohio, United States of America.

Arbitration: All claims and disputes arising under or relating to these Terms & Conditions are to be settled by binding arbitration in the state of Ohio. An award of arbitration may be confirmed in a court of competent jurisdiction.

The information provided during the vacation is for your own personal enjoyment and not for professional use.

Breaking Italian is a venture of Maiarts LLC.

Maiarts, LLC
4230 Florida Avenue
Cincinnati, OH 45223
Tel: 513-549-6402
Email: info@breakingitalian.com
breakingitalian.com