How our Trips are costed
Trip Costs are composed of four elements: accommodation, travel, food and sundries.

Accommodation
Includes such costs as bunk house hiring fees, camping fees, YHA bed costs etc.

This will either be

• a fixed cost per person, or
• will be a fixed cost for the use of the whole building, that is then divided between the number of participants. The Trip cost shown on the website is based on an estimate of the number of participants who may attend: the cost per person will go down if there are more participants; the trip may not be able to run if there are not enough participants.

Travel
Trip participants will be asked if they wish to be included in Group Transport from Sussex, or travel independently.

For those that chose Group Transport from Sussex, the trip costs include a share in the costs for approved cars that are used for transporting members to and from the accommodation and to and from walk start / finish points.

“Group Travel” is to from the Driver’s home start point to the accommodation by the most direct route (allowing for small 10 mile detours to pick up group participants, and any detours due to traffic conditions). Where group participants are travelling from their homes to meet the Driver at the start or at a meet-point en-route, then this is at the group participants’ own cost. If two or more are driving together from within Sussex to meet the Driver at their home / other designated start point then this part of their journey can be claimed as “Group Travel” at the Trip Leader’s discretion.

To calculate the cost of fuel in approved cars, the driver will be asked to top up the fuel tank just prior to departure; on return, the tank should again be topped up to full. The actual cost of fuel used on the trip is therefore the final bill plus any intermediate bills after the start. (Receipts must always be obtained for fuel purchased on return, plus any intermediate purchases.)

For Electric cars (EVS) the driver should start with a full charge; any charging en route and the cost to return to full charge at the end of the trip should also be claimed.

The driver will also be asked to record the mileage at the start and end of the trip: the total mileage recorded will determine the driver allowance, at the rate of 9p per mile; this is in recognition as a contribution towards running costs, wear & tear and maintenance of their car used for trips.

For longer journeys an additional driver may be added to the car insurance; this can also be claimed and will be shared amongst all the Group Travel participants. If the additional cost is for a full year (cheaper under some policies) the cost will be added to the first trip it is used for.

Participants who choose to travel independently at their own expense do not pay the travel costs element.

Food
This is the cost of any food provided on a communal basis for the group. We try to provide a vegetarian alternative on most trips but if your dietary requirement is unique you may be asked to provide your own alternative or pay for anything that is bought purely for you.

Sundries
£4 per person is included in the estimated trip cost to cover items such as car-parking, electricity meters, any admin costs incurred by the organiser.
Cost per person
All costs are aggregated and then divided by the number of participants, except as mentioned above re travel. A trip estimate is given on the website when the programme for the following year is published; the final cost will be calculated after the trip as set out below.

Deposit
The organiser will take a non-refundable deposit when the trip is booked, calculated to cover the full cost of the accommodation.

Final Balance
The final balance will be payable after the trip, once all the travel costs have been submitted and the organiser has had time to do the final calculations. The final cost will be rounded to the nearest £5; this will give rise to either a small surplus which will be paid into HHMC club funds or a small surplus to be met from club funds.

The balance, once requested, is to be paid within 5 working days

Cancellation
The deposit is non-refundable. It may however be refunded in part or whole at the discretion of the Trip Leader, if appropriate: if a replacement participant is found for example, or if accommodation can be cancelled.
If a participant cancels within a week of departure then there may be an additional amount to pay (to cover the cost of food purchased)

Insurance
Your club membership includes insurance through BMC. This however is for third party liability insurance for the Club and for individual Club members; it is not a personal accident insurance: please arrange your own personal insurance if you want this additional cover.

Note to all Trip Participants
The programme is drawn up to a year in advance: all trip costings are based on estimated prices at the time of writing. Final costings for trips are likely to differ slightly from the estimated cost.

Please note, the organisers do not get paid for doing any of this!