First make a binding registration for the desired offer in the event calendar at https://www.swfr.de/veranstaltungen/studitours. After registering, you will receive a booking confirmation with all relevant payment details.
Please pay your participation fees within three working days of registering, either in cash at the SWFR Info Shop at Basler Str. 2 (Mon - Thu 9:00 - 17:00 and Fri 09:00 - 14:00) or by bank transfer. You will receive the bank details with your booking confirmation. You can also view the bank details in your personal account under “My bookings”.
Everything that is included in the participation fee can always be found in the respective description under “Participation fee”. Also take a look at the “Travel” section, because here you can find out which means of transportation is planned for the tour and whether it is included in the price or whether there is an additional charge.
The tour is always included and accompanied by our StudiTour guides.
In your user account on our website www.swfr.de. After logging in, you can see “My account” at the top right. There you will find all your bookings - including waiting list bookings, invitations, exchange requests and cancelations. You can also always see the current payment status here. We check all incoming electronic payments once a day (usually in the morning). Cash payments in the info store are visible immediately.
In general, the tours take place in all weathers, even in the rain. We therefore recommend checking the weather forecast and dressing appropriately. However, if the weather situation poses a safety risk (gale-force winds, heavy thunderstorms, heatwave, etc.), the tour will of course not take place. We follow the German Weather Service and will inform you if a tour has to be canceled.
Normally, we start and finish the tour together because the tour guide is responsible for you. In special cases and only after consultation with the guide, you can also leave earlier in exceptional cases. In this case, let him/her know at the start of the tour that you need to leave earlier and then explicitly let him/her know again when the time comes. Please note, however, that it is not always possible to simply leave the tour, especially on hikes, because we use hiking trails that lead through the wilderness.
If you have booked a tour, you will receive all relevant information about the meeting point, time, schedule, etc. from your tour guide by email shortly before the tour (at least 3 days in advance). They will also tell you who your guide is and provide you with their contact details. Please make sure that you check your emails (including your spam folder) again before the tour, as there can always be changes to the planned itinerary.
If you can't make it to the meeting point on time, be sure to call your tour guide first. As all tours are different, she/he will be able to help you best.
As a general rule, if you miss the planned means of transportation because you are late for the meeting point, you can try to catch up with the group at your own expense. For example, you can buy a ticket for the next train/bus etc. and join the group. However, some of our tours have a strict timetable and it may not be possible for the group to wait for you. This is another reason why you should always clarify the details with the tour guide. If we are traveling with a specially booked coach, it is not possible for us to drive back to pick you up. In this case, you will unfortunately miss the tour. There is no entitlement to a refund due to delays and we cannot refund any travel costs that you incur due to a private journey.
For all our tours, we recommend good, sturdy shoes in which you can comfortably cover longer distances on foot (hiking boots are of course ideal for the hikes). You should also bring a rucksack or bag with sufficient water (at least 1 liter), snacks/food (on city tours there is often the opportunity to buy something, on hikes not so much) and, depending on the weather, additional clothing. We generally recommend that you check the weather forecast the day before the tour and pack appropriate sun or rain protection, as we will be out and about for a long time. If additional equipment is required for a tour, the guide will let you know in an email.
If you are unable to take part in a tour, you can cancel your booking via “My bookings”. Please note that paid fees will only be refunded if you cancel at least 5 working days before the start of the event. In this case, a cancellation fee of €5.00 will be retained. If you cancel later, the participation fee cannot be refunded.
We at SWFR will not be looking for substitute participants for you. However, if you find someone who can take part in the tour for you, you have the option of inviting a substitute participant for you via your account. The payment for the tour remains with us - you must take care of exchanging this with your substitute participant yourself.
To invite someone on your behalf, go to “My bookings” and the relevant event. There you will find the option to invite someone on your behalf using the blue arrows. If the person accepts your invitation, your booking will be canceled.
If a tour is canceled due to bad weather, lack of participants or other unforeseen reasons, you will receive an email from us as soon as possible. This will also include details of the refund process for any participant fees already paid.
It is best to register in time! But you can send us an email to studitours@swfr.de and ask if it is still possible to join the tour. Depending on the utilization of the requested tour, we will answer your request promptly.
Members of the International Club (IC) receive a reduced price. You can buy the IC card at the SWFR information desk during opening hours (Mon-Thu, 09-17 and Fri 09-14) or at one of the service points in the canteens. It currently costs € 2.00.
Please inform yourself independently before each tour, e.g. at the Foreign Office or at the representations of the destination country, which travel documents you need to enter the destination country. As this information can always change, it is advisable to find out for yourself in advance. Your guide will be happy to help you with this.
The following applies to the countries mostly visited by our tours (information without guarantee):
SWITZERLAND: Valid travel documents are required for travel to Switzerland! Anyone who has forgotten their identity card or passport or arrives at the meeting point with an invalid travel document will not be able to take part!
- Citizens of the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway can enter the country with an identity card or passport.
- Participants from the following countries require a passport that must be valid for at least three months before entering Switzerland: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Israel, Japan, Korea (South), Malaysia, Macedonia, Mexico, Montenegro (biometric passport required!), New Zealand, Paraguay, Serbia (biometric passport required!), Singapore, Uruguay, USA and Venezuela.
- Students who come from a country not listed above can only enter Germany if they have a valid passport and an (electronic) residence permit for an EU country, Iceland, Canada, Norway or the USA or a “Schengen visa” or a “Visa MULT for Germany”.
- Citizens of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia and Turkey who have their permanent residence in an EU country, Iceland, Norway, the USA or Canada only need their passport, but do not require a “residence permit for Germany”. Serbian nationals do not require a “residence permit for Germany” if they have a biometric passport.
- Palestine is not recognized as a state by Switzerland. However, travel documents issued by Palestine (passport/travel document and VIP passport/travel document) are accepted for entry into Switzerland.
FRANCE: Valid travel documents are essential for travel to France! Please be sure to bring your passport (valid for at least 3 months after entry; possibly with a MULT visa for Germany or Schengen visa or with an [electronic] residence permit). An identity card is sufficient for nationals of a Schengen country.