Travel Festival Giveaway Contest Rules
Whose promotion is this?
Rick Steves' Europe, Inc. (RSE) — located at 130 Fourth Avenue North, Edmonds, WA USA — is running this drawing. By entering, you acknowledge and agree that these terms and conditions (including prizes and procedures) apply to your entry and that RSE's decisions will be final and binding. If these terms and conditions undergo any revisions during the course of the drawing's promotion, changes will be published within these terms and conditions on RSE's website at www.ricksteves.com.
When will the promotion take place?
This promotion will take place beginning at 6:00 p.m. PST on January 13, 2025, and ending at 6:30 p.m. PST on January 23, 2025.
What could I win?
Daily Prizes: On the first seven (7) days of the promotion when there is a presentation hosted by RSE, specifically, January 13, 2025 thru January 16, 2025 and January 20, 2025 thru January 22, 2025, RSE will giveaway one Daily Prize of an RSE branded item which may include one of the following: a copy of a Rick Steves’ Europe book, an RSE t-shirt, or a Civita backpack. Any and all taxes on the Daily Prizes will be the responsibility of the winners. RSE will not be responsible for any delays, damage in the delivery of the Daily Prize, and/or loss of any Daily Prize in connection with delivery of the prize via mail. The individual value of each Daily Prize is a maximum of $29.99.
Grand Prize: On the final day of the promotion (January 23, 2025), there will be a single Grand Prize awarded and it includes: One (1) seat of your choice on a Rick Steves city tour of London, Paris, Rome, or Istanbul. The Grand Prize includes full-time services of a professional Rick Steves' guide, all tours and admissions covering group sightseeing events identified in the specific itinerary, all group transportation during the week of the tour, six nights' accommodations in a centrally located hotel, all breakfasts and half your dinners, and other free stuff including a guidebook, moneybelt, and earplugs. While on the tour, winner will be responsible for the costs of drinks, any additional meals, additional free-time sightseeing, and incidentals not included in the tour.
The tour must be booked within twelve (12) months of being notified that you've won, and tour booking and attendance are subject to the acceptance of the Rick Steves' Europe Tour Conditions and all other required policies. The tour you select must depart before December 31, 2025, and dates of travel are subject to availability. The Grand Prize is valued at a maximum of $2,995.00 or minimum of $2,195.00 and this value is accurate at the start of this promotion but is subject to change dependent upon the date of booking.
You will be responsible for all taxes, insurance and any other expenses, round-trip transportation to and from the selected city, ground transportation to and from the airports and hotel, all applicable passport, visa, and entry/exit fees, cost of single supplement fee if requesting a guaranteed single room, and any other fees and costs connected with the prize that are not included in the prize description.
By entering the drawing and/or accepting a Daily Prize or the Grand Prize, you will give us permission to use your name, likeness, and/or prize information, without limitations, for promotional and advertising purposes without further permission or compensation. In case of a dispute Washington law applies.
Can I enter?
The daily drawings associated with this promotion are open to legal residents of the United States of America (excluding residents of Florida, New York, Rhode Island and Puerto Rico) who are at least 21 years old upon the date of entry. The laws in some places don't allow RSE to run this promotion, in which case the promotion and these conditions of entry are void in those places. If you have an APO or FPO mailing address, you must identify your US ZIP code of permanent residence. Also, you can't enter this promotion if you (or your immediate families or housemates) are employed by RSE. NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN THIS DRAWING.
How do I enter?
Complete the webform located here with all requested information between 6:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. PST on each day of the promotion when there is a presentation hosted by RSE, specifically, January 13, 2025 thru January 16, 2025 and January 20, 2025 thru January 23, 2025. You may enter each daily drawing once per household. All fields in the entry form must be completed and all information must be verifiable with official documentation. RSE has full discretion to determine the validity and qualification of submitted verification documentation. All entry registrations must be submitted from a valid email account, owned by the person submitting the entry, which may be identified by reverse domain name search.
If your entry gets lost in cyberspace or doesn't arrive for any other reason, that's not our fault. If there are compelling technical or administrative reasons which we cannot control, RSE can cancel or modify the promotion. If a modification means that some entries become ineligible, RSE may conduct the drawing from all eligible entries received. There is a limit of one (1) entry per household, per drawing.
Entries for the Daily Prizes must be received between 6:00 p.m. PST and 6:30 p.m. PST on the day of the drawing to be eligible to win. All entries received during the full promotion period will be entered into the drawing for the Grand Prize to be awarded on January 23, 2025.
All entries for the Grand Prize must be received by 6:30 p.m. PST on January 23, 2025, to be eligible to win.
How are the winners selected?
The winners of the Daily Prizes will be determined by a random drawing of all eligible entries received between 6:00pm PST and 6:30pm PST on each day there is a presentation hosted by RSE, specifically, January 13, 2025, thru January 16, 2025, and January 20, 2025, through January 22, 2025. For example, on January 16, 2025, RSE will draw from all eligible entries received between 6:00 p.m. PST and 6:30 p.m. PST on January 16, 2025. The winner of the Grand Prize will be determined by a random drawing of all eligible entries received throughout the entire promotion. For example, an eligible entry received between 6:00pm PST and 6:30pm PST on January 15, 2025, will be entered for the Daily Prize drawing on January 15, 2025, as well as the Grand Prize drawing on January 23, 2025. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received. Estimated odds of winning a daily prize are 1:4,000. Estimated odds of winning the Grand Prize are 1:32,000. The winners will be selected as follows:
- • Daily Prizes: Seven (7) separate drawings for seven (7) separate prizes on seven (7) separate days consisting of eligible entries collected on the day of the specific drawing.
- • Grand Prize: One (1) drawing for one (1) prize consisting of eligible entries collected between January 13, 2025 – January 23, 2025.
RSE's decision is final, and no correspondence will be entered into, even if you have some objection. No more than one prize will be awarded per email or household address.
How will I find out whether I've won?
The winner will be notified in person, by email or phone
RSE will do its best to find each winner. But if we can't, or if the winner hasn't accepted the prize within one week of notification, a drawing will be conducted again of all non-winning eligible entries, and a new winner selected.
What happens if I'm very, very lucky and win?
The prize is yours and only yours. You must use it or lose it. You cannot exchange the prize for cash, sell or give it to another party, or have us award it to someone else. If for some reason RSE cannot award your prize as described, another prize of comparable value will be substituted (but we will decide, at our sole discretion, what that will be).
In order to take the tour, you will be responsible for getting a valid passport and any other necessary personal travel documentation, including visas if required. You will also be responsible for researching and properly meeting any travel and entry requirements in place at the time of the tour's departure.
Before we can formally award you your prize, you will be required to sign an affidavit of eligibility along with a "release," which says that if anything goes wrong with your prize once it's been awarded, you agree that RSE won't be responsible. If applicable, you will also be required to agree to and comply with the same tour conditions and rules of conduct as paying tour members.
If applicable, within one week of notification that you are a winner, as a condition of collecting your winnings, the IRS requires that you provide a validly completed IRS Form W-9 to RSE. Only the winner must provide this information as a condition of collecting their prize. The IRS requires that any person who wins prizes worth $600 or more from RSE receive an IRS Form 1099-MISC and that RSE file a copy of the Form with the IRS. All federal, state and local taxes, and any other costs not specifically provided for in these terms and conditions are solely your responsibility.
If you are the winner of the Grand Prize because the tour would be given to you as a prize, you will not receive any financial compensation from RSE in the event you cannot, for any reason, take or complete the tour. (Independent travel insurance to cover the cost of flights, medical issues, etc. would be your responsibility to arrange at your own expense.)
What happens to my entry?
RSE will use the information contained in your entry only to conduct the drawing(s) and award the prize(s). If you fail to win the drawing, we will not share any of your personal information with others. If you win a prize, RSE reserves the right to use your information as described in the section titled "What could I win?" above. You can view RSE's privacy policy at https://www.ricksteves.com/about-us/privacy-policy.
Good luck and happy travels!