Terms of Service

1. Who we are

LonelyTrip ("LonelyTrip", "we", "us", "the Platform") is an online marketplace that connects travelers with independent local experts ("Mentors") and partner agencies for informational travel consultations, curated experiences and tours. By accessing or using the Platform you agree to these Terms.

2. Nature of the service — important

LonelyTrip provides a technology platform for informational consulting services. LonelyTrip is not a travel agency, is not a tour operator, and does not sell, assemble or resell package travel within the meaning of EU Directive 2015/2302 or Italian D.lgs. 79/2011 (Codice del Turismo). Mentors provide information, itineraries and advice; any booking of flights, hotels, transport or third-party services is made by the traveler directly with the relevant supplier, in their own name and on their own responsibility.

3. Accounts

You must be 18+ to create an account. You are responsible for your credentials and for any activity performed under your account. You agree to provide accurate information and to keep it up to date.

4. Bookings & payments

Consultations and experiences are contracts between the traveler and the Mentor or partner agency. LonelyTrip acts as technical intermediary and payment facilitator through its regulated payment provider. Funds are held until the service is delivered and then released to the provider net of platform fees clearly disclosed at checkout.

5. Cancellations & refunds

Each service displays its cancellation policy at checkout. Refunds are processed according to that policy. Force-majeure cases are evaluated case by case.

6. Mentor obligations — anti-circumvention

Mentors and partner agencies expressly agree, for the entire duration of their account and for twelve (12) months after termination, not to:

• solicit, contact or transact with users met through the Platform outside the Platform for services that could otherwise be booked on LonelyTrip;
• share personal contact details (phone, email, social handles, payment links, external booking links) with users in chat, profile or attachments before a booking is confirmed and paid;
• encourage, accept or propose payments outside the Platform for services discovered through LonelyTrip;
• create duplicate accounts, impersonate other users, or use the Platform to redirect traffic to a competing service.

Breach of this clause may result in immediate account suspension, forfeiture of pending payouts, and liquidated damages equal to 30% of the bypassed transaction value with a minimum of €500, without prejudice to further damages.

7. Mentor verification & licensing

Mentors classified as Travel Agents must provide a valid agency license and professional liability insurance (KYB documents). Local Experts and Travel Specialists provide informational consulting only and do not need a travel-agency license. Each Mentor remains solely responsible for compliance with the laws of their jurisdiction regarding the services they offer.

8. Conduct

No illegal, harmful, deceptive, discriminatory or abusive behavior. No scraping, automated data extraction, reverse engineering, decompilation, or attempts to bypass security, rate limits or access controls of the Platform. We may suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms or applicable laws.

9. Content & reviews

You retain ownership of content you upload (text, photos, itineraries, reviews) but grant LonelyTrip a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to host, display, reproduce and promote that content on and through the Platform and its marketing channels, for as long as your account exists and for a reasonable period thereafter for archival purposes. Reviews must be honest and based on real experiences.

10. Intellectual property

The Platform — including the "LonelyTrip" name and logo, the software, design, UI, copy, databases, structure and overall look and feel — is the exclusive property of LonelyTrip and/or its licensors and is protected by copyright, trademark, database and unfair-competition laws. No right or license is granted other than the limited right to use the Platform as a traveler or Mentor in accordance with these Terms. You may not copy, clone, mirror, frame, sell, sublicense, distribute or create derivative works of any part of the Platform without our prior written consent.

11. Liability

LonelyTrip is not the organizer of the experiences or trips and is not liable for the conduct, advice, omissions or solvency of Mentors, agencies, travelers or third-party suppliers. To the extent permitted by law, our aggregate liability is limited to the amounts paid through the Platform for the disputed transaction in the 6 months preceding the claim.

12. Suspension & termination

We may suspend or terminate any account at any time for breach of these Terms, suspected fraud, or risk to users or the Platform. You may close your account at any time from your settings; obligations that by their nature should survive (sections 6, 9, 10, 11, 13) survive termination.

13. Governing law & jurisdiction

These Terms are governed by Italian law. Exclusive jurisdiction is granted to the courts of Italy, except for mandatory consumer rights granted by the consumer's country of residence.

14. Changes

We may update these Terms; material changes will be notified by email or in-app at least 15 days before they take effect. Continued use after the effective date constitutes acceptance.

15. Contact

Questions? Reply to any LonelyTrip email or write to hello@lonelytrip.app.