Privacy policy

Effective Date: 08/30/2026

Welcome to travelepoch! Whether you’re planning your next big adventure or just daydreaming about one, we want you to feel confident about how your information is handled here. This Privacy Policy explains what personal data we collect through www.travelepoch.com (the “Site”), how we use it, and the rights and choices you have — written in plain language, not legal jargon.

1. Introduction & Scope

This Privacy Policy applies to travelepoch (“travelepoch,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) and governs how we collect, use, store, and share personal data through www.travelepoch.com, including our content, newsletter, and any related services (together, the “Site”).

We’ve designed this policy to meet the requirements of major privacy laws, including the EU/UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (CCPA/CPRA), along with similar laws in other regions.

By using the Site, you agree to the practices described in this policy. If you have concerns or don’t agree with something here, please reach out — we’re happy to talk it through.

2. Information We Collect

Information You Provide Directly

When you interact with travelepoch, you may voluntarily give us:

  • Your name and email address (e.g., when subscribing to our newsletter or contacting us)
  • Payment details, if you ever make a purchase directly through the Site (processed securely by our payment provider — we never see or store your full card number)
  • Any messages, comments, or feedback you send us

Information We Collect Automatically

When you browse the Site, some data is collected automatically, including:

  • IP address and approximate (city/region-level) location
  • Device, browser type, and operating system
  • Pages viewed, time spent on the Site, and referring links
  • Cookies and similar tracking technologies (see Section 4)
  • Interactions with social sharing tools, such as Pinterest “save” buttons embedded in our content

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

  • Operate, maintain, and improve the Site and its content
  • Personalize travel content and recommendations to your interests
  • Process payments and fulfill any purchases or bookings made through the Site
  • Send newsletters, respond to inquiries, and otherwise communicate with you
  • Analyze Site traffic and performance so we can make travelepoch better
  • Detect, prevent, and address fraud, security issues, or technical problems
  • Comply with applicable legal, tax, and regulatory obligations

Where GDPR applies, we rely on one or more of the following legal bases: your consent (e.g., newsletter sign-up, non-essential cookies), the performance of a contract (e.g., fulfilling a purchase), our legitimate interests (e.g., improving and securing the Site), and legal obligations (e.g., tax recordkeeping).

4. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

Cookies are small text files stored on your device that help websites function and understand how they’re used. We use the following categories:

  • Necessary cookies — required for the Site to work properly (e.g., loading pages, remembering basic settings). These can’t be switched off.
  • Performance cookies — help us understand how visitors use the Site, so we can improve content and performance.
  • Functionality cookies — remember your preferences, such as language or currency, for a smoother experience.
  • Advertising cookies — used by us and our advertising and social media partners (such as Pinterest and Google) to show relevant ads and measure how well they perform.

Managing your preferences: You can accept, reject, or customize non-essential cookies through our cookie banner when you first visit the Site, and change your choice anytime via the Site’s cookie settings or your browser settings. Most browsers also let you block or delete cookies directly. We honor Global Privacy Control (GPC) signals where legally required. Blocking necessary cookies may affect how the Site functions.

5. Third-Party Sharing

We don’t sell your personal information for money. We do share limited data with trusted third parties so we can run the Site and support your travel planning:

  • Travel and booking partners (e.g., Booking.com, Expedia, or similar platforms) — so you can complete reservations you choose to make through links on our Site
  • Affiliate partners (e.g., Amazon Associates and other affiliate programs, as described in our Affiliate Disclosure) — affiliate links may set their own cookies to track referrals
  • Analytics providers (e.g., Google Analytics) — to help us understand Site traffic and usage
  • Advertising and social platforms (e.g., Google Ads, Pinterest) — to display relevant ads and measure campaigns
  • Service providers — such as our email/newsletter platform, hosting provider, and payment processor, who handle data on our behalf under confidentiality obligations
  • Legal authorities — where required to comply with law, respond to valid legal requests, or protect the rights and safety of travelepoch or others

Some advertising and analytics cookies may count as a “sale” or “sharing” of information under CCPA/CPRA, even though no money changes hands. See Section 6 for how to opt out.

6. Your Privacy Rights & Choices

Depending on where you live, you may have some or all of the following rights over your personal data.

If GDPR Applies to You (EEA, UK & Switzerland)

  • Access — request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
  • Correction — ask us to fix inaccurate or incomplete data
  • Deletion — ask us to erase your data, subject to certain exceptions
  • Restriction — ask us to limit how we use your data
  • Portability — receive your data in a portable format, or have it transferred
  • Objection — object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing
  • Withdraw consent — at any time, where processing is based on consent
  • Complain — lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority

If You’re a California Resident (CCPA/CPRA)

  • Know what personal information we collect, use, and share, and why
  • Delete personal information we hold about you
  • Correct inaccurate personal information
  • Opt out of the “sale” or “sharing” of personal information, including for cross-context behavioral advertising
  • Limit use of sensitive personal information
  • Non-discrimination — we won’t penalize you for exercising your rights
  • You may name an authorized agent to submit requests on your behalf

Wherever you’re located: you can unsubscribe from our marketing emails anytime using the link at the bottom of any email, or by contacting us directly.

How to Exercise Your Rights

Email us at info@travelepoch.com with your request. We may need to verify your identity before acting on it. We’ll respond within the timeframe required by applicable law — generally within 30 days under GDPR and 45 days under CCPA.

7. Data Retention

We keep personal data only as long as needed for the purposes described in this policy, or as required by law:

  • Newsletter and marketing data — retained until you unsubscribe or ask us to delete it
  • Contact and inquiry records — typically retained for up to 24 months after our last interaction
  • Booking and transaction records — retained for up to 7 years, to meet tax, accounting, and legal obligations
  • Analytics data — typically retained in aggregated or pseudonymized form for up to 26 months

Once data is no longer needed, we securely delete or anonymize it.

8. Security Measures

We use a combination of technical and organizational safeguards to protect your data, including:

  • HTTPS/TLS encryption for data transmitted to and from the Site
  • Encryption and access controls for data stored on our systems
  • Limiting access to personal data to staff and processors who need it
  • Working with reputable third-party providers who maintain their own security standards

No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, but we work hard to protect your information using industry-standard practices.

9. International Data Transfers

travelepoch is read by travelers around the world, and we work with service providers based in different countries, including the United States. This means your data may be transferred to, and processed in, a country other than your own, which may have different data protection laws than where you live.

Where we transfer personal data out of the EEA, UK, or Switzerland to a country without an “adequacy” decision, we rely on recognized safeguards such as the European Commission’s Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) or equivalent mechanisms.

10. Children’s Privacy

travelepoch is not directed to children, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 (or under 16, where a higher threshold applies under local law). If we become aware that we’ve inadvertently collected data from a child, we’ll delete it promptly. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at info@travelepoch.com.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. Updates will be posted on this page with a revised Effective Date. For significant changes, we may provide additional notice, such as a Site banner or newsletter email. We encourage you to check back periodically.

12. Contact Information

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal data, please contact us at info@travelepoch.com. We’re happy to walk you through anything that’s unclear.

Thanks for being part of the travelepoch community — safe and happy travels!