Package travel

What is package travel?

Package travel is a popular choice for tourists. They combine several travel or tourist services such as flights, transfers, meals, accommodation, guided tours, car rental etc.

Package travel refers both to:

a trip pre-arranged by an organiser (tour operator, travel agency, carrier) featuring several travel services under a single contract
a customised package of travel services purchased under separate contracts with individual providers but from a single online or offline point of sale

Linked travel arrangements

Linked travel arrangements refer to several travel services purchased from different traders in separate contracts, whereby the services are linked but do not constitute a package.

This is the case when a traveller books several travel services at one point of sale through separate booking processes, or when a traveller purchases a flight on a website and subsequently receives an invitation to rent a car from a different website.

EU rules on package travel

EU rules ensure travellers booking a package:

receive clear information, through a standardised EU information form, on the services included in the package, its total price, any visa requirements and their rights
may cancel their booking for any reason by paying a reasonable fee and, if the cancellation is due to unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances, or if the price of the package has increased by more than 8%, free of charge
must receive assistance from the organiser, for example in the event of health issues or stolen/lost travel documents
are entitled to compensation and possible repatriation if the organiser goes bankrupt

Clear information

Assistance

Cancellation rights

Compensation in case of bankruptcy

As regards linked travel arrangements, EU rules ensure that travellers:

receive clear information on their rights
are protected in the event of the bankruptcy of the trader

Revision of the rules on package travel

On 30 March 2026, the Council adopted a directive which aims to strengthen travellers' rights when buying various services, such as flights, transfers, accommodation, or excursions, in a single package.

Enhanced information for travellers

The new rules improve the information travellers must receive before, during and after their trip, such as:

available payment methods
passport and visa requirements
accessibility for people with reduced mobility
termination fees in the event of cancellation

Organisers will have need to put complaint-handling arrangements in place.

Strengthened cancellation rights

In extraordinary and unavoidable circumstances (also known as ‘force majeure’), travellers have the right to cancel packages without termination fees. It has been clarified how unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances can affect the performance of the package and therefore be considered as constituting ‘force majeure’, as well as the relevance, proof and legal value of so-called travel notices.

Additionally, organisers must refund travellers within 14 days when they cancel a package. Organisers may offer vouchers instead of reimbursement, but travellers would retain the right to ask for a refund instead.Vouchers must:

have a value at least equal to that of the reimbursement
be valid for a maximum of 12 months
be transferable only once
be covered by insolvency protection

Travellers must also be able to use vouchers to purchase one or more travel services offered by the trader.

If the cancellation is caused by the insolvency of the travel organiser, travellers should be refunded within six months, with a possible extension to nine months in duly justified situations.

Improved definition of 'package travel'

The updated rules leave out linked travel arrangements and give a clearer definition of package travel, also by introducing information requirements in certain situations not leading to the creation of a package.

Consumer protection: Council gives final sign off to additional safeguards for package travel users (press release, 30 March 2026)