Can I cancel a package holiday and get my money back?
You can cancel a package holiday at any time before it starts, but the organiser may generally charge a reasonable cancellation fee – except where unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances arise, when you get a full refund with no fee. The rights are governed by the Consumer Protection Act (ZVPot-1), which transposed the European package-travel directive. If you cancel for personal reasons, the organiser may charge a cancellation fee (standardised or reasonable, reflecting savings and the chance of reselling). But if unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances arise at or near the destination (war, terrorism, serious health risks, natural disasters) that significantly affect the package or transport, you may withdraw with no cancellation fee and get a full refund of all payments within 14 days, though with no compensation. The key myth is that COVID-era vouchers still apply or that you can »always cancel free«: the COVID exceptions have expired, and free cancellation applies only in extraordinary circumstances, otherwise you pay a fee. The organiser must also hold insolvency protection.
📋 The rules
- You can cancel the package at any time before it starts; the organiser may generally charge a reasonable cancellation fee.
- In unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances at the destination, you withdraw with no cancellation fee and get a full refund.
- The organiser must refund payments without undue delay, no later than 14 days after withdrawal.
- On withdrawal due to extraordinary circumstances you have no right to compensation, but you do have the right to a full refund.
- The organiser must hold insolvency protection (for refunds and repatriation).
🔓 Exceptions
- Unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances are those you cannot influence and whose consequences would be unavoidable despite all reasonable measures (war, terrorism, epidemic, natural disasters).
- If you cancel for personal reasons (illness, a change of plans) without extraordinary circumstances, you pay a cancellation fee; check your travel cancellation insurance beforehand.
- If the organiser makes a significant change to the package (price, dates, essential features), you may withdraw with no fee or accept a substitute package.
⚠️ Penalties & fines
For the consumer the »penalty« in package travel is not a fine but the cancellation fee and the risk of losing payments. If you cancel without unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances, the organiser keeps a reasonable cancellation fee – this may be standardised (depending on the time to departure) or assessed by reference to expected savings and income from reselling the services. The closer to departure you cancel, the higher the fee generally is. By contrast, in extraordinary circumstances (war, terrorism, epidemic, natural disasters) you withdraw with no fee, and the organiser must refund all payments within 14 days at the latest; if it fails to, you can claim default interest and report it to the Market Inspectorate. If the organiser becomes insolvent, mandatory insolvency protection shields you from losing your money and being stranded abroad. It is essential to submit the cancellation in writing and keep evidence of the circumstances (e.g. official travel warnings). For disputes you can use out-of-court resolution or the help of the European Consumer Centre for cross-border bookings.
📎 Official sources
- PISRS · Consumer Protection Act (ZVPot-1, package travel) →
- GOV.SI · Market Inspectorate (consumer protection) →
- European Consumer Centre Slovenia · cancelled trips →
❓ Frequently asked
Can I cancel a package and get all my money back?
You get a full refund with no cancellation fee when unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances arise at or near the destination that significantly affect the package or transport. If you cancel for personal reasons, the organiser may charge you a reasonable cancellation fee.
What are unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances?
These are circumstances you cannot influence and whose consequences would be unavoidable despite all reasonable measures, for example war, terrorism, serious health risks or natural disasters. It is precisely in these cases that you may withdraw from the contract with no cancellation fee.
Within what deadline must they refund me?
On a justified withdrawal, the organiser must refund all payments without undue delay, no later than 14 days after withdrawal from the contract. If it fails to meet the deadline, you can claim default interest and report it to the Market Inspectorate.
Do COVID-era vouchers still apply?
No, the COVID exceptions and the voucher regime have expired, so the regular ZVPot-1 rules on package travel now apply. This means that on a justified withdrawal you have the right to a cash refund, not to a mandatory voucher.
What if the organiser collapses before the trip?
A package-travel organiser must hold mandatory insolvency protection covering the refund of payments and, if needed, the return of travellers home. If the organiser becomes insolvent, you claim reimbursement through this protection and do not lose the money you paid.
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