My package holiday went wrong or the organiser collapsed — what am I entitled to?
A package (flight + hotel booked together, or a tour) comes with the strongest travel rights in the EU: the organiser is liable for every part, must fix problems on the spot, owes a price reduction and compensation for what it cannot fix, and must be insolvency-protected — if it collapses, the guarantee fund refunds you and brings you home. Complain to the organiser during the trip in writing, then claim after. Slovenská obchodná inšpekcia (SOI) (02 58 27 21 32) advises; Európske spotrebiteľské centrum v SR (esc-sr.sk) for an organiser in another EU country; Poistenie insolventnosti cestovnej kancelárie (poisťovňa CK) (soi.sk) is the guarantee scheme that pays if the organiser is insolvent.
🗣️ What to say
"Booking [number], [dates, destination]. [The hotel / transfer / excursion] was [not provided / not as described: what]. I reported this on [date] to [rep / hotline] and it was not resolved. I claim a price reduction of [%] and compensation for [costs / lost days], receipts attached."
🪜 Step by step
- Complain on the spotTo the rep or the 24-hour line, in writing (email/app). Give them a chance to fix it; keep the reply.
- DocumentPhotos, the brochure description, receipts of anything you paid to fix it yourself.
- Claim within the deadlineUsually within a month of return, to the organiser, itemised.
- Refusal: Slovenská obchodná inšpekcia (SOI), Európske spotrebiteľské centrum v SR, ADRConsumer body, ECC for cross-border, and the travel ADR scheme if the organiser is a member.
- Organiser insolvent: Poistenie insolventnosti cestovnej kancelárie (poisťovňa CK)The guarantee fund refunds prepayments and repatriates; check the organiser was registered — it must be.
📇 All contacts
❓ Frequently asked
Can I cancel before departure?
Yes, with a fee — unless "unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances" at the destination (natural disaster, serious unrest), in which case a full refund is due.
The organiser changed the hotel
A significant change lets you accept a replacement or cancel with a full refund, plus compensation in some cases. A minor change does not.
The flight was delayed — package or EU 261?
Both: EU 261 compensation from the airline, and the organiser owes a remedy for the lost part of the holiday. They cannot be claimed twice for the same loss.
📎 Sources
- Slovenská obchodná inšpekcia (SOI) →
- Európske spotrebiteľské centrum v SR →
- Poistenie insolventnosti cestovnej kancelárie (poisťovňa CK) →
- SOI — alternatívne riešenie sporov →
🔎 Common searches
Recognise your own search? The answer above covers all of these.
- “package holiday complaint compensation Slovakia”
- “tour operator insolvent refund”
- “package travel rights price reduction”
- “holiday not as described claim”
- “travel guarantee fund Slovakia”
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