3 types of travel contracts

Package travel

Package travel is a combination of at least two of the following four services:

1. the transport of passengers;
2. accommodation that is not an integral part of passenger transport and is not intended for residential purposes;
3. the rental of cars and other motor vehicles;
4. any other tourist service that is not an integral part of the above-mentioned travel services, and is an important or essential part of the trip.

This combination must include a trip of more than 24 hours or an overnight stay.

Any such combination is covered by the legislation:

• as soon as it has been presented as "package travel";
• as soon as it is purchased at a point of sale and it has been chosen to be paid for or is included in the total price.

It is also the case:

• when a traveller enters into a contract which then allows them to combine different travel services (for example, a voucher);
• when a traveller purchases travel services from different traders who, through interconnected online booking procedures, transmit their name, payment details and e-mail address, with the combination taking place no later than 24 hours after confirmation of the booking of the first travel service.

Examples

• You are looking for a flight on the website of a tour operator. You can choose between different hotels that are already linked to the flight. You select the desired hotel and pay.
• On the website of an airline, you purchase a plane ticket to Malaga. During the booking process, offers of accommodation in Malaga are proposed by different travel service providers. You accept one of the offers and choose a hotel. In the meantime, your flight ticket is kept in a "basket". The hotel has also been added to the "shopping cart". At the end of the booking process, you agree to pay for the flight ticket and the hotel.
• You receive a gift voucher for package travel that combines a hotel stay with a train ticket. You choose a hotel from the proposed list.

Linked travel arrangements

Linked travel arrangements refer to cases:

• when you separately select and pay for two different travel services at the same time at a single point of sale;
• when you are specifically referred to the purchase of another travel service when booking a travel service or within the following 24 hours.

Examples

• You go to a travel agency. The retailer helps you choose a hotel and you pay for the hotel. The retailer then helps you choose a flight that you pay for separately.
• You have just booked your first travel service (a flight or a train journey). At the same time as you receive the confirmation, you are invited by e-mail to book an additional travel service offered at your chosen destination, such as hotel accommodation, with a link to the booking website of that other travel service provider. The second contract must be concluded within 24 hours of the confirmation of the first booking.

Separate travel services

Have you only booked transport tickets, accommodation, a rental car or another tourist service? If your booking is completely separate from the package travel or a linked travel arrangement, it is a separate travel service.