If you are planning to visit Leonidio, Greece, for some amazing climbing adventures, you might be wondering what kind of legal protection you have in case something goes wrong with your travel arrangements. Whether you book a pre-arranged package holiday or a self-customised package, where you choose different elements from a single point of sale online or offline, you are covered by the EU Package Travel Directive (PTD), which provides you with a number of important consumer rights.

What is a package?

According to the PTD, a package is a combination of at least two different types of travel services for the purpose of the same trip or holiday, if:

those services are combined by one trader, including at the request of or in accordance with the selection of the traveller, before a single contract on all services is concluded; or

irrespective of whether separate contracts are concluded with individual travel service providers, those services are:

purchased from a single point of sale and selected before the traveller agrees to pay;

offered, sold or charged at an inclusive or total price;

advertised or sold under the term ‘package’ or a similar term;

combined after the conclusion of a contract by which a trader entitles the traveller to choose among a selection of different types of travel services; or

purchased from separate traders through linked online booking processes where the traveller’s name, payment details and e-mail address are transmitted from the first trader to another trader or traders and a contract with the latter trader or traders is concluded at the latest 24 hours after the confirmation of the booking of the first travel service.

For example, if you book a flight and a hotel for your climbing trip from the same website, or if you book a flight from one website and then are invited to book a hotel from another website within 24 hours, you have purchased a package.

What are your rights as a package traveller?

As a package traveller, you have the following rights under the PTD:

You have the right to receive clear and accurate information about your package before you book it, such as its main features, its price and any additional charges, its cancellation policy, and the organiser’s liability and insolvency protection.

You have the right to receive confirmation of your booking and all relevant documents in good time before your trip starts.

You have the right to transfer your package to another person who meets all the conditions for that package, by giving reasonable notice and possibly paying an extra fee.

You have the right to terminate your package contract before your trip starts without paying any termination fee in case of unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances occurring at or near your destination that significantly affect the performance of the package or your transport to the destination. In such cases, you are entitled to a full refund of any payments made for the package, but not to additional compensation.

You have the right to terminate your package contract before your trip starts by paying an appropriate and justifiable termination fee. The organiser must provide justification for such fees upon request.

You have the right to contact the organiser if any element of your package is not performed as agreed. The organiser must remedy that lack of conformity within a reasonable period set by you unless that is impossible or entails disproportionate costs. If no remedy is provided within that period, you may do so yourself and request reimbursement of necessary expenses. If there is no remedy provided or if it is inadequate, you may also be entitled to price reduction and/or compensation for damages.

You have the right to assistance without undue delay if you are in difficulty during your trip. The organiser must provide appropriate information on health services, local authorities and consular assistance; and assist you in making distance communications and finding alternative travel arrangements.

You have the right to be repatriated in case of insolvency of the organiser. The organiser must take out insolvency protection that covers refunds and repatriation in such cases.

What is not covered by the PTD?

The PTD does not cover:

Linked travel arrangements (LTAs), which are combinations of at least two different types of travel services purchased for the purpose of the same trip or holiday, not constituting a package, where those services are:

purchased from separate traders through separate booking processes where those services are performed at different times; or

booked with one trader who facilitates in a targeted manner on one occasion only, either within 24 hours after receiving confirmation of one travel service booking or on one website only during one visit only, another separate booking process with another trader.

For example, if you book a flight from one website and then independently book a hotel from another website more than 24 hours later, or if you book a flight from one website and then click on an advertisement for a hotel on the same website but make a separate booking with another trader, you have purchased an LTA.

LTAs are not covered by the PTD, except that the trader who facilitates an LTA must provide security for the refund of payments received from travellers insofar as a travel service which is part of an LTA is not performed as a consequence of the trader’s insolvency.

Stand-alone travel services, which are single types of travel services purchased separately, such as a flight ticket or a hotel room. Stand-alone travel services are not covered by the PTD, except that if they are purchased online, the trader must inform the traveller whether or not the traveller benefits from any EU passenger rights relevant to the transport service.

Possible examples:

10 examples where the PTD terms are extremely helpful for a climbing tourist:

• You book a package that includes a flight, a hotel and a guided climbing tour in Leonidio, but the tour operator cancels the package due to a volcanic eruption that makes travel impossible. You have the right to get a full refund of any payments made for the package without paying any cancellation fee.
• You book a package that includes a flight, a hotel and a car rental in Kalymnos, but the car rental company goes bankrupt and does not provide you with the car. You have the right to contact the package organiser and request them to provide you with an alternative car rental service or reimburse you for the cost of renting a car from another provider.
• You book a package that includes a flight, a hotel and a climbing course in Meteora, but the climbing instructor gets injured and cannot teach you. You have the right to contact the package organiser and request them to remedy the lack of conformity by providing you with another instructor or offering you another suitable service. If no remedy is provided within a reasonable period set by you, you have the right to request a price reduction and/or compensation for damages.
• You book a package that includes a flight, a hotel and a ferry ticket to Naxos, but the ferry company changes the departure time of your ferry without informing you in advance. You miss your ferry and have to buy another ticket. You have the right to contact the package organiser and request them to reimburse you for the extra cost of the new ticket and compensate you for any inconvenience caused by the change of schedule.
• You book a package that includes a flight, a hotel and an entrance ticket to a climbing festival in Athens, but you get sick before your trip and cannot travel. You have the right to transfer your package to another person who meets all the conditions for that package, by giving reasonable notice and possibly paying an extra fee.
• You book a package that includes a flight, a hotel and an insurance policy for your climbing equipment in Crete, but your equipment gets damaged during your trip. You have the right to contact the package organiser and request them to assist you in contacting the insurance company and making a claim.
• You book a package that includes a flight, a hotel and an airport transfer service in Rhodes, but your flight is delayed and you miss your transfer. You have the right to contact the package organiser and request them to provide you with assistance in finding alternative transport arrangements.
• You book a package that includes a flight, a hotel and an excursion to Symi island, but the excursion is cancelled due to bad weather. You have the right to contact the package organiser and request them to offer you another suitable service or refund you for the cost of the excursion.
• You book a package that includes a flight, a hotel and an online climbing coaching session in Santorini, but the internet connection at your hotel is poor and you cannot access the session. You have the right to contact the package organiser and request them to provide you with adequate internet access or refund you for the cost of the session.
• You book a package that includes a flight, a hotel and an admission ticket to an indoor climbing gym in Thessaloniki, but the gym is closed due to COVID-19 restrictions. You have the right to contact the package organiser and request them to terminate your package contract without paying any termination fee and refund you for any payments made for the package.

10 examples where the PTD application is irrelevant:

• You book only a flight ticket from Athens to Chania on Crete. This is not a package but a stand-alone travel service, so you are not covered by the PTD.
• You book only a hotel room in Leonidio on Booking.com. This is not a package but a stand-alone travel service, so you are not covered by the PTD.
• You book only an entrance ticket to Kalymnos Climbing Festival on Eventbrite. This is not a package but a stand-alone travel service, so you are not covered by the PTD.
• You book only an online climbing coaching session on Zoom. This is not a package but a stand-alone travel service, so you are not covered by the PTD.
• You book only an insurance policy for your climbing equipment on World Nomads. This is not a package but a stand-alone travel service, so you are not covered by the PTD.
• You book only an airport transfer service from Rhodes airport to your hotel on Taxi2Airport.com. This is not a package but an LTA, so you are only covered by insolvency protection under the PTD.
• You book only an excursion to Symi island from Rhodes on Viator.com. This is not a package but an LTA, so you are only covered by insolvency protection under the PTD.
• You book only an admission ticket to an indoor climbing gym in Thessaloniki on Climbfinder.com. This is not a package but an LTA, so you are only covered by insolvency protection under the PTD.
• You book a flight from Athens to Chania on Crete on Aegean Airlines and then independently book a hotel room in Chania on Airbnb more than 24 hours later. This is not a package but an LTA, so you are only covered by insolvency protection under the PTD.
• You book a flight from Athens to Rhodes on Ryanair and then click on an advertisement for a hotel in Rhodes on the same website but make a separate booking with another trader. This is not a package but an LTA, so you are only covered by insolvency protection under the PTD.

How can we help you?

As legal savvy insurance consultants based in Leonidio, Greece, we can help you with any issues related to your climbing trip and the PTD. We can advise you on your rights and obligations as a package traveller, assist you in case of any problems with your package organiser or provider, and represent you in any disputes or claims arising from your package contract. 

We can also help you find the best insurance options for your climbing activities, as the PTD does not cover personal injury or damage to property caused by accidents during your trip.

Contact us today and let us make your climbing trip a safe and enjoyable experience!