EU Package Travel Directive 2015/2302 & 2026/1024 · Polish Act 2017 (as amended 2025) · Last reviewed: July 2026 · Version 1.0
This Cancellation and Refund Policy forms part of Tour Expert’s Terms and Conditions of Booking and applies to all bookings made via tourexpert.co, by email, or by telephone. It reflects the requirements of EU Directive 2026/1024 (amending Directive 2015/2302) published 9 May 2026, and the Polish Act of 24 November 2017 on Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements as amended by the Act of 7 November 2025.
New in 2026: EU Directive 2026/1024 strengthens refund obligations: tour operators must refund travellers within 14 days of cancellation. Extraordinary circumstances cancellations by the traveller require a full penalty-free refund within 14 days.
1. Cancellation by the Traveller — Day Tours & Experiences
The following charges apply to single-day tours, half-day tours, transfers, and all tours of duration less than 24 hours:
| Notice Period | Refund Amount | Charge Retained |
|---|---|---|
| More than 30 days before tour | 100% — Full refund | Nothing |
| 29 days–48 hours before tour | 50% refund | 50% of tour price |
| Less than 48 hours / No-show | No refund | 100% of tour price |
2. Cancellation by the Traveller — Multi-Day Package Tours
The following charges apply to tours of 2 or more days where Tour Expert acts as the Package Organiser:
| Notice Before Departure | Refund Amount | Charge Retained |
|---|---|---|
| More than 60 days | 70% refund (deposit retained) | 30% deposit |
| 30–60 days | 50% refund | 50% of total price |
| 15–29 days | 25% refund | 75% of total price |
| Less than 15 days / No-show | No refund | 100% of total price |
3. Extraordinary Circumstances — Penalty-Free Cancellation
Under EU Directive 2026/1024 and the Polish Package Travel Act, if Extraordinary and Unavoidable Circumstances arise at or significantly affecting the tour destination or your departure point before the start of the tour, you have the right to cancel your booking without payment of any cancellation charge.
Extraordinary Circumstances include: armed conflict; acts of terrorism; significant natural disasters (earthquake, flood, hurricane); pandemic-level health emergencies declared by the WHO or Polish government; or official travel warnings issued by the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (msz.gov.pl) or your country’s foreign ministry recommending against travel to the destination.
Important: If you were aware of the risk at the time of booking and chose to proceed, the right to penalty-free cancellation on grounds of extraordinary circumstances may not apply. Each case will be assessed individually.
Where you cancel on grounds of extraordinary circumstances, Tour Expert will refund all payments made by you within 14 days of receiving your written cancellation notice. Tour Expert may deduct unavoidable, non-recoverable costs already incurred (e.g. non-refundable accommodation deposits) provided these are documented and itemised.
4. Cancellation by Tour Expert
4.1 Where Tour Expert cancels a confirmed booking for reasons not attributable to you:
- A full refund of all amounts paid will be made within 14 days.
- For package tours cancelled within 28 days of departure, additional compensation is payable as follows:
- Cancelled 15–28 days before departure: 5% of total tour price.
- Cancelled 8–14 days before departure: 10% of total tour price.
- Cancelled less than 8 days before departure: 25% of total tour price.
4.2 No compensation is payable where cancellation is due to Extraordinary Circumstances or where minimum participant numbers are not met (provided notice is given at least 20 days before departure for tours of 6+ days, or 7 days for shorter tours).
5. How to Cancel
- Day tours & experiences: Cancel online via your booking confirmation email, or by emailing info@tourexpert.co.
- Multi-day packages: Cancel in writing by email to info@tourexpert.co. Cancellation takes effect on the date and time Tour Expert receives your written notice.
- Include your booking reference number in all cancellation communications.
Processing time: Refunds are processed within 14 days of the cancellation date. Refunds are returned via the original payment method (Stripe/credit card). Processing time on your bank’s side may add 3–5 business days.
6. Travel Insurance
Tour Expert strongly recommends that all Travellers obtain comprehensive travel insurance prior to booking, covering: trip cancellation and curtailment; medical expenses and repatriation; personal liability; loss of personal belongings; and delayed or missed departures. Your insurance should cover the full cost of your booking.
7. OTA Bookings
For bookings made via GetYourGuide, Viator, ToursByLocals, or TourHQ, the cancellation policy displayed on those platforms at the time of booking applies. In the event of any conflict between those platforms’ policies and this Policy, the more favourable terms for the Traveller shall apply, consistent with applicable EU consumer law.
8. Dispute Resolution
Disputes concerning refunds may be referred to the EU Online Dispute Resolution platform at ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr, or to the Polish consumer ombudsman (Rzecznik Praw Konsumenta). Tour Expert’s contact email for ODR purposes is info@tourexpert.co.