One-minute summary
- Booking early saves money, but there are often months between booking and departure — plenty of time for an illness or injury.
- Tour operators’ cancellation fees rise as the departure date approaches, up to the full price in the last few days.
- Cancellation insurance costs 9% of the price: for a CZK 64,000 holiday, that’s CZK 5,760.
- If you cancel for a covered reason, it reimburses the cancellation fee after deducting the 10% excess, or in full if the insured person is hospitalised or dies.
- Illness, injury, death and pregnancy are covered up to 180 days before departure; other reasons in the last 30 days.
Why book early — and where the risk lies
Tour operators give discounts for booking early, so summer holidays are often bought in winter. The discount is nice, but you’re signing a contract for dates several months away. The longer the time until departure, the more chances that something gets in the way — and if you cancel the holiday, the tour operator keeps a cancellation charge.
With early-booking offers, it’s also worth reading the terms carefully: changes to dates or names often come with a fee, and the cancellation terms may differ from those of regular holidays.
How package holiday cancellation fees rise
An example family holiday for CZK 64,000 (two adults and two children). How much you’d lose by cancelling without insurance, and with it:
| Cancellation | Cancellation fee | Loss without insurance | Loss with insurance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60+ days before | 15% | CZK 9,600 | CZK 6,720 |
| 30–59 days | 40% | CZK 25,600 | CZK 8,320 |
| 15–29 days | 60% | CZK 38,400 | CZK 9,600 |
| 7–14 days | 80% | CZK 51,200 | CZK 10,880 |
| less than 7 days | 100% | CZK 64,000 | CZK 12,160 |
You’ll find an overview of typical cancellation fees on the cancellation fees page. Try your own numbers in the simulator.
What can happen in a few months
For holidays bought well in advance, it matters when the reason for cancelling arises. The policy terms distinguish two groups:
- Illness, injury or death of any insured person or your family, and a confirmed pregnancy where the doctor advises against travelling — these are covered even if they arise up to 180 days before departure.
- Other reasons — dismissal by your employer, a burglary or natural damage at home, a court summons, a resit exam, stolen documents and others — are only covered if they arise no more than 30 days before departure.
So if you’re dismissed three months before departure, the insurance doesn’t cover the cancellation. If a serious illness or injury comes along, it does — and the earlier you cancel, the lower the cancellation fee.
When to buy the insurance
If there are more than 30 days until departure — almost always the case with early booking — you can take out the insurance at any time. But it’s worth doing right after booking: it only covers events that occur after it’s taken out, and trip cancellation cover applies from the day it’s taken out until departure. For a holiday bought 30 days or less before departure, the insurance must be taken out at the same time as payment.
Insurance from the tour operator, or standalone?
When you book, tour operators often offer cancellation cover as an add-on, sometimes only as a package with travel insurance. Before you take it automatically, compare:
- the price — what percentage of the holiday price it costs, and whether you have to buy travel insurance with it,
- the payout — what percentage of the cancellation fee it pays back (what the excess is),
- the reasons — whether it only covers health, or also job loss, property damage and illness of loved ones — and how long before departure they can arise,
- the deadline — how soon after booking you have to take it out.
With us, cancellation insurance costs 9% of the price (at least CZK 26), reimburses the cancellation fee after deducting the 10% excess, and you buy it without travel insurance. You can insure a package holiday from any tour operator.
Pricier holidays and the limit
Online, you can insure package holidays up to CZK 500,000. The payout limit is the total trip price, up to CZK 500,000 per person and policy. For a more expensive holiday, we’ll prepare a personalised quote — just enter a higher price in the calculator and leave us your contact details.
Early-booking checklist
- Before signing, read the cancellation terms and the fees for changing names or dates.
- Right after booking, take out cancellation insurance — it only covers events that occur later.
- Keep your contract with the tour operator, proof of payment and insurance policy in one place.
- If you have to cancel: cancel straight away, ask for confirmation of the cancellation fee amount and notify the insurer of the claim without undue delay.
Related
This article is general information, not legal or financial advice. The wording of the policy terms and your seller’s terms is what counts. The example scenarios are illustrative.