How to cancel a package holiday: a template

Short answer: You can withdraw from a package holiday contract at any time before departure, and you don’t have to give a reason. Send the tour operator a written notice of withdrawal and get confirmation that they’ve received it. The cancellation fee is calculated as of the day of delivery: three months before departure, it’s usually a flat fee or 15–30% of the price; ten days before, 75–80%.

One-minute summary

Send the notice of withdrawal in writing — usually by email from the address given in the contract, or by letter. It’s signed by the person who concluded the contract.
What counts is the day the tour operator receives the notice, not when you sent it.
You can only withdraw free of charge in the cases set by law, such as extraordinary circumstances at the destination or a price increase of more than 8%.
The tour operator has to refund the rest of the money within 14 days at the latest.
You can transfer the holiday to another person if you tell the tour operator no later than 7 days before departure.

How to withdraw from a package holiday: form, who to and when

The customer may withdraw from a package holiday contract at any time before the holiday starts (Czech Civil Code, Section 2533). Exactly how is set by the tour operator’s terms. With the big tour operators, the same points come up again and again:

In writing. Tour operators want the notice of withdrawal in writing, signed by the person who concluded the contract. An email is usually enough if you send it from the address given in the contract.
To the organiser of the holiday. That’s the tour operator named as the organiser in the contract. You’ll find where to send the notice in the contract or in the tour operator’s terms.
Straight away. The cancellation fee is calculated as of the day the tour operator receives the notice, not when you sent it. Some tour operators don’t count the day of delivery or the day of departure towards the deadline.
With confirmation. Get the delivery confirmed: by a reply to your email, the receipt for a registered letter or a signature at the branch.

Template for withdrawing from a package holiday contract

The template is in Czech because it’s addressed to a Czech tour operator. Copy the text and fill in the details in square brackets. Send the notice of withdrawal by email from the address given in the contract, or as a registered letter.

[Jméno a příjmení]
[Adresa]
[E-mail uvedený ve smlouvě], [telefon]

[Název cestovní kanceláře]
[Adresa sídla nebo e-mail pro odstoupení]

V [místo] dne [datum]

Odstoupení od smlouvy o zájezdu č. [číslo smlouvy nebo rezervace]

Dobrý den,

podle § 2533 odst. 1 občanského zákoníku odstupuji od smlouvy o zájezdu č. [číslo] uzavřené dne [datum] (zájezd [destinace, hotel], termín [od–do]).

Odstoupení se týká [všech cestujících uvedených ve smlouvě / těchto cestujících: jména].

Prosím o vyúčtování odstupného (stornopoplatku), o jeho odůvodnění podle § 2533 odst. 2 občanského zákoníku a o vrácení zbývající částky na účet č. [číslo účtu].

Prosím také o potvrzení, že jste toto odstoupení obdrželi.

S pozdravem
[Jméno a příjmení, podpis]

The template is general and isn’t a substitute for legal advice. If you’re cancelling for a reason where the law doesn’t require a cancellation charge (extraordinary circumstances at the destination, a significant change to the holiday or a price increase), state the reason in the letter.

What you pay

The amount of the cancellation charge is set by the package holiday contract and the tour operator’s terms. It usually rises depending on how many days are left until departure. With the big tour operators, three months before departure it’s usually a flat fee of CZK 990–1,500 per person or 15–30% of the price, a month before 20–80%, and ten days before 75–80%. You’ll find the tables for individual tour operators in the overview of tour operators’ cancellation fees.

The cancellation charge must be reasonable, and the tour operator has to justify the amount if you ask (Section 2533(2)). It has to refund the rest of the money without undue delay, within 14 days at the latest (Section 2536a). How cancellation fees work for accommodation, tickets or courses is explained on the cancellation fees page.

When you pay nothing

The Czech Civil Code lists the situations in which you can withdraw without a cancellation charge and get everything back:

Extraordinary circumstances at the destination. Unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances occur at or in the immediate vicinity of the place you’re going to that significantly affect the holiday or the transport there (Section 2535). You’re not entitled to compensation for damages, though.
A price increase of more than 8% or a significant change. If the tour operator proposes raising the price by more than eight per cent or has to significantly change the main features of the holiday, you can withdraw without a cancellation charge within the deadline it sets you (Section 2531(2)). The deadline can’t be shorter than five days.
The tour operator cancels the holiday. For example, if not enough people sign up. Then it refunds all payments (Section 2536). You don’t need cancellation insurance here, and it wouldn’t apply anyway.

Illness isn’t one of themIf you cancel because of illness, injury or a death in the family, you pay the cancellation fee. Cancellation insurance can pay it back if you took it out before anything happened. More in the guide Illness before a holiday.

Transferring the holiday to another person

Instead of cancelling, you can assign the contract to someone who meets the conditions for taking part (Section 2532). Tell the tour operator in text form no later than 7 days before the holiday starts, and attach a statement from the new customer that they agree to the contract. The tour operator can only ask for the actual costs of the transfer, such as renaming a flight ticket, and has to prove them. You and the new customer are jointly liable for any outstanding balance of the price and these costs. Ask about the amount of the costs in advance.

If you bought the holiday through an agency

The agency only sells the holiday; your contract is with the tour operator organising it. For example, Invia states in its terms and conditions that it arranges package holidays as a travel agency and that the cancellation charge is governed by the organiser’s terms. You can send the notice of withdrawal to both the agency and the organiser. But what determines the fee is delivery to the organiser. An agency branch may be open in the evening or at the weekend; the organiser’s office isn’t.

Have cancellation insurance? What to keep

Cancellation insurance reimburses the cancellation fee after deducting the 10% excess if you cancel for a reason listed in the policy terms, for example illness, injury or a death in the family. The list of reasons is on the what the insurance covers page. Keep the following for the insurer:

the package holiday contract and proof of payment,
the tour operator’s statement of the cancellation fee (cancellation invoice) and proof of what it refunded,
proof of the reason for cancelling: a medical report, death certificate, police report and so on.

Report the claim without undue delay — the process is on the how to make a claim page. Cancel the holiday as soon as possible, because the insurer may reduce the payout if the cancellation fee would have been lower had you cancelled in time. The insurance is always taken out for a specific package holiday you’ve booked or paid for. Details are on the package holiday cancellation insurance page, and you can work out the price in the calculator.

Frequently asked questions

Can I cancel a package holiday bought online within 14 days free of charge?

No. The 14-day period for distance contracts doesn’t apply to package holidays (Czech Civil Code, Section 1840(l)). You can cancel the holiday at any time, but with a cancellation fee under the contract.

Do I have to tell the tour operator why I’m cancelling?

No. You can always withdraw before the holiday starts. You only have to prove the reason to the insurer, if you want the cancellation fee reimbursed by cancellation insurance.

By when will the tour operator refund my money?

Without undue delay, within 14 days of the contract ending at the latest. It refunds all payments minus the cancellation charge.

Is it enough to cancel the holiday by phone?

Better not. Tour operators’ terms usually require a written notice of withdrawal, and a phone call is hard to prove. If you call, send an email straight away too.

Sources

We verified the wording of the law and the tour operators’ terms on 26/10/2026. The links lead to third-party websites.

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.

How to cancel a package holiday with a tour operator: step by step, with a template