No I am not admitting that I am a closet Cliff Richard fan.
But I have booked a holiday!
In two weeks time we off to Crete for a much needed break in the sun. Hopefully it
will be a relaxing few days with a fair share of wine and Greek food.
But if something goes wrong (perish the thought but I am a
lawyer so can’t help it) then I have actually not booked the break in the most
sensible way. Although we have used an agency the flights and accommodation are
booked independently. So this is not a package tour. That would make any legal
case more tricky.
This is because of what are known as the Package Tour Regulations.
The advantage of these regulations is that if you suffer an accident abroad
which is the fault of your hotel you can bring a claim in this country against
the tour operator. Although the legal standard is that of the country you can
consult lawyers and avoid the nightmare of having to use unfamiliar courts or
instruct foreign lawyers. For the Regulations to apply it has to be a
'package'. This means that the price must include both transport and accommodation.
If the holiday is not covered by the Regulations then the
whole thing is more complicated. The case has to be brought in the local courts
and is subject to their laws, procedures and time limits. That is not to say
that the local system is not as good. It is just far more difficult to do once
you have got home.
This is something to bear in mind when you are planning your
break – especially on line. If you are nut sure then just ask the agent if it
is a package tour. Now many of you, like me, prefer to do things independently.
But it is always safer to book a passage..
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