All packed, and ready to go? For those of you heading off on a summer break soon, we hope your travel plans don’t go wrong, but if they do, you should know that EU travel rules protect you in many situations. Whether your flight is cancelled, your train delayed or your luggage lost aboard your cruise ship, you have the right to make a claim under EU-wide passenger rights.
Whether you travel into, outside or within the EU, what you may claim will depend on the type of transport you use, for example:
- ✈️missing your connecting flight, your flight is overbooked, you are denied boarding
- 🚆your train is cancelled or delayed
- 🚌your bus or coach service leaves before the scheduled time
- 🚢your luggage is lost during the voyage, you are injured at sea.
In most cases, however, there is a standard procedure to follow if you need to make a claim over a delay, cancellation or problems with luggage:
- Contact the travel company you bought your ticket from, using the complaint form they provide.
- If you don’t receive a reply within 1 month for a rail company, 2 months for an airline or ship carrier, 3 months for bus or coach company, or if you are not satisfied with the reply, you can lodge a complaint with the relevant national authority in the country where the problem happened.
- You can always contact your local European Consumer Centre for help and advice on problems related to passenger rights, too.
If you still encounter problems with your claim, you can also try to resolve your dispute using out-of-court procedures – or an Alternative Dispute Resolution entity. This form of dispute resolution is only available to EU residents.
If you have a disability or reduced mobility, you have the right to access air, train, bus, coach, or boat travel like anybody else and the right to free assistance at terminals and on-board vehicles. If you feel your rights have been breached, follow the guidelines above for making a claim. More details on your passenger rights are given below.
More protections are on the way
In July 2026, the EU adopted revised rules for air passenger rights – the first major overhaul of these rules in more than 20 years.
The revised rules will make air travel simpler and fairer for passengers. They include:
- children under 12 sitting next to an accompanying adult at no extra cost
- clearer information about baggage allowances and any fees before you book
- quicker and simpler procedures for claiming compensation or reimbursement
- better support and rerouting when flights are cancelled or significantly delayed
- better protection for connecting journeys
- stronger rights for passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility, including better protections for mobility equipment
The new rules should enter into force next summer. Until then, you can continue to benefit from the existing EU rules.
Download the “Your Passenger Rights” app to your device ( <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=eu.europa.publications.passengerrights” rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank”>Google Android, Apple iOS)
European Consumer Centres Network
Publication date
28 July 2026
Author
Directorate-General for Communication
