Compliant with EU Directive (EU) 2015/2302, Greek Presidential Decree 7/2018 (Government Gazette Α' 12/29.1.2018) and Greek Law 2251/1994 on consumer protection.
1. Legal framework
These terms incorporate and reflect, in particular:
- EU Directive (EU) 2015/2302 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 November 2015 on package travel and linked travel arrangements;
- Greek Presidential Decree 7/2018 ‘Harmonization of legislation with Directive (EU) 2015/2302…’ (Government Gazette Α' 12/29.1.2018), which transposed the Directive into Greek law with effect from 1 July 2018, closely following its structure;
- Greek Law 2251/1994 ‘Consumer Protection’ (in its codified version per Ministerial Decision 5338/2018), as the general consumer-protection framework, applying in addition to the specific package-travel rules — in particular regarding the prohibition of unfair terms in standard contracts (Art. 2) and the express exclusion of package travel from the general 14-day withdrawal right applicable to distance contracts (Art. 3(ιβ)), which does NOT apply here, being replaced by the special regime described in Section 6.
In the event of any discrepancy between this text and the legislation in force at the time of booking, the latter prevails.
2. Key definitions
Organizer: Olympos Touristiki Ependitiki S.A., with registered office at Paralias 54, 60100 Katerini, Greece, holder of travel agency license (Ειδικό Σήμα Λειτουργίας / MHTE) No. 0936E60000061800, which combines and sells the package travel that is the subject of the contract, either directly or through a third-party reseller/tour operator.
Traveler: any person who wishes to conclude a contract, or is entitled to travel on the basis of a package travel contract concluded with the Organizer.
Package: the combination of at least two different types of travel services (transport, accommodation, car rental, other tourist services) for the purpose of the same trip, within the meaning of Art. 3 P.D. 7/2018 (Art. 3 of Directive 2015/2302).
3. Payment terms
Deposit on booking: a deposit of 30% of the total package price is required at the time of booking, to confirm the reservation.
Balance payment: the balance of the price must reach the Organizer no later than 30 days before the departure date (a longer period — up to 35 days — may apply for packages including charter flights, and a shorter period for bookings made close to departure, in which case payment of the full price at the time of booking is normally required).
Non-payment: failure to pay the deposit or balance within the above deadlines, following formal notice granting a reasonable period to remedy, entitles the Organizer to terminate the contract and to retain the cancellation fees set out in Section 6, without prejudice to the right to compensation for further damage.
Accepted payment methods: bank transfer, credit/debit card — details communicated at the time of booking. Any bank charges relating to payment are borne by the traveler, unless otherwise agreed.
Online purchases: bookings made through an online purchase (e.g. website) must be paid in full immediately at the time of booking. In the event of cancellation, the amount due will be refunded in accordance with the cancellation fee schedule in Section 6.
4. Price revision after conclusion of the contract
The package price may be increased after conclusion of the contract only if the contract expressly reserves that possibility, and solely to offset changes relating to: (a) the price of passenger transport resulting from the cost of fuel or other energy sources; (b) the level of taxes or fees imposed by third parties not directly connected with the Organizer, including tourist taxes, landing or embarkation/disembarkation fees; (c) the exchange rates relevant to the package (Art. 9 P.D. 7/2018; Art. 10 of Directive 2015/2302).
The increase is notified to the traveler on a durable medium, with a justification and the relevant calculation, no later than 20 days before the start of the package.
8% threshold: if the increase exceeds 8% of the total package price, the regime for significant modifications applies: within a reasonable period the traveler may either accept the proposed modification or terminate the contract without paying any fee, with the right to a full refund of all payments made.
Symmetrically, the traveler is entitled to a price reduction corresponding to any decrease in the above costs (a, b, c) occurring after conclusion of the contract and before the start of the package; the Organizer may deduct actual administrative expenses, proving them at the traveler’s request.
5. Transfer of the booking to another traveler
The traveler may transfer the contract to a person who satisfies all the conditions applicable to the package (e.g. travel document requirements, any age limits), notifying the Organizer on a durable medium with reasonable notice. Notice of at least 7 days before departure is in any event considered reasonable (Art. 8 P.D. 7/2018; Art. 9 of Directive 2015/2302).
The transferor and the transferee are jointly and severally liable for payment of the balance of the price, as well as for any fees, charges or other additional costs arising from the transfer, of which the Organizer informs the traveler stating the actual amount.
6. Termination by the traveler before departure
The traveler may terminate the contract at any time before the start of the package. In that case, the traveler may be required to pay an appropriate and justified termination fee to the Organizer (Art. 11 §1 P.D. 7/2018; Art. 12 §1 of Directive 2015/2302).
In the absence of agreed standardized fees, the fee corresponds to the package price net of the cost savings and income generated by the alternative deployment of the travel services, which the Organizer demonstrates at the traveler’s request. These general terms instead provide for the following standardized schedule, based on the time elapsed between notice of termination and the departure date and on the cost savings/resale possibilities typically expected for this type of package — indicative figures, to be calibrated to the Organizer’s actual costs:
| Time before departure | Termination fee* | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| More than 45 days | Administrative handling fee (€50 per person) | Plus any non-refundable costs already paid to third-party suppliers (flights, tickets, etc.) |
| 45 to 30 days | 30% of the total price | |
| 29 to 15 days | 50% of the total price | |
| 14 to 8 days | 75% of the total price | |
| 7 days to departure / no-show | 100% of the total price | No refund |
* For packages including charter flights, non-refundable airfares, capacity-limited events, or other services subject to stricter cancellation terms imposed by suppliers, the specific contract may provide that the full price is non-refundable from the time of booking, or a stricter schedule than the one above: this circumstance is always disclosed to the traveler before conclusion of the contract.
At the traveler’s request, the Organizer provides a justification for the amount of the fee applied.
Note: the general 14-day withdrawal right provided for distance and off-premises contracts (Art. 3(ιβ) Law 2251/1994) does not apply to package travel, which is governed exclusively by this special regime.
7. Termination without a fee due to unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances
The traveler is entitled to terminate the contract before the start of the package without paying any fee, if unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances occur at the place of destination or its immediate vicinity which significantly affect the performance of the package, or the carriage of passengers to the destination (e.g. serious safety risks, natural disasters, epidemics, conflicts). In that case the traveler is entitled to a full refund of the payments made, but not to additional compensation (Art. 11 §2 P.D. 7/2018; Art. 12 §2 of Directive 2015/2302).
8. Cancellation of the package by the Organizer
8.1 Minimum number of participants not reached
If the contract expressly makes performance of the package conditional on reaching a minimum number of participants (as specified in the contract/booking confirmation), the Organizer may cancel the package without compensation, notifying the traveler within the following minimum periods:
| Package duration | Minimum notice | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| More than 6 days | 20 days before departure | Art. 11 §3(a) P.D. 7/2018 |
| 2 to 6 days | 7 days before departure | Art. 11 §3(a) P.D. 7/2018 |
| Less than 2 days | 48 hours before departure | Art. 11 §3(a) P.D. 7/2018 |
In that case the traveler is entitled to a full and prompt refund of all payments made, with no further compensation.
8.2 Unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances or supervening impossibility
The Organizer may also terminate the contract, before the start of the package, without additional compensation, if unable to perform the contract due to unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances, notifying the traveler without undue delay. In this case too, the traveler is entitled to a full refund, but not to additional compensation (Art. 11 §3(b) P.D. 7/2018; Art. 12 §3(b) of Directive 2015/2302).
9. Refunds
All refunds due under Sections 6, 7 and 8 are made without undue delay and in any event within 14 days of the date of termination of the contract (Art. 11 §4 P.D. 7/2018; Art. 12 §4 of Directive 2015/2302), normally using the same means of payment used by the traveler, unless expressly agreed otherwise.
10. Protection in the event of the Organizer’s insolvency
In accordance with Art. 16 P.D. 7/2018 (Art. 17 of Directive 2015/2302), the Organizer secures, by means of a suitable insurance contract/financial guarantee, the refund of all payments made by or on behalf of travelers, to the extent that the relevant services are not performed as a result of the Organizer’s insolvency, as well as — where the package includes passenger transport — the repatriation of travelers.
Guarantor/Insurer: AIG Europe S.A. (Greek Branch) — Financial Loss Insurance Policy No. P2311008946, with a policy period of 05.03.2026 – 05.03.2027 (retroactive effect from 05.03.2024), aggregate limit of liability €1,000,000.00, with a specific sub-limit for insolvency/bankruptcy of €20,000.00 per event and in the aggregate for the policy period, and repatriation cover due to insolvency of up to €1,500.00 per traveler and up to €100,000.00 in the aggregate.
Operating guarantee letter: Alpha Bank, Katerini Branch (0940) — Letter of Guarantee No. GRH030981 – 816/Δ200891/52552, amount €5,000.00, in favor of OLYMPOS TOURISTIKI EPENDITIKI S.A. (Tax ID/ΑΦΜ 094403384), for the benefit of the Hellenic State / Ministry of Tourism – Greek National Tourism Organization, valid until 02.06.2029.
11. Unfair terms and partial invalidity
No clause in these terms is intended, nor shall it be interpreted, in a manner that restricts the mandatory rights recognized to the traveler under Directive (EU) 2015/2302, P.D. 7/2018 or Law 2251/1994; pursuant to Art. 2 of Law 2251/1994, clauses found to be excessively burdensome or non-transparent for the consumer are void to that extent, while the remainder of the contract remains valid and effective.
12. Governing law and competent court
The contract is governed by Greek law. The courts of Katerini shall have exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute, without prejudice to any mandatory rights that the law of the traveler’s country of habitual residence, where different from Greece, grants under Regulation (EC) No 593/2008 (Rome I) and Regulation (EU) No 1215/2012 (Brussels I recast).
A traveler resident in the European Union may also refer the matter to the European online dispute resolution platform (ODR), available at ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr, or to the competent Greek alternative dispute resolution body for the tourism sector.