Step-by-step: How to claim your money from Great Rail Journeys

Have you successfully generated the required letter? Excellent. Now adhere to this 3-step plan to avoid procedural errors and effectively enforce your claim.

1. Attach evidence and receipts

Never send your letter without the corresponding evidence. Attach copies of booking confirmations, tickets, and receipts (for incurred expenses). Always keep the original documents with your own records.

2. The correct dispatch method

Preferably use the online contact form or the email address for Great Rail Journeys. Take a screenshot of the completed form or the email as proof of submission. Alternatively, we recommend sending a physical letter via Signed For or Recorded Delivery to the postal address listed below.

3. Deadline expired? The next step

You have set a reasonable deadline (usually 14 days). If Great Rail Journeys fails to respond or refuses payment, you must increase the pressure. Use our generator for the final demand (Letter Before Action) to formally place them in default.

Generate Final Demand to Great Rail Journeys

Official postal address for recorded delivery:

Great Rail Journeys Limited Customer Relations Saviour House, 9 St Saviourgate York YO1 8NL

Relevant Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) scheme:
Should a final demand also prove unsuccessful, you can escalate the matter to this official body:
ABTA Arbitration Scheme

My Great Rail Journeys holiday included a badly delayed train journey — is that a fault in the package?

Yes, if the train journey was a contractually promised part of your booked package (e.g. a rail-and-hotel itinerary), a significant delay can count as a fault in the package and justify a price reduction, independent of any separate claim you might have against the rail operator itself.

My Great Rail Journeys holiday included a badly delayed train journey — is that a fault in the package?

Yes. Claims arising from a package holiday contract are generally subject to the standard six-year limitation period under the Limitation Act 1980 (five years in Scotland), running from the date the holiday was due to end. Even so, complain as soon as possible after your return, since evidence such as photos and witness statements becomes harder to rely on over time.

Do I need a solicitor to complain to Great Rail Journeys?

No. For a clearly justified price reduction, a well-documented letter before action with a reasonable deadline is often enough. It's only worth consulting a travel solicitor, or referring the matter to ABTA's Arbitration Scheme, if Great Rail Journeys rejects your claim without good reason or the case involves higher sums or more complex issues.

Note regarding Great Rail Journeys: Tip: Great Rail Journeys specialises in escorted rail holidays. For train delays, you may have both a package-holiday claim against Great Rail Journeys and a separate rail passenger claim against the train operator — it's worth pursuing both routes in parallel. Where a delayed connecting train also disrupts other booked elements, such as a guided tour or hotel check-in, list every affected element separately with its scheduled time in your complaint.

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Flight Delay & Cancellation

If your flight arrives heavily delayed or is cancelled at short notice, you are protected by the UK/EU Air Passenger Rights Regulation (UK261/EU261). Depending on the flight distance, you are entitled to a flat-rate compensation of £220, £350 or £520 (or the EU equivalents of €250, €400 or €600). This applies regardless of the original ticket price.

When are you entitled to compensation?

  • The Three-Hour Rule: The decisive factor is that you arrive at your final destination airport with a delay of at least three hours. The departure time is not relevant for this.
  • Short-notice cancellation: The flight was cancelled less than 14 days before the scheduled departure and no adequate alternative flight was offered.
  • Scope of validity: The flight departed from the UK/EU. Alternatively, the flight landed in the UK/EU and was operated by a UK or EU airline.

Tips & Tricks for a successful claim

Airlines often initially refuse payments with generic excuses. Do not let this discourage you. Keep the following advice in mind:

  • Keep documents: Do not throw away your boarding passes, booking confirmations, and luggage tags. These serve as fundamental proof of your booking.
  • Get the reason confirmed: Ask the ground staff at the airport for the exact reason for the delay and, if possible, request a written confirmation.
  • Check excuses: Airlines frequently cite so-called "extraordinary circumstances" (such as unpredictable weather or third-party strikes) to avoid paying. Often, it turns out later that it was an internal technical defect or staff shortage. In these cases, the airline must pay.
  • Care and assistance: Did you have to pay for food or drinks yourself during the waiting time because the airline offered nothing? Submit the receipts along with the main claim.

How to assert your claims

To submit your claim to Great Rail Journeys formally and within the correct deadlines, you need a precise letter. You do not have to hire an expensive claims management company that keeps a large chunk of your compensation.

Instead, use our free generator. It creates the exact letter for you, including all relevant references to the Air Passenger Rights Regulation. All you have to do is send the finished document.

Create claim letter for flight delay

Luggage delayed, damaged or lost

If your luggage does not arrive at the destination or appears damaged on the baggage carousel, you are entitled to damages. For most international flights (including in the UK, EU, and the US), the global Montreal Convention applies here. It obliges airlines to assume liability for luggage problems.

The most important step: The PIR Report

Never leave the airport without officially reporting the damage or loss. Go immediately to the baggage desk (often called "Baggage Claim" or "Lost and Found") and demand the issuance of a Property Irregularity Report (PIR). This document, with a reference number, is the absolute basic requirement to later claim money back from Great Rail Journeys.

Tips & Tricks: Deadlines and essential purchases

In the case of luggage problems, the reporting deadlines are extremely strict. If you miss them, your claim expires entirely. Note the following points:

  • Deadline for damage: If your suitcase is broken, you must report this in writing to the airline within 7 days. Take photos immediately of all tears, dents, or missing wheels.
  • Deadline for delay: If the suitcase arrives late, you have 21 days after receiving the luggage to submit your expenses for essential purchases.
  • What are allowed essential purchases? If your suitcase is missing on holiday, you are allowed to buy the bare necessities. This includes toiletries (toothbrush, shower gel) and appropriate replacement clothing (underwear, t-shirts). Do not buy luxury items or expensive evening wear, however – the airline will only reimburse reasonable, justifiable costs.
  • Keep receipts: Keep every single receipt for your essential purchases. Without the original receipt, there is usually no reimbursement.

How to claim back your expenses

To claim back your costs for replacement purchases or the value of a destroyed suitcase from Great Rail Journeys, you must draft a formal letter based on the Montreal Convention (or national transport regulations).

Save yourself the trouble of looking up the exact paragraphs yourself. Use our free generator. It asks for the most important data (like your PIR number) and creates a ready-to-use document that you can send directly to the airline.

Create claim letter for luggage problems

Reclaiming taxes & fees

Did you miss your flight, have to cancel it at short notice, or simply not show up at the gate? Even if you booked the cheapest fare and your actual ticket is considered "non-refundable", you have the right to a partial refund. This is a globally common principle and applies to flights in the UK, the EU, the US, and most other countries.

Why are you entitled to this money?

A flight ticket consists of the pure airfare and various additional costs (e.g. airport taxes, security fees, and fuel surcharges). The airline only has to pay these taxes and fees to the respective airport or state if you actually sit on the plane. If you do not fly, the airline often simply keeps this money – even though it rightfully belongs to you.

Tips & Tricks: Do not let them fob you off

Airlines often deliberately make it difficult for consumers to reclaim these funds. Watch out for these classic hurdles:

  • The "cheap ticket" excuse: Even with extremely cheap flights, taxes and fees often make up the bulk of the price. The right to a refund of these fees exists completely independently of the booked fare.
  • Beware of administration fees: Many airlines demand high processing fees in their Terms and Conditions for refunding taxes, so that in the end, there appears to be no credit left over. Do not be deterred by this; in many countries, such clauses are inadmissible or strictly capped.
  • Insist on a payout: Often, you are merely offered a travel voucher. However, you have the right to have the un-incurred taxes and fees transferred to your bank account as a genuine cash amount.
  • Long deadlines: Unlike with luggage problems, you usually have significantly longer to claim this money back (often several years retrospectively, depending on national legislation).

How to get your money back

A short phone call to customer service is often not enough. You must write to Great Rail Journeys and demand that they disclose the retained taxes and fees and transfer them to your account.

Use our free generator for this. It phrases the cover letter exactly so that the airline is compelled to provide a detailed breakdown of the ticket costs and pay out the amount.

Create claim letter for taxes & fees

Hotel & Travel Defects

A dirty room, unbearable construction noise at the pool, or mouldy food at the buffet: If your hotel or package holiday deviates significantly from the booked description, you have the right to a reduction of the travel price. This principle - that you have paid for a service that was not provided - applies globally to contracts with tour operators and hotels.

The biggest mistake: Only complaining once back home

The most important step regarding travel defects starts whilst still on holiday. You are contractually obliged to give the tour operator or the hotel manager the opportunity to rectify the situation (for example, by moving you to another room). Therefore, report the defect immediately on site. If you wait until after your journey home, you will lose your right to a refund entirely in most countries.

Tips & Tricks for a successful price reduction

The mere assertion of a defect is not enough for a subsequent claim. Proceed structurally:

  • Secure evidence: Photograph or film every defect in detail. In the case of noise pollution, make sure to record videos with sound. Also note down the names and contact details of witnesses (other holidaymakers) who can confirm the problem.
  • Create a defect protocol: Get your complaint confirmed in writing on site. There are often pre-prepared forms for this from the tour rep or at the reception. A quick signature from the staff with the date is sufficient as proof that you reported the problem in good time.
  • Reasonable deadline: Give the accommodation a short, reasonable deadline to fix the problem (often a few hours to a day is enough, depending on urgency).
  • Benchmark for calculation: When you are back home and claiming money back, the so-called "Frankfurt Table" (a widely recognised industry benchmark) serves as an excellent orientation. It lists in detail what percentage of the travel price you can claim back for which defect (e.g. up to 25% for severe construction noise or up to 50% for vermin in the room).

How to claim your travel price reduction

As soon as you return from your holiday, you should not wait too long. For package holidays, always address your letter to your tour operator, not the local hotel. For individually booked hotels, contact the accommodation or the booking portal directly.

Use our free generator to clearly list your collected defects and demand a precisely calculated refund from Great Rail Journeys. The document formulates your request objectively, firmly, and without emotional digressions.

Create claim letter for travel defects

Cancellation & Cancellation Fees

Sometimes life gets in the way: An unexpected illness or a family emergency forces you to cancel your trip. In such cases, tour operators, booking portals or hotels often demand extremely high cancellation fees – sometimes up to 100 percent of the original travel price. But you do not have to blindly accept these flat-rate demands.

The misconception about flat-rate cancellation fees

An important principle often applies globally in contract law: The provider may not punish you for a cancellation, but merely compensate for their actual financial loss incurred. In addition, they are obliged to keep the loss as low as possible. If the hotel or tour operator succeeds in reselling your cancelled room to another guest, they suffer practically no loss. Consequently, they may not charge you astronomical fees for this service.

Tips & Tricks: Defend yourself against excessive fees

If you receive a high cancellation invoice, you should check the following points before you pay:

  • Demand concrete proof: Do not accept flat-rate percentages from the small print. Write to the provider and demand that they detail their actual loss and prove that they were unable to rent the room out elsewhere.
  • Provide a substitute person (name change): If you cannot travel yourself, with package holidays you almost always have the option to name a substitute person to go in your place. The operator is usually only allowed to charge the pure rebooking costs for this, but not a full cancellation fee.
  • Extraordinary circumstances: If there are sudden, unforeseeable dangers at your holiday destination (such as natural disasters, pandemics or severe unrest) that significantly affect the trip, you can often cancel completely free of charge. However, the personal risk of falling ill does not fall under this rule.
  • Travel cancellation insurance: Should you be insured, report the cancellation immediately. Submit medical certificates as soon as possible and ensure that the reason (e.g. unexpectedly severe illness) is covered by the policy.

How to object to an unjustified demand

To defend yourself against excessive cancellation costs from Great Rail Journeys, you must object in writing and demand the disclosure of the actual costs. Only in this way do you build up the necessary pressure to achieve a reduction in the fees.

Use our free generator for this step. It formulates an objective but firm objection that forces the provider to justify their flat-rate demands or reduce them accordingly.

Generate objection to cancellation fees

Train Delay & Cancellation

Whether you are travelling through the UK, across Europe, or in Germany by train: Train passengers are protected by extensive passenger rights. If you arrive at your destination with a significant delay or if your train is cancelled completely, you are entitled to a partial or even full refund of your ticket price.

How much refund are you entitled to?

National conditions of travel (like the Delay Repay scheme in the UK) and European passenger rights set clear thresholds. If it is foreseeable that you will arrive at your destination station with a delay, the following entitlements to the single ticket price usually apply:

  • From 60 minutes delay: You are entitled to a refund of at least 25 percent of the fare (Note: Under many UK 'Delay Repay' schemes, you can often claim 100% back for a 60+ minute delay).
  • From 120 minutes delay: Your compensation increases to 50 percent of the fare.
  • Abandoning the journey: If a delay of over 60 minutes at the destination is already foreseeable before departure, you can abandon the journey entirely and have 100 percent of the ticket price refunded.
  • Note: Many train operating companies offer better or additional compensation if their trains are delayed. Check the available options in good time.

Tips & Tricks: Advance tickets, taxis and hotels

Train companies often do not sufficiently inform you of your rights in an emergency at the station. Therefore, remember these important rules:

  • Lifting of specific train restrictions: If you have bought an Advance ticket tied to a specific train and this train is cancelled or is expected to be delayed by at least 20 minutes (depending on the operator), the train restriction is usually lifted. You may then simply use the next scheduled train on the same route.
  • Stranded at night: If your train is cancelled in the evening or the delay means you miss your last connecting train, the train company must not simply leave you stranded at the station. The company must organise onward travel (e.g. by taxi) or an overnight hotel stay.
  • Self-help with taxi costs: If no staff can be found at night, you are often allowed to take a taxi or a reasonable hotel yourself. Be sure to keep the receipt. The costs are capped at maximum amounts; if in doubt, briefly check the operator's website.
  • Exception for force majeure: Please note that in the event of extreme natural disasters, persons on the track, or official closures, the pure compensation payment (the 25 or 50 percent) may be waived. However, your right to care and assistance (hotel, taxi, alternative connection) remains unaffected by this!

How to assert your claims

Do not throw your ticket away. To claim your compensation or expenses for a used taxi back from Great Rail Journeys, you must submit a corresponding application and enclose copies of your tickets and receipts.

Use our free generator to document the delay professionally. The system creates the finished letter for you, so you do not have to grapple with complicated paragraphs of passenger rights regulations.

Create claim letter for train delays

Cruise Defects & Itinerary Changes

For many people, a cruise is the trip of a lifetime. However, if the booked balcony cabin suddenly turns out to be a windowless room, the promised pool area resembles a construction site, or major ports are skipped without comment, you do not have to accept this. Worldwide, the contract law principle applies: If the cruise line does not provide the promised service, you have a right to a price reduction.

The most important point of contact: The reception on board

The same rule applies on a cruise ship as in a hotel: Defects must be reported immediately on site. Go to the reception (often called "Guest Relations" or "Purser's Desk") without delay and demand a solution, for example, a different cabin. Anyone who suffers their displeasure in silence and only complains from home weeks after disembarkation loses their right to a refund in most legal systems.

Tips & Tricks: Differentiating between bad weather and actual defects

Cruise lines like to reject complaints with flat-rate responses. With this knowledge, you can secure your claims:

  • Itinerary changes: If a port cannot be called at due to an approaching hurricane or dangerous seas, this is for your safety (force majeure). There is usually no refund here. However, if the route is changed for organisational reasons, due to overbooking, or technical defects on the ship, you are indeed entitled to compensation.
  • Cabin downgrade & noise: If you receive a lower cabin category than booked, you must be refunded at least the price difference. If you suffer from extreme noise (for example, because your cabin is directly under the nightclub or next to a roaring engine room), demand a move or a written confirmation of the defect by the staff.
  • Beware of onboard credit: Often, the cruise line will spontaneously offer a bottle of champagne or a small onboard credit in case of problems. If you sign for this as "final compensation", you can no longer claim any money back later. Only accept it if the defect is truly settled for you with it.
  • The Würzburg Table: To calculate your claim after the trip, the so-called "Würzburg Table" (a standard benchmark for cruise defect calculations) is an excellent guide. It lists in detail what percentage of the daily travel price you can apply for typical cruise defects (such as a broken air conditioning unit or severe noise).

How to claim money back from the cruise line

An informal email is often dismissed with standard templates by large international cruise companies. You need a letter that precisely lists your defects, quantifies the lost holiday enjoyment, and sets a clear payment deadline.

Save valuable time and use our free generator. It bundles your collected evidence and formulates an objective, firm demand letter to Great Rail Journeys, with which you professionally assert your claim to a price reduction.

Create claim letter for cruise defects

Defects in the Holiday Home or Apartment

A broken pool, missing Wi-Fi, mould in the bathroom, or an accommodation that looks completely different in reality than on the photos online: If your holiday home does not match the booked description, a breach of contract has occurred. Regardless of the country you are holidaying in, you have the right to a reduction in the rental price if features are missing or faulty.

The golden rule: Give the landlord the chance to repair

As with hotels, the following applies here too: You may not simply reduce or claim back the rental price retrospectively if you concealed the defect on site. You are obliged to inform the landlord or the responsible agency immediately and demand a rectification (e.g. another cleaning or the repair of the air conditioning).

Tips & Tricks: The right contact person and evidence

Especially with holiday homes, communication is often confusing. Observe these essential steps to secure your claims:

  • Choose the right contact: A mere complaint to the gardener, the local keyholder, or the cleaner is not enough. You must contact your official contractual partner. If you booked through a large agency, call their emergency hotline.
  • Document everything exactly: Take photos or videos of all defects immediately upon arrival. If the accommodation is dirty, photograph the relevant areas before you reach for the cleaning cloth yourself.
  • Set deadlines: Give the landlord a clear and reasonable deadline to resolve the problem. For example, if the heating fails in winter, a response must be made within a few hours. For a broken toaster, you can give the provider a day or two.
  • Total failure of the accommodation: If the house is uninhabitable (e.g. due to severe mould infestation, vermin or a lack of running water) and the landlord does not offer a reasonable alternative accommodation, you can often terminate the contract without notice and look for alternative accommodation yourself. However, have the uninhabitability confirmed by neutral witnesses if possible and ask the landlord in writing for a solution beforehand.

How to claim your rent reduction

When you return from holiday and the landlord has not fixed the defect on site, or only inadequately, you should submit your claim for a price reduction in writing. Address it exactly to the company or person with whom you signed the rental contract.

Use our free generator to draft a professional letter of claim. The system bundles your documented defects into a clear text and calculates an appropriate refund upon request, without you having to read up on complex legal texts.

Create claim letter for holiday home defects

Airbnb Bookings & AirCover Refunds

If you book accommodation via Airbnb, the procedures in the event of a complaint differ from classic hotel bookings. Legally, Airbnb mostly only acts as a mediator. Nevertheless, the platform offers global protection for guests with the internal "AirCover" protection programme. If the accommodation does not match the details, essential equipment is missing, or it is heavily soiled, this programme will help you – but only if you follow the strict internal platform rules.

The most important rule: The 72-hour deadline

The biggest risk with Airbnb problems is missing the internal reporting deadlines. If you notice a serious defect after check-in, you must officially report it to Airbnb customer service within 72 hours of discovery. If you wait until after your departure, the AirCover protection no longer applies and Airbnb usually refuses any refund.

Tips & Tricks: Avoiding communication errors

To be on the safe side in the event of a conflict with the host, you should absolutely observe the following principles:

  • Communicate exclusively via the app: Do not engage in discussions via WhatsApp, SMS or private emails. Airbnb customer service can only accept messages as evidence that were sent via the platform's official messaging system.
  • Never cancel it yourself: If the accommodation is uninhabitable and you want to leave, do not under any circumstances cancel the booking yourself in the app. Anyone who cancels themselves submits to the host's regular cancellation policy and usually loses their money. Instead, contact support and demand that Airbnb cancels the booking due to the defects.
  • Upload evidence in the chat: Take photos or videos of the problem and send them directly in the official chat to your host, combined with a polite request for immediate rectification. This way, the problem is transparently documented for Airbnb.
  • If the host cancels: If the landlord cancels your booking at short notice, you will automatically get your money back. In such a case, also proactively ask customer service for help in finding an alternative accommodation or for a voucher as compensation for the inconvenience caused.

How to claim your money outside the app

Should the host block and the Airbnb support reject your request despite adhering to the deadlines, you must increase the pressure. Platforms and landlords must also adhere to overriding contract laws if the mediated service was faulty.

Use our free generator to draft a formal letter. This bundles your evidence and unmistakably formulates your claim for a refund, so that you can pursue the matter via official Alternative Dispute Resolution schemes if necessary.

Create claim letter for Airbnb problems

Booking Portals (OTA) & Intermediaries

Did you book your flight, rental car, or hotel not directly with the provider, but via an online booking portal (like Expedia, Opodo or Booking.com)? When a flight is cancelled or problems arise in such cases, getting a refund is often complicated. Worldwide, many intermediaries exploit this to delay payments for as long as possible.

End the infamous ping-pong game

The most common problem with booking portals is the deliberate denial of responsibility: The airline or hotel directs you to the portal because you paid there. The portal, in turn, claims it is merely the intermediary and you have to contact the airline directly. This endless back and forth wears many holidaymakers down. However, the basic rule is: Whoever collected your money and issued you an invoice is usually also your primary point of contact for the refund of the purchase price.

Tips & Tricks: Invalidating the portals' excuses

Do not let customer service representatives fob you off on the phone. Use the following strategies:

  • Compensation vs Refund: Distinguish clearly what you are claiming. If it is about a flat-rate compensation (e.g. due to a flight delay), the operating airline is always responsible. However, if it is about the pure refund of the ticket price for a cancelled flight, hold the portal where you paid accountable.
  • Inadmissible administration fees: Many booking portals try to deduct a high, proprietary "administration fee" from the balance when refunding a cancelled flight. Vigorously object to this. If the airline cancels the flight, you are generally entitled to the full ticket price without deductions.
  • Credit card chargeback (Section 75 / Chargeback): If the flight or hotel was cancelled and the portal refuses repayment despite a reasonable deadline being set, contact your bank or credit card company. There you can initiate a chargeback of the payment, as the booked service was never provided. This works worldwide with credit cards and often with PayPal too.
  • Write to both parties: To end the ping-pong game, ideally send your demand letter to both parties at the same time and put both in the recipient distribution list. This way, no one can plead ignorance anymore.

How to force the portal to act

A phone call rarely leads to the goal with large intermediary portals. You need a letter that is legally sound and makes it clear that you will no longer be pushed back and forth between the provider and the portal.

Use our free generator. It formulates a stringent demand letter, rejects excuses regarding the pure intermediary role in advance, and sets a final, binding payment deadline.

Create claim letter to booking portal