What are my rights when I travel by bus?

If you are travelling the EU per bus or coach, the following rights apply:

• Right to not be discriminated based on nationality
  A bus or coach company may  not change the conditions or price of a ticket based on your nationality.
• Right to not be discriminated based on (reduced) mobility
  Staff should be adequately trained in order to respond to the needs of disabled people or people with reduced mobility. If mobility equipment is lost or damaged, passengers are entitled to financial compensation.
• Right to information
  Passengers should be informed about their journey before and during the journey. Information should be accessible online and at bus stations. If you require this information in an alternative format, such as large print or Braille, this should be provided upon request.
• Right to make a complaint
  The bus or coach company should offer you a way to make a complaint. All EU countries have national bodies to handle complaints. These national bodies enforce the Regulation and can impose penalties if companies do not stick to these rules.

#bus-coach-passenger-rights

If your bus or coach journey is more than 250 kilometres, you have the following rights:

• Help in case of delays or cancellations
  If a journey of more than 3 hours is cancelled or delayed more than 90 minutes, you are entitled to assistance from the bus or coach company. This means you are entitled to get meals and refreshments. If necessary, you also have to be offered one or two nights at a hotel (maximum € 80 per night). This does not apply if the journey was cancelled or delayed due to extraordinary circumstances, like extreme weather or a natural disaster.
• Refund, continuation or re-routing
  If your journey has been cancelled or if the departure was delayed by more than 120 minutes, or if you were not able to travel because your bus or coach was overbooked, you should be offered a refund or be offered a continuation or re-routing of your journey to reach your final destination.
• Compensation
  If your journey was delayed more than 120 minutes and you have continued your journey without having been offered the choice to cancel, you are entitled to receive 50% compensation.
• Information
  If your journey has been cancelled or delayed, you must be informed about your rights and options.
• Traffic accidents
  If there has been an accident - in addition to compensation in the event of death, personal injury, loss of or damage to luggage - passengers are entitled to assistance regarding their immediate practical needs. This could include needs such as first aid, food or two nights at a hotel (of a maximum of €80 per night).
• Assistance
  If you are disabled or have reduced mobility, you should be offered free assistance at the terminal and on the bus/coach. In some cases this means you are entitled to bring along a travel companion.

#passenger-rights-long-bus-coach-journey

If your bus or coach is cancelled, you should be informed about this as soon as possible. The bus or coach company has to inform you within 30 minutes of the scheduled departure time.

Journeys of 250 kilometres or more

If your bus or coach was cancelled due to overbooking (more tickets were sold than there are available seats) or for operational reasons (like technical problems), you should be given a choice between these options:

• Refund of your ticket
• Return service by bus or coach free of charge to your first point of departure
• A continuation or re-routing to your final destination under comparable travel conditions, as soon as possible and free of charge.

Journeys of 250 kilometres or more and longer than 3 hours

In addition to the rights mentioned above, you are also entitled to:

• Snacks, meals or beverages in the bus or at the bus station
• If necessary, accommodation in a hotel of a maximum of € 80 per night, for a maximum of two nights. This also includes transportation to and from the bus station.

Please note: was your journey cancelled due to extraordinary circumstances? E.g. bad weather or a natural disaster? In that case the company is not required to pay for accommodation.

#bus-coach-cancelled

Whether you are already on the bus/coach or still at the terminal, the operator should inform you of the new expected time of departure as soon as this information become available.

Journeys of 250 kilometres or more

If your bus leaves two hours later than the scheduled departure time, the bus company needs to offer the following options:

• Refund or your ticket
• Return service by bus or coach free of charge to your first point of departure
• A continuation or re-routing to your final destination under comparable travel conditions, as soon as possible and free of charge.

Were you not offered these options? Then you can file a complaint and ask for your money back retrospectively. If you did end up continuing on your journey, you are entitled to a compensation of 50% of the ticket price.

Journeys of 250 kilometres or more with a duration of more than 3 hours

In addition to the information above, you are also entitled to:

• Snacks, meals and beverages in the bus or at the bus terminal
• If necessary, a stay at a hotel for a maximum of two nights (at a maximum price of
  € 80 a night). This includes transportation to and from the bus terminal.

Please note: if your journey was delayed due to extraordinary circumstances like bad weather or a natural disaster, the bus or coach company is not required to pay for accommodation.

#bus-coach-delayed

If your baggage is damaged or lost after a traffic accident, you are entitled to a compensation of a maximum of € 1.200 per item.

If a wheelchair or other mobility equipment or assistive device is damaged or lost, compensation should cover the costs of replacement or repair.

#baggage-lost-damaged

Were you injured due to a traffic accident involving your bus or coach? You are entitled to a compensation of a maximum of € 220.000 per passenger. The bus or coach company also has to provide assistance  with regard to your immediate practical needs such as food, clothes or accommodation.

If you are a dependant of a victim of a fatal bus/coach accident, you are entitled to compensation up to € 220.000 per passenger. This includes funeral expenses.

#bus-coach-traffic-accident

If you file a complaint with a bus/coach company, be sure to include the following details to allow for a quick follow-up:

• Your name and contact details
• A detailed description of your complaint
• Your preferred solution
• Copies of relevant documents, such as your previous correspondence with the company

File your complaint within three months of the scheduled journey. The bus or coach company must send you a first response within one month of your complaint and will have to send you a final answer within three months.

#bus-coach-company-complaint

Did you send your complaint to the company, but did the company not respond or are you unsatisfied with the offered solution? These are your options:

1. Submit a complaint to the European Consumer Centre
   The European Consumer Centre offers free assistance. This means we can contact the company for your to try to find a solution that works for everyone. Submit your complaint.
2. Submit a complaint to another consumer organisation or dispute resolution platform
   The European Consumer Centre is not your only option to find an out-of-court solution. In some situations other alternative dispute resolution providers are available (in Dutch: geschillencommissie). The ECC can advise you on how this works.
3. Submit a complaint to an enforcement authority
   Enforcement authorities see to it that companies adhere to the rules and have the power to impose sanctions. The national enforcement authority for bus/coach travel in the Netherlands is the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) (Dutch website).
4. Going to court
   If you do not succeed in finding an out-of-court solution, you can choose to bring your case to court. If you have a claim of up to € 5000, you can start a European small-claims procedure. The ECC can advice you on how this procedure works.  

#bus-coach-travel-unresolved-complait