My train was cancelled and no alternative was provided. Can I claim a hotel?

What the Law Says

EU Regulation (EC) No 1371/2007 sets out your rights as a rail passenger when services are disrupted. It requires railway undertakings to provide assistance — including accommodation — when delays or cancellations leave you stranded overnight.

If your train is cancelled and no reasonable alternative transport is offered, the railway company must provide necessary assistance. This includes meals, refreshments, accommodation (e.g., a hotel), and transport between the station and the accommodation — all free of charge.

The obligation to provide accommodation applies only when you are left waiting overnight due to the cancellation or long delay, and no suitable alternative service is available within a reasonable time.

You must also be offered either a full refund of your ticket or re-routing under comparable conditions at the earliest opportunity.

Statutory Text

Where a railway undertaking cancels a service or where a significant delay occurs, it shall provide passengers with assistance, including, where appropriate, meals and refreshments, accommodation and transport between the station and the place of accommodation.

— Regulation (EC) No 1371/2007, Art. 17(1)

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