Tour operators in Germany 2026: a ranking built on verified facts
A ranking of German tour operators (Reiseveranstalter) that sell package holidays, built only on verifiable facts: the commercial register entry shown in the imprint, the insolvency protection and the protector named in the Sicherungsschein (usually the Deutscher Reisesicherungsfonds), the year the company started, DRV membership, published travel terms (Reisebedingungen) and online booking and payment. Every fact links to its source with the date we checked it. This is not advice to choose a particular operator. Places are not for sale.
| # | Company | Who it serves | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Berge & Meer | 89 | Yes | Yes | 1978 | Yes | Register Protection Online booking Online payment |
| 2 | alltours | 89 | Yes | Yes | 1974 | Yes | Register Protection Member of the national association Online booking Online payment |
| 3 | ETI Express Travel International | 84 | Yes | Yes | 1998 | Yes | Register Protection Member of the national association Online booking Online payment |
| 4 | OLIMAR Reisen | 84 | Yes | Yes | 1972 | Yes | Register Protection Member of the national association Online booking Online payment |
| 5 | Wikinger Reisen | 81 | Yes | Yes | 1969 | Yes | Register Protection Online booking Online payment |
| 6 | schauinsland-reisen | 79 | Yes | Yes | 1918 | Yes | Register Protection Online booking Online payment |
| 7 | DERTOUR | 75 | Yes | Yes | Not verified | Yes | Register Protection Online booking Online payment |
| 8 | TUI Deutschland | 75 | Yes | Yes | Not verified | Yes | Register Protection Online booking Online payment |
| 9 | Gebeco | 75 | Yes | Yes | Not verified | Yes | Register Protection Member of the national association Online booking Online payment |
| 10 | Ameropa-Reisen | 73 | Yes | Yes | 1951 | Yes | Register Protection Online booking |
| 11 | Studiosus | 67 | Yes | Yes | 1954 | Not verified | Register Protection Online payment |
-
- In the official register
- Yes
- Insolvency protection
- Yes
- In business since
- 1978
- Online booking
- Yes
Pros
- Listed in the official register
- Customers' money is protected if the operator goes bust
- Holidays can be booked online
- Names its legal entity and registration number
Details Visit site ↗ 89% backed by facts
-
- In the official register
- Yes
- Insolvency protection
- Yes
- In business since
- 1974
- Online booking
- Yes
Pros
- Listed in the official register
- Customers' money is protected if the operator goes bust
- Holidays can be booked online
- Names its legal entity and registration number
Details Visit site ↗ 90% backed by facts
-
- In the official register
- Yes
- Insolvency protection
- Yes
- In business since
- 1998
- Online booking
- Yes
Pros
- Listed in the official register
- Customers' money is protected if the operator goes bust
- Holidays can be booked online
- Names its legal entity and registration number
Details Visit site ↗ 84% backed by facts
-
- In the official register
- Yes
- Insolvency protection
- Yes
- In business since
- 1972
- Online booking
- Yes
Pros
- Listed in the official register
- Customers' money is protected if the operator goes bust
- Holidays can be booked online
- Names its legal entity and registration number
Details Visit site ↗ 84% backed by facts
-
- In the official register
- Yes
- Insolvency protection
- Yes
- In business since
- 1969
- Online booking
- Yes
Pros
- Listed in the official register
- Customers' money is protected if the operator goes bust
- Holidays can be booked online
- Names its legal entity and registration number
Details Visit site ↗ 86% backed by facts
-
- In the official register
- Yes
- Insolvency protection
- Yes
- In business since
- 1918
- Online booking
- Yes
Pros
- Listed in the official register
- Customers' money is protected if the operator goes bust
- Holidays can be booked online
- Names its legal entity and registration number
Details Visit site ↗ 86% backed by facts
-
- In the official register
- Yes
- Insolvency protection
- Yes
- In business since
- Not verified
- Online booking
- Yes
Pros
- Listed in the official register
- Customers' money is protected if the operator goes bust
- Holidays can be booked online
- Names its legal entity and registration number
Details Visit site ↗ 77% backed by facts
-
- In the official register
- Yes
- Insolvency protection
- Yes
- In business since
- Not verified
- Online booking
- Yes
Pros
- Listed in the official register
- Customers' money is protected if the operator goes bust
- Holidays can be booked online
- Names its legal entity and registration number
Details Visit site ↗ 77% backed by facts
-
- In the official register
- Yes
- Insolvency protection
- Yes
- In business since
- Not verified
- Online booking
- Yes
Pros
- Listed in the official register
- Customers' money is protected if the operator goes bust
- Holidays can be booked online
- Names its legal entity and registration number
Details Visit site ↗ 75% backed by facts
-
- In the official register
- Yes
- Insolvency protection
- Yes
- In business since
- 1951
- Online booking
- Yes
Pros
- Listed in the official register
- Customers' money is protected if the operator goes bust
- Holidays can be booked online
- Names its legal entity and registration number
Details Visit site ↗ 73% backed by facts
-
- In the official register
- Yes
- Insolvency protection
- Yes
- In business since
- 1954
- Online booking
- Not verified
Pros
- Listed in the official register
- Customers' money is protected if the operator goes bust
- Names its legal entity and registration number
- Booking terms can be read before you pay
Details Visit site ↗ 67% backed by facts
How we calculate the Score
40%
Reliability
Listing in the national register of tour operators (or, in Germany, which has no licence, the commercial register), protection of customers' money if the operator becomes insolvent, the year the company started and membership of the national tour operators' association or fund.
25%
Transparency
Whether the website names the legal entity with its registration number, publishes the booking terms or contract before you pay, and gives an office address.
25%
Booking
Whether a holiday can be booked online on the operator's own website and paid for online, and the App Store rating of its own app where there is one.
10%
Destinations
How many countries or destinations the operator says it sells, counted only where the operator states the number itself.
How to choose a tour operator
Find the operator in the register
Your contract names the tour operator, even if you buy from an agent. Look that company up in the official register of your country and make sure the entry is current.
Check how your money is protected
If the operator goes bust, the guarantee or insolvency scheme pays for the return trip and refunds. Find out which scheme protects your booking and whether you receive a certificate or document confirming it.
Read the contract and booking terms
Before paying, read the cancellation charges, what happens if prices change, what is included (flights, transfers, meals, insurance) and the deadline for paying the balance.
Compare the same trip
Compare identical packages: the same hotel, room, meal plan, dates and flight times. A cheaper offer often has a worse flight, no transfer or a different room type.
Pay the operator or its official agent
Pay on the operator's own website or to an agent named in the contract, and keep the contract, receipts and vouchers. Check the web address before entering card details.
Know where to complain
First send a written claim to the operator. Then you can turn to the consumer protection authority, the association's dispute scheme or the guarantee scheme, and finally to court.
Frequently asked questions
How is my money protected if a German tour operator goes bust?
Under section 651r of the Civil Code (BGB) the operator must ensure that the price you paid is refunded if services are cancelled because of its insolvency, and that your return journey is covered if it is part of the package.
What is the Deutscher Reisesicherungsfonds (DRSF)?
Since 1 November 2021 operators can meet this duty only through a contract with a licensed travel guarantee fund. Only operators with turnover below 10 million euros in the last financial year may use an insurer or a bank instead. The DRSF is that fund.
What is a Sicherungsschein?
It is the certificate that proves the insolvency protection and names the protector. Before the trip ends, the operator may ask for or accept payment only if a valid protection contract exists and you have received the Sicherungsschein (section 651t BGB).
How do I check a German tour operator?
Look for the Sicherungsschein with your booking confirmation and check who the protector is. The imprint (Impressum) shows the legal entity and its commercial register number, and the travel terms explain cancellation charges and payment deadlines.