Customer not entitled to cancel internet-booked travel
People who book their travel on the internet should be careful not to sign a contract hastily. Under German law, travel bookings are excluded from the right to cancel all internet-based contracts within two weeks after signing. This means for most customers that in such a case they would have to pay high cancellation fees to the tour operator. Few tour operators allow a cancellation without charging an extra fee. If such a policy is not written down in the contract, it usually does not exist at all.
It is almost always a good idea to have travel cancellation insurance. Whenever the cost of your travel plans is high enough to regret the loss, you should purchase insurance. There can always be unexpected reasons to cancel your travel plans; for example a sudden illness. Some tour operators are nice enough to change your reservations free of charge, but most of them do require a fee for changes as well.
One rare exception would be if the Foreign Ministry issues a travel warning for a certain area. This is done in cases of war or natural disasters. In such cases most tour operators accept a changes in reservations or travel cancellations without any charge. A travel warning is not to be confused with a travel recommendation. Although travel recommendations do often warn of certain risks and dangers, they are not considered on the same level a travel warning. A cancellation or change of reservations is a personal decision which will nevertheless incur a fee.
As a basic rule, it is always a good idea to be well informed about the current events in the country of destination. Before booking travel you should be aware of how stable the political situation is or if there are any other dangers like an outbreak of certain diseases. Information relating to the destination country´s Customs policy and import duties is also important to know. This can also affect medication. When returning from your travel, you should know what you are allowed to bring back into Germany as well.