Booking with RIW Touristik: payment dates, documents, cancellation and cashback
RIW Touristik is a German tour operator that sells river and ocean cruises, coach and rail trips, round trips and wellness holidays, many of them departing from Germany. The site, the help pages and the phone service are in German. This guide goes through the practical rules from the FAQ that matter when you book: payment dates, travel documents, changes, cancellation by the operator and complaints.
Booking and payment
After you receive the booking confirmation, a down payment is due within 14 days. The remaining amount should arrive at the latest 30 days before the trip starts. You can pay by invoice, bank transfer or credit card (Visa and Mastercard). The company does not confirm incoming payments and sends no reminder for the final payment, so the dates on your confirmation or invoice are the ones to watch. If you pay by card, make sure the limit is high enough on the due date. Without the final payment no travel documents are issued.
Travel documents and cruise manifest
Your travel documents arrive about 7 to 10 days before departure, usually by email and sometimes by post, for example when original concert tickets are part of the trip. Late bookings or late payments can delay them. For many sea cruises you receive a boarding manifest (Bordmanifest) with the booking confirmation. It collects the personal data needed for the cruise, and it must be returned complete no later than 6 weeks before departure. Without it no documents can be produced. River cruises with 1AVista need no manifest in advance, as the data is taken at check-in on board. Excursions and drink packages should be requested at least 6 weeks ahead.
| At a glance | RIW Touristik |
|---|---|
| Down payment | Within 14 days of the booking confirmation |
| Final payment | At the latest 30 days before departure |
| Payment methods | Invoice, bank transfer, Visa and Mastercard |
| Travel documents | About 7 to 10 days before departure |
| Phone service | 06128 74081 50, daily 8:00 to 22:00 |
Changes, name corrections and cancellation
A correction of a name or a change of traveler is usually free until 6 weeks before departure for most types of trips, apart from extra costs charged by suppliers such as airlines. If you cancel yourself, the cancellation terms in the general travel conditions apply. The company points out that naming a replacement traveler is often the better choice, because that handling fee is usually much lower than the cancellation charge.
If RIW Touristik has to cancel a trip, for example because the minimum number of participants is not reached, it normally offers an alternative together with the notice, often with a discount for rebooking. If none of the alternatives suits you, you get the money you paid so far back in full. You are only told when the minimum number is at risk, no later than 30 days before departure. A travel insurance cannot be cancelled free of charge, and the cancellation cover part is not refunded.
Getting there and checking in
Depending on the trip you arrive by coach, train or plane, or by your own car. Many 1AVista river cruises offer door-to-door pickup. Booking it is possible until 6 weeks before the trip. For cruises you should be on board at least 3 hours before departure.
Complaints
If a room or cabin does not match your booking, report the problem on site and have the local partner confirm it in writing, ideally with photos. Complaints to RIW Touristik must be made in writing by email, fax or letter, and only by the person who made the booking. Give at least your RIW booking number. The answer can take 1 to 2 weeks. Claims about flights, such as delays or lost luggage, go to the airline that carried out the flight.
Using cashback
Open the RIW Touristik page at daily cashback, where the current rate (2.5%) is shown and the offers are checked every day. Press the shop button there, then book and pay as you normally would. In your free account the cashback shows as open and becomes confirmed after the booking has been reported. If a booking is cancelled, the cashback for it is deducted.
A few practical tips
- Write the due dates from your confirmation in your calendar, because no payment reminder is sent.
- Book in one visit and pause your ad blocker on the shop, as either can break the click. Keep other cashback and voucher sites closed, since a later click can replace the first one.
As of October 2026. The operator can change its terms, so confirm the details when you book.