diff --git a/client/src/repo/accommodationRepo.ts b/client/src/repo/accommodationRepo.ts
index 75e8c345..93cb0550 100644
--- a/client/src/repo/accommodationRepo.ts
+++ b/client/src/repo/accommodationRepo.ts
@@ -1,16 +1,20 @@
 import { accommodationsApi } from '../api/client'
 import { offlineDb, upsertAccommodations } from '../db/offlineDb'
+import { onlineThenCache } from './withOfflineFallback'
 import type { Accommodation } from '../types'
 
 export const accommodationRepo = {
   async list(tripId: number | string): Promise<{ accommodations: Accommodation[] }> {
-    if (!navigator.onLine) {
-      const accommodations = await offlineDb.accommodations
-        .where('trip_id').equals(Number(tripId)).toArray()
-      return { accommodations }
-    }
-    const result = await accommodationsApi.list(tripId)
-    upsertAccommodations(result.accommodations || []).catch(() => {})
-    return result
+    return onlineThenCache(
+      async () => {
+        const result = await accommodationsApi.list(tripId)
+        upsertAccommodations(result.accommodations || []).catch(() => {})
+        return result
+      },
+      async () => ({
+        accommodations: await offlineDb.accommodations
+          .where('trip_id').equals(Number(tripId)).toArray(),
+      }),
+    )
   },
 }
diff --git a/client/src/repo/budgetRepo.ts b/client/src/repo/budgetRepo.ts
index 3ea50a7b..c2f0fa31 100644
--- a/client/src/repo/budgetRepo.ts
+++ b/client/src/repo/budgetRepo.ts
@@ -1,18 +1,20 @@
 import { budgetApi } from '../api/client'
 import { offlineDb, upsertBudgetItems } from '../db/offlineDb'
+import { onlineThenCache } from './withOfflineFallback'
 import type { BudgetItem } from '../types'
 
 export const budgetRepo = {
   async list(tripId: number | string): Promise<{ items: BudgetItem[] }> {
-    if (!navigator.onLine) {
-      const cached = await offlineDb.budgetItems
-        .where('trip_id')
-        .equals(Number(tripId))
-        .toArray()
-      return { items: cached }
-    }
-    const result = await budgetApi.list(tripId)
-    upsertBudgetItems(result.items)
-    return result
+    return onlineThenCache(
+      async () => {
+        const result = await budgetApi.list(tripId)
+        upsertBudgetItems(result.items)
+        return result
+      },
+      async () => ({
+        items: await offlineDb.budgetItems
+          .where('trip_id').equals(Number(tripId)).toArray(),
+      }),
+    )
   },
 }
diff --git a/client/src/repo/dayRepo.ts b/client/src/repo/dayRepo.ts
index de105748..0f6eaffb 100644
--- a/client/src/repo/dayRepo.ts
+++ b/client/src/repo/dayRepo.ts
@@ -1,18 +1,22 @@
 import { daysApi } from '../api/client'
 import { offlineDb, upsertDays } from '../db/offlineDb'
+import { onlineThenCache } from './withOfflineFallback'
 import type { Day } from '../types'
 
 export const dayRepo = {
   async list(tripId: number | string): Promise<{ days: Day[] }> {
-    if (!navigator.onLine) {
-      const cached = await offlineDb.days
-        .where('trip_id')
-        .equals(Number(tripId))
-        .sortBy('day_number' as keyof Day)
-      return { days: cached as Day[] }
-    }
-    const result = await daysApi.list(tripId)
-    upsertDays(result.days)
-    return result
+    return onlineThenCache(
+      async () => {
+        const result = await daysApi.list(tripId)
+        upsertDays(result.days)
+        return result
+      },
+      async () => ({
+        days: (await offlineDb.days
+          .where('trip_id')
+          .equals(Number(tripId))
+          .sortBy('day_number' as keyof Day)) as Day[],
+      }),
+    )
   },
 }
diff --git a/client/src/repo/fileRepo.ts b/client/src/repo/fileRepo.ts
index db96bad8..8c75c863 100644
--- a/client/src/repo/fileRepo.ts
+++ b/client/src/repo/fileRepo.ts
@@ -1,18 +1,20 @@
 import { filesApi } from '../api/client'
 import { offlineDb, upsertTripFiles } from '../db/offlineDb'
+import { onlineThenCache } from './withOfflineFallback'
 import type { TripFile } from '../types'
 
 export const fileRepo = {
   async list(tripId: number | string): Promise<{ files: TripFile[] }> {
-    if (!navigator.onLine) {
-      const cached = await offlineDb.tripFiles
-        .where('trip_id')
-        .equals(Number(tripId))
-        .toArray()
-      return { files: cached }
-    }
-    const result = await filesApi.list(tripId)
-    upsertTripFiles(result.files)
-    return result
+    return onlineThenCache(
+      async () => {
+        const result = await filesApi.list(tripId)
+        upsertTripFiles(result.files)
+        return result
+      },
+      async () => ({
+        files: await offlineDb.tripFiles
+          .where('trip_id').equals(Number(tripId)).toArray(),
+      }),
+    )
   },
 }
diff --git a/client/src/repo/packingRepo.ts b/client/src/repo/packingRepo.ts
index 955f7dae..36adc2fd 100644
--- a/client/src/repo/packingRepo.ts
+++ b/client/src/repo/packingRepo.ts
@@ -1,20 +1,22 @@
 import { packingApi } from '../api/client'
 import { offlineDb, upsertPackingItems } from '../db/offlineDb'
 import { mutationQueue, generateUUID, nextTempId } from '../sync/mutationQueue'
+import { onlineThenCache } from './withOfflineFallback'
 import type { PackingItem } from '../types'
 
 export const packingRepo = {
   async list(tripId: number | string): Promise<{ items: PackingItem[] }> {
-    if (!navigator.onLine) {
-      const cached = await offlineDb.packingItems
-        .where('trip_id')
-        .equals(Number(tripId))
-        .toArray()
-      return { items: cached }
-    }
-    const result = await packingApi.list(tripId)
-    upsertPackingItems(result.items)
-    return result
+    return onlineThenCache(
+      async () => {
+        const result = await packingApi.list(tripId)
+        upsertPackingItems(result.items)
+        return result
+      },
+      async () => ({
+        items: await offlineDb.packingItems
+          .where('trip_id').equals(Number(tripId)).toArray(),
+      }),
+    )
   },
 
   async create(tripId: number | string, data: Record<string, unknown> & { name: string }): Promise<{ item: PackingItem }> {
diff --git a/client/src/repo/placeRepo.ts b/client/src/repo/placeRepo.ts
index a81088a6..752f0ad4 100644
--- a/client/src/repo/placeRepo.ts
+++ b/client/src/repo/placeRepo.ts
@@ -1,20 +1,22 @@
 import { placesApi } from '../api/client'
 import { offlineDb, upsertPlaces } from '../db/offlineDb'
 import { mutationQueue, generateUUID, nextTempId } from '../sync/mutationQueue'
+import { onlineThenCache } from './withOfflineFallback'
 import type { Place } from '../types'
 
 export const placeRepo = {
   async list(tripId: number | string, params?: Record<string, unknown>): Promise<{ places: Place[] }> {
-    if (!navigator.onLine) {
-      const cached = await offlineDb.places
-        .where('trip_id')
-        .equals(Number(tripId))
-        .toArray()
-      return { places: cached }
-    }
-    const result = await placesApi.list(tripId, params)
-    upsertPlaces(result.places)
-    return result
+    return onlineThenCache(
+      async () => {
+        const result = await placesApi.list(tripId, params)
+        upsertPlaces(result.places)
+        return result
+      },
+      async () => ({
+        places: await offlineDb.places
+          .where('trip_id').equals(Number(tripId)).toArray(),
+      }),
+    )
   },
 
   async create(tripId: number | string, data: Record<string, unknown> & { name: string }): Promise<{ place: Place }> {
diff --git a/client/src/repo/reservationRepo.ts b/client/src/repo/reservationRepo.ts
index 575b8075..0394adb1 100644
--- a/client/src/repo/reservationRepo.ts
+++ b/client/src/repo/reservationRepo.ts
@@ -1,18 +1,20 @@
 import { reservationsApi } from '../api/client'
 import { offlineDb, upsertReservations } from '../db/offlineDb'
+import { onlineThenCache } from './withOfflineFallback'
 import type { Reservation } from '../types'
 
 export const reservationRepo = {
   async list(tripId: number | string): Promise<{ reservations: Reservation[] }> {
-    if (!navigator.onLine) {
-      const cached = await offlineDb.reservations
-        .where('trip_id')
-        .equals(Number(tripId))
-        .toArray()
-      return { reservations: cached }
-    }
-    const result = await reservationsApi.list(tripId)
-    upsertReservations(result.reservations)
-    return result
+    return onlineThenCache(
+      async () => {
+        const result = await reservationsApi.list(tripId)
+        upsertReservations(result.reservations)
+        return result
+      },
+      async () => ({
+        reservations: await offlineDb.reservations
+          .where('trip_id').equals(Number(tripId)).toArray(),
+      }),
+    )
   },
 }
diff --git a/client/src/repo/todoRepo.ts b/client/src/repo/todoRepo.ts
index e284b23a..60b47aff 100644
--- a/client/src/repo/todoRepo.ts
+++ b/client/src/repo/todoRepo.ts
@@ -1,18 +1,20 @@
 import { todoApi } from '../api/client'
 import { offlineDb, upsertTodoItems } from '../db/offlineDb'
+import { onlineThenCache } from './withOfflineFallback'
 import type { TodoItem } from '../types'
 
 export const todoRepo = {
   async list(tripId: number | string): Promise<{ items: TodoItem[] }> {
-    if (!navigator.onLine) {
-      const cached = await offlineDb.todoItems
-        .where('trip_id')
-        .equals(Number(tripId))
-        .toArray()
-      return { items: cached }
-    }
-    const result = await todoApi.list(tripId)
-    upsertTodoItems(result.items)
-    return result
+    return onlineThenCache(
+      async () => {
+        const result = await todoApi.list(tripId)
+        upsertTodoItems(result.items)
+        return result
+      },
+      async () => ({
+        items: await offlineDb.todoItems
+          .where('trip_id').equals(Number(tripId)).toArray(),
+      }),
+    )
   },
 }
diff --git a/client/src/repo/tripRepo.ts b/client/src/repo/tripRepo.ts
index 082e346a..e3337dd0 100644
--- a/client/src/repo/tripRepo.ts
+++ b/client/src/repo/tripRepo.ts
@@ -1,33 +1,42 @@
 import { tripsApi } from '../api/client'
 import { offlineDb, upsertTrip } from '../db/offlineDb'
+import { onlineThenCache } from './withOfflineFallback'
 import type { Trip } from '../types'
 
 export const tripRepo = {
   async list(): Promise<{ trips: Trip[]; archivedTrips: Trip[] }> {
-    if (!navigator.onLine) {
-      const all = await offlineDb.trips.toArray()
-      return {
-        trips: all.filter(t => !t.is_archived),
-        archivedTrips: all.filter(t => t.is_archived),
-      }
-    }
-    const [active, archived] = await Promise.all([
-      tripsApi.list(),
-      tripsApi.list({ archived: 1 }),
-    ])
-    active.trips.forEach(t => upsertTrip(t))
-    archived.trips.forEach(t => upsertTrip(t))
-    return { trips: active.trips, archivedTrips: archived.trips }
+    return onlineThenCache(
+      async () => {
+        const [active, archived] = await Promise.all([
+          tripsApi.list(),
+          tripsApi.list({ archived: 1 }),
+        ])
+        active.trips.forEach(t => upsertTrip(t))
+        archived.trips.forEach(t => upsertTrip(t))
+        return { trips: active.trips, archivedTrips: archived.trips }
+      },
+      async () => {
+        const all = await offlineDb.trips.toArray()
+        return {
+          trips: all.filter(t => !t.is_archived),
+          archivedTrips: all.filter(t => t.is_archived),
+        }
+      },
+    )
   },
 
   async get(tripId: number | string): Promise<{ trip: Trip }> {
-    if (!navigator.onLine) {
-      const cached = await offlineDb.trips.get(Number(tripId))
-      if (cached) return { trip: cached }
-      throw new Error('No cached trip data available offline')
-    }
-    const result = await tripsApi.get(tripId)
-    upsertTrip(result.trip)
-    return result
+    return onlineThenCache(
+      async () => {
+        const result = await tripsApi.get(tripId)
+        upsertTrip(result.trip)
+        return result
+      },
+      async () => {
+        const cached = await offlineDb.trips.get(Number(tripId))
+        if (cached) return { trip: cached }
+        throw new Error('No cached trip data available offline')
+      },
+    )
   },
 }
diff --git a/client/src/repo/withOfflineFallback.ts b/client/src/repo/withOfflineFallback.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..fba7a063
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/src/repo/withOfflineFallback.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+/**
+ * True when an error means the request never reached the server — a network-level
+ * failure (offline, captive portal, proxy auth wall, dropped connection, CORS).
+ * Axios sets `response` only when the server actually replied; its absence (on an
+ * Axios error) means we never got one. A real HTTP error (4xx/5xx) HAS a response
+ * and must NOT be treated as a network failure — the server spoke, so the caller
+ * needs to see it. Non-Axios errors are surfaced too.
+ */
+function isNetworkError(err: unknown): boolean {
+  const e = err as { isAxiosError?: boolean; response?: unknown } | null
+  return !!e && e.isAxiosError === true && e.response == null
+}
+
+/**
+ * Read-through cache pattern shared by every repo's read methods.
+ *
+ * Reads degrade to the local Dexie cache in two situations:
+ *   1. The browser reports it is offline (`navigator.onLine` false) — skip the
+ *      doomed request entirely.
+ *   2. The browser *thinks* it is online but the request fails at the network
+ *      level — a lying `navigator.onLine` on a captive portal, a dropped
+ *      connection (H2). Rather than surfacing that (which blanks the trip even
+ *      though a good cached copy exists), we fall back to the cache.
+ *
+ * We intentionally gate only on `navigator.onLine`, NOT the connectivity probe:
+ * the probe is a coarse global flag, and a single failed health check would
+ * otherwise force every read to the (possibly empty) cache even when the request
+ * itself would succeed. The network-error catch below covers the captive-portal
+ * case the probe was meant to.
+ *
+ * A genuine HTTP error (404/403/500 — the server responded) is NOT swallowed: it
+ * is rethrown so callers can set error state, navigate away, etc.
+ *
+ * Writes must NOT use this — they go through the mutation queue so failures are
+ * surfaced and retried, not silently swallowed.
+ */
+export async function onlineThenCache<T>(
+  onlineFn: () => Promise<T>,
+  cacheFn: () => Promise<T>,
+): Promise<T> {
+  if (!navigator.onLine) return cacheFn()
+  try {
+    return await onlineFn()
+  } catch (err) {
+    if (isNetworkError(err)) return cacheFn()
+    throw err
+  }
+}
diff --git a/client/tests/unit/repo/placeRepo.test.ts b/client/tests/unit/repo/placeRepo.test.ts
index 45387841..4724ca56 100644
--- a/client/tests/unit/repo/placeRepo.test.ts
+++ b/client/tests/unit/repo/placeRepo.test.ts
@@ -64,6 +64,20 @@ describe('placeRepo.list', () => {
     const result = await placeRepo.list(99);
     expect(result.places).toHaveLength(0);
   });
+
+  it('online but request fails — falls back to Dexie cache (captive portal)', async () => {
+    // navigator.onLine lies "true" on a captive portal; the request throws.
+    const place = buildPlace({ trip_id: 1 });
+    await offlineDb.places.put(place);
+
+    server.use(
+      http.get('/api/trips/1/places', () => HttpResponse.error()),
+    );
+
+    const result = await placeRepo.list(1);
+    expect(result.places).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(result.places[0].id).toBe(place.id);
+  });
 });
 
 describe('placeRepo.create', () => {
diff --git a/client/tests/unit/repo/withOfflineFallback.test.ts b/client/tests/unit/repo/withOfflineFallback.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6a679df2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/tests/unit/repo/withOfflineFallback.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+/**
+ * onlineThenCache — the read-through fallback shared by every repo (H2).
+ *
+ * Branches:
+ *   - navigator offline → cache only (skip the request)
+ *   - online but the request fails at the network level → fall back to cache
+ *   - online but the server returns an HTTP error → rethrow (don't mask)
+ *   - online and the request succeeds → return it, skip cache
+ */
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, afterEach, vi } from 'vitest';
+import { onlineThenCache } from '../../../src/repo/withOfflineFallback';
+
+beforeEach(() => {
+  Object.defineProperty(navigator, 'onLine', { value: true, writable: true, configurable: true });
+});
+
+afterEach(() => {
+  vi.restoreAllMocks();
+});
+
+describe('onlineThenCache', () => {
+  it('returns the online result when online', async () => {
+    const online = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue('online');
+    const cache = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue('cache');
+
+    expect(await onlineThenCache(online, cache)).toBe('online');
+    expect(online).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+    expect(cache).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it('reads the cache without calling online when navigator is offline', async () => {
+    Object.defineProperty(navigator, 'onLine', { value: false });
+    const online = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue('online');
+    const cache = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue('cache');
+
+    expect(await onlineThenCache(online, cache)).toBe('cache');
+    expect(online).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it('falls back to the cache on a network-level failure (no HTTP response)', async () => {
+    // Axios network error: the request never reached the server (captive portal).
+    const netErr = Object.assign(new Error('Network Error'), { isAxiosError: true, response: undefined });
+    const online = vi.fn().mockRejectedValue(netErr);
+    const cache = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue('cache');
+
+    expect(await onlineThenCache(online, cache)).toBe('cache');
+    expect(online).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+    expect(cache).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+  });
+
+  it('rethrows a genuine HTTP error (server responded) instead of masking it', async () => {
+    // 404/403/500 mean the server replied — callers must see it, not a stale cache.
+    const httpErr = Object.assign(new Error('Not Found'), { isAxiosError: true, response: { status: 404 } });
+    const online = vi.fn().mockRejectedValue(httpErr);
+    const cache = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue('cache');
+
+    await expect(onlineThenCache(online, cache)).rejects.toThrow('Not Found');
+    expect(cache).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it('rethrows a non-Axios error rather than swallowing it', async () => {
+    const online = vi.fn().mockRejectedValue(new Error('bug'));
+    const cache = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue('cache');
+
+    await expect(onlineThenCache(online, cache)).rejects.toThrow('bug');
+    expect(cache).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it('propagates a cache error (e.g. nothing cached) when online also failed', async () => {
+    Object.defineProperty(navigator, 'onLine', { value: false });
+    const online = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue('online');
+    const cache = vi.fn().mockRejectedValue(new Error('No cached data'));
+
+    await expect(onlineThenCache(online, cache)).rejects.toThrow('No cached data');
+  });
+});