Our Advice on travel and coronavirus

We follow the advise and adhere to the information provided to us by the UK Government and Foreign Office. We are seeing travel restrictions constantly changing. An up to date list of these countries can be found at:

Permitted destinations

Please bear in mind that some of these countries may still have restrictions on UK visitors, such as quarantine and so you should check each particular country you are planning to visit or transit through.

General Coronavirus travel advice from the foreign office can be found at:

Foreign Office - Coronavirus advice

Below we have compiled a series of questions as well as our answers to hopefully assist with your holiday planning:

What would happen if I cancel my holiday prior to my departure date?

As we work with over 500+ world renowned travel operators we are unable to give you a blanket answer as each operator will have their own cancelation terms. We will however be able to provide you with these details at the time of booking.

However leading up to your departure date normal booking terms and conditions apply because in theory government advice could change tomorrow and your holiday could still proceed. 

So if you were to cancel your holiday prior to departure (or refuse to pay your balance for example) then you could lose your deposit and/or end up paying cancellation charges.

If the operator has cancelled the holiday though then it's a different story. See below.

What happens if the operator cancels my holiday?

As your departure date approaches a tour operator may cancel your holiday if the foreign office is advising against all but essential travel. If the operator does cancel your holiday then they are likely to offer you the chance to reschedule your holiday or they might offer you a credit note to use against future bookings. Some operators are offering credits that are bigger than the value of the holiday you booked.

If you have booked a package holiday (eg flights and accommodation) you are within your rights to accept this offer or to get a cash refund for what you paid for the holiday.

What happens if the tour operator goes bust?

If you have booked a package holiday with an ATOL protected operator (which is more than likely) and if you have a booking yet to depart and the operator goes bust, then the government (through the CAA) will refund any money that you have paid.

If the tour operator goes bust while you are overseas then the government will arrange to bring you home at no cost.

If instead of a current booking with an operator you have a credit note for your previous booking then the government and the CAA have also confirmed that these will be covered by ATOL protection.

Will my travel insurance cover me if I cancel because of Coronavirus?

You have to check the small print of your policy very carefully. Some will cover you and some won’t. If it doesn’t, then you may be able to buy an extension to cover it. If they don’t offer an extension then you might want to take out a new policy with another company, cancel your original policy and get a refund for the unexpired term.

It is worth noting that insurance companies may be changing their policies as we write this and so getting the right policy sooner rather than later may be advisable.

Should I be booking a holiday right now?

It's obviously completely up to you and we suggest you should only book a departure date that you are comfortable with as well as being comfortable with the booking terms offered. For people in high-risk categories, we suggest a departure date as far in the future as possible when the virus is under control and perhaps a vaccine has been developed. 

For those willing to travel a bit earlier there are some great deals around at the moment and remember if you book a package holiday with an ATOL protected operator then your future booking will be financially protected.

2021 HOLIDAY BOOKINGS AND PREDICTIONS GUIDE

Despite a rocky start, foreign travel will open up to UK travellers during 2021 and we have pulled together our wide range of knowledge and experience to provide you with our guide for 2021. Click through to our only brochure below: 

Please note all information within the brochure are predictions and not confirmed, especially within an ever-changing scope.

If you have any more questions please feel free to call us on 01432 804 410 and speak with a travel specialist, or email us at hello@yourlimitlesstravel.co.uk!