France has Prohibit all unnecessary travel From the UK, from Friday night. If you plan to visit during the holiday season, we will explain what this means.
what happened?
All from the UK to France Closed until further notice. The ban will take effect at 11pm UK time on Friday, December 17, or midnight in Paris. All tourist trips for British citizens, including family and friends visiting France, have been closed-at least for now. French citizens, partners and children are still allowed to visit France.
What does this mean for my Christmas ski trip?
Christmas and New Year’s ski holiday plans are in chaos, and operators have to find alternative trips for British skiers who want to visit ski resorts in the next two weeks. The coming weeks are usually the busiest weeks of the season.
One result may be that if there are flights and hotel rooms available, travel will be diverted to other Alpine destinations-this is a big assumption. Now, it looks like many trips will be cancelled.
Crystal Ski, one of the largest suppliers, said: “We know that the French government today announced that British travelers are prohibited from entering France. We will contact our customers as soon as possible.”
Nick Morgan, the managing director of Le Ski, has been running cabins in the French Alps for 40 years, and he said that guests should wait for the phone to discuss their options.
“This is strictly in accordance with the departure date,” he said.
If I cannot travel, will I get a refund?
Those with a tour group-buying air tickets and accommodation together-are protected By Atol, Which means that when the travel agency is forced to cancel, you will get a full refund. As mentioned earlier, travel companies may ask customers to postpone bookings, but you are not obligated to do so.
If the quality of the alternative travel provided is different, they may be entitled to compensation. Others may be required to pay for the upgrade.
What if I book travel and accommodation myself?
Those who book travel on their own will rely on the supplier’s terms and conditions. Most people will book flexible tickets and have to reschedule their itinerary. EasyJet offers a free switch to alternative flight service two hours before departure.
Those who booked Eurostar travel before January 10, 2022 can reschedule their journey at any time before departure without having to pay an exchange fee.
Those who book a hotel need to check their terms and want to allow cancellation. Airbnb customers will rely on the cancellation terms chosen by their hosts. Those who cancel at the last minute usually lose most or all of the booking cost.
Those holding non-refundable ferry tickets may have to accept vouchers to rebook the itinerary. However, Brittany Ferries stated on Thursday: “We encourage customers to change their bookings to a later date as much as possible, but we will refund those who are unwilling to do so.”
Will my travel insurance pay?
A few insurance companies launched Covid insurance this year. If you have purchased one of these policies, you should check its terms. Due to these last-minute changes, most cheaper travel policies will not include cancellations.
Will this be the end of some travel companies?
Charles Owen, director of SBIT, a group of more than 200 British travel companies, called the news “destructive for the British ski industry.”
“21 months after it was shut down due to the pandemic, this is another major blow to the industry. The British government urgently needs to contact industry leaders and take immediate support measures.”
Abta’s chief executive, Mark Tanzer, said that the temporary ban on most travel from the UK would deal a “heavy blow” to the already stressed winter tourism industry.
“After the government imposed two years of restrictions, tourism companies reported only 22% of the pre-pandemic level of turnover, and consumer confidence in overseas travel has been hit hard.”
