With many of us regularly jetting off to the EU for our holidays, the impending Brexit transition has people wondering what it’ll mean for their travel plans. With the final Brexit deal still undecided, it can be difficult to know what how you should prepare if you’re travelling in Europe this year.
Check for ATOL Licences
If you’re at all worried about Brexit uncertainty when it comes to your holiday, the best thing you can do is check if your travel provider has a full ATOL licence. A full ATOL licence will mean that you are covered in the event that your holiday can’t go ahead.
If you book a holiday with an ATOL licenced company, they have to guarantee the holiday you paid for, at the price you paid, or give you a full refund.
Go for a Package Deal
Some people like to mix and match when it comes to holiday bookings – getting flights from one company and accommodation from another. This can give you a bit more choice but is riskier than booking it all together.
Booking flights and accommodation separately means that, in the unlikely scenario of planes being grounded, you’ll only be able to claim back the cost of flights under ATOL licences. Booking a package means the entire cost of your holiday is covered if the worst should happen and Brexit means your holiday can’t go ahead.
Book Early
If you’re booking with an ATOL licensed company, it’s best to book early. A lot of customers are waiting to see the impact of Brexit before they book. By doing so, however, they risk having to pay significant cost increases. Book now so you know the price you’ll be paying, stopping you from being caught out.
Health Insurance
For a good few years now we’ve been used to swanning off to Europe with our European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) in our pockets. The EHIC allows people to receive free or reduced cost medical treatment in other EU and EEA member states. Although Brits will no longer be eligible for EHICs after Brexit, you can get yourself similar cover with travel insurance.
So, take out a policy and make sure you’ve got access to it while you’re away.
Documentation
There has been some scary talk about whether we’ll need visas to travel in the EU after Brexit. Fortunately, the European Commission has confirmed that Brits won’t need visas, even in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
From 2021, however, Brits will need to pay £6.30 every three years to travel in the EU. This is under the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), which has been established to bring an extra level of scrutiny on those travelling in the EU.
Deal or No-Deal
Even in the event of a no-deal Brexit, the impact on travel should be short-lived. The EU has confirmed that Brits will be able to travel in the area after the transition has been made. Short-term disruption, if there is any, should lift after a few weeks, meaning we are able to continue with our travel plans as normal.
Gavin Lapidus
About the author
Gavin Lapidus is a travel expert, and CEO and founder of luxury travel providers, eShores. He has years of experience researching and building tailormade holidays to suit a wide range of needs and demands.
His experience means he has an in-depth understand of the travel industry and has been watching developments around the Brexit transition closely.
