Holidays should technically be a time to relax and unwind with your travel companions but every year, thousands of people find their trips turn into a nightmare. This could be due to the travel company suddenly going into administration, someone falling ill before (or during) the holiday or they do not have adequate insurance. With this in mind, here are a few titbits of advice to think about before you book your holiday…
What if a tour operator goes bust?
Holidays4U is one of many travel companies who found it difficult to survive in this ever-changing economic climate and as a result the firm went bust, leaving approx. 50,000 people having to cancel their holiday plans. There was light at the end of the tunnel though because Holidays4U was registered under the Civil Aviation Authority’s Air Traffic Organiser’s Licensing protection scheme so customers did not lose any money. All companies selling package holidays must offer protection in case they go bust. For advice about refunds under the ATOL scheme, visit www.atol.org.uk or call the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on 0844 493 3037.
What if you’ve booked a flight direct with an airline?
In these cases, you will not be covered by ATOL if that airline was to go bust so before booking your flight, make sure you take out Travel Insurance as this should cover airline insolvency – check with your booking agent before parting with any money. If you paid for your flight with a credit card and it cost more than £100, you should get your money back, but it is always wise to double-check first so get in touch with your credit card firm and see what they advise.
What if you fall ill?
If you are holidaying in Europe and you have a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), you will be entitled to the same State-provided healthcare as a resident of the country you are visiting. Although the EHIC is a good thing to have with you when travelling in Europe, it is no substitute for Travel Insurance. For example, your EHIC will not get you home should you have missed your flight due to illness. Unless you have medical insurance, you will have to cover all costs. You should therefore take out insurance as soon as you book your holiday, that way, if you can’t travel for medical reasons, your insurer will cover the cost. Speak to your Travel Agent about insurance before you finish booking your holiday and they will be happy to advise on the best course of action to take.
What if the hotel is terrible?
Should for whatever reason, your hotel not be up to standard, your first port of call should be to let your holiday representative know and to try to get evidence of why things are so bad. If you can, take photos and perhaps obtain details from other unhappy holidaymakers staying in the same hotel. The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) and the Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO) offer an independent settlement service.
What about car hire?
To cover yourself against steep excess charges when driving abroad, why not check out the independent policies offered by Insurance4CarHire.com or dailyexcess.com. If you have a problem, you should got to www.ukecc.net or call 0845 604 0503.
Hopefully these little tips will help towards you having a happy holiday the next time you go away. Should you be looking for inspiration for your next escorted tour? Why not check out our full range of exciting UK coach tours, European coach holidays and worldwide touring holidays on the Door2Tour.com website, or give us a call on 0845 956 9686 to find out more from our friendly holiday advisors.