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Covid

May half-term holiday cancellation dilemma

9 replies

HathorX · 22/04/2020 16:29

We have a week at a French holiday village booked for May half term.

France is coming out of lockdown and the holiday village has confirmed it will be open so we have only two options: hope we can still take the holiday OR cancel which will mean we lose about £400 which is 30% of the cost of the holiday. Insurance will not pay out, we think, because technically the resort is open.

We had planned to drive via Eurotunnel, so there’s no flight involved in our trip. Obviously as things stand now, we could not travel to France, but by 30th May, who knows?

In my shoes, would you cancel and cap your losses at £400, or take a chance on being able to go on holiday with the risk of losing £1200?

OP posts:
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DisgruntledGuineaPig · 22/04/2020 16:32

Call your travel insurance and ask what their position would be if you aren't allowed to travel to France, even if the holiday village is open?

I would presume the village would need to be paid if they are open and available for the holiday, but your insurance will cover if you can't travel. Call to check.

Also worth asking the holiday village if they would allow you to move your deposit to a booking next year.

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Waxonwaxoff0 · 22/04/2020 16:32

I would cancel. Just because France may be ending their lockdown doesn't mean we will be ending ours, we are behind them by 2-3 weeks.

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Winter2020 · 22/04/2020 16:33

I would cancel. Restrictions might be easing but I can't see us being able to travel abroad for leisure that soon.

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thepeopleversuswork · 22/04/2020 16:35

I would cancel. Impossible to plan anything like that with any degree of certainty atm. Think on balance of probabilities it’s unlikely we will have lifted restrictions sufficiently by then.

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Maladicta · 22/04/2020 16:35

I think the holiday village is being a little premature in saying it will be open for guests, the French government hasn't yet announced its full plans for coming out of lockdown - they are expected in the next two weeks. They are also very unlikely to want travellers from other countries unless absolutely necessary.

Is the village part of a wider chain?

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BikeRunSki · 22/04/2020 16:38

Cancel!

You might not even be able to travel to the port/airport/channel tunnel by then.

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thejollygargler · 22/04/2020 16:45

France will begin to gradually ease their restrictions on May 11 but the bars and restaurants will have to remain closed.

Not sure what will change with regard to shops, but at the moment only supermarkets, bakers and pharmacies are open. There are queues at the large supermarkets and it is only one person per trolley.

You wouldn't be allowed to travel here for a holiday at the moment in any case and I can't really see them opening up the borders for May.

I think we will know more details by the end of April but we have already been told that there will be no large gatherings (festivals, night markets etc) until at least July.

Sorry OP - probably not what you want to hear. I live in an area which relies heavily on tourism and it is looking like this summer will be a total write off. I also have grandchildren in another country and we are pretty resigned to not seeing them this summer Sad

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CarolineIngalls · 22/04/2020 16:47

Cancel.

We had booked a European tour this summer (to coordinate with a sabbatical). We had full refunds from places in Austria, Germany, and Italy. Only the French sites have refused to refund deposits and tell me they will probably be in touch and "wait and see". I am sure they will make it difficult to refund even if they are "open".

We had an annual travel insurance renewal document from the post office through that said they will not cover if the UK government warns against "all but essential travel" and absolutely nothing for Covid. I can't imagine they will sell many policies.

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DisgruntledGuineaPig · 23/04/2020 09:42

I really don't think you should just cancel, without seeing if there's any way to get your £400 back! That's a lot to lose.

I definately would explore asking the holiday village to move your deposit to a date next summer, or asking your insurance company if you settle the balance but can't travel, even if the venue is open, would they pay out.

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