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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think we might not be going on holiday next April after all?

569 replies

Hoardernomore · 04/10/2018 13:09

We stupidly booked a holiday to France for about a fortnight after Brexit. I didn’t even consider brexit at the time, I just considered ds’s Easter holidays. It’s to Disneyland Paris and we’ve been waiting to take the children for ages. We’ve only paid the deposit on the hotel (stopping in Disneyland hotel so expensive if we end up not being able to go) but have paid for the flights.

We are idiots.

Would we be best to cut our losses and not pay the balance on the hotel and book for another time?

OP posts:
BigChocFrenzy · 04/10/2018 15:54

Whereas with an EEA / EFTA Brexit, hardly anyone would notice any downsides

Kazzyhoward · 04/10/2018 15:56

Bear in mind, also, that as things stand currently UK residents' EHICs will not be valid after 29 Mar 2019 (regardless of the expiry date printed on the card), so you might also need to take out health insurance.

Having read the horror stories of people relying on the EHIC and finding that it doesn't cover anywhere near what proper travel insurance covers, it's always been a good idea to buy travel insurance. I'd rather have cover for cancellations, loss of property, repatriation etc.

Gersemi · 04/10/2018 16:08

Nothing will happen you will just have to get a visa I wish people would stop scaremongering

You do realise that there are no aviation or other travel agreements in place and they take a long time to negotiate and put into effect?

Of course you will be able to travel. There is no way travel will be stopped, the economy would go into free fall!

That may well be the case. It doesn't mean that the UK government can unilaterally do anything to prevent travel stopping. Why would the EU care?

This is getting ridiculous, even with no deal the world will not stop.

No, the world won't stop. As things stand at the moment, however, there is no reason to believe that the UK won't stop.

There will be a transition period or status quo agreement of some sort.

How? Each individual country would have to negotiate this. A number of them have no incentive to do so, and we have ridiculously little time to deal with it.

APlaceInTheWinter · 04/10/2018 16:08

People have different attitudes to risk. If you're already worrying about it then perhaps you'd be better cancelling. Personally, I'd continue with the booking.
I used to produce a monthly newsletter for one sector of the travel industry. I still monitor the trends and forecasts across the UK and Europe, and none of the reports would cause me to cancel a holiday to Paris.

HurricaneFloss · 04/10/2018 16:08

Let's look on the bright side. The boss of Royal Bank of Scotland has said that leaving without a deal could tip UK into recession. Gordon Brown, who knows a thing or two about this, has already said we're due another recession. So..... recession+Brexitshit = tens of thousands of us will lose our jobs so we won't be able to go on holiday anyway.

It's great, is Brexit Grin

FridayThirteenth · 04/10/2018 16:10

@Kazzyhoward this is true, but some insurance policies also rely on you having an EHIC card in addition to travel insurance and there have been instances of them not paying out without the card.

This probably means that current travel insurance is not fit for purpose after March, and considering how much medical costs can spiral, it's worth being really sure about what you are covered for once the EHIC cards are no longer valid.

LarryFreakinStylinson · 04/10/2018 16:14

Ive just seen this on FB. I’ve not been able to confirm the veracity of this but will attempt to do so.

To think we might not be going on holiday next April after all?
BewareOfDragons · 04/10/2018 16:15

I imagine making sure you have health insurance as EHIP cards may no longer be worth anything to people who live in the UK...

LarryFreakinStylinson · 04/10/2018 16:15

Quick google brings up numerous results. www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/business/2018/oct/04/thomas-cook-compensation-no-deal-brexit-disruption

Luckyme2 · 04/10/2018 16:18

Of course you will be able to travel. There is no way travel will be stopped, the economy would go into free fall!

That's a worry in itself!

Original poster
Hoardernomore · 04/10/2018 16:20

We have an annual travel insurance policy, taken out last May so in theory valid until May 2019. Presumably they knew when we took it out about brexit so should be ok?! Would they have to notify me if it was rendered totally invalid? I mean we’ve paid for the twelve months...

Oh god. I wish we hadn’t booked it now!
We are going 17 days post Brexit. Or not going. One or the other.

OP posts:
LakieLady · 04/10/2018 16:21

If you are at a party and decide to go home early, you can't take all the beer and nibbles with you.

What a great way of describing it!

juneau · 04/10/2018 16:27

Presumably they knew when we took it out about brexit so should be ok?

Don't make any assumptions, and if Brexit isn't mentioned in the Ts&Cs, it isn't covered. Ring them if you want confirmation about what is and isn't cover, but FGS don't assume anything!

FridayThirteenth · 04/10/2018 16:27

@Hoardernomore I would call them up and specifically ask about Brexit and medical cover (as well as any other parts of cover that might be invalidated).

You may well get an 'I don't know' at this stage.

LakieLady · 04/10/2018 16:36

I wouldn't be at all surprised if the transition period was extended to give the UK time to put new arrangements in place, even if it turns out to be a "no deal" Brexit. Let's face it, if our planes can't fly in Europe, then their planes are unlikely to be able fly here, likewise lorries.

But part of me thinks that it will never happen. That may just be me being hopeful ...

ShinyElena · 04/10/2018 16:36

@Hoardernomore It is a bit like the terrorism clauses in policies. Insurance companies will almost certainly claim that our travel insurances were not meant to cover Brexit.

ShinyElena · 04/10/2018 16:36

I will checky policy tonight.

Kazzyhoward · 04/10/2018 16:40

That may well be the case. It doesn't mean that the UK government can unilaterally do anything to prevent travel stopping. Why would the EU care?

Because if the EU stop our planes leaving the UK, then the UK govt could stop EU flights flying into UK airspace. It works both ways. Just like imports/exports - if the EU start banning imports from the UK, then the UK just ban imports from the EU. The damage to the EU in both scenarios is as harmful to them as it is to the UK. Hence, it makes sense for all parties to come to an agreement to keep thing moving for everyone's benefit. There'd be a massive outcry by tourist attractions/areas throughout the EU if they suddenly lost tourists from the UK, just as BMW in Germany would be massively damaged if they couldn't export to the UK.

Gersemi · 04/10/2018 16:40

Lakielady, where do you get the assumption that there will be a transition period from? That would imply that a deal including a transition period is in existence. No deal, no transition period.

frankiestein401 · 04/10/2018 16:43

even with medical cover there will be get out clauses wrt repatriation.

completely agree that the insurance companies have little choice but am fed up of people saying its scaremongering

  • insurance companies take advantage of 'scares' they have the stats/experts to assign the real. risk - in this case they're not insuring because they cannot calculate the risk - today there is a very serious risk of economic failure that cannot be quantified.
ladbrokes and coral have "no deal" at 4/7 on
Gersemi · 04/10/2018 16:43

Kazzy, each EU country has a trading bloc of 26 other countries to trade with, to say nothing of the other countries that the EU has a sensible deal with. Why assume that it makes a vast difference to them if they can't trade with one small country?

blackteasplease · 04/10/2018 16:45

I stupidly booked a holiday a year in advance the first time. I paid the deposit but am not going to pay it off every month as intended but put the money into savings until it's absolutely needed just in case.

1tisILeClerc · 04/10/2018 16:46

The general public in the UK have been fed duff info and it is continuing.
Even senior company bosses who OUGHT to know about the possible effects of a no deal Brexit don't know.
Insurance companies that we sign up to as consumers often have EU based 'parent' companies, such as AXA and as such although they OUGHT to have a strategy in place that is legally binding there is no guarantee that this has been done and whether it really will be covered.
If you work for any company in the UK, how can you know if the managers have made full risk assessments and CHECKED all their insurance policies will cover a change. The EU is woven into almost everything in European life in some small or not so small way, even down to the little E symbol on your cornflakes that defines exactly how accurately the 500 gramme packet has to weigh.

frankiestein401 · 04/10/2018 16:47

its not a case of the EU stopping flights and the uk retaliating.

if there is no deal there is no legal basis on which uk registered crews and aircraft can operate in europe - and its not a case of an interim unofficial 'go ahead anyway' because without a legal framework no insurer will touch the airframe or flight - even chicago convention wont apply.

Ta1kinpeace · 04/10/2018 16:50

Why are people assuming we will need visas to go to the EU? Didn't need them before we joined in the 70s ... genuine question

Before the UK joined the EU very few countries required visas of each other.

The UK now has the most expensive and onerous visa system in the world.

Free movement works in both directions.
If the UK requires visas from others, they will do the same to Brits.