This is the time of year when we start thinking about where we’d like to go on our next holiday. With the continuing uncertainty around Brexit, you may feel unsure about whether it’s a good idea to book now. At Cosmos, our first concern is the welfare and safety of our guests. You can rest assured that we will continue to take care of the important details around your holiday booking, right through to getting you home again, safe and sound, after your incredible trip.
The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA), of which we are a member, has produced some useful advice to reassure you. In short, after 29th March 2019, flights will still continue to operate to and from the EU, and visas will not be required. Here are a few pointers from the experts at ABTA:
Tourist travel between the UK and the EU member states is highly valued. Whether we leave with or without a deal, both the UK government and the European Commission have given assurances that flights will continue to operate between the UK and the EU.
In November 2018, the European Commission stated that UK citizens would not need a visa to travel to the EU, as long as the UK applies the same provision in reverse. They suggest that from 2021, UK citizens will need to pay a visa-exemption fee (of around 7 Euro) as part of an electronic travel authorisation system already in place for non-EU countries. If you have travelled to the US before, you will already be familiar with the similar ESTA process.
There is no indication that holidays will need to be cancelled due to Brexit. However, if this were to occur, you would be covered under the Package Travel Regulations and would receive a full refund. All our holidays are covered by these regulations, so you can rest assured that you can book with confidence.
The advice from the government is that anyone travelling after 29th March 2019 should have at least six months’ validity on their passport on the date of arriving into an EU country. Longer term passport arrangements are still being worked through.
Whatever the outcome of the Brexit process, it’s really important to ensure that you have adequate travel insurance in place. If you have any Brexit-related concerns about an existing or future booking with Cosmos, you can speak to one of our friendly advisers or your travel agent, who will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
You can read the ABTA advice in full here: https://www.abta.com/tips-and-advice/brexit-advice-for-travellers
Foreign and Commonwealth Office advice:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/uk-nationals-travelling-to-eu-essential-information
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/passenger-consumer-rights-when-travelling-to-the-eu-after-brexit
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/passenger-travel-to-the-eu-by-air-rail-or-sea-after-brexit
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/passport-rules-for-travel-to-europe-after-brexit