Your rights if your holiday is cancelled due to wildfires and why you may NOT get a refund – as Spain and France burn

WILDFIRES are currently raging through Europe, with terrifying blazes sweeping across France and Spain. British tourists have been forced to flee from their hotels in the middle of the night, while over 220,000 have abandoned their homes. Wildfires are blazing near holiday hotspots in France and Spain Credit: EPA Holidaymakers are being warned to check official advice and make sure they are covered before jetting off Credit: AFP via Getty Images In Spain, a major fire has broken out near Madrid, with local authorities warning it was “beyond the capacity” of firefighters to control. Meanwhile in France, thousands were evacuated from suburbs near Bordeaux – a popular holiday hotspot – on Saturday. Sign up for the Money newsletter Thank you! Holidaymakers staying at a Holiday Inn near Bordeaux Airport were woken up at 3.30am and told that approaching smoke was forcing the hotel to close. Experts are now warning any Brit families who have holidays booked to Spain or France to check the official advice, and make sure you are covered by your travel insurance. “Wildfires can move quickly and cause serious disruption, so if you’re due to travel to an affected destination, the first thing to do is check the latest Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) advice for that country and your specific resort or region,” says Rhys Jones, travel insurance expert at Go.Compare. “If they advise against travel, your holiday provider or travel insurer may be able to support you, depending on how you booked and what your policy includes.” You should also check your travel insurance policy before you go to see what it covers. “Some include cover for natural disasters under ‘catastrophe cover’, but this is not always included as standard and not every insurer will define wildfires in the same way. Most read in Money “Look at whether your policy covers cancellation, travel disruption, alternative accommodation, emergency medical treatment and repatriation, and contact the insurer directly if anything is unclear.” He adds: “Don’t wait until you are in the middle of an emergency to understand your cover. “Check your policy wording before you go, know your insurer’s emergency contact details, and make sure your documents are easy to access online and offline.” Easy mistake could mean you don’t get your money back Rhys is warning holidaymakers not to make a simple mistake that could see them get NO refund even if they don’t go on their holiday. “If you haven’t travelled yet and you’re concerned your holiday may be affected, don’t cancel the trip yourself without speaking to your travel provider or insurer first,” he says. “If you cancel simply because you no longer want to go, rather than because official advice has changed or the holiday provider has cancelled, you could lose the money you’ve paid and may not be able to claim it back.” If you’ve booked a package holiday and the company you’ve booked with cancels because of wildfires, you should be offered a refund or alternative arrangements. If you’ve booked your flights and accommodation separately, you will need to speak to your airline and the company your booked your hotel, apartment or villa with separately to see if they will refund you. Your travel insurance could help you get back any costs your accommodation provider or airline won’t refund you for, if it covers cancellation or “catastrophe”. “If you booked any part of the trip with a credit card, it may also be worth checking whether Section 75 protection could apply,” Rhys adds. “This holds your credit card providers as jointly responsible if there is a breach of contract such as cancelling a holiday, giving consumers additional protection on eligible purchases if a supplier fails to provide what was promised.” Make sure to keep a record of any official warnings, cancellation notices, emails from your airline, and screenshots of travel advice. “If you do need to make a claim, having a clear paper trail can make the process much easier,” Rhys adds. What if I’m already on holidays and there are wildfire warnings? If you are already on your holiday and there are wildfire warnings, the first thing you should do is make sure you and your family are safe. Rhys says: “Follow the instructions of local authorities, emergency services, your hotel and your travel provider. “If you are told to evacuate, do so straight away, even if that means leaving belongings behind. “If you have time to take essentials, prioritise passports, travel documents, phones, chargers, bank cards, cash, medication and any prescription details. “Once you are away from danger, contact your travel insurer’s emergency assistance line, which should be listed in your policy documents. “They can advise on what support may be available and what evidence you will need.” Again, make sure to keep a paper trail of any extra costs incurred, like receipts for alternative accommodation, taxis or essentials, as you may be able to claim these back. Comment now