Europe's news in English

COPY LINK

COVID-19

France travel restrictions – what are your rights to refunds on trips?

France is set to reintroduce strict limits on travel from the UK, meaning that holidays, visits to second homes and visits to family and friends are no longer possible - so what is the situation for those who had booked trips?

Published: 27 May 2021 09:11 CEST

France travel restrictions - what are your rights to refunds on trips?

Photo: Christophe Petit Tesson/AFP

At present, France’s travel rules say that travel from the UK is allowed for any reason, including holidays, provided people take a Covid test and self-isolate for seven days on arrival.

But from Monday, May 31st, these rules will change and travel will again only be allowed for vital reasons including essential work and medical emergencies – you can find the full list of accepted reasons HERE.

French citizens and people who have their permanent residence in France will be allowed to return.

READ ALSO Everything you need to know about travel between France and the UK

So if you have booked a trip that will now needs to be cancelled, what are your rights to a refund?

In short, not great.

The UK government, while allowing travel to France for any reason, officially advised against it. While people were free to ignore this, travelling against official government advice invalidates most travel insurance policies, so it is highly unlikely that travel insurance will pay out for cancelled planes, trains, ferries or accommodation.

Airlines, ferry companies and the Eurostar were already running a reduced service between France and the UK and in the light of the extra restrictions it is likely that this will be reduced further in the coming days.

If the service you booked is still running, however, you are not entitled to a refund if government travel rules change.

Desperate to lure customers back, many transport services have been offering free alteration or cancellation of tickets, so check the policy of the company that you booked with, although when you read the small print some of the ‘free cancellation’ policies entitle you only to vouchers, rather than an actual cash refund.

Likewise many hotels and gîtes have been offering free re-booking or cancellation policies, and the same is true for many hosts on Airbnb so when it comes to accommodation you may find it easier to get a refund, although again it depends on the policy that you booked under. Travel insurance would be unlikely to cover this.

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.

Become a Member to leave a comment.

EES border checks could undergo 'soft launch', UK says as app concerns mount

The UK government is preparing for a soft launch of the new EU border system – the entry/exit (EES) system – on the assumption that it will go live on October 6th, ministers told a hearing at the House of Commons European scrutiny committee this week.

But the European Commission is expected to confirm the exact launch date of the new biometric checks for non-EU travellers entering the Schengen area at some point this summer, they added.

“We are very much working on a basis whereby this policy will go live on the 6th of October. It is important that we plan for that eventuality. We are expecting to hear definitively from the European Union that ‘go live’ arrangement in the summer,” Tom Pursglove, UK Minister for Legal Migration and the Border told the committee.

The parliamentary committee is conducting an inquiry on the disruptions the system will cause in the UK.

Pursglove also said that “precautionary measures” have been agreed by the EU, that will be put in place in certain circumstances after the start of EES, for example if delays at the borders exceeded a certain length of time.

Guy Opperman, Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Transport, said that in practice this meant a “soft launch” of EES for 6 months before “a full go live”. During that soft launch EU member states and the UK could deploy flexibility measures should problems occur.

“The likelihood is, after multiple delays, that the 6th of October will proceed” and the implementation looks “very different” compared to previous scenarios considering the flexibility allowed in the first 6 months, he argued.

No details were given on what these “flexible” measures would involve however.

READ ALSO: Your questions answered about Europe’s EES passport checks

He conceded that “a lot of work” still needs to be done but the UK “should be as ready as everybody” and “better be at front of the queue”.

App not ready

During the meeting, it also emerged that a much-anticipated app that would allow remote pre-registration of non-EU citizens subject to the checks will not be available for testing until August “at best”, prompting concerns about the EES launch date.

“You don’t need to be a sceptic about future projects to think that the provision of the app in August for going live in October is optimistic,” Opperman said.

Ministers confirmed that the app will not be ready in time for October and the committee previously stated it might be delayed until summer 2025.

The app will facilitate pre-registration, but photo and fingerprints will still have to be taken at the border in front of a guard, the committee heard.

READ ALSO: How do the EU’s new EES passport checks affect the 90-day rule?

Several MPs asked whether the entry into operation of the EES should be delayed again if technology is not ready. But Under-Secretary Opperman said the app “is not going to be a panacea to fix all problems”.

The main aim of EES is to increase security and to ensure that non-EU nationals visiting the Schengen area for a short-term do not stay more than 90 days in any 180-day period.

The entry into operation of the system has already been delayed several times and there have been calls from certain travel companies and national authorities to delay it again.

Under the new scheme, non-EU/EFTA travellers who do not need a visa will have to register their biometric data (finger prints and facial images) in a database that will also record each time they enter and exit the Schengen area.

Instead of having passports manually stamped, travellers will have to scan them at self-service kiosks before crossing the border. However, fingerprints and a photo will have to be registered in front of a guard at the first crossing and there are concerns the extra time needed will generate long queues, especially in Dover, Folkestone and St. Pancras station in London, where there are juxtaposed French and UK border checks.

Progress in preparations

Minister Pursglove also updated MPs on ongoing preparations. He said some testing of the system will take place within days, 5 kiosks have been installed at St. Pancras station and are available for testing. “You are beginning to see the physical infrastructure appear,” he said.

Kiosks and extra lanes are also being created at the port Dover and it was agreed with the EU passengers travelling by coach will be checked away from the Eastern dock, where controls usually take place, allowing to gain space. The vehicles will then sealed and drive on the ferries.

MPs also discussed the infrastructure cost linked to the introduction of the EES. Opperman said all EU countries will have to make “huge investments” in their ports. In the UK, he argued, this will help “address problems that have existed for some time”. Because of this “massive investment”, in a few years time “Dover will be totally transformed,” he said.

This article is published in cooperation with Europe Street News.

Url copied to clipboard!