Travelling overseas post Brexit. After Brexit life goes on and that includes making plans for holidays. To help our customers understand what we know about your holidays in the European Union after Brexit we have put together the following article. The article is correct at the time of being published but if you have any questions or would like to check any of the detail please do not hesitate to contact us, or check out our useful links where you will find links to web-sites that has addional information.
What documents will I need? The main question most people want to know is whether or not they will need a visa to get to the EU. Once the transition period ends, tourists from the UK will be allowed to visit EU countries for up to 90 days in every 180 days without a visa, but they will not be allowed to work or study. The EU says this will remain the case for as long as the UK gives the same visa-free travel to EU citizens who want to visit the UK. When it comes to travel to and from the Republic of Ireland, nothing will change. British and Irish citizens will still be able to the UK, Ireland, the Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey. Regarding passports, you should have at least 6 months left on your UK passport and it needs to be less than 10 years old, or you may not be able to travel. If you're considering driving whilst you are on holiday, check if you need an International Driving Permit beforehand. You could get a fine or your vehicle could be seized if you drive without the correct documents.
What about the European Health Insurance? What happens to your EHIC in the future will be decided in the negotiations on the future EU-UK relationship. The government has warned that EHIC cards might not be valid from 2021 and has advised travellers to be sure to get the right travel insurance, especially if they have existing conditions. We always advise our customers to take out appropriate travel insurance with health cover before travelling. You may not have access to free emergency medical treatment and could be charged for your healthcare if you do not get health cover with your travel insurance. Contact us for a travel insurance quote,
What about my pets? Once the transition ends, the EU pet passports will no longer be valid. The exact rules on what to do when travelling with your pet will depend on the future UK-EU deal. However, the UK will be able to apply to the European Commission to become a "listed country" under the EU pet travel laws. Being a listed country greatly eases travelling with pets. The government is currently recommending that anyone with a pet and wanting to take them abroad with them to contact your vet at least 4 months before travelling to make sure your pet or assistance dog is able to travel to the EU.
Is anything changing with Duty Free? Duty-free shopping within the EU came to an end in 1999 and will not return during the transition. Any changes after the transition will be determined by the EU-UK negotiations.
Five Things A Travel Agent Can Do For You That You Can't
1. How To Properly Rate Hotels & Resorts
Review sites are mostly made up of biased or fake reviews submitted by the hotel staff or a client that is a huge fanatic of the hotel/resort, or one that is extremely unhappy about not getting compensated for an isolated incident so they are now extremely unhappy. The fancy wording on the online booking websites or the enhanced or outdated images normally does not give a 100% accurate representation of what you are truly getting. If you want to know the truth about a hotel experience or what a resort is truly like, you need to speak to a travel agent who has either sold that property several times and or has visited the resort. The objective of all online booking websites is to have you make a booking. The objective of the travel agent is to win you over as a long-term client. Due to this, their first priority is to create the best possible experience for you. So when you need an authentic review about a hotel or resort, ask a travel expert.
3. How To Prepare You For The Unknown
Your online booking site forgot to warn you that your hotel of choice will be undergoing renovations during the time of your stay. Or, that the travel dates you have selected are in the middle of the rainy season and it is very likely that you will have 7 days of very little sunshine. You got excited about the beautiful beach cabanas you saw in the picture, only to later find out that those are reserved for only those who have booked the honeymoon suite. A travel agent will take the time to find out and provide you with this information if it is something that they do not already know.
5. How To Get You Out Of Problems
Have you ever lost your luggage, missed your connecting flight and show up at the hotel a day late only to find out that your reservation is cancelled due to the “no-show” factor? Have you ever had an emergency situation occur that has forced you to have to cut your holiday short and you need to change your flight date going home? If you booked your trip online on your own, well… you are stuck dealing with these issues on your own, causing you more stress and headache. If you used a travel agent, these are the times when the value of a travel expert is immeasurable. Not only will they go on the phone and try to fix the problem for you, they will leverage relationships to call in special favors to get things done that to you seemed impossible.
2. How To Create A Personalised Itinerary
When you search for travel packages online, most websites only give you the option to search by location, product name, star rating or a combination of all. What they forgot to ask you is what type of experience are you looking for? What’s your preference in food, weather, ambiance. Do you have special needs around accessibility or diet, what are the things that are most important to you? These are all the things that your Travel Agent will ask you before they start suggesting where you should spend your money and holiday time.
4. How To Navigate The Travel Rules Post Covid
Ever-changing guidelines mean many customers may have been too nervous to take an overseas holiday for a few years. And with so many customers missing out on their holidays we are here to help you navigate what's required when you travel overseas.
If there’s one thing we’ve learnt during the last couple of years, it is the undeniable value we can add to planning and booking your holiday. We have all seen the horror stories coming by way of social and mass media. So rest assured we are here to help you from your initial enquiry all the way through to the day you get back from your holiday.
