Heatwave wreaks havoc in southern Europe

Southern Europe has been hit by an extended heatwave affecting tourists and travellers. Starting with the first heatwave, dubbed Cerberon, a second is following fast, called Charon.

Major tourist destinations such as Rome, Athens and Barcelona have seen soaring temperatures leading to occasional closures at some of the major tourist attractions.

Although around ten percent of holidaymakers are rethinking their plans to travel, the vast majority are still keen to travel despite the heat.

Sean Tipton of the Association of British Travel Agents says 'We haven't seen lots of people cancelling or wanting to come home early.' Tipton's advice is 'to go but be sensible about it (see below for tips).

He points out 'there is no obligation for an agent or an airline to bring you home early'.

ABTA advice to tourists and holidaymakers

• Being sensible and staying out of the sun is just some of the common sense advice offered by The Association of British Travel Agents.

• Most hotels have air conditioning and those with a beach or pool offer holidaymakers the chance to cool off in the water.

• Drink plenty of water

• Avoid the midday sun

• Use a sun umbrella

Forest fires

For some unlucky tourists staying in La Palma in Tenerife, forest fires have spread nearby. Tour operators and travel agents 'keep a very close eye on forest fires - but so far they are not affecting tourist spots,' says Tipton of ABTA, adding, 'your tour operator would not send you anywhere dangerous.'

He says any action response taken, such as evacuation in an emergency, would be at the cost of the tour operator.

Worst case scenario, if your trip is cancelled, you would get a refund. But if you change your mind after booking and payment, you re unlikely to be eligible, as this is classed as 'disinclination' to travel.

Air travel and getting a refund

The Civil Aviation Authority regulates airlines and consumer rights when it comes to air travel. Here's what they told me this week:

Refunds for tickets are dependent on the terms and conditions of the ticket a passenger has purchased. If a passenger purchased a non-refundable ticket, they are unlikely to be entitled to a refund from the airline where the passenger chooses to cancel their flight due to the weather conditions at their destination. Subject to the airline’s terms and conditions, passengers may be able to rearrange their flights, however this is likely to incur additional charges.

My advice:

• Be sensible, stay out of the sun during the hottest time of the day. Use your phone weather app to check when temperatures are forecast to peak.

• Make sure you read the small print when booking your trip, and if possible, make sure it is ATOL protected, which gives a guarantee of support should a problem arise with your tour/travel booking.

• ATOL provides financial protection to passengers in the event that their travel company goes out of business. It does not offer protection to passengers in other circumstances.

• Always make sure you have travel insurance, however bear in mind that an extreme weather event, may fall outside the cover, as it may count as 'an act of God' or force majeure, which many insurance packages do not cover.

• Some travel insurance companies provide extra cover in the event of a flight delay or cancellation, such as Delay OK

• Check the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) for any new advisories. If the FCDO advises against travel to a particular country, that could nullify travel insurance to that destination.

• I contributed to ITV News this week - find more advice and my comment here: https://www.itv.com/news/2023-07-16/is-it-safe-to-travel-in-europe-during-the-heatwave-and-how-are-britons-affected

Further advice and useful links:

• Air travel: check the CAA website on your rights as a consumer in the event of a change to your journey: https://www.caa.co.uk/passengers/before-you-fly/making-a-booking/tickets-fares-and-schedule-changes/

• Is your holiday ATOL protected? Find out about ATOL protection on the CAA website here: https://www.atol.org/about-atol/what-does-atol-protection-mean/

• How to travel with confidence: advice from ABTA https://www.abta.com/tips-and-advice/planning-and-booking-a-holiday/look-for-the-ABTA-logo-when-you-book-your-holiday