Booking Holidays Safely and Travel Problems

• Read the cancellation and amendment terms before paying a deposit.
• Check whether the deposit is refundable and when the remaining balance becomes due.
• Confirm the full price, including luggage, transfers, resort fees and optional extras.
• Check who can change the booking, whether names can be corrected and what fees may apply.
• Pay through the company’s verified payment page or account; question unexpected bank-detail changes.

A deposit can form a binding agreement. Do not assume you can cancel without cost.

Use GOV.UK foreign travel advice for the destination and check passport validity, visa or entry rules, local laws, safety information and any requirements for children travelling. Rules can change after booking and may depend on the passport you hold.

Check country-specific health advice early. Allow time for any recommended vaccinations, prescriptions and arrangements for carrying medicines. A UK Global Health Insurance Card is not a substitute for suitable travel insurance.

Explain your needs before booking and ask for important arrangements in writing. Check transfers, accommodation access, bathrooms, equipment carriage, medication storage and support at every connection. “Accessible” can mean different things, so give measurements or specific requirements where relevant.

Airlines and airports provide assistance, but arrangements and notice periods matter. Confirm directly with the airline or agent and keep a record. For rail journeys, use the separate public-transport page.

Buy insurance as soon as practical after booking so cancellation cover can begin, subject to the policy. Check destination, trip length, activities, medical conditions, medicines, valuables, mobility equipment, cruises and disruption cover. Declare information accurately and read exclusions and excesses.

No policy covers every event. The insurer decides claims under the policy terms.

Your options depend on who changes or cancels, what was booked, whether it is a package, the booking terms and any insurance. Contact the organiser or provider promptly and ask for its decision in writing. Do not cancel first without checking the consequences unless you have decided to accept the stated cost.

• Air: ask the airline about rerouting, care, refunds or compensation that may apply.
• Ferry: contact the operator about assistance and its delay or cancellation process.
• Rail: keep the ticket and use the operator’s refund or Delay Repay process where applicable.
• If one part was sold within a package, also tell the package organiser.

Eligibility and time limits depend on the journey and circumstances; payment is not guaranteed.

1. Complain to the company in writing and state the outcome you want.
2. Keep booking details, photographs, receipts and a timeline of what happened.
3. Ask for a final response and details of any alternative dispute-resolution scheme.
4. Use the appropriate airline, rail, ferry, ABTA or consumer route only after checking its scope.

If a supplier has breached the contract or failed, ask your card provider whether a claim may be available. Section 75 can apply to qualifying credit-card purchases when the cash price is more than £100 and no more than £30,000, but the payment chain and other conditions matter. Chargeback is a card scheme process with time limits, not a legal right. Neither route guarantees repayment.

In immediate danger, contact the local emergency services. Follow GOV.UK country advice and your travel provider’s instructions. Contact your insurer’s emergency-assistance service for medical or repatriation help covered by the policy. British consular services may provide practical information, but cannot pay bills, replace insurance or arrange preferential treatment.