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Warning issued for Brits traveling to the Euros. Are you covered if you cancel?

France Soccer Euro 2016
France Soccer Euro 2016



As thousands of Brits are poised to flock over to France to soak up the atmosphere of Euro 2016, the Foreign Office has thrown something of a spanner in the works. It has warned fans travelling to France that there is a high threat from terrorism - and that the country is maintaining a national state of emergency throughout the course of the tournament. It has left fans with huge question marks over their travel plans.

The warning states that stadiums, fan zones, and bars showing the matches may be targets for attack. It comes after a terrorist was arrested with an arsenal of weapons. He had been planning 15 attacks during the tournament.

Should you cancel?

David Ross, Communications Director at AskCiindy.com, points out that the Foreign Office has stopped short of advising against travel - and is simply saying that people need to be vigilant and aware of the risks. It means that if you want to travel, you will still be able to.

However, it has also warned that at flooding is affecting road and rail travel, particularly in the Île-de-France area including Paris. Ross says: "Some areas have been, or will be temporarily evacuated, which is making travel extremely difficult. This is being exacerbated by planned industrial action on planes and trains, as well as the Paris metro and bus services."

It means that you will need to plan your journey carefully, and leave plenty of time for the unexpected.

What if you want to cancel?

If you want to cancel, because of terror concerns, then the bad news is that you're unlikely to be covered by your travel insurance. This will tend to pay out claims for cancellation only when the Foreign Office advises against travel.

Ross suggests that it's worth contacting the travel company you booked with instead, and asking for their policy on cancellations and refunds. You should also check FCO advice just before you're due to travel, just in case it changes its view and suggests Brits should not travel to France.

If it's the travel disruption that concerns you, then the good news is that as long as you have enough time, the travel company you booked with has a duty to get you there. Ross says: "It is the travel company's responsibility to get you to your destination, so contact them in the first instance to see what they can do. If the industrial action was announced after you bought your travel insurance, your insurer may cover this and any consequential loss as a result of your delay, for example the cost of your ticket to the tournament, accommodation and taxis."

"Likewise, if you bought your policy before the flooding made the news, you may be able to claim for any delays and losses suffered as a result of this. However, while the best travel policies will include cancellation cover as standard not all do and so it's worth checking the small print when you buy."

But what do you think? Did you plan to make the trip? Would you do so now? Let us know in the comments.

Frenchman arrested in Ukraine was planning attack on Euro 2016
Frenchman arrested in Ukraine was planning attack on Euro 2016