Coronavirus Statement
Coronavirus and Travel to Europe
Here at InterrailingPackages Ltd, we understand you may be concerned about travel to Europe, especially now that the virus has spread to Italy. With over 80,000 cases confirmed across the globe, we will explain everything you need to know regarding travel to Europe amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Advice
Firstly, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) have advised against all travel to the Hubei Province and against all but essential travel to mainland China, the cities of Daegu and Cheongdo in South Korea, and ten small towns in the Lombardy region and one in the Vento region of Italy. The list of towns in Lombardy are: Codogno, Castiglione d’Adda, Casalpusterlengo, Fombio, Maleo, Somaglia, Bertonico, Terranova dei Passerini, Castelgerundo and San Fioran. The town in Vento is: Vo’ Euganeo. For more information regarding travel to Italy, please visit gov.uk.
Please check the FCO and Government websites for regular travel updates to Europe.
Travel Insurance and Coronavirus
Regarding travel insurance, we would like to emphasise how important it is to have a travel insurance policy in place before travel to anywhere in the world, let alone to Europe. Travel insurance is also of particular importance now that many travellers are worried about travelling to anywhere in Europe after the coronavirus outbreak hit Italy.
InterrailingPackages Ltd is an ABTOT licenced tour operator, however, regulatory bodies such as ATOL and ABTOT relate to the failure of the providers of package holidays, not for major medical outbreaks such as coronavirus.
If you ignore the government’s advice and travel to the affected towns, you risk invalidating your travel insurance policy. However, it’s important to note that many travel insurance policies only pay out for specific reasons, and coronavirus may not be one of them. It is up to you to check the scope of your travel insurance policy.
Travel insurance is not designed to cover ‘disinclination to travel’ where the FCO advice has not changed to advise against travel.
What happens if you get ill while away?
If you have a travel insurance policy in place, it will cover the medical costs of being treated for coronavirus. It is simply not enough to have an EHIC card. However, if you get ill in a country the FCO has advised against travelling to, the costs may not be covered.
Read our blog on travel insurance and EHIC cards here.
If your travel insurance does not cover against coronavirus or you do not have a travel insurance policy in place, please feel free to get in touch with us and we will do our best to answer any queries you may have.
If any other countries suffer an extreme outbreak of coronavirus, InterrailingPackages Ltd is prepared to deal with this issue when it arises.