Brexit Travel Advice

We’ve heard a lot about Brexit recently, but now that it is taking place what are the regulations in regards to future holidays?

Naturally, holidaymakers have a lot of burning questions about what happens next and what Brexit means for travelling to EU countries. ABTA has released their guidelines so we thought we’d let you know what this means for you. 

Following the sanction of the Withdrawal Agreement, the UK departed the EU on 31st January 2020. We are now in what is known as the ‘implementation period’ lasting until at least 31st December 2020. During this time, everything remains the same and you can continue your travels without any changes taking place.

Up until 31st December 2020, your travel arrangements will remain the same. This means everything from flights and cruises, to coach and train journeys from the UK to the EU will continue to operate as normal. In regard to ferries and cruise ships, the majority of the rules under which they operate are not based on EU rules but are actually international. 

These essentials are as important as they were pre-Brexit; your passport still needs the required validity for each destination you are travelling to. If you are unsure how much validity you need, you can check this out on the government website.

It is important that whenever and wherever you travel, that you have valid travel insurance in place which can cover your specific needs including any medical conditions or activities you plan to do.

The best way to protect your holiday is to book a package – it is then the travel provider’s responsibility to make sure your holiday is provided. You can read more on the importance of booking a protected holiday on our blog.

The European Health Insurance Card allows any EU citizen to access medical care when they are travelling to another EU country. UK registered EHICs will still be valid throughout 2020. We always recommend having appropriate travel insurance in place whether you have an EHIC card or not, as there are limitations to an EHIC.

If you are looking to drive abroad in the EU, you can still do so with your full UK driving licence, you don’t currently need an additional licence to drive in the EU. This will not change following 31st January 2020. An International Driving Permit will not be required, and you do not need a GB sticker or Green Card for car insurance.

For your data roaming, under EU rules, the cost of making calls, sending messages or using the internet on your phone in the EU is the same in the UK and will continue after 31st January 2020.

If you want any more information, or have questions please do get in touch with your Personal Travel Consultant.