Know Before You Go
It’s important you read our Booking Conditions, you can find them here.
Travel and Health Advice
Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO): Up-to-date health and travel advice to your destination can be found here. Advice is issued on a country-specific basis.
ABTA has a ski safe campaign to make sure people have the right insurance and are safe on the slopes. Further details can be found here.
Travel Insurance: Having adequate travel insurance is a condition of booking for all members of your party. We do not include travel insurance with your booking, nor can we recommend policy to you. If you fail to arrange adequate travel insurance, you understand that you make and take these arrangements at your own risk and cost.
Help and tips on choosing the right travel insurance policy can be found here.
Health Insurance Card: A UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) gives you the right to access state-provided healthcare during a temporary stay in the European Union (EU). It is not a replacement for travel insurance, and it does not cover the cost of repatriation or the many other eventualities provided for by comprehensive travel insurance. You can find out more about the scheme and apply for a card free of charge here. Your GHIC will have an expiry date so make sure your GHIC hasn’t expired before you travel.
Staying safe on holiday: Please visit our Staying Safe on Holiday page for hints and tips on how to have a safe and healthy holiday in the snow.
Brexit Advice For Travellers
Travel to Europe from the UK will be slightly different now we are no longer a member of the EU.
Border control: When going through passport control, British passport holders may not be able to use the EU or EEA passport lanes. You may need to use the lane for ‘third country’ or ‘non-EU’ visitors. Your passport will be stamped on entry and again on exit to make sure you are complying with the 90-days visa-free limit for short stays. Some EU countries are rolling out an e-gate system to replace some of the manual passport checks.
At border control you may need to show a return travel ticket, an address where you will be staying, medical insurance (comprehensive travel insurance will include this) and prove that you have enough money for your stay.
Passports: British passports will need to be valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave the EU and must have been issued within the last 10 years. You will find more information further down this page.
Visas: You will not need a visa for short trips to Europe (90 days or less in a 180-day period). You will find more information further down this page.
European Travel Information and Authorisation System: The EU is aiming to bring in the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS). This is a visa waiver program designed for visitors who do not need a visa to enter a European country in the Schengen area. Once the system is live British passport holders will need to apply and pay for a travel authorisation to enter most European countries, this will be valid for 3 years. Certain travellers will be exempt, you can find the list of exemptions on the ETIAS website.
Full information on the ETIAS website.
Entry/Exit System: The Entry/Exit System (EES) is a digital border system which registers non-EU visitors travelling into the EU instead of manually stamping passports as they enter and again as they exit.
You will need to create a digital record on your first visit, this will be done at a UK port or an EU airport on arrival. You will be required to submit your fingerprints and have a photo taken at dedicated booths. You will need to allow extra time on your first visit for this process and you may experience longer queue times when you arrive at your destination.
Your digital record will be valid for 3 years. If you enter the EU again during this time, you will only need to provide a fingerprint or photo at the border, when you enter and again when you exit.
Further details:
EES leaflet
EES website
ABTA website
GOV.UK website
Travel Insurance: Ensure that you have comprehensive and sufficient travel and healthcare insurance.
Driving in Europe: The exact requirements for driving in the EU varies slightly country to country, you will need to check the FCDO travel advice for each country you will be passing through.
If you have a paper licence or your driving licence was issued in Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man you may need an International Driving Permit to drive in some EU countries, these can be bought from the Post Office. If you have a card driving licence, you do not require an IDP to drive in the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein.
You will also need a UK sticker for your car.
Data Roaming: The guarantee of free mobile phone roaming throughout the EU has ended. You may face charges when using your phone abroad. Check with your mobile phone provider about their data roaming policy.
Useful information links:
Passport Requirements
You are responsible for ensuring that all persons named on your booking qualify to travel on the holiday and to the destination booked and you have/will have valid documents and insurance, including a relevant visa for the entire duration. If you or your party cannot travel because of this, you understand it will amount to a cancellation on your part and the relevant Booking Conditions will apply. You can check the entry requirements for the country you plan to visit on the UK Government website.
Currently, if you are travelling to France a British passport must be:
- Valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave (check the expiry date)
- Issued less than 10 years before the date you enter (check the issue date)
Where can I find passport information? Visit the Government’s passport pages for detailed, up-to-date information on passport validity, renewing and applying for passports.
Please also make sure you check the passport rules for the country you are visiting. Each country sets its own minimum requirement with regards to passports. More information can be found from the embassy or consulate of the country you plan to visit.
Visa Requirements
Visas are not needed for British passport holders for short trips to Europe (90 days or less in a 180-day period).
How do I find out about visas? Information about visa requirements may be found by accessing individual country pages on the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office website. If you are flying into Geneva for onward travel to France, you should check the entry requirements for Switzerland and for France.
Non-British citizens including other EU nationals should contact the embassy, high commission or consulate of the destination for up-to-date advice on immigration, visa and entry requirements.
Where this page contains links to websites and resources provided by third parties, these links are provided for your information only. We have no control over the contents of those websites or resources and accept no responsibility for them or for any loss or damage that may arise from your use of them.