People planning a in Europe next year are been urged to conduct a Brexit ‘MOT’ before the UK officially leaves the EU.
Most people in Britain have taken no action to prepare for potential changes that could affect travel in Europe after March 29, 2019.
Possible post-Brexit changes to travel could include British travellers needing visas to visit France or flights being grounded – and anyone hoping to take a pet abroad will need to visit a vet at least four months before the trip.
But almost eight in ten (78%) people say they have not researched how Brexit could affect their holiday plans, according to a survey for sister cruise companies Scenic and Emerald Waterways.
Britons can enter any Schengen area country even if their passport only has a day left before it expires – but after Brexit travellers may not be able to visit these countries unless they have six months left on their passport.
The government has advised adults and children to renew passports that have less than six months validity at the time of any planned trip.
But 71% of people are completely unaware of changes to passport regulations and potential disruption to travel, according to the poll of more tan 2,000 respondents.
Just 11% have renewed their passport and only nine per cent have checked their insurance company’s Brexit terms and conditions.
Almost half (48%) have visited an EU country in the past year. But a quarter (26%) of those said they would consider not booking a trip to an EU country because of fears around Brexit uncertainty.
And 31% will also avoid booking travel to EU countries during the end of March or early April 2019 because of Brexit.
A plummeting pound, rising prices and the threat of no access to medical care are putting Britons off travelling to some favourite European destinations.
Top ten fears about travelling in Europe post-Brexit:
1 The strength of the pound (51%)
2 Rising flight prices (48%)
3 Access to medical care (46%)
4 Insurance price hikes (46%)
5 Rising accommodation prices (45%)
6 The uncertainty around what will happen after Brexit (42%)
7 Delays and travel complications (41%)
8 Needing a visa (37%)
9 Whether or not you will be able to enter a country (35%)
10 Aircraft being grounded (29%)
A spokesman for Scenic and Emerald Waterways said: “We talk to our customers all the time but wanted a clearer picture of how much they really understood about Brexit and how it may affect holiday plans which is why we commissioned this survey.
“The results have made us realise that Britain needs to wake up. We’re passionate about supporting our customers and want to help them take action with our three-step plan.
“By just checking your passport and going through your insurance T&Cs now you’ll be better prepared for next year.
“We’ve also introduced our Emerald Waterways guarantee and Scenic Brexit assurance which means our customers won’t be hit with any additional surcharges or price rises and means they can look forward to their 2019 holiday whatever happens with Brexit.”
How to protect yourself now ahead of Brexit day:
* Renew your passport and European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) now if they are in their final year
* Check the Ts&Cs on existing travel insurance or purchase comprehensive travel insurance now. Either buy an annual policy or buy cover for the dates of your holiday. By buying ahead you’ll give yourself more policy cover time to be covered for unforeseeable issues.
* Book your 2019 holiday now and take advantage of fixed price promises such as the Emerald Waterways guarantee and Scenic Brexit assurance that promise no price increases, no surcharges or supplements regardless of the Brexit outcome.