• The French government on Thursday advised its nationals to "avoid Spain and Portugal" this summer in the face of the spread of the delta variant of Covid-19.

  • "Those who have not yet booked their holidays, avoid Spain, Portugal in your destinations, it's a word of caution," said the French Secretary of State for European Affairs, Clément Beaune, on France 2 .

  • Have you already booked and want to cancel your stay?

    "20 Minutes" helps you see more clearly.

Remember last month. Deconfinement continued on its way, the contamination figures were dropping, life was resuming its course and you were quietly booking your summer vacation, convinced that the hardest part was behind us. This was without counting the arrival of the Delta variant which slowly threatens our precious holidays.

And for those who had planned to bask in Barcelona or Lisbon, bad news: the government advised the French, this Thursday, to avoid going to Spain or Portugal this summer because of the health degradation in both country, due to the Delta variant.

For those who had not yet booked anything, it still works ... But for others, the question arises of whether or not to maintain their vacation.

Can you cancel your holidays in Spain or Portugal at the last minute? 

20 Minutes

answers all the questions you ask yourself.

Housing

Have you booked accommodation in Spain or Portugal, but you want to cancel it due to the health situation? It all depends on the conditions of sale of your accommodation and whether cancellation insurance has been taken out. For example, on Airbnb, "the cancellation conditions are defined by the hosts and may vary," explains the online hosting platform on its site. Rentals are divided into three groups: flexible, moderate and strict. “Flexible” rentals allow a full refund of the stay up to 24 hours before the arrival date. For "moderate" rentals, you can get a full refund if you cancel up to five days before your stay. As for strict rentals,you will only be refunded in full if you cancel within 48 hours of booking and at least 14 days prior to arrival. After this period, you will only receive half of the refund for your stay, if you cancel one week before it.

On Booking, cancellations are a little easier.

Having facilitated free cancellations for a long time, the platform claims that "90% of summer bookings were made with flexible conditions".

However, Booking advises to book "an option with free cancellation".

This year, to avoid disappointment, the company has implemented the “J-1 guarantee” which allows you to obtain a full refund, and free of charge, if you cancel up to 24 hours before your arrival.

After this time, don't panic, you only pay for the first night.

The plane

If you are traveling by plane and want to cancel, please be aware that the airlines have no obligation to reimburse the traveler as long as the flight is maintained. However, most companies have been flexible since the start of the epidemic. This is the case with Air France, whose tickets are 100% refundable until December 31, 2021. Travelers can cancel or modify their reservation, free of charge, until the day of departure of the first flight. In case of cancellation, you can request a full refund or get a credit note, which is also refundable if not used. At Easy Jet and Ryanair, you can change your tickets at no additional cost up to two hours before departure, but not get a refund.

Vueling, which offers flights to Spain, allows free cancellation and refunds in the form of a credit note for tickets purchased before April 21, 2021. On TAP Air Portugal, you can exchange tickets and have them refunded free of charge. purchased between June 1 and July 31.

On the other hand, if you took the tickets before or after this date, they are not refundable.

At Iberia, no refunds or cancellations, unless you are positive for the coronavirus or the theft falls on the day of your vaccination.

The train

On the SNCF side, until August 29, TGV INOUI tickets, including those to Spain or Italy, are 100% exchangeable and refundable up to 3 days before departure.

After this period, the modification fee is 15 euros.

For Renfe SNCF trains,

which link Paris to Barcelona, ​​for example, your ticket can be exchanged and refunded free of charge up to 24 hours before departure if you have taken the “Flexi” fare.

If you have opted for the “essential” fare, you can modify or cancel your ticket until the train departs, but you will lose 50% of the ticket price.

Within Spain, Renfe train tickets are exchangeable and cancellable up to 15 minutes before train departure.

Health

Coronavirus: Government advises against holidays in Spain and Portugal, but have you already booked?

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World

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  • Covid 19

  • Coronavirus

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  • epidemic

  • Summer holidays

  • Cancellation

  • Refund