Greek Wildfires: What Holidaymakers Need to Know About Travel to Rhodes and Corfu

The fires have resulted in the cancellation of some flights and package holidays scheduled for the coming days, but many flights to the island from the UK are still operating.

As a result, many British tourists are currently on the island, with more booked to travel in the coming weeks.

With this in mind, here is what holidaymakers need to know: Can I still travel to Rhodes?

A number of airlines are continuing flights as normal, but some have cancelled flights or package holidays scheduled for the coming days.

The official advice from the UK Foreign Office is to follow guidance from the Greek emergency services, which means checking with your operator, airline, or hotel before travelling.

Additionally, anyone planning to travel should keep checking for updates, wherever they are planning to travel to.

What about Corfu?

Around 2,400 visitors and locals have been evacuated from Corfu, and there are also wildfires on Evia.

Greek officials say the fires in Corfu are coming under control, and they are urging travellers to go ahead with their holiday plans.

However, travellers should still check their flights and accommodation are not affected.

Does travel insurance cover wildfires?

There is unlikely to be a specific clause for wildfires in travel insurance policies, which is why the Foreign Office advice is so crucial.

If there were official advice not to travel, then claims would usually become valid.

At present, that is not the case.

James Daley, founder of consumer group Fairer Finance, says that higher quality travel insurance deals will cover the cost of flying people home or moving them to other accommodation if a holiday is affected by wildfires - although this often only comes if customers bought an add-on to cover natural disasters.

Many of these will also cover the cost of cancellation, if airlines or accommodation providers do not pay out.

For now, it depends on your specific policy.

There may be limited opportunities to claim if you have a medical condition or have become ill as a result of the wildfires.

Which companies have cancelled flights?

Different As the ongoing wildfires in Greece continue to cause destruction, travelers are left wondering about their holiday plans.

According to travel expert Simon Calder, there is no Foreign Office advice against travel to Rhodes or Corfu, so standalone flights are still available for purchase.

However, package holidays may be more complex as they may include accommodation that has been affected by the fires, and operators may choose to cancel them due to the longer duty of care.

If you are on a package deal and are forced to come home early, you may be eligible for a partial refund.

However, if you were booked for two weeks but only traveled for one, you will not receive a refund for the unused portion of your trip.

If you traveled independently, the cost of your accommodation will depend on the individual hotel.

If you simply want to get home, your rights are limited as it is your choice to shorten your holiday rather than a necessity.

Not all of the island is affected by the fires, so it is a mixed picture for cancellations.

Some holidays have been cancelled, while individual flights may still leave.

If your package deal has been cancelled, you will receive a full refund or the option to rebook elsewhere.

However, if you choose not to travel, there is no automatic right to a refund, according to the Association of British Travel Agents.

If you have booked flights and accommodation separately, you will receive a refund for the flights if they are cancelled, but you will need to contact your hotel for other elements.

If you do not want to travel due to the heat, many of the same cancellation rules apply.

Overall, it is important to keep in close contact with your holiday company and to check the latest updates on the wildfires and travel advice from the Foreign Office before making any decisions about your holiday plans.