Covid

Covid19 Information and FAQs

Current Travel Advice

Taken from the latest government travel advice pages at Travel to England from another country during coronavirus (COVID-19) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Check the full restrictions for each area on the FCDO’s Portugal travel advice pages.

You can get the most up to date information from gov.uk for UK residents and dfa.ie for residents of Ireland. Outside of these areas, please consult your own government foreign travel web site.

 

Book with Confidence – Our Guarantee

At Premier Villas we sell many holidays well in advance and our clients are booking for their long-awaited and well-deserved holiday. However, we do recognise that some of you may still be hesitant about booking a holiday for some time in the future in case it becomes impossible to travel again! - if this does happen, we have you covered.

Our Guarantee for imminent departures, you will be entitled to a full refund or change your booking without any amendment fee in the following situations:

  • The government requires all travellers to stay in a 'quarantine hotel' when returning from the destination of the property you have booked.
  • The borders to the destination of the property are closed due to Covid-19.
  • The Government impose a Covid-19 lockdown which makes it illegal for you to travel.

 

FAQ’s

If under the guarantee I am able to move my booking, will I have to pay any more for the holiday?

Not necessarily. You will only pay more if the price for the new holiday is more expensive due to a higher price band or price increase due to being moved to the following year or peak period. 

 

What would happen were the FCDO advice to change to advice against travel to your destination less than 10 weeks before travel?

If the FCDO changes its travel advice to your destination less than 10 weeks prior to travel, we will continue to monitor developments up until 21 days prior to travel at which point we will be in touch with you to discuss your options to move your booking.

 

Can I travel against FCDO advice or to areas where a quarantine is in place on return to the UK?

We would like to remind you that the FCDO bases its advice on numerous factors including the level of risk to you in the country you are travelling to, the accessibility of healthcare in that destination and the level of risk that you are travelling and returning to the UK will place on the rest of the UK population. Should you wish to travel against the advice of the FCDO this is permitted at your own risk. We would highly recommend that you fully research these risks before travel and that you contact your travel insurer to ensure that you have adequate cover for travel as in the majority of cases travelling against FCDO will invalidate some if not all of your insurance cover.

 

What steps are we taking to ensure that your holiday is safe?

We are all having to adapt in some way to the ‘new normal’ as we start to emerge from this difficult time. So, we have no doubt that many of you will be wondering what your next holiday with us will look like and what measures we have taken to ensure our customers feel safe while holidaying with us. While we believe that, by their nature, villa holidays will change far less than other holiday types, we have been working tirelessly over the past few months, both in the UK and overseas, to ensure that you experience the wonderful, safe and relaxed break that you expect.

 

Can I purchase Travel Insurance that covers me for COVID-19 related expenses? Am I insured against COVID-19?
Travel Insurance is an important part of any booking. 

We recommend everyone who travels with us has taken out adequate travel insurance which includes cover for the full value of your holiday with us. Having reviewed a number of insurance companies, we are happy to recommend Campbell Irvine (campbellirvinedirect.com), who come with a great reputation from our past clients. Campbell Irvine offer both single and multi-trip cover and have updated their policy to include cover for situations where your holiday may be impacted by Covid-19. Campbell Irvine can also offer, a separate specialist single trip policy for clients travelling to countries against FCDO advice. Visit their website and you’ll find an easy-to-follow quotation and booking form, as well as links to full details of cover.

 

What do I do if myself or a member of my party is in quarantine/isolation due to experiencing virus symptoms and I am therefore unable to travel?

Unfortunately, as with any illness or injury that means you have to cancel your holiday; our standard terms and conditions and cancellation charges will apply, and your travel insurer will be able to tell you what cover your policy provides. We will do our utmost to make any changes that we can to your holiday however in some cases alteration charges may apply if this may not be possible.

 

I’m due to go on holiday shortly but have been contacted by the Test and Trace system to say I’ve had contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid-19, and I should now self-isolate. Can I get a refund for my holiday?

We will do all that we can to change the date of your holiday. If this is sadly not possible due to airline regulations, or a commitment to the villa owner, for example, and you are unable to travel, our standard terms and conditions and cancellation charges would apply. These might be recoverable under your travel insurance policy and so we always advise that you check with your provider.

 

What do I do if I am tested at an airport on arriving at my destination and test positive for Coronavirus/ do not meet entry requirements?

Pre departure for your holiday we will have provided you with all the information that we have regarding entry requirements to your destination. These vary per destination and include (but are not limited to) completing locator forms, temperature checks, medical tests and proof of accommodation booking. Please follow the advice that we give as this will help to reduce any entry issues at your destination. If you are not granted entry to your destination, please speak immediately with your travel insurance company and inform your Destination Expert who will be able to advise you on the guidelines in place for your destination.

 

What happens if there is an outbreak of COVID-19 whilst I am on holiday?

Our local teams of Destination Experts and our suppliers and partners have been fully briefed on the processes and procedures necessary should there be an outbreak, or suspected outbreak, of COVID-19 whilst you are on holiday. If you require any support or advice, please contact your Destination Expert or our office in the UK.

 

What do I do if I am concerned that I have COVID-19 symptoms whilst on holiday?

Please ensure that you inform your Destination Expert or our UK office immediately so that we can offer you advice regarding local guidelines, testing centres etc. Please isolate yourself from other members of your party until we have given you guidance on how to proceed.

 

What do I do if I or a member of my party contract Coronavirus whilst on holiday?

Please ensure that you inform your Destination Expert or our UK office immediately so that we can offer you advice regarding local guidelines, testing centres etc. Please isolate yourself from other members of your party.
As most self-isolation guidelines dictate a 14-day quarantine it is likely that you will need to leave the villa. Isolation hotels exist in the majority of our destinations, and we will advise you accordingly. Please contact your travel insurance provider immediately so that they are aware you will be making a cost claim.

 

What do I do if anyone in my party comes into contact with someone with Coronavirus whilst on holiday?

Please contact your Destination Expert or our UK office immediately which will likely direct you to the local COVID-19 hotline for further advice or testing centre should you require more immediate reassurance. Please be alert to the Coronavirus main symptoms of respiratory symptoms, fever, dry cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties as well as loss of taste/smell.

 

Can I extend my stay at the villa if I need to self-isolate?

We would certainly look into the possibility of the house being available and if the property owner were to be in agreement and at what cost. The likelihood is that you would need to vacate the property to complete your isolation elsewhere (our local staff or UK office will provide you with guidance on this) and allow the property to be cleaned and fully fumigated for the arrival of future guests. We recommend that you contact your travel insurance immediately to discuss cover of costs.

 

What do I do if I miss my intended return flight because I am self-isolating with the virus?

We recommend that you contact your travel insurance immediately to discuss the covering of any repatriation costs. The team at Premier Villas will happily help you to organise any documentation that you travel insurer requires.

 

I am travelling to a destination where the FCDO advice against all, but essential travel has not yet been lifted, what do I do?

The destinations that we feature that the Foreign and Commonwealth & Development Office now advises against all but essential travel to are constantly changing based on the situation in that destination at the time. If you are due to travel to one of the destinations that currently don’t appear on the exempt list in 2022, please do not worry, the advice is being constantly monitored and updated by the FCDO so there is every likelihood that it will change by the time you are due to travel. In the event that your destination is not on the exempt list 7 days before your departure date, please see the beginning of this page for your options and how to contact us

 

If I cannot follow my initial travel plans for my holiday due to the coronavirus outbreak, am I entitled to compensation?

No, unfortunately not as the reason for the holiday not continuing is outside the control of us as your tour operator. (please see our Covid 19 Gaurantee)

 

Can I cancel my holiday if the status of the region my villa is in is not included in the ‘advise against travel’ or ‘advise against all but essential travel categories’?

You can cancel your holiday should you no longer wish to travel however our normal terms and conditions apply. If cancelling due to concerns surrounding the Coronavirus outbreak, we would advise against this and instead advise that you monitor the FCO advice for your holiday region found on their website, safe in the knowledge that at Premier Villas we guarantee your holiday protection. This situation is changing rapidly and unpredictably, and you could be cancelling a long-anticipated holiday or celebration unduly.

 

What if I decide I don't want to travel?

If the FCO advice has not changed and holidays are operating as normal, your holiday will be subject to normal booking conditions and cancellation charges will apply.

 

I'd like to speak to a member of the team; how can I get in touch?
Our helpful team are here to help with any questions you have that haven't been answered above, simply call (0) 1243 514970 or email us at [email protected] 

 

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