Forest fires on the Greek islands of Rhodes and Corfu have spread over the last week, with evacuation operations now underway and specialist support being brought in to help.

The FCDO have not changed their advice relating to travelling to Greece or any of its islands but are providing updates from the Greek authorities and publishing updates on how to stay safe on the islands.

As there is no FCDO advice against travel to any part of Greece (including Rhodes and Corfu), anyone not wanting to travel or wanting to return home should contact their travel provider to find out what their options are.

Typically, there is no cover under Travel Insurance for not wanting to travel or not wanting to remain on a holiday.

I’m in Rhodes now and want to leave ASAP. What are my options?

You should speak to your carrier for updated travel information in the first instance.

Most holiday companies have already started work to get those affected back to the UK and if your holiday has been cut short as a result of these events, your tour operator / travel provider should be able to provide information on any payment you may be entitled to as a result of curtailing your holiday.

The FCDO has urged British holidaymakers to follow guidance from the Greek emergency services, and a crisis management unit and phone hotline has been set up to help people in Rhodes.

They can be contacted on +302103681730, or you can call the Foreign Office emergency helpline on +442070085000 for consular assistance.

I’m due to fly to Rhodes / Corfu in the next few days.

There is likely to be concern among those due to travel in the coming days.

The FCDO have not advised against travel to Greece or any islands, and disinclination to travel is not covered on Travel Insurance, so you will need to speak to your holiday company in the first instance to see what your options are.

Some companies have cancelled all imminent flights and holidays to Rhodes already, and they are contacting customers with the options to change dates or cancel.

If you do change the dates of your holiday, don’t forget to amend the dates on your Travel Insurance policy, too.

If you are booked on a package holiday, the package travel regulations say you can cancel and receive a full refund if “unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances occur at the place of destination or its immediate vicinity which significantly affect the performance of the package or the carriage of passengers to the destination”.

Am I covered by my Travel Insurance?

If you’ve not yet travelled, it depends on the advice of the FCDO.

Up to now, the FCDO has not advised against travel to Greece or any of its islands. If that changes, and the UK government deem it unsafe to travel to your destination, then you may be able to make a claim on your Travel Insurance, although the advice is to speak to your holiday company first, as they may be able to offer a change of date.

You can then change the dates on your Travel Insurance policy.

If you are in an affected destination and your holiday has been disrupted, there may be some cover depending on your insurer, e.g., some policies will include cover for curtailment, trip interruption or travel delay in relation to natural disasters or catastrophes, including fires.

If you have pre-booked travel, accommodation or excursions that cannot be refunded by the tour operator or travel provider, then your Travel Insurer may provide cover for these, so you’re not left out of pocket.

However, all Travel Insurance policies are different, so you should check the terms, conditions, and exclusions in your policy wording.

The primary purpose of travel insurance is to cover the costs of emergency medical treatments abroad. Policies can cover you if you need to cancel or cut short your holiday, but this will only be under limited circumstances, for example if you or a close family member fall ill, not because of a disinclination to travel.