The Erne Travel Blog

While the world of travel has been put on pause for now, there’s nothing to stop you engaging in a bit of armchair travelling with us, before we can get back to exploring our wonderful planet again. We’ll be taking you to some of the world's most popular, surreal and magical destinations from across the globe, to give you that brief escape that we are all in need of.

So, sit back, relax and take in the world with us, all from the comfort of your own home.

With cases of Coronavirus being reported in specific locations in a number of countries throughout the world, it is very important that travellers are aware of affected areas and stay up to date with Foreign Office travel advice.

The FCO currently advises against all but essential travel.
Travellers are advised to stay up to date with the UK Foreign Office travel advice which is updated regularly here.
This is a very Fluid changing situation and you should check with our teams on any specific destination.

Norad Travel Group are constantly in contact with all major representatives of the industry and working on several innitiatives to assist in the restart of travel.

Please follow links to World mapping and updates of Countries Data on the pandemic. The interactive service provides you with the information you need to start planning your next business trip or vacation, as we all start to open up for business.

If you have any questions regarding Coronavirus travel advice, are travelling near affected areas, or have a specific question regarding your holiday booking, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Travellers should also keep up to date on local advice during their visit. 

Travellers should also keep up to date on local advice during their visit. 

Coronavirus FAQ

Q:What happens if my travel plans are affected?
A: Your travel plans may be affected in different ways, depending on Foreign Office advice. If the Foreign & Commonwealth Office advises against travel to a destination and your holiday arrangements have been affected, your travel provider will get in touch and advise you of the options open to you. Travellers are advised to read the Foreign & Commonwealth Office travel advice for the country they are travelling to, which includes a link through to the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) TravelHealthPro website that provides specific travel health advice for countries. The Foreign Office also has a specific page with more information on Coronavirus.

Where the Foreign Office advises against travel to a country or a specific resort or area of a country the following applies:

Q: Does my tour operator have to refund the full package or only the parts of my holiday that are cancelled?
A: Tour operators can offer alternative holidays if they are able to. If these mean a significant change to the original arrangements, for example spending the whole or part of the holiday in a different country, you aren’t obliged to accept the alternative and will be entitled to a full refund of the package price.  

Q: When am I not entitled to a full refund? 
A: If you have booked a package and are not due to travel imminently, tour operators will decide on an ongoing basis how far in advance they’ll begin offering alternative arrangements or providing refunds. The Foreign & Commonwealth Office advice is in relation to imminent departures and it is too early to say that your holiday can’t go ahead as planned. Therefore, customers with future departure dates will be required to wait to find out whether the advice changes and their holiday can continue as planned. If you cancel early you may have to pay cancellation charges.

Q: If I cannot follow my initial travel plans due to the Coronavirus outbreak, am I entitled to compensation?
A: You won’t be entitled to any compensation, as the reason for the holiday not continuing is outside the control of the tour operator. 

Q: I’ve booked a flight to a country where the Foreign Office currently advises against all but essential travel to a country or a specific resort or area of the country, what are my rights?
A: Speak to your airline or travel provider to check what the airline’s policy is. You should also check your travel insurance to see if this will cover any additional costs. 

Q: What if I'm unsure about going on my holiday?
A: Most destinations do not have any British Government advice against travel. If there is no advice against travel to your destination, if you don't want to go, you’re free to make that choice, but there's no obligation on your holiday company to give you a refund. Normal cancellation charges will apply. It is highly unlikely that you will be able to claim any cancellation charge on your insurance as there isn’t normally cover for disinclination to travel but you can check the terms of your policy. 

If you have any questions regarding Coronavirus travel advice, are travelling near affected areas, or have a specific question regarding your holiday booking, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Earlier this week, our cruise expert Charlene was lucky enough to get an exclusive sneak preview of the incredible new ship from Virgin Voyages, The Scarlet Lady. Charlene travelled over to Liverpool docks to experience this brand-new cruising experience first-hand, and it looks like it set quite a good first impression…

Virgin’s new 17-deck ship certainly has the wow factor from the first-time moment you see it docked port.

Do you have a passion for seeing the world and love the idea of sharing new experiences? Looking to book your first solo holiday but worried about travelling independently? At Erne Travel, we organise specialist Solo Travel Tours all over the world.

There are many reasons why people choose to travel independently, why couldn't that be you? Erne Travel can help create incredible holiday memories by catering to all sorts of different requests made by our solo travellers.