Wildfires in Europe and your holiday
Frequently asked questions
Last updated: 27th July 2023
As wildfires are currently affecting certain areas of Corfu - and have affected parts of Sicily over the last few days -, we have put together some FAQs to help you find answers on what it means for your upcoming holiday with us.
Localised wildfires are a regular summer occurrence in the Mediterranean, and indeed they have historically been an essential natural method of regeneration for forests and macchia alike.
This year the recent long hot spell has meant that the ground is dryer than usual and there have consequently been more fires. However, they are still very localised where they persist and the majority of fires have now been extinguished with winds and temperatures finally dropping to much more pleasant levels.
The vast majority of our villas and the areas around them are entirely unaffected, and there has been no instruction from the local authorities that travel to our regions or the safety of our guests or employees on the ground is at threat. However, we are watching the situation very carefully with our local teams and should there be a fire close to you, we will be there to find alternative accommodation if needed, purely as a precautionary measure. In cases where we have done this in the past, this has usually involved a night in another location with a return to the villa the following morning once any risk has passed.
It is extremely rare that we would have to take such action, and the most likely scenario by far is that your holiday will be without incident. However, we advise all of our clients to purchase travel insurance in case of anything unexpected.
We hope that our FAQs on this page answer your most common questions, but should there be more guidance or support needed prior to your departure, please call our dedicated line to deal with enquiries for arrivals into your region. For everything else, our local teams on the ground will be on hand as normal.
FAQ's
Is it safe to travel?
We have been given no indication by authorities on the ground that our regions are unsafe to travel to. Our villas, services and experiences are largely unimpacted.
What if I do not feel like travelling given the risks?
That is completely your choice, however, in the absence of directives by relevant authorities, this would be treated as a disinclination to travel. Refunds for villas and services booked through The Thinking Traveller would only be available as per our Booking Conditions or through your Travel Insurance provider.
What about compensation for any missed nights at the villa?
Our villa owners are fully aware of the situation and if advised by authorities that the property is unsafe to stay in and that alternative accommodation needs to be sourced, there will of course be a refund for any nights not used less a deduction for alternative accommodation costs.
I do not want to claim on my insurance, as it will take a long time to have the money back (if granted); who will pay for any nights in hotels?
We don’t anticipate that this will happen, but if it does, we would source alternative accommodation and ask that clients pay the provider direct but keep all receipts so that when the situation becomes clearer, we can agree on compensation.
What if the fires get worse, and we cannot fly home? We do not want to get stuck in Italy/Greece!
The airports in all of our regions are currently open and operating, and we have no indication that this is subject to change. Some airports are operating at slightly reduced capacity. But if there were a severe threat to safety, all travel to the region would be prohibited, and this has not happened.
Have local businesses been affected?
Not to our knowledge: our clients currently in our villas are enjoying the properties and their pre-booked experiences as they would normally do.
Has the landscape changed near my villa?
We are currently aware of one villa in Sicily and one in Corfu where there has been some garden damage or the view of the hillside has been impacted by the fire. We do not feel that the enjoyment of either property is marred by this.
Is my villa in danger?
At the time of writing, none of our villas are in danger. However, should this situation change, we would take the necessary precautions as we have been doing with our current clients in the properties. We are pleased to note that the excessive temperatures and winds are dying down.
What if I do not have travel insurance, and do not want to travel due to the risk, can I move to a different date or property/destination?
Travel insurance is a condition of travel with The Thinking Traveller. Unless there is a directive by relevant authorities not to travel to a specific region, all bookings with The Thinking Traveller will be considered non-transferable/non-refundable.
