Travelling from Britain

Nothing happens if the delay is under 2 hours.

After 2 hours: the airline has to pay for food and drink, 2 phone calls and a hotel stay (if the delay is overnight), including transport to/from the hotel. Ask for vouchers from the airline.

After 3 hours: If the delay is the fault of the airline*, you are now entitled to compensation. You must claim from the airline.

After 5 hours: You now don’t need to take the flight if you don’t want to. It doesn’t matter whose fault it is. You can ask for a full refund for the flight, plus other flights from the airline on the same booking (if you had more than one). They must also pay to fly you back to the UK if you were abroad. Speak to the airline as soon as you choose not to fly with them.

If you stay on the delayed flight, you can get compensation if the delay is the fault of the airline*

(*note: this does not mean unusual weather or workers going on strike).

Be aware these rules might change now the UK has left the European Union.

• The Citizens Advice website has the rules about flight delays and also a link to useful compensation forms.

You get either full refund (including other flights from the airline that are on the same booking) or a replacement flight. If a replacement flight will delay you more than 2 hours from the original flight, you can ask for vouchers for food, drink and phone calls. You can also ask for a hotel if you will be delayed overnight.

You might also be able to apply for compensation if the replacement flight will delay you by more than 2 hours. The cancellation has to be less than 14 days before the flight.

Be aware these rules might change now the UK has left the European Union.

• The Citizens Advice website has details about flight cancellation rules and also a link to useful compensation forms.

Keep receipts for your food and hotel (if you needed it) and try to claim from the airline later. They only have to pay ‘reasonable’ expenses – no expensive meals or luxury rooms.

You need to contact the airline that was actually flying the plane. Try to get written information about the delay. This is useful when you need to make a claim.

The airline will arrange for you to reach the original airport. If you are delayed more than 2 hours, the airline has to pay for food and drink, 2 phone calls and a hotel stay (if the delay is overnight), including transport to/from the hotel. Ask for vouchers from the airline.

Be aware these rules might change now the UK has left the European Union.

This is called being ‘bumped’ or ‘denied boarding’. It can happen if the airline has sold more tickets than the number of seats on the plane. If you had checked in on time, you must get compensation, plus either a refund or an alternative flight. If you have to wait for the alternative flight leaves, the airline must help you with food, phone calls and maybe a hotel.

You can also volunteer to not fly. You must be given a refund or a ticket for a different flight.

Be aware these rules might change now the UK has left the European Union.

• See more about being bumped from a flight on the Civil Aviation Authority website.

Tell the airline straight away and get written details. If you can, claim on your home/travel insurance. If you don’t have insurance, you might be able to get some money for the bag itself and for essential items like underwear and toiletries. For anything else, the airline will probably want receipts.

• The Citizens Advice website gives more advice about lost or damaged baggage.

Because of action to prevent child trafficking, travelling with children who have a different last name to you could cause problems.

It is a good idea to bring proof that you are all related, such as your marriage certificate, divorce certificate and/or children’s birth certificates, as well as your passports.

You can sail by ‘ferry’ (passenger ship with a timetable) to Northern Ireland, Ireland, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Spain. You can also take a ferry to Scottish islands or Jersey, Guernsey, the Isle of Man and Isle of Wight.

Of course, there are also cruise ships to many other destinations worldwide.

If you are taking your car to Europe, you will need your UK driving licence and a ‘green card’ from your car insurer to prove your vehicle is insured. You might need an international driving permit. You will also need to follow the driving rules in the countries you go to. Read more about driving in Europe on the main government website.

• You need at least 6 months’ validity on your passport to travel to Europe. Stays of up to 90 days are usually allowed without a visa. Read all the latest rules on the main government website.

Yes, most companies will let you take an animal with you abroad. You must make sure your animal has the correct documents. Cats, dogs and ferrets also need a rabies vaccination and other treatment (Northern Ireland counts as an EU country for pet travel purposes). Read more on the main government website.

Be aware you cannot bring more than 2kg of meaty pet foods into the EU (and it should only be food needed for ‘health-related’ reasons). Read more on the European Commission website.

You can usually travel to smaller islands surrounding Britain without special documents or restrictions on food. Examples are:

• Isle of Wight
• Isles of Scilly
• Channel Islands (Jersey, Guernsey etc)
• Isle of Man
• Scottish islands

For many ferries you can just turn up, but you might have to pay more than if you bought a ticket in advance. You might also have to wait until there is space. It is better to buy in advance if you can. Contact the ferry company for more details.

Usually you cannot travel over 28 weeks of pregnancy, but the rules might be different if it is a very short journey.

If you are sailing to Northern Ireland or a European Union country (for example Ireland, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany or Spain), there are strict rules about food you might have with you.

As a general rule, you cannot take any meat or dairy products. This includes cream cakes, sausages, ham, cheese, butter and desserts.

Fresh fruit and vegetables are also not usually allowed, in case they have plant diseases. You are also not allowed to take more than 1 litre of alcoholic spirits.

You are allowed to take up to 20kg of processed fish or 2kg of honey, however.

• Read more about the rules on the European Commission website.

The Channel Tunnel is a 50km (31 mile) tunnel between England and France. There are two ways to travel through the tunnel:

• Eurostar is a high-speed train from London, and Kent to cities in mainland Europe, including Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, Lyon, Avignon and Marseille.
• Le Shuttle is a special train for cars that goes between Folkestone (England) and Calais (France). You cannot take cars using LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) on Le Shuttle. You will need your UK driving licence and a ‘green card’ from your car insurer to prove your vehicle is insured. You might need an international driving permit. You will also need to follow the driving rules in the countries you go to. Read more about driving in Europe on the main government website.

Be aware you need at least 6 months’ validity on your passport to travel to Europe. Stays of up to 90 days are usually allowed without a visa. Read all the latest rules on the main government website.

Yes, if you have been delayed by more than an hour on the train you can get a voucher to spend on a new journey. The amount you get depends on how long the delay was.

If a delay means your train is over an hour late or it has been cancelled, you can ask for your money back or you can get a ticket for a different train.

• See the Eurostar website for more details about compensation.

There are no restrictions, though check your travel insurance will cover you for the journey.

You need to reserve a time, but if you arrive 2 hours early or late you can go on the next available train. After 2 hours late, you can go on the next available train, but might have to pay more. You can’t travel more than 24 hours late.

• Read more on the Eurotunnel website.

Yes, most pet animals are welcome on Le Shuttle, though there might be a charge to pay. There are exercise areas for dogs. Read more about taking pets on Le Shuttle on the Eurotunnel website.

You must make sure your animal has the correct documents. Cats, dogs and ferrets also need a rabies vaccination and other treatment. Read more on the main government website.

• Be aware you cannot bring more than 2kg of meaty pet foods into the EU (and it should only be food needed for ‘health-related’ reasons). Read more on the European Commission website.

There are strict rules about the kinds of foods that you can take to EU countries.

As a general rule, you cannot take any meat or dairy products. This includes cream cakes, sausages, ham, cheese, butter and desserts.

Fresh fruit and vegetables are also not usually allowed, in case they have plant diseases. You are also not allowed to take more than 1 litre of alcoholic spirits.

You are allowed to take up to 20kg of processed fish or 2kg of honey, however.

Read more about the rules on the European Commission website.