Travel expert Simon Calder has issued new Europe travel advice for UK holidaymakers
Calder urged travellers to leave sturdy footwear beside the bed(Image: BBC)
Many UK holidaymakers are being told to prepare for the worst before they even arrive by travel expert Simon Calder.
With devastating blazes forcing thousands of tourists to flee holiday resorts across France, Spain and Italy, he says Britons should have an evacuation plan if heading to Europe’s wildfire hotspots. This includes keeping essential items in a grab bag and planning escape routes.
The advice follows discussions with the British Red Cross, whose crisis response team has urged travellers to think ahead as extreme heat and wildfires become an increasing risk during the peak holiday season. Speaking on The Travel Expert podcast, Calder said many British tourists caught up in recent wildfires had been woken in the middle of the night by emergency alerts ordering them to leave immediately.
“For many British holidaymakers who’ve been in touch, they were alerted by their phones going off at three o’clock in the morning saying, ‘Quick, get out!'”, he said.
Calder said the British Red Cross had delivered one message after he spoke to Laura Scott, its director of crisis response.
“Laura told me that you are always the first responder. Yes, there are people who are trained with a first response, but you are the only person there. You are at the scene. You’ve got to help yourself.”
He said holidaymakers should start by planning exactly how they would escape if they were forced to evacuate.
“Plan your evacuation in advance. So, the vast majority of people this isn’t going to happen to. But work out where you are going to go and, if you’re travelling with a family and you’re going to be doing different things during the day, work out how you are going to coordinate.”
His second recommendation was to prepare a “grab bag” before going to bed.
“Have your money, your phone, some water, crucially your medication and your passports” ready to take with you at a moment’s notice,” he said.
Calder also urged travellers to leave sturdy footwear beside the bed.
“I’ve seen people in flip-flops and sandals. That’s absolutely ridiculous if you’re talking about forest fires.”
His final tip was to make sure any hire car is ready for a rapid departure.
“Make sure your car is pointing towards the direction you want to go. Because if you get involved with having to reverse it and everything, you’re losing valuable seconds.”
Podcast co-host Greg Dickinson added: “With a tank full of petrol.”
Despite the advice, Calder stressed there was no need for holidaymakers to panic. “The British Red Cross are very serious people, and if their director of crisis response is saying it’s a really good idea to think about these things, then I suggest that people do.
“It could make all the difference. But again, the vast majority of cases, you’re going to be absolutely fine.”
The podcast also tackled the growing number of questions from readers whose holidays have been affected by wildfires, with Calder explaining that package holidaymakers generally have the strongest protection if trips are disrupted, while travellers who book flights and accommodation separately may have fewer rights if airports remain open and services continue to operate.
He also revealed that Airbnb has extended its major disruptive events policy to France’s Gironde department after local authorities urged tourists to stay away, allowing guests to cancel bookings without penalty. The latest edition of the Telegraph’s Travel Expert podcast with Simon Calder and Greg Dickinson can be found here.
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