COVID-19 CORONAVIRUS CRISIS: Embassy in Madrid offers travel advice to Brits in Spain

The British Embassy in Madrid has issued urgent travel advice to worried Brits – some of whom have worries about flights and accommodation.

Writing on their Brits in Spain Facebook page they have said: “We know this is a distressing situation and are doing our best to answer your queries. Lots of you are asking particularly about flights and accommodation availability until you are able to travel.

“Flights are still operating and yesterday there were over 50 flights to the UK from Spain. Look at your airline’s website and check out flight comparison websites like skycanner.net. Be flexible about your destination airport in the UK, and date/time of travel, or travel via another country. If you are travelling via another country, make sure you can transit under current restrictions by checking out the travel advice for that country on https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice.”

They add: “Lots of people contacting us about hotels closing by 26th March in Spain. There are still hotels open in most parts of Spain, but you may need to phone around or use hotel comparison websites (e.g. lastminute.com / booking.com) to find alternative accommodation, including self-catering options. The Spanish authorities have given assurances that no-one will be left without accommodation.

“We’ve also had lots of questions about rules around travel to the airport. The emergency measures restrict travel within Spain, but travel to the airport (or overland) to return to the UK is an accepted reason. You may need to provide evidence of your journey (i.e. plane ticket).

“Friends or family can also drive you to the airport but should keep evidence of the reason (e.g. a photo of travel tickets) in case stopped on the return home, and comply with the Police restrictions on travel. We know that travel to airports is causing confusion, especially for those trying to take taxis, or travelling together. There are restrictions in place on vehicle occupancy and you might have to travel separately. Minors and disabled people can be accompanied on journeys to the airport.

“We continue to update our travel advice and the Q&A document on this page with the latest information. https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/spain“