Greece evacuates thousands of tourists as wildfires burn – so is it safe to travel to the country this summer?

Residents and tourists are being evacuated in some areas (Picture: Lefty Damian/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

As wildfires triggered by the heatwave continue to rage in Greece, and Jet2 cancels all of its flights today to the island of Rhodes, many people are wondering whether it is safe to travel to the country.

Raging wildfires on the Greek island of Rhodes have forced thousands to flee, including British holidaymakers, as the owners of dozens of private boats pitched in to help ferry people to safety.

More than 19,000 people have been evacuated so far in what police told local news outlet Ellada 24 is the largest fire evacuation operation ever carried out in the country.

Clouds of smoke from a forest fire on the island of Rhodes thiis weekend (Picture: Rhodes.Rodos/AP)

Many tourists took to social media to vent their fears and frustration at not being given any information on what to do by travel companies, and some stranded Brits reported being left to sleep on sunbeds.

The Cerberus and Charon heatwaves are causing exteme temperatures in southern Europe, with Athens in Greece topping the temperature charts so far as some countries hit 40 degrees.

So if you’re due to travel to Greece, or had been planning to book a trip there, is it safe to go?

Here is what you need to know.

Is it safe to travel to Greece?

The current advice from the Foreign Office is that if you are planning to travel to Rhodes, you should check with your travel operator or hotel prior to travel that the area you plan to visit is not impacted by the current wildfires.

Tourists being evacuated on the island of Rhodes (Picture: AFP stringer/Eurokinissi/AFP)

The Foreign Office says: ‘Extreme temperatures are affecting many areas of Greece and there are a number of active wildfires including in Rhodes.

‘If you are a British national affected by wildfires in Rhodes near Kiotari, Pefkoi, Lindos and the surrounding area, please follow the guidance from the emergency services. Call the Greek Emergency Services on 112 if you are in immediate danger.’

For those already in Rhodes, the Greek government has established a Crisis Management Unit to respond to the situation there. They can be contacted on +30 210 368 1730, or for 24/7 British consular assistance, call +4420 7008 5000.

Despite the record-breaking temperatures predicted, so far flights and travel to all other parts of Greece are going ahead as planned.

Can I get a refund?

Unless you are advised to cancel your holiday by the Foreign Office, or it is cancelled by the airline or tour operator, there is no guarantee you’ll get your money back if you choose not to travel.

Most insurance policy claims will only pay out on a trip cancellation under certain circumstances, such as illness, a family bereavement or an exceptionally long delay in travel.

Airlines are also not under any obligation to refund you if you cancel a trip due to factors beyond their control.

That said, if you have a pre-existing medical condition and travelling to Greece could be a health risk, you may be able to claim a refund under the terms of your insurance policy.

Likewise, some travel experts have suggested that airlines may offer some compensation due to the current temperatures.

MORE : Tourist said people ‘can’t spend more than five minutes in the sun’ amid Europe heatwave

MORE : European countries not experiencing 40°C heatwave as continent battles deadly temperatures

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More than 19,000 people have been evacuated so far.