If you’ve got an upcoming holiday this summer to the likes of Turkey, Egypt, Thailand or Mexico, then there is some important travel advice from the Foreign Office to keep in mind.
The government department often issues travel warnings in order to keep British tourists safe when abroad, due to factors like potential terrorism or hostility as well as weather alerts or entry restrictions.
Knowing all of the right information before you go can help your holiday to run more smoothly, as well as keeping you safe. However, ignoring the travel advice from the Foreign Office could have more serious implications.
Liverpool Echo reports that travelling to an area which the Foreign Office has advised against could end up invalidating your travel insurance policy as well as putting you and your group at risk.
In light of this, here are the latest restrictions for travel in Egypt, Mexico, Thailand and Turkey.
Foreign Office travel warnings
Turkey
Turkey is a hugely popular holiday destination for many Brits due to its sunny beaches and rich culture.
However, the Foreign Office warns against heading to certain regions – most of which are fairly far away from the classic tourist hotspots.
The government body advises:
- against all travel to within 10km of the border with Syria due to fighting and a heightened risk of terrorism
- against all but essential travel to Sirnak city
- advises against all but essential travel to Hakkari Province
Mexico
A firm favourite for its food and nightlife, many people from the UK head off on holiday to Mexico every year.
But according to the Foreign Office, here are some of the areas to avoid:
- the city of Tijuana except for airside transit through Tijuana airport, the Cross Border Xpress bridge from the airport linking terminals across the Mexican-US border, and the federal toll road 1D and Via Rápida through Tijuana to the border
- within 40km of the Guatemalan border between the Pacific Coast up to and including the border crossing at Gracias a Dio
- on Federal Highway 199 (Carretera Federal 199) between Rancho Nuevo (just outside San Cristobal de las Casas) and the Chancalá junction just outside Palenque (where Federal Highway 199 meets Federal Highway 307)
- the state of Chihuahua except for the city of Chihuahua, the border crossing in Ciudad Juárez (accessed by federal toll road 45), federal toll road 45D connecting the cities of Chihuahua and Ciudad Juárez, the Copper Canyon rail route to and from Chihuahua and towns immediately on this route including Creel, the road from Creel via San Juanito to San Pedro, and the state highway 16 from San Pedro to Chihuahua
Full details can be found on the Foreign Office website.
Thailand
The majority of this exotic holiday destination should be safe for tourists, according to the Foreign Office.
Having said that, ‘regular terrorist attacks’ mean that Brits should avoid the following areas:
- Pattani province
- Yala province
- Narathiwat province
- Southern Songkhla province except for the areas north of and including the A43 road between Hat Yai and Sakom, the areas north-west of the train line which runs between Hat Yai and Padang Besar, Hat Yai to Padang Besar train line (though people are advised against all but essential travel on the train line itself)
Top Trending Stories Today
Egypt
Much of Egypt is to be avoided, as per the latest FCDO guidance, though popular resorts such as Hurghada and Sharm El Sheikh are not included within the warning.
The Foreign Office currently advises against all travel within 20km of the Egypt-Libya border, except for the town of El Salloum, where “all but essential travel” is advised, and to the Governorate of North Sinai.
People should also avoid:
- the northern part of the Governorate of South Sinai, beyond the St Catherine-Nuweibaa road, except for the coastal areas along the west and east of the peninsula
- the Ismailiyah Governorate east of the Suez Canal
- the area west of the Nile Valley and Nile Delta regions, except for Luxor, Qina, Aswan, Abu Simbel and the Valley of the Kings, the Governorate of Faiyum, the coastal areas between the Nile Delta and Marsa Matruh, the Marsa Matruh-Siwa Road, the oasis town of Siwa, the Giza Governorate north-east of the Bahariya Oasis, the road between Giza and Farafra, Bahariya Oasis, Farafra, the White Desert and Black Desert
- the Hala’ib Triangle and the Bir Tawil Trapezoid
Full travel information for each country can be found on the Foreign Office website.
Join the Daily Record’s WhatsApp community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages.