On Wednesday, January 20, 2021, a government source told Reuters that it is “very likely that the lifts at French ski resorts will not reopen this season.
Questioned at the end of the defense council, the government spokesman Gabriel Attal did not confirm the information but indicated that the professionals of the winter resorts would be informed by the Minister of the Economy Bruno Le Maire ” by the end of the week”.
If you were to go there in the next few days and you will therefore be deprived of sliding, what are your rights? It all depends on the type of reservation made.
Rental
If you had just booked accommodation (without any other provision or service), for example an entire apartment or chalet, the first reflex to have is to scrutinize the general conditions to see what is planned for cancellation.
Stopping the ski lifts is not a valid reason to demand a refund from the owner of a home.
But be aware that stopping the ski lifts is not a valid reason for requiring a refund from the owner of the accommodation. He is not responsible for the situation. “He clearly has no legal obligation to reimburse you, and that, even if an element outside the reservation impacts your vacation in one way or another”, specifies Julie Frère, spokesperson for Test- Purchases.
“In this kind of case, we advise each party to have common sense in order to agree on a voucher to use when events have subsided. “
cancellation insurance
If you have not been able to reach an agreement with the owner of the accommodation, can you use your cancellation insurance? Unfortunately for you, this is not possible. Cancellation insurance will cover you in the event of a health problem (for you or one of your relatives) or in the event of an event likely to disrupt your daily life. For example: a dismissal, serious damage to your home, a second session or appointment as a jury juror, etc.
Cancellation insurance will cover you in the event of a health problem or in the event of an event likely to disrupt your daily life.
However, some insurers allow you to cancel your trip for free if a negative travel advisory is posted and you have booked the trip before it is advertised. All you have to do is check the general conditions of your contract and whether, on the date of your reservation, the region where you were to go was not already in the red zone.
Package travel
If you had booked a stay in a hotel and this reservation provides for the provision of all meals on site, then you have a valid reason to be reimbursed (given that restaurants are currently closed in France). “Indeed, we can consider, in this case, thatan essential element of the contract cannot be performed. You therefore have the right to demand the termination of the contract and the reimbursement of your reservation or the deposit.“
It is for this reason that the Club Med holiday villages in the French mountains are currently all closed. “To reopen, we are not waiting for the French government to authorize the ski lifts to open, since some of our customers do not practice skiing, but although it will re-authorize catering services. “, according to the explanations of a manager of the Club Med group in Belgium.
Lift pass
In the event that you have already paid for your package online, is it possible to obtain a refund? As in the case of the reservation of an accommodation, it is advisable to go to see what is envisaged in the general conditions. That said, the companies that sell these packages seem, on the whole, to have relaxed their regulations.
For example, with regard to the Val d’Arly, stay passes (for 2 days or more) purchased online can be canceled without proof and without charge until 10 a.m. on the first day of validity of the pass. “If the resort is closed during your stay, the week started will be reimbursed in proportion to the days skied”, adds the Val D’Arly ski lift company.