Driving holiday - Ferry, Apartments via Booking.com

autocrazy

Hi All

I joined Nationwide Flexplus account beginning of this month - mainly for car breakdown and travel insurance covers 
Over easter I have a ferry crossing booking from Dover to Dunkirk for our driving holiday across France, Belgium and the Netherlands
As the Covid-19 pandemic is playing out, I am contemplating a FCO advisory against all but essential travel in which case my queries are:
1.  Are car-ferry journey covered and eligible for refund via insurance? (I know flights are)
2. I have bookings for apartments via Booking.com - would these be eligible for a refund?
3. A couple of the apartments are not fully paid yet and the payment comes up by end of March - I am asking for 'opinions' if I should not pay and hence cancel these?  One apartment has already been paid for - so wondering if I can claim it on insurance, would it be a problem if others were cancelled (ie cancelled before any FCO travel advisory, which means we could not have done our trip - will insurance refuse to pay for the apartment already paid?)

Answer to any or all queries appreciated.  Thank you

AlexMac

I too have Nationwide Flexplus travel cover, and  while I can't really give definitive answers, beyond those on their website at
https://www.nationwide.co.uk/support/travel/important-travel-information
...I am optimistic in that I have found them highly satisfactory on the rare occasion when my ferry travel was disrupted. So... 

1. yes, they do cover DELAYED, or CANCELLED ferry crossings, plus some consequential losses such as added hotel costs.   They will obviously expect the carrier and accomodation provider to do their bit fiirst, but even that worked well for me. We always use Brittany Ferries, who are also an excellent carrier, in that, when their ferry broke down just before our travel to Northern Spain, offered us the option of refunds, postponement or a shorter Normandy Crossing , generous added mileage/ fuel allowances and 2 extra free hotel nights  en-route.  We took the latter option (leaving early and justifying the two nights on the tenuous justification that, as I'm an old fart I can't drive the length of France in one day!) So quite a result; a relaxing drive from Caen to Cantabria"!

2 & 3. I usually find Booking.com excellent too- and while usually, their cancellation terms are generous and  clearly spelt out when you book, it depends on the deal; I recall that you sometimes get a cheaper deal , but only by a few quid, if you plump for pre-paid/ no cancellation? Have a look on your Booking.com voucher or their online dashboard? 

But again., in my experience, if your holiday is cancelled, extended  or made more costly by factors  which are genuinely outwith your control, Nationwide are excellent.  On the occasion above, our RETURN ferry was also delayed (BF didn't fix it in time).   But Nationwide coughed for the extra hotel nights, once we evidenced this with a copy of the ferry operator's cancellation email and receipts or credit card bills.

Not quite a parallel case, and it  could be tricky if you CHOOSE not to travel

Good luck

autocrazy

Thank you for your reply, definitely adds to the confidence as well as peace of mind. 

Do you think I should pay for my apartments end of March or call Nationwide and check?